Approved in 2023

Each Tuesday and Thursday, CMU's Approved introduces a new artist we’re excited about. They may already have a strong catalogue of music behind them or might be releasing their first single, but we think each one is deserving of wider attention.

Spanning a wide range of genres, from mainstream to deeply experimental, there's a vast amount of music to delve into by the end of the year – and what better time than now to revisit it all?

We’ve collected music from all of the artists that we featured in 2023's Approved into a playlist that you can listen to on Spotify or YouTube, or explore the original articles.

It’s the perfect escape from Christmas music, an ideal soundtrack to last minute shopping, and a ready-made way to make visiting friends and family think that you know far more about music than they do.

There are five tracks that we think particularly stood out this year:

Approved: Slap Rash – Voice Lost

This powerful blast of post-punk drums and bass from the sibling duo gives you an idea of what to expect from their incredible live show.

CMUAndy Malt

Approved: Shelf Lives – All Grown Up

Dark humour and disappointment mix into an electro-punk sound in this gleeful Le Tigre-esque lament to the realities of adult life.

CMUAndy Malt

Approved: Delilah Holliday – Liquid Pearl

Skinny Girl Diet frontwoman Delilah Holliday returns with her signature dark textured electronic sonic palette.

CMUAndy Malt

Approved: Grove – Big Boots

A standout performance from 2023’s Great Escape, the furiously anti-monarchy ‘Big Boots’ gives an idea of how exciting Grove’s live show is.

CMUAndy Malt

Approved: Water From Your Eyes – Barley

Experimental pop duo draw humour from darkness in this tense and brooding track that couples deadpan vocals with disjointed and urgent musical backing.

CMUAndy Malt

Enjoy the playlist - we'll be back with Approved in 2024.