April 16, 2025 |
In 2025, the UK’s music scene is a sublime, bubbling broth made up of many ingredients. It’s rich with the flavour of countless genres, each thriving in their own right. Pop, rap, rave, R&B, jazz, jungle, neo-soul, indie, electronic, you name it – in every corner we have world-class pioneers leading the way and, simultaneously, ripping up the rule book. Featured inside 10 Magazine Issue 74, a portfolio of musicians all vary in age, genre, background, sexuality and stages of career. What they share, however, is self-assuredness, determination and confidence.
As someone who has interviewed many musicians over the years, it’s obvious when an artist doesn’t yet have faith in their own work. After speaking to each of the following rising stars, I found it refreshing to have come across a group of 10 artists, all dramatically different. who so clearly know themselves and what they want. They’re even going as far as to set boundaries and take the necessary time to pause between projects. Whether it’s JGrrey moving to the coast, Nabihah Iqbal heading to the Catskills for a two-month artist retreat or Cari taking a moment of reflection by revisiting the shop she once worked in, these artists are making the music that they want to make, when they want to make it. Oh, and they all happen to be women. Best get to know them now before you have to scramble for arena tickets – if anyone can do it, it’s this bunch.
Tyson wears suit by H&M Studio
When I speak to alt-R&B star Tyson, 35, she’s overflowing with excitement. Her little sister, fellow singer-songwriter Mabel, had got engaged the night before. After our interview, there are big family celebrations to be had, which will include parents Neneh Cherry and music producer Cameron McVey. Tyson may have been born into one of the most powerful households on London’s music scene, but as well as developing her own unique sound she has used that power for good.
A decade ago, Tyson and her friend and creative consultant Hannah TW dreamed up the idea of Ladies Music Pub, a grassroots collective and record label created to support and connect women, trans and non-binary people in music. The community’s mantra is truly inclusive. “We move sideways, rather than upwards, there is no ladder,” she tells me. “Ladies Music Pub came out of necessity. I didn’t feel very safe where I started in the industry and that’s no one person’s fault. I was quite young and slightly more vulnerable than I am now. I just didn’t have any women around me and that’s what I really, really needed at the time. A feeling of safety and support.”
When it comes to her own music, Tyson fuses wispy, silken vocals with raw, gritty lyricism. The title of her 2024 EP, Chaos, summarised her life at the time, as she was juggling having a newborn baby alongside newly birthed music. The lead single, Jumpstart, hit streaming platforms a week before her daughter was born. Yet despite an insanely busy year of raising a baby and releasing music, Tyson is surprisingly energised. “I’m really looking forward to playing live, that’s my big dream,” she says. “I just want to keep going.”
Taken from 10 Magazine Issue 74 – MUSIC, TALENT, CREATIVE – on newsstands now. Order your copy here.
SOUNDS OF THE UK
Portrait ANNA STOKLAND
Text ISOBEL VAN DYKE
Fashion assistant GEORGIA EDWARDS
Production ZAC APOSTOLOU and SONYA MAZURYK
