Category: 5. Entertainment

Viewed from the outside, at least, far from united, the states of America appear irreconcilably divided.

Which may explain why Astrid Jorgensen, a 35-year-old choir director from Brisbane who honed her skills at the pub, has just toured the States to sold out shows and seen her US reality TV appearance go viral.

“When I stand on the stage, I would like to prove to you that, in 90 minutes, we can agree on something,” Jorgensen says.

“And I think that that’s a really important message anywhere but, for sure, I’m drawing the conclusion [that] in America … it feels like an antidote to whatever’s happening in their own communities.”

While it might take an hour and a half in her travelling Pub Choir shows – in which she coaches the audience to sing along to pop and rock classics in harmony – Jorgensen made her point in a matter of minutes when she flipped the script of America’s Got Talent in her televised appearance last month.

Instead of seeking their adulation for her own vocal prowess, the former high school music teacher got her audience to stand up and sing themselves. Yes, the cameras follow Jorgensen’s dynamic conduction on stage. But, for the two-minute rendition of Toto’s Africa, they mainly focus on the faces of the crowd. People of all ages, genders and colours, singing their little hearts out. Bemused, at first, before exuding the kind of pure and silly joy one only experiences belting out an 80s yacht rock anthem with a bunch of mates.

“If you bring some, like, cerebral, I dunno, indie thing, people are going to feel afraid and that they’re going to do a bad job,” Jorgensen says of her song selection. “I just want people to feel like they’re winning – because it’s just singing. It’s not that big a deal. We’ve been overthinking it. Just give them a win and let them feel good.”

The people must have done. Cajoled by judge Simon Cowell and by an adoring crowd, Jorgensen was voted through to the show’s next round. Tens of millions of people have watched, shared and commented on the clip online.

Jorgensen is Zooming in from her bedroom in Brisbane, trying to keep an angry chihuahua called Penny quiet. Penny is never angry with Jorgensen – only with those who seek to steal Jorgensen away from her dog. Penny is frequently angry.

Jorgensen’s not long back from a hectic tour of the US. Yesterday, the ABC’s Australian Story team was filming hers. Pub Choir will tour Singapore, Tokyo, the UK and Ireland in August. Jorgensen is launching her memoir, Average At Best, in September. She will tour Australia and News Zealand in October and November. Her computer pings with Slack messages from her media team.

Unsure how to mute the notifications, Jorgensen takes a moment to message her handlers and kindly asks them to shush. The quiet brings oxygen back into the conversation.

Jorgensen takes a similar approach to her Pub Choir shows.

“I try to play into, and really appeal to, an analogue experience,” she says. “I tell people to put their phones away. And that is really hard for a lot of people.”

But choir, she says, is a unique act of communion in which the audience is transformed into artists. It is a sensation she experienced growing up Catholic, something that almost convinced Jorgensen to become a nun – until she realised that the “beautiful, hopeful, optimistic, spiritual feeling” that its services gave her came not from the word of God, but from the music of the church.

This is an experience Jorgensen wants for her audience, but she wants them to decide for themselves how they feel about it, with their own brain, ears and eyes – not through a screen. Even after the show she asks that they keep phones in pockets.

“And I think that’s really freeing for people,” Jorgensen says. “It’s really a lovely invitation for people to just experience, just to feel anything, to feel something at the show with others and to look around, to look eyes up, look at the board, look at each other, hold someone’s hand.

“I feel like it’s such a nice, rare opportunity to agree with other people just in such a low-key way.”

Jorgensen describes singing together as a “beautiful fast track to community” – something that, ironically, she alone is not part of at her own shows, standing as she does on stage. So after the final show of her US tour, at a nightclub in Honolulu, Jorgensen invited everyone in the audience to come and say hello.

“People were relaying to me that this felt like the opposite of the way they’d been feeling for … years even. And that it felt important for them to remind that humanity and, like, connecting on a level outside of politics is possible,” she says.

“That’s a special thing to be able to facilitate.”

