For music and pop culture lovers looking for an authentic and light-hearted take on the week in music... with broadcasters and music fanatics Annie Macmanus and Nick Grimshaw.
For music and pop culture lovers looking for an authentic and light-hearted take on the week in music... with broadcasters and music fanatics Annie Macmanus and Nick Grimshaw.
What does 2026 have in store for the music industry? Annie and Nick look ahead to expected releases, rumoured returning artists, and an exciting list of confirmed festival line ups. Plus, BBC Music Correspondent Mark Savage joins them to share his expert predictions about which artists to look out for this year, and what music trends we can expect. Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16 WhatsApp 079700 82700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk
Annie and Nick review the standout moments from the past 12 months. From the Oasis tour to Lily Allen’s culture shifting album release, 2025 has been a major year for UK artists, and who could forget the impact of moments such as: an awkward secret being revealed at a Coldplay concert, Katy Perry going to space, and CMAT playing Glastonbury’s Pyramid stage for the first time. Plus, Annie and Nick attempt the impossible task of choosing just one album and song of the year each.
Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16 WhatsApp 079700 82700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk
SONGS
Taylor Swift – So High School
PinkPantheress – Illegal
HAIM – Relationships
Lola Young – Messy
Cameron Winter - Nausicaä (Love Will Be Revealed)
ELIZA – Anyone Else
Ave Maria
Jacon Alon – Liquid Gold 25
CMAT – The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station
Blood Orange - Mind Loaded
ALBUMS
Patti Smith – Horses
Björk – Cornucopia
Mavis Staples – Sad and Beautiful World
Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving
Taylor Swift – The Life of a Showgirl
Charli XCX – brat
Lily Allen – West End Girl
Rosalía - LUX
CMAT – Euro-Country
Cameron Winter – Heavy Metal
Dave - The Boy Who Played the Harp
Blood Orange – Essex Honey
Geese – Getting Killed
Chronixx - Exile
Zadie Smith and Beth Ditto join Annie and Nick for the annual Sidetracked Christmas gathering, recorded at an Irish pub in North London.
They share nostalgia, gossip and gifts, and decide what makes a song a Christmas song – declaring which ones are truly the greatest. Plus, Annie, Nick, Zadie and Beth choose their musical highlights of the year.
Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16 WhatsApp 079700 82700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk
SONGS
Mariah Carey – All I Want For Christmas Is You
Judy Garland – Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Darling Love – Winter Wonderland
Labi Siffre – Bless the Telephone
Pulp – Common People
Lola Young – Messy
Herman’s Hermits - I'm Henry the VIII, I Am
Dolly Parton – Hard Candy Christmas
ALBUMS
Blood Orange – Essex Honey
Rosalía - LUX
Mavis Staples – Sad And Beautiful World
Pulp - More
Van Morrison - Live at the Grand Opera House Belfast
Marcel Dadi – Dadi’s Folk
Ray Conniff – We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Bert Kaempfert & His Orchestra - Christmas With Bert Kaempfert
T.S. Eliot – The Poems of T.S. Eliot
After successfully challenging Ticketmaster over the price of resold tickets on the platform, Olivia Dean has inspired Annie and Nick to ask: should more artists stand up for their fans? Also in Olivia Dean news, she and Lola Young are the only UK artists to make it into Spotify’s Top 10 UK Song or Artist lists for 2025. Yes, Wrapped is out but does anyone care about other people’s listening habits?
Plus, Jorja Smith’s team are seeking royalties from an AI track which many people believed to be hers, Björk is using proceeds from a song she made with Rosalía and Sega Bodega to take the Icelandic state to court, and the Reading/Leeds line up is one of its best ever.
Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16, WhatsApp on 07970082700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk
SONGS
Alex Warren - Ordinary
Gracie Abrams - That’s So True
Lola Young - Messy
Chappell Roan – Pink Pony Club
Billie Eilish - BIRDS OF A FEATHER
Ravyn Lenae – Love Me Not
sombr - back to friends
Gigi Perez – Sailor Song
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars - Die With A Smile
Chappell Roan - Good Luck, Babe!
