Toe-tapping King Charles reveals his favourite songs
The king has joined forces with Apple to launch "The King's Music Room", a radio show in which he shares his favourite songs from around the Commonwealth, and beyond.
They reveal a surprising appreciation of disco, reggae and Afrobeats, and the songs which get the royal toes tapping.
"The Loco-Motion", by Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue "has that infectious energy which makes it, I find, incredibly hard to sit still," Charles said as he introduced the song from Buckingham Palace, photographed behind a desk boasting an "On Air" sign.
He also explained how he discovered Highlife music "and the urge to dance to that pulsating rhythm" when he first visited Ghana in the 1970s.
"On my most recent visit to Ghana in 2018 I found myself dancing along to the next track, which is by Daddy Lumba -- who is regarded by some as the greatest musician Ghana has ever produced," he added, before playing "Mpempem Do Me".
Although not from one of the Commonwealth nations, US singer Diana Ross' "Upside Down" is also "one of my particular favourites," said the king.
"When I was much younger it was absolutely impossible not to get up and dance when it was played. I wonder if I can still just manage it," he joked.
The king said that the songs evoked "many different styles and many different cultures" but that "all of them, like the family of Commonwealth nations, in their many different ways share the same love of life, in all its richness and diversity".
The show was recorded to mark Commonwealth Day, which is being celebrated on Monday.
The Commonwealth is a bloc of 56 nations, most of which are British ex-colonies.
- 'Hot Hot Hot' -
Jamaican reggae legend Bob Marley also makes the playlist, with his classic hit "Could You Be Loved".
"I will tell you about a time when I met the great man himself. I remember when he came to London to perform when I was much younger and I met him at some event," recalled Charles.
The 76-year-old monarch remembered Marley's "marvellous, infectious energy... but also his deep sincerity and his profound concern for his community.
"I always recall his words 'the people have a voice inside them'; he gave the world that voice in a way that no-one who heard could ever forget," he said.
Also from the Caribbean, Charles selected Millie Small's worldwide 1964 hit "My Boy Lollipop" and Montserratian musician Arrow's "Hot Hot Hot".
"When I last visited the island, it certainly was," joked the king.
On a more nostalgic note, the playlist also contains "The Very Thought of You" by 1930s crooner Al Bowlly.
"For me there is something... irresistible about music from the 1920s and 1930s that reminds me of my much-loved grandmother. She used to play these sorts of music a lot, and also never fails to lift my spirits."
Moving back to the present day, Charles confessed that there was a "performer so exceptional that I just could not resist including her music".
"The incomparable Beyonce," said the king as he introduced the US pop star's song "Crazy in Love".
Other songs to make the list include "La Vie En Rose" as sung by Grace Jones, "Love Me Again" by popular UK artist Raye and "KANTE" by Nigerian artist Davido.
"It also features lyrics in pidgin, which I love in all its forms," said Charles.
Miriam Makeba's "The Click Song", "My Country Man" by Jools Holland and Ruby Turner, Anoushka Shankar's "Indian Summer", Siti Nurhaliza's "Anta Permana", Kiri Te Kanawa's "E Te Iwi E" and Michael Buble's "Haven't Met You Yet" completed the list.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time Out Abu Dhabi
4 days ago
- Time Out Abu Dhabi
A walking club just opened in Abu Dhabi that's totally free (and comes with discounts)
Who said fitness had to be sweaty, stressful or outside? Let's be honest: not all of us are 6am sprint warriors pounding the pavement to chase a personal best. Some prefer exercise with air-con, a latte afterwards and zero risk of sunstroke. If that sounds like your vibe, Yas Mall's new walking club is about to become your new favourite morning ritual. Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 8am to 9am, Yas Mall is inviting early birds (and chill movers) to stroll through its polished, air-conditioned corridors – before the crowds arrive. You'll start at the Fashion Entrance, then cruise past closed shopfronts with all the calm confidence of someone in an Apple ad. The Walking Club is free, open to all fitness levels and refreshingly low-pressure. Whether you're clocking steps for your heart, your head, or just to justify a pastry later, you'll be in good company. Think of it as wellness without the gym intimidation or Lycra panic. And because this is Yas Mall, you're not leaving empty-handed. Walking club members also get access to exclusive deals and perks, including: 25 percent off at Lululemon and The Giving Movement Free samples from Good Health Nutrition 10 percent off at L'ETO plus complimentary infused water (first come, first served) Avobar salad and drink combos starting at Dhs75 20 percent off at Vapiano (Monday to Thursday) Honestly, even if you're just in it for the infused water and vibes, we respect it. More things to do in Abu Dhabi Everything happening in Abu Dhabi in 2025 From new openings to big events, this is shaping up to be quite a year Old Abu Dhabi: 15 best spots to uncover the history of the capital Peel back the layers of time Abu Dhabi's best restaurants: Everywhere you should eat at least once Your dinner inspo is sorted
