Shannon Mahanty is a freelance journalist, covering music, film and popular culture
August 2021
One to watch
One to watch: Jords
The south London rapper and podcaster moves with impressive flair between genres and moods
December 2019
One to watch
One to watch: Lily Moore
The singer’s neo-soul sounds and powerhouse vocals build the perfect foundation for self-deprecating ballads of love and loss
October 2019
One to watch
One to watch: Celeste
The LA-born Londoner’s soulful pop and beguiling voice have drawn the attention of Lily Allen and Michael Kiwanuka
August 2019
One to watch
One to watch: Arlo Parks
The young Londoner’s confessional brand of pop is fast becoming the sound of emo 2.0
July 2019
Eve: 'I thought of rap as a sisterhood. It was not like that'
As she launches her first album in six years, Eve talks about life at the top of the 00s rap scene – and educating her white, British billionaire husband about life as a black woman
March 2019
Little Simz: 'My friend going to prison tore my community apart'
It may by inspired by burnout and trauma, but the London rapper’s compelling third album Grey Area is full of defiant energy. As she says, ‘I don’t care who I offend’
September 2018
Octavian: the rising rapper who beat homelessness and pigeonholes
The France-born Londoner had a nomadic adolescence, ending up on the streets after dropping out of the Brit school. Now he is about to release one of the most anticipated mixtapes of the year
December 2017
The A-Z of 2018: from A-listers on the small screen to Zayn Malik’s solo career
Here’s a list of everything you’ll need to know about TV, film and pop next year, including Ryan Gosling in space, country Kylie and #Oscarssogay
January 2017
Yuna on hijab style: 'I feel like the world is catching up'
The Malaysian pop star talks about moving to LA at 24, her mother’s style and how her refusal to compromise on modesty led to success as the face of Uniqlo
October 2012
Blogging students
Is your dissertation weirder than mine?
Stuck for a topic? How about acid house economics, bathing with a stranger, or the metaphysics of unicorns?