#u.k. charts

[jimin-updates]

Who is an international smash hit!

The song made the year-end ranks of the UK’s Big Top 40:

It is the highest-charting song by a male k-pop soloist in the last decade!

Congratulations, Jimin! 🥳

[jbaileyfansite]

Interview with W Magazine (2024)

Jonathan Bailey has traveled the world to promote Wicked, but there was one person he was especially eager to share the film with: his 94-year-old grandmother. She nurtured his love for musical theater and encouraged him to pursue ballet as a child, thus shaping his career in the arts.

So, the day after Wicked came out in the U.K., Bailey hosted a private screening at a local cinema for four generations of his family. While sitting in between his nana (who had painted her nails green for the occasion) and his mom and dad, Bailey became overcome with emotion.

“It’s a miraculous thing to know that what it came down to is having parents who let me go to the local village hall, and a grandparent who let me play, dance around and sing, and be free at such a young age,” Bailey tells W. “If you can catch a passion and just ring-fence it at such a young age, you never know what it can amount to.”

Adapted from the iconic Broadway stage musical, the film, which is set before the events of 1939’s The Wizard of Oz, chronicles the friendship between Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), the future Wicked Witch of the West, and her classmate Galinda (Ariana Grande), later known as Glinda the Good.

Bailey’s scene-stealing portrayal of Fiyero Tigelaar, the charismatic Crown Prince of Winkie Country, only reaffirms his status as a Hollywood triple threat. In fact, “Dancing Through Life,” the earworm that serves as his character’s introduction at Shiz University, just cracked Billboard’s Hot 100 charts this week. (“That’s amazing. Do I get a certificate? What happens now?” Bailey quips.)

Bailey began rehearsing for Wicked in 2022 while shooting Fellow Travelers, the groundbreaking Showtime limited series that earned the 36-year-old his first Emmy nomination, and the third season of Bridgerton, the smash-hit Netflix romantic drama that made him a household name. Speaking on a video call from London in early December, the British star reveals that he is in the middle of reprising his role as Viscount Anthony Bridgerton, who is expecting his first child with wife Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley).

“There’s such an important relationship with the [Bridgerton] bros that has been developed over the series. Season four is going to be Luke [Thompson] and Yerin [Ha] being absolutely extraordinary, and there’s a whole plethora of new characters coming in,” Bailey says. “It’s so nice to come back, and it’s about celebrating the romance stories we’ve had and digging into the ones that are starting.”

Patience will have to be a virtue for Wicked and Bridgerton fans alike; the second half of the former, which Bailey coyly describes as “rich, bruising and hopeful,” will premiere next November, while the latter will debut in 2026.

How did you think about building your own interpretation of Fiyero?

The starting point was “Dancing Through Life.” He creates chaos around him, like he does in that song, because he’s got to match the chaos that’s going on inside. The challenge that I felt was the trope of a cool caddish prince. He’s deeply unnerved by stillness and adhering to rules and structure. That is probably a sign of someone who’s never really experienced love. When you see someone causing that sort of disturbance, it’s usually because they’ve never felt seen. An organizational psychologist, Adam Grant, sent me a message saying, “It’s a masterful portrayal of superficiality masking depth.” Out of all the things I’ve heard, that is the thing I’m going to get printed on a T-shirt.

The Shiz library scene was inspired by the work of Fred Astaire in Royal Wedding. What did you want to convey in those moments?

Fiyero has to come in and change the physical language and the emotional landscape of that school in one number. His fluidity, ease, and elasticity speak to his ability to maneuver and avoid. He’s quite avoidant. He has these bright, shining moments with everyone but never really allows the other person to land it with him. For those who understand the physical language of Fiyero, there are many Easter eggs and nods to what happens to him later in the story.

Fiyero is at the center of a love triangle between Elphaba and Galinda. What do you think he sees in each of them?

The brilliant thing about the film is that these slightly trivial tropes mask extraordinarily deep and shifting understandings of social experiences. The superficiality, the privilege, and the sense of easy chemistry make sense with Glinda. But I feel like he’s yearning for something more, and, as Elphaba sees, he’s unhappy and depressed. Fiyero and Elphaba can click in terms of the way they sing, dance, and move together. Elphaba has a calming presence on Fiyero and allows him to be himself. It’s a real privilege to meet someone who sees you for who you really are.

Are there any songs from the second Wicked movie you are most excited about?

“No Good Deed”—I cannot wait to see that come together. And “Thank Goodness”—it’s just such an incredibly operatic, Wagnerian opening. We know how brilliant the girls are, and I’m so excited to see the tonal shift that will inevitably happen to get to the end of the story.

You’ve been leveraging the success of projects with massive, global appeal (Bridgerton, Wicked, the next Jurassic World) to return to the theater (like your next role in Richard II).How have you been balancing these big tentpole franchises with projects that feel more niche and intimate?

