Painting with bulbs not brushes

One year after singer Akon laid the first stone of the $6 billion futuristic city he plans to build in his native Senegal, the site remains grassland. Construction of "Akon City," a project due to feature ultramodern twisting skyscrapers, was already meant to have begun near the Atlantic Ocean village of Mbodiene. But building work is yet to start, prompting residents who were hoping for jobs to wonder about its future.

Britney Spears fans celebrate outside a court in Los Angeles after a judge ordered the singer’s father be removed as her guardian. Spears’ father had controlled her life for the past 13 years, under a legal arrangement the 39-year-old singer has slammed as “abusive”.

Quebec-based singer-songwriter Hubert Lenoir shot onto the scene with his debut solo album "Darlène", a glam rock psychedelic postmodern opera that was shortlisted for the 2018 Polaris Music Prize. He’s back with a very personal sophomore album entitled "PICTURA DE IPSE : Musique directe". This musical autobiography is a tribute to the "cinéma direct" movement, which started in Québec at the end of the 1950s.

Born and raised in Canada, Nigerian singer-songwriter Falana has crafted a unique soundscape mixing afrobeat, pop, soul and dancehall influences. Her self-produced 2019 EP "Chapter One" was described by The New Yorker as "changing the sound of global pop". Recording in Jamaica, England, Canada, the US, Portugal, Ghana and Nigeria, Falana has a uniquely global perspective. She recently dropped her hotly anticipated sophomore EP, entitled "Rising". The singer-songwriter told FRANCE 24's Florence Villeminot about the new release, which explores themes like female empowerment.

Malawian musician Giddes Chalamanda had never dreamed in his 92 years that he might one day be famous enough to dine with the president followed by a night in a luxury hotel. Last month the singer did both, thanks to his unlikely new stardom on TikTok, a social media platform beloved of youths four generations removed from him -- one he can't access because he lacks a smartphone or even electricity to charge one.

Her distinctive blend of pop, folk, soul, jazz and reggae has become a firm favourite at home in Nigeria, and a regular on the radio here in France. Asa joins us from the studio in Lagos to tell us about writing and recording her fifth album as the world came to a shutdown. She tells us how reconnecting with nature created an uplifting mood on the album “Five”, and how she found inspiration through spontaneous, convivial collaborations with musicians like Whizzkid, Amaarae and The Cavemen.

Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Tuesday.

Mona Magdy, a popular Sudanese singer, has not stopped performing in concerts despite undergoing treatment for stage 2 breast cancer.

Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Saturday.⁣

Rammstein's singer has been shaping the sound of German metal music for decades. The rock star has been flirting with controversy for decades. Now a statue for his 60th birthday has been stolen.

Sarah McCoy is an American who honed her songwriting and singing skills touring the US and New Orleans in particular, before moving to France several years ago. Unlike Emily (of "Emily in Paris" fame), she speaks French and has charmed her way into the hearts of the locals. She has just released her second album "High Priestess", which she is about to tour extensively throughout France and other European countries.

Singer Justin Bieber cancels tour due to health reasons