Latest news with #PeopleWatching
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Sam Fender doesn't want to be your working-class hero
I've annoyed Sam Fender. I've quoted his own lyrics at him, from TV Dinner, a standout on his new album People Watching – 'Hypothesise a hero's rise and teach them all to then despise/It is our way to make a king, romanticise how they begin/Fetishise their struggling, while all the while they're suffering' – and asked him if he feels his working-class story has been uncomfortably commodified by the industry machine. Suddenly, he's fearing some sort of tabloid ambush. 'I mean… I don't know,' he says. A long silence ensues, then eventually: 'I don't really want to make a f---ing headline about me being like 'oh, I've felt exploited' because I'm happy doing what I'm doing. But I also think… Hang on, give us a second... What's this for anyway? Who do you write for?' In the UK, Fender has been Britpop's chosen son since 2021, when Seventeen Going Under marked his viral breakthrough. A stirring anthem of proletarian disillusionment, the song recalled Fender's youth growing up below the poverty line in the council estates of North Shields, a shipyard town near Newcastle; it also seethed at the struggle his mum, a nurse forced out of work due to fibromyalgia, endured at the hands of bureaucratic indifference ('I see my mother/The DWP see a number' he sang). It led Fender to a prestigious Ivor Novello win for best song, and album of the year nods in the Mercury Prize and Brit Awards. This February, he released the long-awaited follow-up People Watching, which added a War On Drugs-esque chug to Fender's signature Bruce Springsteen-via-The Killers sound, thanks to production from Adam Granduciel (a Fender hero), and the skyward trajectory continued. At home, where he's now the sort of pop star who breaks chart records set by Harry Styles, has Elton John on speed-dial, and can secure celebrities like Andrew Scott and Adolescence star Owen Cooper for his music videos, Fender's also become a de facto spokesman for the working class. In interviews, he gets questions that set him railing against wealth disparity, the left's abandonment of the underclass, and the structures that make a music career inaccessible to anyone not from private-school privilege. He's the sort of pop star who earns glowing write-ups in the NME and the World Socialist Website. Media have christened him 'Geordie Springsteen', a descriptor both illustrative and pejorative depending on who wields it. If uninvited, it's hard to avoid when your songs feature lines like: 'My old man worked on the rail yard/Betting his trade on the electrical bars/It got privatised, the work degraded/In this crumbling empire' (from People Watching 's Crumbling Empire). Three albums in, though, it's become a nuisance to his art. It's perhaps understandable then, that when a writer starts whiffing around his politics in an interview, Fender's haunches go up. Does he get criticism for talking openly about politics? 'I mean, yeah, do you?' Fender replies. Well no, nobody cares about a thing I say, and I have the analytics to prove it. Has he had bad experiences with the press over it? 'O'course I have, all you've gotta do is Google my name and find all the things that look salacious. I could tick them all off for you,' he says. Does he feel pressure to be a voice for the working class? Fender laughs heartily and I've set him off. 'No, I don't… Ah f---, I don't know. Sorry, I guess I'm battling with that myself at the moment,' he says. 'People bandy around these f---ing sayings – 'voice of the working class', 'voice of a generation' – I hear this f---ing shit all the time and it's ridiculous. I'm not f---ing Bob Dylan. I'm not Bruce Springsteen. I'm Sam Fender. All I'm doing is me f---ing songs, writing about my lived experience, the people I know and what's going on in me hometown. It's just a couple of good tunes, that's all and nothing more.' You can sense the frustration of a young artist trapped in a persona foisted upon them. Or, at the very least, the pressure of expectation from a culture craving their next rock 'n' roll saviour. Right now, Fender doesn't want the job. 'Half the songs I've released I can't f---ing stand because I wrote them when I was a kid!' he says. 