I always lead with joy, and I’ve never accepted a job cynically. It goes back to this instinct—it feels like romance—where you have butterflies in your stomach and clarity of thought. I go back to the stage because I want to get better—and I want to be the best I can be. The best performances I’ve ever given on screen have been directly after coming off stage, where you hone your craft every single night. It’s brilliant, joyful, academic, and exhausting.

I’ve read more scripts in the last four years than probably in 20 years of working. It’s amazing to get sent scripts that you’re like, “This is absolutely brilliant. It’s not quite right for me, but I wonder if I can help that get made.” I’ve got a producer's hat that’s been popped on a few times in the last year, and I’m sure it’ll be coming out to play soon.

I want to keep working until something like Fellow Travelers isn’t seen as niche. We’re only on this planet for a short time, but if Fellow Travelers can be a mainstream show by the time I’ve finished my innings, I’d be very happy.

The last time Bridgerton viewers saw Anthony and Kate, they were on their way to India to meet with Kate’s family. Now that those characters are married, what are some of the new layers you’ve found in their relationship?

Anthony and Kate are these two planets that have always been in orbit of each other, and they finally come together. But then, what is life beyond [their courtship]? What’s so interesting about Anthony and what I so enjoyed in his season one arc is his relationship with duty and the power that he wielded over Daphne and his family, the isolation that he felt, and the anger that ensues because of [the passing of] his father.

I always said that you want Anthony to smile, and he does with Kate; he’s found his soulmate. In season three, they have that playfulness and, for the first time, they disregard anything that’s going on around them. They were the heart of every bit of drama and complication and, my God, how dramatic it was! Now suddenly, they’re having the time of their life, getting to play games again. They’re having a baby—everything they’ve ever wanted. What’s brilliant is to see how there are elements of yourself that you can’t grow out of. So, maybe, we’ll see hints of Anthony from season one.

Source

[cleolinda]

In the UK, since this is the website with the reading comprehension. It's moved up to #4 on the U.S. chart.

I remain fascinated that THIS, the song that didn't even make the album and got released a year later as an afterthought, is the song that's blown up. ("People like the song that's the kind of song that people like," imagine that.)

“Too Sweet” replaces “Take Me to Church” as Hozier’s highest-charting hit in the U.K. He broke out in a major way more than a decade ago with that religious-leaning cut, which became a global smash. That cut peaked at No. 2 in the U.K., as well as in the U.S.

I'm yelling

2. "religious-leaning"

[numbersandstars]

China: Countries and Sound Series

Disclaimer: the point of view I will give is merely the astrological point of view, not my personal perspective, likes and dislikes. Astrology is light and is above petty, ambitious, business-minded and biased agendas of some media. Also, I will not analyze the countries’ birth charts in this series as it would be too long. I might refer to them a little bit sometimes only.

🤔What is it all about? How do we analyze the sounds in Jyotish? Why? See intro here. In Mandarin Chinese, China is called: 中国/ zhongguo. "Zhong" sound is the closest to "cho" sound, found in Ashvini pada 3.

Ashvini: the Unstoppable Horses

🐎Horses: Ashvini's animal is the horse. Horses played a significant role in Chinese history. The Han conquered all the other warring states with horses while their enemy from the North also used the horse to submit them. The great wall they tried to build never stopped these Northern tribes to defeat them. The horse was also essential to keep in touch with other far away places in the West. Today, the car has replaced the horse: recently China has built flying cars, such as the pilotless flying taxis. Innovation in this field will make them successful.

🐎Martial arts: China is famous for its martial arts, especially kung fu. Ashvini is related to martial arts and warfare. 🐎Movement, migrations: In mainland China, many people migrated from North to South and East to West. They even went across the sea to establish themselves. Ashvini is a nakshatra that is always on the move. 🐎Medicine: Ashvini is all about medicine. China is known for its traditional medicine which still proves to be highly efficient today. This medicine is very complex and uses herbs. It also involves energetic therapies such as acupuncture, qi gong, tai qi. This type of medicine is very Ashvini-like.

🐎Levitation: In Chinese movies, we can often see characters flying. Ashvini is fascinated by levitation. 🐎Long hair: Horses have beautiful manes. Ashvini natives like to take care of their hair. In many Chinese TV shows, long hair is often seen.

🐎Sacred mountains: Taoist believers still make pilgrimages to sacred mountains throughout the country. They climb up mountains where temples are built. Ashvini likes to climb up on top of mountains, hills etc. 🐎Innovation: China has been the source of many inventions, such as printing, the compass, the gunpowder... When China stopped innovating, it fell down. In 1793, the emperor Qianlong arrogantly ignored steel and steam- yet offered by the British- which would make the British number one. The Chinese paid for this dreadful mistake: the country slowly sank into anarchy and wars later on. Innovation, an Ashvini quality, is key to success in general but most importantly for Ashvini. Now, the Chinese are known for their innovative technology surpassing Europe greatly.

