Reviews

THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE.

RAYE's sprawling second album contains genuine brilliance — but at 17 tracks and 70 minutes, it asks more than it always earns.

sombr at Aviva Studios, Manchester

Sixty-six shows into his debut headline run, sombr brought the Warehouse to a standstill in Manchester — and made it look completely effortless.

Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.

Harry Styles' fourth album is a thrillingly imperfect disco-pop statement — "Aperture" alone justifies the hype, and the rest mostly keeps pace.

THAT'S SHOWBIZ BABY! THE ENCORE

Jade Thirlwall's deluxe debut is 22 tracks of disciplined, joyful, Frankenstein pop perfection — and the most self-assured solo statement of the year.

Lorde at AO Arena, Manchester

Lorde opened the UK leg of the Ultrasound Tour in Manchester with a setlist that trusted its audience, a stage stripped to its bones, and a performance that had

GIRLS

Princess Nokia's *GIRLS* is a razor-sharp, 33-minute thesis on femininity that confirms she's one of rap's most essential and uncompromising voices.

Will Smith at Civic Hall, Wolverhampton

Will Smith brings his first tour in decades to Wolverhampton for a night that's stranger, warmer, and more alive than it had any right to be. 7/10.

The Clearing

Wolf Alice's fourth album is quieter, slower and braver than anything that came before it — a record that knows exactly what it's doing and trusts you to keep u

Oasis at Heaton Park, Manchester

Liam and Noel walked out hand in hand and fifty thousand people lost their minds. Oasis's Heaton Park return wasn't nostalgia — it was correction.

BRAT

Charli XCX's sixth album is confrontational, vulnerable and completely sui generis — the sound of an artist who's stopped asking for permission and started sett

Messy

Olivia Dean's debut is precise, warm, and emotionally generous — 'Carmen' alone is worth the price of admission, and the rest isn't far behind.