Latest news with #PrimaveraSound
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How Primavera Sound Got Chappell, Sabrina, and Charli on Its Killer All-Women Lineup
Photo by Clara Orozco, courtesy of Primavera Sound 'I have been waiting to play this festival for a whole f*cking year,' Alana Haim told the crowd at Primavera Sound Barcelona 2025 on the first day of the festival. 'Every single time we play Primavera Sound y'all show the f*ck up.' It's a sentiment many artists share, but it feels even truer this year. Ever since the festival announced Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter, and Chappell Roan — a.k.a. The PowerPuff Girls of pop — as its main headliners this year, anticipation has been stacking up. Alone, it makes sense for pop stars of that caliber to book the main spot at a festival as renowned as Primavera, but bringing them together for an all-women top bill makes the feat all the more remarkable. 'We had Charli last year when brat wasn't even released, but the whole plan was always to try to get her to begin and end officially her brat year [at Primavera],' Marta Pallarès, head of press and corporate relations at Primavera Sound, tells Teen Vogue on the grounds in Barcelona. 'In 2024, she was on the Amazon Music stage presenting the [album's] songs. We knew that she would come back on one of the main stages.' Booking Sabrina Carpenter, Pallarès says, was 'a no-brainer.' She adds: 'She has this kind of quirkiness in her, she's a pop diva. We felt that she would be a good fit for Primavera, and that it wouldn't be just your [average] commercial music. She's incredibly fun. She's so talented and so smart.' With two out of three spots confirmed, all eyes were on Chappell Roan, and it was precisely the fact that the former were already involved that made the Midwest Princess 'come out of retirement' and accept the festival's offer. 'Our head of booking and one of the directors of the festival said, 'I don't care. I just want her. We need to have her do whatever you need to do. If you have to go to Norway and get on a boat with fishermen and go to the island where she's staying, you do that,'' Pallarès adds. 'In the end, it wasn't Norway, but it was London. Two of my colleagues from the booking department went there and spoke with her and told her that we had Sabrina and Charli. You can't tell us you won't be there. And then she said, 'Okay, you know what? Yeah, I'm gonna do it.' We are really, really, really blessed with the three of them.' Pallarès boils it down to a matter of 'luck, trust, confidence, and stubbornness,' but looking closely, it's Primavera's long-standing commitment to showcase diverse artists that made the feat not only happen but also feel like a perfect, natural fit. Back in 2018, Primavera Sound put out a pledge to make their lineups 'gender-balanced' — not because they felt like their roster needed it, but to set a precedent for male-dominated festivals elsewhere. Their headliners in 2025 are without a doubt the pinnacle. 'The [biggest] lesson [we have] learned [since launching the pledge] is it can be done and it can be done consistently,' Pallarès says, emphasizing it needs to be more than just for optics. ' [Some may be like] 'You know what, I'm gonna put all my effort and I can deal with a bad edition if I just wanna do a PR stunt. These women are not talented enough, but I will do it for one edition, and then I'm gonna forget about it. No. You can do it every single year, delivering the best lineups and selling out your festival.' 'The people are so incredibly excited about [our lineups],' Pallarès continues. 'We've been talking about this same topic since 2019, so the lesson is that it can be done, and it shouldn't be so difficult. Moving forward, what I always say is that I would love to not speak about this topic anymore because it's just normal. If diversity is so embedded in our playlist, if it's at the Grammys, then why not on stage?' Charli XCX enlisted the help of Troye Sivan, who was ringing in his 30th the day of the show, for the very first European edition of their SWEAT tour, and the crowd lived up to the performance's name, tirelessly jumping around on command. They also had Chappell Roan as a special guest to do the 'Apple' dance. Sabrina Carpenter followed suit on Friday with an all-new show of her own, where she debuted her new single 'Manchild' live for the first time, and Chappell Roan closed out headlining duties on Saturday with her very own fantasy castle part of her new Visions of Damsels & Other Dangerous Things tour, which included a performance of still-unreleased track 'The Subway' as well as a cover of Heart's 'Barracuda" and a group workout session to the tune of 'Hot To Go!' 'I was on the verge of tears multiple times on stage,' Roan later reflected on her Instagram. 