'They're not 'songs of a generation' and I'm not 'the next Bruce Springsteen'. I'm just a kid – well, a f---ing 31-year-old man – who's writing songs! I just don't feel comfortable when anybody brings in 'working-class hero'. It doesn't have to have that weight. I'm sorry, I'm probably not in the best state to be doing this interview. Probably gonna brutalise us in the print, hey?' Fender's drinking beers in the back of a pub in North London when we Zoom, enjoying some rare downtime between tours and, significantly, off the back of a jaunt to break America that included a slot at Coachella and high-profile press in publications like the Los Angeles Times ('At home he's a hero. Is America next for Sam Fender?' went that headline). 'I want to break America, who doesn't? That's your f---ing life sorted if it works. But I told my manager we need to make sure we're looking after the territories that have supported us so far,' says Fender, whose arena tour hits Australia in November. 'We'll go to America and we'll lose a lot of money, but Australia is blowing up for us right now so of course we're coming to Australia. That's where the fans are, and it's a big amount of people. It's happening there, so let's go.' The States should be simple enough, I tell him. Jump on a tour with, say, Zach Bryan, a simpatico heartland rocker, and hit those endless small towns where fans can't help but empathise with Fender's hard-won story. The people will eat it up. Look at me, I add, talking like I know what I'm on about. 'Sure, maybe you should f---ing manage us,' Fender jibes. In the meantime, he's focused on writing. He's already begun work on album number four, which is, I remind him, traditionally the 'artist's album'. At this point, you take no notes. 'It's funny you say that because I literally said, I am going to make this album and no c---'s gonna f---ing hear it 'til it's done. Once it's done, they can have it and if it sells, it sells. If it doesn't, I don't care.' Loading He's torn between two intriguing angles. 'There's some stuff I've been making that's a little more thrashy, a bit more Replacements. And then some stuff that's really stripped back, just pure folk songs. We'll see what happens. But it's going to be a vinyl with 10 f----ing songs on it and if people like it, then that's wonderful and if they don't, then fine. But it will be what I want.' In the midst of such chaos, this working-class hero has surely earned the right.
The Age
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Sam Fender doesn't want to be your working-class hero
I've annoyed Sam Fender. I've quoted his own lyrics at him, from TV Dinner, a standout on his new album People Watching – 'Hypothesise a hero's rise and teach them all to then despise/It is our way to make a king, romanticise how they begin/Fetishise their struggling, while all the while they're suffering' – and asked him if he feels his working-class story has been uncomfortably commodified by the industry machine. Suddenly, he's fearing some sort of tabloid ambush. 'I mean… I don't know,' he says. A long silence ensues, then eventually: 'I don't really want to make a f---ing headline about me being like 'oh, I've felt exploited' because I'm happy doing what I'm doing. But I also think… Hang on, give us a second... What's this for anyway? Who do you write for?' In the UK, Fender has been Britpop's chosen son since 2021, when Seventeen Going Under marked his viral breakthrough. A stirring anthem of proletarian disillusionment, the song recalled Fender's youth growing up below the poverty line in the council estates of North Shields, a shipyard town near Newcastle; it also seethed at the struggle his mum, a nurse forced out of work due to fibromyalgia, endured at the hands of bureaucratic indifference ('I see my mother/The DWP see a number' he sang). It led Fender to a prestigious Ivor Novello win for best song, and album of the year nods in the Mercury Prize and Brit Awards. This February, he released the long-awaited follow-up People Watching, which added a War On Drugs-esque chug to Fender's signature Bruce Springsteen-via-The Killers sound, thanks to production from Adam Granduciel (a Fender hero), and the skyward trajectory continued. At home, where he's now the sort of pop star who breaks chart records set by Harry Styles, has Elton John on speed-dial, and can secure celebrities like Andrew Scott and Adolescence star Owen Cooper for his music videos, Fender's also become a de facto spokesman for the working class. In interviews, he gets questions that set him railing against wealth disparity, the left's abandonment of the underclass, and the structures that make a music career inaccessible