Latest news with #BritishPhonographicIndustry
Extra.ie
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Kaiser Chiefs announce 20th anniversary re-release of debut album, Employment
Kaiser Chiefs have announced the re-release of their debut album Employment for its 20th anniversary, out July 18. The band will embark on a tour across the UK and Europe this summer, with shows in Belfast, Dublin and Limerick set for August. The album will come in three expanded formats, including two LPs and a CD set. '20 years ago, a brand new song by a brand new band was released,' said Kaiser Chiefs. 'I Predict A Riot was the start of something really special for some musicians from Leeds. And the album that followed, Employment, changed our lives and has soundtracked the lives of millions of others since 2005. In 2025, we are saluting 20 years of that album, and everyone is invited. Come celebrate the 2000s, loving everything less and less and stripey blazers taking over the world..' The first LP edition will be on white vinyl and includes the bonus track Take My Temperature. The second LP contains 15 additional tracks and two exclusive unreleased songs. The CD set includes 40 added tracks, ranging from demos, remixes, radio sessions and live recordings. The album was remastered at Abbey Road Studios. Originally released in March of 2005, Employment peaked at No. 2 on the UK album chart, and spent 17 months on the Official Top 40 chart. Over two million copies were sold, and it was certified 7x Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry. See Kaiser Chiefs' upcoming tour dates below: May Thur 22nd Live at Argyle Home Park Stadium, Plymouth, UKFri 23rd In It Together Festival, Port Talbot, UK Sat 31st Temple Newsam, Leeds, UK June Sun 22nd Pinkpop Festival, Amsterdam, NLThur 26th Bristol Sounds, Bristol, UK Sat 28th Glastonbury Festival, Somerset, UK July Fri 4th Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, UKThu 10th Weekend Beach Festival, Malaga, ESPFri 11th Mad Cool Festival, Madrid, ESPSat 12th Cruilla Barcelona, Barcelona, ESPSat 19th Alexandra Palace Park, London, UKSun 20th Splendour Festival, Nottingham, UKMon 21st Tall Ship Races, Aberdeen, UKSat 26th Latitude, Suffolk, UKSun 27th Brighton Beach, Brighton, UK Thu 31st Kendal Calling, Cumbria, UK August Sat 2nd Suikkerock Festival, Tienan, BESun 3rd Ronquieres Festival, Braine-la-Comte, BEFri 8th Boardmasters, Newquay, UKSun 10th The Weekender, Belfast, UKSat 23rd Collins Barracks, Dublin, ROI Sun 24th Live at the Docklands, Limerick, ROI
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Taylor Swift Gets Exciting News on Friday
Taylor Swift just proved her older songs "never go out of style." It was announced on Friday that Taylor Swift's 2019 song "Cruel Summer" is now officially certified 4x Platinum in the United Kingdom by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). This means it has surpassed 2.4 million units in sales and streams. In the UK, where a release's sales are handled by the BPI, a single hitting Platinum means the artist sold 600,000 units. A unit refers to both physical sales, like CDs and vinyl records, and digital streams from platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music. Each 1,000 streams counts as one unit towards the total. This news also comes out after Swift has been streamed over six billion times on Spotify in 2025 alone, making her the most-streamed female artist this year. "Cruel Summer" is the second track off Swift's seventh studio album "Lover." As of now, it has over two billion streams on Spotify alone. The song has quickly become one of fans' favorites thanks to its upbeat production and the bridge's iconic lyric "I love you, ain't that the worst thing you've ever heard!" which went viral on TikTok. Though it was originally released in 2019, the song didn't become a radio single until June 2023, which was something Swifties had long campaigned for. "Cruel Summer" was also the opening song for most of her shows on the Eras Tour, which skyrocketed its popularity. Thanks to its catchy tune and its lyrics about a passionate summer romance that listeners can relate to, it's not surprising that Swift reached this milestone in the United Kingdom.
