Adele is one of a number super-stars who were discovered on Myspace. Getty Images
Adele is one of a number super-stars who were discovered on Myspace. Getty Images
Adele is one of a number super-stars who were discovered on Myspace. Getty Images
Adele is one of a number super-stars who were discovered on Myspace. Getty Images

Ten pop stars who were discovered on Myspace, from Adele to Calvin Harris


Saeed Saeed
  • English
  • Arabic

Myspace turns 20 years old this month.

After launching in 2003, the site not only demonstrated the increasingly influential role social media would play in our daily professional and personal lives, but also functioned as a music discovery platform for future stars.

While Myspace went on to be surpassed by Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter) over the years, its musical legacy has endured.

Here are 10 artists who were discovered on Myspace.

1. Adele

Long before headlining arenas and having her own Las Vegas residency, Adele displayed her talent to anyone who would listen.

That meant playing in small pubs in London and uploading her music on Myspace in the mid-noughties.

Someone from UK label XL Recordings eventually came across her tracks online, including a rough version of the first official single, Hometown Glory, and Adele was signed.

The rest is history.

2. Arctic Monkeys

English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys in 2006., from left, Alex Turner, Matt Helders, Jamie Cook and Andy Nicholson. Photo: Redferns
English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys in 2006., from left, Alex Turner, Matt Helders, Jamie Cook and Andy Nicholson. Photo: Redferns

The UK group's passionate fanbase helped get them discovered.

While the group were busy playing small gigs and releasing demo CDs, supporters took it upon themselves to upload some of these tracks to Myspace.

The songs caught the attention of Domino Recording Company, who promptly signed them in 2005.

As well as releasing seven albums, the Arctic Monkeys recently played to more than 100,000 people when headlining the Glastonbury Festival in June.

3. Calvin Harris

Before the pulsating electro sounds of 2007's Acceptable in the 80s became a UK club hit, a demo version of Scottish DJ and producer Calvin Harris's first major release did the rounds on Myspace.

The relative buzz reached the ears of Harris's future manager Mark Gillespie, who made him the first signing of his fledgling music management firm.

Harris went on to release a string of global hits, including This is What You Came For and How Deep is Your Love, becoming one of the highest-earning DJs in the music industry.

4. Avicii

Swedish DJ and producer Avicii released some of his earliest hits on Myspace. AFP
Swedish DJ and producer Avicii released some of his earliest hits on Myspace. AFP

Avicii has Myspace to thank for his moniker.

Because his real name, Tim Bergling, was already being used, he chose the Buddhist-inspired term Avicii as well as Tim Berg, before releasing acclaimed tracks including 2010's Seek Bromance and 2011's Fade Into Darkness.

Avicii went on to forge a successful, although ultimately tragic, career.

5. Sean Kingston

The Jamaican-American singer was another active Myspace user.

He not only uploaded mixtapes, but also tried to connect with record companies and producers.

One of those accepting his friend request was producer J R Rotem, who made Kingston the first signing of his burgeoning Beluga Heights record label.

Not long after, Kingston released his 2007 self-titled debut album, which featured the US and UK chart-topping single Beautiful Girls.

6. Lily Allen

British singer Lily Allen used Myspace to her own advantage. Reuters
British singer Lily Allen used Myspace to her own advantage. Reuters

The British pop star used Myspace as a power play against her former label, Regal Recordings.

Reportedly dissatisfied by the lack of attention to her work, she signed up to the platform and released a bunch of demo recordings online.

The quality of the music, including the hit LDN, not only gained her industry buzz and thousands of fans, it convinced the label to throw more resources at Allen's debut album by connecting her with star producers Greg Kurstin and Mark Ronson.

Released in 2006, Alright, Still went on to sell more than two million copies in the UK and earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Alternative Music Album.

7. Panic! at the Disco

The US rock group knew what they were doing on Myspace.

Before releasing their 2005 breakthrough debut album A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, Panic! at the Disco released teasers and frequently engaged with users of the platform to build a cult following.

Before disbanding earlier this year, the band released four albums and headlined arenas on world tours.