'It was so spectacular to visit and such an electric crowd. Y'all made me feel so special. I will never forget this. One of my favorite shows evaaaa.' Though Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter, and Chappell Roan might have dominated headlines, other acts also made this edition of Primavera unforgettable, and that is the festival's aim from the get-go. 'Something that I always like to mention is that we are one of the very few festivals that release the lineup as a whole. We don't do batches. We understand that the lineup makes sense when you see the whole,' Pallarès explains. 'The small print matters a lot. It's really important for us to have, apart from the Holy Trinity of Pop, acts like Turnstile, Idles, Fontaines D.C., who had one of the best records last year,' Pallarès adds, 'having them back to back with Chappell at the main stages is just unbelievable. It's really so fulfilling.' Yes, main stages in plural, because Primavera Sound is notorious for its dual main stage, which cuts down waiting times between sets significantly for festival-goers. 'The side-by-side stages are completely unique to Primavera,' says Mish Mayer, head of video studios at Amazon Music, which has been responsible for livestreaming the festival to local and global audiences for the past three years. (Amazon Music has had a partnership with Primavera for four years.) 'As a fan experience, it's incredible,' Mayer adds. 'I've never seen a lineup like that. You are getting artist after artist after artist [both on site and] on the live stream in a way that, from a programming perspective and when we are scheduling, we can't choose. They've got four stages, and all those stages are completely packed with incredible artists. From a production and tech perspective, like it's just second to none in terms of how they deliver it. On that level, it just feels like such a special festival.' Even in those secondary stages and time slots, women also shone bright this year — and if Primavera Sound proves anything, it is that anyone can nab the top spot the following year. (Not only did Charli XCX go from the Amazon Music stage to the main Estrella Damn stage in a year, but Rosalía also went from the Pull&Bear stage in 2019 to the main stage as a headliner in 2023.) This year, artists like FKA Twigs, HAIM, Judeline, and beabadoobee were standouts both before headliners and in the early slots of the main stages, pulling considerable crowds in the early hours of the festival despite Barcelona's scorching sun. 'Judeline [is one of the emerging talents] I'll bet on,' Claire Imoucha, head of Amazon Music Spain, tells Teen Vogue. 'She's not small, but I think that she has a really bright future [ahead of her.] Her proposal is really interesting, and I really have good faith. She is just what she has to be.' Kirdis Postelle, global head of content and artist marketing at Amazon Music, agrees. 'I was at an event yesterday where she performed, and it was a very small set, just her and a guitar player, and I really loved her. I just remember doing those exact same kinds of performances with Dua Lipa and I was just like, 'This girl's got it. She's gonna be special.'' As far as international talent goes, Irish singer-songwriter CMAT pulled one of the biggest crowds to the Cupra stage on day one of the festival. The country-pop star put on a show comprising new and old songs, jumping from every corner of the stage while interacting with the crowd and belting high notes. 'CMAT was one of our artists to watch in the UK, and [seeing her on stage was incredible],' Mayer says. 'I'm really proud of the work we do as Amazon Music in terms of championing breakthrough artists and seeing that journey to a Primavera main stage. Our Artists to Watch program is not just a flash in the pan. It's an 18-month sustained support, and they show up in different ways through our programming, so it feels like a really proud moment to be part of that story and then see her on the stage and us to be streaming her show on our channel.' Another Cupra standout, also pulling crowds from far and wide, was Spanish rising artist Amaia, who put on a sentimental show right before Chappell Roan's spot, complete with a complete orchestra, choir, as well as live harp and piano. The star took more than one chance to interact and bounce off energy from the highly energetic crowd with impromptu conversations, even posing for a photo mid-sentence. Amaia, an alum of musical television contest Operación Triunfo, performed most songs from her latest album, Si Abro Los Ojos No Es Real, as well as older gems like 'Yamaguchi' and 'Bienvenidos al Show,' as well as a belted piano cover of Papá Levanté's beloved track 'Me Pongo Colorada.' The highs and lows of her set were palpable, with attendees bouncing around during one song and being brought to tears in the next one. Other highlights included co-ed acts like Confidence Man, YOASOBI, Magdalena Bay, and Wolf Alice, the latter a replacement for Clairo, who performed at Gov Ball NYC instead. With 14 stages and over 220 shows across the three main days, Primavera Sound 2025 attracted 290,000 attendees from 136 countries, with even more people tuning in from home from the livestream. 