The music industry is currently facing unprecedented pressures, leading many prominent figures to take career breaks for their mental health. Artists such as Shawn Mendes, Lewis Capaldi, and Justin Bieber have previously stepped back, and more recently, Lola Young announced a hiatus after collapsing on stage. Top DJ Joel Corry has highlighted how the demands on artists have escalated dramatically in just a few years, particularly since his breakthrough in 2019.

Joel Corry explained that the shift in music promotion, largely driven by TikTok and social media, has intensified the stress on artists. Record labels now wield less influence, placing a greater burden on individuals to not only create music but also manage extensive, social media-centric campaigns. He noted that this affects many peers who feel negative when their considerable efforts do not yield desired results, compounding the challenges of demanding tour schedules and gigs. Corry credits his past career as a fitness model for building the mental resilience needed to navigate these intense industry conditions.

In other celebrity news, Mikey Graham has reunited with his Boyzone bandmates Ronan Keating, Shane Lynch, and Keith Duffy for the first time since 2019. The group is preparing for a one-off concert at London’s Emirates Stadium next year, with Graham secretly joining the lads for a promotional snap ahead of tickets going on sale.

Ed Sheeran has also landed his own Netflix special, titled 'One Shot With Ed Sheeran'. Directed by Emmy Award-winning Philip Barantini, known for 'Adolescence', the special was filmed in a single take, following Sheeran through an afternoon in New York as he performs hits on streets and subways, interacting with fans. The film, which Sheeran described as the project he is most proud of in his career, is set to be released on November 21.

Music fans were treated to a surprise at the Austin City Limits Festival in Texas, where Sabrina Carpenter headlined. She was joined on stage by Canadian music icon Shania Twain for a duet of Twain's huge 1999 hit 'That Don’t Impress Me Much'. Carpenter sported a yellow check shirt and bandanna with Daisy Duke shorts, while Twain opted for a stylish black cowgirl outfit, complete with a hat.

Despite insisting she would take a break after the success of her album 'Brat', Charli XCX is already working on her seventh album. She has been holed up at Rue Boyer Studios in Paris, with British songwriter Finn Keane, who collaborated on 'Brat', revealing that the new material will be