Music

 Deck the halls with sounds of Michael Bublé and the Queen of Christmas—Mariah Carey.

The hustle for tickets has been every bit chaotic while some economists have predicted a “TSwift Lift” to inflation as Swifties rush to book hotels and flights.

If you're in the market for endurance EDM, upbeat pop bangers or heavy-based rap when you need to dig deep on your next run or gym session, we’ve got the playlist to keep you hitting goals.

Dipping into the decade of nostalgia, Yellowjackets on Paramount+ is back for another nail-biting season.

It's about damn time.

“Australian First Nations music is a powerful force that has existed for tens of thousands of years."

For artists like Isaac who are drawn to creating, music is undeniably in their blood, so we've teamed up with Australian Red Cross Lifeblood to dive a little deeper and uncover the passion for collaboration, live performance and a drive to contribute to the world around him that pump an unmistakable rhythm through his veins. 

We’ve linked up with Australian Red Cross Lifeblood to take you on a deep dive into Australian artists with music in their blood, and there’s no better place to start than with LK (her dad is Paul Kelly, and if that doesn’t suggest she was born with music flowing through her veins, we don’t know what does.)

Summer in Sydney is looking the goods. After a successful traffic-stopping inaugural festival in January of this year, it's just been announced ELEVATE Sydney will be returning next month to celebrate summer and the new year. 

A successful New Year’s Eve party—the kind people talk about for years to come—always has a few key ingredients; a rad crew of people, an endless grazing platter (preferably one that’s ‘gram-worthy), free-flowing booze and one seriously cracking playlist. While we can’t help with most of those things, we can ensure your party’s vibe remains high with our edit of the very best music out there.

Surprise, Christmas is not limited to just Mariah Carey.

From dinner parties to road trips, go ahead and bless your ears with the best Spotify playlists. 

From curated lists of the very best cinematic music moments to coveted playlists emulating every major hip artist you need to know about right now, this line-up is a sure-fit for any kind of gathering.

With a program loaded with free and ticketed events to appeal to folks young and old, art-savvy culture vultures and first-timers alike will find something here to light up their life. There are local, national and international artists involved, and the cosy Base Camp, Illuminate’s winter village, where you can eat, drink, chill and skate to your heart’s content. While the bustling line-up promises to intrigue and dazzle, we’ve picked a few shining stars out of the bunch to get you pumped. 

Nestled in the beating heart of Surfers Paradise, we’ve found the perfect place for the ultimate fun day out. Think: epic games, live sport and a total foodie nirvana. So where can you find this awesome spot? Perched on the corner of Surfers Paradise Boulevard and Cavill Mall, boasting a 100-metre frontage opposite the world-famous Surfers Paradise Beach, is Paradise Centre. Home to over 90 stores, an alfresco dining precinct and a buzzing entertainment hub, gather your crew and make tracks here stat.

While we don’t like to play favourites here at Urban List, we can’t deny that when it ones to One Direction, Harry Styles has always been our number one! 

The award-winning musical has captivated Australian audiences but now the production will be drawing the curtains closed on Sunday, 27 February 2022—which means there's still plenty of time to nab your tickets. 

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In 2017, Kiama four-piece indie rock band Pacific Avenue was born, but their history goes way back.

We caught up with CIVIC and spoke to Jim over a couple of Sailor Jerry bevs about good vegan dinners, getting tattooed by Eddy Current Suppression Ring’s Danny Young, and how they’re planning to go ‘all in’ and finally celebrate their album release.

At just 23 years of age, Naarm singer and artist Kaiit (she/they/he) is one of the most exciting talents to grace the Australian music scene and bless our ears with her sweet and honeyed vocals. 

It’s the news that our locked down souls needed—the world’s biggest Hip Hop artist Snoop Dogg is returning to Australian shores for his most epic tour down under yet!

We couldn't be luckier here in Perth to be home to some incredible talent—especially when it comes to music. 

Isol-Aid Homegrown is a collaboration providing creative and financial support to emerging acts across Australia and New Zealand.

It’s her first tour since 2017.

We caught up with Amy Shark ahead of her national tour (which kicks off Friday 11 June in Newcastle) to talk about her new album, hitting the road again and the song that makes her feel the most vulnerable. 