'Why this festival? Because it's one of the most important in the world. It has year after year an amazing lineup, a diverse lineup and an amazing discovery approach of the music, which is very much in line with our DNA. We speak the same language and have the same object,' Imoucha says. That object is amplifying emerging talent, with the right balance of 'headliners who are big stars' and 'the discovery of local, regional, and international acts.' 'Everything we do is global. We want to be able to bring artists of all [calibers to the forefront] — mid-size headliners, developing, whatever it is — to a global stage and that's what fans want,' Mayer adds. 'Discovery is such a big part of music. being able to watch [a set] or a live stream and just be like, I didn't hear about this artist, but this is great. we make sure that we are available globally so you can tune in from wherever. I just imagine people dancing in their kitchens and their living rooms to the sets. That's all that keeps us going.' When Primavera Sound was first born, the founders envisioned a festival that would bring to Barcelona the artists that they couldn't see here, Pallarès adds. 'Back then, it was The Pixies and Sonic Youth. Right now, it is Chappell Roan. But it's still the same [sentiment]. These artists will come to Barcelona to our festival and not anywhere else.' 'I would also like people to keep in mind that, of course, it's about music, but we also deeply care about everything that revolves around it. It's diversity, but not only in gender, but also being incredibly inclusive and proud of our LGBTQ+ community, who come year after year to enjoy a pre-Pride party at the festival,' she adds. 'When we create the festival, we want to create a little… I don't wanna say a utopia, because a utopia is something that can't exist, but it's just something that kind of condenses everything that is good out there in our society." "You live only in the good for three days. People are happy where people are in community, where people are enjoying each other, and you have good food, and you have good weather, and you have good views, and everybody's beautiful and their own way. I think that's what the festival is for. We want to be in that year after year.' Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue Want more great Culture stories from Teen Vogue? Check these out: Underneath Chappell Roan's Hannah Montana Wig? A Pop Star for the Ages Is Your New Favorite Song Real or AI? Bridgerton Showrunner Clarifies Benedict's Sexuality & Talks Francesca's Queer Plot Twist The Borders of Country Music Are Finally Crumbling
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Sabrina Carpenter Man's Best Friend Discourse, Explained
Fresh off debuting her brand-new single 'Manchild' live at Primavera Sound 2025, Sabrina Carpenter hit fans with another major news alert: Her seventh studio album, officially titled Man's Best Friend, will be released on August 29, 2025, not even a year after the release of her Grammy-winning album Short n' Sweet. While some simply rejoiced at the prospect of new Sabrina Carpenter music so soon after such a significant project, many others took to social media to comment on the album's title and accompanying visuals, starting a debate around hypersexualization, misogyny, and the male gaze. Below, we break down the discourse and drama so you get the full picture. Jump to your preferred section: When and how did Sabrina Carpenter announce Man's Best Friend? What's the controversy around Sabrina Carpenter's Man's Best Friend? Are people defending Sabrina Carpenter for Man's Best Friend? What has Sabrina Carpenter said about the controversy? Sabrina Carpenter first announced her new album, Man's Best Friend, on June 11, 2025. The star simultaneously revealed that the project would include 'Manchild' as its lead single and unveiled the cover art for the project. In the album art, which you can see below, Carpenter appears on her knees before a suited figure, which many have assumed to be a man given the title, who grabs her hair. The back cover of the album appears to be a photo of a dog wearing a collar with the album's title in a heart-shaped pendant. To coincide with the announcement, Carpenter also appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone, shot by David LaChapelle, wearing nothing but white stockings. 