Björk, Sega Bodega, Rosalía - Oral
HAVEN – I Run
ALBUMS
Cameron Winter – Heavy Metal
F.S.Blumm & Nils Frahm – Handling
Sabrina Carpenter – Short n’Sweet
Alex Warren - You'll Be Alright, Kid (Chapter 1)
KPop Demon Hunters Cast - KPop Demon Hunters (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film)
Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving
Charli XCX – brat
Fontaines D.C. - Romance
Sega Bodega – I Created The Universe So That Life Could Create a Language So Complex, Just To Say How Much I Love You
ANNIE'S DINGLE LIST:
Michael D. Higgins
Dove Ellis
Dermot Kennedy
Sorcha Richardson
Chalk
The Scratch
Is Timothée Chalamet secretly a Scouse drill rapper named EsDeeKid? Annie and Nick investigate this conspiracy and all available evidence for and against it. Elsewhere, Beyoncé has let herself be seen in public, which can only mean one thing: something is about to be announced. Plus, Charli XCX has analysed the realities of being a pop star in a recent essay, which raises the question: is the life of a popstar inherently stupid?
And Annie and Nick pay tribute to two music greats, Gary “Mani” Mounfield and Jimmy Cliff, and discuss how songs can allow artists to live forever.
Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16, WhatsApp on 07970082700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk
SONGS
JT – Girls Gone Wild
Shygirl/JT/Sega Botega – Slime
Oasis – Live Forever
Jimmy Cliff – You Can Get It If You Really Want
Jimmy Cliff – Wonderful World, Beautiful People
Jimmy Cliff – I Can See Clearly Now
Jimmy Cliff – The Harder They Come
Charli XCX – Von dutch
Rosalía - Berghain
ALBUMS
Rosalía - LUX
Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska
Beyoncé - Renaissance
Beyoncé - Cowboy Carter
The GQ journalist who investigated whether Timothée is EsDeeKid is Josiah Gogarty.
After an eye-opening survey by Live Nation, Annie and Nick discuss why more people would choose to go to a concert rather than have sex – and whether the both of those things belong in the same category. Otherwise this week, Nick attended a fashion show with Beth Ditto, and spotted a familiar face on the catwalk; and Annie was mesmerised by a Mulatu Astatke show.
Plus, Lorde played the O2 and two listeners have strong opinions about it, CMAT is making people cry at her gigs, and BBC Introducing has been criticised for playing an “AI Artist”
And Billie Eilish is taking on Elon Musk for not giving away his riches, but before they can decide who’s winning this feud, Annie and Nick need to work out how many billions are in a trillion.
Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16, WhatsApp on 07970082700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk
SONGS
Mark Morrison – Return of the Mack
Mulatu Astatke - Tezeta
Rosalía- Berghain
Robyn – Dopamine
Charli XCX – Chains of Love
Hercules & Love Affair – Someone Else is Calling
ALBUMS
Mulatu Astatke - Mulatu Plays Mulatu
Rosalía - LUX
Lily Allen - West End Girl
The world reacts to Rosalía's new album and Annie and Nick debate whether there’s room for Berghain in the night club. Plus, the Grammy nominations have been announced, and rap music has fallen off the US charts prompting the question; do genres ever die? Elsewhere, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducts new legends, Nick hears a song that inspires him to film a roundabout, and we discover the unlikely record that got Annie into DJing. Plus, is Charlie XCX’s new track suitable for early morning? Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16, WhatsApp on 07970082700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk SONGS
Samantha Fu – Discotheque
De La Soul – Buhloone Mindstate
Blood Orange – Mind Loaded
Joey Negro – Risky Biznizz
Rosalía - Magnolia, Mio Cristo and La Perla
Leon Thomas – Mutt
Charlie XCX and John Cale – This House
Handel – Messiah ALBUMS
Rosalía - Lux
Blood Orange – Essex Honey
Annie and Nick follow the reaction of two major album releases this week from Dave and Lily Allen, with one breaking chart records and the other breaking the internet. They also look ahead to the much-anticipated album release from Rosalía, which left Nick wanting to see a chiropractor and make a ‘classical bangers’ playlist. Elsewhere, the pair discuss Erykah Badu’s mysterious messaging, Billie Eilish challenges billionaires, and the pair ponder some Grammy nomination predictions. Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16, WhatsApp on 07970082700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk SONGS
Inflatable Boy Clams - Skeletons
Jenny Beth – Savages
Dave feat. Kano – Chapter 16
Dave feat. James Blake – Selfish
Rosalía feat. Björk and Yves Tumor – Berghain
Krzysztof Penderecki - Symphony No. 3. ALBUMS
Lily Allen – West End Girl
Dave – The Boy Who Played Harp
What’s scarier: being haunted by ghosts, or promoting an album? It’s a Halloween special with Florence Welch.
