More about: Mercury Music Prize

Here it is, music fans! The 2021 Mercury Prize shortlist...did your favourite make it on the list?

Mogwai - As The Love Continues

We said: Mogwai have managed to write the most quintessentially “Mogwai” sounding album, while remaining fresh, exciting and original. They’re masters of their craft and As The Love Continues is one of their more enjoyable records in years.

Laura Mvula - Pink Noise

We said: In some ways, it feels as if this is the album the 35-year-old was born to make

Ghetts - Conflict of Interest

Nubya Garcia - SOURCE

We said:  Providing reflection in these uncertain times and in navigating the confusion of current realities, this project seeks to take a stab at the unknown and creates something new and beautiful with what is found.

SAULT - Untitled (Rise)

Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend

We said: Blue Weekend, bookended by sister tracks ‘The Beach’ and ‘The Beach II’, presents Wolf Alice as we haven’t quite heard them before: prioritising feeling over musical intensity. With a newfound simplicity, the dynamic shifts hang together around earnest vocals and mature songwriting to produce not only a sonic achievement but an emotionally intimate one.

Arlo Parks - Collapsed in Sunbeams

We said: Whilst Parks frequently invokes soulful legends and contemporaries with her sound, she is undoubtedly setting a path of her own with her incredible lyricism; a beautiful combination of performance, poetry, and emotion that stops you in your tracks. With her tracks full of wisdom and intricate literature references it’s sometimes easy to forget that Arlo Parks is still only 20 with a whole career ahead of her. Collapsed In Sunbeams is a remarkable opening chapter. 

Black Country, New Road - for the first time

We said: A glorious free-form exploration of sound and genre, For The First Time brings a refreshing explosion of energy with a hugely compelling sound. Not everyone can incorporate complex rhythms and dissonance throughout their tracks with such a cool sense of cohesion, but that’s just the start of what makes this young band so exciting. As captivating as it is striking, For The First Time is a thrilling glimpse into the world of Black Country, New Road: true storytellers who have captured the passion and intensity of our cynical times.

BERWYN - DEMOTAPE/VEGA

Hannah Peel - Fir Wave

Celeste - Not Your Muse

We said: What’s clear is that Celeste has all the makings of something unique: a British soul artist, certainly, but one with a razor sharp edge and a theremin like falsetto, capable of quite remarkable things.

Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra - Promises

More about: Mercury Music Prize