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Judge denies Cardi B accuser new trial after the rapper tossed a pen outside of court

A Los Angeles judge has sided with Cardi B and denied Emani Ellis, the security guard who unsuccessfully sued the rapper for assault in September, a new trial. READ MORE: Cardi B – ‘Am I The Drama?’ review: overstuffed and underwhelming Ellis previously alleged that Cardi had assaulted her in a hallway of a Beverly Hills obstetrician’s office, which the rapper attended while attempting to conceal a pregnancy in 2018. Months ago, Cardi told jurors she made an effort to hide the medical visit because she didn’t want to announce she was expecting her first child with Migos and solo star Offset at that time, but claimed Ellis was recording her and blew her cover. Advertisement While she admitted that the pair got into a “verbal altercation”, she denied that she assaulted Ellis, who alleged her cheek was cut with a three-inch nail and she was spat on, leaving her “deeply traumatised”. After deliberating for less than an hour, the jury came to a quick verdict in the rapper’s favour. Following that lawsuit being rejected, Ellis asked for a new trial, arguing that Cardi had “intimidated” jurors by throwing a pen at a reporter while talking to the media. Cardi’s lawyers… Read More →

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Divorce share wistful new single ‘Antarctica’ featuring Marcus Mumford

Divorce have shared a new version of their single ‘Antarctica’ featuring Mumford & Sons‘ Marcus Mumford. Check it out below. READ MORE: The NME Cover: For alt-country stars Divorce, home is where the art is Last month, Mumford told NME that he had discovered Divorce through their NME The Cover interview, saying: “I would like to thank NME for introducing me to the band Divorce. They’ve just become one of my favourite bands in the world. Advertisement “We invited them out on tour with us,” he continued. “I saw them on an NME cover. I’d never heard of them, but now we’re fucking obsessed with them. They’re fucking incredible and more people should hear them.” Now, he’s teamed up with the band for a reworking of their single ‘Antarctica’ – the opening track from their debut album ‘Drive to Goldenhammer’, which was released earlier this year. Per a press release, the collaboration came about while Divorce were supporting Mumford & Sons on tour this summer, after Mumford joined the band for a duet on the song, which was shared on social media. Speaking on the new version, co-vocalist and bassist Tiger Cohen-Towell said: “Meeting and playing shows with Mumford & Sons has… Read More →

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Saint Etienne on their farewell album and tour: “It’s a good point to stop – let’s not fuck it up it up now”

Saint Etienne have spoken to NME about their last album and plans to “party” on their 2026 farewell tour, while vowing to carry on working together and teasing future projects. The London trio, who formed back in 1990, shocked fans in May when they announced their 13th studio effort, ‘International’, which contains collaborations with Confidence Man’s Janet Planet, The Chemical Brothers‘ Tom Rowlands, Paul Hartnoll of Orbital, and more. Advertisement They later confirmed a UK and Ireland farewell run for next autumn, which will see them give fans “the best of the best” from their 35-year catalogue, as they bow out with the “fun” and celebratory gigs. They’ve also hinted at some international dates still to come. Speaking to NME, keyboardist Bob Stanley looked ahead to the trio’s final commitments as Saint Etienne, and revealed that they would still “keep busy together” for the foreseeable future. “It won’t feel like anything is finished, because there will be catalogue stuff to do, including at least a couple of fanclub albums,” he explained. “We have another album that never got released, and that will come out at some point.” Singer Sarah Cracknell assured that she’d “be doing the cha-cha” by the time the… Read More →

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Lily Allen announces biggest North American tour of her career for 2026

Lily Allen has announced her biggest North American tour yet for 2026. Find all the details below. READ MORE: Lily Allen – ‘West End Girl’ review: a vicious, vulnerable and victorious comeback The singer-songwriter will head to the US and Canada next spring in support of her acclaimed new album ‘West End Girl’, which was released in October. She’ll perform the record in its entirety, front to back. Advertisement Allen’s nine-date run is set to kick off in Chicago on April 3. Further shows are scheduled in Toronto, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Atlanta, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Tickets go on general sale at 10am local time next Friday (December 12) – you’ll be able to buy yours here. Alternatively, fans can access an artist pre-sale at the same time on Wednesday (10) – sign up here. Lily Allen’s 2026 North American tour dates are: APRIL03 – The Auditorium, Chicago, IL07 – Massey Hall, Toronto, ON11 – Orpheum Theatre presented by Citizens, Boston, MA14 – Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY17 – The Met Philadelphia presented by Highmark, Philadelphia, PA19 – Warner Theatre, Washington, DC21 – Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA25 – Orpheum Theatre, Los Angeles, CA28 – The… Read More →

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Listen to The Struts frontman Luke Spiller’s “stripped-back” and mournful take on Slade’s ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’

