Since winning “Britain’s Got Talent” in 2024, Sydnie Christmas has been unstoppable. With a debut album, major TV appearances, and now a headline tour, she’s proving she’s far more than just a reality show winner—she’s a genuine star. Her “Sydnie Christmas Live 2025” show was a triumphant mix of powerhouse vocals and personal storytelling, with plenty of charm.
A Voice Made for the Big Stage: Sydnie opened with a medley featuring “Diamonds Are Forever,” a bold choice that played into her dream of recording a “James Bond” theme. With her rich, dramatic vocals, it’s easy to imagine her pulling it off.
“Tomorrow,” the song that won her Amanda Holden’s Golden Buzzer, was as spine-tingling as ever. Later, she delivered one of the night’s most breathtaking moments with a duet of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” alongside Loren Allred—the voice behind “Never Enough” from “The Greatest Showman.” The show closed with a “Greatest Showman Medley,” bringing her signature theatrical flair full circle.
More Than Just a Singer: Sydnie’s voice is extraordinary, but what made the night so special was her ability to connect with the audience. Between songs, she shared personal stories in a “show and tell” fashion, pulling sentimental objects from a table beside her—including a t-shirt, which she cheekily used to plug her own merch: “Did it happen if you don’t have the t-shirt?”
She also made space for others to shine. The choir from her former performing arts school, D&B Academy of Performing Arts, joined her for “You’re the Voice” and later returned for “Impossible Dream,” with a few students stepping forward for solos. It was a touching full-circle moment and a reminder of how much her success means to those following in her footsteps.
A Star in the Making: Although her signature style and comfort zone are undeniably theatrical, Sydnie Christmas is a rare talent—a versatile, charismatic artist who defies categorisation. With a voice that adapts to any genre, she transforms every song into her own unique masterpiece.
Even outside the theatre, her impact was clear—rickshaw cyclists were playing her version of “Tomorrow,” proof that her voice is already resonating beyond the stage. She has yet to release original music, but “My Way” shows she knows how to pick a song. With a great band behind her; if she embraces songwriting, she could take things even further.
For now, “Sydnie Christmas Live 2025” was a warming showcase of raw talent and star quality.
Photo credit: Paul Madeley
MUSIC PREMIERES
Four years on from the ‘Actual Life’ series lifting him into the mainstream spotlight, Fred Again.. continues to feel unavoidable. The London producer and DJ born Fred Gibson has moved at a relentless pace, bouncing between sold out stadium dates in New York and surprise appearances at Sheffield’s 1,000 capacity Forge, while also making history as the first electronic artist to top the bill at Reading and Leeds in 2024.
Where the ‘Actual Life’ releases and his fourth album, 2024’s ‘Ten Days’, leaned into warmth and joy pulled from ordinary moments, Gibson has also sharpened his instinct for high impact club weapons rooted in garage, dubstep and jungle. That side of his output lives on ‘USB’, an “infinite album” first imagined in 2022 as a home for tracks that exist outside any fixed universe, including defining moments like ‘Rumble’ and ‘Jungle’.
‘USB002’, the second vinyl only chapter of the ‘USB’ project, brings together 16 recent tracks, many of which surfaced gradually on streaming services over a ten week stretch. The music was shaped live, in step with ten unannounced DJ appearances across the world from Dublin to Mexico City. Even with a Glastonbury style registration system in place, The Times reported that 100,000 people tried to secure tickets for the opening night in Glasgow.
Appropriately, ‘USB002’ feels alive and constantly in motion, helped along by contributions from close collaborators such as Floating Points and Sammy Virji. The rigid, techno driven pressure of ‘Ambery’ echoes elements of Floating Points’ 2019 album ‘Crush’, while Gibson’s take on ‘The Floor’ builds like the slow climb of a rollercoaster before dropping back to earth without warning.
The guest list stretches beyond the usual dance circles, with two Australian guitar bands popping up in unexpected ways. ‘You’re A Star’ reworks Amyl and The Sniffers’ ‘Big Dreams’ into a breakbeat driven rush, while ‘Hardstyle 2’ pulls the experimental post punk edge of Shady Nasty into an Underworld adjacent space alongside Kettama. Gibson’s real trick is his ability to connect with anyone. These tracks are not reinterpretations but full takeovers.
The visual world wrapped around the ‘USB002’ rollout reinforces the instinct behind the music. Phones were prohibited at shows staged in vast warehouse spaces under sweeping light rigs, while Gibson’s team shared striking black and white footage and created artwork for each single on site. Bottling that sense of urgency, the project is rooted in the thrill of the present moment, something Gibson seems able to summon simply by turning up.
If the ‘Actual Life’ series and ‘Ten Days’ captured passing snapshots of experience, ‘USB’ is defined by constant movement, a space where boundaries are removed entirely. Sitting somewhere between an album and a playlist, ‘USB002’ underlines why Fred Again.. feels so dominant right now, and suggests that his current run may only be the beginning of something much bigger.