CNN
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The summer celebrity forecast predicts clear skies, and an unproblematic leading man heatwave in the form of Jonathan Bailey and Pedro Pascal.

In a time marked by division – over politics and pretty much everything else – Pascal and Bailey have seemingly united the internet by abiding by a fairly simple principle: It’s ok to have fun being a celebrity.

Case in point: Bailey matched wits – and clutched pearls – with one of the web’s most gifted in the art of the flirt, Amelia Dimoldenberg, who on Friday welcomed the fellow Brit on her popular YouTube series “Chicken Shop Date.” Their blush-inducing conversation ranged from Dimoldenberg calling their relationship “tantric” (Bailey qualified that description with, “From afar”) to her asking him about the chaps he was planning to wear to Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour show that evening.

“Are they going to be with the bum, or without the bum?” she asked, to which Bailey responded, “We’ll see, maybe they’ll evolve as the night goes on.”

For those who don’t know him, Bailey was first introduced to most after an enchanting run on three seasons of “Bridgerton.” He then caught our attention when he starred in “Wicked” part one last year as the dashing Prince Fiyero.

Next up, Bailey is starring in “Jurassic Park: Rebirth” alongside Scarlett Johansson, out this week, before he reprises his role as Fiyero in “Wicked: For Good” in November.

What has made audiences fall in love with Bailey offscreen though, is that he can be devilishly flirty and disarmingly wholesome all in the same breath.

Further proof: The viral craze that was Bailey’s so-called “slutty little glasses,” a moniker for the eyewear that he sports in “Jurassic Park: Rebirth” coined by internet personality Blakely Thornton. The moniker stuck after audiences saw Bailey’s eyeglasses in the first trailer for the film.

Fully embracing the moment, Bailey told Entertainment Tonight at the London premiere of “Jurassic World: Rebirth” earlier this month that he’s “thrilled that people are having a hormonal explosion linked to optical supports.”

He also saw his viral moment as an opportunity for good. Bailey and spectacle maker Cubitts recently partnered to launch a limited-edition pair of sunglasses, inspired by his eyewear worn in the film, according to WWD. A portion of the sales will benefit Bailey’s charity The Shameless Fund, which he established last year in support of the LGBTQ+ community to “live authentically.”

Bailey is also busy living out his dream of playing in the “Jurassic” orchestra when they recorded the score for the new film at Abbey Road Studios. Bailey was able to perform the clarinet solo that played over a scene where his character interacted with a dinosaur for the first time.

“I’m sort of shaking,” Bailey said in a featurette for the film after recording his solo. “It’s a total dream come true.”

And then, of course, there’s bee-swatter and Internet “daddy” Pascal, who is literally everywhere lately.

He not only recently appeared (and absolutely broke our hearts) in the second season of HBO’s “The Last of Us,” but he also showed up in Celine Song’s anti-rom-com “The Materialists,” out now. If that weren’t enough, he will also be appearing in the Ari Aster-directed drama “Eddington” and Marvel’s “Fantastic Four,” both out later this month.

He’ll also be reprising his role as the titular helmeted hero in the “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” film next year.

Outside of being one of the most sought-after movie and TV stars of the time, Pascal, like Bailey, is an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ causes.

In April, Pascal set the internet abuzz when he attended Marvel’s “Thunderbolts*” premiere in London wearing a white t-shirt that read “protect the dolls” to show support for the transgender community, including his sister, Lux Pascal, who came out as a transgender woman in 2021.

The t-shirt was designed by London-based designer Conner Ives. All profits from the shirt benefit Trans Lifeline, a charity that offers emotional and financial support to transgender people.

The Pascal craze came to a boiling point last month when a lookalike contest was held in New York City, as part of a growing trend that brings out doppelgängers of our most sought out celebs.

“It’s the Pedro takeover,” Emma Stone, who stars alongside him in “Eddington,” gushed about Pascal during an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” last week. “He’s so wonderful. He’s talented, he’s gorgeous, he’s nice, he’s funny.”

We can see it, too, Emma.

Even Robert Downey Jr., who will appear alongside Pascal in Marvel’s upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday,” can’t get enough of Pascal.

