My Top New Songs and Artists of 2023

Keep Cardiff Live Social Media Manager and Live Act Reviewer Estelle Trowill Selects Her Top Artists of 2023

Image Copyright TC Photography

MY TOP 23* SONGS & ARTISTS OF 2023 

So much great music came from this year so narrowing it down to the top 23 songs proved to be a delightful challenge. In an effort to ensure a fair representation! I have curated this list with a one-song-per-artist approach, aiming to showcase the incredible array of new sounds that have left a mark on me in 2023.

23. KISSIN’ BOOTH - JACOB SLATER - RELEASED 22/05

The ‘Wunderhorse’ frontman, Jacob Slater made his solo debut this year with ‘Pinky, I Love You’ and fans were not disappointed. ‘Kissin’ Booth’ has an authentic soft acoustic sound with picturesque lyrics and with Jacob completely setting himself apart from his work with Wunderhorse.

While we await a tour from Jacob for ‘Pinky, I Love You’, Wunderhorse have announced they have almost finished mixing their new record!

22. KULTURE - CHAPPAQUA WRESTLING - RELEASED 14/04

From their debut album ‘Plus Ultra’, Kulture has a political feel to it ‘They only want your culture when they need you’, with heavy guitars and soft vocals, this song comes in short at 2:39 but sweet and is a standout on the album. 

Gaining 2 million streams on ‘Plus Ultra’ in just over 2 months, it’s fair to say their album went down well with fans. With their UK tour coming to a close late December, they’ll be back out for an Independent Venue Week tour early 2024.

21. CHANGING MY MIND AGAIN - FEET - RELEASED 10/02

‘Changing My Mind Again’, is the only release to come from Feet this year and what a song it is. With self-aware lyrics and a fast paced delivery, although more punchier, this song goes hand in hand with their 2022 release ‘Can’t Get In’. 

This year they’ve played Truck Festival, Live at Leeds in the city, The Great Escape to name a few and they’ve also supported Inhaler on tour. 

20. TO RAGE - DAUGHTER - RELEASED 07/04

‘To Rage’ comes from Daughters fourth album ‘Stereo Mind Game’ - one of Rough Trade’s top albums of 2023. The song alternates between waves of dreamy folk guitar, alt-pop sample raindrops and soft vocals. ‘To Rage’ has a winter feel to it. 

In conversation with Steve Lamacq, Daughter confirmed there'd be no tour for Stereo Mind Game.

19. UNDERGROWTH - SQUID - RELEASED 18/04 

Undergrowth was the second single to be released from Squid’s second album ‘O Monolith’. Featuring a strong introduction, crisp production and Squid’s on brand witty interesting lyrics, this is an engaging listen. I came across Squid by listening to ‘Houseplants’ before their album was released and became even more interested in them upon my first listen of the full ‘O Monolith’ album. They’ve had a successful year touring not only the UK but the EU, North America and Asia too. 

18. JUST TO KEEP YOU SATISFIED - INHALER - RELEASED 17/02

From their second album ‘Cuts & Bruises’, ‘Just To Keep You Satisfied’ may not have been released as a single however, placed as first on the album, it sets the pace for the rest of ‘Cuts & Bruises’.

Even with their successful tour this year, Inhaler are another act who have also supported some Indie greats this year, being the support act for Arctic Monkeys on the EU leg of their tour and also Sam Fender at St James Park. 

17. CONCEITED - LOLA YOUNG - RELEASED 29/09 

‘Conceited’ consists of a prominent rhythmic bassline and a captivating chorus.

Upon my first listen, the strong vocals and powerful delivery on ‘Conceited’ reminded me of Remi Wolf, who I love. After looking further into the track, I found it was produced by Solomonophonic who is mainly associated with Remi Wolf! 

Having recently come across Lola, I have not yet explored her complete discography. However, judging by this track, I am eagerly anticipating what I’m yet to discover. 

16. TALK - CIEL - RELEASED 14/09 

Fans of 90’s rock are sure to be fans of CIEL. The UK-based band released their EP ‘Rather Be Alone’ in late November, with 4 compelling tracks, ‘Talk’ in my opinion is a standout. With each member of the band being from a different country, CIEL brings a range of sounds to their music. 

With a UK and France tour early next year, I’m excited to see what's to come from CIEL next year. 

