Mark Savage

Haha! What podcasts do your cats like?

15-year-old bemoaning the influx of Spotify Wrapped, Apple Music Replay, YouTube Recap, Steam Replay, etc.

“It’s not helpful. It’s just like, ‘Here’s a guide to your fucking addictions’.”

Eurovision: Which countries are boycotting the song contest and can it survive? The biggest crisis in the Eurovision Song Contest's history raises major questions about its future.

A deep dive into the Eurovision divisions, written with incision, but not for television. (I am very tired).

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

There is a radio edit of Lux, would you believe? I'll blank you 'til you love me, etc.

I mean, it’s Radio 1, whose charter includes a commitment to promote UK artists.

But yeah, I’d have loved to see Bad Bunny, Karol G, Rosalia, a bit of K-Pop that isn’t about hunting demons…

Also Tems, Tyla, Rema and more Afrobeats acts with four letter names.

Chappell, Taylor, Kendrick? Radio 1 counts down the biggest songs of 2025 - live updates Join Matt Edmondson and Mollie King as the station’s DJs pick their favourite songs of the year from 13:00 GMT.

BBC Radio 1 is counting down its Top 100 songs of the year. Tune in, and follow all the action on our all-singing, mostly-dancing live page.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c9...

Wolf Alice strike a pose at the O2.

Stunning show. Expertly paced and full of heart. Couldn’t love this band more.

I’m in. I hope we have good merch.

(Depressingly, I am exactly 3x 17 years old).

Screenshot of Spotify Wrapped, saying the user’s listening age is 17.

I only use Spotify to screen new releases from PR emails. This apparently makes me too young to buy fireworks or watch The Exorcist.

if you were lying about liking big butts Baby Got Back is the exact song you'd write

Spotify Wrapped is out: Bad Bunny is the world's top artist, who's yours? The app reveals its top artists of the year, as users find out who they've been playing most often.

Always fascinated by Spotify Wrapped. Bad Bunny is the world's most-streamed artist, but doesn't even scrape into the UK's Top 10.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

BBC Sound of 2026 shortlist: 10 acts you'll be obsessed with next year The list tips new music for the coming year, following previous winners like Adele, Haim and Chappell Roan.

It’s that time of year again… here are the nominees for the BBC’s Sound of 2026.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Highly recommend setting Siri to one of its Irish voice options.

The phrase, "Sorry, I can't help you with that", stops being infuriating and becomes mildly reassuring. Who can help anyone with anything, really, in this crazy mixed up world? Might as well have a pint of Guinness.

The Interview - Brandi Carlile, singer-songwriter: I believe in the separation of church and state - BBC Sounds Mark Savage speaks to US singer-songwriter and LGBTQ icon Brandi Carlile

I was on holiday last week, so I didn't realise my interview with Brandi Carlile had gone out on the BBC World Service. Here's a link!

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff dies, aged 81 The musician was known for hits like You Can Get It If You Really Want and I Can See Clearly Now.

A light that shines this brightly never truly goes out. RIP Jimmy Cliff.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

How can you tell if music is AI-generated? As AI-generated music floods streaming platforms, questions bubble over whether listeners are owed more transparency.

How can you tell whether music is generated by AI? It’s increasingly easy to be fooled, but there are some tell-tale signs.

Worked on this piece with my excellent colleague Jemma Crew. Interested if anyone has other tips.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

A very Radiohead Friday…

Bad Bunny wins five Latin Grammys ahead of Super Bowl The Puerto Rican star wins album of the year, as Karol G and Gloria Estefan also celebrate big wins.

Big night for Bad Bunny at the Latin Grammys - but also for the excellent Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso, who should be on everyone's end-of-year playlist
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

[Scene is a kitchen - a middle aged woman called JANET is boiling peas at the stove. A younger more colourfully dressed woman named LIZ approached her.] JANET: Ugh... LIZ: What's up? JANET: I am so bored of cooking peas! LIZ: Have you tried... AI peas? JANET: AI peas? LIZ: They're peas with AI! [Liz holds up to us a packet of peas labelled: Pea-i AI - Peas with AI]. LIZ: Al-powered peas harness the potential of your peas JANET: What LIZ [Now a voiceover as we cut to a whizzy technology diagram of peas all connected by meaningless dotted lines] Why not take your peas to the next level with Al Peas' new Al tools to power your peas? [Show a techno diagram of a pea with a label reading 'AI' pointing to a random zone in it] LIZ: Each pea has Al in a way we haven't quite worked out yet but it's fine [Show Janet and Liz now in a Matrix-style world of peas] LIZ: With Al peas you can supercharge productivity and make AI work for your peas! JANET: What LIZ: Shut up LIZ: Our game-changing Pea-Al gives you the freedom to unlock the potential of the power of the future of your peas workflow From opening the bag of peas to boiling the peas to eating the peas To spending millions on adding Al to the peas and then having to work out what that even means. JANET: Is it really necessary to- LIZ [Grabbing Janet by the collar]: THE PEAS HAVE GOT AI, JANET [Cut to an advert ending screen, with the bag of peas and the slogan: AI PEAS: Just 'Peas' for god's sake buy the AI peas. [Ends]

Every ad now

YouTube video by Robyn Robyn - Dopamine (Official Music Video)

New music from Robyn!
New music from Robyn!
Robyn, new music from!
From new music, Robyn!
New Robyn music from!
Music.
Robyn.
New.
💥
youtu.be/vitil9qMN6A?...

The Interview - Celebrities: 16. KATSEYE: K-Pop Breaking Borders Global girl group KATSEYE on their K-Pop training, rise to fame and how they handle online hate.

PS The iPlayer special is here: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

I spoke to Grammy-nominated girl band Katseye about the scrutiny and criticism they receive on social media.

Full interview on BBC iPlayer and BBC News today. #katseye

It’s tough for the producers, though. If you’re stuck in an edit, and the programme is running over time, it’s simplest to cut references to a band who couldn’t take part. It doesn’t mean anyone’s happy with the decision.

I do find it strange they’re not mentioned, even if they wouldn’t agree to an interview.

Girlbands Forever: Girls Aloud and Mis-Teeq on the 'chaos' of being in a girl group Girls Aloud, Sugababes, Atomic Kitten and Mis-Teeq reveal what life was like at the height of their fame.

The BBC's Girlbands Forever documentary is an eye-opening must-watch piece of television.

I had a chat to some of the participants - and dug out some easter eggs from my recent interviews with Girls Aloud & Sugababes.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I presume they're not in the doc because they weren't available / didn't want to talk. It's still very hard for them to discuss the band without getting emotional about Sarah.

The quotes in my article are from a 2023 interview (although they didn't get used at the time).

"Radical y fascinante": ¿es "Lux", de Rosalía, el mejor álbum del año? - BBC News Mundo En una movida audaz, la cantante catalana nacida en Barcelona grabó un álbum sinfónico en 14 idiomas que estudió mientras lo grababa.

If you read my review of the Rosalia album and thought “what would that look like in Spanish”, here’s the link you were looking for. (Niche post)

www.bbc.com/mundo/articl...