Plus: Imogen Heap on how her AI twin will rewrite pop
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Picks of the week
How Liam Payne helped One Direction to global glory
‘He had all the stuff you need to be a pop star’  
How Liam Payne helped One Direction to global glory
Although he was less extroverted than his bandmates, his impressive vocals made him a cornerstone of the era’s defining boyband. So why did he struggle to accept his own greatness?
Liam Payne seemed unsure of who he was – but the brutality of fame denied him the chance to find out
Elle Hunt
After One Direction, Liam Payne was just getting started. His death is a heartbreaking end
Alexis Petridis
‘I’m empowering my song to go and make love with different people’  
Imogen Heap on how her AI twin will rewrite pop
Elton John on the keyboard geniuses who blew his mind  
With Zoot, you were in for a party
The reader interview  
Ice-T: ‘Anybody that thinks controversy is a way to make money, it’s not. You need lawyers!’
Reviews
Alexis Petridis's album of the week  
Kelly Lee Owens: Dreamstate – dancefloor transcendence by a true pop shapeshifter
Kelly Lee Owens: Dreamstate – dancefloor transcendence by a true pop shapeshifter
Folk album of the month  
Róis: Mo Léan – ancient keening songs filled with startling new life
The Blessed Madonna  
Godspeed – a sprawling dancefloor odyssey
Immanuel Wilkins  
Blues Blood – alto sax player’s hugely ambitious meditation on his roots
Porridge Radio  
Clouds in the Sky They Will Always Be There for Me – exquisite euphoria through repetition
Japandroids  
Fate & Alcohol – Canadian duo’s bittersweet breakup record
 
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A year in Westminster:
John Crace, Marina Hyde and Pippa Crerar

In-person and online
Tuesday 3 December
7.30pm–9pm (GMT)

The Guardian Live
 
Spotlight
The rise in clubs and gigs for neurodivergent people
‘Music, friendship, opportunity, freedom’  
The rise in clubs and gigs for neurodivergent people
Autistic people and those with ADHD can feel stressed at regular gigs, prompting a wave of carefully tailored new events. But can they cater to incredibly diverse needs?
Classical
Opera  
The Turn of the Screw – creepy and challenging, ENO’s new Britten staging is an ambiguous triumph
The Turn of the Screw – creepy and challenging, ENO’s new Britten staging is an ambiguous triumph
Sex, grief and a crushed musical identity  
Alma Mahler steps on to the operatic stage
Alma Mahler steps on to the operatic stage
Album review  
Grace Williams: Orchestral Works – vivid playing and striking drama
Grace Williams: Orchestral Works – vivid playing and striking drama
Album review  
Schoenberg: Pelleas und Melisande; Verklärte Nacht – brightness without transfiguration
Schoenberg: Pelleas und Melisande; Verklärte Nacht – brightness without transfiguration
Live review  
Sinfonia of London/Wilson – this orchestra brings a whole new dimension to listening
Sinfonia of London/Wilson – this orchestra brings a whole new dimension to listening
Add to playlist
‘Morrissey’s lyrics are untouchable, but I don’t want to think about him’  
Lauren Mayberry’s honest playlist
Lauren Mayberry’s honest playlist
One to watch  
Faux Real
You may have missed
Are we finally listening to the dangers of hearing loss?
‘I don’t care about looking weird’  
Are we finally listening to the dangers of hearing loss?
As cases of tinnitus rise, earplugs for live music are becoming more popular – as is the deeply uncool act of asking for the volume to be turned down
‘A five-year-old could play this!’  
How Razorlight made Golden Touch
‘I was living in flat with a bed, a record-player, a desk and a fridge for beer. I thought, “If I just sit and play three chords for eight hours, hopefully a good song will come”’
‘People falling asleep wasn’t that unusual’  
Experimental pioneers the Necks on four decades of improvising
They never rehearse. Their music is borderline indescribable. And their live shows have become the stuff of legend. Now on their 29th album, Bleed, the trio look back on creating a career from thin air
‘We were cheeky outlaws getting away with it’  
The total euphoria of Liverpool’s 90s club scene
From abandoned factories to snooker halls, pre-superclub promoters dodged police to put on some of the UK’s wildest nights. Former ravers recall how they supercharged the city
British jazz stars Ezra Collective  
We destroy any impostor syndrome with our first tune
The Mercury-winning quintet talk about the youth clubs where it all started – and what we can all do to support the musicians of the future
Live music this week
Dua Lipa  
Orchestral special boasts Elton John but tips into old-fashioned Eurovision
Orchestral special boasts Elton John but tips into old-fashioned Eurovision
Billie Eilish  
Bravura arena set offers both energy and intimacy
Public Service Broadcasting  
Amelia Earhart tribute soars
Chris Stapleton  
Bringing southern comfort to the Manchester drizzle
Becky Hill  
Ultimate slow-burn pop star has the crowd on her side
David Gilmour  
Astonishing, goosebump-inducing solos
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