Laura Mvula: Phenomenal Woman

Singer-songwriter Laura Mvula has had a lot of emotional hills to climb these past few years. The success of her strange, inventive debut LP Sing to the Moon—which lost the 2013 Mercury Prize to James Blake’s Overgrown—manifested with panic attacks, a formal diagnosis of clinical depression and a divorce with her husband, whom she met as a student at Birmingham Conservatoire. Her second album Dreaming …

The Flaming Lips: Space Oddity

Four months later, it’s still hard to fully grasp that David Bowie is no longer with us. The latest tribute comes from The Flaming Lips, who have covered “Space Oddity” with utter, heartfelt emotion. In the accompanying music video, the band plays in an empty church (one member on the organ), pews filled with white balloons, before filling the space with lasers and screeching distortion. …

Skepta: Man

Skepta’s world domination is imminent: 6 May sees the release of his LP Konnichiwa, which many have been eagerly awaiting since the London-based MC and producer dropped the single “That’s Not Me” (featuring his brother JME) back in 2014, and the riotous “Shutdown” the following year. Helming the resurgence of UK grime, the 33-year-old (born Joseph Junior Adenuga) doesn’t look like he’ll be plateauing anytime …