Have you heard Luna Lee play Prince’s “Purple Rain” on the gayageum? It’s one of those rare moments when you feel like you’ve discovered something new and ancient all at once! Luna doesn’t just cover the song—she brings it to life with each delicate, thrilling note, layering rich vibrato with a dash of distortion that takes this 1984 classic to places Prince himself would’ve applauded.
MOONDROP Unveils VENUS Planar Headphones
The new MOONDROP VENUS Planar Headphone brings a high-quality audio experience to users, merging advanced technology with an emphasis on comfort and precision. Featuring a 100mm sub-nanometer diaphragm, VENUS is engineered for those who value accurate sound reproduction. This diaphragm technology ensures clarity and sharpness across a wide frequency range, giving users an incredibly immersive listening experience. MOONDROP has also integrated their aluminum alloy CNC cavity structure into VENUS, which offers durability while enhancing acoustic performance, allowing listeners to enjoy crisp, balanced sound.
One standout feature of the VENUS headphones is its high-frequency waveguide phase equalization. This advanced technology ensures that sound waves are balanced, reducing distortion even at high volumes. MOONDROP has designed the frequency response curve to align with Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF), meaning the audio experience closely mirrors how we naturally perceive sounds. This focus on realistic sound representation makes VENUS ideal for audiophiles who want every detail to feel authentic, whether it’s for music, movies, or gaming.
MOONDROP has also prioritized user comfort with a self-adjusting leather headband, providing a customized fit for long listening sessions. The VENUS headphone’s design is made to accommodate different head shapes and sizes, minimizing pressure on the head while delivering an exceptional audio experience. With options for both single-end and balanced plug connections, VENUS offers compatibility with various audio devices, making it versatile for users who might want to switch between different setups.
Included in the VENUS package are the headphones, a 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter, a 3.5mm stock cable, and a 4.4mm balanced cable, ensuring users have the necessary tools to maximize their audio experience. MOONDROP’s commitment to quality extends to every detail in the package, from the cables to the included manual and QC certificate, underscoring their dedication to delivering a premium product. With its high-end features, VENUS stands as an impressive option in MOONDROP’s lineup, merging cutting-edge audio technology with elegant design and comfort.
My Next Read: “Cosmic Scholar: The Life and Times of Harry Smith” by John Szwed
Grammy Award–winning music scholar and celebrated biographer John Szwed presents the first biography of Harry Smith, the brilliant eccentric who transformed twentieth century art and culture.
He was an anthropologist, filmmaker, painter, folklorist, mystic, and walking encyclopedia. He taught Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe about the occult, swapped drugs with Timothy Leary, had a front-row seat to a young Thelonious Monk, lived with (and tortured) Allen Ginsberg, was admired by Susan Sontag, and was one of the first artists funded by Guggenheim Foundation. He was always broke, generally intoxicated, compulsively irascible, and unimpeachably authentic. Harry Smith was, in the words of Robert Frank, “the only person I met in my life that transcended everything.”
In Cosmic Scholar, the Grammy Award-winning music scholar and celebrated biographer John Szwed patches together, for the first time, the life of one of the twentieth century’s most overlooked cultural figures. From his time recording the customs of Native American tribes in the Pacific Northwest and Florida to his life in Greenwich Village in its heyday, Smith was consumed by an unceasing desire to create a unified theory of culture. He was an insatiable creator and collector, responsible for the influential Anthology of American Folk Music and several pioneering experimental films, but was also an insufferable and destructive eccentric who was unable to survive in regular society, or keep himself healthy or sober.
Exhaustively researched, energetically told, and complete with a trove of images, Cosmic Scholar is a feat of biographical restoration and the long overdue canonization of an American icon.
IRON MAIDEN: ‘Powerslave’ 40th Anniversary Zoetrope Vinyl Limited Edition To Be Released On November 15
BMG will be releasing IRON MAIDEN Powerslave on November 15th as a limited-edition vinyl pressings to mark this historic album and is true collector’s item. Powerslave is available to pre-order https://lnk.to/pwsl40PR
In celebration of the 40th Anniversary of IRON MAIDEN’s landmark album Powerslave, a brand-new edition will be released as the band’s first-ever zoetrope picture disc, featuring unique zoetrope artwork and the 2015 remastered audio of the album. The original sleeve has been expanded and contains new artwork and exclusive ‘Powerslave at 40’ liner notes from band founder Steve Harris. In addition, there is a Walmart Exclusive version that included a Lenticular 3D Album Art sized print.
