music week is delighted to welcome Sir Elton John, David Furnish and Rachael Paley on the cover of our August issue.
In a worldwide exclusive interview, we meet the legendary Rocket Man and his managers to find out how they led a new golden era for Elton and his music and we wonder what’s next. Rocket Entertainment’s Furnish and Paley were crowned Managers of the Year at the 2022 Music Week Awards and our cover story begins when they FaceTimed Elton to deliver the good news as soon as they walked off stage.
From there, we dig deeper into the five-year plan Furnish and Paley devised to energize Elton’s career, taking into account the hugely successful Diamonds collection, various catalog reissues, the movie Rocketman, Elton’s autobiography Me and last year’s No. 1 album The Lockdown Sessions.
Alongside revelations about the unique relationship he shares with Furnish and Paley and his vision for his legacy, Elton talks about Dua Lipa, new music, the UK charts, Brexit and more. Furnish talks about her decision to manage her husband and its incredible impact, while he and Paley unveil the meticulous methodology that continues to generate huge success for Elton.
Featuring photographs by Ben Gibson, who photographed the trio at Watford’s Vicarage Road stadium during the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road tour, our cover story also features Universal Music UK CEO and Chairman David Joseph and co- President of EMI, Rebecca Allen, who pay tribute to the incredible work of Elton, Furnish and Paley.
This month’s Music Week interview sees us face-to-face with Island Records UK chairman Louis Bloom. The exec opens up about his longtime romance with the Universal-owned major and unveils his grand plan to write a new chapter in his iconic story. Speaking of groundbreaking acts, genre, A&R, artist development and more, Bloom offers a candid insight into life at the top of one of the world’s most celebrated record labels.
This month sees the return of Grammy-nominated star Maggie Rogers, who shares the story of her second album Surrender with Music Week. Joined by Polydor chairman Ben Mortimer, co-chief executive Stephen Hallowes and Jonathan Eshak of Mick Management, the singer talks about music, mental health and moving on.
Also in the features section, we head to The O2 to meet Emma Bownes and Christian D’Acuna for a celebration of the venue’s 15th anniversary. Reflecting on their position as the beating heart of the UK live industry, how they overcame Covid setbacks and their sparkling history, the duo are also celebrating their Music Week Awards win for the revolutionary paperless ticketing system designed with AXS.
Fellow Music Week Award winner Robert Bruce delivers a state of the nation address for black music and the future of UK radio. In a wide-ranging conversation, we talk to the presenter of Capital Xtra’s Homegrown Show about his journey in the industry, the art of interviewing, and what the industry needs to do to nurture the next generation of talent from the radio.
Finally, in this month’s features section, we meet Nadia Khan and Lethal Bizzle as a manager and activist and trailblazer sharing the highs and lows of their 18-year relationship. The duo have powerful words for the industry as they continue their fight for a better business.
Our latest edition of Hitmakers features Victor Rådström and Mikael Rabus of Swedish collective Neiked, as the producers look back on the explosive success of their million-selling UK hit and streaming sensation Sexual (feat. Dyo).
The latest edition of Mentor Me – a collaboration between Music Week and Girls I Rate – features Jacqueline Pelham-Leigh, whose work as relationship manager, Black Music at PRS For Music has seen her champion creators from underrepresented backgrounds.
Taking on The Aftershow this month is electronic music oracle Carl Cox, who looks back on a life in dance ahead of his upcoming album Electronic Generations.
In the big story, the N-Dubz team talks about the trio’s incredible comeback, including a sold-out run in the UK. Catch up on the comeback that stunned the industry with insights from UTA agent Gary Howard, UK AEG CEO Steve Homer and James Hill, A&R Manager at Xploded Music.
Also in this issue, we take stock of the health of the festival sector following the impact of Covid. With a busy lineup in 2022, we hear about the Association of Independent Festivals, LIVE and Strawberries & Creem Festival.
For our Q&A Spotlight, Believe UK’s new Managing Director Alex Kennedy reveals the indie’s ambitions for the UK market, following success with breakthrough star Knucks and more.
The Planet fan-artist platform is present in Start Me Up.
On The Radar this month is Wu-Lu, the South London artist who seeks to inspire Britain’s youth with a heady mix of hip-hop and guitar. Signed to Warp, his debut album Loggerhead is out this month.
Incoming features Pale Waves, as Heather Baron-Gracie reveals how the Manchester quartet bared their souls and embraced pop-punk for their third album, Unwanted.
In this month’s Rising Star, we talk to Jade Johnston, Marketing Manager at Chess Club Records, while in Making Waves, we hear about PIAS’ new signing, Connie Constance, whose indie bangers mix humor and authenticity. In this month’s sync story, we learn how Katy Perry became the new face of Just Eat.
Sammy Andrews’ Digital Discourse column calls on DSPs to embrace the future, while Mark Davyd’s latest Center Stage missive lays out a blueprint for a more economically sustainable music industry.
And as always, the expanded Archive section takes us through the pages of music week of yesteryear.
There’s all that and our expanded monthly charts section, where we showcase the top 75 singles and albums from the previous month, complete with revamped analysis pages, plus a host of new charts. These include the Top 20 Specialized Genres for Americana, Classical, Hip-Hop & R&B, Jazz, Country, Dance, Folk, and Rock & Metal. The issue is also home to streaming, compilations, and vinyl.
The new number of music week is available from July 20.
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