“Pascal’s slow trajectory to becoming a household name who is on a wildly hot streak kind of reaffirms my faith in our industry,” Downey said in a Vanity Fair interview published last week.

Pascal celebrated his milestone 50th birthday in April and spoke playfully and modestly about the renaissance he’s currently having at this age.

“Stepping into my 40s felt adult and empowered,” Pascal told the publication. “Fifty felt more vulnerable—much more vulnerable… What a silly thing for a 50-year-old man—to have all this attention!”

“Silly”? Not quite. More like superb.

In the front of Cardiff’s Spillers Records – the oldest record shop in the world – there is a three-by-three vinyl display of records by artists “playing locally soon!”, announced by an orange paper slip inside the plastic sleeve. Despite the mass hoopla outside in the Welsh capital – where the main drag, St Mary’s Street, is a racket of bars blasting Britpop anthems and spontaneous singalongs of Champagne Supernova are breaking out – it is still somehow astonishing to see a copy of Oasis’s 1998 compilation The Masterplan in the top left corner of the shelf.

The band’s reunion may finally be starting on Friday at the city’s Principality Stadium, but after 16 years apart, it still feels so unlikely.

Spillers’ owner, Ashli Todd, has worked at the shop for almost 30 years (and on her first day sold Robbie Williams a copy of Super Furry Animals’ debut album, Fuzzy Logic). “They [Oasis] have never gone anywhere, as far as we’re concerned, in terms of sales,” she says. “Through various phases of their career, they’ve never dwindled. I can’t think of a time where we haven’t had them in the racks. And from an industry perspective, their team do a fantastic job of keeping their records in print.”

Todd says it is “exceptionally exciting to have their tour kicking off here”, adding: “It’s bringing a lot of fans to the city, which is wonderful. I just had a father in his 50s in, who saw them in their heyday, telling me he’s taking along his teenage child, which is beautiful.”

On Friday afternoon in the city centre, there are dozens of stories like these. Families are almost as prevalent as the anticipated groups of lads. In the St David’s Dewi Sant shopping centre, a queue has formed for photographs in front of a specially installed 230-sq-ft (23-sq-metre) mural of Noel and Liam Gallagher made entirely of black and white bucket hats.

Lottie, 11, wearing a Definitely Maybe T-shirt and “Cardiff Live 25” bucket hat, is a big fan. “My dad introduced me to them,” she says “We bond over their songs.”

Her aunt Rebecca chimes in. “I first saw them here 31 years ago, at the Cardiff Astoria, while I was pregnant with him,” she says, pointing at her adult son.

Her partner recalls the ticket price, £7.50, a figure that may smart a little for reunion tour ticketholders stung by Ticketmaster’s controversial dynamic pricing policy. (Daniel and Laura, drinking outside the Traders Tavern, defend the cost of tickets. “A lot of people are making a big thing about it but hotels tonight are also £800, £900,” says Daniel. “I don’t think it’s just a Gallagher thing – it’s this day and age, unfortunately.”)

At an official pre-party at the Blue Bell pub thrown by Pretty Green, the fashion label that Liam Gallagher founded in 2009 (but no longer runs), William is wearing an Oasis Adidas T-shirt. He says has come down from the north-east of England with his dad, Steven, to celebrate his 10th birthday on Friday. For his birthday present, he is hoping they play Acquiesce, the B-side to Some Might Say. “I like the hype of it,” William says. “They both sing on it.”

Steven first saw Oasis in 2000. “I was 17 or 18,” he says. “My dad took me, so it’s come full circle.”

There is a festival atmosphere in the city, the bars overflowing with fans and blaring with Oasis anthems, creating a sonic effect down the high street that sounds like being stuck in an exhaust pipe.

Outside the Principality, Donna, a Big Issue vendor, is holding up the magazine’s dual-cover edition, Liam on one, Noel on the other, and asking buyers who they prefer. It is a trick question: the answer is in fact Donna, AKA the Queen of Cardiff, who is this month’s “My Pitch” profile on the magazine’s back page.