to anyone not from private-school privilege. He's the sort of pop star who earns glowing write-ups in the NME and the World Socialist Website. Media have christened him 'Geordie Springsteen', a descriptor both illustrative and pejorative depending on who wields it. If uninvited, it's hard to avoid when your songs feature lines like: 'My old man worked on the rail yard/Betting his trade on the electrical bars/It got privatised, the work degraded/In this crumbling empire' (from People Watching 's Crumbling Empire). Three albums in, though, it's become a nuisance to his art. It's perhaps understandable then, that when a writer starts whiffing around his politics in an interview, Fender's haunches go up. Does he get criticism for talking openly about politics? 'I mean, yeah, do you?' Fender replies. Well no, nobody cares about a thing I say, and I have the analytics to prove it. Has he had bad experiences with the press over it? 'O'course I have, all you've gotta do is Google my name and find all the things that look salacious. I could tick them all off for you,' he says. Does he feel pressure to be a voice for the working class? Fender laughs heartily and I've set him off. 'No, I don't… Ah f---, I don't know. Sorry, I guess I'm battling with that myself at the moment,' he says. 'People bandy around these f---ing sayings – 'voice of the working class', 'voice of a generation' – I hear this f---ing shit all the time and it's ridiculous. I'm not f---ing Bob Dylan. I'm not Bruce Springsteen. I'm Sam Fender. All I'm doing is me f---ing songs, writing about my lived experience, the people I know and what's going on in me hometown. It's just a couple of good tunes, that's all and nothing more.' You can sense the frustration of a young artist trapped in a persona foisted upon them. Or, at the very least, the pressure of expectation from a culture craving their next rock 'n' roll saviour. Right now, Fender doesn't want the job. 'Half the songs I've released I can't f---ing stand because I wrote them when I was a kid!' he says. 'They're not 'songs of a generation' and I'm not 'the next Bruce Springsteen'. I'm just a kid – well, a f---ing 31-year-old man – who's writing songs! I just don't feel comfortable when anybody brings in 'working-class hero'. It doesn't have to have that weight. I'm sorry, I'm probably not in the best state to be doing this interview. Probably gonna brutalise us in the print, hey?' Fender's drinking beers in the back of a pub in North London when we Zoom, enjoying some rare downtime between tours and, significantly, off the back of a jaunt to break America that included a slot at Coachella and high-profile press in publications like the Los Angeles Times ('At home he's a hero. Is America next for Sam Fender?' went that headline). 'I want to break America, who doesn't? That's your f---ing life sorted if it works. But I told my manager we need to make sure we're looking after the territories that have supported us so far,' says Fender, whose arena tour hits Australia in November. 'We'll go to America and we'll lose a lot of money, but Australia is blowing up for us right now so of course we're coming to Australia. That's where the fans are, and it's a big amount of people. It's happening there, so let's go.' The States should be simple enough, I tell him. Jump on a tour with, say, Zach Bryan, a simpatico heartland rocker, and hit those endless small towns where fans can't help but empathise with Fender's hard-won story. The people will eat it up. Look at me, I add, talking like I know what I'm on about. 'Sure, maybe you should f---ing manage us,' Fender jibes. In the meantime, he's focused on writing. He's already begun work on album number four, which is, I remind him, traditionally the 'artist's album'. At this point, you take no notes. 'It's funny you say that because I literally said, I am going to make this album and no c---'s gonna f---ing hear it 'til it's done. Once it's done, they can have it and if it sells, it sells. If it doesn't, I don't care.' Loading He's torn between two intriguing angles. 'There's some stuff I've been making that's a little more thrashy, a bit more Replacements. And then some stuff that's really stripped back, just pure folk songs. We'll see what happens. But it's going to be a vinyl with 10 f----ing songs on it and if people like it, then that's wonderful and if they don't, then fine. But it will be what I want.' In the midst of such chaos, this working-class hero has surely earned the right.