'If I really wanted to, I could have stretched out Short n' Sweet much, much longer," Carpenter said in her cover interview. 'But I'm at that point in my life where I'm like, 'Wait a second, there's no rules.' If I'm inspired to write and make something new, I would rather do that. Why would I wait three years just for the sake of waiting three years? It's all about what feels right. I'm learning to listen to that a lot more, instead of what is perceived as the right or wrong move.' Though Carpenter has gained a reputation for sexually charged and explicit innuendos, the cover art for Man's Best Friend has gained the star a fair share of criticism and a number of detractors who claim the image is degrading and even misogynistic. Many have pointed out the image bears a strong resemblance to 'misogynistic ads from the '60s.' In contrast, others claim that the photograph is intended for the male gaze and that nowadays liberation can be achieved through other means. 'Intentionally reproducing a misogynistic aesthetic, even under the guise of satire, doesn't subvert it; it reinforces it. It aestheticizes the very tropes it claims to critique,' someone wrote on X criticizing the cover. Others argued that while the point of the cover was to subvert sexist tropes, its execution failed to deliver. 'Satire implies an exaggeration,' another person wrote on X. 'The Sabrina cover and title can easily be perceived at face value, so it FAILS at being satire.' While there's a handful of people criticizing the cover of Man's Best Friend, there are also many people defending the choice of cover art, saying it's supposed to be satirical, ironic, and tongue-in-cheek. "The way people can't comprehend that an album called 'Man's Best Friend' with cover art of a man treating a woman like a dog (b*tch), and a lead song titled 'Manchild' is clearly ironic/criticizing those things," someone commented on X. Some claimed detractors are trying to police Carpenter's sexual expression, while others defended the cover as being purposely controversial, likening it to previous work from '80s, '90s, and '00s stars like Madonna, Xtina, and Britney. As far as the accusations that say Carpenter is catering to the male gaze, others jumped to the singer's defense, both in relation to the cover art for the album and the Rolling Stone cover. 'Saying a woman is 'catering to the male gaze' has become a modern form of slutshaming disguised as feminism. She has every right to show off her body,' a person wrote on X. 'Maybe this is a bad take, but I fear we have 'stop doing things for the male gaze'd ourselves back into expecting women to be modest and shaming them otherwise, and it's strange,' a second one agreed. 'Y'all are starting to say feminism=modesty, and it's really pmo. Her owning and doing what she wants with her body IS feminism,' a third one added. Some, however, saw a case for both sides. 'I think Sabrina's album cover can be satirical, but I also think it can still be very off-putting for many women and [they're] allowed to feel that way,' a user wrote on X. Sabrina Carpenter briefly addressed the discourse surrounding the cover art for Man's Best Friend replying to a fan on X. 'Does she have a personality outside of sex?' someone asked quote rewteeting a post asking people to share their opinions on the cover art of the album, to which Carpenter replied: 'Girl yes and it is goooooood.' Carpenter also replied to a TikTok user who claimed the artist referenced Lolita, Adrian Lyne's 1997 movie adaptation of Vladimir Nabokov's highly criticized novel, in a W Magazine editorial from 2024 — something multiple people online had pointed out after the reveal of the Man's Best Friend cover. 'I've never seen this movie. It's never been on my mood board and never would be,' Carpenter replied in the comment section of the original TikTok. Previously, in her interview with Rolling Stone, the star also opened up about dealing with shaming for past overt innuendos. "It's always so funny to me when people complain," she told the publication. 'They're like, 'All she does is sing about this.' But those are the songs that you've made popular. Clearly you love sex. You're obsessed with it. It's in my show. There's so many more moments than the 'Juno' positions, but those are the ones you post every night and comment on. I can't control that. If you come to the show, you'll [also] hear the ballads, you'll hear the more introspective numbers. I find irony and humor in all of that, because it seems to be a recurring theme. I'm not upset about it, other than I feel mad pressure to be funny sometimes.' Carpenter also opened up about women in entertainment being scrutinized more than ever before: 'I don't want to be pessimistic, but I truly feel like I've never lived in a time where women have been picked apart more, and scrutinized in every capacity. I'm not just talking about me. I'm talking about every female artist that is making art right now.' 