Originally released in September 1984, Iron Maiden’s fifth studio album Powerslave was another massive success for the band, charting all around the world including: U.K. #2, Switzerland #3, Norway #4, Germany #5, Sweden #5, New Zealand #11, Austria #15 Canada #21, US #21 and Australia #26, achieving multiple Gold and Platinum discs. It features the iconic singles ‘2 Minutes To Midnight’ and ‘Aces High’ alongside fan favourites “Powerslave” and the epic “Rime of the Ancient Mariner.”
Powerslave is beloved by fans and showcased the rapidly evolving ambition, sound and songwriting might of IRON MAIDEN as they were on the fast track to becoming one of the biggest metal bands on the planet; a position they have maintained to this day.
ABBA ‘The Singles – The First Fifty Years’ Out October 25 as Four-Vinyl Set and Double-CD
The 50th anniversary of ABBA’s victory in the Eurovision Song Contest on April 6th 1974 has been thoroughly celebrated all over the world – not just the triumph with ‘Waterloo’, but the group’s amazing accomplishments and their position as one of the world’s major pop bands. And the celebrations aren’t over yet! In October 2024, Polar Music International will issue a magnificent box set of ABBA’s single A-sides: The Singles – The First Fifty Years. The compilation brings together, for the first time, not only every ABBA single issued by Polar up until 1982 but also the singles released in conjunction with 2021’s Voyage album.
Building on ABBA’s classic double album The Singles – The First Ten Years, originally issued in 1982, this new box set expands the concept by bringing the story bang up to date, featuring every ABBA single released 1972–2022. Available as a four-vinyl disc set and a double-CD, The Singles – The First Fifty Years is a journey through some of the best pop music ever recorded. From the group’s 1972 debut single ‘People Need Love’ to the Voyage album’s ‘No Doubt About It’ in 2022, the 38-track box set features masterpieces such as ‘SOS’, ‘Mamma Mia’, ‘Fernando’, ‘Dancing Queen’, ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’, ‘Take A Chance On Me’, ‘Chiquitita’, ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)’, ‘The Winner Takes It All’, ‘Super Trouper’, ‘One Of Us’, ‘Don’t Shut Me Down’ and all of ABBA’s other big hits.
To make the story more complete, The Singles – The First Fifty Years features four additional tracks not issued as Polar Music A-sides, but which were singles in some countries back in the day: ‘Hasta Mañana’, ‘Angeleyes’ (a double A-side with ‘Voulez-Vous’ in some countries), ‘Lay All Your Love On Me’ and ‘When All Is Said And Done’. The package also comes with an illustrated booklet with linernotes by Carl Magnus Palm.
The Singles – The First Fifty Years is the ultimate celebration of ABBA’s pop music genius!
Disc 1 – Side A
People Need Love
He Is Your Brother
Ring Ring
Love Isn’t Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough)
Waterloo
Honey Honey
Disc 1 – Side B
Hasta Manana
So Long
I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
SOS
Mamma Mia
Fernando
Disc 2 – Side A
Dancing Queen
Money, Money, Money
Knowing Me, Knowing You
The Name Of The Game
Take A Chance On Me
Disc 2 – Side B
Eagle
Summer Night City
Chiquitita
Does Your Mother Know
Disc 3 – Side A
Voulez-Vous
Angeleyes
Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)
I Have A Dream
Disc 3 – Side B
The Winner Takes it All
Super Trouper
Lay All Your Love On Me
One Of Us
Disc 4 – Side A
Head Over Heels
When All Is Said And Done
The Day Before You Came
Under Attack
Disc 4 – Side B
I Still Have Faith In You
Don’t Shut Me Down
Just A Notion
Little Things
No Doubt About It
Noah Kahan to Release Canadian Exclusive 7-Inch Vinyl for “Northern Attitude” on November 8
Noah Kahan is releasing a Canadian-exclusive 7-inch vinyl single of his hit song “Northern Attitude” as a tribute to Canadian fans on November 8th. The limited-edition vinyl (4,000 copies) will include the original version plus a B-side of the song with Hozier. Two versions will be available: a direct-to-consumer Ruby Red Vinyl and a Retail Black Ice Vinyl available via Mercury Records/Republic Records/Universal Music Canada.
