TREMOLO: Usher Hall announces stunning virtual concert series

FIRST PERFORMANCE FROM BEMZ NOW LIVE

Tremolo Virtual Concert Series Schedule

Out now – Bemz – Stream

26th July – Kathryn Joseph

9th August – VLURE

16th August – Lizzie Reid

30th August – Fergus McCreadie

6th September – SILVI

20th September – Hamish Hawk

27th September – Anna B Savage

The Usher Hall in Edinburgh is delighted to announce a series of eight breathtaking, intimate performance films recorded throughout Scotland’s only 5 star concert hall. 

With a dynamic and diverse lineup traversing genres including indie, folk, pop and hip-hop set to drop over the coming two months, kicking off the series today is Glasgow based rapper Bemz, streaming exclusively on The Usher Hall’s YouTube channel here.

The mini concerts will feature Bemz, Hamish Hawk, Kathryn Joseph, Lizzie Reid, SILVI, Fergus McCreadie, Anna B Savage and VLURE performing from hidden corners of the beautiful venue, giving viewers access to spaces that have never witnessed a live performance before.

Councillor Val Walker, Culture and Communities Convener, comments: “It is a huge joy to launch Tremolo, which will give Scotland’s most exciting talent the chance to perform and showcase work in the same venue where so many legendary musicians have played, such as Adele, The Killers and Paloma Faith. 

“The series is a fantastic opportunity to show the Usher Hall in a fresh light. Our new digital programme is eclectic and dynamic with artists spanning a wide range of genres, from folk and jazz to rap and indie. I’d like to thank Creative Scotland and all other partners who have contributed to this project.

“We’re confident that this fantastic new project will leave the audiences of Edinburgh and beyond coming back for more!”

Bemz, is one of several artists helping to further establish Scotland as a bona fide hotbed for Black music, while also proving that rap’s cultural reach stretches way beyond London and the English borders. Bemz’ strengths lie in the honesty within his music. 

Indie folk singer-songwriter Kathryn Joseph transports listeners with beguiling soundscapes of piano, harmonium and voice; a visceral, often melancholy blend of poetry and wistful refrains, conjuring up cinematic visions of Scottish landscapes and raw emotions. 

Rule breaking Glasgow five piece VLURE blur the lines between live electronics, jarring guitars and the performance sensibilities of their post-punk contemporaries. Synth laden hooks and heavy club influenced rhythms find their way twisting around emotionally confronting lyrics.

Lizzie Reid is one of Scotland’s most promising talents. An emotionally raw songwriter, Reid’s songs explore themes of love, loss, identity and modern life, drawing comparisons to contemporaries like Laura Marling, Angel Olsen and Julia Jacklin. 

Parliamentary and Scottish Jazz Awards Album of the Year winner Fergus McCreadie  is a composer of elegant, nuanced, and captivating Jazz music as well as a pianist and improviser of exceptional ability and originality. 

SILVI‘s music could easily be filed alongside Lana Del Rey’s epic approach to songwriting but also the brooding style of Two Feet or Bishop Briggs. Her incredible single “Burning” was crowned ‘Song Of The Year’ at the Weekender Awards last year.

Edinburgh singer-songwriter Hamish Hawk, twice nominated for the Scottish Album of the Year Award, creates musical portraits as vivid in lyric as they are in melody. His music is packed with characters, incident, emotion, and tunes to hang your coat on.

Vulnerability and curiosity have consistently been operative words to describe Anna B Savage’s work and on her second album, in|FLUX, she ruminates on the complexities and variables of humanity, the pain or pleasure of love, loss and earthly connection, capturing it all in devastating, elating and powerful ways. 

Tremolo isn’t just a series of concerts; it’s a statement of support for artists, a celebration of the Usher Hall, and a dynamic addition to Edinburgh’s cultural calendar.

Viewers are sure to discover their favourite new artists in an iconic venue without even having to leave the house!

Study reveals the songs that have been in the Spotify top 200 chart the longest

  • Blinding Lights by The Weeknd has not left the chart since its release, 144 weeks ago
  • Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood is second, while Levitating by Dua Lipa is third
  • Three songs by Olivia Rodrigo are in the list, all from her first album ‘Sour’

“Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd is the song that has spent the most consecutive days in Spotify’s chart of the top 200 most popular songs, a new study reveals.

