Executive Overview The decade spanning from 2016 to 2025 will be remembered as one of the most volatile, fertile, and transformative eras in modern recorded music. Opening with a profound institutional shock—the passing of David Bowie just days after the release of his parting masterpiece, Blackstar—the period immediately set a tone of reflection, reinvention, and … Read more
Executive Overview The modern musical landscape is defined by a paradox: the hyper-acceleration of digital distribution operating in direct, fierce competition with a thriving renaissance of physical media. As independent music institution Rough Trade marks its milestone 50th anniversary, the decade spanning 2016 to 2025 stands out as one of the most turbulent, experimental, and … Read more
Executive Overview In a landmark decision that will reverberate across the exhibition sector and the wider music publishing landscape, the UK Copyright Tribunal has ruled in favor of the Performing Right Society (PRS) in a protracted and contentious dispute regarding the royalties paid by cinemas for the use of music in films. The ruling brings … Read more
Executive Overview The past decade in independent music has been defined by a rare duality: the heartbreaking departure of foundational legends and the explosive, boundary-blurring ascent of a radical new generation. Marking its milestone 50th anniversary, iconic independent record retailer and tastemaker Rough Trade has chronicled this seismic shift through its comprehensive "50 Records for … Read more
Executive Overview The modern musical landscape is defined by a paradox: physical music thrives alongside instantaneous digital access, while rigid boundaries between pop, electronic music, rap, and the avant-garde continue to dissolve. To trace the arc of this evolution over the past decade is to chart a period of profound cultural transition, marked by heartbreaking … Read more
Executive Overview Pop royalty Janet Jackson set the global music community ablaze during her high-octane performance at the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix 2026. While delivering a masterclass in live performance—running through a meticulously curated, career-spanning setlist of her most iconic chart-toppers—the legendary artist dropped a brief yet profoundly cryptic audio-visual interlude. This unexpected moment … Read more
Executive Overview Pop royalty Janet Jackson electrified the global music community during her high-octane performance at the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix. While her career-spanning setlist delivered the expected heavy dose of nostalgia and chart-topping classics, it was a brief, enigmatic spoken-word interlude that sent shockwaves through the fandom. Addressing the massive Marina Bay Street … Read more
Executive Overview The modern musical landscape is defined by constant reinvention, yet few cultural institutions have monitored, shaped, and championed this evolution quite like Rough Trade. As the iconic independent record store and label marks its monumental 50th-anniversary milestone, a retrospective look back at the decade spanning 2016 to 2025 reveals a period of breathtaking … Read more
Executive Overview In the sprawling, high-energy metropolis of Lagos—a city that pulses with an unyielding rhythm of ambition, struggle, and survival—a musical revolution is quietly, and sometimes loudly, reclaiming its roots. At the forefront of this movement is Lagos Thugs, a twelve-piece powerhouse ensemble that merges the hypnotic, politically charged instrumentation of 1970s Afrobeat with … Read more
Executive Overview The modern era of independent music began with a profound and startling juxtaposition: a poignant farewell followed instantly by an unbridled explosion of grassroots experimentation. Released on his 69th birthday in January 2016, David Bowie’s 26th studio album, Blackstar, arrived just two days before his death from cancer. It transformed almost overnight from … Read more
