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Artist Spotlight

Meet Liam Bell aka NRTI Rising Star From Sheffield, UK

Today we’d to introduce you to Liam Bell aka NRTI.

Liam Bell, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Tell us about your background getting to where you are today?

Liam Bell – My name is Liam Bell, also known as NRTI meaning “No Regret To Impress”, and “Never Regret To Impact”. I started writing my own music when I was 15, but I didn’t pluck up the courage to start releasing my tracks until I was 19, many people, even my close friends doubted me and never believe in me at all, but this made me realize that the only person that needed to believe in me is ME believing in myself, so I released my debut single ‘Did it for the fam’, I received over 2,000 streams on SoundCloud and that’s when I realized people do like my music and I can do this.

All my focus from a young boy was mainly on boxing, as I have boxed since I was 13, I am now 23 and just turned over professional, all I wanted to do in life was to become a boxer and make music, when I was younger all I did was train train train all the way through high school (secondary school in the UK), and all the hard work I put in was unknowingly at the time the foundation of my future as an artist, boxing made me so focused and determined in anything chose to do, so when I did start making music I gave it 100% just like I do in the gym, I wouldn’t say I had a bad upbringing at all, my mum and dad worked very very hard to make sure me and my sister Fran had a lovely rough over our head and food on the table, I love them all so much and they motivate me to do succeed, as I was growing up there was always bound to be bumps in the road, it is just how you get past the bumps that really matters, there has been times where I have had nothing in my bank account and there have been times where I have had thousands, but one thing I have learned is that money does not buy happiness whatsoever, I have been broke and happy and I have been well off and sad, the numbers on your screen should not matter, I started working in a restaurant as a pot washer when I was 17, it was the most horrible job ever, it was pure graft and little pay, but this is what made me want to try harder and make sure I didn’t need to wash pots forever, there were times where I felt as though I had literally no meaning in life, but my boxing and music helped me get through the dark times! I continued to work hard and learn new things, until my boss eventually offered me a job as the assistant chef, as he could see how motivated I was to do better, eventually, 6 months down the line, I was head chef, after literally 1 year ago being the pot washer, this just shows anything is possible if you put your mind to it and you give 100%.

 

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Where are you from?

Liam Bell – I am from Sheffield, UK.

How did you get into music?

Liam Bell – When I was younger I liked to mess about sometimes with my mates freestyling, but then

one day I wrote a full track, remembered it all, and performed it in front of them as they

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thought I was just freestyling off of the top of my head there reaction was hilarious and I

loved how it made me feel, so from that day on I continued to write music and I continued

to memorize every one of my tracks.

 

What is the most challenging thing you have overcome in your life?

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Liam Bell – This is a very hard question to answer, as there have been many upsetting times in my life that I have had to overcome, but there have also been some great times, so I do try my hardest to not focus on the negatives. It was very hard for me when I found out that two of my grandparents both had alzeimers disease, it was a very tough time for me and my family and it still is at times, but we need to stay strong for the people we love, my Nan still fights Every day, but my grandad Eddie has now passed away god bless his soul.

 

It does upset me thinking about my Nan but I still try my hardest to take away the positives and think about all the great memories we made together. When it comes down to the hardest thing I had to overcome I would have to say it was when I was only 18 one of my friends I played football with for years decided to commit suicide, I didn’t actually realize the love I had for Josh until he passed away, it was such an upsetting time and I couldn’t believe it, It made me so frustrated how I didn’t just meet up with him out of football or dropped him a message to make sure he was okay, I felt so sorry for his family and close friends, still to this day I think about him and I still wish I could have helped him in some way, this has got to be one of the most upsetting times of my life, and it was hard to get over because I know that I could have done more to help, I just didn’t know he was in such a dark place, he was such a great character and hilarious, he could make anyone laugh, it was such a devastating loss for everyone who knew him.

 

Are you currently signed or independent?

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Liam Bell – I am currently an independent artist, I do find It hard to keep all my music running as well as working 50 hours a week and training for my boxing, but I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do, there are no breaks on the journey to success.

 

Who inspires you the most musically?

Liam Bell – When it comes to who inspired me to create music I would actually have to say the band; Arctic Monkeys, as they did originate from Sheffield my hometown, and to see how far they have come and how much they have achieved it does really motivate me, also I love their music, they are different but amazing.

 

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What do you want people to take away after listening to your music?

Liam Bell – I want people to take away many things from my music, but main of all I want my music to motivate others, I want people to understand that in life if you want to do something, then do it, the only person holding back from reaching your goals is you, I do also like to bring humor into some of my tracks but it does really depend on what type of vibe I am bringing, I love writing deep meaningful songs but I also love writing cheeky upbeat freestyles.

 

What is your greatest achievement as a musician?

Liam Bell – Tbh I just want to leave a great impact on the music scene, I want to bring my boxing into my music and motivate others, eventually when I have built up my name I want to release charity songs to build up money for Alzeimers and also men’s mental health.