15. THE WORLD’S BIGGEST PAVING SLAB - ENGLISH TEACHER - RELEASED 10/08

Their first release of the year for English Teacher, ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab’ went down a treat. Full of energy and heavy guitars, this song has a slight edge to it compared to previous releases from English Teacher, although still features the same poetic style and Lily Fontaines’ rich appealing vocals.

English Teacher are taking new music by storm, becoming the Independent Venue Week Ambassadors for 2024, it seems that 2024 will be just as big as 2023 was for the Leeds based band. 

14. CHEW - BUZZARD BUZZARD BUZZARD - RELEASED 22/03

Chew is the second release from Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard this year and it’s nothing short of brilliant. Seemingly taking a more hard hitting approach compared to the rest of their discography while featuring similar elements from their 2022 album ‘Backhand Deals’ but with a more explosive feel. 

With a successful tour in May/June this year, Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard are back on the road for another tour in March 2024.

13. TRUST EXERCISES - EASY LIFE - RELEASED 13/10

‘Trust Exercises’ is Easy Life’s last release under the ‘Easy Life’ brand due to legal challenges with EasyJet and it’s a heartfelt, fitting note to leave on. With a nostalgic touch, this song delves into themes of treating others with respect and surrounding yourself with good people. Writing in their instagram caption “We were always waiting for the right moment to drop this song but it never felt right and new material always got priority.” This is possibly my favourite release from Easy Life and I look forward to whatever they go on to do next. 

12. BOGUS OPERANDI - THE HIVES - RELEASED 11/08

‘The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons’ was a compelling comeback from The Hives, marking the first studio release in over 11 years. Known for their energetic and raw sound and a garage rock revival style, Bogus Operandi is no different. 

Supporting Arctic Monkeys on their UK Tour this summer, The Hives made a great impact on AM fans, with their memorable suits and hard hitting performance, it is fair to say they have still got it! A strong comeback from the Swedish band.

11. KNOW BETTER - SIR CHLOE - RELEASED 19/05 

From their second album, ‘I Am The Dog’, Know Better mixes Indie Rock and Pop. Featuring Dana Footes strong vocals and catchy lyrics, this is a song you can’t help but sing along to. 

Coming off of a successful tour this past summer, Sir Chloe are back out on tour in the US March 2024.

10. FAIRLIES - GRIAN CHATTEN - RELEASED 04/05

Fairlies was the second single released by Grian Chatten, frontman of Fontaines D.C., for his debut solo album ‘Chaos For The Fly’. Fairlies is a beautifully poetic folk-rock song and is a different sound to anything released by Fontaines. Not only a great single but another great album from this year.

9. YOU FIRST (RE: REMI WOLF) - PARAMORE FEAT. REMI WOLF -  RELEASED 06/10

‘Re: This Is Why’, is a remix album of ‘This Is Why’ with collaborations from a whole host of great artists. Putting the remix over a ‘This Is Why’ original could be seen as a crime by Paramore fans, but this remix/cover takes a completely different approach to anything on the original album. Combining Remi’s funky pop sound with Paramore’s edginess makes this the best track on ‘Re: This Is Why’. I have been a huge fan of Remi for years, her witty lyrics and interesting lyrical performance makes her a standout star in the bedroom pop genre. Not to mention, I am a big fan of the original album ‘This Is Why’.    

8. RUNAWAY GIRL - HALF HAPPY - RELEASED 19/01

Half Happy, another Cardiff based band and 2023 Welsh Music Prize - Triskel Award winners are another act on the rise. If you love guitar music, you’re sure to love Half Happy. ‘Runway Girl’ immediately garnered attention from ‘BBC Introducing, Adam Walton’ and it is not surprising why. Featuring luscious vocals and dreamy guitar lines, ‘Runway Girl’ quickly cemented itself as one of my top songs this year.  

Half Happy will be playing with Banshi and The Secret Jesus Factory (another two great acts) for Sŵn Warmers on the 13th of January at Clwb Ifor Bach. Making this another gig not to miss. 

7. IS THIS LOVE? - PIP BLOM FEAT. ALEX KAPRANOS - RELEASED 31/05

‘Is This Love?’ was the second single to be released from Pip Blom’s third album, ‘Bobbie’ combining Indie Rock with an Electric feel. Less Rock than their previous releases, the sound on ‘Is This Love?’ gives Pip Blom a new edge. 