The Struts frontman Luke Spiller has shared a cover of Slade’s festive classic ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’ – check it out here. READ MORE: Friends Like These: The Struts’ Luke Spiller x Paris Jackson Spiller’s version is a little different from the original, which became Christmas Number One in 1973 and was certified double platinum in 2021 after repeatedly returning to the charts during the holiday season. Advertisement It’s more stripped-back and mournful, and it’s joined by a video which features Spiller sporting a Santa hat and riding through the concrete channel of the Los Angeles River. “Like so many of us, I have always loved Christmas,” he said about the track. “For me personally, it’s a time where I often travel back to the United Kingdom and spend quality time with my family after a long year of touring and seeing the world. [embedded content] “I grew up listening to this song and have such great memories being surrounded by the people I love celebrating the year coming to a close. I wanted to put my own spin on this classic and decided to strip back the music so people can really focus on the lyrics.” He also paid tribute to Slade,… Read More →

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Guns N’ Roses return with two new singles, ‘Nothin’ and ‘Atlas’

Guns N’ Roses have debuted two new singles, ‘Nothin’ and ‘Atlas’. READ MORE: Guns N’ Roses live at Glastonbury: a solid performance… to the wrong crowd The pair of songs is the legendary rockers’ first release in two years, following ‘Perhaps’ and ‘The General’ in 2023. Advertisement Of the pair, ‘Nothin’ is the slower of the pair, taking on the form of a rock power ballad with thick, retro-sounding keyboard chords and a characteristically elaborate burst of soloing from Slash. Meanwhile, ‘Atlas’ is a mid-tempo stadium rock tune. Check out ‘Nothin’ and ‘Atlas’ below: [embedded content] [embedded content] Guns N’ Roses confirmed the two new songs were coming when they announced their huge 2026 world tour last week, shortly after completing a run of mammoth gigs across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America earlier this year. Recommended New dates will see Axl Rose and co. visit Mexico and Brazil at the start of the itinerary, before heading over to Europe for more gigs. They will wrap up the dates by playing at stadiums across the US and Canada. The dates kick off in Mexico on March 28, and continue into April with nine huge shows in Brazil. In May, the band… Read More →

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Rüfüs Du Sol score highest-selling electronic tour of all time

Rüfüs Du Sol have made history with the highest-selling electronic tour of all time. READ MORE: RÜFÜS DU SOL – ‘Surrender’ review: Electronic trio offer atmospheric optimism but nothing new The Australian trio have been out on the road on their ‘Inhale/Exhale’ world tour in support of the album of the same name which came out last year. Advertisement The tour has sold 750,000 headline tickets and reached 1.5million fans worldwide across festivals and headline shows in 2025, according to a press release from Live Nation. Of that number, they shifted 180,000 tickets across Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland. To celebrate, the trio was presented with a commemorative plaque in Sydney. In addition, Rüfüs Du Sol has become the highest-selling Australian act ever at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena and broke an all-time attendance record at Auckland’s Outer Fields at Western Springs, performing to a 25,000-strong crowd. They have also played nearly 50 headline dates on four continents, taking in venues electronic acts can rarely fill. Along the way, they became the first electronic act to headline Los Angeles’ Rose Bowl. As part of their UK and European tour, they played a huge show at London’s Crystal Palace Park this… Read More →

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Spotify Wrapped: Kneecap score more listeners than The Beatles in Ireland, as Irish music continues to thrive

Irish music has had a stellar year on streaming according to Spotify Wrapped 2025, with Kneecap attracting more listeners on the platform than The Beatles and Elton John in their native Ireland – NME can exclusively reveal. Today (Wednesday December 3) saw the launch of Spotify Wrapped 2025 – showing music fans their most listened to songs, artists, albums and more from the last 12 months. While globally, listening habits on the streaming service were dominated by the likes of Bad Bunny, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars – and with top 10s in the UK led by Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Alex Warren and Billie Eilish – stats shared exclusively with NME show the continued worldwide phenomenon of Irish music. Advertisement While last year saw Irish artists export 14.6billion streams worldwide, with 95 per cent of Irish artist streams coming from outside Ireland, 2025 is currently on track to be an even bigger year for Irish artist exports with more listeners in the US, Canada, South Korea and Germany. The first quarter of 2025 saw Irish music streams increase by 20 per cent, with another 9.8billion listeners added by August. Fontaines D.C. have kept the momentum… Read More →

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Hundreds of Radiohead fans gather for replacement karaoke party after Copenhagen gig cancellation

Hundreds of Radiohead fans came together for a karaoke party after the band cancelled a show in Copenhagen – watch footage below. Yesterday (December 1), the group announced that their first two concerts in the Royal Arena in the Danish capital had been postponed after frontman Thom Yorke contracted an “extreme throat infection”. Advertisement Shows on Monday and Tuesday (December 1 and 2) have been delayed to December 15 and 16, with tickets being automatically transferred to the new dates and refunds available from point of purchase. The December 4 and 5 dates are still set to go ahead as planned. Fans in Copenhagen may have been disappointed, but they did not allow the news to stop them from having a good time. One Reddit user suggested during the day on Monday that they should “channel that disappointment into some Radiohead karaoke”, and said he had reserved a bar in the city centre. The room suggested on the Reddit page was listed as having a capacity of 25, but as Cory McLeod confirmed to NME, they far exceeded that number. “We made a Radiohead party in a karaoke bar in Copenhagen and around 1000 people turned up,” he said. “It was packed all night! This was the best alternative for everyone who travelled so… Read More →

