Neneh Cherry, Sparks & Jorja Smith Among Winners at 2024 AIM Awards

Neneh Cherry and Sparks were among the honorees at the 2024 Association of Independent Music (AIM) Awards, which also saw big wins for Jorja Smith, Sampha, Pendulum and fast-rising electronic music producer Barry Can’t Swim. 

Held at London’s Roundhouse venue on Thursday (Oct. 17), the 14th edition of the annual awards show, which recognizes the achievements of the artists, labels, entrepreneurs and companies that make up the U.K.’s indie sector, saw Cherry presented with the innovator award in recognition of her trailblazing career and lasting influence.

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This year’s outstanding contribution to music award was collected by U.S. pop rock duo Sparks, who used the occasion to announce that they have signed a global deal with Transgressive Records for their next studio album. The as-yet-untitled release, due next year, will be distributed by Firebird Label Services, marking the veteran band’s return to the indie music community after reuniting with Island Records for last year’s The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte studio set.

One of the night’s biggest prizes went to British R&B singer Smith, who won the best independent album award for her 2023 sophomore album, Falling or Flying, released through FAMM. Accepting the award via video, Smith, a 2019 Grammy nominee for best new artist, thanked U.K. production duo DAMEDAME* for their work on the album and her label “for believing in me from all these years ago to now.”

Singer-songwriter Sampha took home prizes for best independent track for last year’s “Spirit 2.0” and best independent video for “Only”; he also performed at the ceremony. Other live performances came from Heavenly Recordings-signed Lynks, punk rock act BEX and Manchester rapper OneDa, who received this year’s one to watch award.

Other prizes given out on the night included independent breakthrough, which went to electronic music producer Barry Can’t Swim (real name Joshua Mainnie), and the public-voted best live performer title, awarded to Pendulum.

Heavenly Recordings was named best independent label, while record shop Drift in Totnes, Devon was crowned the U.K.’s best independent record store. Music Venue Trust co-founders Mark Davyd and Beverley Whitrick were jointly honored as independent music champions for their work supporting grassroots music venues in the U.K.

Prior to Thursday’s ceremony, Afrobeats artist, producer and songwriter Silvastone, who has collaborated with the likes of Popcaan, Sneakbo, Bugzy Malone and Lady Leshurr, was announced as AIM’s 2024 diversity champion in recognition of his community work.

“This community never ceases to amaze me with its collective spirit in celebrating each other’s wins and recognising that we rise highest when we rise together,” said AIM’s interim CEO Gee Davy in a statement.

According to figures released earlier this year from U.K. labels trade body BPI, independently released songs and albums accounted for almost one-third of all music consumption in the U.K. in 2023, with the equivalent of more than 53 million independently released albums streamed or purchased across digital and physical formats. The U.K. is the world’s third-biggest recorded music market in IFPI’s annual rankings behind the U.S. and Japan.

Previous winners at the AIM Awards include Adele, Idles, Little Simz, Wet Leg, Stormzy, Dave, Arlo Parks and Christine and the Queens, all of whom were recognized by the association early in their careers, prior to enjoying mainstream success.

Here’s the full list of nominees and winners at the 2024 AIM Independent Music Awards:

UK Independent Breakthrough (in association with Amazon Music):

Bar Italia (Matador Records)

Barry Can’t Swim (Ninja Tune) *WINNER*

CASISDEAD (XL Recordings)

Saint Harison (Tell Your Friends)

Wunderhorse (Communion Records)

Best Independent Album (in association with Spotify)

Actress – LXXXVIII (Ninja Tune)

ANOHNI and the Johnsons – My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross (Rough Trade Records)

Barry Can’t Swim – When Will We Land? (Ninja Tune)

D-Block Europe – Rolling Stone (EGA Distro)

Jorja Smith – falling or flying (FAMM) *WINNER*

Kim Gordon – The Collective (Matador Records)

Mount Kimbie  – The Sunset Violent (Warp Records)

Nabihah Iqbal  – Dreamer (Ninja Tune)

