1 The Internet
After splintering off from Tyler the Creator’s controversial rap collective Odd Future to form the Internet, the musicians that make up this future-facing R&B crew drifted apart into separate side projects. This run of London gigs sees Syd, Steve Lacy and co take it in turns to air their superlative solo work, with the rest of the bleeding-edge band providing backup.
Scala, N1, 9-11 April
2 Stormzy
Michael Omari is the most mainstream proposition grime has ever seen. The Croydon MC’s ability to translate the genre’s harsh sound and obscure referencing into something funny, joyful and restorative led his recent Gang Signs & Prayer to become the first grime album to top the charts. Catch him on his current victory lap of the UK.
Leeds, 8 April; Birmingham, 11 April; Norwich, 12 April; touring to 4 May
3 Dua Lipa
God knows nobody needs any more tropical house in their life, but it’s impossible to ignore Londoner Dua Lipa’s stomping take on the omnipresent genre: her sharp, soulful sound perfectly sums up present-day pop.
O2 Ritz, Manchester, 12 April; O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, W12, 13 April
4 Eskimo Dance
Before grime was grime, it was eskibeat. That early moniker was a nod to Wiley’s 2002 track Eskimo, the blueprint for a genre that would flower into the most important musical movement for a generation. Keen to keep his name in the game, Wiley ressurected his all-star Eskimo Dance grime events in 2012; this week he brings rising names such as AJ Tracey to Wembley Arena.
The SSE Arena, Wembley, 8 April
5 Ed Sheeran
Pop music snobbery has fallen out of fashion during the past few years, but Sheeran’s corny tunes and maddening ubiquity has made sneering at the upper ranks of the Top 40 fun again. Hate-listen to the bracingly cringeworthy dispatches of a pop superstar in everyman’s clothing (a plaid shirt and very thin tie) as he begins his UK tour.
3Arena, Dublin, 12-13 April; touring to 3 May
