Culture Wars continue their strong run with “In The Morning,” a groove driven rock track that arrives during a standout year for the band. The single follows major touring moments alongside Keane, Wallows, and LANY, a Top 20 U.S. Alternative Radio breakthrough with “It Hurts,” and more than eight million global streams on “Typical Ways.” Built on thick guitar tones and steady rhythm, the song captures a quiet moment of reflection, leaning into atmosphere and feeling rather than excess.
Vocalist Alex Dugan frames the song around a familiar early morning headspace, shaped by loneliness, memory, and emotional pull, while noting it reflects an earlier version of himself. Sonically, the track signals a clear shift for the band, influenced by the scale and energy of their live shows, including a recent appearance opening for LANY at the Philippine Arena. “In The Morning” introduces the direction of their upcoming debut full length album ‘if not now, when?,’ due in early 2026, grounding Culture Wars’ next chapter in groove, texture, and lived experience.
As the year ends, SoundExchange is looking back at 2025’s Top 20 Tracks and Breakout Creators. The annual lists are based on 12 months (December 1, 2024-November 30, 2025) of non-interactive streaming data from more than 3,000 digital service providers operating under statutory licenses for which SoundExchange administrates, collecting and distributing royalties to recording artists and rights owners.
“At the end of each year, SoundExchange digs through the data to understand which tracks received the most streams and which new artists are starting to breakout,” said Michael Huppe, President and CEO of SoundExchange. “It’s obvious that this year brought some great music to the forefront, and we know that 2026 will bring even more.”
Teddy Swims takes the crown on the SoundExchange 2025 Top Tracks list with “Lose Control,” and also shows up a second time in the top 10 with “Bad Dreams.” Myles Smith is in second place with “Stargazing,” followed by Billie Eilish‘s enduring “BIRDS OF A FEATHER.” Rounding out the top five are the inescapable “Too Sweet” from Hozier and “APT.” the hit collaboration from BLACKPINK’s ROSÉ and Bruno Mars.
SoundExchange’s 2025 Breakout Creators list is made up of artists who gained traction for their music and talent this year. This data-based set reflects these creators’ significant streaming activity, fueled by strong debuts or career highlight releases that connected with wider audiences.
Topping this year’s Breakout Creators list is Myles Smith, the British singer-songwriter whose “Stargazing” notched itself at #2 on this year’s Top Tracks list. Alex Warren, who hit with “Ordinary” this year and was named SoundExchange’s 2025 Breakout Artist, took the next spot. The top of the list was rounded out by country artist Zach Top, actor-turned-recording artist Leon Thomas, and Lola Young, who broke through with her single “Messy,” which landed at #14 on the year’s Top Tracks list.
Since 2003, SoundExchange has maintained its commitment to ensuring creators are paid fairly for their work through advocacy, innovation, and efforts to create a fairer music industry for all. In 2025, SoundExchange passed the milestone of cumulative distributions of $12 billion delivered directly to recording artists and rights owners.
SOUNDEXCHANGE 2025 TOP TRACKS
“Lose Control” – Teddy Swims
“Stargazing” – Myles Smith
“BIRDS OF A FEATHER” – Billie Eilish
“Too Sweet” – Hozier
“APT.” – Bruno Mars & ROSÉ
“Bad Dreams” – Teddy Swims
“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” – Shaboozey
“Die With A Smile” – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars
“luther” – Kendrick Lamar & SZA
“That’s So True” – Gracie Abrams
“Beautiful Things” – Benson Boone
“Taste” – Sabrina Carpenter
“Pink Pony Club” – Chappell Roan
“Messy” – Lola Young
“Anxiety” – Doechii
“Love Somebody” – Morgan Wallen
“Espresso” – Sabrina Carpenter
“Ordinary” – Alex Warren
“Miles On It” – Marshmello & Kane Brown
“Residuals” – Chris Brown
SOUNDEXCHANGE 2025 BREAKOUT CREATORS
Myles Smith Alex Warren Zach Top Leon Thomas Lola Young Gigi Perez sombr Hudson Westbrook Addison Rae ROLE MODEL Ty Myers Graham Barham Neton Vega Max McNown Lanie Gardner Tito Double P AZ Chike Balu Brigada Disco Lines Damiano David
Bowie Odyssey 76 is the latest volume in Simon Goddard’s long running Bowie Odyssey series, arriving via Omnibus Press and focusing on one of the most volatile years in modern music history. Set against the backdrop of 1976 Britain, the book traces David Bowie at his most confrontational, publicly embodying the Thin White Duke while navigating a country gripped by political unrest, racial violence, and cultural fracture. Goddard frames the year as a collision of art, provocation, and exhaustion, capturing the moment when Bowie’s public image and private reality were pulling dangerously apart.