Nubiyan Twist – Find Your Flame (Strut Records)

Skrapz – Reflection (EGA Distro)

Best Independent Track (in association with Meta)

Amy Gadiaga – ‘All Black Everything’ (Jazz re:freshed)

CASISDEAD – ‘Venom’ (XL Recordings)

Ezra Collective – ‘Ajala’ (Partisan Records)

Fontaines DC – ‘Starburster’ (XL Recordings)

Hudson Mohawke & Nikki Nair – ‘Set The Roof’ (Warp Records)

Jorja Smith – ‘Little Things’ (FAMM)

KNEECAP, Grian Chatten – ‘Better Way To Live’ (Heavenly Recordings)

Matthew Halsall – ‘An Ever-Changing View’ (Gondwana Records)

NikNak – ‘1200RPM’ (Accidental Records)

Sampha – ‘Spirit 2.0’ (Young) *WINNER*

Best Independent Remix (in association with Notion)

The Egyptian Lover Remix – Sudan Archives – Freakalizer (Stones Throw Records)

Joy Anonymous Remix – Ezra Collective, Sampa The Great – JOY (Life Goes On) (Partisan Records) *WINNER*

L BEATS Mashup – Jorja Smith – Little Things x Gypsy Woman (FAMM)

Olof Dreijer Remix – Björk – Oral (feat. Rosalia) (One Little Independent)

P-rallel Remix –  Aluna, Jayda G – Mine O’ Mine (Mad Decent Under Exclusive Licence to Because Music)

Best Live Performer

Frank Turner (Xtra Mile Recordings)

KNEECAP (Heavenly Recordings)

Laura Misch (One Little Independent)

Pendulum (Mushroom Music) *WINNER*

RAYE (Human Re Sources)

One To Watch (in association with BBC Music Introducing)

Antony Szmierek (LAB Records)

Kitty Amor (Defected Records)

Lynks (Heavenly Recordings)

Miso Extra (Transgressive Records)

OneDa (Heavenly Recordings) *WINNER*

PPL Award for Most Played New Independent Artist

Barry Can’t Swim (Ninja Tune)

Coach Party (Chess Club Records)

Far From Saints (Ignition Records) *WINNER*

Popeth (Recordiau Côsh Records)

Tom A. Smith (TYM Records)

Best Independent EP/Mixtape

George Riley – ‘Un/limited Love’ (Ninja Tune)

Headie One & K-Trap – ‘STRENGTH TO STRENGTH’ (One Records and Thousand8)

HONESTY – ‘BOX’ (Partisan Records)

JGrrey – ‘If Not Now?’ (PACE, a subsidiary of Marathon Music Group)

Potter Payper – ‘Thanks For Hating’ (EGA Distro) *WINNER*

Best Independent Video (in association with Vevo)

Gia Ford – Poolside (Chrysalis Records)

Khruangbin – A Love International (Dead Oceans)

Master Peace – I Might Be Fake feat. Georgia (PMR Records)

Mitski – My Love Mine All Mine (Dead Oceans)

Sampha – Only (Young) *WINNER*

Best Independent Label (in association with BBC Radio 6 Music)

Heavenly Recordings *WINNER*

Ninja Tune

Partisan Records

Sub Pop Records

Transgressive Records

Best Boutique Label (in association with Qobuz)

AD 93

Houndstooth

LAB Records

New Soil

Sonic Cathedral *WINNER*

Best Creative Campaign (in association with Able)

Chrysalis Records and BODEGA (‘Our Brand Could Be Yr Life’ )

Dead Oceans and Slowdive (‘everything are alive’ )

Lofi Girl – Identity Music (‘Snowman’)

Warp Records and Aphex Twin (‘Blackbox Life Recorder 21f / in a Room7 F760’) *WINNER*

Young and Sampha (‘LAHAI’ )

Best Independent Record Store

Drift *WINNER*

Honest Jon’s

Piccadilly

Rough Trade Bristol

Stranger Than Paradise Records

Music Entrepreneur of the Year

Andrew Batey (Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Beatdapp)