As she prepares to release her new record, Everybody Scream, Florence reveals the supernatural elements that inspired her. Plus, swapping playlists with Ethel Cain and Abigail Morris, using fear as a muse; and Annie and Nick reminisce about partying with Florence in the early days of all their careers.
Florence Welch’s Halloween Music Recommendations:
ØXN - The Trees, They Do Grow High
ØXN - Cruel Mother
Lingua Ignota – DO YOU DOUBT ME TRAITOR
Anna Von Hausswolff –Theatre of Nature
Hilary Woods - Acts of Light
PJ Harvey - White Chalk
Swans - It's Coming and It’s Real
Judee Sill
Storefront Church
Other Albums Mentioned:
Florence and the Machine – Everybody Scream
Florence and the Machine – Lungs
Florence and the Machine – Dance Fever
The Cure – Songs of a Lost World
Ethel Cain – Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You
The Last Dinner Party – From the Pyre
Other Songs Mentioned:
The Cure – Friday I’m In Love
Kendrick Lamar – Reincarnated
Kesha – Supernatural
In a busy week for new music announcements, Annie and Nick look back and ahead. First though, Nick needs to talk about his newfound passion: Sumo Wrestling. Elsewhere, Rosalía and Dave have announced new music, and Lily Allen is dropping an album on Friday - which Annie and Nick have had a sneak preview of. In other news: what made this year’s Mercury Prize so much better than previous years? And of course, the sad news of D’Angelo’s death has allowed the world to pay tribute to his immense influence; Annie and Nick discuss their love for his music.
Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16, WhatsApp on 07970082700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk
SONGS
Lily Allen – West End Girl
D’Angelo - Playa Playa
D’Angelo - Untitled (How Does It Feel)
Lauryn Hill & D’Angelo - Nothing Even Matters
ALBUMS
Dave – The Boy Who Played The Harp
Lily Allen – West End Girl
Rosalía - LUX
Sam Fender – People Watching
D’Angelo - Brown Sugar
D’Angelo - Voodoo
D’Angelo - Black Messiah
With a grassroots campaign against Spotify getting global attention, Annie and Nick ask if the platform faces any real existential threat – or is its grip on the market unbreakable?
Elsewhere, Drake’s lawsuit against Universal has been dismissed, Missy Elliot’s “Get Ur Freak On” has been declared the best song of the 21st century so far and FKA Twigs wants to help more women work in music. Plus, breaking news: Patti Smith is good, going out keeps you feeling young, and Crazy Frog sounds better with food.
SONGS
Patti Smith – Gloria
Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us
Missy Elliott – Get Ur Freak On
Frank Ocean - Thinkin Bout You
Britney Spears - Toxic
Radiohead - Idioteque
Kendrick Lamar - Alright
Robyn - Dancing on My Own
Taylor Swift - All Too Well
The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
Beyoncé feat. Jay Z - Crazy in Love
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Maps
RAYE – Where the Hell Is My Husband?
The Smiths – Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now
Axel F – Crazy Frog
ALBUMS
Chronixx – Exile
Annie and Nick attempt to wrap their heads around Taylor Swift’s sales stats, in the days after the release of her 12th album, The Life of a Showgirl. And ask important questions such as: what motivates the most famous person in the world, did she really bake all that bread for breakfast radio hosts, and is she the female Ricky Martin?
Elsewhere, Mariah Carey may be on the verge of finally releasing the original version of her grunge album, Charli XCX is back in the studio, and Bad Bunny is fit. Plus, a twist: Nick has changed his mind about K-Pop Demon Hunters.
Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16, WhatsApp on 07970082700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk
SONGS
Q-Tip – Vivrant Thing
Q-Tip – Breathe and Stop
Mustafa – Stay Alive
HUNTR/X, Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami – Golden
Lianne La Havas – Disarray
Danny Brown – Starburst
Taylor Swift – Actually Romantic
Charli XCX – Sympathy is a Knife
Aqua – Barbie Girl
Ace of Base - All That She Wants (Is Another Baby)
Technotronic - Pump Up The Jam
Patti Smith - Gloria
ALBUMS
Q-Tip – Amplified
Doja Cat – Vie
Chick – Someone's Ugly Daughter
Mariah Carey – Daydream
Taylor Swift – The Life of a Showgirl
Taylor Swift – Folklore
Charli XCX – brat
Pink Pantheress – Fancy That
In a week that saw the terrorism case against Kneecap’s Mo Chara thrown out, and Bad Bunny announced as the performer at next year’s Super Bowl half-time show, Annie and Nick discuss the complex history of music and world events. Elsewhere, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky have announced the birth of their third child Rocki Irish Mayers, and Robyn might be about to release a new album. Plus, Annie has some grammatical feedback for Nick, and many questions about Geese.
Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16, WhatsApp on 07970082700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk
SONGS
Olivia Dean – Man I Need
Bad Bunny - NUEVAYoL
ALBUMS
Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving
Geese – Getting Killed
Robyn – Honey
Bad Bunny - Debí Tirar Más Fotos
Olivia Dean is the first British Female Artist since Adele to have three singles in the top 10 simultaneously and her single Man I Need is the highest performing song on the Global Spotify Chart from a UK artist in 2025 so far. Annie and Nick welcome Olivia to the Sidetracked studio, on the eve of the release of her second album, The Art of Loving.
Olivia, Annie and Nick delve into the week in music: Cardi B’s long awaited second album, Frank Ocean addressing rumours of new music, and Miley Cyrus collaborating with Fleetwood Mac. Plus, the power of the comfort zone, British chocolate bars - and can AI write a convincing Olivia Dean song?
Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16, WhatsApp on 07970082700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk
SONGS
Olivia Dean - Man I Need
Robbie Williams – Angels
Robbie Williams – Rock DJ
Cardi B, Lizzo – What's Goin On
4 Non Blondes – What’s Up?
Miley Cyrus, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood – Secrets
ALBUMS
Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving
Cardi B – Am I the Drama?
Miley Cyrus – Something Beautiful
Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Are phone-free experiences the future? Annie and Nick discuss the importance of forging real connections after an effective stickers-on-phones policy. Elsewhere, 90,000 Bowie artefacts are being exhibited at London’s V&A museum and Bad Bunny puts his fan’s safety first by deciding not to tour in the US. Plus, Cardi B takes album sales into her own hands, the 2026 Coachella line-up is (already) here, and Annie and Nick discuss their Mercury Prize winner predictions. Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16, WhatsApp on 07970082700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk ALBUMS
Cardi B – Am I the Drama?
CMAT – EUROCOUNTRY
Jacob Alon – In Limerence
Pulp – More
Fontaine’s D.C. - Romance
Joe Webb - Hamstrings & Hurricanes
Martin Carthy - Transform Me Then Into A Fish
SL – Block Tales SONGS Selda Bağcan - İnce İnce Bir Kar Yağar
What the hell happened in music this summer? Annie and Nick reflect back on a season to remember, from the Song of the Summer (or lack thereof) to their personal highlights from the past few months. Plus, Annie and Nick road test a new, and somewhat unhinged, feature...the Gigging Forecast! Similar to the shipping one but think more live events than high seas. Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16, WhatsApp on 07970082700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk
SONGS
HAIM – Take Me Back
Chappell Roan – The Subway
Jess Glynne – Hold My Hand
HUNTR/X, Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami – Golden
Goo Goo Dolls – Iris
Addison Rae – Headphones On
HAIM – Relationships
Olivia Dean – Man I Need
ALBUMS
Charli XCX – brat
KPop Demon Hunters – Soundtrack from the Netflix Film
Addison Rae – Addison
HAIM – I Quit
Wolf Alice – The Clearing
CMAT – Euro-Country
Inspired by Annie’s recent driving epiphanies, Nick details how CMAT made a journey to Manchester a spiritual experience. In other news, Beyoncé and Jay Z might be moving to the Cotswolds, Cardi B continues to be the funniest person in the world, and Sabrina Carpenter’s interview with Gayle King gave us more questions than answers. And after an overwhelming response to a Sidetracked social clip about invisible DJs, Annie and Nick present the most compelling arguments for and against. Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16, WhatsApp on 07970082700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk
SONGS
CMAT - Lord, Let That Tesla Crash
CMAT - Ready
CMAT – Iceberg
CMAT – Coronation St.