'We're in such a weird time where you would think it's girl power, and women supporting women, but in reality, the second you see a picture of someone wearing a dress on a carpet, you have to say everything mean about it in the first 30 seconds that you see it," she added. Editor's Note: This story was originally published on June 13, 2025, and has since been updated. Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue Want more great Culture stories from Teen Vogue? Check these out: Underneath Chappell Roan's Hannah Montana Wig? A Pop Star for the Ages Is Your New Favorite Song Real or AI? Bridgerton Showrunner Clarifies Benedict's Sexuality & Talks Francesca's Queer Plot Twist The Borders of Country Music Are Finally Crumbling
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Louise McSharry: How to strip back your make-up look when the weather hots up
Unfortunately, dampness doesn't exactly lend itself to most of our beauty practices. Make-up melts off, hair gets frizzy, and crevices get stinky. So how do you stay looking good when the heat comes a-calling? My advice is always to lean into it. Sure, you could invest in expensive setting sprays and anti-humidity hair sprays, but if you know things are going to be really damp, there's no point in stressing about your face or hair getting wrecked. Instead, I like to think about how I can manage to maintain a look even if the sweats are intense. Last week, at Primavera Sound in Barcelona, I went to see musicians Charli XCX and Troye Sivan perform their Sweat tour, so you better believe I employed this tactic. For make-up, this meant that I kept it relatively simple. As far as I'm concerned, there's no point in applying heavy foundation in these circumstances; it won't look good as you sweat and will feel uncomfortable. Instead, I accept that my skin simply will not look flawless and use a pot concealer, like Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealer (€35 via to cover major blemishes. Elsewhere on my face, I do what I can to distract from my less-than-perfect skin with long-wearing cream products and glitter. Bronzer, blush and highlighter go a long way to adding life to your face, and while they won't last forever, they will wear relatively evenly, meaning you won't end up with weird patches. Also, they're handy to pop in your bag and can be tapped on with your finger tips should you decide to top it up. Makeup by Mario's cream products are excellent — easy to apply and long-wearing. I recently bought Sculpt & Pop On-The-Go (€34 via which includes two mini versions of his excellent contour sticks and blush sticks. Their small size makes them ideal for travel, and the formulas themselves are great. They're available in three shade pairings. I'm also absolutely loving Charlotte Tilbury's new Unreal Blush Healthy Glow Sticks (€40 via These chunky blush sticks come in six shades and deliver a fresh and youthful flush to the face. They blend easily, and I find they look great on the lips as well, making them a handy product to carry with you. The eyes are my real focus on sweaty days, however. Eye crayons have come a long way and, in my experience, are some of the longest wearing products on the market. If you go for a grungy look, it will actually improve with wear and look more authentic as the day goes on. I love Half Magic's Sparkle Sticks (€23 via which are packed with glitter and come in 10 shades. I wore Punk Pony, a deep blue, to Primavera, and it was still on 28 hours after application. Finally, a tubing mascara is your friend. The good ones won't move until you remove them with oil. 5. Maybelline Lash Sensational (€12.99 via is my favourite and has never failed me. Now, go forth and sweat! Lost in translation I feel like I can't turn a corner without someone asking me about salmon sperm these days. (What a life I've built for myself!) Why? Because of the beauty treatment which injects it into the skin. Well, sort of. Salmon sperm contains a high concentration of DNA fragments known as polynucleotides, which are thought to improve the appearance of wrinkles by stimulating collagen and elastin production. Are they effective? Yes, sometimes they have a visible impact on the texture and appearance of the skin. Will they make you look like a newborn? No. It's also important to remember that your response to a treatment like this might not be the same as someone else's, so it's always a bit of a 'buyer beware' situation. Something old… I remember the first time I tried a beauty product that 'adapted to