Starting out as DJs and fast becoming favourites on the festival circuit, opening for the likes of Marshmello and RL Grime, sisters Briony and Savannah Osei of Kinder have been on a wild ride of creativity the past few years. 

Amazing news: The Festival Of The Stone is back in Byron Bay on 5 June 2021 and heads up, tickets will sell out real quick.

When it comes to homegrown talent, we are seriously blessed here in Australia—that busker down the street could be the next world-wide sensation (Tones And I we’re looking at you). Which is why we’re always pumped to chat to talented musicians at the beginning of their journey and they don’t get much more exciting than Budjerah.

We caught up with Tash Sultana to discuss being at peace both professionally and personally, creativity during lockdown and the hope of playing for full capacity crowds again.

We sit down with Australian singer-songwriter Thandi Phoenix to uncover what makes a luxe long lunch.

We sit down with Touch Sensitive to chat about the perfect movie night set-up.

We bloody love music festivals. With a cracking line up of epic musicians and mates by your side on the d-floor—it’s good vibes personified. But thanks to COVID so many of our favourites were either cancelled entirely in 2020 or postponed—yep, that’s what we call the total opposite of good vibes. 

It seems like everyone wants a little bit of G Flip in their lives right now. The Melbourne-based singer dropped a sweet collab with Illy in late 2020, performed at the Australian Open just last week and on 6 March, they’ll be taking centre stage on the TikTok float at the Mardi Gras parade blessing our ears once again with another sweet live gig. 

It’s true, our love for hip hop runs deep. We’re big fans of the genre’s boundary-breaking, rebellious attitude (perhaps a love that’s been magnified after living through the insanity that was 2020) and it’s the leading part in the revival of '90s streetwear fashion. 

It's going to be a big year for music.

For the swooners, the crooners and antics under the doonas.

We’re a sucker for a good playlist, allowing our favourite Netflix series to live on, way after the credits roll.

We caught up with one of our favourite musos, Tkay Maidza, to scope out the seven must-have items she’s popping in her suitcase and honestly, we’re making a shopping list and copying the lot. 

This is not a drill! Despite blessing our ears back in July—AKA the epicentre of lockdown life—with her surprise album Folklore, Taylor Swift has gone and done us all a solid, gifting us yet another EP. And yes, she’s here to save 2020, one dreamy track at a time.

It’s been a hell of a long and brutal year, and we could all use some good vibes and a boogie. But while it doesn’t look like we’ll be heading to Falls Festival or Splendour in the Grass anytime soon, that doesn’t mean you can’t throw on a flower crown and dance like you’re deep in the sweaty throngs of a mosh pit, all from the comfort of your own home.

If you’re after a sweet beat to get those summer vibes flowing then you need to pour yourself a margarita and bliss out to GRAACE’s latest bop You Do You. Australia’s queen of dancefloor pop is at it again, slinging us a brand new tune that is set to become a permanent feature on our holiday playlists. But perhaps our favourite thing about GRAACE’s new hit? The nostalgia-inducing music video that sees the singer showing off her skills at a Sydney skate park with her mate Winnie Blues. 

Welcome to Culture Curve—your go-to guide to what’s on the rise and slide in culture in December 2020.

 Just like Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, Six60 are sharing their story on the big screen. Till The Lights Go Out hits cinemas 26 November and trust me when I say the boys don’t hold anything back. From each member's origin story to internal struggles within the group, they give fans a true insight into their lives. 

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, then you’ll know that Hamilton fever is at an all-time high right now and we’re not mad about it.

 Entries close Sunday!

We have big love for Illy. The uber-talented writer and rapper is always down for a good yarn and this time he’s coming to us direct from quarantine in Darwin. With just a few days' notice he packed his bags, said see ya later to Melbourne and headed to NT so he could take to the stage at the upcoming Outbound Festival.

With grim lockdown and border restriction news dropping on the daily, sometimes you just need to turn the telly off and plug into a good playlist. It’s amazing what a solid dance sesh around your lounge room can do for your soul, which is why our mates Boo Seeka decided to create a collection of absolute bangers for Urban List readers to take your day from a two to a 10.

