For this instalment of the Sidetracked Album Club, Annie and Nick venture back to 2009 and revisit the debut album from the xx. Why did this record stand out so much at the time, and does it hold up 17 years later? And why did the band make Annie and Nick so nervous?

Plus, how the BBC handled the death of Michael Jackson, La Roux nostalgia, and one listener grapples with cringe GCSE Drama memories.

And what if the Rolling Stones had been managed like the Sugababes were in the noughties?

Get in touch with Annie and Nick! You can send a WhatsApp to 07970082700 or email [email protected]

And you can also stay in touch via our Instagram Channel, which you can find in the BBC Sounds Instagram bio.

SONGS

The xx - Crystallised

The xx - Intro

The xx - Infinity

Paolo Nutini - New Shoes

Lady Gaga - Poker Face

Beyoncé - Single Ladies

ALBUMS

The xx – xx

Michael Jackson – The Collection

Black Eyed Peas - The E.N.D.

Paolo Nutini - Sunny Side Up

The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses

Florence + The Machine - Lungs

La Roux - La Roux

Lady Gaga - The Fame

Noisettes - Wild Young Hearts

Kasabian - West Ryder Pauper

LCD Soundsystem – LCD Soundsystem

Annie and Nick welcome one of their dream guests to the studio to talk all things nature and music. horsegiirL is the world’s first half horse, half human singer-songwriter, DJ, and producer, and she’s about to release her debut album. In this episode, she gets sidetracked by birdsong, mushrooms...and birth stories.

Elsewhere, Annie and Nick need to discuss CMAT speaking out about horrible online trolls, and why she truly is a gorgeous genius. And Charli XCX has revealed the details and artwork for her new album but how did she book Martin Scorsese? Plus, electrolytes for trees, Jane McDonald, and Arsenal.

Get in touch with Annie and Nick! You can send a WhatsApp to 07970082700 or email [email protected]

And you can also stay in touch via our Instagram Channel, which you can find in the BBC Sounds Instagram bio.

SONGS

Charli XCX - SS26

Charli XCX - Vroom Vroom

Charli XCX - Rock Music

CMAT - Take a Sexy Picture of Me

Whitney Houston - Queen of the Night

horsegiirL - rivers run free

horsegiirL - an apple a day

horsegiirL - nature is healing

ALBUMS

Charli XCX – Music, Fashion, Film

Charli XCX - brat

horsegiirL - NATURE IS HEALING

The xx - xx

Annie and Nick try their very best not to get sidetracked, as they focus on just one topic - streaming, and how it’s shaped the musical landscape in 2026.

From iPod mania to agentic AI, the world of music has changed a lot since the early 2000s. Have these changes made things better or worse for artists and music fans? And what does the future have in store for streaming and music consumption?

With special thanks to our contributors: The Guardian’s Deputy Music Editor, Laura Snapes; and The New York Times critic, Jon Caramanica, and New York Times culture reporter, Joe Coscarelli. Jon and Joe host the NYT’s Popcast, which you can find wherever you get your podcasts.

And thanks to The Grove, whose self-titled EP is out now. Their most recent single is Amongst the Noise.

SONGS

Dido – White Flag

Dido – Thank You

Rosalía - Divinize

Frankie Valli – Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You

ALBUMS

Dido – Life for Rent

Olivia Dean - The Art of Loving

Annie and Nick discuss one of the busiest weeks in music ever with Drake dropping 3 albums at the same time, Lauryn Hill getting candid about her lack of albums, and Harry Styles starting his much-anticipated world residencies.

Plus, Jack Antonoff has made his thoughts about AI in music extremely clear – does he have a point? And Madonna has finally done something that’s truly shocked Nick.

Get in touch with Annie and Nick! You can send a WhatsApp to 07970082700 or email [email protected]

And you can also stay in touch via our Instagram Channel, which you can find in the BBC Sounds Instagram bio.

SONGS

Dry Cleaning - Sliced by a Fingernail

Harry Styles - As It Was

Madonna - I Feel So Free (Peggy Gou Energy Mix)

ALBUMS

Drake – Iceman

Drake - Habibti

Drake - Maid of Honor

Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Lauryn Hill - MTV Unplugged No. 2.0

Fugees - The Score

Jill Scott – To Whom This May Concern

Amy Winehouse – Frank

Amy Winehouse – Back to Black

Madonna - Confessions II

Kendrick Lamar – GNX

Harry Styles - Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.

