Sampha: Lahai review – how to make an existential crisis sound sublime
Six years after the Mercury prize-winning Process, Sampha Sisay’s follow-up is jittery with anxiety and indecision, yet poised and luscious
June 2021
Folk singer Mustafa: ‘I’m trying to preserve the memories of young Black Muslims’
The poet, a songwriter for artists including the Weeknd, explains how music helped him explore the loss of friends to inner-city violence: ‘Sorrow is meant to be experienced and felt’
March 2019
Solange: When I Get Home review – lose yourself in Knowles' hazy vision
Pharrell Williams, Sampha and Tyler, the Creator are among the guests on Knowles’ fourth album – but they can’t always prevent it from floating away
February 2019
Grace Wales Bonner: ‘I’m a fashion designer making art – it could be seen as silly’
From menswear to art, the polymath speaks about creative fluidity and ritual
July 2018
Ranked
Every Mercury prize-winning album – ranked!
Following the announcement of this year’s nominees, we run the rule over the 26 albums that have earned the crown, from Klaxons and James Blake to M People and Talvin Singh
Safe Mercury shortlist once again raises questions about prize's purpose
Laura Snapes
After grime was properly recognised at last year’s Mercury, the album prize is back to playing it safe, rewarding commercial success rather than creative innovation
Kitty Empire's artist of the week
Florence + the Machine: High As Hope review – high flyer coming in to land
Her elemental themes and gale-force delivery remain but Florence Welch now seems to be settling for a little calm
April 2018
Stormzy and Ed Sheeran up for two Ivor Novello awards
The difference in the nominees should be celebrated but number of women is still too low, says presenter Paul Gambaccini
February 2018
Kitty Empire's artist of the week
Everything Is Recorded: Everything Is Recorded By Richard Russell review – mogul music with a stellar cast
Everything Is Recorded review – Richard Russell's XL supergroup shines
January 2018
Brit awards nominations 2018: Dua Lipa beats Ed Sheeran with five
The New Rules singer caps her breakthrough year with the most nominations at British music’s biggest awards ceremony
December 2017
Best music of 2017
The best albums of 2017: the full list
St Vincent tops our countdown of this year’s most outstanding sounds, from complex rap to moody rock, alt-R&B, inventive grime and more
September 2017
A quietly challenging triumph: Sampha's Mercury prize-winning album, Process
Alexis Petridis
Mercury prize 2017: Sampha wins for Process – as it happened
Mercury prize 2017 is won by Sampha's Process
Who should win the Mercury prize 2017 – Stormzy, Kate Tempest ... or Dinosaur?
July 2017
Mercury prize 2017: Ed Sheeran, Stormzy and the xx feature on shortlist
2017 Mercury shortlist fails to spotlight truly exciting British music
Alexis Petridis
June 2017
The best albums of 2017 so far
The Guardian picture essay
Glastonbury festival: the best of Sunday – in pictures