Atlanta Cobb (Founder & Director, Music Industry Mentor)

Colin Batsa (President and Chairman, EGA Distro)

Meg Carnie (Studio Manager / Co-Founder / Artist Manager – South Lanes Studios) *WINNER*

Tom Allen (President, Downtown Royalties and Financial Services, Downtown Music)

Diversity Champion

SILVASTONE *WINNER*

Independent Music Champion (in association with Downtown)

Music Venue Trust *WINNER*

Outstanding Contribution to Music (in association with Merlin)

Sparks *WINNER*

Innovator

Neneh Cherry *WINNER*

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Doechii Serves Up Financial Tips in ‘The Barbershop’ for pgLang & Cash App’s That’s Money Campaign

Doechii is serving up some financial literacy for her fans. She’s been tapped by pgLang and Cash App to star in their The Barbershop ad as part of the joint venture’s That’s Money campaign, which arrived Thursday (Oct. 17).

The Top Dawg Entertainment rapper was minding her business getting braided when an annoyed customer voiced their frustrations to comedian Exavier TV — playing the role of a barber — about a quick flip of cash not working out.

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“In the beginning, everyone had a plan for my money, but then I realized I had to do my own thing,” she began in the clip. “Don’t get me wrong, I want to monetize my career, but at the same time I don’t wanna be making moves that require me to do too much. I just want to put the money to the side, not have to worry about it, but still know that it’s growing.”

Doechii then kicks some knowledge about interest and having “free money” work for you on its own without even paying it any mind.

“I’m at a place now where I’m starting to make a budget and set financial goals for my future,” the Florida rapper said in a statement. “I think it’s so important to be honest with each other when we talk about money, which is why I’m excited to be part of this campaign and share what’s been working for me.”

Calmatic directs the clip — he’s worked with LeBron James, Kendrick Lamar and McDonald’s creatively to name a few in the past — which progressively zooms out of the barbershop to the point it’s a small block lodged into a white screen.

“What I loved most about this project was the opportunity to essentially describe to the audience what ‘interest’ is in one of the most raw and straightforward ways I’ve ever seen in financial advertising,” the Los Angeles native said in a statement, “Interest is one of those words that you hear over and over but don’t really know exactly what it is.”

Kendrick Lamar lent Doechii the ultimate cosign when deeming her “the hardest out” with a post to his Instagram Story on Thursday.

Look for another iteration of That’s Money to launch later in 2024. On the music side, Doechii delivered her critically-acclaimed Alligator Bites Never Heal mixtape in August, which reached No. 117 on the Billboard 200.

Watch the ad below.

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T.I.’s Son King Harris Arrested in Georgia

T.I.‘s son Clifford “King” Harris Jr. was arrested earlier this week in Georgia.

Fox 5 Atlanta is reporting that jail records indicate the rapper’s 20-year-old son had an open warrant for his arrest in Pickens County for failure to appear in court. The warrant stems from charges of speeding, driving with a suspended license, and a DUI back in August 2022. He was taken into custody and sent to Dekalb County Jail and then was released to Pickens County.

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According to WSB-TV 2 Atlanta, King almost hit a police car as he was pulling out of a gas station with his BMW. The officers said in the incident report that they smelled weed and he had a gun on his hip. They then checked his information and the warrant popped up.

“I informed Mr. Harris that I would need to speak with him outside and opened the driver-side door,” the arresting officer wrote in the incident report. “Mr. Harris was cooperative, and I removed the firearm from his hip with no issue. I then had Mr. Harris step out of the vehicle and I detained him by placing handcuffs on him. I escorted Mr. Harris to my patrol vehicle, conducted a pat down, and placed him into the rear of my vehicle.”

There were two other people in the car with Harris, but they weren’t arrested.

During a recent appearance on Atlanta’s Hot 107.9, T.I. revealed King is expecting his first child and joked about how he’s going to raise his grandson. “King’s about to have a son and I told him I’ma make this the greatest gangster of all time,” he said as he began to laugh. “I will raise this child to torture you the way you tortured me. I promise you. There will be an indictment in this young one.”

