September 29th, 2025
werner's weekly
Werner’s Weekly (week 40)
This is Werner’s Weekly, your guide to the best new music, containing the two most recent Carte Blanche Music Wildcards, and the best of the other new releases in alphabetical order:
- Alice Merton – Ignorance Is Bliss
(Wildcard this week) - Raye – Where Is My Husband!
(Wildcard last week) - Circa Waves – Old Balloons
- Jim Gardner – Don’t Leave Me Because I Love You
- Nea – Unaffected
- The Temper Trap – Giving Up Air
Listen to each of the tracks via the Werner’s Weekly player below.
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
Partly selected via input by Musosoup. Submit your music here. #sustainablecreators
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
single track, wildcard
Wildcard (week 39):
Wildcard (week 39):
Alice Merton – Ignorance Is Bliss
Alice Merton was born in Germany from a German father and a British mother. She grew up in Canada however. When she was 13 she came back to Germany, but spent a lot of time in the UK as well, where her parents had gone and live. Finally, she attended the Popakademie Baden-Württemberg in Mannheim and started her career from Germany. No wonder her debut single was titled No Roots…
Since that song became a pan-European hit, eight years ago, Merton built a steady career. She played Coachella, went Platinum 8x and was awarded a gold record in the US. Her first album Mint (2019) was followed by long-player S.I.D.E.S. in 2022 and EP Heron in 2024. Yet it’s fair to say she never equaled the success of her debut single.
I think however, that time has come. New single Ignorance Is Bliss, co-written by Dan Smith (of Bastille fame) among others, is just as catchy as No Roots. Produced by Merton in collaboration with Jennifer Decilveo (SASAMI, Hinds), it has a vibrant pop-rock sound. The singer’s intense vocals convey both fragility and desire over a backdrop of striking guitars and pulsating beats.
This track is the first taste of Merton’s third studio album, Visions, out on 16 January 2026. It explores themes of self-determination, self-esteem, and loyalty.
Ignorance Is Bliss by Alice Merton is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. It will be prominently displayed at the top of the blog for an entire week.
More Alice Merton @ Carte Blanche Music
Follow her on Facebook | Instagram | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2025 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
playlist
Additions to the Carte Blanche Music playlist (week 39)
Not all, but only the best new music. Added to the playlist this week (alphabetically):
- Circa Waves – Old Balloons indie | pop | rock
- Creeper – Prey For The Night indie | rock
- ellakate – Love’s Liability
indie | pop - Fuzzy Teeth – Two Feet indie | rock
- Jim Gardner – Don’t Leave Me Because I Love You indie | pop
- Juliana Hale – Collateral Damage indie | pop
- Hooverphonic – Vinegar And Salt [Live with Strings]
live | orchestral | pop - Kings Elliot – Whiskey And Wine pop
- Alice Merton – Ignorance Is Bliss indie | pop
- Nea – Unaffected pop
- Portugal. The Man – Mush indie | rock
- The Temper Trap – Giving Up Air indie | pop | rock
- Cindy Wilson – Man Of The People indie | pop | rock
Check them all in the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music Spotify playlist.
Add it to your library (click ‘+’) to hear the best new music first.
Partly selected via input by Musosoup. Submit your music here. #sustainablecreators
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
werner's weekly
Werner’s Weekly (week 39)
This is Werner’s Weekly, your guide to the best new music, containing the two most recent Carte Blanche Music Wildcards, and the best of the other new releases in alphabetical order:
- Raye – Where Is My Husband! (Wildcard this week)
- Cameron Hayes – Own Me (Wildcard last week)
- Lou Emery – The Moves
- Sonic Whip – Survive
Listen to each of the tracks via the Werner’s Weekly player below.
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
Partly selected via input by Musosoup. Submit your music here. #sustainablecreators
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
single track, wildcard
Wildcard (week 38):
Wildcard (week 38):
Raye – Where Is My Husband!
Polydor Records must be at its wit’s end. Signing a talented artist like Raye, trying to force her into the wrong musical mold (clubby dance music) and subsequently having to let her go, only to see her become the star she was always meant to be. That way, both parties got what they deserved: empty hands for the label and huge success for the artist.
Raye’s high-profile departure from Polydor Records earned her the respect of other artists and music lovers alike. But the hits are a result of her talent and determination. She’s got the songs, the voice and the ability to put on a great live performance. She played many festivals last summer, where she already played her new single Where Is My Husband! (with an exclamation point, that’s right). Click here for a stunning live rendition at Lowlands, for instance.