Phil is selling copies of the Socialist Worker newspaper, which is leading on a defence of Kneecap and Bob Vylan. He isn’t getting much interest from Oasis fans. “I don’t think there’s anything rock’n’roll about them,” he says. “Beatles rip-off band from the 90s.” The Gallaghers’ dalliances with New Labour were “runaway great branding” for both sides, Phil says.

Where, say, Bruce Springsteen concerts are a parade of fans proudly wearing vintage merchandise from gigs they saw in the 70s or 80s, most Oasis fans in Cardiff on Friday are kitted out in box-fresh items from the two official stalls the band have set up in the city, showcasing their own products and a bespoke tour collaboration with Adidas.

The vintage shops Hobos and Beyond Retro report a run on old-school Adidas track jackets (though shop staff at both independently say demand is nothing like for Lana Del Rey’s gig here last month, when white blouses and boho skirts sold out). There are warring street stalls selling knockoff bucket hats bearing the band’s song titles. “You look like a supermodel,” one vendor tells a woman umming and ahhing over a blue hat, then sings “would I lie to you?” at her.

Molly, 16, is getting a glittery transfer of Oasis on her cheek from another high street stall. After discovering Don’t Look Back in Anger, “that was it from there”, she says, citing Bonehead’s Bank Holiday as an unlikely favourite song. “I love Liam. He’s so funny. No filter.”

Inside St David’s Dewi Sant, Asad, 24, is one of the staff at the official shopping centre popup, but he’s been drafted out of the shop by security to help manage a queue that snakes around an entire concourse. “It’s been very hectic but surprisingly well behaved,” he says. The shop has been playing non-stop Oasis. “Some songs I didn’t know they were by them,” he says. “I’ve been interacting with people coming from Italy, Miami, Canada – they touch this many people, it’s crazy.” Sadly, he does not have a ticket. “I wish I did.”

In the queue, Trevor, 43, and Michelle, 52, are wearing homemade Oasis T-shirts but waiting to buy some official Adidas jackets. Trevor has an immaculate version of Liam Gallagher’s most famous haircut: long sideburns, a bit spiked on the top. “I’m contractually obliged to have this haircut,” he says. “I’m Liam in a tribute band.”

It turns out that Hemel Hempstead’s own Oh-aces have their own turbulent history. “The first lineup failed,” says Michelle. “Me and Noel fell out,” says Trevor. “It’s been this lineup since January.”

It is when he puts on his stage gear and glasses and has a couple of beers that he starts to feel like Liam. Tonight, he says, “I’ll definitely be looking for some tips, but not judging.”

Outside the stadium there is another merchandise booth, where Marina, 36, and Shun, 29, are waiting holding a Japanese flag. They have flown 16 hours from Tokyo to see Oasis for the first time. It is personal for them, too. Marina translates for Shun: “He has a brother and it was not a good relationship, similar to Oasis. But they are in a band: Shun plays drums and his brother plays guitar, and they have a good relationship now. The music helps.”

At least a few fans seem to have travelled from even further away. Back in Spillers, a group of three friends are wearing T-shirts that say: “We live in desert looking for Oasis – 2025.7.5 – From Shanghai to Cardiff – 8,100km”. The trio travelled to the UK last month for their first Glastonbury and to finally see Oasis live after 20 years of being fans.

Teresa, 37, has loved the band since she was 13. “When I feel sad, their songs make it better,” she says. “The songs mean a lot – their spirit gives me the hope to meet difficult things and it can become the energy for me. I think the concert will become very important for me in my future life.”

Alanis Morissette’s headline show at the Lytham Festival has been cancelled due to 40mph winds being forecast on the Fylde coast, organisers have confirmed.

In a statement, organisers said the decision had been taken because of “adverse weather conditions”.

A TK Maxx presents Lytham Festival spokesperson said: “The safety of our customers, staff and artists is our priority and increasing high winds mean it would not be safe to go ahead.

“All customers will receive a full refund for tonight’s show. Please wait to hear from your ticket agent for further information.”

