PinkPantheress review – singer proves she’s ready for pop’s A-list at sensational New York show
The viral star electrified Brooklyn with winking visuals, self-aware humor and a slew of special guests
Charli xcx: Rock Music review – is she really pivoting from pop? Don’t be so sure …
The lyrics may argue the dancefloor is dead, but this funny, wilfully plasticky new single isn’t the total about-turn from Brat that fans expected
Paul Simon review – at 84, back on stage after hearing loss, his resolute artistry is inspiring
What Simon has lost in vocal power he has added in intimacy and authority – and this hushed performance makes for an arena concert like no other
Ana Roxanne: Poem 1 review – a stunning pop balladeer emerges from the haze
Essaying a broken heart, the New Yorker puts her voice front and centre for her most accessible work yet, though still with unexpected details – and a Schumann cover
Aldous Harding: Train on the Island review – even whimsy-resistant listeners will love these lucid, luminous songs
Lyrics about naked owls and eating rocks might be irksome to some – but there’s no denying that the alt-rocker’s fifth album is beguiling, tightly written and richly melodic
Rosalía review – ribcage-rattling riot is one of the boldest, most highbrow arena shows in pop history
The ambition of 2025 album Lux is scaled up even bigger by the Catalan megastar, delivered with operatic vocals and en pointe ballet moves as well as funny asides and glasses of wine
Kneecap: Fenian review – their new album is terrific, triumphant yet tortured
With strong words for Keir Starmer, the Irish rave-rap trio remain unbowed by the controversy around them – and yet this is a more ruminative record than you might expect
Kacey Musgraves: Middle of Nowhere review – weary, rootsy and wry, it’s her richest album since Golden Hour
After two underwhelming pop-leaning records, the country star gets back to basics on this sparsely produced gem filled with wit and hard-won lessons
Ne-Yo and Akon review – joyous joint tour is like time-travelling to a messy night out in 2010
From So Sick to Smack That, this double-headliner provides major millennial nostalgia – but goes to show how varied their respective careers were at their peak
Anohni review – masterful songbook reinventions are an out-of-body experience
Accompanied by a virtuosic band and powered by her operatic voice, Anohni is as good as Nina Simone at interpreting songs – and her own catalogue proves equally malleable yet strong
Carla dal Forno: Confession review – spartan, sunlit post-punk strikingly contrasts the desperation of desire
The Australian songwriter’s fourth album exists in the captivating chasm between the coolness of her music and the unrepentant obsession of the crush it explores
Olivia Dean review – soul-pop superstar shimmies into a classy and commanding first arena tour
The glam set design, gleaming brass and Motown moves are knowingly retro, but Dean’s performance is immediate, vulnerable and natural – the work of a singular artist
Noah Kahan: The Great Divide review – Stick Season turns Groundhog Day in stadium folkie’s endless autumn
All but repeating the formula of his breakout album, Kahan seems torn between whether success is sustainable or even repeatable on songs defiantly rooted in small-town life
Madonna: I Feel So Free review – album teaser offers hypnotic glimpse of a return to her club scene roots
The ‘Queen of Pop’ conjures the heady vibes of a small hours dancefloor with this exceptionally crafted single
Sean Shibe: Vesper album review – ever-imaginative guitar virtuoso brings mind-expanding flights of fancy
This thoughtfully curated programme of work by three British composers explores the guitar’s expressive potential, and new arrangements of Harrison Birtwistle’s piano originals are a revelation