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Sam Fender lands huge deal to be the face of iconic sports brand
Insider reveals how the new campaign is 'going to look epic' SAM'S BRAND NEW Sam Fender lands huge deal to be the face of iconic sports brand Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SAM FENDER is making like Oasis by signing a deal with Adidas to help flog their clobber – all while promoting his People Watching tour. Insiders tell me the Geordie singer filmed scenes with the Newcastle United team outside St James' Park yesterday. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up Noel and Liam Gallagher have also shot a new ad campaign with the sports brand, which will make up part of a video campaign shown to fans inside the stadiums on their reunion tour. My mole told me: 'Sam has signed a big deal with Adidas to be part of a cool campaign with the Newcastle squad. 'It'll coincide with his tour, which kicks off at the London Stadium on June 6, before he plays three more sold-out shows at St James' Park. 'They got in 120 extras to act as fans for the video, which I'm told will include Sam hobnobbing with some of his favourite players. 'It's a really clever move by Adidas to get not only the Gallagher brothers on board but Sam too. "It's going to look epic.' Sam has just finished his first run of dates in Europe and is taking a short break before he hits stadiums across the country here. He is one of the nicest lads in the industry, so I'm thrilled to see him riding so high. Alan Shearer's daughter Hollie sends fans wild as she supports Sam Fender on stage at Newcastle legend's foundation ball 10 Singer Sam Fender has signed a huge deal with Adidas Credit: Alamy Live News KYLIE'S ON WINE FORM KYLIE MINOGUE was in party mood as she celebrated a double whammy of successes – plus her 57th birthday. Wearing a floaty pink dress, she marked the fifth anniversary of her Kylie Minogue Wines brand, which has sold more than 20million bottles, with the bash at The Roof Gardens in Kensington, West London. 10 Kylie Minogue in a floaty pink dress at her bash at The Roof Gardens in London Credit: Supplied 10 Kylie was joined by producer The Blessed Madonna in the DJ booth Credit: Supplied 10 Kylie and The Streets' Mike Skinner Credit: Supplied Among the guests were The Streets' Mike Skinner and fashion designer Conner Ives. It was the evening after the second of her four sold-out shows at the O2 Arena. Her Tension Tour will continue at Nottingham's Motorpoint Arena tonight. Kylie unveiled a limited-edition Cotes de Provence bottle of rosé at the party, and was joined by producer The Blessed Madonna in the DJ booth for a performance of their tune Edge Of Saturday Night. 10 Kylie and fashion designer Conner Ives are all smiles Credit: Supplied 10 Kylie unveiled a limited-edition Cotes de Provence bottle of rosé at the party Credit: Supplied CHESNEY HAWKES is building on his renewed popularity after reaching the Celebrity Big Brother final – by announcing an extensive tour for 2026. The One And Only singer will kick off his 15-date Smash It To Pieces tour in March, with tickets for the shows across the country on sale now. NURSE VID CALLS FOR BLUD FLO YUNGBLUD called on his good pal Florence Pugh to appear in the video for new single Zombie, which drops today. My exclusive snap shows the pair hanging out behind the scenes of the video, in which Florence plays a struggling nurse pushed to her limits dealing with the pressure of the job. 10 Florence Pugh and Yungblud hanging out behind the scenes Credit: Supplied It is among a string of new releases, including Miley Cyrus's album Something Beautiful, Akon's collaboration with Josh Ross called Drunk Right Now (Na Na Na) and Ava Max's empowering single Lovin Myself. And Mabel is back with a single, January 19, from a self-titled mixtape which will be out on July 25. She said: 'The tape is all new music made in the last few months with some of my nearest and dearest. 'I just wrote it without too much thought but afterwards I realised it's kind of a toxic love letter to my ten years in the industry.' METALLICA's upcoming European and UK tour has given them a huge boost. Their record, The Black Album, has gone platinum 20 times, with Master Of Puppets going eight times platinum. It comes ahead of two major shows at the London Stadium on July 3 and 5 next year. Sounds like they're ready to rock. DELTA'S STATION SURPRISE DELTA GOODREM is making full use of her time in the UK after playing two shows in London earlier this month. The Australian singer held an impromptu performance at St Pancras International, playing the train station's public piano for shocked onlookers. 