Thirteen years ago, the Haim sisters landed in the UK for the first time and signed to Polydor amidst a maelstrom of hype. Since then, they’ve achieved two UK No.1 albums, won a BRIT Award, headlined major festivals and joined Taylor Swift on two stadium tours.
Now? The band are back – bigger and better than ever. Their brilliant fourth album, I Quit, is set for release on June 20, and despite what the title might suggest, this is anything but a goodbye. In fact, the LP marks the beginning of a huge new chapter.
In our interview, Danielle Haim describes I Quit as the band's most freeing record yet, while Alana tells Music Week that, if their most recent full-length, 2021’s Women In Music Pt. III, nudged the door ajar for them getting towards how they’ve always wanted to sound, this hard-rocking follow-up sees it “fly wide open”.
But as much as there might have been “crying with laughter” in the studio while I Quit was being made, Haim also have a serious message for the music industry. As they take centre stage as our cover stars this month alongside Polydor Label Group president Ben Mortimer – who signed them to the major – Mike Greek at CAA and producer Rostam Batmanglij, they dive into a no-holds-barred conversation covering freedom, the importance of resilience in the music business and why they never want to hear the words “women in music” again.
Up next, in a very special gallery feature, we celebrate all of the outstanding winners at the Music Week Awards 2025.
We meet Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi and manager Sharon Osbourne ahead of the metal pioneers’ live extravaganza at Villa Park this summer to hear all about what promises to be a historic night. In this huge interview, we also find out whether this truly is the end for the heavy metal legends.
Also in the features section, we commemorate 30 years of K-pop giant SM Entertainment with an interview with co-CEO Daniel Jang, who speaks exclusively to Music Week ahead of this month’s SMTown Live show in London. The executive shares his plans for growth, offers insight into what the UK can learn from the SM talent machine and explains why K-pop is more than a genre.
Finally in the features section, Music Week gathers a host of top executives to explore the boom in new headliners, with Charli XCX, Dua Lipa, Sam Fender, Little Simz and others playing their biggest shows this year.
In the news section, we examine the global picture for UK talent in the wake of Lola Young, SleepToken and Charli XCX’s blockbuster campaigns in Big Story, whilst BPI CEO Jo Twist explains the Mercury Prize’s move to Newcastle for the 2025 ceremony.
In Hitmakers, WizTheMC recalls the Berlin studio session with Bees & Honey that brought his breakout hit Show Me Love to life, and traces his journey from financial struggles in LA, to taking to the stage with Tyla at Coachella.
In The Aftershow, meanwhile, Bella Figura Music’s co-founder Alexi Cory-Smith looks back on a storied career and talks One Direction, Debbie Harry and being inspired by Ferraris.
In Mentor Me, musician, broadcaster, author and chair of the BPI YolanDa Brown shares the values and lessons that have shaped her career, from finding her voice to leading with care, even in business.
We are joined by artist, writer and actor Jehnny Beth as she looks ahead to the release of her new solo album You Heartbreaker, You and discusses independence, the rising costs of touring and why boredom is the enemy, whilst On The Radar stars Parisian singer Léa Sen, as she reminisces on a serendipitous trip to London on the Eurostar, goes deep on mental health and goes behind the scenes on her debut album Levels.
In Spotlight, ATC Group’s chief growth officer Ric Salmon reveals his plans for the post-IPO expansion, and talks supporting artists and the role of labels.
Lastly, in our expanded monthly charts section, we present the Top 75 Singles and Albums of the previous month, accompanied by revamped analysis pages, plus a host of new listings. These include specialist genre Top 20s for Americana, Classical, Hip-Hop & R&B, Jazz, Country, Dance, Folk and Rock & Metal. The issue is also home to streaming, compilations and vinyl charts.
The new issue of Music Week is available from June 10.
For subscription information please visit musicweek.com/subscribe.