Another act to have played many festivals this year, including the Friday at Tramshed for Sŵn Festival. I have had the chance to see Pip Blom twice this year and they did not disappoint. They go on tour early next year in 2024. 

6. ANGEL - NEWDAD - RELEASED 13/09 

The Irish alt/rock collective NewDad have released 5 great songs this year and ‘Angel’ is a notable favourite. With the lead vocalist Julie’s lullaby-infused vocals and mesmerising guitar riffs, this track has a soft yet edgy feel. 

Their debut album ‘Madra’, is set for release on the 26th of January and they go on tour in early 2024, I am sure we will be seeing more of NewDad next year. 

5. MY LADY OF MERCY - THE LAST DINNER PARTY - RELEASED 09/10

Brit Awards ‘Rising Star’ of 2023, The Last Dinner Party have had an exciting year. ‘My Lady Of Mercy', was the third release, but not final release, from The Last Dinner Party this year. With biblical references, strong vocals, and a gothic rock feel, The Last Dinner Party bring a different sound to new Indie music. 

With their debut album coming out on the 2nd of February and their upcoming tour, it seems The Last Dinner Party are going to be just as busy in 2024 as they were in 2023. 

4. I WANT TO BE YOU - LIME GARDEN - RELEASED 15/11

With dreamy melodies and introspective lyrics, this track accompanies Lime Gardens other singles from this year perfectly. With their debut album ‘One More Thing’ soon to be released on the 16th of February, the singles from this year have left fans excited for 2024.

Although, I did not get the chance to see Lime Garden at Oporto Bar in Live at Leeds due to the venue being at capacity with people queuing to get into the stage area, all the way to the end of their set. What I heard from outside the venue has left me eagerly anticipating their tour in March.

3. ROCKET DUSTBIN - THE FAMILY BATTENBERG - RELEASED 21/11

The Family Battenberg has a unique psychedelic sound with a blend of 70’s rock and roll. ‘Rocket Dustbin' is the third release from The Family Battenberg this year, with the previous two being just as impressive as this one. Leaving a lasting impression with its energetic and innovative sound, this track has already had rave reviews and it’s not surprising why.

The Family Battenberg are already making waves on the Cardiff scene, having their first headline gig at Clwb Ifor Bach in December, performing at Sŵn Festival in October and supporting many great artists, they are truly one to watch. Not only are they exciting on record, but they are truly such great live performers too. 

2. MEDITATE - BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB FEAT. NILÜFER YANYA - RELEASED 20/10

From their 7th album, ‘My Big Day', energised with vibrant layers and a memorable chorus, ‘Meditate’ stands out as the album's dynamic, high-energy track. Bombay Bicycle Club constantly reinvents their sound with each album, adding a fresh twist to their musical repertoire and ‘My Big Day’ is no different. This album is my favourite release from Bombay to date, a truly unskippable album.

Bombay Bicycle club will be coming to The Great Hall, Cardiff on February 18th 2024 and I am sure they will be impressive!

1. MUSIC STUFF & MADEMOISELLE - CVC - RELEASED 13/01

With ‘Get Real’ also being my favourite album from this year, choosing just one song was too difficult, that is why both Music Stuff and Mademoiselle are tied at first place.

David Bassey introduces ‘Music Stuff’ at Union Pool, Brooklyn NYC with “This is my favourite song, by any band” and I relate. The crowd at their December show in Tramshed, Cardiff could not resist dancing and singing along to this song, making it a definite fan favourite.

Mademoiselle captives the term feel-good. With upbeat drums and the band's outstanding harmonies, this song brings an invigorating energy. After streaming ‘Get Real’ too many times than I'd like to admit, it’s fair to say I highly recommend listening to the whole album. A truly remarkable debut from ‘The Church Village Collective’  

Full List: 

1. Music Stuff - CVC

Mademoiselle - CVC

1. Meditate - Bombay Bicycle Club feat. Nilüfer Yanya

2. Rocket Dustbin - The Family Battenberg

3. I Want To Be You - Lime Garden 

4. My Lady Of Mercy - The Last Dinner Party

5. Angel - NewDad 

6. Is This Love? - Pip Blom

7. Runaway Girl - Half Happy

8. You First (Re: Remi Wolf) - Paramore feat. Remi Wolf

9. Fairlies - Grian Chatten

10. Know Better - Sir Chloe 

11. Bogus Operandi - The Hives 

12. Trust Exercises - Easy Life

13. Chew - Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard

14. The World’s Biggest Paving Slab - English Teacher

15. Talk - Ciel

16. Conceited - Lola Young 

17. Just To Keep You Satisfied - Inhaler

18. Undergrowth - Squid 

19. To Rage - Daughter

20. Changing My Mind Again - Feet

21. Kulture - Chappaqua Wrestling 

22. Kissin’ Booth - Jacob Slater 

* 24…

Since my 'Top 23' list doesn't capture the wealth of talent from South Wales, I'd like to highlight some local releases from this year that might have slipped under your radar:

