TikTok made headlines this week as Donald Trump signed an executive order banning it, forcing the company to sell its American branch. The order comes as news of TikTok's plans to sett up a data centre in Ireland were revealed. There are numerous concerns about the apps privacy settings and how much access the app has to stuff like your clipboard and exact location. People complain about Facebook and it’s use of data but TikTok is apparently worse. So what is it about TikTok that has seen usage of

Back in the spring of 1993 New Order hit us with Regret. Things were never the same for New Order after the release of this track so it’s a bit of a swan song for the band. It was New Order’s biggest hit aside from Blue Monday. This week Today FM's Paul McLoone picked Regret for The Story Behind The Song on Mario's Sunday Roast. Paul says Regret brings back loads of memories of his time as The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show producer, as years ago Paul chose this as the theme tune for the Breakfast

American indie pop band Foster the People released Pumped Up Kicks as the group's debut single. Despite it's upbeat melody, the lyrics describe the homicidal thoughts of a troubled youth. The lines in the chorus warn potential victims to "outrun my gun" and that they "better run, better run, faster than my bullet." Today FM's Suzanne Kane joined Mario for Mario's Sunday Roast, to delve into The Story Behind The Song. [audio

All schools are set to reopen next month. One of the big questions now is how will kids adapt psychologically to being back in school. Will younger kids experience separation anxiety after having spent several months with their parents (and vice versa)? Will older students adapt to all of the changes brought into the classrooms? Aileen Hickey, CEO, Parentline joined Mario's Sunday Roast to chat about the concerns she feels parents will have about a return to school. [audio

It's hard to believe that Pulp's Common People was released 25 years ago. The overall theme of the song is the over-romanticised empathy with “poor folk” popular among wealthy students. As for the women talked about in the song? There were rumours that it was the wife of former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis but Cocker still hasn’t revealed it. Alison Curtis joined Mario for The Story Behind The Song. [audio mp3="https://media.radiocms.net/uploads/2020/07/30180927/TSBTS.mp3"][/audio]

A Design For Life is built to stick in your head with it's unusual time signature and massive chorus, once you hear it you'll be humming it all day. Released in April 1996 the tune was a huge success for Manic Street Preachers, going on to become a number 2 hit in the UK. Neal Davies, CEO, BBDO Dublin joined Mario for Mario's Sunday Roast to chat about the lead song from the best selling Everything Must Go LP. [audio

This week the government announced that the planned reopening of all pubs from this week will not go ahead for reasons of public health. When the pubs used to close on Good Friday’s in Ireland it would cause consternation – one day in the year when we couldn’t go to our local watering hole However, during Covid, we have managed to survive for several months without pubs - although almost every joke and whatsapp meme seemed to revolve around alcohol and the pub. So what have we learned about our

Throughout the Covid crisis communities have been finding ways to work together while being told to stay apart. In some ways Covid-19 has brought us closer together. However, as we head into our fifth month of dealing with the fallout of Covid-19 it seems we are becoming more and more divided over certain issues. Foreign travel and the wearing of face masks are now incredibly polarising subject matters. With the announcement on 'safe' countries for travel due later this week columnist Larissa Nolan

Steve Wickham was once described by Mike Scott of the Waterboys as "the world's greatest rock fiddle player.” Steve joined Mario for Mario's Sunday Roast, direct from a closet in his home in Sligo, fresh off a Zoom gig to remember. Over the weekend Steve travelled from Sligo to Windmill Lane studios to perform via Zoom at the SEAC Live series of gigs with No Crows – the folk orchestra that he plays with. Steve has recorded with so many artists in these studios including Elvis Costello and Sinead

The Fugees recorded "Killing Me Softly" for their hugely successful second and final album The Score. The band tried to change the lyrics to make the song focus on anti-drug and anti-poverty messages but the songwriters put a stop to that. The cover of Roberta Flack's original release was a huge hit, reaching number two in the US and topping the charts in the UK where it became the biggest-selling single of 1996. It would go on to sell 1.36 million copies in Britain alone. Dee Reddy joined Mario for

