Jessie Ware: Superbloom review

(EMI)The podcaster’s third sequin-festooned album in a row is her most retro, with its slightly cringe moments balanced by unerring quality control and opulent arrangements

Madonna announces sequel to her 2005 album Confessions on a Dance Floor

Confessions II reunites her with producer Stuart Price and is billed as a study of the dancefloor as ‘a ritualistic space where movement replaces language’

‘She wanted to disappear in silence’: the magical life and mysterious death of married musician duo Irena and Vojtěch Havlovi

Blending minimalism, ambient and folk music in the former Czechoslovakia, the couple made pilgrim-like tours around Europe, beguiling everyone they met. Fans including the National’s Bryce Dessner explain their allure

R&B today is like Brazilian football

After being dropped by his label, the British-Nigerian singer became huge as an independent artist. So why did the Brit awards snub him? Ahead of arena dates, he reflects on his journey so far

Shrooms, alligators and the swamp: how the ‘satanic e-girls of TikTok’ revived psychedelic sludge metallers Acid Bath

The Louisiana band came to a tragically early end in the 90s, but after going viral they’ll soon play stadiums with System of a Down. They look back on the claggy riffs and circle pits

Robbie Williams has more U.K. No. 1 albums than The Beatles

Celebrating 30 years as a solo artist, Robbie Williams speaks with Tania Bryer about overcoming addiction to become the most successful musician in U.K. album chart history. He also shares his ambitions to build businesses beyond music.

Afrika Bambaataa, hip-hop pioneer and founder of Universal Zulu Nation, dies at 68

Afrika Bambaataa, a man widely considered one of the main pioneers of hip-hop, died in Pennsylvania of prostate cancer on Thursday, according to his lawyer. He was 68.

Add to playlist: the beautifully dazed, countrified indie-rock of Tracey Nelson and the week’s best new tracks

Pushing his winsome songwriting into rootsier territory with a little help from co-producer MJ Lenderman, the New Yorker’s debut album is primed to soundtrack your summer

Holly Humberstone: Cruel World review

(Polydor)The British singer-songwriter replaces introspection with euphoric choruses, 80s synths and even happy hardcore on her vivid second LP

'The biggest, baddest, saltiest chick you would ever see': why no one sang the blues like Big Mama Thornton

Gay, fearless and utterly unique, Thornton had a hit with Hound Dog before Elvis – but was then fleeced and forgotten. One hundred years after her birth, a new documentary sets the record straight

Reich: The Sextets Album Review

Colin Currie Group (Colin Currie Records): The fourth Reich album for Currie’s specialist ensemble celebrates the composer’s precise patterns with an enjoyably chilled feel and plenty of dynamic niceties.

Afrika Bambaataa, hip-hop pioneer, dies aged 67

The Bronx born rapper and DJ helped introduce hip-hop to the mainstream and was also accused of child sexual abuse