Cardiff based ‘Chroma’ hit us with their fantastic debut album ‘Ask For Angela’. 

Merthyr based ‘The Brass Bambees’ released both ‘On With The Show’ and ‘Modern Casanova’. 

Swansea based ‘Mercer’ released ‘Kerosene’.

Cardiff based ‘Slate’ also debuted with their first two singles ‘St Agatha’ and ‘Tabernacl’. 

Swansea based ‘Monet’ released ‘You Need To Tell Worse Lies Man’ and ‘Albasore’.

Cardiff based ‘Waterpistol’ debuted with ‘Living In A Dream’.

Port Talbot based ‘The Shunkos’ released their self titled EP. 

Valleys based ‘Local Rainbow’ released ‘19’, ‘Boys In Bands’ and ‘Wasn’t Gonna Be Me’.

Cardiff based ‘Mantis’ debuted with their first single ‘Magnolia’.

Cardiff/London based ‘Platoon’ debuted with ‘Your Eyes’.

‘Nova Scotia’, another Cardiff based band, put out both ‘Pretty Lies’ and ‘Wire Mother’. ‘Basic State’, also Cardiff based, released ‘Far Too Soon’ and ‘To Feel Alive’. 

Swansea based ‘Suberterrina’ debuted with ‘Benidorm’ quickly followed by ‘Shine’. 

Valleys based ‘Wet Paint Ltd’ released their self titled EP.

Newport based ‘Finding Aurora’ released ‘The Never-Ending’ and ‘Repeat After Me’.

New Monthly Cardiff City Blog

Bluebirds- “you are like a Harry Kane!”

By Bob Banks

There are young fans at Tottenham who went to their first game aged eight and have now near crossed 20 years of age without knowing a Kane-less home football experience.

In the post-Bosman transfer world, where football mercenaries kiss the badge at different clubs every year, Harry was a striking exception.

It got me thinking about club stalwarts and those great servants whom have delivered, season in and season out, for Cardiff City over the years. 

Billy Hardy, Phil “Joe” Dwyer, Don Murray, Tom Farquhason, Fred Keenor, Peter King, Ron Stitfall, Jack Evans, Alan Harrington and Peter Whittingham all make the top ten chart for all time appearances for the club. Harrington, a cultured right back whose playing career (1952-1966) embraced CCFC’s first post-war period in the top division, clocked up 405 games, the lowest of the ten but still representing some 14 years of club loyalty.

That’s great loyalty yes- but not within touching distance of top-of-the-tree Billy Hardy, with a whopping 590 games under his belt in all competitions, in a 20-year - yes, that’s right, 20-year- City career (1911-1931) that also embraced a  terrible four-year World War.

Bill Hardy

Post-war, Billy was part of the first team that ever played for Cardiff City in the Football League after they joined in 1920, winning promotion to the First Division in their inaugural season. He was a mainstay of the side that finished runners up in 1923-24 and reached two FA Cup Finals in 1925 and of course, 1927, when they beat Arsenal to lift the cup.

Player Coach in 1930, he ended his Cardiff career in 1932 when the Bluebirds had been relegated to the Third Division South.

If you look around the City car park when you next attend and witness the sea of six-figure motors, the dubious recompense for serial low achievement, spare a minute to compare this modern monopoly money world to Billy’s promotion-achieving, cup winning and cup runners up record. Billy had a wise financial head at that time and set himself up with a post-Football career- as a Coal Merchant.

Many readers will know and love Joe Dwyer and Don Murray, two fantastic clubmen of the sixties and seventies. Both took no prisoners at a time when Tippy Tappy mostly involved treading on an opponent’s heels rather than cute passing movements. Every ounce of these boy’s breath was devoted to delivering a result and both were as reliable and dependable as a three o’clock kick off in those days.