Filmed around the world in the US, the UK, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana and Belgium—and featuring the likes of Naomi Campbell, Lupita Nyong’o and Pharrell Williams—this album is Beyoncé’s biggest triumph yet.

We’ve made no secret about the fact that we’re obsessed with Miiesha and her incredible sound. A proud Pitjantjatjara woman, Miiesha is without a doubt one of the most important voices to come out of 2020, recently taking home the gong for Best New Talent at the National Indigenous Music Awards. So, when you combine her unique tone with a surprise concert in Queensland’s dreamy Capricorn Caves, the result is pure magic.

This month, we're adding bedroom pop to our playlists, a genre spawned from artists getting creative in iso. We investigate a new wave of augmented reality e-commerce that's adding a little creativity to practicality, and we take a deep dive on the mega-force of gaming—no longer just a channel for entertainment and escapism, but the final curtain of pop culture. 

While the release of her last album, Lover, involved an international Easter egg hunt, in true 2020-style Swift has delivered the news of her surprise eighth studio album in the form of a mic drop. Simply posting a black and white pic of herself on Instagram, Swift informed her legion of adoring fans (ok we’re kinda one of them) that her new album Folklore, will be dropping in the US at midnight tonight—which fortunately is 2pm AEST for Australian and 4pm for NZ. 

COVID-19 might have stolen music festivals from us this year, but praise the music gods because Splendour In The Grass has just dropped tickets for its 2021 reboot and the line-up is positively banging! 

This week, we caught up with Aussie singer GRAACE, ahead of her live performance on The Living Room Concert Series, which airs this Sunday June 21, to find out where she’s dreaming of heading after lockdown. And while you’re at it, chuck on her latest single Hard To Say feat. I.E in the background to really get the good vibes going.

We’ve been utterly obsessed with Miiesha since she burst onto the Aussie music scene mid last year. Her sound? A smooth, honey-like tone with echoes of Solange and FKA Twigs that’s quickly cementing itself as one of the biggest voices of 2020. 

We all knew it was coming and now it's official—Splendour In The Grass has been cancelled for 2020.

In celebration of Reconciliation Week, triple j Unearthed’s daily TOPS program has launched a week-long Indigenous Takeover, and we’re seriously stoked. Kicking off at 5:30pm weekdays from today, the TOPS Indigenous Takeover will celebrate the country’s most exciting new Indigenous Australian artists whose songs were uploaded to triple j Unearthed in 2020. Read: solid gold. 

We’ve pretty much come to terms with the sad fact that festivals just aren’t going to be a thing in 2020, but that isn’t stopping some of the country’s biggest promoters planning ahead. The legends at Falls Festival have just announced that they’re working towards a limited edition, All Australian Falls Festival line-up to bring in the New Year and start 2021 the right way.

Record Store Day 2020 may be postponed until 20 June, but you can fill that void this weekend with The Great Australian Warehouse Sale. The good folk over at AMRA knew we couldn’t wait until June to get our hands on some smashing new records, so they cooked up a way to keep us going until crate-digging is back on the cards. 

Couch-ella at your service.

Looking for new music? Tune in to just two rising stars in the spotlight of Interscope’s next generation of sound. 

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’d know that the short-form video app, Tik Tok has well and truly taken over the world. 

Over the last month or so, we’ve seen festivals and gigs cancelled Australia-wide, with no real indication of when it will be safe for musicians to get back out on the road again and thus make a living. So, it’s time to get creative with your support in these turbulent times.

With some pretty terrifying news bulletins hitting us thick and fast, the devastating effect of COVID-19 can render us all a little helpless. But there’s something we really want you to know, whether you’re practising physical distancing or are in self isolation, there’s actually so much you can do to help people and industries in need. 

It’s not all doom and gloom thanks to the guys behind Isol-Aid Music Festival.

If you’re one of the many people who have started working from home, then welcome to our rad crew. By now there’s a chance the novelty of wearing pyjamas all day long is starting to wear off, but because we’re experts when it comes to nailing the WFH life, we’re here to help. 

"It feels like you’re on Mars when you’re there, it just felt like the place that captured the band and what we do and our music."

