Music

New song has been crafted to enhance the pleasure of consuming chocolate. Dr Natalie Hyacinth, a composer, sound expert and academic at the University of Bristol, has composed a track named 'Sweetest Melody' to make the experience of eating chocolate more enjoyable.The song was designed around musical qualities known to influence flavour including pitch, speed and musical key. Dr Hyacinth reviewed 60 years of scientific research to uncover how areas of the brain can cross over through a phenomenon called 'multisensory integration'. According to the research, this 'multisensory integration' is especially strong when eating sweet foods such as chocolate or fruit while listening to music.Her research revealed that melodious, smooth music in a major key enhances the sensations of sweetness ...

Just months after celebrating his 83rd birthday, Sir Paul McCartney has shown no signs of slowing down and is rumoured to be making a fresh musical comeback. The Beatles legend will reportedly announce an upcoming tour and release a new album by the end of the year. According to a source close to the icon, Sir Paul is said to be “really proud” of the album and looking forward to performing in front of concertgoers across the UK. They claimed: “Paul has been working on the album all year and initially hoped it would be out by the end of this year, but as with most things, plans change. “It’s not quite finished, but the majority of the album is done and Paul is really proud of it. “As for live shows, he’s told his team he wants to tour the UK again, so live gigs next year are also happeni...

It's been an incredibly memorable year for music, with the return of Oasis, controversies from Kneecap and the sad passing of Black Sabbath's Ozzy Osbourne. This year had a lot to live up to after the cultural phenomenom of Brat summer in 2024. That was a busy year for pop girlies with Charli xcx, Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter dominating the charts and popular culture.However, 2025 has had a different feel, one of nostalgia and a continuing rise of indie sleaze. Icons, Beyoncé, Billie Eilish and AC/DC have been out on tour, while Haim, Bon Iver and Wolf Alice have dropped new albums. However, the year isn't up yet. A new album from A$AP Rocky is still on the way alongside Taylor Swift's latest body of work. It was an abundant year for music but there are three specific albums that...

In the last three years, there have been two major Elvis Presley movies: one focused on the King of Rock and Roll and the other on his ex-wife, Priscilla Presley.Baz Luhrmann’s glitzy Elvis biopic almost won titular star Austin Butler an Oscar, in an official retelling of the music icon’s life retold by Tom Hanks’ Machiavellian manager Colonel Tom Parker.Meanwhile, Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla movie, based on the 1985 memoir Elvis and Me, starred Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi as the showbiz couple in a raw retelling that wasn’t given permission to use the King’s music.Before her death in 2023, the couple’s daughter Lisa Marie Presley praised the Elvis film and slammed the script of the Priscilla biopic for depicting her father’s personality and actions in a negative light.Yet Elvis’ step-...

Rod Stewart has never been bashful about the music that influenced him.The legend, who came of age listening to everything from soul and R&B to blues and early rock and roll, once disclosed a remarkable list of his all-time favourite songs - and amongst them is a track that helped spark his enduring passion for rock.Initially released in 1956 and featured in the film of the same name starring Jayne Mansfield, 'The Girl Can't Help It' became one of Little Richard's most celebrated hits.The song's pulsating rhythm, exuberant vocal performance, and dynamic piano arrangements helped establish the sound of 1950s rock and roll - and it left an indelible mark on a young Rod Stewart.During a 2018 chat with BBC Radio 2's Ken Bruce, Stewart reminisced about how the song entered his world cour...

Music fans have had an incredible 2025 so far. Whether it has been the Oasis Reunion Tour that has been gripping the globe, Glastonbury Festival, or the laundry list of new releases from some of the world's biggest artists - who can forget Justin Bieber's surprise studio album, Swag, that hit the airwaves in July?Then there's the likes of Sabrina Carpenter, Gracie Abrams, Chappell Roan, and so many more who seem to have catapulted themselves to superstardom over the course of this calendar year.As such, so many of us have been spending a good chunk of time in the car or out on a jog listening to these magical voices, counting the days down to when we can get embarrassed by the annual Spotify Wrapped.Towards the turn of the year, the music streaming giant releases a recap of users' liste...

Back in November 2003, Channel 4 asked the public to vote for what they considered the “worst singles of all time.”The results, broadcast in January 2004, placed some of pop’s most recognisable hits among the so-called guilty offenders. While taste in music is subjective, the countdown revealed a fascinating mix of novelty tracks, bubblegum pop and even a record-breaking charity release.Here’s a look back at the top 10 “worst songs of all time” as ranked by Channel 4 viewers, counting down from number 10 to the infamous number one.10. Jennifer Lopez – Jenny From The Block (2002)Released in late 2002 as the lead single from her third studio album This Is Me... Then, Jennifer Lopez’s Jenny From The Block became one of her signature songs. The track, built on heavy samples from The Beatnut...

Even in a band as wildly inventive as Queen, not every idea was greeted with enthusiasm. That was certainly the case when drummer Roger Taylor turned up with ‘I’m In Love With My Car’, his tongue-in-cheek ode to roaring engines and chrome.The track, released in 1975 as the B-side to the monumental ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, has since become a cult favourite - but at the time, it caused serious friction within the group. In an interview with MOJO, Taylor admitted the decision to push the song forward created one of the band’s longest-running disagreements.“Brian was like, ‘Is this a joke?’” Taylor recalled. “I said, ‘Look at all those people out washing their cars on a Sunday morning, lavishing attention on them – they probably love their cars more than they love their wives.’ It’s a valid lyr...

By the late 1970s, Queen were firmly established as one of the world’s biggest rock acts. Their 1977 album News of the World had delivered two stadium anthems in ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘We Are the Champions’, songs that quickly became known by most.When the band regrouped to make their follow-up, Jazz (1978), they found themselves juggling ambition, experimentation and the occasional creative clash.Among the most surprising disagreements was over ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’, a track that would later become one of Queen’s defining hits. Written by Freddie Mercury, its infectious piano riff and celebratory lyrics captured the frontman at his most exuberant. Yet, at the time of recording, not everyone in the band was convinced.Brian May, Queen’s guitarist, later admitted he had serious reservation...

Bob Dylan has never been easily impressed by the ins and outs of fame. At the height of his success, when rock stars were filling stadiums and pop idols dominated the charts, Dylan kept his focus on storytelling and authenticity. Yet even he admitted there was one voice in folk music that could eclipse the biggest names in pop.Writing in his 2004 memoir Chronicles: Volume One, Dylan reserved some of his most striking words for Pete Seeger, the banjo-playing singer who had been central to the American folk revival since the 1940s. Seeger was already a cultural presence long before Dylan arrived in Greenwich Village. A founding member of the Almanac Singers and later the Weavers, his songs such as ‘Goodnight Irene’ and ‘If I Had a Hammer’ had become staples of the post-war folk scene. For...