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Pick at the pops: 14 January 2008

Our weekly round-up of the weird and wonderful world of pop music...

These are dark times for the music industry – yes, Basshunter is this week’s official No.1 single. Hang on, no, these are dark times for the music industry – labels have been slow to adapt to changes in the way we listen to music, i.e. illegally, and now the sharks are circling. Nowhere is this more apparent than at EMI, where the suits have moved in and the artists have got all cheesed off. First Radiohead scarpered and showered the record-buying public with free love and Smarties for all, or something, now the man, the legend Robbie Williams is putting the boot in. The Robster is withholding his next album in protest at forthcoming redundancies, with his manager Tim Clark declaring the company has no one “capable of doing the job required”. Coldplay may be following suit: “Why would you want to release an album with a record company is the middle of massive lay-offs?” says manager Dave Holmes. “They are in no hurry to deliver their album.” Waaaait a minute. Coldplay, Williams, you’re fooling no one – you’ve done no sodding work on your new albums whatsoever, have you?

It’s not just the record labels in trouble, no sirree bob: the rest of us are going to die too, and it’s all Sting’s fault. This shocking news leaked last week with the announcement that The Police have the biggest carbon footprint in rock. That’ll be all the hot air Sting spouts. Perhaps he should start speaking out of his mouth.

Also doing her bit for environmental catastrophes is Amy Winehouse, who has just lopped off her beehive, forcing seventeen species of insect and a family of badgers to find a new home. Apropos nothing, exactly how long do traces of illicit substances stay in strands of hair? Oh, good luck with that US visa, Amy.

Matthew Horton

Picture: Wenn

• 07/01/2008: Out with the old, in with the new >>
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