‘It’s a nice surprise to be treated like kings!’ Why are mid-level British indie bands massive in China?

My group, Swim Deep, plays to crowds of hundreds across the UK – but in China, we play to tens of thousands. And we’re not the only ones

‘I love you twenty-sixty times’: how lyrics written by a three-year-old became tear-inducing viral hits

When Stephen Spencer began setting his daughter’s surreal stories to music, he had 36 followers. Now his banging pop miniatures have been streamed nearly 30m times – and are making parents cry

‘Stabbed in the Face soundtracked an incredibly joyous time’: the weirdest songs we find romantic

Declarations of undying affection, comparisons to a summer’s day? Who needs ‘em! Our writers recall the offbeat songs that capture their hearts

Bad Bunny gets first solo UK Top 10 hits thanks to Super Bowl boost

The Puerto Rican star’s album Debí Tirar Más Fotos jumps to No 2, while the song DTMF rises to No 4

Charli xcx: Wuthering Heights review – atonal, amorous anthems that more than stand apart from the film

Casting off her Bratty cigarettes and sunglasses, the pop visionary channels the torments of Heathcliff and Cathy and the tumult of the Velvet Underground on her latest captivating pivot

‘I didn’t know who I was’: Tom Misch on burnout, becoming a barista and returning to music

His debut LP brought success, but fame messed with his mental health. After stepping away for three years to surf, travel, and work as a barista, the Londoner is back – and has fixed his relationship with music

Add to playlist: the genre-busting, buttery falsetto of Natanya and the week’s best new tracks

The Londoner defies classification, writing, producing and arranging her unique mix of neo-soul, R&B, indie and grunge – and gathering some big-name backers along the way

Converge: Love Is Not Enough review – metalcore veterans’ rage remains fresh and furious

Even after 35 years, the intricacies and emotional pangs of these masters of technicality remain undimmed, drawing from a seemingly bottomless well of inspiration

From Brontë to Ballard, Orwell to Okri: the best songs inspired by literature – ranked!

As Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights gets a boost from a new film adaptation, we survey the surprising, seditious and sensual ways in which prose has influenced pop

Hemlocke Springs: The Apple Tree Under the Sea review – a DayGlo DIY triumph in an era of risk-averse pop

On her self-released debut, the singer-songwriter championed by Chappell Roan doubles down on the wonky charm that made her go viral on TikTok

It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley review – a sympathetic, urgent look at a life cut tragically short

Amy Berg’s arresting documentary delves into the early life and untimely death of the 90s singer-songwriter, with extensive contributions from his mother and girlfriends

The Beach Boys: We Gotta Groove review – box set of lost 70s music has all of Brian Wilson’s turmoil and talent

Spanning 1974-77, this collection shows Wilson was capable of stunning pre-rock’n’roll homage – on the previously unheard Adult/Child – while also writing wayward songs about organic food

​AI slop, begone! The viral musical virtuosos bringing brains and brilliance back to social media

Whether making microtonal pop or playing Renaissance instruments with sheep bones, a crop of bold artists are making genuinely strange music go mainstream – but are they at the mercy of the algorithm?

‘Holy grail’ footage of David Bowie at his peak to feature in immersive London show

Earl’s Court performance of Heroes in 1978 is among highlights of exhibition exploring singer’s life and work

Florence + the Machine review – ​a thrilling shift in tone towards stark, sombre catharsis

Florence Welch is backed by the folk-horror dramatics of a petticoat-clad choir – but quite capable of transfixing the crowd with her billowing voice alone