Chappell, chaps, Brat or rap spats: what will – and should – win at the 2025 Grammys?
It’s tough to call the quality-stacked top categories, featuring Academy darlings such as Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar and Taylor Swift alongside pop’s new tyros
May 2024
Kacey Musgraves review – sweet and salty country-pop magic
The Texan star transfixes with her crystal clear voice and flawless band, balancing airy verses on the healing beauty of nature with a dash of darkness
April 2024
From Taylor to Ariana, pop’s overreliance on gossip is choking the life out of it
Laura Snapes
Today’s pop stars are cramming songs with so much biography they need footnotes – and they’re in danger of alienating all but their hardcore fans
March 2024
Why do pop stars align themselves with astrology? Heaven knows
Elle Hunt
Ariana Grande, SZA and Kacey Musgraves are just a few of the musicians to invoke astral powers in their songs. It’s a reach for relatability – but what does it mean for songwriting?
Kacey Musgraves: Deeper Well review – tasteful zen has its limits
The US country singer’s sixth album finds her maturing musically and philosophically, though veering towards the generic
Kacey Musgraves: Deeper Well review – folk-pop that’s high on life and pure as mountain air
The crossover star’s sixth album opens with a spectacular one-two of the most beautiful songs you’ll hear all year – but the loved-up mood and back-to-nature wonder becomes twee
March 2023
TV review
My Kind of Country review – finally, a music competition show with real heart
All the contestants in Reese Witherspoon’s show can sing, play and perform – and Nashville’s pros are there to help, not humiliate, them. It’s a breath of fresh air
December 2022
Ranked
The 20 greatest Christmas albums – ranked!
Whether you fancy a heartwarming carol with Elvis or the story of a yuletide drug dealer from OutKast, there’s a festive album for you in our rundown of the best ever
June 2022
Sunday at Glastonbury: Kendrick Lamar, Diana Ross and Jack White – as it happened
The US rap star headlined the main stage on the last night of the festival, while Pet Shop Boys, Charli XCX, Jarvis Cocker and a host more brought the festival to a close
April 2022
Grammy awards 2022: who will win – and who should
The biggest night in American music sees Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X, Jon Batiste, Olivia Rodrigo and Silk Sonic among those battling for awards
March 2022
Paul McCartney and Kendrick Lamar to headline Glastonbury 2022
As the festival returns from Covid-enforced hiatus, over half of the acts announced so far feature women
December 2021
Best music of 2021
The 50 best albums of 2021
And finally – a deserving winner, whose second solo album is a truly relatable, pin-sharp pop classic. We reveal our No 1 album of 2021
September 2021
‘I knew I was pushing buttons’: Kacey Musgraves on divorce, mushrooms and taking on the good ol’ boys’ club
Kacey Musgraves: Star-Crossed review – a tragedy of wifely strife
August 2021
How Kacey Musgraves divorced ‘the revenge dress’
Following in Beyoncé’s footsteps, the singer’s new short film suggests that a clothing concept that originated with Princess Diana is no longer relevant
May 2021
Grunge vs glam: Are we ready to get all dressed up for summer?
As we refresh our wardrobes for a more sociable season, shoppers are divided on dressing for comfort ... or for compliments
August 2020
My pandemic epiphany
My pandemic epiphany: realizing I can't sing and loving it
Adrian Horton always assumed she’d be able to sing if she tried; but with porous quarantine time for lessons, she was about to learn the truth
January 2020
Urban cowboy: why the Yee-haw agenda won't die
The post-Lil-Nas-X wild west influence won’t go away – it represents much more than fashion
December 2019
The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show review – old-fashioned festive schmaltz
Apart from a blockbuster duet with Lana Del Rey, there are no new musical ideas on this twangy Amazon Prime Video special and soundtrack
April 2019
Kacey Musgraves: from liberal misfit to country’s biggest star
The Grammy-winning country star talks about Nashville, being inspired by her horse and microdosing with LSD
