The Guardian
What happened to affordable ticket prices? What does Global Superstar Harry Styles have to say for his upcoming tour?
OPINION PIECE
By Grace Wilce
Harry Styles announced his new album, ‘Kiss all the time. Disco Occasionally’, as well as his upcoming tour, ‘together, together’, which is ironic because people cannot be ‘together, together’ with these prices. Going to live events like concerts has become a ‘luxury’ and a privilege, that many people drain their bank accounts for, ‘As we rummage deeper into online wallets, accepting twofold, fivefold, tenfold hikes on the face value of tickets for concerts we cannot bear to miss’.
Styles has encountered enormous amounts of backlash from these prices. In spite of that, insider sources claim that, ‘to sustain his lifestyle he has to keep bringing in huge money and with the way things have changed, for any artist to make real money is through tours’. This could suggests that, although he ‘wishes he could charge less’ it is just not ‘realistic’ for the estimated £225 million, singer’s lifestyle he’s been used to, since his career began 15 years ago.
Many other artists like, Taylor Swift, Oasis and Adele, to name a few, have also received criticism from their tours and ticket prices. In the UK ticket prices for this tour at Wembley, range between £44.10 to £466.24 for seated tickets. Standing tickets are between £144.65 to £279.45, then top this off, VIP tickets are £468.85 to £725.45. However, some artists like Yungblud, believe that concerts should be ‘accessible and affordable’. Yungblud states ‘how can you stand on a stage and be okay with that’, when talking about how some fans pay £800 a ticket to see their favourite artists. He goes on to say, about his festival, and how you can pay ‘£65 to see 20 bands’. Yes, they are typically a different genre of music, however, you could agree that for even a fraction of the price of a single Harry Styles tickets, you could be surrounded by all kinds of music and still have a memorable evening regardless.
So, this goes back to the question of who’s to blame? Since Harry Styles loves living his life of luxury, you would be inclined to think it is up to the artists. However, according to Ticketmaster, face value tickets, are determined by the event organisers, and are based on factors like ‘production value, venue size and interest in the event’. That to say, he could have spoken up as ‘it doesn’t sit well’ with many of his fans.
So unfortunately, parents, if you had planned on spending your money on any holidays, your child will be spending it all on a single ticket, to see someone perform, from all the way at the back of the arena.
The Guardian
Fans get a ‘shock to the system’ with Ticket prices after Harry Styles announces new album and tour, is Harry to blame?
NEWS PIECE
By Grace Wilce
Harry Styles is now in the firing range of his fans after his ‘together, together tour’ announcement a week after his new album ‘Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally’ (set to release on the 6th of March) was announced on his Instagram. The 32-year-old superstar is set to perform for 12 nights at Wembley this coming summer (June 12th – July 4th 2026). However, the reason his fans are ‘furious’ is due to the ticket prices.
On January 30th his tickets went on sale and fans are saying that this is a “shock to the system”. According to Ticketmaster, standard standing/seated tickets are between £44.10 – £466.24, depending on how close you are to the stage at Wembley. VIP packages range from £468.85 – £725.45. “Ticket prices to see him at Maddison Square Garden will set you back over $1000, while tickets for his London dates are said to be three-times the price he changed in 2023” a critic stated. Another fan stated on Threads “calling a tour ‘together, together’ when its unaffordable for 99 percent of people is crazy work” (about his Madison Square Garden prices for his 30 shows there).
One fan on X said, “they’re only asking those insane prices because they know people will pay no matter what, not because they actually need the money. Harry could have gone against the increase, but didn’t, this is also on him”. The internet is in an uproar over concert prices and Harry Styles seems to be the new poster boy for it.
Harry’s response to this backlash, did not please the internet, a source said that while harry wishes he could charge less, ‘he simply can’t afford to’ and is not forcing his fans to buy tickets. His fans have even called him ‘greedy’ and ‘out of touch’ after his reaction.
With these astronomical ticket prices, would you not question whether certain artists/shows are worth the money you potentially drain your bank accounts for?
Pitchfork
Absolutely drops her second album ‘Paracosm’ and I feel like a child again!
An album filled with exploration and childlike freedom waiting to be heard and ready to be understood
ALBUM REVIEW
By Grace Wilce
Absolutely shocked the world in 2023, when she released her debut album ‘Cerebrum’, which explored feelings, connection and ideas through not only lyrics, but unique sounds in which the industry, had only just begun to indulge in. However, ‘Paracosm’ almost has this opposite effect. While stepping out the shadow of her first album, ‘Paracosm’, (released in February 2026) has this raw innocence about the music, almost childlike and free. It is clear she understands scale not just sonically but emotionally.
Each song feels like she is breaking free from the restraints which she has felt trapped for so long. The blending of genres like, jazz, R&B, electronica and pop, is what makes this feel fluid throughout. It has aspects of ethereal, cinematic and atmospheric feelings being exposed within each track in order to achieve this genre-resistant pallet. Each instrument, vocal, effect or sample, all play a crucial role in what brings her songs, and the story, to life when each component hits you with that sense of comfort and euphoria.
In 2025, her single for the album ‘I Just Don’t Know You Yet’ was released and blew up on social media. The song gained traction from the spiritual instrumentation and arguably insane vocals and tone in which she brought into the industry. It felt like a refreshing take on modern day ballads. Her jazzy vocals and textural arrangement of this song beautifully described the feeling of being unsure on how you feel and falling for the idea of someone before you even know them. The same could be said for the album named track ‘Paracosm’. The yearning and questioning of yourself comes across and the instrumentation supports this idea of yearning with the use of strings which, traditionally, emphasises the romantic and playful imagery within a song.