The four-day music festival at Lytham Green, which runs until Sunday, was headlined on Thursday by legendary singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder.

Rock band Kings of Leon had been due to open the festival, but had to cancel their appearance in May after lead singer Caleb Followill broke a bone in his heel in a “freak” accident.

Canadian singer-songwriter Morissette shot to fame with her 1995 album Jagged Little Pill, which contained hits including Ironic, You Oughta Know, and Hand In My Pocket.

Other acts who were due to play on Friday included Train – best known for their hit single Hey, Soul Sister – Greater Manchester indie band The Lottery Winners, and US singer Liz Phair.

Justin Timberlake is due to headline on Saturday while Sunday’s closing night will feature dual headline slots from Simple Minds and Texas.

Other acts booked for the four-day festival – expected to attract more than 100,000 music fans – include Corinne Bailey Rae, Jess Glynne and Cast.

There will also be a special tribute to Welsh musician, songwriter and cancer campaigner Mike Peters of The Alarm.

Catching Ben Hemsley play at Amnesia last year was undoubtedly one of the highlights of my 2024 summer. Returning this year, not for a one-off, but for his debut residency at the superclub. It’s already shaping up to be a weekly ritual for me and the Ibiza Spotlight crew, so naturally, the opening party was firmly marked on my personal party calendar.

Not only is the superstar from Newcastle at the helm of this new dawn of Amnesia Presents, but he will be joined by Kettama, the Irish tastemaker of everything underground, bringing his fresh blend of Hard House, Trance and Techno into the fray.

Boasting a summer-long lineup of the biggest artists in the underground scene, the night is shaping up to be a serious contender for Mondays on the island. The opening party lineup did not disappoint, with Trance and Breakbeat specialist Leena Punks, and the ever flamboyant Scottish multi-genre wizard, dance music don, Denis Sulta, also on hand.

Arriving at the venue for 01:00, we were stoked to catch Sulta mid-action, dropping a slew of groovy House bangers. Heart rates were already high, with the tempo sitting comfortably above 130 BPM.

Sulta bounced around the booth with his infectious energy, and hands in the air, as the screen behind him cycled through a wild palette of colours and effects, broadcasting his every movement to the crowd.

In a quick trip down nostalgia lane, Sulta effortlessly took us back to the ’80s with Irene Cara’s Flashdance… What a Feeling. Another standout tune came courtesy of Chloé Caillet and Luke Alessi’s The One. Kudos where it’s due, it’s been making serious waves internationally, and it’s great to hear it resonating in the dance music capital of the world.

Kettama then took the helm, gearing up for an hour and a half of no-nonsense bangers, full throttle from the very first drop. His set was relentless from the start, with big-room underground energy, his signature sound.

A standout moment came when he dropped a bouncy Tech House remix of Need to Feel Loved by Reflekt, teasing out with that unmistakable vocal “come and catch me baby, I’m falling”. It perfectly aligned with Kettama’s blend of trancey euphoria and pumping House.

Notably, few phones were out, which is a rare and refreshing sight!

At around 02:15, we were treated to a surprise appearance by John Summit. Got to give it to the bloke, he was all smiles and clearly enjoying himself as hype man, bopping side to side, relishing his moment on stage, off the decks for once.

As the night progressed, Kettama showcased a wide range of tunage, from UK Garage vibes to a breakbeat Techno remix of John Summit’s own track, Shiver, injecting fresh energy into the floor.

Throwing in Fly Away XTC from Kettama’s own catalogue, he layered in his unique sonic signature, melodic yet driving. The highlight for many was his remix of Pretty Green Eyes by Ultrabeat, a timeless anthem reimagined with modern flair, which sent the crowd into a euphoric frenzy.

Throughout, Kettama’s impeccable track selection and mixing skills maintained a pulse that was both nostalgic and forward-thinking, and the atmosphere was electric from start to finish.

We were all lost in the groove, barely noticing the time slip by as Ben Hemsley took to the stage, bringing the Trance sound we all know and love, offbeat basslines, supersaws galore and to our surprise, adding in a bit of Funk and Disco into the mix, he kept us on our toes (literally).