🐎Humiliation: The Ashvin kumars, the Ashvini's rulers, had always been badly treated by the other demigods. They were always refused to drink the soma despite their godly lineage and deeds by them and Indra. But they found a cunning way to make the demigods change their minds. They had no choice but letting them drink soma, which deeply irritated Indra, the king of the demigods and the ruler of Jyeshtha. China faced heavy humiliation especially in the 19th century and was torn into pieces by foreign forces. And guess what? Their archenemy was the United Kingdom, whose letter "u" is related to Jyeshtha... Indra. And now, their major enemy is the U.S.A, which sound is the same... China found a cunning way to be in the top position: the U.K, the U.S and other countries gave most of their means of production to them, being lured to relocate their factories there due to their greed... And now the Chinese are in the top position.

🐎Selfishness, brutality: the Ashvini individual's dark side is self centeredness and lack of consideration for others. China revealed these traits in the past. For example, the way the Han subdued the other states had been harsh: unity meant destruction of cultural differences. Or in their philosophy, China was the center of the world: the emperor Qianlong showed it clearly, his sense of superiority clouding his vision regarding the western nations. As they thought they were the core of the world, they naturally spread their philosophies and culture to their neighbors. You were considered refined (aka superior) when you were able to recite Chinese poetry during the Japanese Heian period, for example.

🐎Red: Blood red is Ashvini's color. Red is a significant color in Chinese culture. 🐎Characters, writings, Hanzi: Writing, Chinese characters, play a major role in Chinese culture. It is considered as art, used for prayers, and communication throughout the country. It even spread outside of China. "Cho" corresponds to pada 3, which falls in Gemini, which is all about communication and writings. 🐎Trade: Chinese people are known for their merchant skills. Gemini is all about negotiations, money and trade. Next, we will see Russia. 🇷🇺 Previously, we saw the USA. 🇺🇸

[shefanispeculator]

Country music superstar Blake Shelton has often said that all he ever wanted was to sing country music, have his songs on the radio, and maybe—just maybe—have a No. 1 hit. He achieved that dream with his 2001 debut single “Austin.” This week, he does it again for the 30th time in his career with “Texas,” the lead single from his forthcoming album For Recreational Use Only, out Friday, May 9th via BBR Music Group. The song also enjoyed eight weeks at No. 1 in the U.K. and a two-week run at No. 1 in Canada.

“It’s been a few years since I’ve had a solo No. 1 single, and I’m super fired up about this one,” Shelton says. “I had no idea if ‘Texas’ would be a number one song, but the first time I heard it, I knew that it was something different and it sounded like nothing else I’d ever done before.”

Produced by Shelton’s longtime collaborator Scott Hendricks, “Texas” was written by Johnny Clawson, Kyle Sturrock, Josh Dorr, and Lalo Guzman. The track marks the first No. 1 single for Clawson, Sturrock, and Dorr, and the second for Guzman.

“I’m excited for these songwriters,” Shelton continues. “I know it’s some of these guys’ first number one song, and anytime you have a situation where someone’s getting their big break and you can be a little tiny part of it, it makes it extra special.”

Shelton joins a small country club of artists who have 30 or more No. 1 country singles, including Country Music Hall of Famers George Strait, Alabama, Kenny Chesney, and Ronnie Milsap (based on R&R plus Mediabase statistics kept since 1973). The milestone has him reflecting on the road that brought him here.

“‘Texas’ marks my 30th number one as an artist. Thirty is a lot of anything, and to have 30 number one songs is unbelievable, and I’m really trying to take it all in,” he states. “I have to thank the fans and the industry for their support throughout these years.”

“I’ve always been a nerd for stats and things like that in country music,” he adds. “I’m always looking up artists’ stats, whether it’s Ronnie Milsap or Alabama or George Strait or Reba, and just to see how many albums they’ve sold or how many number one songs they’ve had, and because of that, the idea of me having 30 number one singles, it blows my mind. I can’t even wrap my head around it because I know how long it takes to get there and how hard it is, and how blessed and lucky you have to be to get here.”

Also arriving this week is For Recreational Use Only, Shelton’s first studio album in four years and his debut on BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville. The 12-track collection spans the full spectrum of life—grit, heart, swagger, and soul—showcasing Shelton’s unmistakable voice, vivid storytelling, and emotion-rich performances.

[dailytomlinson]

Louis Tomlinson surprised his legion of followers this spring by dropping his first live album. The simply-titled Live arrived in April, but it wasn’t a commercial success at the time on most charts. Now, the set debuts on several other rankings in the pop star’s home country, instantly becoming a bestseller.

Live launches on three charts in the U.K. this week. Tomlinson’s latest project enters multiple tallies inside the top 10, while also becoming another top 40 win for the superstar on what may be considered the most important roster in the country that helped him rise to prominence in the first place.

Coincidentally, Live opens at No. 4 on two different rankings. Tomlinson launches his live recording in that position on both the Official Albums Sales and Official Physical Albums charts this week.