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Inside Mick Fleetwood’s Collaborative Blues Album With Ukulele Pro Jake Shimabukuro

Jake Shimabukuro is still pinching himself. And Mick Fleetwood is smiling ear to ear.

That’s how the two are feeling as they bring out Blues Experience, a collaborative album that finds the ukulele virtuoso and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame drummer exploring the blues over nine tracks – one of which is a moving tribute to Fleetwood’s late Fleetwood Mac bandmate, Christine McVie.

“I’m really excited about this project,” Shimabukuro tells Billboard via Zoom from Hawaii, where he lives (and where he met Fleetwood, another Hawaii resident). “It’s such a departure from anything I’ve ever done, but I love that because it really feels like I learned a lot from this experience. In my wildest dreams I never would have imagined that this album would exist someday. And I love those kinds of things…the most unlikely collaborations or combinations coming together to do something very different and unique.”

Fleetwood — who has some 40 ukuleles hanging on the walls of his home as decorations — adds that the appeal for him was to work with someone he calls “an explorer. He’s fascinated with music. He comes from a very traditional musical background, but he’s done an extraordinary amount of projects with anyone from Neil Young to Bette Midler, all this strange, bizarre, super-eclectic stuff that’s obviously intrigued him on his journey. That’s what led to, ‘What can a funny old drummer — me — do with someone like this?’”

Fleetwood and Shimabukuro had met a number of times over the years, establishing a friendly relationship. “We basically were passing in the night for years, always saying, ‘We’ve got to do something together,’” recalls Fleetwood. Meeting up again at a Shimabukuro show in Maui during early 2023 put the idea on the front-burner for both, and by March they were in a studio Fleetwood has near his home, with “no pressure, no agenda, just to get in there to see what happens.” Four songs in four days — “recording everything live and just experimenting and having a lot of fun,” according to Shimabukuro — proved they were creatively in sync. Shimabukuro was even happy to plug into a vintage Fender Princeton amplifier that helped him craft a sound that “really seemed to work nicely for this genre and this style.”

Playing blues was a no-brainer, even if it’s something Shimabukuro had not done to a great extent before. “First, Mick’s the iconic blues drummer,” he explains. “I’ve always loved that style of music, that style of playing the guitar, that kind of phrasing. I mean, one of my all-time favorite Jimi Hendrix tunes is his version of ‘Red House’ when I was young. So it was in me.”

Shimabukuro also acknowledges the influence on his playing of “Uncle” Joseph Kekuku, the 19th century acknowledged inventor of the steel guitar. “I’m not playing slide on my ukulele, but this album kind of brings it back to what he did and what I learned from that. It’s kind of a throwback but at the same time is progressive.”

Fleetwood says that his cohort “was very privy to the pedigree of early Fleetwood Mac and Peter Green. So that became sort of the template of the conversation, or at least the overview. He’s very passionate about what he does, and anything with passion in it, in my quiet opinion, is connected to the blues. He’s an incredibly, technically capable player, period, and he has a whole other world of looking at things in a different way, where you actually pay attention to where the blues come from. So this album ended up being a combination of his natural self, which is a huge catalog of technical ability, and what it is that I do.”

Blues Experience isn’t strictly blues, mind you; there are renditions of Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” for instance, as well as Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World.” But the bulk of the set hews that way, including the Shimabukuro original “Kula Blues,” and the Stevie Wonder-written, Jeff Beck-popularized “‘Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers,” a personal favorite of Shimabukuro’s that features Sonny Landreth on slide guitar. Keyboardist Mark Johnstone from the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band plays on a couple of tracks, while bassist Jackson Waldhoff and keyboardist Michael Grande play throughout the album.

The album’s most stunning moment, however, is its closing, a rendering of Christine McVie’s Fleetwood Mac signature song “Songbird” followed by a spoken word coda by Fleetwood, mourning McVie’s death on Nov. 30, 2022. It’s a three-hanky musical elegy, even though Fleetwood says “that wasn’t the intention.”