Throughout his set, the energy surged with standout moments like the unmistakable vibes of Ben’s Bebé Música and Armand Helden’s I Want Your Soul, a guaranteed crowd pleaser whenever it drops. Through 2 You, one of Hemsley’s most recognisable tunes, triggered one of the night’s peak moments, the crowd turning full choir, screaming the lyrics back at him with unfiltered joy. It was pure, communal rave energy.

Ben expertly paced the night, blending classic Trance elements and Psy-Trance with modern touches. When Go With The Flow by Miguel de Bois hit, hands shot into the air, the screen lit up, strobes and moving heads flashed wildly, and lasers sliced through the air in a dazzling flurry.

The visuals deserve a special mention, mesmerising liquid-like movements of shapes and a binary blaze of 0s and 1s that materialised on screen.

Track after track, Ben had the crowd in the palm of his hand. He weaved effortlessly between moments of pure euphoria and pounding, trance-fuelled chaos. At times, the entire dancefloor felt suspended in a shared high. When the breakdowns hit, there was space to breathe, and when the drops landed, they hit like a freight train.

As the first hints of morning crept in, it was clear we’d been part of something special. The energy surged right up until the very end. From Sulta’s playful grooves to Kettama’s relentless drive and Hemsley’s classic headline set, it was a night that celebrated every shade of rave culture on the island with total conviction.

If you’re looking for a proper rave, you can’t go wrong with the revamped Amnesia Presents. Scroll down to find out who will be joining Hemsley and Kettama and to pick your date!

Polydor Label Group is officially on a hot streak. 

That’s the verdict from label group president Ben Mortimer, as the Universal Music company marks a run of success for artists new and established.

The latest chart result for the label is the No.1 comeback for Lewis Capaldi (previously with EMI), who debuted at the singles summit with Survive on consumption of 68,414 units (including a whopping 25,415 physical copies).

Following Capaldi’s surprise Glastonbury performance, his new partnership with Polydor has delivered his fastest-selling single to date as well as the biggest opening week for any single this year. In fact, Polydor has achieved both the biggest opening week of the year on the singles chart (Survive) and on the albums chart with Sam Fender’s People Watching, which opened with 107,124 units in February.

Fender’s highest-selling week one album result (the only one to break 100,000 in a week so far) has yet to be surpassed. It also had the biggest vinyl sales of any release week and was the fastest-selling vinyl release by any British act this century.

With consumption of 191,724 units so far, People Watching is the biggest-selling album released in 2025 and No.3 overall. The album was further boosted by Fender’s record-breaking stadium shows in London and Newcastle. He recently secured a Top 10 single with Rein Me In, which features PLG artist Olivia Dean.

Richard O’Donovan, head of A&R, Polydor, said: “I couldn’t be more proud of everything Sam and the team have achieved here in the UK. It’s been such an exciting journey so far, and we’re now looking forward to taking Sam’s story to the rest of the world. There’s so much more to come, plenty of exciting plans in the works and new music on the way later this year.”

We’re on an exhilarating run at Polydor Label Group

Ben Mortimer

Another returning artist, Olivia Dean, has reached a new peak this week with her latest single, Nice To Each Other, moving 18-15 (22,608 units – up 4.2% week-on-week). Dean, who is signed to Capitol (part of Polydor Label Group), has a simultaneous Top 20 single with Sam Fender collaboration Rein Me In at No.12 (26,001 units in the past week). 

Dean has also made her first appearance in the Spotify Global chart. Her second album, The Art of Loving, lands on September 26.

Capitol’s Sammy Virji is also breaking new ground, with his latest single Cops & Robbers (featuring Skepta) becoming his first Top 40 single. Virji’s global rise includes headlining at the 13,000-capacity Forest Hills Stadium in Brooklyn last month, as well as immediately selling out a show at Manchester’s Warehouse Project in October this year.