The study, conducted by online expert VPN Overview, analysed the most recent Spotify Chart of the 200 songs most played on the platform and ranked the titles by ‘Streak’, to see how many days in a row each song has been in the list.

“Blinding Lights”, the 2019 hit by The Weeknd, the first single of his album of the same name, has been in the chart for 1,008 days, or 144 weeks, the longest uninterrupted time on the list. This adds up to two years and nine months, meaning that the song has roughly been in the chart since it came out on November 29, 2019.

Second is “Sweater Weather” by The Neighbourhood, in the chart for 719 consecutive days. The song was originally released on March 28, 2012, as part of the band’s debut studio album “I Love You” (2013), meaning it began its current streak in the top 200 in the middle of September 2020 – more than eight years after first being released. This remains nine years later their most popular song, and one of the most loved songs of the genre.

“Levitating” by Dua Lipa featuring DaBaby is third, with 700 days in a row in the chart. The British singer not only has the third longest streak on the chart, but also seems to be on an ever-growing popularity streak, becoming in just a few years one of the most popular and loved artists of her generation.

Further down, Bad Bunny makes his first appearance in the list – as the top 15 features two songs by the Puerto Rican artist – with “DÁKITI”, featuring Jhay Cortez, on a streak of 672 days. Bad Bunny has recently dropped a new album, ‘Un verano sin ti’, whose songs are already trending in the higher positions of the chart.

The top five closes with “Heat Wave” by Glass Animals, as the song has been in the chart for 615 days in a row. Part of their third studio album “Dreamland”, “Heat Wave” was released in June 2020, and it quickly became a TikTok sensation.

Olivia Rodrigo features three times in the list, in seventh place with “drivers licence”, 10th place with “good 4 u”, and 11th place with “traitor”. All songs are from her first album ‘Sour’ and have been in the list respectively for 602, 475 and 469 days in a row.

Top 15 songs with the longest streak on Spotify 200 Chart
RankSongArtistStreak (days)Streams
1Blinding LightsThe Weeknd10081,671,604
2Sweater WeatherThe Neighbourhood7191,845,229
3LevitatingDua Lipa feat. DaBaby7001,103,271
4DÁKITIBad Bunny672915,634
5Heat WavesGlass Animals6152,725,338
6SunflowerPost Malone615914,339
7drivers licenseOlivia Rodrigo6021,136,726
8Kiss Me MoreDoja Cat feat. SZA511950,173
9Save Your TearsThe Weeknd with Ariana Grande4971,025,524
10good 4 uOlivia Rodrigo4761,136,953
11traitorOlivia Rodrigo4691,282,927
12YonaguniBad Bunny4551,049,507
13Bad HabitsEd Sheeran4341,242,508
14STAYThe Kid LAROI with Justin Bieber4202,279,271
15PepasFarruko4171,145,128

A spokesperson for VPN Overview commented on the findings: “It is really interesting to see the variety of genres songs’ release dates on the list.

“For songs that have been out for the longest it is obviously easier to have a longer streak, however Blinding Lights’ performance is particularly impressive. It became one of the most popular songs in the world as soon as it was released, and has remarkably stayed that way for nearly three years

“At the same time, this is a testament of how much people love certain songs and artists and keep listening to them regardless of time and temporary popularity.”

The study was conducted by VPN Overview, cybersecurity experts dedicated to helping internet users feel safer and protected online.

Saturday night’s alright for Elton!

Elton John announces Edinburgh Meadowbank date

Elton-John

Following on from the announcement of six huge summer dates next year, Elton John has now added another massive British show to his ‘Wonderful Crazy Night’ Tour, performing in Edinburgh on Saturday 25 June.

Having already announced shows in Exeter, Henley, Leicester, Lincoln, Liverpool and Oxford, Elton will bring his band to Meadowbank Stadium for the first live music concert the venue has held since 2007. Continue reading Saturday night’s alright for Elton!