The Last Mixed Tape

Following renewed controversy surrounding Róisín Murphy’s latest comments about transgender people, criticism from artists including The Blessed Madonna and CMAT, and an increasingly fractured relationship with the LGBTQ+ community that helped shape the Irish singer and former Moloko member career, this video essay asks a much bigger question. What happens when an artist becomes estranged from…

When CMAT accepted the Ivor Novello Award for Euro-Country, she used her speech to deliver a direct challenge to fellow artists. “It is not the time to sit on the fence. Fascism is on the rise.” The speech quickly became one of the most discussed moments in British and Irish music, but it did not emerge in isolation. It arrived during a period of growing political tension, following…

For much of the twentieth century, the Catholic Church shaped almost every aspect of Irish life education, sexuality, politics, family and silence. But long before Ireland changed politically, Irish artists began documenting the emotional cost of that world through music. From Christy Moore’s haunting response to the death of Ann Lovett, to Sinéad O’Connor’s infamous Saturday Night Live…

“I think the dance floor is dead… so now we’re making rock music.” One sentence from Charli XCX during a British Vogue interview that sparked immediate online discourse and announced the release of Charli’s brand new single ‘Rock Music’. Was this the end of Brat? A reinvention? A provocation? Or something much bigger? From the branding of Brat Summer to the mythology of rock authenticity, the…

Kate Bush described Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God), taken from her seminal 1985 album Hounds of Love, as a song about a man and a woman trying to understand each other. But the enduring power of the song goes far beyond romance and its era. In this video essay, The Last Mixed Tape explores how Kate Bush used shifting narrative perspectives across Running Up That Hill, Cloudbusting, and…

Kneecap’s second album Fenian arrives as one of the most politically charged Irish releases in recent years, confronting the history and meaning of a word long tied to identity, conflict and power. In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, we explores how “Fenian” evolved from Irish mythology and revolutionary history into a sectarian slur during the Troubles and why its use today remains deeply…

At what point does listening become endorsing? In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, I explore Kanye West’s latest album Bully and the uncomfortable questions it raises about how we engage with art in 2026. This review is a deeper look at the relationship between artist and audience, and whether it’s still possible to separate the art from the artist in an era where context is impossible to…

In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, we explore the reaction to Kneecap’s recent trip to Cuba and what that reaction reveals about the relationship between music, politics, and public discourse. As Cuba faces ongoing blackouts, shortages, and economic strain shaped in part by the long-standing United States embargo against Cuba Kneecap’s decision to speak out has drawn both support and…

Rosalía’s Lux tour is being described as something more than a concert. In this episode, we explore why. From her early work in flamenco to the global success of Motomami and now Lux, Rosalía has built a career on blending tradition with modern pop without ever losing the cultural identity at the centre of her music. But with the Lux tour, that idea evolves further. Structured more like a piece…

In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, I explore Skinty Fia by Fontaines D.C. and ask a big question: could this already be the defining Irish album of the 21st century? Looking at the record through five key criteria; cultural relevance, popular resonance, iconic status, influence and artistry, the episode dives into the themes of identity, emigration and modern Irish culture that run through…

With the release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, the franchise once again pairs its early-20th-century setting with a soundtrack filled with modern artists. From Nick Cave’s “Red Right Hand” to contemporary acts like Fontaines D.C., Lankum, and Amyl and the Sniffers, the music of Peaky Blinders has always been historically inaccurate yet strangely perfect. In this video essay from The Last…

In February 2026, U2 surprise-released Days of Ash, a six-track EP responding to global political crises from Trump-era America to Gaza, Ukraine, and Iran’s Woman, Life, Freedom movement. Framed as urgent and uncompromising, the project has been described as the band’s most political work in years. But does it confront power equally in every direction? In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape,…

In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, Stephen White breaks down Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show and the cultural meaning behind it. Far beyond spectacle, the performance became a statement about Puerto Rican identity, love as resistance, and the politics of inclusion on America’s biggest stage. From Puerto Rico’s post–Hurricane Maria neglect to Bad Bunny’s activism during the 2019…

The announcement of Bad Bunny as the Super Bowl halftime performer has sparked backlash from conservative politicians and commentators, alongside the creation of an alternative halftime show by Turning Point USA framed around faith and tradition. This week’s episode of the Last Mixed Tape examines how the controversy reveals a deeper cultural divide in America one centered on identity,…

This episode of The Last Mixed Tape examines how pop music and cultural aesthetics are increasingly absorbed into the machinery of state authority. From government agencies using popular songs without consent, to the broader memeification of culture that softens and sanitizes violence, music becomes less a form of protest and more a form of insulation. Drawing on the recent violence on the…

Women in music are frequently praised for their honesty, intensity, and authenticity until those qualities become inconvenient. When women assert creative control, speak politically, or refuse to soften their anger, they are often labelled “difficult.” This week’s episode of the Last Mixed Tape explores the history and meaning of that label, drawing on feminist theory and music history to…

At turn of the century, quietly and without announcement, the language around music changed. Art became content and engagement., expressed in performance metrics. This week’s video explores how capitalism colonised music culture, beginning with Napster, accelerating through streaming platforms like Spotify, and culminating in an ecosystem where art is increasingly treated as disposable data…