Jo Charrington, president, Capitol UK, said: “This is an immensely exciting time for Capitol. The rise of Olivia and Sammy from different worlds but both with huge global momentum is testament to the talent and drive from the artists and their teams. With albums coming from each artist later this year, we are very ambitious about the heights they can reach.”

PLG’s dance label imprint Chaos is thriving, too, with a catalogue of over 1.5 billion streams in just over two years since inception. Music Week reported on the launch of Chaos at the time.

Chaos has made an impact with two Top 5 singles, a Top 10 album, a nomination for Best Label at the Radio 1 Dance Awards 2024, two BRIT Award nominations and four artists featured across the Glastonbury 2025 line-up. 

Chrystal’s The Days charted on the US Hot 100 and broke into the Global Spotify Top 50, and is the seventh biggest-selling song of 2025 in the UK. Meanwhile, the collaboration between Jazzy and Rossi, High On Me, has secured a new peak of No.28 (13,909 units – up 15.6% week-on-week).

This is an immensely exciting time for Capitol

Jo Charrington

Across the label’s international roster, Olivia Rodrigo closed Glastonbury Festival and has seen a 60.2% consumption boost for current album, Guts, which has moved 24-8 (6,374 units). It has consumption to date of 601,278. There was a similar gain for debut album, Sour, (up 48.1%), which climbed 25-11 (5,849 units). Sour has consumption to date of 1,155,725.

Doechii and Gracie Abrams both had significant breakout performances at the festival too. 

Meanwhile, Sabrina Carpenter has spent two weeks at No.1 with new single Manchild, and her Short N’ Sweet album stands as the UK’s top-selling album of the year to date (728,884 sales to date) . 

As it secures 45 consecutive weeks in the Top 5, Short N’ Sweet breaks a chart record with the longest Top 5 run ever for a solo artist.

Polydor-signed Lana Del Rey is also set for a consumption boost. She is currently on a stadium tour, including sold-out concerts at Wembley Stadium (July 3-4). While the chart impact of those will be seen in the next week, the Born To Die album has already had a 10.3% week-on-week consumption increase, climbing six places to No.32.

Ben Mortimer, president, Polydor Label Group, said: “We’re on an exhilarating run at Polydor Label Group. We have domestic success stories from across the group, in multiple genres, and from brilliant artists at all stages of their careers. This isn’t a case of one week at No.1, then done. This is real, sticky artist development in action. Plus, our international roster continues to go from strength to strength. PLG is on a hot streak, and, thankfully, it feels like just the start.”

PHOTO: Hannah Daisy Braid

CKE: The bleaching process seems to be a rather slow, almost meditative, process. Do you like to take time with the productions of your paintings? How long does it actually take for them to be fully bleached?

DB: That varies a bit from how much sun they get, and how good the weather is where they bleach. In the hotter climates, they obviously bleach much, much faster. In Berlin, it sometimes takes up to seven weeks. I think the fastest was at Joshua Tree—it was maybe two and a half weeks. And then with the oil—it happens over the course of maybe a couple of days. It’s quite quick. It’s more of a drying process. That takes a while and takes out the quickness of the painting. The oil has to dry for up to five months until they’re ready to be transported. It’s quite nice for me, because I have to be more structured in terms of when I start and finish something. It’s not like I can produce a show in a week. Also I can’t participate with new works in something that’s more spontaneous, but I also like that.

CKE: Your work is very much interested in the grid, not only as a visual structure but also as a conceptual one. How do you relate to Rosalind Krauss’s interpretation of the grid as both a Modernist ideal and a transcendent form?

DB: I like her viewing or reading of the grid with a rationalist and spiritual meaning at the same time. And I think it gives the painting a formal organization. But for me, it’s important not to be dogmatic. That’s why my grids can also dissolve, and why there’s more chaos and it’s more spontaneous.

CKE: What is your intention with destabilizing the grid?

DB: It just gives me more painterly freedom. But it’s also about the viscosity of the oil paint, and how I apply it. I could 3D print it, but then it would be very straight and the human touch would be non-existent. I like all these errors and failings that make the grid something that isn’t perfect.