Absolutely states in an interview, ‘this album was about looking through the lens of childlike wonder, exploring with boundless imagination and removing the limits of logic and structure’. Her ideas and concept are heard throughout the album and within her third track ‘Painting By Numbers’ especially for the childlike imagery and exploration.
‘Paracosm’ succeeds where it matters most, it feels intentional. Rather than chasing trends, Absolutely constructs a self-contained universe that reflects her artistic priorities. In an industry often driven by immediacy, ‘Paracosm’ argues for something slower, stranger, and more self-defined. It is not flawless, but it is unmistakably her own, and that, ultimately, is its greatest strength.
NME
Hitmaker Mike Rose gives us an insight to their long-standing career
“you were born an original, why die a copy” – Mike Rose
INTERVIEW PIECE
By Grace Wilce
Mike Rose is a British producer with over 100 million streams world-wide, has been involved with 25 million records sold and has 29 top hits under his belt. On his website, it mentions the artists he has worked with like: Gary Barlow, S Club 7, Kylie Minogue, Sting, Sugababes, Boyzone…to name a few. As well as confirming this, I had the opportunity to speak with Mike himself, and what he had to say about his career and where he started.
From potentially running for England, to being an artist and now producer, Rose has proven to be versatile and knowledgeable in any field he finds interesting. People could argue that with thirty plus years in the music industry, this makes Rose one of the most interesting and understanding producers, due to the fact that his “heart and soul” is focused on the artist he is working with. He comes from a background of performing so, understands the stakes of each artist coming in and wanting to do their best, while also making sure the song is exactly what they pictured.
“Nearly sixty, still sitting in a studio” Rose jokingly said in reply to the question ‘could he picture himself doing anything else’. He simply said “No”. Since 1984, his first time in a studio, he has never wanted to leave.
While being an artist previously, he realised that he was “not good looking enough” to be an artist so stopped and wanted to peruse being a producer instead. “I enjoyed myself in the studio so much more”, he says as he found that, he loved to see artists perform his songs he had made, more than he liked performing himself. However, this turned out to be a blessing as he went on to work with some of his “hero’s” like: Pete Waterman, Mike Stock, Nathan Magoth and Tom Watkins and many more, giving him the opportunity to expand his knowledge and improve on his own production skills.
From working with these influential people, Rose produced his first record by himself, and it went to number 2 instantly, this record being, E17’s ‘Gabriella’. He also wrote ‘You’re my number one’ for S Club 7 and made £180,000 just because “people bought the record and liked it”, he said in relation to the question asked, ‘When did it all click into place for you?’, regarding his early career.
When asked ‘if he would work with other producers on his songs’, he simply said “no, not interested” and “never again” alluding to the fact that he hasn’t always had a positive experience working with other producers. He reiterates “to sit down and write a song with someone, is just never going to happen”, it’s safe to say he prefers working for himself.
Mike goes on to say how “being a producer is a lonely life” when asked ‘if he has any advice to upcoming producers’, as well as this, he also talks about how if you really want to be a producer in the industry you have to have a “work ethic, otherwise that won’t get you anywhere” to which most would agree, whether that is the music industry or not, if you are not willing to put the work in, there is someone that will. He states also that you “have to be brutal with yourself” and that “there is a realism to this kind of thing” which you would have to recognise as an artist/producer what you can bring into a room and how you can work with other people.
Even with this successful career Mike has built for himself, he cannot seem to shut out this music part of himself to relax for even an hour. I asked him, ‘how does he normally spend his time away from the studio’ he automatically said, “I don’t” and that even in their family’s holiday house in Devon, he would still bring his MacBook and be working on something, anything if it involved music.
Rose’s famous quote “you were born an original, why die a copy”, seems to have stuck with many people who look up to him, and he has without realising, managed to create such an impact with his music and his identity, inspiring many upcoming producers and artists like myself. He states, “emulation is not the right things to do, because that person is already there”.
Mike was able to disclose that he is working on an upcoming music project with Reading Pride Festival, as well as working with his daughter BELLE, to help promote and produce new music that she will be performing at upcoming shows soon to be announced. It seems 2026 is a very exciting and busy year for Mike.
Appendix (not included in the word count)
They are uploaded like this because our internet connection kept cutting out so I had to stop and start the recording!
(Mike Rose Interview Screen Shot)
Mike Rose (Producer)
Interview Questions: (The ones we managed to get through within the time limit)
Good Morning, Mike! How are you today?
What inspired you to want to be a producer?
What was your first experience in a studio like?
I read that you started out as a songwriting assistant in studios, working alongside Pete Waterman and Mike Stock. Do you remember one thing that you still carry with you in your work now?
How old were you when you produced your first song? And how did you feel about the song afterwards?
Where was your first song recorded?
Who are your influences within your work?
How do you approach writing/producing a song?
Have you ever disregarded a project? If so, why?
Do you think you could picture yourself doing anything else? If you could what do you think it would be?
How do you capture or keep track of your ideas? And where do you keep them? do you keep a notebook? Use voice memos?
When did your career all click into place for you? Was it when you first started to see the results of your work pay off?
Which artists have you worked with/written for?
Do you have a favourite person to collaborate with?
Do you like to collaborate with people/other producers on songs?
When do you feel like a song is finished?
Have you got any unreleased songs? If so, why didn’t they come out?
Do you ever feel like you need to step away from a song, to give your more ideas?
How do you normally like to spend your time away from the studio?
Are you working on anything exciting at the moment you can tease?
Do you ever feel pressure doing what you do? Or feeling pressure to one up your songs?
Your quote ‘you were born an original, why die a copy’ has become something, I know, I look to, being an aspiring artist. What would you say briefly to other artists feeling like they don’t know where to begin?
What would you say to anyone who would look up to producers like yourself, who are just starting out? Have you got any advice?
Well, thank you for your time, I had a lovely time learning more about you and I hope you have a lovely evening!