Today, Raye released the studio version, and it’s as great as the live performances. It’s a surging blend of R&B old (blasting horns) and new (her bustling rhythms rooted in hip hop). If you like Christina Aguilera’s Ain’t No Other Man or Crazy In Love by Beyoncé, you’ll love this one.
This week, Raye claims the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. So if you’re looking for her husband, he’s prominently displayed at the top of the blog for an entire week.
More Raye @ Carte Blanche Music
Follow her on Facebook | Instagram | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2025 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
playlist
Additions to the Carte Blanche Music playlist (week 38)
In a week where quantity ruled over quality, these new tracks deserve your attention. Added to the playlist this week (alphabetically):
- Lou Emery – The Moves indie | pop
- Raye – Where Is My Husband! indie | pop | r&b | soul
- Sonic Whip – Survive indie | rock
Check them all in the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music Spotify playlist.
Add it to your library (click ‘+’) to hear the best new music first.
Partly selected via input by Musosoup. Submit your music here. #sustainablecreators
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
werner's weekly
Werner’s Weekly (week 38)
This is Werner’s Weekly, your guide to the best new music, containing the two most recent Carte Blanche Music Wildcards, and the best of the other new releases in alphabetical order:
- Cameron Hayes – Own Me (Wildcard this week)
- G Flip – Bed On Fire (Wildcard last week)
- Few Bits – Cobblestones
- David Jane – Story Of A Night
- Navigate (feat. Hunk) – Anytime
- Ora – Limbo
- Olivia Rodrigo & Robert Smith – Friday I’m In Love (Live from Glastonbury)
Listen to each of the tracks via the Werner’s Weekly player below.
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
Partly selected via input by Musosoup. Submit your music here. #sustainablecreators
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
single track, wildcard
Wildcard (week 37):
Wildcard (week 37):
Cameron Hayes – Own Me
Reading-born singer-songwriter Cameron Hayes blew up on social media in 2020. Since then, she’s gone from posting covers on YouTube to performing at iconic festivals like Leeds and Reading. In between, she lent her song-writing abilities and voice to various dance and drum & bass acts, like Wilkinson and Sub Focus. Now, as she describes on her socials, she’s ‘entering her pop era’.
Yet, her new single Own Me is still full of energy, with frantic, d&b-like beats. Lyrically, it deals with the obsessive push-and-pull of a situationship; lust blurring into love, detachment colliding with desire. All in all, it’s an infectious cocktail, blending emotional vulnerability with a club-ready production. Great British dance-pop with a modern edge.
Own Me by Cameron Hayes is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. It will be prominently displayed at the top of the blog for an entire week.
Follow Cameron Hayes on Facebook | Instagram | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2025 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
playlist
Additions to the Carte Blanche Music playlist (week 37)
Not all, but only the best new music. Added to the playlist this week (alphabetically):
- Cat Burns – Lavender pop
- The Dears – Tears Of A Nation indie | pop | rock
- Few Bits – Cobblestones indie | pop | rock
- Cameron Hayes – Own Me electronic | indie | pop
- David Jane – Story Of A Night folk | indie | pop
- Navigate (feat. Hunk) – Anytime indie | rock
- Ora – Limbo indie | pop
- Olivia Rodrigo & Robert Smith – Friday I’m In Love (Live from Glastonbury) live | pop
- Sunflower Bean – Crashing Highs indie | pop | rock
Check them all in the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music Spotify playlist.
Add it to your library (click ‘+’) to hear the best new music first.
Partly selected via input by Musosoup. Submit your music here. #sustainablecreators
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
werner's weekly
Werner’s Weekly (week 37)
This is Werner’s Weekly, your guide to the best new music, containing the two most recent Carte Blanche Music Wildcards, and the best of the other new releases in alphabetical order:
- G Flip – Bed On Fire (Wildcard this week)
- Beach Bunny – Year Of The Optimist (Wildcard last week)
- Ash – Which One Do You Want?
- David Byrne & Ghost Train Orchestra feat. Hayley Williams – What Is The Reason For It?
- Lady Gaga – The Dead Dance
- Saint Etienne x Confidence Man – Brand New Me
- Lucia – Lights Off
Listen to each of the tracks via the Werner’s Weekly player below.
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
Partly selected via input by Musosoup. Submit your music here. #sustainablecreators
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
