James Murphy and his merry band of dance-punk heroes are back to remind us all why we’re not too old for this yet, announcing a proper massive tour across the US and Europe.

Fresh off dropping their rather gorgeous new single ‘X-Ray Eyes’ and with mumblings of a new album in the works, LCD Soundsystem are ready to bring their signature brand of existential crisis disco to venues across multiple continents. The tour kicks off at Phoenix’s M3F Fest on 7th March, before heading through San Diego, multiple nights in Austin (at the perfectly named Emo’s, no less), Dallas, New Orleans, and Atlanta. The band will then hop across the pond for some European festival action, including stops at Barcelona’s Primavera Sound (7th June) and Paris’s We Love Green (8th June). They’re bringing along some proper good support too – Nation of Language will join for the San Diego show, while Gustaf will support on select dates. Tickets are on sale now, and you’d better move fast because, well, you know how these things go.

Joe Keery has announced his next Djo album ‘The Crux’, coming to blow our minds on 4th April via AWAL. Leading with new single ‘Basic Being Basic’ – a synth-drenched falsetto bop that Keery describes as “a shot fired to anyone who’s trying to be of the moment” – it’s clear our favourite alt-pop polymath isn’t here to play nice with the cool kids.

The album, co-produced with Adam Thein at the legendary Electric Lady Studios, will be followed by an absolutely massive world tour featuring Post Animal – the band he previously had a stint with – as support. UK fans can catch Djo at Glasgow’s O2 Academy (2nd June), Manchester Academy (3rd June), and London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town (6th June) – but first, catch him serving up ‘Basic Being Basic’ on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on 28th January, where he’ll also be chatting on the famous couch.

Lord Huron have roped in actual Hollywood royalty Kristen Stewart for their brooding new single “Who Laughs Last?”. The track marks Stewart’s first-ever musical endeavour, with the actor delivering a gorgeously moody spoken word performance that builds for two minutes before Ben Schneider crashes in with a proper chorus about escaping city life with a burning in his soul (relatable).

The band are celebrating this cracking start to 2024 by announcing approximately eight million tour dates for 2025, including a massive run of UK shows in September. They’ll be hitting Bristol Beacon (18th), London’s Eventim Apollo (19th), Glasgow’s O2 Academy (20th) and Manchester’s O2 Apollo (21st), with tickets going on general sale this Friday (31st January) at 10am.

In today’s episode of “old men yell at clouds,” legendary ’80s production trio Stock Aitken Waterman have decided to have a go at modern pop stars – specifically Grammy-nominated sensation Sabrina Carpenter – for *checks notes* being too sexy. In an interview with The Sun (boo) that absolutely no one asked for, the hitmaking trio behind Kylie Minogue’s early bangers claimed today’s pop stars are “throwing away women’s rights.” Sigh, etc. Like it’s their business.

The timing of their pearl-clutching couldn’t be more ironic, coming just as Carpenter celebrates six Grammy nominations including Album of the Year for ‘Short N Sweet’. The pop powerhouse, who’s spent 21 weeks at number one and earned a coveted spot opening for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, has also notably received praise from none other than Trent Reznor, who called ‘Espresso’ the best song of 2024 – which we’re pretty sure counts as more relevant validation than the blokes who gave us “Too Many Broken Hearts.” (Sorry, Jason)

Empire of the Sun have blessed us with not one but two surprise tracks for the deluxe edition of ‘Ask That God’ – and they’ve only gone and nabbed Lindsey Buckingham for one of them. The Fleetwood Mac guitar hero lends his signature strings to ‘Somebody’s Son’, while ‘Dark Secrets’ rounds out the pair of new offerings that Lord Littlemore describes as “fitting perfectly into the narrative” of their latest record.

The deluxe edition of ‘Ask That God’ is out now, with both new tracks available across all streaming platforms. For those keeping score at home, this marks the first time Emperor Steele and Lord Littlemore have collaborated with a member of Fleetwood Mac, though honestly, we’re wondering what took them so long – the theatrical maximalism of both acts is a match made in glitter-soaked heaven.

Everyone’s favourite post-everything collective Black Country, New Road have finally emerged from their experimental cocoon with news that’ll make the indie intelligentsia absolutely lose it. The band have announced their first proper studio recording since 2022’s ‘Ants From Up There’, a new single called ‘Besties’ that’s set to drop on 30th January. It follows last year’s ‘Live at Bush Hall’, which saw them road-testing entirely new material with their refreshed line-up.