Noah Kahan’s Stick Season and We’ll All Be Here Forever tours have been a remarkable success, reflecting his deep connection to Canada. With the album achieving 4x platinum certification and its title track reaching diamond status, his popularity continues to soar.
Noah grew up in Strafford, Vermont close to the Canadian border. His bond with the country is reflected in his sold-out arena shows, which surpassed 155,000 tickets across Canada, from Vancouver to Prince Edward Island including 3 sold-out nights in Toronto at Scotiabank Arena.
“Nobody understands Northern Attitude like our true northern neighbours. Canada I hope you enjoy this new vinyl!” said Kahan.
GRAMMY nominated Vermont singer & songwriter Noah Kahan has exploded from his New England roots into the global mainstream. At the core of his music are vulnerable lyrics and an unfiltered yet relatable honesty, as the critically acclaimed artist pens songs straight from the heart and cracks jokes with his signature, self-deprecating sense of humor. Throughout his career, Kahan has become globally renowned for his singular mix of Folk, Americana, and Rock, landing more than seven billion streams and a 4x Platinum Certification for his hit single “Stick Season.” His widely adored Double Platinum-Certified album Stick Season and its breakthrough single are inspired by his hometown of Strafford, Vermont and earliest musical inspirations and songwriting heroes—from Paul Simon to Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens)—conveying a vivid representation of what he loves, fears, and struggles with most passionately. He followed up the album’s massive global success with his sold-out “Stick Season Tour” and two extended versions of the record—Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever) and Stick Season (Forever), which both surpassed sales of the original and featured new singles “Dial Drunk” and “Forever,” as well as collaborations with the likes of Post Malone, Kacey Musgraves, Brandi Carlile, Hozier, Gregory Alan Isakov, Gracie Abrams, Sam Fender, and Lizzy McAlpine. Kahan’s latest “We’ll All Be Here Forever World Tour” saw him performing in sold-out stadiums and arenas around the globe, including two sold-out nights at Boston’s iconic Fenway Park. The shows were livestreamed to benefit his mental health initiative The Busyhead Project, which has raised over $2.5 million dollars to date to expand access to mental healthcare and fight the stigma around mental health. His live album, Live From Fenway Park, was released following the career-defining shows as the final installment of the Stick Season chapter.
Lindsay Ell Channels Pain Into Power on New EP love myself Out Today
Platinum-selling singer, songwriter and musician Lindsay Ell releases her most personal and inspired music to date with her eagerly awaited EP, love myself, out today via Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company.
The first project that Lindsay Ell has co-produced, love myself marks an artistic evolution in her sound and an awakening in her songwriting. Recorded in Brooklyn with producer Doug Schadt (Maggie Rogers), love myself is a collection of emotive alt-pop songs that cut deep with their vulnerability.
“This project is all about me coming back to myself and finding ways to love who I am,” shares Ell. “I’m now able to look in the mirror and accept everything I’ve been through, everything that has made me the woman I show up as today, and, for the first time in a very, very long time, I am so proud to be her.”
“This project feels so liberating and so free, like I’m finally connecting head and heart,” shared Ell in an exclusive interview with People ahead of the release. Lauded for her songwriting, Ell explores themes of the human condition throughout the EP such as self-doubt, negative self-talk, resilience, and healing. “I’ve finally reached the point where I have been able to turn my pain into power – not letting it define who I am, but letting it fuel what I want to do and inspire the mark I want to make on the world,” she shares. Through the lens of Lindsay Ell’s personal experiences, love myself expresses universal emotions and creates a sense of connection.
love myself is the newest chapter in Lindsay Ell’s decade-long career that boasts three #1 hit songs, a Platinum-certified single, and over 400 million streams. Ell is a CCMA Award winner with nominations from the CMA Awards, ACM Awards, CMT Awards, JUNO Awards, and over 20 CCMA Award nominations.
A generational talent, Ell has always felt at home on stage. Beginning her touring career at age 10, Lindsay Ell has brought her electric live performance style to audiences across the US, Canada, Europe, and the UK with both her headlining tours and alongside artists such as Keith Urban, OneRepublic, and Maren Morris. Over the past year, Lindsay Ell has proudly assumed the role of lead guitarist on her childhood hero Shania Twain’s “Come on Over” international tour and Las Vegas residency which continues into 2025.