Tomlinson has previously cracked the uppermost region on both of those lists with two previous efforts. His first project on his own, Walls, stalled in the runner-up rung on the pair of charts. His follow-up, Faith in the Future, reached No. 1 on the two rankings.

Live also manages to enter the top 10 on another chart across the pond. The former One Direction singer sends his new fan favorite to No. 7 on the Official Album Downloads tally. The title has already reached that ranking in the past, and now it’s back for just its second stay.

At the same time, Live also debuts on the all-genre, all-format, all-consumption albums chart in the U.K. On that competitive roster, Tomlinson’s live full-length starts at No. 33. That’s much lower than on the sales-focused rosters, but that’s not unexpected or unusual, especially when it comes to live releases.

[louisupdates]

Louis Tomlinson surprised his legion of followers this spring by dropping his first live album. The simply-titled Live arrived in April, but it wasn’t a commercial success at the time on most charts. Now, the set debuts on several other rankings in the pop star’s home country, instantly becoming a bestseller.

Live launches on three charts in the U.K. this week. Tomlinson’s latest project enters multiple tallies inside the top 10, while also becoming another top 40 win for the superstar on what may be considered the most important roster in the country that helped him rise to prominence in the first place.

Coincidentally, Live opens at No. 4 on two different rankings. Tomlinson launches his live recording in that position on both the Official Albums Sales and Official Physical Albums charts this week.

Tomlinson has previously cracked the uppermost region on both of those lists with two previous efforts. His first project on his own, Walls, stalled in the runner-up rung on the pair of charts. His follow-up, Faith in the Future, reached No. 1 on the two rankings.

Live also manages to enter the top 10 on another chart across the pond. The former One Direction singer sends his new fan favorite to No. 7 on the Official Album Downloads tally. The title has already reached that ranking in the past, and now it’s back for just its second stay.

At the same time, Live also debuts on the all-genre, all-format, all-consumption albums chart in the U.K. On that competitive roster, Tomlinson’s live full-length starts at No. 33. That’s much lower than on the sales-focused rosters, but that’s not unexpected or unusual, especially when it comes to live releases.

Tomlinson’s Live sold well enough upon its arrival in April of this year to land on a chart or two in the U.K., but since it was only available digitally, many fans held back. The album was recently released on physical formats, and the chart-topper’s most die-hard supporters showed up to buy the set.

[tswiftupdatess]

Taylor Swift helps lift UK Vinyl and CD Music Sales to Half-Year High!

The singer’s ubiquitous chart success helped lift physical format and download music sales to £164 million ($213 million) in the U.K. in the first half of 2024, a rise of 7.9% on the same period the previous year, said ERA CEO Kim Bayley, who also credited April’s Record Store Day with further boosting retailers’ revenues. (July 16, 2024)

[harrisonarchive]

Bottom left (James Ray), bottom right (Rudy Clark, courtesy of Wikipedia).

“In 1963, the year before the Beatles first came to America, I took a trip to St. Louis to visit my sister, how was living there at the time. The whole Beatlemania thing had really begun in the U.K., and we’d had three or four hit singles. So while visiting my sister I went around to all the music shops looking for new singles and especially albums that were really hard to find in Liverpool. And that’s where I finally found the James Ray album [If You’re Gonna Make A Fool of Somebody]. There were a couple of good tracks on it, and one that I really liked was a song called ‘Got My Mind Set On You.’ It would have been great for the Beatles to cover, except it wasn’t really rock and roll; it was trying to rock, but it sounded like it was produced by somebody who was basically a jazz musician — it had all these squawky horns and stuff. But the song stuck in my mind. Years later, in 1987, when I was working with Jeff Lynne on the Cloud Nine album, I finally decided to try and put more of a rock edge on the song. It came together very nicely as a rocker. In fact, it went all the way to No. 1 on the charts. And it only took 25 years.” - George Harrison, Guitar World, 1992 “I’d like to thank Rudy Clark, who was the guy who actually wrote it [‘Got My Mind Set On You’] years ago and nobody actually noticed it at that time. It was lodged at the back of my brain, and I know I did the sort of pop version of it, Rudy, but if you’re listening, I love it, and we chopped that bit out the middle that we didn’t like and got rid of the screaming girls, but it was a great song, actually, it was a great song.” - George Harrison, Rockline, February 1988 “[‘Got My Mind Set On You,’ recorded by James Ray, was] written by this guy who discovered James Ray, a former mailman named Rudy Clark. […] Jim Keltner got this drum pattern going one day that was a cross between swing and rock. Gary Wright turned around and said, ‘Hey! Doesn’t that remind you of that song, ‘Got My Mind Set On You?’ [laughter] I was so surprised that anybody else had ever heard that tune!” - George Harrison, Musician, November 1987 “My boy [Dhani], while we were recording it [Got My Mind Set On You], he kept saying, 'That’s the single.'” - George Harrison, In The Studio With Redbeard, 1987

[mindblowingscience]

A team of pathobiologists at The Royal Veterinary College, in the U.K., working with a colleague from National Chung Hsing University, in Taiwan, has created a life expectancy chart for approximately 8,000 domestic cat breeds. In their paper published in Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, the group outlines their findings and offer some insight into why some cats live longer or shorter lives than others. Prior research and anecdotal evidence suggest that some cat breeds have longer or shorter lifespans than average. The research team sought to more specifically categorize life expectancy in domestic cats by creating a chart showing the average lifespan of thousands of house cats.