If that wasn’t enough to send you spinning into a theory-crafting frenzy, they’ve gone and plastered London with some properly intriguing billboards featuring their updated logo and – because why not – an interactive red button that lights up a star when pressed. The real kicker? These mysterious installations are brandishing the date 4th April 2025, which doesn’t take a detective to figure out might just be when we’ll get our hands on that long-awaited next album.

You can pre-save ‘Besties’ now through the link in the band’s Instagram bio, while we all collectively vibrate with anticipation.

Kneecap have announced they’re graduating to arena status, with a massive end-of-year show at Dublin’s 3Arena set for December 17, 2025. The announcement comes hot on the heels of their Oscar snub, to which they responded with characteristic zero-effs-given energy by telling the Academy exactly where to stick it (while also showing solidarity with Palestine, because they’re proper sorts like that).

For those keen to witness what will undoubtedly be the most anarchic arena show Dublin’s seen since, well, ever, tickets go on sale next Friday (January 31) at 10am, with a pre-sale kicking off Wednesday (January 29). The trio are also lined up for a summer extravaganza at Dublin’s Fairview Park on June 19, plus support slots with fellow Irish rabble-rousers Fontaines D.C. at London’s Finsbury Park and Manchester’s Wythenshawe Park.

Pop’s newest main character Tate McRae is speeding through with her new single ‘Sports car’, a collaboration with the dream team of Ryan Tedder, Grant Boutin and Julia Michaels that follows her recent bangers ‘2 hands’ and massive ‘It’s ok I’m ok’. The Canadian sensation is backing up the release with the absolutely massive ‘Miss Possessive Tour’, which might actually be easier to list the places she’s NOT playing (Antarctica, we assume she’s working on it). The globe-trotting extravaganza kicks off in March, hitting everywhere from Lollapalooza festivals across South America to multiple nights at Madison Square Garden, with UK stops including London’s O2 Arena on 20th May. She’s bringing proper support too, with Benee joining for Europe and UK dates, while Zara Larsson hops aboard for North American shows. Ber-limey, etc.

Rising hyperpop sensation Omar+ has joined forces with Dork’s fave dance-pop darling piri for a proper certified bop, ‘Body Language’. The new track sees both artists bringing their distinctive flavours to the table, marking an exciting first-time partnership between two of the UK underground’s most intriguing new voices.

The single follows Omar+’s recent hot streak, including streams-magnet tracks ‘Lights’ and ‘AfterParty’ with GEE LEE (part of a run that’s already racked up over 2 million plays), while piri arrives fresh from dropping the essential ‘about dancing’ EP with production partner tommy – the much-anticipated follow-up to their beloved froge.mp3 mixtape. ‘Body Language’ is available now on all major streaming platforms.

Leeds’ purveyors of cerebral indie bangers L’objectif have marked their shiny new deal with Dance To The Radio by dropping ‘Goth Kids’ – a track that’s been cooking longer than your nan’s Sunday roast.

The band have been tinkering with this one for over a year, proving that sometimes the best things come to those who wait (and wait, and wait). Following up their ‘The Left Side’ EP, it’s a proper coming-of-age moment that sees them tackling those ever-present questions about finding your place in the world.

You can catch L’objectif doing their thing live this summer, with appearances locked in at Live At Leeds in the Park on 24th May and Kendal Calling Festival on 31st July. These shows are set to be proper special ones too, as the band have confirmed they’re gearing up to work on their debut album. No pressure lads, just don’t take quite so long about it, eh?

BRIT Rising Star nominees Good Neighbours are making waves with their first release of 2025, the emotionally charged ‘Ripple’. The track, which sees the duo at their most vulnerable and visceral yet, arrives alongside a gorgeously shot debut music video that turns a local swimming pool into a powerful metaphor for grief and human connection.

Directed by Alex Lockett, the visual follows two young boys during swimming lessons, cleverly intercut with the band’s own performance in the same chlorine-scented setting. The song itself draws from deeply personal waters, written about a close friend’s journey through grief, with the band explaining how it explores “pulling your loved ones out of that deep place.”

