Sampha

Folk singer Mustafa: ‘I’m trying to preserve the memories of young Black Muslims’

The poet, a songwriter for artists including the Weeknd, explains how music helped him explore the loss of friends to inner-city violence: ‘Sorrow is meant to be experienced and felt’

Aina J Khan

02, Jun, 2021 @1:30 PM

Solange: When I Get Home review – lose yourself in Knowles' hazy vision

Pharrell Williams, Sampha and Tyler, the Creator are among the guests on Knowles’ fourth album – but they can’t always prevent it from floating away

Alexis Petridis

01, Mar, 2019 @4:15 PM

Grace Wales Bonner: ‘I’m a fashion designer making art – it could be seen as silly’

From menswear to art, the polymath speaks about creative fluidity and ritual

Alex Rayner

02, Feb, 2019 @6:59 AM

Every Mercury prize-winning album – ranked!

Following the announcement of this year’s nominees, we run the rule over the 26 albums that have earned the crown, from Klaxons and James Blake to M People and Talvin Singh

Dave Simpson

26, Jul, 2018 @10:45 AM

Safe Mercury shortlist once again raises questions about prize's purpose

After grime was properly recognised at last year’s Mercury, the album prize is back to playing it safe, rewarding commercial success rather than creative innovation

Laura Snapes

26, Jul, 2018 @10:14 AM

Florence + the Machine: High As Hope review – high flyer coming in to land

Her elemental themes and gale-force delivery remain but Florence Welch now seems to be settling for a little calm

Kitty Empire

01, Jul, 2018 @8:00 AM

Stormzy and Ed Sheeran up for two Ivor Novello awards

The difference in the nominees should be celebrated but number of women is still too low, says presenter Paul Gambaccini

Mark Brown Arts correspondent

24, Apr, 2018 @1:15 PM

Everything Is Recorded: Everything Is Recorded By Richard Russell review – mogul music with a stellar cast

As head of XL, Richard Russell shaped UK music for three decades. His own debut release finds its voice in many singers

Kitty Empire

18, Feb, 2018 @9:00 AM

Everything Is Recorded review – Richard Russell's XL supergroup shines

The label boss’s project with Sampha, Giggs and other guests proves a tightly drilled gospel and trip-hop experience on stage

Ian McQuaid

16, Feb, 2018 @10:08 AM

Brit awards nominations 2018: Dua Lipa beats Ed Sheeran with five

The New Rules singer caps her breakthrough year with the most nominations at British music’s biggest awards ceremony

Ben Beaumont-Thomas

13, Jan, 2018 @6:45 PM

The best albums of 2017: the full list

St Vincent tops our countdown of this year’s most outstanding sounds, from complex rap to moody rock, alt-R&B, inventive grime and more

05, Dec, 2017 @6:00 AM

A quietly challenging triumph: Sampha's Mercury prize-winning album, Process

Process is a deserved, and quintessential, winner of the Mercury prize – deserving of a wider audience, balancing gorgeous vocals with singer-songwriter experimentation

Alexis Petridis

14, Sep, 2017 @9:48 PM