Sidetracked with Annie and Nick

3d ago

Annie and Nick review the standout moments from the past 12 months. From the Oasis tour to Lily Allen’s culture shifting album release, 2025 has been a major year for UK artists, and who could forget the impact of moments such as: an awkward secret being revealed at a Coldplay concert, Katy Perry going to space, and CMAT playing Glastonbury’s Pyramid stage for the first time. Plus, Annie and Nick attempt the impossible task of choosing just one album and song of the year each. Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16 WhatsApp 079700 82700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk SONGS Taylor Swift – So High School PinkPantheress – Illegal HAIM – Relationships Lola Young – Messy Cameron Winter - Nausicaä (Love Will Be Revealed) ELIZA – Anyone Else Ave Maria Jacon Alon – Liquid Gold 25 CMAT – The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station Blood Orange - Mind Loaded ALBUMS Patti Smith – Horses Björk – Cornucopia Mavis Staples – Sad and Beautiful World Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving Taylor Swift – The Life of a Showgirl Charli XCX – brat Lily Allen – West End Girl Rosalía - LUX CMAT – Euro-Country Cameron Winter – Heavy Metal Dave - The Boy Who Played the Harp Blood Orange – Essex Honey Geese – Getting Killed Chronixx - Exile

Dec 11

Zadie Smith and Beth Ditto join Annie and Nick for the annual Sidetracked Christmas gathering, recorded at an Irish pub in North London. They share nostalgia, gossip and gifts, and decide what makes a song a Christmas song – declaring which ones are truly the greatest. Plus, Annie, Nick, Zadie and Beth choose their musical highlights of the year. Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16 WhatsApp 079700 82700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk SONGS Mariah Carey – All I Want For Christmas Is You Judy Garland – Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Darling Love – Winter Wonderland Labi Siffre – Bless the Telephone Pulp – Common People Lola Young – Messy Herman’s Hermits - I'm Henry the VIII, I Am Dolly Parton – Hard Candy Christmas ALBUMS Blood Orange – Essex Honey Rosalía - LUX Mavis Staples – Sad And Beautiful World Pulp - More Van Morrison - Live at the Grand Opera House Belfast Marcel Dadi – Dadi’s Folk Ray Conniff – We Wish You a Merry Christmas Bert Kaempfert & His Orchestra - Christmas With Bert Kaempfert T.S. Eliot – The Poems of T.S. Eliot

Dec 4

After successfully challenging Ticketmaster over the price of resold tickets on the platform, Olivia Dean has inspired Annie and Nick to ask: should more artists stand up for their fans? Also in Olivia Dean news, she and Lola Young are the only UK artists to make it into Spotify’s Top 10 UK Song or Artist lists for 2025. Yes, Wrapped is out but does anyone care about other people’s listening habits? Plus, Jorja Smith’s team are seeking royalties from an AI track which many people believed to be hers, Björk is using proceeds from a song she made with Rosalía and Sega Bodega to take the Icelandic state to court, and the Reading/Leeds line up is one of its best ever. Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16, WhatsApp on 07970082700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk SONGS Alex Warren - Ordinary Gracie Abrams - That’s So True Lola Young - Messy Chappell Roan – Pink Pony Club Billie Eilish - BIRDS OF A FEATHER Ravyn Lenae – Love Me Not sombr - back to friends Gigi Perez – Sailor Song Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars - Die With A Smile Chappell Roan - Good Luck, Babe! Björk, Sega Bodega, Rosalía - Oral HAVEN – I Run ALBUMS Cameron Winter – Heavy Metal F.S.Blumm & Nils Frahm – Handling Sabrina Carpenter – Short n’Sweet Alex Warren - You'll Be Alright, Kid (Chapter 1) KPop Demon Hunters Cast - KPop Demon Hunters (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film) Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving Charli XCX – brat Fontaines D.C. - Romance Sega Bodega – I Created The Universe So That Life Could Create a Language So Complex, Just To Say How Much I Love You ANNIE'S DINGLE LIST: Michael D. Higgins Dove Ellis Dermot Kennedy Sorcha Richardson Chalk The Scratch

