alim-kheraj
‘All the saddest people I’ve met are the funniest’: CMAT on making bone-achingly funny pop out of misery
Prompted to make music after getting some unsparing advice from Charli XCX, Irish musician Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson’s witty country-pop exorcises her youthful rage and heartbreak to rally outcasts like her
Alim Kheraj
13, Jul, 2023 @6:04 AM
Cut out the middlemouse: how Disney pop stars took control of their careers
With Disney-championed stars including Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter moving on from the company’s own record label, it seems the house of mouse’s power is waning
Alim Kheraj
11, Jul, 2023 @3:31 PM
Olivia Dean: Messy review – hackneyed British soul tropes do singer a disservice
This debut album is strongest when going off-kilter – hopefully next time she’ll explore her experimental side
Alim Kheraj
30, Jun, 2023 @7:30 AM
Taylor Swift eras deathmatch! Making the case for the superstar’s best album
As the pop juggernaut launches her Eras tour to celebrate her 10 records, our writers present the argument for each one
Shaad D'Souza, Katie Goh, Alim Kheraj, Owen Myers, Alexis Petridis, Laura Snapes, Joe Stone, Amelia Tait and Jenessa Williams
17, Mar, 2023 @1:50 PM
The Traitors US review – pure, evil, shout-at-the-TV brilliance
If you thought the unbearably tense gameshow couldn’t get any more vicious, try adding celebrities. Episode eight will be the best hour of reality TV in 2023, hands down
Alim Kheraj
16, Jan, 2023 @11:29 AM
The 1975 review – a tale of two halves packed with raw meat and talent
Matty Healy plays the role of the drunk and arrogant rockstar in the first act’s bizarre show-within-a show – before the second act morphs into a tsunami of hits
Alim Kheraj
09, Jan, 2023 @11:07 AM
The Traitors finale review – so thrilling your heart won’t stop hammering in your chest
The pay-off of this gloriously twisted gameshow has such high stress, hellish back-stabs and helicopter dives that everyone ends up crying … even Claudia Winkleman
Alim Kheraj
22, Dec, 2022 @10:15 PM
Sam Ryder review – Eurovision star shines with goodwill
Bounding onstage like an excited puppy, the Space Man singer is hungry for feelgood audience interaction and he leads with a genuinely astonishing voice
Alim Kheraj
24, Nov, 2022 @4:27 PM
Louis Tomlinson: Faith in the Future review – ex-One Direction star gets lost in a sea of influences
This second solo album from the former boyband member, rooted in 00s indie and festival rock, is derivative to the point of full-on mimicry
Alim Kheraj
11, Nov, 2022 @9:00 AM
The curate’s Easter egg: how Taylor Swift turned pop into a multiplayer puzzle
Filling her new album Midnights with cryptic clues and hidden messages, the singer is just one artist transforming pop culture into a game. But social-media sleuthing can have a dark side
Alim Kheraj
09, Nov, 2022 @10:16 AM
Raye review – a matter-of-fact masterclass in poignant pop
The singer-songwriter fuses comedy and candour for a night of acoustic songs that tell the story of her remarkable career and escape from the mainstream pop machine
Alim Kheraj
14, Oct, 2022 @11:15 AM
Bleachers review – in-demand producer Jack Antonoff cuts loose with his band
When he’s not producing for the likes of Taylor Swift and Lorde, Antonoff’s band offers him an outlet that’s joyful to the point of occasional indulgence
Alim Kheraj
05, Sep, 2022 @11:07 AM
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