BBC Radio 2 Celebrates Songwriting will be taking place in November and December, a season which explores the craft of songwriters across the globe.
Throughout the season, well-known artists – and their well-known fans – will be discussing the art of songwriting, and how they use their songwriting skills to write songs which connect with their listeners.
On November 12, the season will be launching with Adele At The BBC, a special programme introduced by Zoe Ball looking back on Adele’s history with Radio 2. This will be followed by a series of specials with Ed Sheeran, Cerys Matthews, Gary Barlow, Emeli Sandé, John Legend and Craig David, among many others.
As an extension of Radio 2 Celebrates Songwriting, there will also be a focus on the music of George Michael broadcasting in the New Year.
Helen Thomas, head of Radio 2, said: “Fabulous music is played on Radio 2 from start to finish every day, so Radio 2 Celebrates Songwriting is our way to pay tribute to the incredible talents and skills of those who start with an empty sheet of paper - the people who help make our station sound so brilliant, superb songwriters from the UK and across the world!”
“As part of Radio 2 Celebrates Songwriting, I'm happy to introduce this special programme on the music of Nashville,” said Sheeran, presenter of Nashville Songwriters. “It's the best song town on the planet and I've spent a lot of time there myself, with friends like Taylor Swift, Kelsea Ballerini and Brett Eldredge. I hope it’ll give you an idea of exactly what it takes to be a successful songwriter in Nashville!”
Cerys Matthews, presenter of First And Last, said: “'I can't wait to explore the journeys our songwriting guests have been on - from their first ever song, right up to their last. Join me as I discover the twists and turns, the highs and lows, and lessons learnt along the way.”
Gary Barlow, presenter of We Write The Songs, added: “I thoroughly enjoyed hearing these fantastic musicians share insights into their songwriting processes and how they crafted some of the biggest songs ever. As a songwriter, you're constantly looking for inspiration and who better to hear from than the likes of Sir Paul McCartney, Sam Smith, Max Martin, Paloma Faith and more. I hope people enjoy listening to this series on BBC Sounds.”