2025 will also see Lindsay Ell return for her fourth consecutive season as the exuberantly warm-hearted host of Canada’s highest-rated reality program Canada’s Got Talent, which has earned her two consecutive Canadian Screen Award nominations.
In addition to her multi-faceted talent, Lindsay Ell’s philanthropy and advocacy have earned her prestigious recognition in both Canada and the US. Last month, she received the CCMA’s Music Humanitarian Award in recognition of her work with her Make You Movement charitable fund, and was a guest speaker and panelist at the Clinton Global Initiative’s 2024 Annual Meeting in New York City where she shared her story of recovery from an eating disorder. The Calgary-born, Nashville-based super talent has bravely brought her resilient outlook to the forefront with one mission: to empower and advocate for others.
love myself Tracklisting:
- story i tell myself
- the hard way
- pain tolerance
- what did i do?
- love myself
Lady Gaga Releases “Disease,” First Single From Her Forthcoming Album, Due February 2025
13-time Grammy Award-winner Lady Gaga today released “DISEASE,” the first single from her forthcoming album (affectionately dubbed LG7), due Spring 2025. Stream/download “DISEASE” HERE. Watch the accompanying lyric video HERE.
Marking her highly anticipated return to pop, LG7 will follow the release of Harlequin, a concept album that serves as a companion piece to the film Joker: Folie à Deux. Harlequin—which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Jazz chart and in the top 20 on the Billboard 200—was praised by critics including ROLLING STONE, who described it as “[a] luxuriant album of jazzy swing, mostly standards, right in her sweet spot,” while THE NEW YORK TIMES remarked that “Gaga can, of course, nail a theatrical tune like this in her sleep, but she brings a fresh energy to ‘The Joker’ by giving it a kind of rock operatic arrangement, complete with electric guitar and a punkish growl in her voice,” with USA TODAY calling it “easily one of her finest moments on record,” noting that “it is impossible to hear Harlequin and have nothing but increased respect for the singer/actress.”
Lady Gaga continues to reign on the Billboard Global 200 with her smash hit “Die With a Smile,” which has topped the chart for eight consecutive weeks, making it the longest-running #1 on the Global 200 this year. The song has amassed 1.06 billion all time global streams across DSPs since its release. Currently the #3 most-listened-to artist in the world on Spotify (and one of only five artists in history to reach over 100 million monthly listeners), Lady Gaga’s other 2024 projects include her collaboration with The Rolling Stones on “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” and the concert film GAGA: CHROMATICA BALL, both of which earned critical acclaim upon release.
Brenda Lee’s Iconic “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” Released in Spanish with Help from Soundlabs AI’s MicDrop Technology
Brenda Lee’s iconic holiday hit, “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” first recorded 66 years ago, has been released today in Spanish for the first time, thanks to an innovative use of responsibly-trained AI technology.
Last holiday season, “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” was the No. 1 song in the U.S. for three weeks, topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart more than half a century after it was recorded and released in 1958, by the then 13-year-old star.
“Noche Buena y Navidad” was refreshed under the production of acclaimed four-time Latin GRAMMY Award-winning producer, Auero Baqueiro, keeping the original music and background vocals while replacing Lee’s original lead vocals with a newly translated Spanish language vocal, created using a new AI vocal model, derived from her voice that has been fully approved by Lee.
The result is a new version of the familiar and cherished holiday classic that sounds as if 13-year-old Brenda Lee was in the booth, singing it for the first time.
The track’s new vocal was created with the help of SoundLabs AI’s MicDrop, a cutting-edge AI audio plug-in which allows a user to transform their voice into another voice or instrument. In partnership with UMG, SoundLabs is creating official ultra-high fidelity vocal models for artists, using their own voice data for training while giving them full artistic approval and control of the output.
Earlier this year, Universal Music Group (UMG) entered into a groundbreaking strategic partnership with SoundLabs, an innovative new AI technology company founded by GRAMMY-nominated producer, composer, software developer, and electronic artist BT.
“Noche Buena y Navidad” is the first collaboration with a UMG artist to be released and marks the first time that a music company has used ethically trained AI to release a new language version of a classic song, created responsibly with the artist’s involvement and authorization.