As the narrative follows Bowie’s movement toward Berlin alongside Iggy Pop, the book charts a creative turning point that reshaped his future output and secured his reputation as the defining innovator of the decade. Told in stark black and white prose, ‘Bowie Odyssey 76’ reads as both cultural document and personal chronicle, mapping how turmoil, escape, and reinvention fed into a new musical direction. This seventh installment continues Goddard’s year by year approach, offering a focused, unsentimental portrait of an artist standing on the edge of collapse and transformation.
Mimi Barks has announced a UK headline tour for Spring 2026, marking her return to the stage with a renewed and intensified vision. The run begins March 31 in Swansea and wraps April 9 in London, with support from trap metal act SWARM6IX. Following a period of silence and upheaval, the tour introduces the next phase of Mimi Barks’ evolution, tied to new music, a new EP arriving in 2026, and a wave of visuals shaped by transformation and resolve.
Known for forging her own lane through a collision of metal, industrial, and trap, Mimi Barks has developed what she calls DOOM TRAP, a sound built on weight, emotion, and confrontation. Her path from Germany to Berlin’s underground and onward to London has fueled a rise that includes appearances at Download Festival, Wacken Open Air, Bloodstock, Boomtown, and 2000 Trees. These upcoming shows signal a return sharpened by experience, bringing heavier material and uncompromised intensity into intimate rooms across the UK.
UK Tour Dates 2026: March 31 – Swansea – The Bunkhouse April 1 – Plymouth – The Junction April 3 – Milton Keynes – Craufurd Arms April 4 – Nottingham – Rough Trade April 5 – Newcastle – Cluny 2 April 6 – Glasgow – Garage Attic April 7 – Sheffield – Corporation April 8 – Manchester – Star & Garter April 9 – London – Islington Academy 2
Capillary kick off the year with the release of their debut album ‘in remembrance,’ out now via 51st State Records. Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Justin Bartlett at Studio 4 in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, the album leans into guitar driven momentum, patient builds, and emotionally charged vocals. Drawing influence from Sunny Day Real Estate, Rites Of Spring, Mineral, and Title Fight, the record moves between open armed sing alongs and heavier, inward looking stretches without losing intensity or focus.
Across ten tracks, Capillary trace moments of change, loss, and self awareness that surface during the shift into adulthood. Guest appearances from Dazey Doom on “impermanence” and Koyo on “plainview” expand the album’s emotional range, while the grief soaked centerpiece “disaster//perspective” anchors the record with weight and tension. Vocalist and guitarist Jake Rubin describes the album as a reflection on growth and what comes after, framing ‘in remembrance’ as a body of songs meant to evolve alongside the listener and settle into daily life through repetition and time.
Golden Globe and GRAMMY-nominated recording artist, songwriter, actor, and producer Nick Jonas celebrates the start of 2026 with the release of his brand new single, “Gut Punch,” out now. The soaring and emotionally-charged track offers the first glimpse of his highly-anticipated solo album, Sunday Best, arriving February 6th and ushers in his most open and personal era yet.
“Gut Punch” opens with sparse piano and introspective lyrics of self-doubt; a moment of brutal honesty that swells into a powerful chant-ready chorus, as he sings “Hit me like a gut punch. I hurt my own feelings. How did I get so good at being mean to myself?”
On the song’s deeper inspiration, Nick shares, “I tend to be hyper critical of myself, not typically about my appearance or getting older, but I was wondering, ‘Am I doing everything to be the best version of myself? Am I a present and thoughtful husband? Am I a good father?’ As time goes by, the stress and complications of life will weigh on you. It’s important to remember there was once a version of you who was carefree and loved the world.”
Sunday Best marks Nick Jonas’ first solo project in nearly five years and captures him at his most open, introspective, and artistically renewed. On the album, he dives deeper than ever before, drawing from important life chapters, both celebratory and challenging, that he’s faced over the past two years and the new perspective he’s gained as both a husband and father. Through unguarded storytelling and vulnerable moments he has never previously shared publicly, the album offers listeners an intimate look into his world and explores honesty, growth, and rediscovery.
