Clash Magazine

12/08/2026

Starting in 2027, the European Broadcasting Union bars winning countries from hosting if “armed conflict, a sensitive geopolitical situation, or any other situation materially affects the security, safety or stability of the immediate region of a Participating Broadcaster.”

The right to host the show will be transferred to a broadcaster from another country.

“If the winning Member is deemed unable to host, the EBU will identify an alternative Host Broadcaster. The appointed Host Broadcaster will assume all rights, obligations and liabilities associated with hosting the Contest, including responsibility for the organisation, production and staging of the event. The Host Broadcaster will organise the Contest in its own right and will not be required to stage the event on behalf of another Member.”

12/08/2026

Spotify has announced a new labelling system designed to help listeners identify AI-generated artists and content on the platform.

The move comes amid a huge rise in AI-generated music online. Spotify is now looking to increase transparency by introducing new labels for AI-generated personas, alongside more information about how AI has been used in music creation.

From mid-September, an “AI Persona” badge will appear on profiles identified as representing AI-generated artists rather than real people. Music from these AI Personas will also be excluded from Spotify’s editorial and algorithmic recommendations, unless a listener already follows AI personas.

From today (August 12), artists can disclose through Spotify for Artists whether their profile represents an AI Persona. Spotify will also review profiles that haven’t self-disclosed in an effort to identify others, while listeners will be able to report suspected AI Persona accounts later this year.

Importantly, the new system is designed to distinguish between real artists and entirely AI-generated personas, rather than simply labelling any music created using AI. Human artists who incorporate AI into their creative process won’t automatically receive the AI Persona badge.

For greater transparency around how individual tracks are made, Spotify has introduced separate features including AI Credits, allowing artists to disclose how AI was used in the creative process, and SongDNA, which provides more information about the artists and contributors behind a track. Other measures include Verified By Spotify, which indicates that an artist is a real person.

07/08/2026

Belfast-born artist Jack Coulter has launched a new exhibition with Winsor Birch.

The 32-year-old painter has synaesthesia, meaning he experiences sound as colour, and music has always been central to his creative practice. His work has seen him create a painting for Glastonbury Festival, collaborate with Sir Elton John on Tiny Dancer, and find collectors including Paul McCartney, Billie Eilish, Post Malone and the Freddie Mercury Estate.

After three years away from public exhibitions, Coulter returns with With Every Light And With Every Song, a new show at Winsor Birch that draws inspiration from artists including Amy Winehouse, Radiohead, Olivia Dean and David Bowie.

Visitors are encouraged to experience the exhibition in a multi-sensory way, with Bang & Olufsen providing headphones and speakers for an immersive audio experience.

With Every Light And With Every Song runs until August 9 at Winsor Birch, 8 Duke Street, St James', London.

28/07/2026

Jamiroquai legend Jay Kay re-created the band’s iconic ‘Virtual Insanity’ for Beefeater Gin London 0.0 - and reckons it’s better than the original.

The groundbreaking 1996 video was directed by Jonathan Glazer, and showed off Jay Kay’s distinctive dance moves. Film makers Julien & Quentin expanded the original for Beefeater 0.0, while Jay Kay quickly slipped back into the groove.

“It just came out of the blue!” he laughs. “When the initial concept came out to use ‘Virtual Insanity’ I was intrigued… it being one of my babies. I wanted to know how it would work. And they took the concept of me reaching for something and did it in a different way. It’s cool!”

“I can see the connection between my life and what Beefeater are doing, which is moderation. Things have changed since the 90s, and I’ve changed with it,” he explains.

With a new album on the way next year - the best Jamiqoquai have ever done, he boasts - Jay Kay sits down with CLASH to discuss the illustrious past and ambitious future of this seminal British band.

Link below to our interview...

17/07/2026

Ayra Starr Is The Seventh Face Of CLASH 134.

A radiant beacon of feminine energy, Ayra Starr’s next chapter is rooted in truth, and good old-fashioned stubbornness. The Nigerian artist’s sense of determination is her signature, and this superpower has taken her from an unknown dreamer to spearheading a golden generation of talent from the African continent.

Upcoming album ‘Starr Girl’ is the moment fans have been waiting for. A blockbuster album that recalibrates pop’s DNA from her own unique perspective, it’s the work of a soul in flux, a person who is evolving in real-time from day to day.

Sitting down with CLASH during her cover shoot, Ayra cools down with a Magnum Ice-Cream and reveals some home truths; the difficulties of her relocation to New York, her need for adventure in the creative process, and why her work can only come from a space of trust and honesty.

As Ayra Starr puts it: “The best music is made when you leave your ego at the door…”

Words: Robin Murray
Photography: Florence Mann
Fashion: Janice Mahenge
Creative Direction: Rob Meyers
Makeup: Chelsea Uchenna via Opus Beauty
Hair: Keisha Moore via Opus Beauty

Ayra Starr Is The Seventh Face Of CLASH 134. A radiant beacon of feminine energy, Ayra Starr’s next chapter is rooted in truth, and good old-fashioned stubbornness. The Nigerian star’s sense of determination is her signature, and this superpower has taken her from an unknown dreamer to spearhead...

17/07/2026

Samuel Ross MBE, Lancey Foux & Bakar Are The Seventh Faces Of CLASH 134

Between living brotherhood and ancestral memory, Samuel Ross, Lancey Foux and Bakar have emerged as cultural custodians from the time-worn streets of London. The city is both a symbol and setting to their stories; a backdrop to their origins, their respective breakthroughs and now, a stage for their most recent transformations.

Samuel Ross MBE has actively pursued artistic autonomy in his work by establishing his studio SR_A SR_A. A dedicated engineering space for industrial design and spatial architecture, the studio resists institutional framing, thoughtfully reshaping notions of Black British identity.