“‘Songbird’ came out of the blue, and we couldn’t not include it,” Fleetwood says. “It was around the time when Christine had passed, and we found ourselves doing that song, which was not predetermined. To me that was very poignant. I was very pregnant with the loss of Christine, and the fact that we were singing it but not singing it reminded me of Peter Green; he had a great natural voice, but he also sang through his instrument. It was very emotional and also in those moments was a prayer, for sure. Christine was a huge loss for me and for millions and millions of people.”

Saluting McVie on a blues album was also appropriate, Fleetwood adds. “She was a blues player,” he says. “She came up through the ranks, playing with Freddie King. And she was an extraordinarily passionate songwriter; just when you thought she was on a journey into the pop world she’ll go out and lay something on you like ‘Songbird’ that really is a lament…which is of course connective to the blues.

“Before we lost Christine there were some intentions that Fleetwood Mac would’ve found a way to say goodbye…but we didn’t. It was unthinkable for (the band) to do any more. Stevie (Nicks) has been able to do that in many ways on the big excursion that she’s doing; she’s been able to do what Fleetwood Mac was not. All of that was like a sort of tsunami of feeling as we did that song. But it was also very healing, and a kind of closure.”

Fleetwood and Shimabukuro played some of the Blues Experience songs live at We Are Friends — A Maui Wildfire Benefit Concert on the island last year, and they both voice a desire to perform together again. They’re also up to collaborate more, though Shimabukuro claims that “I would never want to get greedy and ask for another project like this from him — but if he brought it up and said, ‘Man, let’s do another one,’ are you kidding me? Oh my goodness, that would be a dream come true, like winning the lottery twice.”

The odds are better than that, however. “If Jake knocked on the door and said, ‘I’m actually not on the road,’ I would always be open to doing something,” Fleetwood affirms. In the meantime, he’s working on an album of his own, collaborating with an “interesting” corps of other artists (he mentions Girl In Red specifically) and even employing some of those ukuleles from the wall.

“It’s petrifying,” Fleetwood acknowledges, “but it’s actually turning out to be really interesting. I’m having a lot of fun doing that, and my heart is saying ‘you need to do more.’ Doing this (album) with Jake did me a lot of good. It was really the trigger of ‘you can do this.’ It’s very therapeutic, and I’ve actually learned to express myself in little areas I never knew was there, and to whatever avail doesn’t really matter. It’s just about doing it, and then we’ll see what it leads to.”

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Louis Tomlinson Mourns His ‘Brother’ Liam Payne, Calls Him the ‘Most Vital Part of One Direction’

Louis Tomlinson is paying tribute to his longtime friend and former bandmate, Liam Payne, following the news of his death on Wednesday (Oct. 16).

In a heartbreaking post shared to Instagram on Thursday (Oct. 17), Tomlinson said that he is “devastated” to have “lost a brother,” alongside a photo of the two One Direction members smiling onstage, with Payne’s arm wrapped around Tomlinson’s shoulder.

“Liam was somebody I looked up to everyday, such a positive, funny, and kind soul,” the “Bigger Than Me” singer continued in his post. “I first met Liam when he was 16 and I was 18, I was instantly amazed by his voice but more importantly as time went on I got a chance to see the kind brother I’d longed all my life for.”

He added that Payne was the “most vital part of One Direction,” due to “his experience from a young age, his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing.”

Tomlinson then shared a message directly to Payne, hoping he’s “listening,” writing, “I feel beyond lucky to have had you in my life but I’m really struggling with the idea of saying goodbye. I’m so grateful that we got even closer since the band, speaking on the phone for hours , reminiscing about all the thousands of amazing memories we had together is a luxury I thought I’d have with you for life. I would have loved to share the stage with you again but it wasn’t to be.”

He continued that he will be looking out for Payne’s seven-year-old son, Bear, adding, “I will be the Uncle he needs in his life and tell him stories of how amazing his dad was.”