Continue Reading.

[jimin-updates]

Jimin on the UK charts

Week five!

This week saw his position improve on some U.K. charts!

The United Jim-dom keeps working hard for our boy! 💪🏻

[aarontveitisonfire]

Aaron Tveit, Lea Michele, Nicholas Christopher Will Bring Chess Revival to Broadway This Fall

Michael Mayer will direct the flop-turned-cult-favorite musical from ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, with a brand new book by Danny Strong.

Aaron Tveit, Lea Michele and Nicholas Christopher in Chess RICHARD PHIBBS

From Playbill May 28, 2025

The cast will be led by Tony winner Aaron Tveit as Freddie Trumper, Lea Michele as Florence Vassey, and Nicholas Christopher as Anatoly Sergievsky. The performance will see Michele originating a role on the Main Stem for the first time since 2006's Spring Awakening. Get a sneak peak of the Broadway favorites in the video above.

With music from ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, and lyrics by Tim Rice, this first-ever revival will be refreshed with a brand new book by Emmy Award winner Danny Strong (Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 & 2), and a creative team featuring director Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening) and choreographer Lorin Latarro (Waitress). Brian Usifer will serve as music supervisor.

Based on an idea by Rice (and originally featuring a book by Richard Nelson), Chess tells the story of American and Russian chess champions playing a match against each other—and competing for the same woman—at the height of the Cold War.

Chess began as a concept album released in 1984, after Tim Rice had mulled over the idea of a musical about the Cuban Missile Crisis for nearly a decade with his frequent collaborator Andrew Lloyd Webber, never quite beginning the project. In the early 1980s, he approached Andersson and Ulvaeus, who had been itching to find creative projects outside of their hit pop music group ABBA. The concept album dominated the charts worldwide, reaching number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and earned global critical acclaim. Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson's duet "I Know Him So Well" even ranked number one on the U.K.'s singles charts for a month.

The album's popularity seemed to promise a successful theatrical adaption, but the original West End production opened in 1986 to mixed reviews. Elaine Paige, Tommy Körberg, and Murray Head, who all performed on the concept album, brought their roles to life onstage as part of the original London cast, with Siobhán McCarthy taking Barbara Dickson's place. Prolific director Michael Bennett was originally signed on to helm, but pulled out due to his declining health, and Cats director Trevor Nunn took over. Bennett's vision initially was to create a "multimedia" experience for audiences, with the theatre filled to the brim with television monitors, and the stage transformed into a tilted floor. The stage show's book expanded the original plot explored in the concept album, with the runtime peaking at three hours and 15 minutes long. London critics were admittedly dazzled by the score and scenic vision for the show, but nearly all expressed the book as being problematic to what would otherwise be a creative revelation.

The Broadway production—which starred David Carroll, Judy Kuhn, Philip Casnoff, and Marcia Mitzman—opened to an even more sour critical reception, with reviewers nevertheless praising the score and the individual performances. Closing after just 17 previews and 68 performances, it seemed Chess' chance for success had passed. But via the concept album and later cast recordings from various stage productions, Chess found a devoted audience in the years since its premiere. In addition to several tours and West End revivals, a 2008 London concert staging featuring Josh Groban, Idina Menzel, Adam Pascal, and Kerry Ellis was recorded and released both as an album and a concert film.

Rice has been teasing a revival being in the works for years, even announcing that a 2018 Kennedy Center staging would come to the Main Stem (this production was also directed by Mayer and featured Strong's revised book). Though the Broadway bow did not materialize that time around, the show was last seen in New York in a 2022 starry benefit concert for the Entertainment Community Fund, also using Strong's revised script and starring Darren Criss, Tony winner Lena Hall, Ramin Karimloo, and Solea Pfeiffer.

And the show's passionate fans are clearly eager for a Broadway return. The search phrase "Chess Revival" (prior to this article publishing and the news becoming public) turns up thousands of social media posts begging for a revival, with one fan writing that they will take a flight back to New York as soon as one is announced, and another taking that claim to the next level, joking that they will "literally move into the theatre for the entire run."

Chess will be presented by arrangement with Three Knights, the Shubert Organization and Robert Fox Ltd.

