Harry Styles, 'sad girl indie' and the big Eurovision reveal

01:35 |

Friday 6 March 2026

Hello everyone!

Today Mr Harry Styles releases his hugely anticipated fourth album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, which I ended up enjoying more than I anticipated (I wasn't a fan of his last album, Harry's House). We'll also have a review of his "intimate" (just 20,000 of his closest friends/fans) show at the Co-Op Live arena in Manchester, courtesy of the brilliant Hannah Ewens, later this evening.

It's also the grand unveiling of the UK's Eurovision 2026 entry from LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER (praying I won't have to all-caps that every time during our coverage this year) – you can read Adam White's take on that later today.

We've also had Louis Chilton's brilliant interview with Snail Mail, who spoke about why she doesn't feel part of the so-called "sad girl indie scene" (in fact, she's not convinced it existed at all), along with struggles with an OCD that was exacerbated when she watched the 2008 film Synecdoche, New York. On Monday, we sent Blue Kirkhope to check out the first night of Lily Allen's West End Girl theatre tour, which she praised for turning the artist's "cataclysmic hurt into something dazzling" – a concert and a stage play rolled into one.

Other bits… A nice thing, the charity Choose Love has partnered with designer Rachel Jackson again for their popular Disco Ball necklace, with 100 per cent of profits going to Choose Love and their worldwide humanitarian efforts. It launches today as a limited-edition release – definitely one for the socially conscious music fan in your life.

Now for the new music: this week I love the Squeeze album, Trixies, which is effortlessly sophisticated in a way so little music is these days. Jesca Hoop sounds gorgeous on "Caravan", from her upcoming album Long Wave Home (out 1 May), as does Aldous Harding on "One Stop", while Joshua Idehen is astounding on his latest album I Know You're Hurting, Everyone Is Hurting, Everyone Is Trying, You Have Got To Try.

You can find the rest of the new stuff I'm enjoying over on our Apple Music playlist!

Thanks and have a great weekend everybody.

Roisin x

Now Read This:

Written by Roisin O'Connor

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ON THE RECORD

I don't see anything really romantic in the fact that Gram died so young. It's just a tragedy.

Emmylou Harris to The Independent, February 2026

I developed a pretty severe OCD thing after watching Synecdoche, New York

Snail Mail to The Independent , March 2026

With Lily Allen, we blacked out and made an album

Songwriter Chloe Angelides to The Independent - December 2025

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Tracks of the week

Subscribe to the official Now Hear This playlist on Apple Music and stay up to date with all the best new releases

1. "Medicine" - Tooth

2. "Caravan" - Jesca Hoop

3. "One Stop" - Aldous Harding

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Q&A

Spotlight on... Barbro

Hello! Tell me about yourself

I always have a hard time starting these. I feel like it was way easier when I was younger, just like "hi I'm seven and I like dogs and hanging out with my friends". Which are still the two things that come to mind first when people ask me about myself.

A few things have been added to that list though, like I love playing and writing music. I have been doing so since I was very young, going from classical violin and vocal, to pop/rock piano and guitar, writing stories and poetry alongside. Ever since my old punk band split due to political indifference, I've been releasing my songs under my own name. I've released one EP and two albums so far, latest in February 2026.

The new album is called Crossfade, and it's about softening myself. Both in my surroundings, like how I make and perform music, but also in how I treat myself, embracing transitions, folding memories like pieces of paper from a diary, allowing myself and the listener to - not be naive - but to imagine a future after the end of the world.

What are the inspirations and influences behind your music?

A musical influence that has followed me throughout my life is Joni Mitchell. I always return to the Blue album whenever something big happens in my life - I kinda became this carrier bag for me, to put my thoughts into, and whenever I open it, I can see them in correlation to each other. Other than that, I am mostly inspired by just everyday things, being kinda of an observer. In order to do so, I like to move around a lot, to different cities, or at least go away from all the things places I am used to.

When I get an idea I like to act on it quick, which often makes the recording a bit precarious. Making the work, is for me, therefor often a question of working with alternat(-tiv)e spaces, paying tribute to the sacredness of demos and early vocal takes, while still allowing softness and new impulses to cave the way for the work.

That is also how I listen to the Blue album - Listening to the thorough, - and stubbornness of her intentions, while all the songs also sound like they came right out an immediate urgency

What do you have lined up for 2026?

I have some selected shows that I am particularly excited for. Next up is my show in London at the Shacklewell Arms March 7th. I'll be performing the new album Crossfade in its entirety for the first time by myself - looking very much forward to this!