Sonically, Jonas draws inspiration from his musical roots and early years singing in church choirs, infusing the record with the warmth and spirit of musical influences from both his childhood and adult life. Sunday Best features vivid lyricism, rich and soulful arrangements, and warmly layered instrumentation that highlight his most emotionally resonant work to date.
Ring in the new year with “Gut Punch” out now, and get ready for Sunday Best on February 6th.
Breakout country star Owen Riegling continues his bold new chapter with the release of his latest single, “Phone Call From Home,” out today via Universal Music Canada and Big Loud Records stateside.
Produced by hitmaker Oscar Charles (Elvie Shane, Chase Rice) and co-penned by Riegling alongside Ryan Kennedy, “Phone Call From Home” was recorded in Nashville and features a blend of acoustic and electric guitars, bass, and drums, creating a soundscape that captures both grit and warmth.
Riegling shares, “’Phone Call From Home’ is the tether between comfort and the unknown. The moment you’re too far to turn back but not far enough to feel settled. It’s tired eyes chasing the next horizon, the smell of burnt motel coffee, seagulls bickering over a french fry, and the one familiar voice that keeps you steady when the road feels unfamiliar.”
The release follows the runaway success of “Taillight This Town,” No. 1 most added at Canadian Country Radio in its first week. With over 145 million global streams and a growing fan base, Riegling’s grounded storytelling continues to resonate across borders.
A JUNO-nominated artist, Riegling recently took home the Ford F-150 Album of the Year Award for his expanded EP Bruce County (From The Beginning) at the 2025 CCMA Awards, adding to his 2024 CCMA wins for Songwriter of the Year (“Old Dirt Roads”) and Breakthrough Artist of the Year.
Announced today, fans can look forward to a special One Night Only ‘Live In Concert’ performance at Toronto’s iconic Massey Hall on April 18, 2026. Tickets go on sale Friday, November 21 at 10 a.m. local time (more info here).
Gifted country music artist and award-winning singer-songwriter Owen Riegling blends small-town roots with a modern edge that continues to resonate with fans.
Since winning the 2022 Boots & Hearts Festival’s Emerging Artist Competition, this Universal Music Canada / Big Loud Records recording artist has parlayed his success of his platinum-certified hit “Old Dirt Roads,” and the release of his expanded EP Bruce County (From The Beginning) to leave his comfort zone and explore new songwriting territory. A true road warrior, Riegling played more than 110 dates across Canada in 2024, not only as a headliner but alongside some of country’s biggest names including Brett Young, Jake Owen, Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard, Chase Rice and Luke Bryan.
Now, after some months in the studio co-writing with top Nashville hitmakers, Riegling has evolved more confident and self-assured than ever. With new music on the horizon including recently released single, “Taillight This Town,” showing a new level of artistry, the track captures his knack for pairing relatable stories with a sound that feels both fresh and timeless. “I’m just making the music that I would want to listen to and I’m talking about the things that mean something to me,” says Riegling. “I’m out here doing me — and that’s all I’m trying to do.”
Scotia Rose share a bright, forward moving statement with “Good Times,” a standout track from their debut EP out now via Deko Music in partnership with ADA and Warner. Built on heavy pop melodies filtered through a rock and roll edge, the song balances big hooks with soaring guitar work, capturing a sense of motion and urgency. The EP arrives after a stretch of electric live shows alongside drummer Richard Stuverud, known for his work with Pearl Jam, a collaboration that helped sharpen the band’s focus and confidence heading into the recording.
Frontman Jeff Weiss describes “Good Times” as a restless inner dialogue about presence, momentum, and learning how to stay inside moments as they unfold. That tension carries through both the song and its video, which blends whimsical public domain animation with live footage from New York venues including Bowery Ballroom, Sony Hall, Brooklyn Bowl, and Cutting Room. The visuals place the band squarely in their element onstage, grounding the song’s questions in real rooms, real crowds, and shared experience. “Good Times” captures Scotia Rose at a turning point, sounding energized, connected, and fully engaged with the now.
continuing his run of dark edged blues rock across the country. After a busy 2024 that saw performances in cities including Newcastle, Glasgow, London, and Southampton, Harding returns with full electric band shows now appearing under the name Ross Harding & The Dark Blues. The sound stays rooted in grit and groove, driven by sharp guitar work and songs built for live rooms and late nights.
