diff --git a/backend/novasonic-server.js b/backend/novasonic-server.js
index e607278..e19cf24 100644
--- a/backend/novasonic-server.js
+++ b/backend/novasonic-server.js
@@ -483,48 +483,6 @@ function _spTrackItem(t, defaultAlbum, defaultArt, defaultAlbumArtist) {
   };
 }
 
-// ─── ITUNES PROXY ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-// Browser origin is blocked by Apple (403). All iTunes/Apple RSS calls go through here.
-
-async function itunesProxy(url) {
-  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-    https.get(url, res => {
-      let d = '';
-      res.on('data', c => d += c);
-      res.on('end', () => { try { resolve(JSON.parse(d)); } catch { resolve({}); } });
-    }).on('error', reject);
-  });
-}
-
-app.get('/api/itunes/search', async (req, res) => {
-  try {
-    const { term, entity = 'musicTrack', limit = 25, country = 'us' } = req.query;
-    if (!term) return res.json({ results: [] });
-    const url = `https://itunes.apple.com/search?term=${encodeURIComponent(term)}&media=music&entity=${entity}&limit=${limit}&country=${country}&explicit=Yes`;
-    const d = await itunesProxy(url);
-    res.json({ results: d.results || [] });
-  } catch { res.json({ results: [] }); }
-});
-
-app.get('/api/itunes/lookup', async (req, res) => {
-  try {
-    const { id, entity = 'song', limit = 200, country = 'us' } = req.query;
-    if (!id) return res.json({ results: [] });
-    const url = `https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=${id}&entity=${entity}&limit=${limit}&country=${country}&explicit=Yes`;
-    const d = await itunesProxy(url);
-    res.json({ results: d.results || [] });
-  } catch { res.json({ results: [] }); }
-});
-
-app.get('/api/itunes/charts', async (req, res) => {
-  try {
-    const { type = 'albums', country = 'de' } = req.query;
-    const url = `https://rss.applemarketingtools.com/api/v2/${country}/music/most-played/50/${type}.json`;
-    const d = await itunesProxy(url);
-    res.json(d.feed ? { results: d.feed.results || [] } : { results: [] });
-  } catch { res.json({ results: [] }); }
-});
-
 // ─── ROUTES ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 app.post('/api/spotify/track-artwork', async (req, res) => {
diff --git a/src/api.js b/src/api.js
index 49c801d..33c9024 100644
--- a/src/api.js
+++ b/src/api.js
@@ -40,71 +40,75 @@ export async function ndAuth() {
 }
 
 // ─── ITUNES ───
-// Try backend proxy first (avoids Apple's 403 browser-origin block).
-// Fall back to direct Apple API if no backend is configured or proxy fails.
 const ITUNES = 'https://itunes.apple.com';
-const APPLE_RSS = 'https://rss.applemarketingtools.com';
-
-async function _fetch(url) {
-  try {
-    const r = await fetch(url);
-    const text = await r.text();
-    if (!text) return {};
-    return JSON.parse(text);
-  } catch { return {}; }
-}
-
-async function _iGet(proxyPath, directUrl) {
-  const base = S.cfg.backendUrl;
-  if (base) {
-    const d = await _fetch(base + proxyPath);
-    if (d?.results?.length) return d;       // proxy returned real results
-    if (d?.results !== undefined) return d; // proxy responded but iTunes had no results (don't double-fetch)
-  }
-  return directUrl ? _fetch(directUrl) : {};
-}
 
 export async function itunesSearch(query, entity='musicTrack', limit=25) {
-  const qs = `term=${encodeURIComponent(query)}&media=music&entity=${entity}&limit=${limit}&country=us&explicit=Yes`;
-  const d = await _iGet(`/api/itunes/search?term=${encodeURIComponent(query)}&entity=${entity}&limit=${limit}`,
-                         `${ITUNES}/search?${qs}`);
-  return d.results || [];
+  try {
+    const r = await fetch(`${ITUNES}/search?term=${encodeURIComponent(query)}&media=music&entity=${entity}&limit=${limit}&country=us&explicit=Yes`);
+    const text = await r.text();
+    if (!text) return [];
+    return JSON.parse(text).results || [];
+  } catch { return []; }
 }
 
 export async function itunesLookupAlbum(collectionId) {
-  const d = await _iGet(`/api/itunes/lookup?id=${collectionId}&entity=song`,
-                         `${ITUNES}/lookup?id=${collectionId}&entity=song&explicit=Yes`);
+  const r = await fetch(`${ITUNES}/lookup?id=${collectionId}&entity=song&explicit=Yes`);
+  const d = await r.json();
   return (d.results || []).filter(x => x.wrapperType === 'track');
 }
 