Times
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Taylor Swift and Beyoncé lead country music sales boom in UK
A 'golden age' of country music is upon Britain, figures suggest, as the genre has recorded its most popular level this century. Country's share of the music market increased again last year. Artists such as Shaboozey and Dasha have helped to lure younger generations to the genre. Its increasing popularity can also be seen outside the charts. The all-female country-pop trio Remember Monday is set to represent Britain at this year's Eurovision Song Contest. Until 2019, country music's share of the UK singles market never rose above 1 per cent, according to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), which represents record labels. It took 2.1 per cent of the market in 2023 and the latest figures show it accounted for 3.3 per cent of singles sales and streams last year. Some of the albums credited for the boost include Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter, Kacey Musgraves's Deeper Well and Zach Bryan's The Great American Bar Scene. Country music's 2.9 per cent album share — up from 2.5 per cent in 2023 — is the highest since 1999, when Shania Twain's Come on Over was at No 1 for 11 weeks. The resurgence of country in Britain has been boosted by the annual Country to Country (C2C) festival. This year's acts, including Lainey Wilson and the Castellows, were spread across London, Glasgow and Belfast. This month the Royal Albert Hall is hosting the two-day Highways Festival, while last year Morgan Wallen became the first country artist to headline the BST concerts in Hyde Park, London, which drew 50,000 people. • How London went crazy for country music Baylen Leonard, creative director of the Long Road Festival, which is due to be held in August in Leicestershire, said that there were increasingly more opportunities 'for UK fans to dive into the world of country music'. 'It's a golden age for country music in the UK, with a steady and sustained rise in popularity for a few years now, thanks not only to massive crossover appeal of the music itself, but a willingness from major country acts to come and play in the UK,' Leonard, who is also a DJ on Absolute Radio, said. Jo Twist, chief executive of the BPI, said the 'Taylor Swift effect' had also helped grow the genre's appeal among younger audiences. Twist added: 'Country's rising popularity was one of music's best-kept secrets, but packed-out crowds at events like C2C and the Long Road festival and the genre's growing streaming numbers suggested it was only a matter of time before the mainstream caught up.' Jeff Smith, head of BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music, said the rise might be due to a 'growing reaction to the domination of rhythmic music' over the past two decades, adding that he thought it had 'led to some people looking for more emotionally powerful lyrics and interesting, often rawer melodies … that is the criteria of country music'.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sheeran's call to improve music ed praised by school
The headteacher of Ed Sheeran's former secondary school has praised the singer's call to improve music education. Sheeran, backed by other artists including Annie Lennox, Harry Styles and Sir Elton John, has written to the government pushing for funding to offer children from all backgrounds musical opportunities. Philip Hurst, head of Thomas Mills High in Framlingham, Suffolk, said he had seen a "dismantling of county music services" over the past 30 years and believed in Sheeran's push. A government spokesperson said it was "committed to ensuring art, music and drama are no longer the preserve of a privileged few". Sheeran's letter called for a £250 million UK education package this spring "to repair decades of dismantling music". The letter cited a 2019 report from the British Phonographic Industry which found there had been a 21% decrease in music provision over five years in state schools. "Music in and out of school should be for all, not a few," the letter added. "We understand that there are many pressures. As artists, civil society and industry, we want to be part of the solution." Born in Yorkshire and raised in Suffolk, Sheeran has had 14 UK number one singles and eight UK number one albums, after beginning his career in 2004. "[Through] My career, which has spanned three decades, I've seen the dismantling of county music services - everything has to be about efficiencies," Mr Hurst told BBC Radio Suffolk. "Quite frankly, it seems to me that people think spending money on instruments is not efficient." He continued: "All those signatories to it, I think they are very powerful and it's good timing -the government are at a change with education. "We've got a national curriculum review going on, Ofsted have come under scrutiny and are looking to adapt their ways and practices. "It could just be that it makes people sit up and think, and it really should." A government spokeswoman said its Curriculum and Assessment Review would break down barriers to opportunity, while its new National Centre for Music and Arts Education would "promote opportunities" for young people to pursue artistic and creative interests in school. The government is set to put a further £2.3bn into schools' budgets, with £1bn for children and young people with high needs. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Ed Sheeran's school drop-in magical, say students Ed Sheeran surprises pupils at music careers event Music 'being stripped' out of schools Charity warns music education facing 'tragic' decline British Phonographic Industry Department for Education
BBC News
24-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Ed Sheeran's Suffolk school praises call for music education help
The headteacher of Ed Sheeran's former secondary school has praised the singer's call to improve music backed by other artists including Annie Lennox, Harry Styles and Sir Elton John, has written to the government pushing for funding to offer children from all backgrounds musical opportunities. Philip Hurst, head of Thomas Mills High in Framlingham, Suffolk, said he had seen a "dismantling of county music services" over the past 30 years and believed in Sheeran's push.A government spokesperson said it was "committed to ensuring art, music and drama are no longer the preserve of a privileged few". Sheeran's letter called for a £250 million UK education package this spring "to repair decades of dismantling music".The letter cited a 2019 report from the British Phonographic Industry which found there had been a 21% decrease in music provision over five years in state schools."Music in and out of school should be for all, not a few," the letter added."We understand that there are many pressures. As artists, civil society and industry, we want to be part of the solution."Born in Yorkshire and raised in Suffolk, Sheeran has had 14 UK number one singles and eight UK number one albums, after beginning his career in 2004. "[Through] My career, which has spanned three decades, I've seen the dismantling of county music services - everything has to be about efficiencies," Mr Hurst told BBC Radio Suffolk."Quite frankly, it seems to me that people think spending money on instruments is not efficient."He continued: "All those signatories to it, I think they are very powerful and it's good timing -the government are at a change with education."We've got a national curriculum review going on, Ofsted have come under scrutiny and are looking to adapt their ways and practices."It could just be that it makes people sit up and think, and it really should." A government spokeswoman said its Curriculum and Assessment Review, external would break down barriers to opportunity, while its new National Centre for Music and Arts Education, external would "promote opportunities" for young people to pursue artistic and creative interests in government is set to put a further £2.3bn into schools' budgets, with £1bn for children and young people with high needs. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, external, Instagram, external and X, external.
