The Big Read
Page 8
Finneas: “I don’t know anything as strong as mine and Billie’s creative bond”
Alongside his sister Billie Eilish, the hitmaking songwriter and producer soundtracked the new Bond and, with debut solo album ‘Optimist’, has even greater success in his sights
Baker Boy: “I wanna show little kids they can be a voice for their community all around Australia – even the world”
On his debut album ‘Gela’, Yolngu hip-hop phenomenon Danzal Baker continues to tread his path of positivity – even as he delivers some of his most pointedly political songs yet
Remi Wolf: “Ripping up pop’s rulebook? I don’t know what I’m doing!”
Her kaleidoscopic take on pop won fans in Nile Rodgers and Beck, and now the Los Angeles artist’s filthy, funky debut album tackles alienation and addiction with candour and wit
Metallica and friends: “‘The Black Album’ was a victory for the underdog”
The band and famous fans raise a glass to the magnum opus at 30
Nova Twins: “The massive surge of POC pop-punk and rock is an act of rebellion”
Having smashed Reading & Leeds Festival, and with a Bring Me The Horizon tour and new album on the way, the duo are rewriting the rules of alternative music
Little Simz: “It’s nice to see my peers win. When they win, I win”
Simbiatu Ajikawo’s fourth album, ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’, is a stunning, sprawling, ambitious ode to family – both the one you’re born into, and the one you choose
Lorde: “I feel like I can see my world and myself a lot clearer now”
How Ella Yelich-O’Connor stripped away the digital noise to find solace in nature, a journey that birthed her bright, blissed-out third album ‘Solar Power’
Self Esteem: “I want to use the palatable nature of pop to Trojan horse in my agenda”
Rebecca Lucy Taylor is sick of society’s unrealistic expectations of women and, with sensational second album ‘Prioritise Pleasure’, refuses to take it lying down
The Killers: “There are a lot of young people unsure of their place in this world”
With new album ‘Pressure Machine’ tackling small-town life and childhood trauma, Brandon Flowers and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. tell us what drove them to get more real than ever before
Sigrid: “There’s a part of me that comes out when I play live – it’s my superpower”
The Norwegian star was understandably overwhelmed by the success of her 2019 debut ‘Sucker Punch’, but a period of self-reflection unlocked new single ‘Mirror’, a shimmering celebration of self
Bleachers: “This album is about wanting to hold joy, and not understanding why you can’t”
The go-to producer for Lorde and Taylor Swift on how “unearned hope” shaped his finest album yet
Youngn Lipz: “I’m very proud of where I’m from and will always represent”
The sky’s the limit for Australia’s new R&B star Youngn Lipz, who flies the flag for South-West Sydney on his debut album ‘Area Baby’