“I am so blown away by this new Spanish version of ‘Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,’ which was created with the help of AI,” says Brenda Lee. “Throughout my career, I performed and recorded many songs in different languages, but I never recorded ‘Rockin’’ in Spanish, which I would have loved to do. To have this out now is pretty incredible and I’m happy to introduce the song to fans in a new way.”
“We are thrilled to work with Brenda Lee to making ‘Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree’ the first classic song translated responsibly into another language with the power of AI, says UMe President & CEO, Bruce Resnikoff. “We are also very excited about the possibilities of this emerging technology and look forward to harnessing its capabilities to introduce new material created by and approved by our artists.”
“The minute you hear Brenda Lee’s iconic voice on ‘Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree’ you know it’s the official start of Christmas,” says UMG Nashville Chair & CEO, Cindy Mabe. “The global hits has touched people all over the world and kept this young 13-year-old spirit of Christmas captured in a time capsule. We are all so excited for this new Spanish version created with the help of AI from that legendary voice and approved by Brenda Lee herself to help celebrate this enduring, timeless classic.”
This past summer, UMe, the global catalog division of UMG, proposed the idea of creating “Noche Buena y Navidad” to Lee for release for the holidays. As the legendary Rock and Roll and Country Music Hall of Famer enjoyed singing her songs in different languages throughout her illustrious seven-decade career, including French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish, Lee provisionally approved the request. She approved its release upon hearing it and marveling at how authentic it sounds.
The process was much more involved than one might realize and featured a team of accomplished music professionals from across the spectrum to bring the idea to life. Four-time Latin GRAMMY-winning producer and songwriter, Auero Baqueiro, was enlisted to help produce “Noche Buena y Navidad.” His first step was to adapt the lyrics from English to Spanish, making sure to capture the essence of the original but also ensuring that the lyrics, phonetics and rhyming structure felt natural to the Spanish language. Leyla Hoyle, a Chilean born, LA-based Latin vocalist was then brought in to sing the vocals in Spanish while mimicking Lee’s unique vocal patterns – matching pitch, tone breaths and phrasings of the original recording.
Next, Baqueiro delivered the Spanish vocal stem to SoundLabs, who was provided hours of isolated vocal stems from Lee’s UMG archives to create a unique bespoke AI vocal model based on her voice, including the original version of “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” which was recorded when she was 13 years old. Hoyle’s Spanish vocal was then put through the “Brenda Lee” vocal AI model (built leveraging the MicDrop technology), which modified the Spanish vocal to sound like Lee’s voice. Lastly, Baqueiro mixed the AI-created Spanish vocal back into the original music bed.
The result is the new Spanish version “Noche Buena y Navidad,” which harnesses the creative capabilities of ethical AI and demonstrates how AI can be used to expand the horizons of artistry while being respectful of artists and used with their full authorization.
“This project was a tremendously exciting showcase for MicDrop, our real-time voice-to-voice plugin,” says SoundLabs founder, BT. “Training a model based on the 13-year-old Brenda Lee, using original masters, was both a rewarding challenge and a creative breakthrough. We’re thrilled with how this technology breathes new life into a beloved Christmas classic, blending innovation with tradition in a truly human way.”
SoundLabs’ goals is to place powerful new compositional tools at artists’ fingertips, while supporting proper management of their intellectual property. SoundLabs was founded with a foundational respect for intellectual property rights and is focused on helping artists retain creative control over their data and models.