Nov 27

Is Timothée Chalamet secretly a Scouse drill rapper named EsDeeKid? Annie and Nick investigate this conspiracy and all available evidence for and against it. Elsewhere, Beyoncé has let herself be seen in public, which can only mean one thing: something is about to be announced. Plus, Charli XCX has analysed the realities of being a pop star in a recent essay, which raises the question: is the life of a popstar inherently stupid? And Annie and Nick pay tribute to two music greats, Gary “Mani” Mounfield and Jimmy Cliff, and discuss how songs can allow artists to live forever. Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16, WhatsApp on 07970082700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk SONGS JT – Girls Gone Wild Shygirl/JT/Sega Botega – Slime Oasis – Live Forever Jimmy Cliff – You Can Get It If You Really Want Jimmy Cliff – Wonderful World, Beautiful People Jimmy Cliff – I Can See Clearly Now Jimmy Cliff – The Harder They Come Charli XCX – Von dutch Rosalía - Berghain ALBUMS Rosalía - LUX Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska Beyoncé - Renaissance Beyoncé - Cowboy Carter The GQ journalist who investigated whether Timothée is EsDeeKid is Josiah Gogarty.

Nov 20

After an eye-opening survey by Live Nation, Annie and Nick discuss why more people would choose to go to a concert rather than have sex – and whether the both of those things belong in the same category. Otherwise this week, Nick attended a fashion show with Beth Ditto, and spotted a familiar face on the catwalk; and Annie was mesmerised by a Mulatu Astatke show. Plus, Lorde played the O2 and two listeners have strong opinions about it, CMAT is making people cry at her gigs, and BBC Introducing has been criticised for playing an “AI Artist” And Billie Eilish is taking on Elon Musk for not giving away his riches, but before they can decide who’s winning this feud, Annie and Nick need to work out how many billions are in a trillion. Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16, WhatsApp on 07970082700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk SONGS Mark Morrison – Return of the Mack Mulatu Astatke - Tezeta Rosalía- Berghain Robyn – Dopamine Charli XCX – Chains of Love Hercules & Love Affair – Someone Else is Calling ALBUMS Mulatu Astatke - Mulatu Plays Mulatu Rosalía - LUX Lily Allen - West End Girl

Nov 13

The world reacts to Rosalía's new album and Annie and Nick debate whether there’s room for Berghain in the night club. Plus, the Grammy nominations have been announced, and rap music has fallen off the US charts prompting the question; do genres ever die? Elsewhere, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducts new legends, Nick hears a song that inspires him to film a roundabout, and we discover the unlikely record that got Annie into DJing. Plus, is Charlie XCX’s new track suitable for early morning? Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16, WhatsApp on 07970082700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk SONGS Samantha Fu – Discotheque De La Soul – Buhloone Mindstate Blood Orange – Mind Loaded Joey Negro – Risky Biznizz Rosalía - Magnolia, Mio Cristo and La Perla Leon Thomas – Mutt Charlie XCX and John Cale – This House Handel – Messiah ALBUMS Rosalía - Lux Blood Orange – Essex Honey

Nov 6

Annie and Nick follow the reaction of two major album releases this week from Dave and Lily Allen, with one breaking chart records and the other breaking the internet. They also look ahead to the much-anticipated album release from Rosalía, which left Nick wanting to see a chiropractor and make a ‘classical bangers’ playlist. Elsewhere, the pair discuss Erykah Badu’s mysterious messaging, Billie Eilish challenges billionaires, and the pair ponder some Grammy nomination predictions. Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16, WhatsApp on 07970082700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk SONGS Inflatable Boy Clams - Skeletons Jenny Beth – Savages Dave feat. Kano – Chapter 16 Dave feat. James Blake – Selfish Rosalía feat. Björk and Yves Tumor – Berghain Krzysztof Penderecki - Symphony No. 3. ALBUMS Lily Allen – West End Girl Dave – The Boy Who Played Harp

Oct 30

What’s scarier: being haunted by ghosts, or promoting an album? It’s a Halloween special with Florence Welch. As she prepares to release her new record, Everybody Scream, Florence reveals the supernatural elements that inspired her. Plus, swapping playlists with Ethel Cain and Abigail Morris, using fear as a muse; and Annie and Nick reminisce about partying with Florence in the early days of all their careers. Florence Welch’s Halloween Music Recommendations: ØXN - The Trees, They Do Grow High ØXN - Cruel Mother Lingua Ignota – DO YOU DOUBT ME TRAITOR Anna Von Hausswolff –Theatre of Nature Hilary Woods - Acts of Light PJ Harvey - White Chalk Swans - It's Coming and It’s Real Judee Sill Storefront Church Other Albums Mentioned: Florence and the Machine – Everybody Scream Florence and the Machine – Lungs Florence and the Machine – Dance Fever The Cure – Songs of a Lost World Ethel Cain – Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You The Last Dinner Party – From the Pyre Other Songs Mentioned: The Cure – Friday I’m In Love Kendrick Lamar – Reincarnated Kesha – Supernatural