I once saw Murray take a penalty at the Grange End. A foolish decision to let his considerable tackling and blocking skills anywhere near the creative end of the game and he duly obliged by putting the spot kick into the roof of the stand (no mean feat considering the elevation required). I read a city fan’s account of the kick recently. It seems Phil Dwyer, at a later social occasion they both attended that had got hold of vintage clips of Don’s stratospheric shot, cackled at him “Hey Don- they’re still looking for that ball in Grangetown!”

Don Murray

Phil clocked up 575 and Don 532 games in 13 and 12 year careers.

The glory years of the early 20th century were also home to both Tom Farquharson and Fred Keenor’s careers with the City.  Dublin-born Keeper Tom was spotted playing for Abertillery Town and joined Cardiff in 1922. Five years later he had a cup winners medal.  He gathered in 507 appearances. 

Keenor- sorry that should be Mr Keenor- made 507 appearances for Cardiff City and also appeared at the Battle of the Somme, where he got a near career- threatening injury after blocking some shrapnel. His captaincy of the Cup winning team is the stuff of legend and of statues. We’ll be doing a bit more on Mr Keenor as we move on with this column.

Peter King was a mercurial winger who joined the club from Worcester City in 1960 and was the first ever player to score a European goal for the Bluebirds, netting against Esberj fB in the Cup Winner’s Cup. He top scored in the 1967-8 season with 18 goals, helping Cardiff to reach the Cup winners cup semi-final. An achilles injury ended his career after 477 games.

Peter King

Next came Peter Whittingham’s ten-year career. Super Whitts- self effacing, an impeccable left foot and a brilliant entertainer who graced 457 matches, remains in the hearts and minds of all modern fans. He is very much missed.

To round off the top ten of CCFC super servants, we have Ron Stitfall (452 games)  and Jack Evans (424 games). Stitfall, a one-club man with 18 years service, played five years for Wales at right back. A keen City fan, in his early years he netted five times as a number nine before settling into the full back role. 

Jack Evans (14 year’s service) signed for the City for six shillings. Club Secretary Bartley Wilson (no relation to our famous mascot) is reported to have said “it’s all we had- and that included his fare from Treorchy!”

Jack scored the first ever goal at Ninian Park in a friendly against Aston Villa on September 1 1910. It was a fitting score because he had helped to build the ground, earning 35 shillings a week for playing plus “bonuses” for “undertaking other jobs around the construction.”

Jack was from Bala, and had a famously powerful shot, nicknamed the “Bala Bang”. It is claimed that his shooting broke the wrist of a keeper attempting to stop the ball and a Manchester City keeper was apparently knocked out by another Evans thunderbolt. 

So that’s the Cardiff City top ten club servants.  All have notched up at least 88 more club shirts that Bayern’s Harry, who nevertheless remains a modern-day loyalty phenomenon.

To finish, a word of respect here for our current one-club hero Joe Ralls. Firstly, Joe is rightly on his way to being a club legend. Some 344 appearances (already 26 more than Harry Kane for Spurs and 61 short of making the City top ten). Many of these games were notched in a time of incredible managerial and club turbulence when the side was chopped and changed game to game, season to season. In the last few seasons, he has survived wholesale changes in club personnel and he turns up and does a shift, week in and week out.

Joe Ralls

He is now in his 12th year with the club. Just 30 this year, Joe has survived 13 solo managers -and one double act Gabbs and Young- and all our off-the-field traumas and is still putting in 100 per cent.

How many more like Joe and the top ten will we see as football further evolves into an unstoppable global entertainment business? Certainly, each day sees us move further and further away from the genuine, working class game it was when Billy, Tom and Fred, in particular, performed so honestly and successfully in a blue shirt.

New Blog - Eurovision!

Eurovision is an annual international song contest in which participating countries from Europe (and in recent years, some countries outside of Europe) submit an original song to be performed live on television. The contest has been held since 1956 and is one of the longest-running television shows in the world. 

Each country that participates in Eurovision selects a song and performer through a national competition or internal selection process. The countries then compete in two semi-finals, with the top performers from each semi-final advancing to the final. The final is broadcast live across Europe and in other parts of the world. During the final, each country casts votes to determine the winner, with a panel of judges and viewers at home each having 50% of the vote. The country with the most votes is declared the winner and gets to host the contest the following year. 