your skin colour to formulate your perfect shade', and it was a very long time ago. Like, decades ago. Since then, they come and go, seducing a new generation of youngsters into thinking it's some sort of magic. Brands suggest that their product provides a unique shade via the skin's pH but, in my experience, the shade is always the same. If you photograph said shade on a variety of skin tones, it will look different, but isn't that just their individual skin tone shining through? Me? Cynical? Never. Anywho, that doesn't necessarily mean the shade it provides isn't pretty and, as the result, is usually sheer and glowy, I've known and loved many of these products in my time. The first of them was a Barry M lipstick I used on my cheeks, and while it doesn't exist in that precise iteration anymore, the brand's Colour Changing Gel Blush (€7.99 via provides very similar results. ... Something new To be honest, I was shocked to learn that Dior was getting involved in the pH-balance tomfoolery but, nonetheless, here we are. In fairness, it has been at it for some time with its Lip Glow and Rosy Glow products. Additionally, it's not launching a single blush stick and claiming it will adjust to every skin tone — instead the Backstage Rosy Glow Blush Stick (€49 via is available in six shades, which features 'pH-activated colour' for a 'made-to-measure' result. Do I think that's a load of nonsense? Yes. Are the products beautiful nonetheless? Well, yes. The formula is light and creamy, gliding onto the skin and delivering sheer but buildable colour. Do I think you need it? If you already have a cream blush you like, probably not.
Evening Standard
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Evening Standard
Sabrina Carpenter is the latest victim of cancellation — thanks to Gen Z's turbocharged purity culture
I'll admit, I did have a moment's pause when I saw Carpenter live at London's O2 earlier this year. Not because her performance was anything less than completely stellar (as it was at The Brits, and at Primavera Sound — yes, I'm obsessed with her). But there were an awful lot of literal children in the audience for a multi-hour set that is mainly about boys and shagging. She — infamously — debuts a new sex position each night for her song Juno, and gets the audience to crouch down and sing 'Adore me, hold me and explore me/ I'm so f******' horny'.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fontaines D.C. frontman Grian Chatten brands Kneecap's Mo Chara's terror charge a 'witch hunt'
Fontaines D.C. frontman Grian Chatten has branded Kneecap's Mo Chara's terror charge as a "witch hunt". The 29-year-old singer has vowed to continue supporting his fellow Irishman in the hip-hop trio after London's Metropolitan Police accused the group of "displaying a flag in support of proscribed organisation Hezbollah" at their O2 Forum Kentish Town gig in London in November 2024. Band member Mo Chara was subsequently charged with a terror offense and is set to appear in court on June 18. Grian's own band recently displayed "free Palestine" and 'Israel is committing genocide, use your voice" messages at their Primavera Sound set in Barcelona - and nothing will stop him speaking up for Palestine and backing his fellow musician. He told The Irish Times newspaper: 'It's a categorical witch hunt, and that's fairly plain to see to anyone who has a discerning eye. 'I stand by their side, and I'm totally unafraid to do so. I think all of us are.' Grian added of late 'Nothing Compares 2 U' hitmaker Sinéad O'Connor - who used her music and platform to protest injustices regularly - that: "No matter how scary it gets out there, don't stop talking about Palestine. 'If Sinéad O'Connor was still around, she'd be speaking up and [would] probably have another media storm raged against her, as well. So, yeah, that's what I think about it.' He concluded: 'I just think when you become aware of the facts, how many people are dying… I don't really want to live in a world where people turn a blind eye to those things. And I think the best thing for us to do, as people with platforms, is to lead by example.' In a statement on Instagram regarding the charge, Kneecap wrote: "We deny this 'offense' and will vehemently defend ourselves. 'This is political policing. This is a carnival of distraction. "14,000 babies are about to die of starvation in Gaza, with food sent by the world sitting on the other side of a wall, and once again the British establishment is focused on us. 'We are on the right side of history. You are not. We will fight you in court. We will win.' Kneecap had shows cancelled as a result but are still set to play Glastonbury's West Holts stage at Worthy Farm on Saturday, June 28 at 4pm - despite calls from MPs for them to be banned.