10 Delta Goodrem held an impromptu performance at St Pancras International in London Credit: Sam Lane Photography The piano was donated by Andrew Lloyd Webber and has been played by artists including Rod Stewart and Alicia Keys. Delta said: 'As a piano girl, I've always been drawn to a good piano sing-along and every piano has a story. "There's something so special about gathering around music and watching it bring people together, even if for a few minutes.' FIFTH TO FOUR BUT NO CAM FIFTH HARMONY are in talks to reunite – but without Camila Cabello. She has forged a successful solo career with four albums since quitting the group in 2016. 10 Fifth Harmony are in talks to reunite without Camila Cabello Credit: Getty Meanwhile the others – Lauren Jauregui, Normani, Ally Brooke and Dinah Jane – have struggled to have the same sort of impact. Now they are making plans to reunite, according to US magazine The Hollywood Reporter, which claims they are also working on a documentary about their return. That is expected to culminate in a 2026 tour, marking ten years since their most successful album – 7/27. The girl group were put together on The X Factor USA in 2012 and went on to have a string of hits including Worth It and Work From Home. Despite selling more than 30million records, they announced a hiatus in 2018 after struggling to keep the momentum going following Camila's exit. There was a mini reunion at the weekend when Ally, Lauren and Dinah were pictured together on a girls' night out at a basketball game in Los Angeles. Hinting that plans could be afoot, Dinah shared a video on Instagram of them singing along to their track That's My Girl when it was played at the game. She wrote: 'When this song randomly plays on the speakers & we can't help ourselves but bust out singing it. 'Haven't heard this song in a min . . . 'But, I think it's slowly coming back to us . . . ' SHAKIRA's Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (women no longer cry) tour is smashing records. Her 21 shows in Mexico and South America pulled in $130million, overtaking Karol G's record of $125million with 29 shows. 10 Singer Shakira's tour has pulled in a whopping $130million Credit: Getty The haul makes Shakira's Latin American leg the highest-earning by a female performer in history. Her tour, now in North America, is the second-biggest of the year so far, according to Boxscore, with Shakira performing to more than 1 million fans. Coldplay top the gross earnings list, with $142 million and 1.3million tickets sold so far this year.
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Sam Fender lands huge deal to be the face of iconic sports brand
SAM FENDER is making like Oasis by signing a deal with Adidas to help flog their clobber – all while promoting his People Watching tour. Insiders tell me the Geordie singer filmed scenes with the Noel and My mole told me: 'Sam has signed a big deal with Adidas to be part of a cool campaign with the Newcastle squad. 'It'll coincide with his tour, which kicks off at the London Stadium on June 6, before he plays three more sold-out shows at St James' Park. 'They got in 120 extras to act as fans for the video, which I'm told will include Sam hobnobbing with some of his favourite players. Read more on Sam Fender 'It's a really clever move by Adidas to get not only the Gallagher brothers on board but Sam too. "It's going to look epic.' He is one of the nicest lads in the industry, so I'm thrilled to see him riding so high. Most read in Bizarre Alan Shearer's daughter Hollie sends fans wild as she supports Sam Fender on stage at Newcastle legend's foundation ball 10 Singer Sam Fender has signed a huge deal with Adidas Credit: Alamy Live News KYLIE'S ON WINE FORM KYLIE MINOGUE was in party mood as she celebrated a double whammy of successes – plus her 57th birthday. Wearing a floaty pink dress, she marked the fifth anniversary of her Kylie Minogue Wines brand, which has sold more than 20million bottles, with the bash at The Roof Gardens in Kensington, West London. 10 Kylie Minogue in a floaty pink dress at her bash at The Roof Gardens in London Credit: Supplied 10 Kylie was joined by producer The Blessed Madonna in the DJ booth Credit: Supplied 10 Kylie and The Streets' Mike Skinner Credit: Supplied Among the guests were The Streets' Mike Skinner and fashion designer Conner Ives. It was the evening after the second of her four sold-out shows at the O2 Arena. Her Tension Tour will continue at Nottingham's Motorpoint Arena tonight. Kylie unveiled a limited-edition Cotes de Provence bottle of rosé at the party, and was joined by producer The Blessed Madonna in the DJ booth for a performance of their tune Edge Of Saturday Night. 