+// Returns actual explicit tracks for an artist via lookup (search endpoint only returns cleaned versions)
 export async function itunesLookupArtistSongs(artistId, limit=15) {
-  const d = await _iGet(`/api/itunes/lookup?id=${artistId}&entity=song&limit=${limit}`,
-                         `${ITUNES}/lookup?id=${artistId}&entity=song&limit=${limit}&country=us&explicit=Yes`);
+  const r = await fetch(`${ITUNES}/lookup?id=${artistId}&entity=song&limit=${limit}&country=us&explicit=Yes`);
+  const d = await r.json();
   return (d.results || []).filter(x => x.wrapperType === 'track');
 }
 
 export async function itunesLookupArtistAlbums(artistId, limit=200) {
-  const d = await _iGet(`/api/itunes/lookup?id=${artistId}&entity=album&limit=${limit}`,
-                         `${ITUNES}/lookup?id=${artistId}&entity=album&limit=${limit}&country=us`);
+  const r = await fetch(`${ITUNES}/lookup?id=${artistId}&entity=album&limit=${limit}&country=us`);
+  const d = await r.json();
   return (d.results || []).filter(x => x.wrapperType === 'collection' && x.collectionType === 'Album');
 }
 
 export async function itunesTopCharts() {
-  for (const country of ['de', 'us']) {
-    const d = await _iGet(`/api/itunes/charts?type=albums&country=${country}`,
-                           `${APPLE_RSS}/api/v2/${country}/music/most-played/50/albums.json`);
-    const results = d.results || d.feed?.results;
-    if (results?.length) return results;
+  const urls = [
+    'https://rss.applemarketingtools.com/api/v2/de/music/most-played/50/albums.json',
+    'https://rss.applemarketingtools.com/api/v2/us/music/most-played/50/albums.json',
+  ];
+  for(const url of urls) {
+    try {
+      const r = await fetch(url, { signal: AbortSignal.timeout(6000) });
+      if(!r.ok) continue;
+      const d = await r.json();
+      if(d.feed?.results?.length) return d.feed.results;
+    } catch {}
   }
-  return [];
+  try {
+    const r = await fetch('https://itunes.apple.com/search?term=new+music&media=music&entity=album&limit=50&country=de');
+    const d = await r.json();
+    return (d.results||[]).map(a => ({
+      name: a.collectionName, artistName: a.artistName,
+      artworkUrl: a.artworkUrl100?.replace('100x100','300x300'), artworkUrl100: a.artworkUrl100,
+    }));
+  } catch { return []; }
 }
 
 export async function itunesTopSongs() {
-  for (const country of ['de', 'us']) {
-    const d = await _iGet(`/api/itunes/charts?type=songs&country=${country}`,
-                           `${APPLE_RSS}/api/v2/${country}/music/most-played/50/songs.json`);
-    const results = d.results || d.feed?.results;
-    if (results?.length) return results;
+  const urls = [
+    'https://rss.applemarketingtools.com/api/v2/de/music/most-played/50/songs.json',
+    'https://rss.applemarketingtools.com/api/v2/us/music/most-played/50/songs.json',
+  ];
+  for(const url of urls) {
+    try {
+      const r = await fetch(url, { signal: AbortSignal.timeout(6000) });
+      if(!r.ok) continue;
+      const d = await r.json();
+      if(d.feed?.results?.length) return d.feed.results;
+    } catch {}
   }
-  return [];
+  try {
+    const r = await fetch('https://itunes.apple.com/search?term=top+hits&media=music&entity=musicTrack&limit=50&country=de');
+    const d = await r.json();
+    return (d.results||[]).map(t => ({ name: t.trackName, artistName: t.artistName, artworkUrl: t.artworkUrl100 }));
+  } catch { return []; }
 }