Chicago’s finest pop-punk exports Knuckle Puck have dropped their gloriously off-kilter new single ‘Nice To Know Ya’, and they’re properly pushing the boat out this time. Following up from their recent track ‘On All Cylinders’, the band have gone full experimental mode, throwing in some properly gnarly chords and a spoken word verse that’ll have you doing a proper double-take.

It’s exactly the sort of sonic curveball we love to see from a band keeping things interesting. The track arrives just as the lads gear up for a massive celebration of their debut album ‘Copacetic’, which is somehow already turning ten (we feel ancient, thanks). They’ll be marking the occasion with a proper party across the pond, hitting up venues like Denver’s Summit Music Hall and Brooklyn’s Warsaw, before popping over to our shores for Slam Dunk Festival. Catch them at Hatfield on 24th May and Leeds on 26th May – it’s going to be a proper moment.

Rising alt-pop force ratbag has dropped another absolute gem with ‘look what you’re doing to me’, a swooning love letter to losing your head (and heart) completely. Following the pinky-themed double-header of ‘pinky boy’ and ‘pinky girl’, plus her debut EP ‘why aren’t you laughing?’, this new track finds our favourite NZ upstart diving headfirst into those gloriously messy feelings that come with falling properly, devastatingly in love. The single arrives complete with a fresh video and marks the first taste of a mysterious forthcoming project that we’re already desperate to hear more about. After making waves with her first live shows down under last year, ratbag is plotting more dates for 2025 – though she’s keeping us on our toes about exactly when and where we’ll get to see her next. Watch this space, Dork pals.

Alessia Cara has dropped her gorgeous new single ‘Slow Motion’, arriving as the latest taster of her fourth album ‘Love & Hyperbole’, which sees her diving deep into themes of isolation and connection with the raw honesty we’ve come to expect from everyone’s favourite Canadian comfort blanket.

The new record is set to land on 14th February (yes, that’s Valentine’s Day – we see what you did there, Alessia). With 14 tracks to look forward to and following up on her recent banger ‘(Isn’t It) Obvious’, this is shaping up to be the emotional rollercoaster we didn’t know we needed.

North Shields’ finest Sam Fender is back with yet another absolute pearler, dropping new single ‘Arm’s Length’ from his upcoming third album ‘People Watching’.

Following up previous singles ‘People Watching’ and ‘Wild Long Lie’, it’s another reminder that our Sam’s basically unstoppable right now. The new track arrives as Fender gears up for a properly massive 2025, with the album dropping on 21st February and a casual world tour that includes three nights at Newcastle’s St. James’ Park, London Stadium, and even Coachella. He’s also nabbed himself BRIT Award noms for Artist of the Year and Best Alternative/Rock Act, while proving he’s still got his heart in the right place by donating £1 from each stadium show ticket to North East arts organisations. Your mam would be proud, Sam.

Bruno Mars has recruited Sexyy Red, Lady Gaga, and BLACKPINK’s Rosé for his new single ‘Fat Juicy & Wet’. The track, which Mars boldly proclaimed would be a “strip club anthem” before hitting the studio, sees the quartet donning matching black suits and popping champagne in a video that looks like Ocean’s 11 reimagined by someone who’s had too many Red Bulls.

The new single arrives as Mars continues his chart domination, with his Lady Gaga collab ‘Die With A Smile’ sitting pretty at Billboard Hot 100’s top spot for a third week, while ‘Apt’ with Rosé is currently at Number Two on the Global 200. The ’70s-inspired ‘Die With A Smile’ took a fashionably late five months to reach number one, but like all the best parties, it was worth the wait – and helped secure Gaga’s status as only the third artist ever to score number ones across three different decades. Not too shabby, eh?

Travis Scott has finally unleashed his much-teased new track ‘4×4’ into the wild, marking his first proper solo outing since last year’s ‘Utopia’. The Houston rapper, who’s apparently allergic to sitting still for more than five minutes, gave the track its live debut during a particularly swish halftime show at the College Football Playoff National Championship. The new track arrives alongside a fresh merch drop that’ll be sending profits straight to Direct Relief’s wildfire relief efforts. Meanwhile, Scott’s diary is already getting properly packed – he’s already confirmed for Coachella 2025, has been popping up on tracks with everyone from Ice Spice to Future, and even found time to dust off his ‘Days Before Rodeo’ mixtape for a fresh release. Busy bee, this one.