He’s been called North London’s answer to Frank Ocean—and while the raw emotion, the soul and the otherworldliness are all of a similar flame, there’s something gritty and new in Col3trane’s art. We caught up with Cole Basta during his quick trip to Sydney to talk inspiration, collabs, touring and recording.

Hands up if your Mardi Gras FOMO is as real as ours? Well don’t let the Insta-envy drag you down. The party may be over in Sydney, but don’t put the glitter and fishnets away just yet because there’s another festival that’s waiting for you to kick up your highest stilettos and paint Central Australia all colours of the rainbow.

Forget about cherry-picking your gigs this month, because Melbourne’s hottest new festival—Can’t Do Tomorrow—is serving up fiery musical acts left and right. Not only is Can’t Do Tomorrow going all out in the street art scene, but the music lineup is not something to be scoffed at. With the likes of Melbourne legends TEYMORI and MzRizk, Triple j favourite Cool Out Sun, Australian dance music powerhouse DJ JNETT and more, Can’t To Tomorrow is about to become your ultimate February gig haven. And because we’ve always got your back, if you use the promo code URBANCDT when you book, you get $10 off your ticket cost.

We’re just a little bit obsessed with Aussie songbird Jack River. The ARIA-nominated artist has been tearing up the charts since dropping her debut LP Sugar Mountain in May 2019. The track premiered on triple j Breakfast before quickly becoming the number one most played song and we have been digging her tunes ever since.

We’ve got some seriously epic news for your Monday. Following legendary performances at Coachella, Glastonbury, Primavera, and Splendour in the Grass, homegrown hero Tame Impala is headed back to our sandy shores for their biggest ever Australian and New Zealand tour. 

When we listen to the mixtape of the 2010s, what does it actually sound like?

Fact: the noughties served up some of the best damn music of all time. Don’t fight us on it. 

The shadowy mouse empire is moving, and it’s coming for your bank account.

Fire up, guys. The FOMO 2020 is around the corner, and freaking Lizzo is headlining. There’s no denying it, 2019 was Lizzo’s year. The flute-playing queen has been ripping up the charts (if you haven’t belted out Truth Hurts in the shower you’re lying!) and now you’ve got the chance to witness her magic live.

​We’re long-time fans of Aussie hip hop legend Illy so we’ve been chomping at the bit to hear his new beats. Turns out, the wait was worth with it with singles Then What and newbie Lean On Me tearing up the charts and showing how much the artist has grown in his approach to music. While we’re hanging for his next album (hint: it’s looking like March) and tour, we’re stoked Illy’s hitting the festival circuit hard this summer, bringing his good vibes to regional Australia.

​If there’s one thing we can’t get enough of right now, it’s all things horoscope related. We’re more than happy to live our lives according to our zodiac—but maybe that’s just the Gemini in us. Either way when Spotify announced they were releasing Cosmic Playlists today we lost our collective minds.

​Songwriting genius Julia Michaels started young—like most prodigies. She composed her own tracks at the age of 12. By 14, she was co-writing theme tunes for Disney. She cracked LA at 19, penning hits for Demi Lovato and Fifth Harmony. Collaborations with Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Shawn Mendes and Britney Spears soon tumbled one after the other. 

Who revolutionised the charts for EDM DJs, genre-bending music and women?

If you’re still mourning the series finale of Game of Thrones (guilty), dry your eyes because you’ll soon have the chance to relive all the heart-breaking and blood-thirsty action in person. After touring around Europe and America for the past two years, The Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience is finally headed to our shores and trust us when we say this is one hardcore fans won’t want to miss.

After a health-related hiatus, Aussie pop-folk legends, Boy & Bear are back with new music and a national tour, and we couldn’t be happier.

If you ask us, Post Malone can do no wrong, except when he makes us wait for his new album to drop. Well praise the hip hop lords because the Sunflower singer has revealed he’s officially completed work on his latest album.

Travis Scott, the rapper on everyone’s playlists right now, has just confirmed he’s headed down under for one show only—and it’s going to be an absolute banger. 

It’s been three long years since Kid Cudi graced our playlists with a fresh album and thankfully the wait is now over… sort of. The Grammy-winning artist just announced Entergalatic, his first solo album since 2016’s Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’, is in the pipeline but even better, it will soundtrack a new adult animated series coming to Netflix.