Eurovision has become a cultural phenomenon and is known for its over-the-top performances, catchy tunes, and extravagant staging. It ranks among the world’s most watched non-sporting events every year. Last year’s edition of Eurovision reportedly attracted over 161 million viewers in 34 different markets.  

Traditionally held in the country which won the preceding year's event, the contest provides an opportunity to promote the host country and city as a tourist destination. Thousands of spectators attend each year, and journalists are present to cover all aspects of the contest, including rehearsals in venues, press conferences with the competing acts, and other related events and performances in the host city. 

This year will be the 67th edition of Eurovision. The 2022 winners Ukraine will not be hosting this year as the country has been ruled unsafe due to the ongoing conflict. Instead, the runners-up UK were given the responsibility which led to a fierce bidding war from many cities across the country all fighting for a chance to host this year's edition. But ultimately the city of Liverpool was victorious and means that The United Kingdom will host the Eurovision Song Contest for a record 9th time. 

The main event of Eurovision - the grand final - will take place on Saturday 13 May, kicking off at 8pm. There will be two semi-finals in the run-up, one on Tuesday 9 May and one on Thursday 11 May. There will be a total of 37 countries participating in this year's Eurovision. Of the 37 nations taking part, 31 will compete in two Semi-Finals with 10 successful acts from each Semi-Final joining 4 of the Big 5 (France, Germany, Italy and Spain), hosts the United Kingdom and Ukraine in the Grand Final. 

Mae Muller will be representing the UK. She will be performing “I wrote a track”, a song written about an ex-lover. But she is far from a novice in the music scene as having previously supported Little Mix on their tour in 2019 and has a US Top 10 with her platinum-selling single, “Better Days” released last year. Like last year's UK representative Sam Ryder, she brings to Eurovision an established following on social media with over 2 billion streams on YouTube and 6.7 million monthly listeners on Spotify. 

Whilst the tickets for the final sold out in 36 minutes earlier this month, Eurovision will be broadcast live on BBC One for UK viewers. Viewers will also be able to watch the live shows on the official Eurovision YouTube channel.

New Blog - The Recent Phenomenon of "Sped Up" Songs On Tik Tok

In the last few months, there has been a surge in “sped-up” remixes of songs that have been appearing on many platforms accumulating millions of listens. These remixes are being created and used in videos by users on TikTok which are being viewed by millions and have helped certain songs become viral. This is because TikTok enables users to mess around with songs and upload their own versions of popular sounds. TikTok is popular for its high-speed interface as users swipe through and consume lots of short videos. Moreover, TikTok and sped-up songs complement each other well as they are both fast-paced. Sped-up songs are then well suited to the short attention spans of TikTok users as the songs can be condensed into a shorter window of time. On TikTok, the hashtag “spedup” has 17.4 billion views and similar hashtags such as “spedup sounds” have garnered 11.9 billion views which demonstrates just how popular these remixes are.  

But this trend is not only popular on TikTok and has spread to other platforms. For example, on YouTube, there are many playlists filled with sped-up versions of songs that have accumulated millions of views. On Spotify, there is a playlist made specifically for sped-up versions of songs which has 105 songs and over 1.1 million likes. Moreover, an artist on Spotify called “sped up nightcore”, dedicates their account solely to posting sped-up remixes of popular songs and has over 9 million monthly listeners. Because of the recent popularity of sped-up versions of songs on TikTok, many artists have seen their songs become popular and, in some cases, even go viral. As a result, many artists are now releasing an additional sped-up version of their songs along with the original to capitalise on the trend.   

Steve Lacy had one of the biggest songs in 2022 with “Bad habit” which was his first song to chart in the Billboard 100. The song was released in June 2022 and was already accumulating millions of listens. But TikTok users began using unofficial sped-up remixes of the song in their videos, including one used in over 430,000 videos, which were all helping the song gain even more attention. The success of these remixes presented an opportunity for Steve Lacy and saw him release an official sped-up version just one month after the original was released.In an interview, he was asked about the sped-up version of his smash hit where he revealed that it was his music label which introduced the idea of releasing a remix to his song after they saw it go viral on TikTok. At the time, the song had sat number 2 on the Billboard charts for four weeks straight, but Steve Lacy wanted it to reach the top spot, so he gave his music label the go-ahead to release the sped-up version of the song. This turned out to be a good decision as it helped the song finally reach number 1, dethroning “As it was” by Harry Styles who held the top spot for 14 consecutive weeks.  

