In 2024, Laufey ticked off everything on her bucket list. Rather, she achieved everything she’d ever dreamed of. The Icelandic-Chinese star won a Grammy, played headline shows at the Royal Albert Hall, Hollywood Bowl, Radio City Music Hall, and amassed hundreds of millions of streams along the way.
Now, with her unique fusion of classically-influenced jazz captivating an entire generation, the Gen Z sensation is setting her sights on global domination, and is ready to redefine what it means to be a mainstream crossover star.
As she takes to the spotlight as this month’s Music Week cover star, Laufey sits down for a tell-all interview, as she kicks off her most ambitious campaign yet ahead of her highly-anticipated third album.
Joined by Foundations Management and AWAL, she recounts her incredible journey so far, shares her thoughts on how young audiences could teach the music industry a thing or two about why the rules of genre don’t apply, and reveals her vision for carving a new path through the industry.
Meanwhile, in The Music Week Interview, we meet Solo Agency founder John Giddings ahead of this year’s Isle Of Wight festival. With five decades of experience in the music business, the legendary promoter reminisces on his storied career, and offers candid insights into the realities of touring and what it really takes to succeed in today’s live scene.
Up next, Music Managers Forum’s new chair Niamh Byrne and vice chair Jill Hollywood join CEO Annabella Coldrick in an exclusive interview to set the course for the organisation’s next phase.
Finally in the features section, Music Week meets with Ivors Academy CEO Roberto Neri for a discussion that dives into his fight to protect creators' rights, to explain the latest progress report on the government’s Creator Remuneration Group and to talk diversifying the talent pool at the Academy.
In the news section, we examine the bounceback in UK talent as market figures for Q1 show positive results and label presidents reveal their ambitions for breakthrough acts in Big Story, whilst former Spotify UK and Ireland MD Tom Connaughton joins Canvas Music CEO Richard Lyne to lay out plans to expand the boutique distributor.
For this month’s Hitmakers, acclaimed songwriter Steph Jones recalls the making of Jade’s stunning solo debut Angel Of My Dreams, and reflects on how the star’s radical new sound was shaped by a shared love for Britney Spears and honest conversations about the ups and downs of the being a creative in the industry.
In The Aftershow, David Furnish looks back on a decade of managing his husband Elton John in the wake of his latest record with Brandi Carlile, Who Believes In Angels? Furnish reveals some of his favourite music industry memories, holds court on the threat of AI for emerging artists, and opens up about still getting starstruck by Joni Mitchell.
In this month’s edition of Girls I Rate x Music Week's Mentor Me, the platinum-selling and award-winning Amapiano star and trailblazer Lady Du offers up her tips on how to build a career in music, and the values and lessons that have guided her so far.
Finally in the front section, Incoming sees The Kooks’ Luke Pritchard look ahead to the band’s brand new record, Never/Know, talk embracing new platforms, partnering with Virgin Music Group and working with artists like Cruz Beckham, whilst Sunday (1994) trace their journey so far – from a chance encounter between lead members and transatlantic pair Paige Turner and Lee Newell backstage at a gig in LA years ago, to their debut headline tour across the Atlantic. In Spotlight, IFPI’s Victoria Oakley holds court the latest Global Music Report and the role of record labels in 2025.
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 April 15.
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