Hans Zimmer, musical genius and composer of almost every epic movie score in existence, will be touring the East Coast of Australia this spring.

As part of Urban List Music Month we're bringing light on the artists that are shaping the music industry from the ground up.

This Barcelona festival is making headlines for its 50/50 talent split including Tame Impala, Miley Cyrus, Charli XCX, Future and Nas.

If you were devastated when news broke out last year about Childish Gambino cancelling his Australian tour, hang tight, because we’re about to serve you a generous slice of good news pie.

It’s almost been a whopping four years since her last album, but we’ve finally gotten word that Grimes is coming out with a new LP, so drop everything you’re doing and listen up. A few weeks ago, Grimes took to social media to unveil details about her forthcoming LP titled Miss_Anthropocene, a concept album about the anthropomorphic goddess of climate change.

His close team of songwriters and musicians have worked to finalise the late DJ’s unfinished album.

This is the moving story behind Beychella.

Bring on April 13.

Cancel Culture is undoubdtedly one of the most powerful digital movements today affecting the music world.

We couldn’t kick off the first week of music month at Urban List without chatting to pop music’s most coveted duo right now. In their first project together, Troye Sivan and Lauv’s I’m So Tired cracked top 10 in the UK—a first for both performers—reached the top 20 on the Billboard charts, has been streamed nearly two million times on Spotify and performed everywhere from Jimmy Kimmel Live to The Late Late Show with James Cordon.

Plus Chance The Rapper, Tame Impala, SZA, Hayden James, Matt Corby and Ziggy Alberts.

An ode to all things friendship, freedom and protecting your own energy.

Tkay Maidza is the ambitious Australian rapper taking up space on everyone’s playlist right now. We caught up with her during recording sessions in Melbourne to dive into her wardrobe and talk creative inspirations, self-discovery, fashion as expression and never (ever) blending in.

Debuted at sacai’s Fall/Winter 2019 runway show in Paris, we now have a release date for the Japanese brands collaboration with Beats by Dre. 

She’s the eclectic pop slash hip-hop sound in everyone’s ears right now and considering she’s just 20, that’s a pretty huge feat.

Cliff top oasis and Bali beach club Ulu Ciffhouse has been redefining beachside nightlife since it opened its doors in 2017. With direct access to the beautiful beaches of Uluwatu, this beach club boasts a 25-metre infinity pool, resort, music recording studio, art space, world class food and drinks, and an oceanside deck that hangs above the waves.

The EDM duo remember their years DJ-ing at Kit & Kaboodle and now they’ve dropped their first album, there’s no turning back.

Females dominated the Album Of The Year nominations and the award ceremony made firsts in the world of hip hop. 

Behold, the rise and rise of Billie Eilish.

And what to expect when you hit play? Think glitchy transitions, hip hop vibes, over-sized jackets, all the bisexual lighting and chunky sneakers. In other words, it’s a sure-fire mirror of everything cool right now.

PNAU are essentially Australian royalty. The guys have been banging out hits since their first album release in 1999. In 2007 they released their fifth studio album, Changa, and it produced some absolute tracks.

The South African-born, Australian-raised DJ has been hitting the decks at festivals like Your Paradise and Coachella.

It was... awesome.

Got an entertainment buff you need to please? From retro arcade games to stylish sound systems, we’ve got something that will have them cancelling all their plans for 2019.

Over the weekend musician slash actor slash creative genius Childish Gambino graced the southern hemisphere with his presence, bringing his highly anticipated PHAROS experience to New Zealand.

2018, we'll let you finish, but Cardi B had one of the greatest albums of all time.

In the middle of Mojo’s national tour, we sat down with her to talk about her latest album aptly named, Native Tongue. What we weren’t prepared for was her searing honesty, her ability to be relentlessly real and how refreshing the truth can be. 

The trio has just dropped a new LP and is set to tour Australia in 2019.

It’s 10 glorious lazy Sunday tunes and we’re already fans.

With music inspired by Willy-Wonka

Worth the damn wait.

Fluorescent Adolescent is the tune of our teenage years. Period.

The UK group are gearing up to launch their new album 'Toast To Our Differences' early next year.

And we feel just like a rockstar.

And it's set to be pure sonic magic.