“Payno, my boy, one of my best friends, my brother, I love you mate. Sleep well,” his statement concluded. See it here.

Tomlinson’s statement comes in addition to a joint message by the surviving members of One Direction, in which they noted that they are “completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing.” The group statement continued, “In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever.”

Payne died around 5:07 p.m. local time after sustaining multiple traumas and hemorrhages from his fall, a recent preliminary autopsy confirmed. Local authorities believe he was not sober at the time and found substances that appeared to be narcotics and alcoholic drinks in his room after they arrived at the scene. In the moments leading up to the star’s death, a hotel manager called 911 to report that a guest was “overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol” and “destroying [their] entire room”; by the time police got there, Payne had already fallen from the balcony of his room and died due to his injuries.

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Danny Ocean Talks Miami, His Venezuelan Roots & the Taste of Music | Billboard

In partnership with Billboard and DoorDash, the Venezuelan singer revisits his home country by way of local Miami cuisine, thanks to DoorDash’s diverse selection of vendors and highlights how through food and music, culture has no boundaries. 

Danny Ocean:
Food and music has always been my way of staying connected to my roots. Leaving Venezuela was difficult and it was not just about adapting, but to find a way to blend my past with what I had already had in front of me. I wanted to make a living from music, but I knew that in Venezuela, I was not going to be able to. And sometimes we have to make sacrifices in order to get what you want in life, and I was aware of what I had to do and also what I had to sacrifice. I went through a lot of things that as an immigrant we have to go through when you come here, and regardless of how tired I was when I got home, I always try to dedicate a couple of hours to my music and the love that I have for music is what makes me keep going forward and I believe that this what motivates me the most. It is beautiful when there is a bigger purpose than your own personal interest. I know that I am not just doing it for me, but for my culture and my people. Venezuelan food is like a little piece of home that I can take with me no matter where I am. When I am far away from home, it is those familiar flavors that bring me home. Arepas, empanadas, the things I grew up with.

Watch the full video above!

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One Direction ‘Completely Devastated’ By ‘Our Brother’ Liam Payne’s Death

One Direction has spoken out about the loss of former bandmate Liam Payne, who died after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday (Oct. 16).

In a joint statement shared to Instagram one day after the tragedy, surviving members Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson wrote that they are collectively “completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing.”

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“In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say,” their message continues. “But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever.”

“For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us,” the band added. “We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”

Payne died around 5:07 p.m. local time after sustaining multiple traumas and hemorrhages from his fall, a recent preliminary autopsy confirmed. Local authorities believe he was not sober at the time and found substances that appeared to be narcotics and alcoholic drinks in his room after they arrived at the scene. In the moments leading up to the star’s death, a hotel manager called 911 to report that a guest was “overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol” and “destroying [their] entire room”; by the time police got there, Payne had already fallen from the balcony of his room and died due to his injuries.

Payne, Styles, Horan, Malik and Tomlinson first met in 2010 on The X Factor, when judges Simon Cowell and Nicole Scherzinger placed them together in a boy band. One Direction continued on for six years after that, scoring four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 and six Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits in addition to embarking on numerous sold-out global tours before disbanding in 2016.

Afterward, all five members pursued solo careers. Relations between them were sometimes tense following their split, but in recent years, the quintet appeared to be supporting one another more than ever. Just two weeks before he died in Argentina, Payne had attended Horan’s concert in the country.

In addition to the band’s statement, Tomlinson also shared his own personal tribute to Payne on Instagram on Thursday. “Liam was in my opinion the most vital part of One Direction,” he wrote, sharing a throwback photo with his late bandmate. “His experience from a young age, his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing. The list goes on. Thank you for shaping us Liam.”

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These Were The 40 Most-Played Songs At Pacha Ibiza This Season

After much fun and many late nights, the 2024 Ibiza season has come to a close. Some tracks commanded the dance floor more than others, with the 40 most-played songs over the summer at island clubbing mecca Pacha counted down below.