[metalcultbrigade]

On May 26th, 1973 (the all instrumental track) "Frankenstein" by The Edgar Winter Group peaked at No.1 on the U.S. single Charts. The only No.1 hit the band would ever reach in the U.S. While in the U.K. it would only make it to No.18.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Canary Media:

The country that once boasted the world’s first coal-fired power plant is now set to eliminate the highly polluting fossil fuel from its power grid.

In late September, the United Kingdom will shutter the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station, the country’s last operational coal-fired power plant. The closure indicates just how far the U.K. has come in its bid to do away with dirty sources of electricity. 

The rapid change was made possible by the U.K.’s embrace of wind power, both on- and offshore. Over the last decade, this form of renewable energy has surged in the U.K., from generating around 8 percent of the country’s electricity in 2013 to 29 percent in 2023. Coal has plummeted over that same time period, falling from 36 percent of power generation to 1 percent last year — and then to a (literally) vanishingly small portion this year.

The country’s grid cleanup comes amid a backdrop of declining electricity demand. The U.K. used 17 percent less electricity in 2023 than it did in 2013, per Ember, as households adopted more efficient appliances, natural gas prices rose, and its economy shifted away from energy-intensive manufacturing jobs. Demand has continued to decline even as the country has started to embrace heat pumps and electric vehicles.

As a result of the U.K.’s rapidly decarbonizing grid and falling electricity demand, emissions from the country’s power sector have taken a nosedive, helping the nation reduce overall emissions to the lowest levels since 1879 — three years before that first coal-fired power station was even built.

Still, planet-warming fossil gas remains the single biggest source of electricity in the U.K. The country has led the way in moving past one form of polluting power, but now it will have to do the same with another if it is to meet its rapidly approaching goal of decarbonizing the grid by 2035.

[numbersandstars]

Intro: Countries and Sounds Series

🏛️Unlike in the West where sounds are only used in numerology, sounds are crucial in Indian Astrology. Sounds are related to planets, zodiacal signs and nakshatras. And they greatly play out in our lives. They harmoniously function with birth charts and numerology as well. However, the first sound of the first name or word is so influential that anything it represents takes shape in the individual’s life even if you find nothing about it in their birth chart. 🛕In Jyotisha, the astrology of India, the sound is used for people’s first names. Parents often choose the first name of their child according to the sound related to the child’s Moon nakshatra and pada. For example, a child is born when the Moon was in Mrigashira pada 3. The sound related to it is “Kaa” or “Ka”. Parents will then choose a name beginning with “Ka”. That way, this child will be harmoniously tuned into their Mrigashira Moon pada 3, that is to say, this child will be tuned into their mind and individual nature. 😲But mostly, we are born with a first name that is not in sync with our natal Moon. What happens here is that this particular syllable, the nakshatra, sign, and planet related to it will greatly influence our lives. Themes of this nakshatra and so on will be seen in our lives even if we have no planets in this nakshatra or sign, or this planet is actually weak in the birth chart. 🌠This study of sounds or syllables can be extended to other names than people’s names, that is, brands, companies, countries, cities… Sometimes, astrologers can advise you on what best brands to choose, for example, what car’s brand, cities, countries... are the most favorable to you. You can even choose your cell phone’s brand looking at your chart, give names to your pets etc.

Countries and their names

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Just like when you receive a name at birth, so will you for your country at birth under the form of a nationality as well. Normally, all the people born in a particular country will receive the name of this country. You will carry these vibrations and the collective karma associated with it.

🗺️A country is merely a group of people, in other words, a group of entangled karmas sharing vibrations in common. These vibrations will reflect in the language, culture, spiritual vision, history. Because it is a group of people, countries change over time and this will manifest in a name’s change.

🌠Astrologers always refer to the countries' birth charts when they want to analyze them, which is correct. This is mundane astrology and it is fascinating. But they often forget about the names of this country, its particular sounds. And yet, they are highly promising. I would like to show you in this series how underrated and revealing the sounds are. 😲How does it work? Well, we take the first syllable of the first name, in other words, the first sound of this first name. And that is all... At least, for someone's name. 😰Regarding a country, sometimes we have to be careful as to the name we analyze. For example, the USA starts with "united", like the UK or the UAE. The "u" sound must be taken into account here except for the UAE as the official language is Arabic, so there is no sound "u" for the UAE. Instead, "i" sound will be taken into consideration ("i" from "Imarat", not "a" from "al" either as it is an article). Additionally, even if it is often inaccurate, the other names given to the country should be studied as well. For example, "England" is often used to say the UK but it is actually inaccurate as England is just one country among the others in the U.K. Despite this mistake, a lot of people use it, so, as there is no chance, we will have to take a look at these names also. 🤔I did not know what country to analyze for you, so, I looked at the most influential countries according to the website ceoworld.biz. If you are interested in this series, comment the country you would like to know below.

