Paloma Faith help launches National Album Day

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Paloma Faith has become an ambassador for the first-ever National Album Day.

The 'Make Your Own Kind of Music' singer is spearheading the annual event launched by BBC Music and industry professionals to celebrate the much-loved format, which turns 70 this year, on October 13.

Paloma says despite the rise of streaming with services such as Spotify and Apple Music, she still feels CDs are "the ultimate expression of the songwriter's craft".

Speaking about the records that have inspired her career, the 37-year-old star said: "I vividly remember being excited by so many classic albums as I was growing up, like Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On', Dylan's 'Freewheelin'', and Erykah Badu's 'Mama's Gun', although, if I had to pick one, the album that most inspired me was Tracy Chapman's self-titled debut. It featured the incredibly powerful 'Why?' - a song that has become a real anthem for me not least as it was the first to bring home the emotional power of lyrics.

"The way we engage with music may be changing, but for me the album remains the ultimate expression of the songwriter's craft."

National Album Day will be marked with a week of special events in the UK, paying homage to the nation's favourite things about the album, including the sleeve artwork.

James Stirling, Head Of Content Commissioning, BBC Music, added: "BBC Music is proud to support the first National Album Day. The role of the album has evolved over 70 years - through vinyl and beautiful artwork to current streaming consumption - yet the story behind a great album remains an important part of British culture. We look forward to exploring the album in all its glory and telling these stories across the BBC."

A social media campaign has also been launched, which sees album-lovers invited to use the hashtag #NationalAlbumDay to nominate and share the album that has most inspired them; and at 3.33pm on October 13, fans, stores, radio stations and public spaces will be encouraged to play their favourite albums in full simultaneously.

In 2017, over 13 million albums were bought, downloaded or streamed, 9.5 per cent more than the previous year.

4.1 million of those were on vinyl - seeing the biggest resurgence in the once outdated format since the 90s.

The BPI claims that approximately five billion albums have flew off shelves in the UK since the album was born in 1948.