Sophia Deboick
02 February 2023
Soldiers of fortune: Sweden’s most controversial historians
An award for Swedish power metallers Sabaton quickly turned sour when a concert in Crimea emerged
Read the full article26 January 2023
Sacha, savvy stereotype
Nearly 20 years after his death Sacha Distel is enjoying an afterlife through his music
Read the full article19 January 2023
The sound of sadness
Europe has long provided the soundtrack to despair and desolation
Read the full article12 January 2023
A teary mascara marathon
Over two decades since he sent shockwaves through the world’s sullen youth, Ville Valo is back with his debut solo album
Read the full article05 January 2023
Turning it up to 11 in 2023
Europe will continue to show it is a musical powerhouse this year
Read the full article30 December 2022
Sturgeon’s secret weapon in 2023: Music
This will be the year Scottish artists put IndyRef2 on their setlists
Read the full article25 December 2022
Europe’s 50 greatest albums
Welcome to your new, continental playlist
Read the full article22 December 2022
Tracks in the snow: how Scandinavians hear Christmas
We have to go far north, to the lands most closely identified with snowy festiveness, to find nations truly invested in Christmas music and embracing songs in their own language
Read the full article15 December 2022
Judaism’s ray of light
As Hanukkah songs are sung throughout next week, they will forge a link to a difficult past even as they celebrate a living culture
Read the full article08 December 2022
Poland’s bachelor boy
Jerzy Połomski, one of the most-loved entertainers in Polish history, has died at the age of 89
Read the full article01 December 2022
Amberian Dawn, Finland’s super troupers
ABBA’s back catalogue has found a new iteration thanks to a symphonic metal outfit from Finland
Read the full article24 November 2022
Priya Ragu, the Tamil trailblazer
While influenced by American R&B, the emerging superstar’s eponymous “Raguwavy” is virtually unique
Read the full article17 November 2022
A whole new World Cup?
Another World Cup means another official song of the tournament
Read the full article10 November 2022
The UK’s uncharted territory
The birth of the singles chart signalled the future direction of British pop
Read the full article03 November 2022
Adriano Celentano: A king across the water
Italy's answer to Elvis has proven that it's often the most unlikely of experiments that make for a successful career
Read the full article27 October 2022
North country boy: Ásgeir provides a pinpoint of clarity
Ásgeir, as he is mononymously known, is a household name in Iceland for his warm soundscapes
Read the full article20 October 2022
Uninhibited and unsung: Tove Lo is still breaking new ground
The Swedish star surely claims the crown as the most uninhibited woman in pop
Read the full article13 October 2022
Ukraine’s scouse party: Eurovision’s Mersey mission
Liverpool has a long history with Eurovision, and not always a successful one
Read the full article06 October 2022
Courting the limelight: Poland’s unlikely freedom fighter
How an ex-WAG popstar brought and won a case at the European Court of Human Rights
Read the full article29 September 2022
Russia’s voice of dissent
Having spoken out against the war in Ukraine, Alla Pugacheva could influence the next chapter in Russian history
Read the full article22 September 2022
The return of Agitpop
Kid Kapichi's new album is smart, fearless and reflects a broken and rudderless Brexit Britain
Read the full article15 September 2022
Norway’s great musical survivor
Jonas Fjeld kicked off his career by trying to make the worst record in history. This year, he now celebrates 50 years of success in the industry
Read the full article08 September 2022
The mass appeal of Nathy: Spain’s queen of controversy
Directness and realness makes Nathy Peluso stand out among the current crop of female rappers
Read the full article01 September 2022
Disco giants: The Sheffield band hypnotising Europe
Sophie and the Giants are virtually unknown at home - but bona fide disco royalty elsewhere
Read the full article25 August 2022
30 years on: How the Manic Street Preachers took Reading
In 1992, Wales' most incendiary political rock band took to the stage of the Reading Festival for the first time
Read the full article25 August 2022
It’s the vinyl countdown: Europe’s 50 greatest pop singles
This list puts an emphasis on the perfectly formed pop single
Read the full article18 August 2022
The voice of Poland
Jan Kiepura's ability to break down the barrier between performer and audience meant he was a shoo-in as a leading man as the talkie arrived
Read the full article11 August 2022
Erasure – the best band of the past 40 years? Discuss
The most unlikely duo imaginable, Erasure are proof that genius often resides in British eccentricity
Read the full article04 August 2022
Very liberal Vikings: Amon Amarth’s metal with morals
If Amon Amarth's Johan Hegg is a Viking, he’s one who is fully paid up to modern Scandi liberal values
Read the full article28 July 2022
Orchestral manoeuvres: Why we can’t risk radio silence
Public service radio orchestras have played far more than just a cultural role over the last century but they are now under threat
Read the full article14 July 2022
Dropping Baltic bars: The rise of Latvian hip hop
Hip hop and rap are holding a mirror up to a changing Latvia, its problems and its obsessions
Read the full article07 July 2022
Meet Romania’s maneliști maestro
Salem is the King of Manele – the Middle Eastern-flavoured Romanian pop music descended from Roma folk music. But, some of his material divides audiences
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