So, in this website, they give a list of countries and their rankings. I took the first four countries listed. We find: 1.🇺🇸 The United States 2.🇨🇳 China 3.🇷🇺 Russia 4.🇮🇳 India In the next article, I will talk about 🇺🇸 the United States of America. 🇺🇸

[lovelymotel]

How Britain's Boldest Band Swaggered Far From Home To Find Fame And 'Truth' - Billboard, 2005-08-27, Vol.117 (35), p.32-41

Text version of the interview with Paul Sexton below.

Section: STARS

How Britain's Boldest Band Swaggered Far From Home To Find Fame And 'Truth'

It has often been a rocky decade, but Oasis has rolled with it.

Reinvigorating the dreary British music scene of the pre-Britpop 1990s, these dropouts hailing from a Manchester, England, housing project sparkled and soared like the champagne supernova of their famous song.

Steadfast in the belief that it is better to risk a bad opinion than excite no opinion at all, the band raced up the rankings in U.K. rock without looking back. When it hit the top 10 for the first time in the summer of 1994 with "Live Forever," fans knew the title was no empty promise.

The swagger of Oasis' first chart singles earlier that year, "Supersonic" and "Shakermaker," presented an offer that a somnambulant British music industry could not, and did not, want to resist.

But the group's braggadocio was founded in hard work, endless rehearsals and gigs with little glamour from as early as 1991.

Noel Gallagher, then 24, was a Stone Roses fan who had been turned down as the frontman by another popular local act, Inspiral Carpets, and went to work instead as their roadie. Younger brother Liam was a mere 19. The pair even then were prone to the public sparring that would colorfully punctuate their eventual rock conquest.

The decision by Creation Records founder Alan McGee to sign and champion Oasis produced more than just personal riches. Beginning with the band's debut album, "Definitely Maybe," the Creation collaboration sparked a decade-plus career that has grown into a musical landmark for a generation, first in Britain and then around the world.

The history of a truly larger-than-life British rock band has unfolded in the last 10 years. Working with a variety of band members from that day through to the release of their current album, "Don't Believe the Truth," the Gallaghers have walked it exactly as they've talked it.

Except, of course, on those occasions when either or both of the brothers do not care to talk at all and fail to show for interviews. It is a frustration this writer already has experienced and one which, true to form, Liam chose to reprise for this report.

Nevertheless, his older brother was in an expansive yet thoughtful mood as he reflected on the past, present and future of Oasis.

What do you recall of the British music scene you gate-crashed in 1994?

Let me see. Suede were the great white hopes. Blur were a fucking mess. Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine were still getting front covers. It wasn't that long since Ned's Atomic Dustbin. Primal Scream were in absolute limbo, and it was all kind of going down the toilet.

As I remember, nobody looked good, nobody sounded good, nobody was pointing to the sky and going, "Come on, let's have it!" The music press, the writers and photographers were shit; it was horrible.

We were in a rehearsal space in Manchester, in a little room at the Boardwalk. We were doing this set with "Live Forever," "Rock & Roll Star," "Bring It On Down" and "I Am the Walrus." And we were just waiting for somebody. We weren't going to go into East West Records or XL and say, "We're the greatest band in England, you've got to sign us," because then you're automatically in debt to them before they've even given you a pound.

We knew that if we got it right, we would wipe the floor with everyone. Added to that, me and Liam were eminently quotable the whole time.

Now that you have become a long-serving band, does that help you to understand better the motivation behind groups like U2, R.E.M. and even the Rolling Stones?

I'm a massive fan of the Stones, and I don't think anybody should deny them the right to carry on making music. I just wish they wouldn't wear leggings.

In the case of R.E.M., I don't own any of their records, but we kind of meet them on the road every now and again. Peter Buck and the bass player are great, but it's the big blue stripe, there's no need for that.

U2, I love, I grew up listening to them, and I own all their albums. I remember going to see them on the Zoo TV tour and Bono in his alter ego as the Fly was ridiculing the guy with the mullet and the campaigning rock star. It's funny how it's now come full circle, and he's back.

The longer you go on, it magnifies more of what you are. The longer we do it, the more we look like where we come from.

In the case of me and Liam, who've been there the longest, we look like a couple of guys from a council estate in Burnage and always will be. We never went to college, we were kicked out of school and went straight onto building sites. There was no time for pretension.

But you were very single-minded about going after success, weren't you?

When we started off, we wanted the girls, the cocaine, the fur coats . . . we never got to the leather trousers though, thank God. It wasn't like an act, it was almost like working-class people winning the pools. We went bananas. I've got a fleet of cars I bought at that period, and I've never had a driving license, ever. But it was just, "Fuck it, man! I want a Rolls Royce!" You're in that position for a couple of years, and then you think, "This is bullshit. Who am I?"

Do you think it's possible for a long-running band to be on an upward curve all the time? Don't there have to be bad times?

I wrote the first three Oasis albums all before I had a record deal. So I never had to sit down and reinvent the band until [2000's] "Standing on the Shoulder of Giants," and I kind of took that too far. The band never needed reinventing, it was great as it was. You start using different techniques, like drum loops, and we kind of went away from what we were, and it was difficult to get that back.

