Sam Fender’s music offers a vision of masculinity that is complex, conflicted and deeply human

By Nick Robinson, Associate Professor in Politics and International Studies, University of Leeds

By the end of June 2025, Sam Fender will have played four stadium shows to nearly 250,000 people across the UK, with three of those in his native north east. With three albums and over 2 billion streams, his music has earned widespread acclaim. Yet, Fender is no ordinary rock star.

His songs provide a powerful connection to place and a lens through which to reflect on social, cultural and political dynamics. Deeply rooted in north-east…

Read complete article

~	Azerbaijan's state tourism agency is on a mission to boost the country's travel appeal

~	Journalists in Chad Entitled to Pretrial Release

~	Societies grappling with a ‘silent but growing’ prison crisis

~	G7 Should Prioritize Action to End Israeli Atrocities

~	The Club World Cup 2025 shows sharing the stage is the future of global sport

~	Bulgaria is joining the euro in January – and not everyone is pleased

~	Five reasons you should give up alcohol if you’re recovering from an injury

~	How pterosaurs can inspire aircraft design

~	Nine-year-olds in England sit timed multiplication test – but using times tables is about more than quick recall

~	Why people become drug mules – and why harsh sentences don’t deter them