CMAT – Sports Car (Radio 1 Live Lounge)
Wolf Alice – The Sofa
Wolf Alice – Just Two Girls
Oliver Sim – Obsession
Blood Orange feat. Caroline Polachek, Lorde, & Mustafa – Mind Loaded
Mazzy Star – Fade Into You
Sabrina Carpenter – Tears
TSHA - Revolution ALBUMS
CMAT – Euro-Country
Wolf Alice – The Clearing
Blood Orange – Essex Honey
Sabrina Carpenter – Man's Best Friend
From Chappell Roan’s Reading Festival set to Notting Hill Carnival, Annie and Nick discuss the August bank holiday weekend – and how enjoyable it is to sit down. Plus, the music that inspired several epiphanies for Annie on her drive back from Forwards Festival in Bristol. Elsewhere, Beth Ditto thinks Nick CAN sing, Annie gives her analysis of Taylor Swift’s album announcement, and a listener describes how a Fat Dog gig helped her let go on the dancefloor.
Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16, WhatsApp on 07970082700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk
SONGS
Chappell Roan – The Subway
The Who – Baba O’Riley
Oliver Sim - Obsession
Soul Wax - New Earth Time
Chappell Roan - Good Luck, Babe!
Wolf Alice - The Sofa
Wolf Alice - Just Two Girls
ALBUMS
Natalie Bergman - My Home Is Not In This World
Jim Legxacy - Black British Music
Taylor Swift - The Life of a Showgirl
CMAT - Euro-Country
Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme joins Nick to discuss the week in music. It's been a tough week for All Points East, the festival was the focus of some savage reviews after Sault’s much anticipated show and now Doechii has cancelled her upcoming headline slot. Nick and Josh ask: where has it all gone wrong? Plus, Taylor Swift isn’t the only one with a new album coming out in October, Florence + The Machine are returning, and Josh recalls the time he tried and failed to match Florence Welch’s ethereal energy. Elsewhere, Lana Del Rey and Ethel Cain are in a feud, the Hives are back and better than ever, and Liam Gallagher’s been banned from throwing his tambourine into the crowd at Oasis gigs.
Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16, WhatsApp 07970082700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk
SONGS
The Hives – The Hives Forever Forever the Hives
Florence + The Machine – Everybody Scream
Big Freedia – Explode
Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash – Jackson
Florence + The Machine & Josh Homme – Jackson (MTV Unplugged)
The Smiths – This Night Has Opened My Eyes
OutKast – Hey Ya!
Robyn – Dancing On My Own
New Order – Blue Monday
Radiohead – Let Down
Dean Martin – Mambo Italiano
ALBUMS/EPS
Queens of the Stone Age – Alive in the Catacombs
The Hives – The Hives Forever Forever the Hives
Taylor Swift – The Life of a Showgirl
Oasis – Definitely Maybe
Florence + The Machine – Everybody Scream
A look back on the biggest musical lessons of 2025 so far with the help of Sidetracked’s guests, including Cynthia Erivo sharing her theory on why we’re created with the ability to sing, Stevie Wonder pondering the concept of retirement, and James Blake standing up for Coldplay. Plus, Michael Eavis’s approach to birthday parties, Alana Haim’s bad habits and Sir Rod Stewart’s Glastonbury budget.
Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16 WhatsApp 07970082700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk