Neil McCormick

Indeed ... not just a song by the Police. Sometimes the universe rhymes.

Harry Styles’s new album has all the emotional heft of a perfume advert The former One Direction superstar’s album is strange, shallow and soon to be inescapable

Who needs substance when you have (Harry) Styles?
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This is where I was last night. Afterwards, I had a brief encounter with the great man. "Neil, I read your stuff," he said, gripping my hand. ""Well Paul, I listen to your stuff," I replied. He had a little chuckle and I will die happy.

U2 are back on the barricades with their most political work in years Born of bloodshed from Minnesota to the Middle East, this fierce EP even ropes Ed Sheeran into its protest cry

I am thankful that some artists are ready to stand up and be counted. The protest song is back with a bang.
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A triumphant return from Florence + the Machine’s magnificent enchantress Welch has developed a compelling onstage persona, but muddy acoustics left her most delicate songs fighting to be heard

Florence Welch joked about only receiving a four out of five star review for her last show at the O2 Arena, when she broke her foot. She even wrote a song about it (Music By Men). I am a huge fan, but I am going to add another four out of five stars to her CV.
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Grammy Awards 2026: Olivia Dean’s win shows that Britain still has a firm grip on pop Bad Bunny also wins big at ceremony dominated by criticism of US immigration crackdown

It annoyed President Tramp but Bad Bunny’s historic #GRAMMYs    triumph reminds us that in the modern streaming world English can no longer take its status for granted as the universal language of pop.
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Bruce Springsteen’s new Trump protest song has just upped the ante The Boss renews his long-standing feud with the president, forgoing subtlety in a searing attack on ICE

I have been lamenting the silence of major musical figures at this febrile moment in history. Then up pops the Boss.
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Yes, I liked that analogy too. I was closer then I thought, but too far behind to win. I feel a country song coming on. 😉

Everyone Runs. Only One Gets Remembered. Why talent, effort, and doing everything right still are not enough in music, media, or modern careers.

This is a very succinct and philosophical essay about "failure" in the arts. It took me a whole book (Killing Bono) about my own band's failure to make the same point.
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Harry Styles has become Britain’s biggest pop star without even trying Breaking his two years of silence with new single Aperture, the singer has slipped back into the running for reigning superstar of the age

Aperture is an odd but winning comeback. Instead of coming out all guns blazing with big beats and thrusting choruses, the impression is that Styles has just slipped quietly back in with the anthem of the summer.
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Team Mercer (Kas and Joe) are fundraising for Raystede Centre For Animal Welfare Limited Help Kas Mercer raise money to support Raystede Centre For Animal Welfare Limited

My friend Kas Mercer is going to sit on top of a flying plane to fundraise for the animal shelter where she volunteers (when not being a high powered PR). She's clearly insane but she's a cat lover, so that's a given. 😼 Support her here: www.justgiving.com/team/teammer...

Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine: ‘All I wanted was to be heavier and faster than Metallica’ The lead singer and guitarist sits down for a volatile interview with our critic, on everything from late-night fights to finding faith

Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine hung up on me during this interview. Given that he once threatened to snap my colleague Ian Winwood's neck, I probably got away lightly. Fascinating character, nonetheless. I genuinely enjoyed talking to him. www.telegraph.co.uk/music/interv...

The bland Brits should thank their lucky stars for Lily Allen With the exception of the West End Girl singer, this year’s contenders are woefully predictable. Here are the nominees in full

The Brits are back, with a couple of plucky veterans showing the young ones how it should be done.
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Robbie Williams sounds like Oasis and Blur’s love child on his first album in a decade Loud, swaggering and steeped in self-mythology, Britpop is less a comeback than a long-held Nineties fantasy fulfilled

I doubt the prospect of Gary Barlow and Robbie Williams collaborating on a tribute to maverick indie icon Morrissey was on anyone’s Take That bingo card... www.telegraph.co.uk/music/news/r...

Raffle prizes at Limbonauts charity concert at the Water Rats, London on Thursday (Jan 15). Special edition sets of Pink Floyd, Bruce Springsteen & red vinyl U2. Raffle tix just £2 each at the show, raising money for Rozdil orphanage in Ukraine. Come on down. limbonauts-live-london.eventbrite.com

Limbonauts: Live in London The London live debut of interstellar sensations the Limbonauts. Over 200,000 streams. Rock from an Alternative Dimension.

You often hear it said that "Those who can do, do; those who can't ... become critics." The theory will be put to the test on Thursday at the Water Rats in London, raising money for the Rozdil orphanage in Ukraine. Come & heckle for a good cause. limbonauts-live-london.eventbrite.com 👽👾🤖

Morrissey’s melodramatic new single sounds like a Eurovision pastiche As the comeback of one of Britain’s greatest lyricists, Make-up Is a Lie isn’t quite up to scratch

It is 2026: the world teeters on the brink of war, climate crisis, stock market collapse and AI technological meltdown. Enter one of Britain’s greatest lyricists, returning from years of silence to tell us not to place our trust in mascara.
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Just resurfacing from hinbernation. Back to work tomorrow. I am going to include a song in my next Music, War & Peace playlist and I will keep tabs on what you are doing

I can neither confirm nor deny rumours that I may (or may not) be involved with this band of alien miscreants making their live debut next week. But I will sure as hell be there😉 so if you're in #London come along and say hi. limbonauts-live-london.eventbrite.com It's all for a good cause!

Chris Rea winced when I mentioned his hits. He shouldn’t have Any musician would feel proud to have penned songs half as gorgeous and touching as his

Hope he made it home.

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Taylor Swift’s tearful documentary will convert even hardened sceptics Disney’s The End of an Era underlines why the pop star is the all-conquering entertainer of our times

If you are amongst the remaining sceptics who think Taylor Swift has been perpetrating a mass delusion on the minds of millions of vulnerable young pop fans – well, her dazzling new fly-on-the-wall tour documentary series might just change your mind. www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/taylor-...

An advance digital will be welcome.

I have written a lot about Phil over the years ... but not this time. I'll just commemorate with an evening listening to Live and Dangerous.

That's lovely. What an extraordinary writer Brel was, before the idea of a singer-songwriter had even taken hold.

Spotify Wrapped: Is your listening age wrong, or are you in denial? As the streaming platform’s personalised annual round-up drops, a new feature is causing our critic consternation

Help. Spotify made me 10 years older overnight. 😳#SpotifyWrapped
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Went to the opening night of Camille O'Sullivan at the Soho Theatre. The Irish chanteuse is such a high wire act, she seems to be coming apart and reassembling herself in songs by Bowie, Cave, Radiohead, Brel, Sinead & Shane McGowan. Somewhere between interpretive masterclass & a nervous breakdown.

The Beatles Anthology’s ‘new’ episode proves familiar, but achingly poignant The seminal documentary series returns looking better than ever, and now marking George Harrison’s last stand as a Beatle

“Paul and I are going to do some stadiums next year," announces George.”
“Mud wrestling,” says Paul. “I think we can pull it off too.”
“I’ll be the ref,” deadpans Ringo.

The last stand of @thebeatles
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Jimmy Cliff made some of the most beautiful records anyone could ever hope to hear The Jamaican singer-songwriter put soul into reggae. He should be remembered as one of the greats

Jimmy Cliff has crossed his final river
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This barrel-scraping Beatles cash grab should have stayed in the vaults A shiny ‘new’ version of the Anthology series essentially means just remasters of rejects

Its the remastered remix of the remastered rejects. Is this where @thebeatles story has got to, endlessly repolishing discards from the bottom of the Apple barrel?
www.telegraph.co.uk/music/news/b...

Will Sabrina Carpenter prove too provocative for Alice in Wonderland? The notoriously risqué pop singer will produce and star in a new musical film adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s classic tale

Sabrina goes down a rabbit hole. Alice in Wonderland has inspired pop stars from Jefferson Airplane and The Beatles to Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Tom Waits and, er, Marilyn Manson. www.telegraph.co.uk/music/news/s...