Gulf Today
05-08-2025
- Gulf Today
Robin Givhan chronicles Virgil Abloh's rise to fashion fame
With his calm and cool demeanour, fashion disruptor and multi-hyphenate Virgil Abloh artfully challenged the fashion industry's traditions to leave his mark as a Black creative, despite his short-lived career. In the years since his 2021 death at just 41, his vision and image still linger. Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Robin Givhan sheds new light on how Abloh ascended the ranks of one of the top luxury fashion houses and captivated the masses with her latest book, 'Make It Ours: Crashing the Gates of Culture with Virgil Abloh.' In the book out recently, Givhan documents Abloh's early life growing up as the son of Ghanaian immigrants in Rockford, Illinois, his days as graduate student studying architecture and his working relationship and friendship with Kanye West. Before taking the helm of Louis Vuitton as the house's first Black menswear creative director, Abloh threw himself into his creative pursuits including fine art, architecture, DJing and design. Abloh remixed his interests with his marketing genius and channeled it into fashion with streetwear labels like Been Trill and Pyrex Vision. These endeavours were the launchpad for his luxury streetwear label Off-White, known for its white diagonal lines, quotation marks, red zip ties and clean typeface. Off-White led to Abloh's collaboration with Ikea, where he designed a rug with 'KEEP OFF' in all-white letters and also with Nike where he deconstructed and reenvisioned 10 of Nike's famous shoe silhouettes. Throughout his ventures, Abloh built a following of sneakerheads and so-called hypebeasts who liked his posts, bought into his brands and showed up in droves outside his fashion shows. Social media made Abloh accessible to his fans and he tapped into that. Off-White had built a loyal following and some critics. Givhan, a Washington Post senior critic-at-large, openly admits that she was among the latter early on. Givhan said she was fascinated that Abloh's popularity was more than his fashion. For her latest project, Givhan spoke with The Associated Press on how she approached each of Abloh's creative undertakings and his legacy during a period of heightened racial tension in America. Can you talk about the process of writing about all of his creative endeavors and how they shaped his career? The skater culture — in part because it was such a sort of subculture that also had a very specific aesthetic and was such a deep part of the whole world of streetwear — and then the DJing part intrigued me because so much of his work as a designer seems to reflect a kind of DJ ethos, where you're not creating the melody and you're not creating the lyrics. You're taking these things that already exist and you're remixing them and you're responding to the crowd and the crowd is informing you. And so much of that, to me, could also be used to describe the way that he thought about fashion and the way that he designed. What role would you say that Virgil has had in the fashion industry today? He certainly raised the question within the industry of what is the role of the creative director? How much more expansive is that role? ... And I do think he has really forced the question of how are we defining luxury? Like what is a luxury brand? And is it something that is meant to sort of have this lasting impact? Is it supposed to be this beautifully crafted item? Or is it really just a way of thinking about value and beauty and desirability? And if it's those things, then really it becomes something that is quite sort of quite personal and can be quite based on the community in which you live. How did he use social media to his advantage and to help catapult his career? He really used social media as a way of connecting with people as opposed to just sort of using it as kind of a one-way broadcast. He was telling his side of things, but he was also listening to other people. He was listening to that feedback. That's also what made him this larger-than-life person for a lot of people, because not only was he this creative person who was in conversation with fans and contemporaries, but he was this creative person inside. Associated Press
Campaign ME
29-07-2025
- Campaign ME