UMG supports bipartisan legislation introduced in the U.S. Congress to protect individuals’ voice and visual likeness from unauthorized computer-generated recreations, using generative AI and other technologies, like deepfakes and voice/image clones. The bill, known as the “NO FAKES Act” (S. 4875 in the Senate and H.R. 9551 in the U.S. House of Representatives) has overwhelming support from a broad swath across the creative community. Recently, Brenda Lee joined hundreds of artists, songwriters, and other creators supporting the legislation in an open letter published by the Human Artistry Campaign, the global organization backing Responsible AI. More information is available at www.humanartistrycampaign.com/nofakesact
Brenda Lee signed with the legendary Decca Records label before her 12th birthday and went on to record such landmark hits as “Sweet Nothin’s,” “All Alone Am I,” “Break It To Me Gently” and “I’m Sorry.” Though she had success in multiple genres including rockabilly, pop and rock, Lee found her home in country music. Lee’s best-loved hit, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” celebrated its 65th anniversary last year and continues to top the charts year after year. Not only has Lee sold more than 100 million albums globally, throughout her career she shared stages and earned the respect of the world’s most revered performers. The Beatles opened for her and the lads from Liverpool became good friends with the Southern belle from Atlanta, and Elvis Presley and Lee made their Grand Ole Opry debut on the same night. Lee had nine consecutive top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hits from 1960 to 1962 and set a record for a female solo artist that was unequaled until over two decades later. Lee churned out country hits such as “Sunday Sunrise” and “Big Four Poster Bed” and continued to have country hits into the 80s, including “I Love Her So,” a duet with George Jones. Lee was the first woman inducted into both the Rock and Roll and Country Music Hall of Fames and she is a recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement award. Her hit song “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” was certified 5x Platinum by the RIAA and reached 1 billion streams on Spotify. In November 2023, “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time ever, 65 years after the song’s debut, and was at the top spot for three weeks. By hitting the No.1 spot, Lee broke several records, many of which were held by Mariah Carey and “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” whom Lee beat out for the top. Lee claims just the third holiday No. 1 ever on the Hot 100. “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” is also Lee’s third No. 1. She now holds the record for the longest gap between an artist’s first and most recent week at No.1 on the Hot 100, as her first No.1 was her single “I’m Sorry” in 1960. Lee and “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” now also hold the record for the longest climb to the top of the Hot 100, as the Johnny Marks-written hit was released 65 years ago, when Lee was just 13 years old. Now, at 79-years-old, Lee is also the oldest woman to top the Hot 100, surpassing previous record-holders Cher (“Believe,” age 52) and Carey (“All I Want for Christmas is You,” age 53).
5 Surprising Facts About Radiohead’s ‘Kid A’
Released in 2000, Radiohead’s Kid A has become a touchstone of modern music, not only for its ambitious sound but also for its surprising twists and innovations, a must-listen of an album and one of the greatest critically acclaimed records of all time. Here are five lesser-known facts about this genre-bending album still making waves for musicians and critics:
1. Origins in Burnout and Breakthroughs
After OK Computer, lead singer Thom Yorke experienced intense burnout, leading to a period of writer’s block and disillusionment with rock music. Yorke retreated to Cornwall, immersing himself in electronic music, which influenced Kid A‘s shift toward electronic and experimental sounds. This detachment from the traditional songwriting process fueled the album’s unique ambiance and Yorke’s abstract, impersonal lyrics.
2. Recording in a Tent Tour Across Europe
In a bold move to disconnect from corporate influence, Radiohead embarked on a European tour in a custom-built tent, free of logos and branding. The tent shows provided a raw experience for fans, presenting the new material live while dodging mainstream promotional avenues. This approach, combined with minimal interviews and no singles, created a mysterious aura around the album’s release.
3. Early Internet Promotion Pioneers
Rejecting traditional promotion like sending out advance copies to media, Radiohead embraced the internet in a groundbreaking way, sharing animated “blips” and teasers online. This avant-garde marketing strategy was a first for a major band and set a precedent for digital album rollouts. Although unconventional at the time, these online visuals helped Kid A capture the curiosity of a global audience, nearly 20 years before YouTube Shorts.
4. Hidden Meaning in the Artwork
Yorke and longtime collaborator Stanley Donwood created the album’s chilling artwork, inspired by the Kosovo War. The stark, jagged mountains in the cover art represent a looming sense of apocalypse, fueled by environmental concerns and societal unrest. The blood-red swimming pool on the spine symbolizes state-sanctioned violence and was inspired by Alan Moore’s graphic novel Brought to Light, underscoring the album’s dark themes.
5. An Influential “Anti-Rock” Statement
With its unusual instruments, like the ondes Martenot and synthesizers, and a heavy use of electronic effects, Kid A diverged from rock conventions. The album’s structure challenged fans’ expectations by omitting choruses and traditional song formats, even testing the band’s relationships. The bold experimental move divided listeners but ultimately won praise, with Kid A being hailed as one of the most influential albums of the 2000s.
In its break from convention, Kid A helped redefine what a rock album could be, blending genres and reshaping the music landscape. These lesser-known aspects of the album’s creation reveal just how radical Radiohead’s approach was at the turn of the millennium – the perfect album for the start of the new century.