While the list includes a few global hits, like Tyla’s “Water,” and a few classic capital-B bangers (see: Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love”), the list is largely composed of underground dance music made by known stars and emerging producers alike.

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“Pacha Ibiza has its own singular sounds, driven by the world’s best DJs, and is where music lovers first discover new artists and new, previously unheard of, tracks” Aloki Batra, FIVE Hospitality and The Pacha Group CEO, tells Billboard.  

The data that created this list was collected by KUVO in partnership with DJ Monitor, which installs technology in clubs like Pacha that functions much like Shazam, identifying tracks within its library. This library is comprised of a database of nearly 80 million songs submitted to DJ Monitor by PROs, which allows DJ Monitor to create setlists with 93% accuracy, the company reports.

FIVE Holdings acquired the Pacha Group in 2023 in a deal worth approximately $330 million. The deal encompassed the Ibiza flagship club, which opened in 1973, along with two hotel island hotel properties, Toy Room Club, which has multiple locations in Europe, India and the Middle East and WooMoon Storytellers, a party that happens primarily in Ibiza and Tulum. 

2024 resident DJS at Pacha included Solomun, Marco Carola, Bedouin and many more. This year the club was also graced with the presence of stars including Katy Perry, Rita Ora, Jason Statham, Naomi Campbell, Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz and many others, the club reports.

“Pacha Ibiza believes in the universal language of music uniting a global community of music lovers for over 50 years. The central ethos of Pacha Ibiza remains the same as we move into a new chapter of our time tested values of love, joy, connection, celebration, inclusiveness and diversity. This is evident in Pacha Ibiza’s legendary Flower Power party that is reimagined for a new era in 2024 while preserving its core essence. Evolving from its roots, today’s Flower Power celebrations blend nostalgia with contemporary happy house sounds, offering an immersive experience that transcends generations.” 

The Top 40 Songs Played at Pacha Ibiza in 2024

  1. “Move” – Samm (BE)
  2. “Pick Up the Phone” – Pawsa Feat. Nate Dogg
  3. “Last Night” – Serite
  4. “Nocturnal” – Joezi
  5. “See You Sweat (Extended Mix)” – Genesi & Max Styler
  6. “Sweet Moment” – Snirco
  7. “Walk In Amsterdam” – Ugo Banchi
  8. “It’s That Time (FISHER Remix)” – Marlon Hoffstadt
  9. “Sing It Back” – Moloko
  10. “Fuma Ernesto” – Carrera (ve)
  11. “Love Desire” – Cassimm
  12. “Miss You” – DJ Agos
  13. “Umbrella” – Oppaacha
  14. “We Are The People” – Empire Of The Sun
  15. “Dance With Ibiza” – Ugo Banchi
  16. “Famax” – Raffa Guido
  17. “Freddie’s Warmup” – Vlado
  18. “Hope” – Camelphat Feat. Max Milner
  19. “On My Mind” – Ajna (BE)
  20. “Pakit” – Ban Marian
  21. “Somebody That I Used To Know” – James Cole
  22. “Spektrum” – Camelphat
  23. “Still Pushin’” – Youniverse
  24. “Water” – Tyla
  25. “At Night” – Shakedown
  26. “If You Want My Loving” – Prospa
  27. “Kill The Vibe” – David Guetta, Mason & Princess Superstar
  28. “Last Night (Anyma x Layton Giordani Remix)” – Loofy
  29. “Se Acabo” – Cid & Guz
  30. “Shook Part 3” – Nick Morgan
  31. “4Real” – Piem
  32. “Asa” – Âme
  33. “Crazy In Love” – Beyoncé
  34. “Miriam (Extended)” – Robin M
  35. “No Guest List San” – Pacho
  36. “The Rhythm Of Dancing” – &lez
  37. “Work” – Chris Lorenzo
  38. “Black Dress (Anyma Remix)” – 070 Shake & Anyma
  39. “Chase The 80’s” – Ugo Banchi
  40. “House Anthem” – Clüb De Combat
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HARDY & Wife Caleigh Expecting First Child

HARDY and his wife Caleigh Ryan are expecting their first child next year.