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Do you produce your own music? If not who do you work with?

Liam Bell – I do not produce my own music, I usually work with TeeDee, he is the best producer I have worked with, and he also lives in Sheffield.

 

Who is one artist you wish you could work with?

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Liam Bell – I would love to work with Aitch one day as he also motivated me to push my music even more.

 

Tell us about any new music you have coming out? When is coming out? What is it about?

Liam Bell – Well I am working on many tracks atm, but I don’t fully know which one is coming next yet, I am going to let my fans decide, I will be putting a poll up on my Instagram soon! but I will be definitely releasing a new track early next month, so please keep your eyes peeled!

 

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What does a day inside your shoes look like?

Liam Bell – Okay well, this is a tricky one, my days do vary quite a bit, I am either up early for a 10-10 shift or I am up early training, I work on all my music mainly at night time, because that is when I write my best stuff when I am not training or working I love to just chill with my mates and tbh I am also a sucker for the casino hahaha, but I am up atm so I can’t complain, and of course I love listening to music and finding new beats.

 

Anything else you want the audience to know about you?

Liam Bell – I want you to know that I don’t just do this because I want to become famous and make money, I make music because I want to motivate others and I want my music to have a positive impact on people’s lives.

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Artist Spotlight

Who’s Making the Most Money on Spotify in 2025?

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In 2025, Spotify conquers the music streaming world, with 500+ million monthly paying subscribers globally. Considering the platform paid out $10 billion in royalties, a record high, during 2024, it’s evident that streaming is now a revenue stream for artists. Yet only a few musicians are making good money from it.

At the top of the list is Drake, whose 21.5 billion streams yield around $52.5 million. Next up is J Balvin, with $37.9 million this year, a clean-up job from his massive streaming numbers. Other artists who earned significant amounts included Post Malone, Ariana Grande, and Bad Bunny, each featured among the platform’s top earners.

In electronic music, the Chainsmokers had 7.2 billion streams and made $17.7 million, and Calvin Harris made $14 million. The first-place finisher among the grossers is Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You,” which earned $6.6 million from 2.7 billion streams.

Although these numbers are impressive, most artists on Spotify receive a much lower payday. In its 2024 Loud & Clear report, Spotify found that only 4.4% of artists make at least $131,000 annually. On average, an artist in the bottom 98.6% of earners makes just $12 monthly. This difference underscores the difficulties many musicians face in the streaming age.

Dead artists are still having a real impact on Spotify. Pop Smoke, Shoot for the Stars, and Aim for the Moon have 8.51 billion streams, £29.29m, 6.79 billion streams, and £23.37 million in earnings with Juice WRLD’s “Legends Never Die.” Lil Peep and The Notorious B.I.G. are also proving influential, with their music still raking in significant amounts of money.

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Spotify’s global platform has allowed artists to perform in front of audiences beyond their home countries. In 2024, most artists who earned at least $1,000 in royalties made most of their revenue through international listeners, at over 50%. Since 2017, the number of female artists grossing over $1 million per year has quadrupled, signaling greater diversity and representation in the music industry.

The few artists who do make millions from Spotify streams get 1 %, while the 1% of artists get funds. Only a handful of artists are financially rewarded through it, even as the platform’s continued global reach and growing diversity create opportunities for emergent practitioners.

Let me know what you thought of this post in the comments if you found this article interesting!

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Artist Spotlight

Kayla Marque lights a fire with “Slow Burn”

Kayla Marque

Kayla Marque has returned with a new single, “Slow Burn,” a simmering, soul-passionate affair that holds you well past when the last notes die out. True to her endlessly evolving artistry, Marque serves up something future-facing and thoughtful, stitching together a grunge-adjacent bassline with ethereal melodies and haunting vocal dynamics.

Right from the outset, “Slow Burn” sucks you into its smoky milieu. The measured bassline sounds plucked from the ‘90s alt-rock golden age and dunked in modern, velvety skin. But Marque’s voice brings center stage, fluent, forceful, and emotionally detailed. She doesn’t only sing; she tells stories, whispers, and wails, and her approach lends the music an astonishing contrast between restraint and release.

As the song progresses, there’s something undeniably mesmerizing about how the instrumentation interacts with the vocals. The melodies shimmer like heat off the pavement, entrapping listeners in a hypnotic haze that feels at once intimate and cinematic. Marque displays not only her vocal range but also her emotional depth. Every note feels deliberate, and every word feels lived-in.

What’s so exciting about “Slow Burn” is how it feels like another chapter in a broader story. Kayla Marque has consistently refused to settle into a single groove, and this track demonstrates that she’s continuing to push limits and defy expectations. There’s a rawness here, an audacity that doesn’t plead for attention but commands it regardless. It’s a song that reveals more textures and emotions after every listen. “Slow Burn” is a vibe, a feeling, a statement. It’s another step in Kayla Marque’s evolution as an artist, and if this is what’s to come, we’re in for something special.

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