Cultural events to sport, travel, parties or imagined prizes in lotteries, whether as literal or as metaphor in lyrics, it's all about those bits of real or virtual paper allowing access. Where will yours get you?

Mirrored lyrical patterns create an aural symmetry l that appeals to listeners, especially in pop music’s chorus. Inspired by last week’s nominations, guest playlister Maki weighs up the lyric sheets to create a perfect balance

It’s pleasing to ear and eye, verbally, musically and rhythmically, so let’s seek songs with forms of lyrical antimetabole, the repetition of one or more words in successive clauses, but a transposed order

Scratching your head? What makes the inner language and patterns of thought? Is there an art to thinking, of not thinking too much, or even dethinking? Guest writer Uncleben brings clarity and wonderfully crafted playlists inspired by last week’s topic

Welcome to 2025. It’s time to blow a few lyrical and musical thought bubbles and get the grey matter moving. How is thought expressed in song? Is it an inner speech? Is it through the fingers? All this and more with much to think about, here ….

New album: A wonderfully eclectic, inventive, darkly ecstatic, introspective yet musically expansive electronica and dance music follow-up to 2020’s debut, Acts of Rebellion, on the theme of light and self-discovery by the Colombian singer-songwriter, musician and producer

New album: This feisty, humorous, angry, intelligent, kick-ass debut by the Brighton queer-punk band fronted by duo Lily Macieira and Phoebe Lunny is an explosion of artful, acerbic attitude and energy, and produced by Gilla Band’s Daniel Fox

New album: After a greatest hits tour and two recently new band members, the Glasgow art-rockers fronted by the sharp-witted Alex Kapranos return with renewed vim and vigour, with an unashamed air of going full-tilt on classic FF in their sound and style perky, pacy, hooky indie-pop

New album: Always infectiously fun and effervescently charismatic, the blue-haired South African star’s third LP bursts with witty, sex-positive braggadocio, sung in Xhosa and English, and spanning the rhythms and sounds of Johannesburg and Durban with electro-pop and cross-genre dance

New album: Dark, challenging, otherworldly, experimental, ethereally oddball but at times alluring electronica and ghostly vocalisations? It’s the Tallahassee artist Hayden Anhedönia, who after the successful 2022 LP Preacher’s Daughter, pushes the musical envelope into most unusual territory

Song of the Day: With this lead single, the US musical shapeshifter Mike Hadreas returns with a compelling Americana-style number about reflective horizons and paradoxes, heralding his seventh album, out on 28 March on Matador Records

Song of the Day: With a big, meaty, menacing bass and drum sound, the serenely smooth-voiced Brixton British singer returns, following her acclaimed 2021 LP Skin, with a spicy, bitch-back number expressing anger at someone telling lies about her, with added verse by the American rappe

Song of the Day: A beautifully odd, ghostly, eclectic track by the producer and XL Recordings founder Richard Russell, joined by the south London experimental rock trio, and heralding his forthcoming album Temporary, out on released 28 February via XL Recordings

Song of the Day: The title track from the forthcoming album by the innovative Berlin indie artist is beautifully upbeat and serene and style, but is inspired by deeply personal and sorrowful story from her life. Girl Missing is due out on 21 February via Moshi Moshi Records

Song of the Day: A Thai-dulcimer (khim) decorates this beautiful track by the Singapore-raised, Brighton-based, Scottish-Thai singer-songwriter inspired by her heritage, her mother, and “all the diasporic mums out there”. It’s the latest track heralding her forthcoming album Share Your Care out on 7 February via Bella Union