HARDY shared a carousel of photos of the couple in a maternity photo shoot on Instagram, captioning the post: “You have been our favorite little secret to keep. Baby HARDY coming February 2025,” alongside a baby bottle emoji. The photos show Caleigh in a long, off-the-shoulder white dress that shows off her baby bump, while HARDY is dressed in jeans and a long-sleeve shirt.

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On her Instagram Stories, Ryan also wrote, “Thank you all so much for all of the sweet words and love you’ve shared with us about our little one!! I am so relieved and excited to finally have the news out there!! We are going to be parents! This is so fun!”

After dating for a few years, HARDY and Caleigh got engaged in August 2021 when the singer-songwriter proposed at the Lyric Theatre in Oxford, Mississippi, the same venue where the couple first met. They wed in October 2022 in Nashville before heading off for a honeymoon in Thailand.

The couple first privately shared the news that they will soon be parents during an industry-only No. 1 party earlier this week in Nashville, celebrating Kenny Chesney’s song “Take Her Home,” which HARDY is a co-writer on, alongside Zach Abend and Hunter Phelps.

As an artist, HARDY has earned three No. 1 Country Airplay hits, including “Truck Bed,” “One Beer” (with Lauren Alaina and Devin Dawson) and “Beers on Me” (with Dierks Bentley and Breland). He also recently teamed with Stephen Wilson Jr. for an acoustic version of Wilson’s song “Father’s Son.”

See HARDY and Caleigh’s announcement below:

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Rita Ora Tears Up Performing Liam Payne Duet After His Death: ‘I Can’t Even Sing This Right Now’

Rita Ora‘s latest concert featured an emotional tribute to Liam Payne, who died at age 31 on Wednesday (Oct. 16) after falling from the third floor of his hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Taking the stage in Japan within hours of the tragedy, the singer/actress struggled to get through the words of “For You,” her 2018 collaboration with the former One Direction star for the Fifty Shades Freed movie. Looking visibly emotional in videos captured by fans, Ora ended up having the crowd sing the lyrics for her as she walked with her head bowed, at one point turning her back to the audience and looking up at the ceiling.

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Liam Payne of One Direction performs during his 22nd birthday in support of the On the Road Again Tour at Ford Field on August 29, 2015 in Detroit, Michigan.

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She then sat down on a riser and attempted to sing the final pre-chorus before cutting out again. “I can’t even sing this right now — can you do it for me?” she said, pointing into the crowd before covering her face with her hands.

As a black-and-white photo of Ora and Payne in the studio flashed on the screen behind her, the Descendants: The Rise of Red star watched her fans sing the chorus for a minute more before mouthing, “I’m sorry,” and walking off the stage with her arms folded over her chest.

“For You” reached No. 76 on the Billboard Hot 100. In addition to appearing on the Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack, the collaboration also found homes on Payne’s debut solo album LP 1 and Ora’s Phoenix.

Shortly after news of Payne’s death came to light, Ora wrote on Instagram that “For You” takes on “a whole new meaning for me now.”

“He had the kindest soul, I will never forget,” she added, sharing photos of herself and the “Strip That Down” artist. “I loved working with him so much – he was just such a joy to be around on and off stage. This tragic news breaks my heart.”

Countless other musicians and fans have also shared messages of shock and grief on social media over the past 24 hours, with two of Payne’s other collaborators — Zedd and J Balvin — speaking out as well. The X Factor alum’s former school recently posted a statement remembering his “positive impact” on the community in which he grew up (Wolverhampton, England), while his family told the BBC, “Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul. We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”

A recent preliminary autopsy confirmed that Payne died from multiple traumas and hemorrhages obtained from the impact of his fall. Police are still investigating what happened, but initially reported finding substances in the star’s room that appeared to be narcotics and alcohol.

See Ora’s tribute to Payne below.

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