Gorillaz review – after 25 years, Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett’s cartoon band are still riveting and relevant

Dressed like a vicar, Albarn leads his band – joined by a choir, a string quartet, De La Soul and more – in renewing Demon Days’ downbeat drama

Parcels on working with Daft Punk and their euphoric electropop: ‘The ultimate goal is to cry on the dancefloor’

After forming at high school in Byron Bay, the Australian band’s nostalgic, disco-funk sound has been streamed more than 1bn times

AG Cook review – the hyperpop auteur delivers a thrilling Brooklyn show

Brooklyn Paramount, New YorkThe super-producer, whose big name collaborators include Charli xcx and Beyoncé, goes maximalist for a euphoric, high-energy Friday-night triumph

My cultural awakening: an Asian Dub Foundation song gave me the courage to take a stand against racism

The group’s campaigning single Free Satpal Ram, about a south Asian man jailed for murder after an alleged racist attack, led me to become an activist – with their lead singer as my mentor

‘Jeff Buckley was a once-in-a-lifetime’: Australia’s 30-year love affair with an enduring, tragic talent

The 30th anniversary of the US singer’s first tour of Australia – which loved his ethereal sound, unlike the US – coincides with a revival of interest in his life and death at just 30

Addison Rae review – pop’s newest A-lister has the stagecraft of a veteran

Once a viral TikTok dancer, Rae has only performed live a handful of times, but is remarkably assured as her voice glides across pounding club-ready beats

Sabrina Carpenter: Man’s Best Friend review – smut and stunning craft from pop’s best in show

​The controversy-courting star is in perfect alignment with producer Jack Antonoff, on detailed and utterly delightful tracks that make her previous hit album seem rudimentary in comparison

Post your questions for Girls Aloud’s Nicola Roberts

After a stellar girl group career the singer is heading to London’s West End with the musical Hadestown, and will answer your questions

Neil Young confronts Donald Trump in new song Big Crime: ‘Don’t want soldiers on the streets’

Veteran rocker characterises US administration as fascistic in song recorded at Chicago sound check

Cmat: Euro-Country review – deeply relatable, gloriously catchy Celtic pop from a true one-off

Who else could combine soul, yodelling, Jamie Oliver and Calpol into such charming songs about the messy modern psyche? Only Europe’s best new breakout star

Nova Twins: Parasites & Butterflies review – fearless rock duo balance anthems and introspection

Trailblazers Amy Love and Georgia South push the boundaries of their trademark hybrid rock sound while confronting mental health and naysayers

Blood Orange: Essex Honey review – an exquisitely eclectic portrait of grief

Gorgeous melodies ground Dev Hynes’s questing fifth album, via dancefloor rhythms, indie pop and languorous funk – and cameos from Lorde and Zadie Smith

Taylor Swift’s romantic travails were the soundtrack to mine. What does her engagement mean for fans’ love lives?

The singer’s breakups were anthems for emotionally bruised youth. Now she’s happy, I look forward to hearing yet more poundingly relatable lyrics – based on real, lasting love

Thursday briefing: How Taylor Swift, the ​ultimate pop ​star, ​turned ​her story into our own

In today’s newsletter: ​Her songs have soundtracked first loves, heartbreaks and coming-of-age moments for millions,​ and fostered a rare kind of intimacy between artist and audience

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce announce engagement on social media

‘Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,’ the couple wrote on Instagram