Gary Campion

It’s the first issue of 2024 Happy New Year! There is so much to look forward to on the music scene that we should all be excited about….Let’s get stuck in:

My top 5 hits on repeat What I am listening to!

The latest releases from all the stars established and new that you need to listen to:

Becky Hill - Never Be Alone - This vocal powerhouse has admitted she doesn’t make her songs easy to sing….she will be blasting these vocals live at Belsonic later this year.

Dannii MinogueThinking ‘Bout Us - Dannii doing what she does best, a pure dance-pop banger with the help of Autone… …I think we need a new album ASAP Ms. Minogue!

Calum ScottLighthouse - following on from the successes of “Whistle” & “At Your Worst Last,” year my favourite BGT finalist/interviewee hits all the right spots with this upbeat ballad!

New Year Album Releases I’ve previewed:

Paloma Faith - The Glorification of Sadness - 16th Feb

You will have already read the interview with the cover star herself that our Daniel was lucky enough to get by the time you have got to these pages. Paloma has called this her 6th album “the divorce album without the divorce,” having split up with her partner of 10 years when she started writing and recording it. She has written songs of contradictions, self-destruction and euphoria as is evident in the lead singles “How You Leave A Man” and “Bad Woman” and their associated promos. Paloma has never been one to pull the punches when it comes to being honest (sometimes too honest) in her lyrics and interviews but I do unequivocally feel this is the most personally revealing, thought-provoking album of her career. I have always thought talking on and between tracks a bit twee, but there is something almost enlightening and comforting from Palomas additional spoken thoughts and statements scattered throughout the album. With a whopping 17 tracks on this album, she hasn’t done things by half, but then when has she ever throughout her chameleonic career? Stand-out tracks for me are the string-lead vulnerable ballad “Divorce,” the rockier sounding “Let it Ride” with its full electric guitar solos and the drum and bass-filled “Cry on the Dancefloor.”

Kygo ft Ava MaxWhatever - Such a summer vibe, I predict this remix sample of Sharkia’s Whenever, Wherever will be huge!

Cat Janice - Dance You Outta My Head - Cancer survivor and modern-day alt-pop disco diva brings this dancefloor number that will have you doing exactly as the title says!

Gossip - Real Power - 22nd March

12 years since their last release Gossip are back led by the original plus-sized icon Beth Ditto and this album is bringing the indie-sleaze rock movement back to the forefront of the music industry and hopefully just in time for festival season bookings. If you have ever been lucky enough to see Gossip live, you know that Beth and the guys give their everything to every performance and every song while also using their platform to bring queer politics to the fore. This album is no different and will translate perfectly from the studio to the stage, especially with the title track “Real Power” which was penned by Beth in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests amid the COVID pandemic when she saw the power of the people first-hand, showing up to protest despite the risk of potentially becoming seriously ill. “Act of God” has a stage at Glasto written all over it with its bass, drums and guitar rifts. Welcome back guys, lets not leave it so long for your next album eh!

Vinyl of the Moment - The way all the great music should be played!

Girls Aloud - What Will the Neighbours Say?

Reissue - 8th March

On the back of a massively successful reunion tour launch and the statement of no new material without Sarah, the Aloud girls bring us a reissue of their 2004 2nd album on vinyl for the first time with a special picture disc. The double platinum album features five of their top 5 singles including one of my overall favourites of theirs “The Show” along with “Jump,” “Love Machine,” “Wake Me Up” and the No.1 single charity single “I’ll Stand By You.” This is a vinyl I will most definitely be using to wake me up before I drop out on you!

Tia Kofi - Read My Lips - 29th March

New music release timing is quintessential. Tia has timed this debut album release perfectly to coincide with her 2nd chance at grabbing a drag race crown in RuPaul Drag Race UK vs The World season 2 coming to air, giving her the spotlight focus for this debut album to do as well commerially as her prior hit single releases with over 3.5million streams incounting on spotify alone. All 11 tracks have the addictive commercial electro dance sound that she has become known for from her collaborations with Little Boots on hit singles like “Outside In” and “Loving me like that,” both of which feature on my personal getting ready playlist.

I am so excited for all the new music, tours and festival dates this year, there really are some massive things coming our way and I hope, as always to be able to bring you the best of it here in my wee column.

Until next time Happy Listening! Kisses G xx

Please note, this column is the opinion of the columinst and not that of GNI or

My Top 5 Rediscovered Tunes - New but not so new version

With the revival of so many tracks from the past via TV, social media and Cinema I am revisiting some of the best New but not-so- new tunes!

Sophie Ellis-Bexter - Murder on the Dancefloor - I remember this the 1st time around (Gawd I’m old!) brought back to popularity thanks to a certain scene in Saltburn. Go Google it if you live under a rock!

Kate Bush - Running Up That Hillthankfully I’m not old enough to remember this 1st time around but I am loving its continued revival due to Stranger Things Season 4.

The Cramps - Goo Goo Muck - That now iconic and TikTockcrazed dance by Jenna Ortega brought this track back to life with over 48 million streams on Spotify alone.

MMMBop 2.0 - Busted x Hanson - a modernisation of a 90’s Pop classic with the addition of Busted guitars and vocals just in time for their tour last year!

Elton John - Hold Me Closer - We have Elton playing fairy godmother to the Gays to thank for getting Britney back into the charts with new material, is this the end of that though? I hope not!