The newly announced dates include several firsts and returns, beginning with a debut headline full band performance at Ram Jam Records in February. Additional stops bring the band to Stockport, Stowmarket, Brightlingsea, Woking, and Stoke On Trent, mixing full electric sets with a solo acoustic opening appearance alongside Big Wolf Band. These shows mark the next stretch of “The Blood & The Blues” tour, with more dates to be announced as the year unfolds.
Tour Dates: Saturday February 7 2026 – Ram Jam Records, Kingston Upon Thames Thursday February 12 2026 – Stockport Blues Night at The Spinning Top, Stockport Saturday February 28 2026 – The John Peel Arts Centre, Stowmarket Friday March 20 2026 – Colne Delta Blues and Americana Club, Brightlingsea (solo acoustic opening set) Saturday March 21 2026 – The Fiery Bird, Woking Friday March 27 2026 – Riff Factory, Stoke On Trent
Grammy-nominated bluegrass, folk, Americana artist Valerie Smith has released her long-awaited, career-defining project on January 1. An album that has been 12 years in the making, Maggie’s Journal (Bell Buckle Records) is more than a record—it is a monumental act of remembrance and artistic devotion. This profound 30-track musical narrative breathes life into the raw, emotional story of Margaret Attebury Brooks-McCamis, the great-grandmother of Smith, whose voice and vision illuminate one woman’s extraordinary resilience in post–Civil War America.
A true labor of love, Maggie’s Journal seamlessly blends bluegrass, Americana, and roots traditions into a vivid sonic tapestry. Original songs intertwine with spoken-word excerpts taken directly from Maggie’s handwritten journal—discovered decades after her death by Smith’s cousins, Kathy Jones Eads and Fonda Wells, tucked away inside a “Car Load Tablet” buried in an attic trunk.
What emerged from those pages is the gripping, unvarnished truth of a woman married young to a violent man, carving out survival in rural Missouri while hiding a gentle spirit behind a hardened exterior. Her words reveal a life shaped by hardship yet defined by strength, offering powerful insights into American history, women’s and children’s rights, education, and the enduring human spirit.
Crafted with deep reverence, Maggie’s Journal stands as a unique collaboration between Smith and the ancestor she never met. The album’s emotional range spans the haunting reflection of “That Was A Long Time Ago,” the tender hopefulness of “Alva’s Lullaby,” and the gripping narrative of “Jim O’Dell, Straight From Hell.” Each track channels Maggie’s story with authenticity, dignity, and grace.
Smith’s evocative lead vocals—described by NPR’s Dave Higgs as “sassy, sultry, siren-like”—anchor the project with emotional authority. She is joined by an exceptional cast of harmony vocalists including Donna Ulisse, Josie Smith, Mike Rogers, Rosa Vestal, and Aaron Vestal, whose voices enrich the album’s cinematic storytelling.
The instrumental core features world-class musicians Cody Kilby (acoustic guitar, mandolin), Stephen Burwell (violin), Evan Winsor (upright bass), and Scott Vestal (banjo), whose performances breathe life and movement into Maggie’s world.
Produced by acclaimed songwriter and vocalist Donna Ulisse, Maggie’s Journal draws its lyrical depth from the writing partnership of Ulisse, Smith, Daniel Crabtree, and Ann Miller. Recorded at Tim Carter’s Tree House Studio in Ridgetop, TN, and Scott Vestal’s Digital Underground in Greenbrier, TN, the project was engineered with exceptional care by Carter and Vestal.
Chris Latham’s masterful mixing and mastering provide a polished yet soulful finish, while David Lynch’s stunning CD design and John Murray’s breathtaking artwork visually mirror the album’s emotional core—bringing Maggie’s story to a global audience with the reverence it deserves.
With over three decades in music, Smith has earned Grammy, IBMA, and Dove Award nominations and collaborated with icons like Tom T. Hall and Ralph Stanley. Maggie’s Journal stands among her most personal and ambitious works—an album that honors family, uplifts forgotten stories, and bridges generations through the power of music.
“Maggie told her truth in a voice both plain and powerful,” said Smith. “My mission was to honor her courage and give life to the history she never had the chance to share.”
Margaret Attebury Brooks-McCamis’ story—once hidden in an attic—now lives on as a stirring, unforgettable tribute to resilience, memory, and the ties that bind us across time.