10 Kylie and fashion designer Conner Ives are all smiles Credit: Supplied 10 Kylie unveiled a limited-edition Cotes de Provence bottle of rosé at the party Credit: Supplied CHESNEY HAWKES is building on his renewed popularity after reaching the Celebrity Big Brother final – by announcing an extensive tour for 2026. The One And Only singer will kick off his 15-date Smash It To Pieces tour in March, with tickets for the shows across the country on sale now. NURSE VID CALLS FOR BLUD FLO YUNGBLUD called on his good pal Florence Pugh to appear in the video for new single Zombie, which drops today. My exclusive snap shows the pair hanging out behind the scenes of the video, in which Florence plays a struggling nurse pushed to her limits dealing with the pressure of the job. 10 Florence Pugh and Yungblud hanging out behind the scenes Credit: Supplied It is among a string of new releases, including Miley Cyrus's album Something Beautiful, Akon's collaboration with Josh Ross called Drunk Right Now (Na Na Na) and Ava Max's empowering single Lovin Myself. And Mabel is back with a single, January 19, from a self-titled mixtape which will be out on July 25. She said: 'The tape is all new music made in the last few months with some of my nearest and dearest. 'I just wrote it without too much thought but afterwards I realised it's kind of a toxic love letter to my ten years in the industry.' METALLICA's upcoming European and UK tour has given them a huge boost. Their record, The Black Album, has gone platinum 20 times, with Master Of Puppets going eight times platinum. It comes ahead of two major shows at the London Stadium on July 3 and 5 next year. Sounds like they're ready to rock. DELTA'S STATION SURPRISE DELTA GOODREM is making full use of her time in the UK after playing two shows in London earlier this month. The Australian singer held an impromptu performance at St Pancras International, playing the train station's public piano for shocked onlookers. 10 Delta Goodrem held an impromptu performance at St Pancras International in London Credit: Sam Lane Photography The piano was donated by Andrew Lloyd Webber and has been played by artists including Rod Stewart and Alicia Keys. Delta said: 'As a piano girl, I've always been drawn to a good piano sing-along and every piano has a story. "There's something so special about gathering around music and watching it bring people together, even if for a few minutes.' FIFTH TO FOUR BUT NO CAM FIFTH HARMONY are in talks to reunite – but without She has forged a successful solo career with four albums since quitting the group in 2016. 10 Fifth Harmony are in talks to reunite without Camila Cabello Credit: Getty Meanwhile the others – Lauren Jauregui, Normani, Ally Brooke and Dinah Jane – have struggled to have the same sort of impact. Now they are making plans to reunite, according to US magazine The Hollywood Reporter, which claims they are also working on a documentary about their return. That is expected to culminate in a 2026 tour, marking ten years since their most successful album – 7/27. The girl group were put together on The X Factor Despite selling more than 30million records, they announced a hiatus in 2018 after struggling to keep the momentum going following Camila's exit. There was a mini reunion at the weekend when Ally, Lauren and Dinah were pictured together on a girls' night out at a basketball game in Los Angeles. Hinting that plans could be afoot, Dinah shared a video on Instagram of them singing along to their track That's My Girl when it was played at the game. She wrote: 'When this song randomly plays on the speakers & we can't help ourselves but bust out singing it. 'Haven't heard this song in a min . . . 'But, I think it's slowly coming back to us . . . ' Her 21 shows in Mexico and South America pulled in $130million, overtaking Karol G's record of $125million with 29 shows. 10 Singer Shakira's tour has pulled in a whopping $130million Credit: Getty The haul makes Shakira's Latin American leg the highest-earning by a female performer in history. Her tour, now in North America, is the second-biggest of the year so far, according to Boxscore, with Coldplay top the gross earnings list, with $142 million and 1.3million tickets sold so far this year.