All the songs off "Definitely Maybe" and "Morning Glory" I wrote when I was 21, so I was then trying to rewrite the script at the age of 31, and you're a completely different character. I do like all the words on "Giants," but I lost the formula, whatever it was.

After a band achieves the iconic status that you did, is that when you start questioning your motivation?

There are periods where you think, "What am I doing?" or "What am I doing it for?"; that's a more scary question. "I've made shitloads of money, I've left my mark in music, why am I still doing this?," and it takes a while to answer that question. It comes back every time we're at the end of a tour and you have three or four months off and then you've got to get back on the saddle. More often than not, the answer that comes back from me is, "What else are you going to do?"

I struggle with this conundrum. It's not a very noble thing to carry on, it's not very dashing. But I often meet people who've been in great bands and you go, "What are you doing now?" and they say, "I'm not doing anything," and I think that's more sad.

So I'd rather be doing something that I think is good. I never even rated that song "Lyla" [the first single off "Don't Believe the Truth"], and then you see 70,000 people going mad to it and singing the song, and you think, "What do I know?"

And watching people doing that on the recent tour, they're not just celebrating their favorite band or some of their favorite songs. They respond to Oasis almost as a complete validation of their lives.

You'll look up at the stands, particularly doing "Don't Look Back in Anger" [the band's second British No. 1, in 1996], and there'll be groups of people just hugging each other, not even watching the band, just singing that song to themselves. It's obviously something that means so much to them. Those songs are now kind of part of British culture. It's a great position to be in.

Did it make a big difference working with American producer Dave Sardy on this album?

There's two things to this. We decided early on that we wanted to use a producer, then it was a case of "We're going to let somebody else make all the major decisions." Luckily for us by the time we got to Dave Sardy, we'd already written all the songs and arranged them all, so all he really had to do was put them on tape.

It's opened our eyes a little bit. I was sick of being a songwriter/producer/band member. I just wanted to be in a band again—I didn't want to be a producer, just the guy that plays guitar and writes a few songs.

Even being the main songwriter and everybody looking to me for approval on everything, it was like, "Hang on, I'm an equal part of this band in songwriting terms now, so it's all our problem if it goes wrong but we'll all share the glory if it goes right." That's why this album being a success, especially with critics in America, it makes it more special.

Your trials and tribulations with band in-fighting and canceled tours soured your reputation, especially in America. Do you feel more well-disposed toward the American market now?

I've never had a blatant disregard for it in the first place. It's just that America is a really delicate flower that needs a lot of attention, and we're not those kind of people.

The reason U2 and R.E.M. and Coldplay are the biggest white rock bands in America is because of their frontmen. Not being negative towards Liam, he's just not Chris Martin, he's not Bono, he's not Michael Stipe. He's Liam. For all intents and purposes, Americans don't get Liams. I think we're musically as strong as those three bands put together, but as characters we're different.

Did starting your own label Big Brother, in 2000, change the way you view the record industry?

Big Brother was started in a haze of ideals: "We're going to sign loads of bands." Then it was like, "How much? Fuck that!" I take all my money out of Big Brother and put it into my own little label, Sour Mash. I've just signed the [Liverpool] band Shack, and I've done a few little things.

But the thing about bands these days is everybody wants to be the next Oasis, and that doesn't mean slogging it out around the toilet [gigs], it means, "Give me the check, I need to go to the Levis shop and I need a 1960s Gibson."

It's all about advances these days, and most managers of these new bands are idiots. We signed to Creation for 50 grand, and we didn't get any money for about three years. You tell that to a kid these days, and they'll vomit.

Have you ever thought seriously about going solo?

I think about it all the time. I'm doing a bit of a soundtrack for some film that's coming out next year. But because I enjoy time off so much, by the time I've had my time off, it's time to do Oasis again. I always think I'll write the songs on the road, come back and in the six months Oasis are not doing anything, I'll put out a solo album. But because I'm [lazy], it never gets done, and by the time I want to start doing stuff, it's Oasis time. I hope it happens before I'm 40, but I'm 38 now.

What about Liam?

I think he'll do it before I will. He's got more songs, and he's a lot more driven in that department, because although he's 30-odd, he's only just started writing songs, so he's kind of where I was when I was 21.

But now, in the United Kingdom, you can't move for bands paying tribute to your influence.

We thought bands would read [our interviews in] NME and immediately form groups, which they did. But it's only becoming apparent now, [with] the likes of Razorlight, the Libertines, the Killers, the Strokes, Kings of Leon and Jet, all these bands are [citing] "Definitely Maybe." They don't even go "Oasis, Oasis," it's that album.

We were the first people to come out and say, "The world's a great place, life is for living. Forget grunge music. Get a pint of Guinness down your neck, and pick that guitar up."