Focus Music Notes. "Out of the Blues". Popular music through the decades

Spending lockdown in their home studio in Worthing, it seemed only fitting for NOISY to take over the seaside town to film their latest video for new single ‘Where’s Your Head?’. The high-octane song is appropriate now, as it dives into the importance of looking after your mates through hard times.   Earlier this year, the trio headlined a sold-out Camden Assembly, following the release of their debut EP ‘Press Space To Play’, which featured single ‘Bring The Drums Back’, an ode to homegrown dance styles in the UK. The band look forward to performing live again and join YungBlud on his Spring UK tour, with their first date confirmed on March 17th 2021 at O2 Forum Kentish Town. “'Where’s Your Head?’ is a song about looking after your mates and trying to understand what they’re going through if they’re having a hard time. It’s about living for Friday night, but remembering to check in on your mates on Saturday morning. With the subject being quite close to home we wanted to

Miraa May, songwriter, performer, artist and sheer force of nature follows her critically acclaimed Dark EP, co-write on Jorja Smith’s Top 10 hit “Be Honest” and recent paean to her new-born son, “Baby”, with her new Island single “Say Yeah”. Featuring Haile, the latest episode of Miraa’s YouTube mini-series ‘Miraa & Friends’ goes behind the scenes of the making of the track. An official video for ’Say Yeah’ will drop in a couple of weeks. “Say Yeah’ is the third new song Miraa has released in 2020, following “Woman Like Me” & ‘Baby’ and is the start of a new chapter as she embarks on the journey of motherhood.   Miraa recently featured in a new documentary created by The Face magazine called ‘Voices of Jamaica’ which followed 15 artists on a week-long writing retreat put together by UK producer Cadenza. The film features Jorja Smith, Miraa May, Amine, Proteje and legendary producers Dre Skull, Guilty Beatz, & P2J amongst others.   Miraa has also been busy filming,

Having firmly cemented their names as international producers, playing pivotal parts in the creation of records by Beyoncé, Diplo, Mark Ronson and Madonna, Picard Brothers today release new single ‘It’s Not Over’.  It follows the release of a flurry of celebrated remixes from the French duo, including the Remix of Flume "The Difference" and the Remix of David Spinelli "The Promise", released on Boston Bun’s label Circa 99. ""It's Not Over" is our vision on 2020 French house music! It's a sound we're trying to develop on our project that is due to come later this year" – Says Picard Brothers. Picard Brothers first entered the public consciousness almost by chance, after coming across a twitter post by renowned DJ Diplo, calling for French DJs. They sent over some of their songs and, a week later, the two French brothers came face to face with one of the biggest DJs in the world. He loved their music, and the duo soon became pa

Nigerian-born singer, songwriter and fashion icon TIWA SAVAGE – widely regarded as the 'Queen of Afrobeats' – released her brand new single, "Dangerous Love," via Motown /Island Records on the 8th July. The song is the first official single taken from her long-awaited fourth studio album 'CELIA', aptly named after her mother. Listen to "Dangerous Love" HERE . Produced by Cracker Mallo and recorded in Tiwa's home city of Lagos, Nigeria, "Dangerous Love" is the perfect blend of R&B and Afrobeats. With a powerful, enchanting chorus and silky 'afro' beat throughout, the mid-tempo record is a representation of Tiwa's musical growth and preview to her upcoming project. "Dangerous Love is such a vibe! It's a song that is basically about a girl who is dipping in and out of a 'relationship' with a guy that really doesn't deserve her time or attention. She knows that he is bad for her but she gambling w

Grammy winner, multiple Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping artist and international reggae superstar and legend,Buju Banton releases his much-anticipated album, “Upside Down 2020,” his first full-length studio album in a decade.   The album is available now to stream everywhere . The quintessential artist celebrated his return to the worldwide stage following his performance at Kingston’s Famed National Stadium. The Long Walk to Freedom Concert was one of the biggest music events in Jamaica's history and was the launching pad for the tour of the same name. Relive the monumental moment from the history-making Long Walk to Freedom Concert HERE . His subsequent announcement that he had signed with Roc Nation was followed with Banton releasing four brand-new songs, with accompanying music or lyric videos, “Steppa,” “Trust,” “Memories” featuring the incomparable John Legend and the most recent release “Blessed”. While “Blessed” is now exploding, “Memories” is a Top 20 record at r

Sports Team announce their biggest UK tour to date, with the band back on the road doing what they do best next Spring and headlining O2 Academy Brixton on 29 April 2021. The tour went on general sale on Friday 26th June 9am BST. The past week has been a career defining moment for the six-piece, achieving number #2 in the Official Album Charts with critically acclaimed debut Deep Down Happy, which holds the highest first week sales for a debut album by a British band in four years. The band also became the biggest seller of the week, leading on physical sales (10K), digital downloads, and scoring the biggest vinyl sales of a debut record by a British artist in 2020, with a #1 on the Official Vinyl Chart. Sports Team also share the animated video for ‘Long Hot Summer’, the video created by animator Daniel Jamie Williams, which documents a playful journey through a kid’s dream.   Tap here to watch Long Hot Summer   Tap here to listen to ‘Deep Down Happy’ UK TOUR 2

On the 12 June Sports Team achieved the highest first week sales for a debut album by a British band in four years, with critically acclaimed debut Deep Down Happy. Sports Team enter the OCC at #2, becoming the seller of the week, leading on physical sales (10K) and having the edge on digital downloads; as Lady Gaga only just takes the top spot. Sports Team have also scored #1 on the Official Vinyl Chart. With no record stores open, and no live shows due to lockdown, the six-piece have still managed to achieve the biggest selling album of the w­­eek in Independent Retail, a mammoth feat for Britain’s next breakthrough guitar band. Blossoms were the last British band to record the highest week one sales in 2016, with Wolf Alice in 2015, Royal Blood in 2014, and the 1975 in 2013. The 12,248 sales week one, has eclipsed debuts by Shame, Idles, The Big Moon, Pale Waves and The Magic Gang. Sports Team have built an incredibly loyal, impassioned fanbase, who carried the Gaga x Spor