BBC News
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Radio 1's Big Weekend: Five takeaways from 'Scouse Coachella'
Music lovers, you made season has arrived, getting off to a loud and lively start in Liverpool for Radio 1's Big 100,000 people flocked to Sefton Park for "Scouse Coachella", as it became known, enjoying around 100 acts across three days - and even a little sunshine between the what went down? Newsbeat spoke to artists and fans about the big talking points. 1. Sam Fender's hypersonic rise… ...is just getting started."This is the most nervous I've ever been and I have no idea why," Sam Fender told the crowd during his much-anticipated headline set on Saturday marked the start of a big summer for the North Shields singer-songwriter - the first of many huge shows across the country off the back of his latest album People may have been some teething problems and tech issues at points - he was seen struggling with his guitar connection at it didn't stop the crowd spontaneously chanting anthems like Seventeen Going Under and Hypersonic Missiles long after the songs had finished, bringing a smile to Fender's vulnerability and relatability is part of what makes him endearing to his followers. In some respects, he's an unlikely superstar - but he's about to become an even bigger fans Chevy and Emily - who became friends at a Sam Fender gig - it's his "local hero" vibe."Every time I see him it's the same excitement," Emily told Newsbeat. She's in for an exciting few months. 2. Nostalgia is still what it used to be It's not a Big Weekend without Anthems sets - inspired by the Radio 1 brand, throwing it back to bangers from the '00s and '10s.A lot of the Liverpool crowd weren't even born when Sugababes and Natasha Bedingfield dropped their biggest hits, but it didn't stop them singing every word."Our music is timeless," Sugababes told Newsbeat backstage - and the fans was "very nostalgic" for Laura and Alice who said "it's so good to see them back".It may have been more than 20 years since the group first pushed the with new generations taking inspiration from Y2K culture, their new millennium, pop-meets-R&B energy has had a recent resurgence - inspiring younger acts like FLO - and it's not going away anytime soon. 3. Ed Sheeran delights and disappoints By Saturday morning, rumours were swirling around Sefton Park - suggesting Ed Sheeran would be the "Secret Set" opening the New Music it was confirmed on social media, fans rushed to the tent - but a few songs in, the area had "reached capacity".Sheeran - who's spent the last couple of years selling-out massive stadiums around the world - said he wanted to play the smaller tent to feel the "energy" - and those lucky enough to be there loved the intimacy."He's the biggest artist in the world" for fan George, who described it as "a mental pull - the fact they managed to get him for a secret set".But for those shut out after the area was closed like Kate, 20 and Scarlett, 19, it was disappointing he wasn't on the Main Stage, where more fans could have seen him."I messaged my mum when it got announced," Kate tells Newsbeat. "Her and my sister were so jealous, and I was like, 'I'll send you videos!', but I'm not going to be able to." 4. Girl power When this year's Main Stage headliners were announced, fans and journalists were quick to point out that they were all white and male BBC defended the line-up, telling Newsbeat at the time that female artists would make up around 60% of it - adding that "Radio 1 has a rich history of supporting and championing female and diverse artists"."It's very lazy," Self Esteem tells Newsbeat backstage, when asked about the lack of female the singer, whose real name is Rebecca Lucy Taylor, says the "music industry is still so heavily-weighted in favour of men".From Tate McRae to HAIM on the Main Stage and Joy Crooks to JADE in the New Music tent - Sunday was seen as a day for women, demonstrating the depth and breadth of female like Ellie, praised the way that Lola Young represents women in a "real" and authentic acts might not have closed the Main Stage this time, but for many, they stole the BBC says Radio 1 will "continue to advocate" for representation in the industry. 5. Disposable vapes: Ready for a summer of festivals without them? If you've been to a festival in recent years, you'll have either used or been surrounded by disposable vapes, despite some events banning the last major festival before a UK-wide ban on 1 June, there were special bins at the Big Weekend to recycle people we spoke to at Sefton Park weren't aware of the upcoming law change, while others said it was had planned ahead, including Izzy, who's training to be a doctor."I've got a reusable one now," she said, adding she would usually "have a pack of cigs" at a festival but she'd "hate smoking that in a crowd and a vape's easier".But if vapes are now part of every festival, there's been so much about this Big Weekend - the first ever in Liverpool - that's felt unique to the the warmth of the people, to the hundreds of red football shirts on display as Liverpool lifted the Premier League down the road - it's felt like a three-day celebration of the people and culture. Additional reporting by Shaun Dacosta, Eleanor Doyle & Manish Pandey Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.