Cannes Lions 2025: Evidence-based, coalition-built, transparent and human
Cannes Lions 2025 felt less like a festival of fireworks and more like a stress test of truth. Serving on the PR jury, I spent long nights debating whether ideas deserved a Lion once the gloss was stripped away. That perspective shaped seven lessons I carried home, and each one speaks to where brand storytelling is heading next. Being believed is now worth more than being seen. On day one, Apple's Tor Myhren warned that AI will not save advertising unless humans raise the standard. Later, our jury dropped a high-gloss submission the moment its impact numbers proved to be guesses. The work that climbed to Gold arrived with proof the public would recognise as real. In an era of deepfakes and automated hype, authority must be earned the hard way. Authority grows fastest when you bring credible partners on board. Dove's 'Real Beauty' campaign won the Grand Prix in the Glass: The Lion for Change category at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2025 because NGOs, creators and media figures all shared ownership of the message. India's Lucky Yatra, this year's PR Grand Prix, paired Indian Railways with broadcasters and a lottery mechanic that turned humble train tickets into national news. The biggest spend wasn't media; it was relationship-building. Everyone praises diversity but few show it working in real time. Our jury did. We came from five continents and every corner of communications, so each case was cross-examined for cultural nuance, ethical red flags and lived experience I could never see alone. Early debates felt slower until they didn't. By the time we reached the Grand Prix shortlist, the work had survived every angle of attack. When the chair of the jury called for a show of hands – 10 hands rose in 10 seconds. Many voices didn't create gridlock; they created confidence. If you want fast, decisive calls, fill the room with people who see the world differently. Creators underscored the same truth. In government, you never put a spokesperson on stage without a clear brief. The rule now applies when you hand your story to an influencer. The Social and Creator Grand Prix, 'Vaseline Verified', proved it. TikTok dermatology voices received the brand's lab results up front and freedom to film in their own style – sometimes playful and sometimes clinical. Safe hacks earned a 'Verified' stamp while dangerous myths were debunked by the same creators. Because the message arrived through trusted voices, followers believed it instantly and spread it widely. Credibility that you can't buy was amplified to millions in minutes. The same demand for openness echoed on the sustainability stage. Ad Net Zero used Cannes to publish its latest carbon-measurement framework and called on brands to release emissions data as openly as financials. Gulf regulators and mega-projects are moving toward full carbon disclosure in supplier tenders; marketing briefs won't lag far behind, so this 'radical transparency' will reach our tender desks sooner than many expect. Elsewhere, analysts conceded that a single universal metric for marketing is fantasy; brands must embrace multiple measures and show their working. Sunlight is expanding, and anything opaque –whether carbon footprint, fees or research methods – will soon look suspect. The Design for Behavioural Change Lion also earned the spotlight. Lucky Yatra used the chance to win a trophy, showing how it altered commuter habits. Another winner, 'Caption With Intention', rewired video captions so deaf viewers could feel suspense, humour and irony. Ideas that change what people do – not just what they remember – now set the creative bar. Pure PR success came from ideas born for conversation, not media spend. Nordea Bank's 'Parental Leave Mortgage' let parents pause repayments during leave and spread through press coverage without a hero film. In the jury room we pressed every contender with three questions: Is it culturally urgent? Can it move without paid support? Will it survive fact-checking tomorrow? Campaigns that cleared that bar soared; those that relied on rented attention faded. So, what should marketers in our region take from Cannes? First, prove impact before you proclaim it, because audiences now inspect the footnotes. Second, invite unlikely partners – creators, regulators, even rivals – because coalitions unlock reach that money cannot buy. Third, design ideas to shift behaviour, not merely impressions; when habits change, headlines follow. Judging Cannes was a reminder that creativity and public trust are now inseparable. Ideas succeed when they act like good policy: evidence-based, coalition-built, transparent and human. That was the standard we applied at two in the morning in the jury room, and it is the same standard audiences apply in daylight. By Khaled AlShehhi, Executive Director of Marketing and Communication, UAE Government Media Office