Ross crossed paths with Hublot in 2019 when he was awarded the Hublot Design Prize. Ross has helped define Hublot through both functional design and innovation. They strengthened their design partnership this year, debuting the Big Bang Unico SR_A, the first signature SR_A model equipped with the Manufacture’s Unico chronograph calibre.

Lancey Foux - the latest ambassador for CUPRA, with our shoot featuring the new CUPRA Raval - is a pioneer of glitch-in-the-matrix "dream rage"; a psychedelic fusion of trillwave, the shadowy cadences of UK drill and high-impact dance music. His influence on a generation of hyper-online UK rap upstarts is unmistakable, but his new album serves as an antidote to that digital myopia - a call-to-arms for real-time, real life connection.

Hailing from North London, Bakar has achieved that rare feat in music: crossover glory. Just as much of a name in the US as he is a homegrown success story, Bakar bridged the gap between lo-fi indie revivalism, narrative-driven pop and the beatmaking dexterity associated with hip-hop. Now, he’s moved past the frenzied feel of his past to a new era that reconciles his idiosyncrasies with carefully-honed, classic song craft.

“The city of London is so rich in terms of culture and creativity,” Samuel Ross tells CLASH. “There’s all these different tenets that make our individual relations to the city so interesting. That extends to us three. We’re all so distinct but very much informed by this city.”

Bypassing the conventional cover story format, in keeping with the non-conformist spirit of all three artists, we present a conversation between friends, brothers and peers.

Words: Shahzaib Hussain
Photography: Jesse Crankson
Creative Direction: Samuel Ross
Fashion: James Loach, Josh T. Arimoro, Samuel Ross
Makeup & Grooming: Paige Cole

16/07/2026

Finn Wolfhard Is The Fifth Face Of CLASH 134.

After a decade in his breakout role as Stranger Things’ Mike Wheeler, the show’s finale closed off a huge chapter in the 23-year-old’s life. Now, the Vancouver-born artist and auteur is taking on his most personal role yet: a heart-on-sleeve, jangly indie rocker.

While Wolfhard’s 2025 debut full-length ‘Happy Birthday’ allowed a peek into his personal life, new album ‘Fire From The Hip’ probes much deeper. It sees Wolfhard writing his own script for once, donning his Barry Lyndon-esque gunslinger garbs to get a little existential – and a little vulnerable, too. ‘Fire From The Hip’ is a visceral embodiment of Wolfhard’s anxious, inquisitive and impulsive nature.

“I feel like impulsivity is a big part of my personality,” he tells CLASH. “That’s what this album represents; just shooting without thinking much about it.”

16/07/2026

Touching Bass founders Errol and Alex Rita are the fourth faces of CLASH 134.

Best described as a cultural movement, Touching Bass are an ever-evolving network of musicians, artists and multi-format curators, brought to life by co-founders and real-life partners Errol and Alex Rita. It first emerged as a mix series hosted on VICE’s offshoot channel Noisey, later launching a NTS radio show and label in 2019.

This year, Touching Bass come full-circle. They’re committed to their foundations, yet magnetically engaged in the future. Celebrating a decade in the game, the duo commemorate the global impact of their life’s work, directly celebrating with their dedicated audience globally through their TB10: 10 Years Of Touching Bass World Tour.

In conversation with CLASH, Errol and Alex Rita reflect on the impact of a creative incubator they’ve nurtured from its insular London origins to a worldwide movement.

They tell us: “It’s us and the nucleus of our strong friendship group, which remains pretty much identical to when we started. That's really important. We are all our own compasses.”

In Association with New Balance

15/07/2026

ADÉLA Is The Third Face Of CLASH 134.

Having studied the Greats, this Slovak riser is writing her own chapter in the pop music pantheon.

Since her debut 2024 single ‘Homewrecked’,’ AdELA MUSIC has garnered over three million monthly Spotify listeners while touring alongside Demi Lovato, with one of the first few stages being a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden. She’s made peers out of those she’s long admired as a pop culture consumer who feasted on American stardom. ADÉLA’s been in training long before she even knew her destiny.

So what, then, is ADÉLA ready to say? With her debut album imminent, there’s an entire industry salivating over what could possibly follow singles as daring as ‘KGB’ and ‘Red Bottoms’. If there’s anything ADÉLA’s certain of, it’s that she won’t ever take the easy road. Having to decide who she wants to be while being dissected by an insatiable media has only made her more unwilling to conform.

“I really wanted to make an album that says everything that pulls my heart. I wanted it to feel like a 22-year-old me,” she tells CLASH. “Some songs are about love, some songs are about my family, some songs are about s*x. Young girl s**t. I wanted to make sure that I’m channeling my experience in the clearest sense.”

Order your copy of CLASH 134 now...

15/07/2026

Sekou Is The Second Face Of CLASH 134.

One of Britain’s brightest young talents, Sekou is learning to cherish his truth. CLASH follows the mercurial songwriter to the South of France, taking notes as Sekou wanders the fields of Grasse alongside Olivier Polge, CHANEL Perfumer Creator, and a living legend in the perfume world.

The two muse on creativity and the role scent plays in their lives – the way it grounds them, and inspires a sense of perpetual reinvention in their work. Artists from very different worlds, this unique and revealing conversation allows Sekou to flip the script, becoming both host and subject during the interview process.

Clad in a luxuriant piece of Barrie knitwear, Sekou reveals a few secrets about his long-awaited debut album, while absorbing a lifetime of sensory learning from Olivier Polge.

As Sekou puts it: “I feel like when you’re an artist, you’re this big open book…”

In association with CHANEL Beauty.

Order your copy of CLASH 134 now...