8. Kate Nash

Kate Nash performing at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire in 2017. Getty Images
Kate Nash performing at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire in 2017. Getty Images

Before becoming a UK hit, a more rustic version of Foundations by English singer-songwriter Kate Nash was available on her Myspace page.

Supported by fellow Myspace star Allen, she went on to secure a record deal in 2007 and release her UK number one debut album Made of Bricks.

9. Enter Shikari

You never know who is listening online.

While British rockers Enter Shikari were playing local gigs and uploading songs on Myspace, a DJ from Kerrang Radio came across the band online in 2005.

Alex Baker was so impressed, he streamed the track OK, Time for Plan B straight from the band's Myspace page to the radio.

Enter Shikari released their first album, Take to the Skies, in 2007 and went on to forge a successful recording and touring career.

10. Zed

The German DJ, known for hits Clarity and Spectrum, got his career break after Skrillex came across his work on Myspace in 2010.

Not only did Skrillex reportedly play Zed’s track This Year the same night he heard it online, he also invited him on his next tour the following year.

Winners

Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)

Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)

TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski

Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)

Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea

Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona

Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)

Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)

Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)

Best National Team of the Year: Italy 

Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello

Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)

Player Career Award: Ronaldinho

Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

Company profile

Name: Dukkantek 

Started: January 2021 

Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani 

Based: UAE 

Number of employees: 140 

Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service) 

Investment: $5.2 million 

Funding stage: Seed round 

Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office  

THE%C2%A0SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.4-litre%20four-cylinder%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20210hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Starting%20from%20Dh89%2C900%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES

SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities

Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails

Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies

Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments

The low down

Producers: Uniglobe Entertainment & Vision Films

Director: Namrata Singh Gujral

Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Nargis Fakhri, Bo Derek, Candy Clark

Rating: 2/5

World ranking (at month’s end)
Jan - 257
Feb - 198
Mar - 159
Apr - 161
May - 159
Jun – 162
Currently: 88

Year-end rank since turning pro
2016 - 279
2015 - 185
2014 - 143
2013 - 63
2012 - 384
2011 - 883

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The%20Last%20White%20Man
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The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20M3%2C%208-core%20CPU%2C%20up%20to%2010-core%20CPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2013.6-inch%20Liquid%20Retina%2C%202560%20x%201664%2C%20224ppi%2C%20500%20nits%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20wide%20colour%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%2F16%2F24GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20256%2F512GB%20%2F%201%2F2TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Thunderbolt%203%2FUSB-4%20(2)%2C%203.5mm%20audio%2C%20Touch%20ID%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%206E%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2052.6Wh%20lithium-polymer%2C%20up%20to%2018%20hours%2C%20MagSafe%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECamera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201080p%20FaceTime%20HD%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Support%20for%20Apple%20ProRes%2C%20HDR%20with%20Dolby%20Vision%2C%20HDR10%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAudio%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204-speaker%20system%2C%20wide%20stereo%2C%20support%20for%20Dolby%20Atmos%2C%20Spatial%20Audio%20and%20dynamic%20head%20tracking%20(with%20AirPods)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Midnight%2C%20silver%2C%20space%20grey%2C%20starlight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MacBook%20Air%2C%2030W%2F35W%20dual-port%2F70w%20power%20adapter%2C%20USB-C-to-MagSafe%20cable%2C%202%20Apple%20stickers%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh4%2C599%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Price: From Dh801,800
THE SPECS

      

 

Engine: 1.5-litre

 

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

 

Power: 110 horsepower 

 

Torque: 147Nm 

 

Price: From Dh59,700 

 

On sale: now  

 
The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
Porsche Taycan Turbo specs

Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors

Transmission: two-speed

Power: 671hp

Torque: 1050Nm

Range: 450km

Price: Dh601,800

On sale: now

The Old Slave and the Mastiff

Patrick Chamoiseau

Translated from the French and Creole by Linda Coverdale

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Envision%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKarthik%20Mahadevan%20and%20Karthik%20Kannan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20The%20Netherlands%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Technology%2FAssistive%20Technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%241.5%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204impact%2C%20ABN%20Amro%2C%20Impact%20Ventures%20and%20group%20of%20angels%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

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European arms

Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons.  Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

Look%20Both%20Ways
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Updated: August 18, 2023, 6:11 PM`