It’s 2002 and Britney Spears is big business. She’s the ‘All American’ princess of pop that has grown up in front of the world. Her boyfriend, Justin Timberlake, is in one of the world’s most successful boybands, NSync. When they break up the rumour mill goes into overdrive with cheating accusations. Word is that Britney cheated on Justin but he won’t confirm it. However, when he releases his first solo album, Justified, in November 2002, the songs seem to tell the full story. In particular, one

Stan was released on November 21, 2000 going to to reach number one in twelve countries. Stan is based on the number of fans who grew to believe they were some how entitled to meet and spend time with Eminem at any given opportunity. It’s bigger message is the exploration of mental health, each verse flip flops through ‘Stans’ childhood/ adult / marriage issues. Broadcaster Suzanne Kane joined Mario on Mario's Sunday Roast to tell us the full story about Stan, undoubtedly one of Eminem's biggest

Advertising and music go hand in hand. Nearly every great and memorable ads features an iconic tune, and that doesn't happen by accident. What started off as jingles in the early days of commercial radio has evolved into big money business over the years. Neal Davis, CEO of BBDO Dublin joined Mario on Mario's Sunday Roast to to delve deeper into this fascinating subject. [audio mp3="https://media.radiocms.net/uploads/2020/06/19180202/MSR-Music-and-Ads.mp3"][/audio]

Munya Chawawa went viral after posting a parody of the reporting of Black Lives Matter protests. He says he was inspired to make the video because of how disappointed he was about the coverage the movement was getting. The parody video now has over 3 million views on Twitter and was shared around the world. British media reporting on the Black Lives Matter protests tomorrow. ‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/yHQqmkDcnk — Munya Chawawa (@munyachawawa) June 7, 2020 Munya joined Mario for Mario's Sunday

I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free was recorded by Nina Simone in 1967. It was written by Billy Taylor and Dick Dallas in 1963 and went on to be adopted by the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s in which Nina Simone was heavily involved. Lyrically the song is one of frustration at the plight of the black community while also outlining what freedom and equality would look like. John Caddell joined Mario for Mario's Sunday Roast to dive deeper into the Story Behind The Song 'I Wish I

Deborah Somorin moved from Nigeria to Naas when she was ten years old. Growing up, she faced homelessness, a teenage pregnancy and the loss of her mother to suicide. Now she's helping disadvantaged students succeed with Empower the Family, which is an approved housing body. This week Deborah posted on LinkedIn saying: Like every black person in Ireland, I’m battling with a lot of different emotions right now – explain how you’re feeling and why… What I’ve learned to date is you can’t force people to

When it was first released people thoughtM.I.A.'s Paper Planes was about robbery and drugs and crime in general. However the hit song is actually representative of M.I.A.'s impressions of how immigrants are perceived in the countries they move to. Maya "M.I.A." Arulpragasam comes from Sri Lanka and the singer has experienced life as an immigrant in Britain and in the U.S. M.I.A. explained that the "paper planes are counterfeit visas made by immigrants." Broadcaster Suzanne Kane joined Mario's

Jeff Bezos looks set to retain his title of the 'world's richest man' even after the global pandemic takes it's toll this year. Projections place Bezos' net worth at the end of 2020 in the region of around $200 Billion. But apart from his vast wealth, what do we really know about the mysterious Amazon tycoon? Emmet Ryan from the Business Post joined Mario for Mario's Sunday Roast to bring us up to speed on all things Jeff Bezos. Catch their chat in full by pressing the Listen button on this

Released in 1992, Connected went on to become a big hit internationally, especially the United States. It continues to live on nearly 30 years later, featuring in ads and most recently in the latest Netflix trending show 'The Last Dance', the tune plays over a montage of Michael Jordan scoring a rake of points against the New York Nicks. Connected was written in a basement studio in Brixton and it’s about people being connected, not being ‘blind’ to racial conflict. The walking talking musical

Wind Of Change was originally written and recorded 1991, following a trip by the German band Scorpions to the USSR. It topped the charts in Germany and across Europe, in the US and in the UK and has since gone on to become a song associated with the fall of the Berlin Wall. It remains the top selling German single to date. However the song has recently been the subject of a podcast which explores the rumour that it was, in fact, written by the CIA. To hear all about The Story Behind The Song on