The xx - xx

Chaka Khan joins Annie and Nick to discuss her life, legacy and new music. She reveals the very personal reason behind her strong work ethic, her feelings about awards, and why she continues to grow as a musician.

What does Chaka’s life look like when she’s not on stage? She tells Annie and Nick about breathing fresh air for the first time in years, not telling people her address, and feeding her free-range chickens.

And it’s been a decade since her close friend, Prince, died; Chaka reminisces about working with him - and the unusual way in which he paid her.

Plus, why the Queen of Funk isn’t a fair title, the dangers of not following your dreams, and stage fright solutions from Carlos Santana.

Chaka’s new song ‘Chakzilla’ is out now.

Get in touch with Annie and Nick! You can send a WhatsApp to 07970082700 or email [email protected]

And you can also stay in touch via our Instagram Channel, which you can find in the BBC Sounds Instagram bio.

SONGS

Chaka Khan – Chakzilla

Chaka Khan – I Feel For You

Chaka Khan – Tell Me Something Good

It’s the moment they’ve been waiting for since November 2025: Rosalía bringing LUX to London’s O2 Arena. Annie and Nick report back on what might be the best live show they’ve ever experienced. Elsewhere, Madonna’s released a new single with Sabrina Carpenter and it hasn’t totally lived up to their expectations of Confessions II; but will everything make sense when the album comes out? Plus, the Pussycat Dolls have cancelled their North American tour dates and instead of making up an excuse, they’ve chosen honesty – should more artists take note?

Also discussed in the episode: Kid Cudi has fired M.I.A from his tour after fans’ complaints, Zara Larsson is having a moment, and Annie and Nick reminisce about their chat with Rod Stewart after Shakira’s concert on Copacabana Beach.

Get in touch with Annie and Nick! You can send a WhatsApp to 07970082700 or email [email protected]

And you can also stay in touch via our Instagram Channel, which you can find in the BBC Sounds Instagram bio.

HOMEWORK: Listen to the end of this episode to find out the next pick for the Sidetracked Album Club.

SONGS

Shy One and George Riley – I Can Tell

TYSON – CHAOS

Rosalía – Magnolia

Rosalía - Mio Cristo

Pigeon – Miami

Pigeon – Black James Dean

Genesis Owusu – Life Keeps Going

Genesis Owusu – Stampede

Tara Clerkin Trio – Somewhere Good

Nia Archives – Boys in Blue

GENER8ION – STORM

Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter – Bring Your Love

Madonna – Hung Up

Madonna and Britney Spears – Me Against the Music

The Pussycat Dolls – Club Song

The Pussycat Dolls – Don’t Cha

M.I.A. – Illygal

ALBUMS

Rosalía – Motomami

Rosalía – Lux

Shy One – Mali

Pigeon – OUTTANATIONAL

Robyn – Sexistential

Zara Larsson – Midnight Sun: Girls Trip

Madonna – Confessions on a Dance Floor

Madonna – Ray of Light

Madonna – Confessions II

LCD Soundsystem – LCD Soundsystem

Nia Archives – Emotional Junglist

PJ Harvey – Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea

CMAT – If My Wife New I’d Be Dead

Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not

Jeff Buckley – Grace

Frank Ocean – Blonde

The Strokes – Is This It

Sinéad O’Connor – The Lion and the Cobra

Laura Marling – Once I Was an Eagle

Various Artists – Mamma Mia! (The Movie Soundtrack)

The Streets – A Grand Don’t Come for Free

The xx – xx

Kacey Musgraves is one of the best-known Country singers in the world, having won 8 Grammy Awards for her consistently stand out records. On the eve of releasing her 6th studio album, she joins Annie and Nick to discuss the making of the record, and how her approach to writing music has evolved since her debut album.

Country is the fastest growing genre in the UK; Kacey has some thoughts on why and some more vital Country intel for Sidetracked listeners.

Plus, secrets the Middle of Nowhere tour, Kacey delivers an ode to Ireland, and she reveals how artists like Dashboard Confessional, NSYNC and the Spice Girls influenced her as an artist.

Kacey’s album Middle of Nowhere will be available from 1st May 2026.

