Drax Project are back from LA, and finalists in next month’s Aotearoa Music Awards for single of the year. Sherry Zhang catches up with the band as they get ready to release their new single ‘Firefly’. In a corner of the lounge at Universal Music’s Auckland offices sits an oversized plaque, made to commemorate a … Read more
Paige Tapara is a fast-rising young singer-songwriter whose debut EP explores themes of sexuality, coming of age, mental health and relationships. We asked her how it came together, and why she thinks it’s so important for NZ music to include voices like hers. Paige swoops into the room, a cream doughnut in one hand and a … Read more
Earmarked for big things since she left high school, the ‘Nothing to Regret’ singer has been dealing with the weight of expectations for a while now. With her debut EP just released, she’s OK with where she’s at. Given the circumstances, Robinson is surprisingly relaxed. It’s early afternoon on a swelteringly hot mid-February day in … Read more
Fifteen years on, Sam Brooks looks at Gwen Stefani’s wet, weird, wild and wonderful debut album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. The first thing we hear on Love. Angel. Music. Baby. – No Doubt frontwoman Gwen Stefani’s first album – is applause and cheering. Then a piano. Then Stefani warbling, sweetly, mournfully, almost like a torch … Read more
Charli XCX has just released her latest album, Charli. The futuristic musician is always looking ahead, and so are her fans. We’ve paired each star sign with their perfect Charli XCX song. Charli XCX burst onto the scene in 2012, when she co-wrote and performed electro-pop headbanger ‘I Love It’ with Swedish duo Icona Pop. … Read more
He’s the artist who launched a million memes and over a billion streams. Sam Brooks picks out Bazzi’s best moments so far, from his career-making breakthrough to his mature new mixtape Soulsearching. 1. ‘Mine’ “You’re so precious when you smile.” It’s the line – including an extra word that we can’t print here – which … Read more
A popstar reclaims her hype, an indie-darling goes pop, and a trio of locals make good on their early promise. These are the songs of the month – five international, five local – as picked by The Spinoff’s culture editor Sam Brooks. International ‘Don’t Feel Like Crying’ by Sigrid For a while it seemed like … Read more
If you expected one pop singer to have five sold-out shows at Spark Arena in 2018, would you expect them to be P!nk? Sam Brooks says why you absolutely should, you fool. Note: This isn’t about P!nk’s superhuman arms. If you want to know how to get swole like P!nk, I am of zero use … Read more
In honour of Madonna’s 60th birthday on 17 August, 2018, Sam Brooks rounded up the 60 best Madonna songs to celebrate this with her. Madonna follows forty-nine people on Twitter. I’m one of them. This is not a brag, but a fact. I have no idea why she follows me. I think it might be … Read more
Against all odds, the self-titled Shawn Mendes album is not only worth a listen, it’s bloody great. Sam Brooks reviews. To many, the success of Shawn Mendes can seem bizarre. He has a huge fanbase amongst teenage girls because he looks and sounds like he’d only ever say nice things to and about you. He has … Read more
Henry Oliver talks to E^ST, a young Australian pop artist whose two recent singles are turning heads around the world. Last week, up and coming Australian pop singer-songwriter E^ST (pronounced ‘East’) released her new single ‘Blowjob’, a confrontational look at the loneliness and emptiness that can result in the mismatched expectations of hook-ups. “I really … Read more
She’s written some of your favourite songs – and you don’t even know it. Sam Brooks talks to one of the biggest songwriters of the decade who’s about to become one of the biggest popstars in the world. “I wrote it in the midst of my last break up, it’s a song about whether you’re … Read more
Chainsmokers superfan Kate Robertson has campaigned for the bros to come to New Zealand for years. In celebration of today’s news of an Auckland show, she shares her top 10 bangers. Everyone has an opinion on the Chainsmokers. At the height of their Top 40 reign we couldn’t get our hot takes out fast enough, … Read more
Sam Brooks relives his pre-teen years at a live grab-bag of reunited late-’90s/early-aughts pop. On Saturday night, Auckland was full of people raring to see a band that had nurtured them through the rough times, to cheer musicians who were long past their prime but didn’t care, to hear songs they loved performed live for … Read more
Elle Hunt leaks her Facebook chat with Joseph Moore and Ciaran O’Regan about the Chainsmokers, the world’s favourite pop bros, and ‘Closer’, their globe-smashing hit. ELLE: Even if you don’t know the Chainsmokers by name, or their previous work (mostly: a song called ‘Selfie’, about selfies), you will have heard ‘Closer’. I dislike it with … Read more