We awarded 14 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2019 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2020 so far and what’s to come. Funny Girl, Groundhog Day, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Eugenius and Vulvarine: A New Musical are previous winners in this category.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
OUT: now
‘I’ve known Youth for 20 years or so. We live up in the same mountain here in southern Spain in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. I’m not mad on industrial, metal dub and trance so it seemed only right and proper that, at weird times like this, I would do something unthinkable, like work together with Youth’, says Blow Monkeys frontman Dr Robert.
We awarded 14 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2019 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2020 so far and what’s to come. Sheridan Smith, Jade Anouka, Imelda Staunton, Sharon D. Clarke and Monica Dolan are previous winners in this category.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
OUT: now
If debut Hurts album Happiness was about love and loss and its follow up (Exile) about sex and death, then the new material we’ve heard from fifth album Faith (out 4/9/20) feels like a return to the lyrical themes that made their name.
We awarded 14 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2019 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2020 so far and what’s to come. Shakespeare Trilogy (Donmar), Follies (National Theatre), Company (Gielgud Theatre) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Bridge Theatre) are previous winners in this category.
We awarded 14 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2019 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2020 so far and what’s to come. James McAvoy, George MacKay, Andrew Scott, Arinzé Kene and Daniel Monks are previous winners in this category.
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
OUT: now
TRACKLIST: Dynasty; XS; STFU!; Comme Des Garçons (Like the Boys); Akasaka Sad; Paradisin; Love Me 4 Me; Bad Friend; Fuck The World (Interlude); Who’s Gonna Save You Now?; Tokyo Love Hotel; Chosen Family; Snakeskin; Tokyo Takeover
Renowned for his encyclopaedic pop knowledge and his hits-filled back catalogue plundered in last year’s film Rocketman, none other than Elton John last month named this the ‘strongest album of the year this far’.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHEN?: 26/6/20
WHERE?: 86 metres above Copenhagen
SETLIST: I Don’t Know What’s Cool Anymore; Vacation; The Spell; 10,000 Nights; Sometimes 2020; Shadows; Fascination
Singers Anders SG and Stine plus band members Anders B, Rasmus, Anders and Troels must enjoy playing midsummer gigs because a year ago they performed their first UK gig since 2013 while at the weekend they staged a Danish show on a hotel roof.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2
OUT now on Netflix
This film is well-timed because in the 65-year history of the Eurovision Song Contest it has been held annually apart from 2020 when Covid-19 caused its cancellation.
Box sets and binge watching have highlighted how much brilliant TV there currently is but this series, written, co-directed and starring Michaela Coel has actually benefitted from a dripfeed release of 2 30-minute episodes per week. Give it a chance because we really weren’t sure about it until episodes 5 and 6 (aired in the UK Monday 22/6 and Tuesday 23/6/20) which drew on some rather complicated strands and pulled them tight to devastating effect. There’s 6 episodes to go and all are aired on the next 3 Mondays and Tuesdays on BBC1 and available at BBC iPlayer. We should’ve known it would be good because we last saw Coel dancing on stage at one of our favourite gigs.