Steve Lacy is just one example of many artists taking advantage of the success of sped-up songs. More recently, artist RAYE with her song “Escapism” was the next artist to see success through this method. Her song was released in October 2022 and soared up the charts after it went viral on TikTok where users were making fan-made sped-up versions. Seeing the success of this, RAYE would release an official sped-up version of the song just one month later. The original version of the song now has 213 million listens on Spotify, whilst the sped-up remix has 86 million making for a combined 299 million streams in total. On TikTok, the official sped-up version of the song has been used over 600,000 times by users in their videos, with all of this eventually helping her song to top the UK singles chart in January. In a recent interview, RAYE revealed that she was flattered by the original fan-made sped-up version of the song as it helped it gain popularity, and she even went on to thank the fan personally.  

But it is not only new songs that have benefitted from sped-up remixes. Songs that were released years ago such as Ellie Goulding‘s “Lights” and Sam Smith‘s “I’m Not the Only One,” both enjoyed a surge in streams thanks to the success of the remixed versions on TikTok. This shows that sped-up songs have the potential to breathe new life and attract new listeners to older songs that otherwise might have been forgotten. Record labels have also noticed this which has made it become more common that sped-up versions of songs are being released officially. It also helps that this is relatively fast and cheap to make, as they are not creating anything new and are just remixing the original version.  

This recent trend of sped-up songs being popularised on TikTok has helped artists see their songs become more successful as it can act as free promotion that helps it reach a new audience. Not only does this drive engagement for the original song and propel them up the music charts, but in some instances, the remixed version is as popular or even more popular than the original. Even old songs have received new life that would not have done so without this trend. Therefore, it is becoming common that more and more artists and their record labels are catering to this demand for sped-up remixes of songs and as a result, they are releasing official remixes to reap the rewards. 

New Blog - The Resurgence Of Vinyl Records

Vinyl records were once thought to be a relic of the past, something that had been replaced by newer and more efficient technologies. But in recent years, there has been a renewed interest in vinyl. The resurgence of vinyl has surprised many people and raised questions about why people are returning to this older technology.

Vinyl is making a comeback for many reasons. For some people, vinyl&#39s sound quality attracts them. Vinyl records have a warmth and depth often lost in digital formats. Vinyl’s analogue format captures sound waves continuously and physically. In contrast, digital formats convert them into a series of ones and zeros, which can lead to information loss. Therefore, vinyl can provide a more immersive and authentic listening experience.

The physical nature of vinyl is another reason for its popularity. A vinyl record is a tangible object that can be held, touched, and collected. In many cases, the packaging and artwork are as important as the music itself to the listening experience. Digital music, on the other hand, feels ephemeral and disposable.

Vinyl’s resurgence is also driven by a younger generation discovering it for the first time. Vinyl allows these listeners to connect with the past by experiencing music in the same way as their parents or grandparents. Vinyl offers a sense of nostalgia and authenticity that can be hard to find in an increasingly digitised and intangible world.

Despite the rise of streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music, vinyl has managed to find a place in the music market. Due to vinyl’s popularity and increased demand, artists are releasing their albums on vinyl. Many record stores and online retailers are also benefiting from the vinyl revival, experiencing increased sales and demand. Whether it is the sound quality, the physicality, or the sense of nostalgia that draws people to vinyl, there is no doubt that this old format has found new life in the digital age.

But the resurgence of vinyl comes with some challenges, of course. One of the main issues is the cost. Vinyl is more expensive in terms of records and equipment. The cost of a good turntable, cartridge, and receiver with phono input will be higher than that of a digital player. The price of vinyl records is also higher than CDs and digital downloads. There is also the issue of availability, with some records being difficult to find or out of stock. Unlike digital music, vinyl records require a dedicated setup and cannot be played on the go. Additionally, they require manual flipping of the disc for playing the other side, making them less convenient than digital music.

Despite vinyl’s exponential growth, experts are not expecting it to dominate the market as it once did. Over 80% of revenue generated by the recording industry comes from streaming, and that number is increasing every year. Vinyl can earn popular artists some extra money, but for undiscovered acts seeking to make it, the internet is far more cost-effective. Selling vinyl is a profitable decision for popular musicians who want to connect with their most dedicated fans. As sales skyrocket, you can expect more major acts to release their projects on vinyl.