Get in touch with Annie and Nick! You can send a WhatsApp to 07970082700 or email [email protected]

And you can also stay in touch via our Instagram Channel, which you can find in the BBC Sounds Instagram bio.

SONGS

Kacey Musgraves – Merry Go ‘Round

Kacey Musgraves – Dry Spell

Loretta Lynn – You Ain’t Woman Enough

Kacey Musgraves – Oh, What a World

Kacey Musgraves – Slow Burn

Kacey Musgraves & Miranda Lambert – Horses and Divorces

Kacey Musgraves – Mexico Honey

ALBUMS

Kacey Musgraves – Same Trailer Different Park

Kacey Musgraves – Pageant Material

Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour

Kacey Musgraves – Star‑Crossed

Kacey Musgraves – Deeper Well

Kacey Musgraves – Middle of Nowhere

Annie and Nick discuss the most Madonna week in music – the album announcement, the new song, the Coachella performance, and the theft. Sidetracked fans will know how much Madonna means to Nick...so why does he have beef with her this week?

Elsewhere, Justin Bieber and Billie Eilish showed us what they’re worth at Coachella Weekend 2, Olivia Rodrigo has a brilliant new song, and Annie has some thoughts on the link between bad fathers and great music artists. Plus, Charli XCX has declared the dancefloor dead, but was she being serious?

Get in touch with Annie and Nick! You can send a WhatsApp to 07970082700 or email [email protected]

And you can also stay in touch via our Instagram Channel, which you can find in the BBC Sounds Instagram bio.

SONGS

Lil Louis – French Kiss

Madonna – Vogue

Madonna – Like a Prayer

Madonna – I Feel So Free

Madonna – Justify My Love

Madonna – Hung Up

Empire of the Sun – Walking on a Dream

Olivia Rodrigo – Drop Dead

ALBUMS

Peaches – Teacher of Peaches

Madonna – Confessions II

Madonna – Confessions on a Dance Floor

Madonna – Ray of Light

Madonna – Music

Madonna – Madame X

Madonna – Hard Candy

Charli XCX – brat

Warchild Records – Help(2)

Olivia Rodrigo – You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love

Annie is back after a fortnight away and there’s a lot to catch up on. First on the agenda, Annie and Nick discuss the fallout from Wireless booking Kanye West as a headliner, and the subsequent cancellation of the entire festival. Plus, in other live music news, LIDO festival has had to cancel their planned June weekend due to environmental concerns, and CMAT fans are devastated.

And of course, after the first weekend of Coachella 2026, everyone is analysing the Justin Bieber set – and Annie and Nick hear from someone who was actually there in the field. Were the critical headlines about his YouTube use fair? Or has he just made history for one of the most special live shows in the festival’s history?

Get in touch with Annie and Nick! You can send a WhatsApp to 07970082700 or email [email protected]

And you can also stay in touch via our Instagram Channel, which you can find in the BBC Sounds Instagram bio.

With thanks to Sam Murphy (@popsamcam), who provided much needed intel from Coachella.

SONGS

Justin Bieber – Baby

Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj – Beauty and a Beat

Ne-Yo – So Sick

ALBUMS

Arlo Parks – Ambiguous Desire

Elmiene – sounds for someone

Justin Bieber – Swag

Justin Bieber – Swag II

This week Nick is joined by a very special co-host, Arlo Parks, following the release of her third album, Ambiguous Desire. They discuss how songs come to her, being a sensitive child, accepting a Mercury prize from Annie, trusting yourself as an artist, and how LA inspires her music. Plus, what does an ideal night out look like for Arlo and which does she prefer: Coachella or Glastonbury?

Elsewhere, Slayyyter gets a lot of love, Mitski settles into a residency in a hyper-intimate venue where “you can cry,” and the band Angine de Poitrine do something never been done in music before.

And you can also stay in touch via our Instagram Channel, which you can find in the BBC Sounds Instagram bio.

HOMEWORK: Listen to Arlo Park’s new album, Ambiguous Desire.

SONGS

The Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams

Elmiene - Golden

The xx - xx

Angine de Poitrine - Vol.II

Charli XCX - Brat

Slayyyter - WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA

Massive Attack - debut album

Mazzy Star - debut album

Sexistential - Robyn

The King of Limbs remix album – Radiohead

Nowadays - New York

Midnight Lovers - LA

Corsica - London

Venue MOT/Unit 18

Palais - Peckham