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Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea tackles division on solo single ‘A Plea’: “I don’t care about the act of politics”

Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea has shared a new solo single that tackles division and political unease. Check out the intense ‘A Plea’ below. The song is the first preview of an upcoming solo record from the generation-defining bassist. More details about the record are set to be shared in early 2026. Advertisement For the project, the musician is going back to his early roots as a trumpet player, and leaning into his longtime love of jazz. In ‘A Plea’, he takes on bass, vocal and trumpet duties, and uses his lyrics to shed light on the political unrest felt across the US. Fading in with a flashy bassline, the song gradually builds with the help of double bassist Anna Butters, guitarist Jeff Parker, drummer Deantoni Parks and more. It continues to evolve as an instrumental track, before Flea’s punk-flecked vocals are introduced near the four minute mark. “There’s hate all around/ I don’t care about your fucking politics/ I don’t wanna hear about your politics,” he sings as the instrumentals become more intense, before abruptly dropping into a somber mood. “My blood runs cold/ I’m feeling hate all around/ It’s no solution/ It’s never been a solution/ Come… Read More →

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BBC Radio 1 Sound Of 2026 longlist revealed

The longlist for BBC Radio 1’s Sound Of 2026 has been unveiled – check out which 10 artists have made the cut below. The prestigious annual list has been running since 2003, and this year’s candidates have been whittled down by a panel of over 170 industry experts and artists, including Elton John, Dua Lipa, Jade, Olivia Dean, Yungblud and former winner Sam Smith. Advertisement The top five will be revealed on Radio 1 throughout the week starting on Monday 5 January 2026, with the winner set to be crowned on Friday 9 January. The 10 artists on the longlist are: Alessi Rose Chloe Qisha Florence Road Geese Jim Legxacy Kwn Royel Otis Sasha Keable Skye Newman Sombr Brooklyn art rock band Geese, breakout pop singer Alessi Rose, alt-R&B singer Kwn and Malaysian-British artist Chloe Qisha, Aussie guitar duo Royel Otis have all featured on NME’s The Cover, while NME has recently interviewed Irish indie rockers Florence Road and London neo-soul star Skye Newman. NME has also reviewed recent releases from South London rapper and producer Jim Legxacy, New York singer-songwriter Sombr and South London R&B singer Sasha Keable. Jim Legxacy, Florence Road, Geese, Kwn and Sombr have all also released songs that have landed in NME’s list of the 50 best songs of 2025, which you can explore here. Recommended Last year’s poll was topped by Chappell Roan, ahead of Ezra Collective, Barry Can’t Swim,… Read More →

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Jorja Smith’s record label hit out at AI track that “cloned” her voice: “It’s bigger than one artist or one song”

Jorja Smith’s record label has hit out at a song made using AI, which it alleges “cloned” her voice. The song in question is called ‘I Run’, and was released by British dance act Haven. It featured vocals from a female singer, who is uncredited, but said by some to have noticeable similarities to the BRIT Award winner. Advertisement It went viral on TikTok in October and was looking likely to go to the charts in both the US and the UK. Before this could happen, however, it was taken down by streaming platforms over alleged copyright infringement and impersonation of another artist. Now, the record label FAMM, which represents Smith, is seeking compensation for the song. It alleges that ‘I Run’ was made using artificial intelligence that was trained using the singer’s discography. The track has since been released by Haven featuring new vocals, but the record label is still seeking compensation, claiming that both variants “infringe on Jorja’s rights and unfairly take advantage of the work of all the songwriters with whom she collaborates” (as per BBC). “This isn’t just about Jorja. It’s bigger than one artist or one song,” FAMM posted on Instagram. “We cannot allow this… Read More →

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JoJo Siwa was hospitalised due to “excruciating” stomach pain ahead of Minnesota show

JoJo Siwa has revealed she was recently hospitalised due to “excruciating” stomach pains ahead of a show in Minnesota. The pop singer was due to play a set at the Mall of America in Bloomington on Friday (November 28), but as she has revealed in a TikTok post, she was rushed to hospital in the hours leading up to the show. Advertisement Explaining what happened, Siwa said: “So long story short, every time that I’ve been dancing for the last couple of days or even just like walking like anything, my stomach would just really, really hurt.” “And I don’t know why, but it just kind of passed, and so I was like, ‘Oh, maybe it’s that time of the month, maybe it’s a cramp, I don’t know’. She said she tried to “calm” the pain by taking a warm bath, but “that set it off 100 times worse.” @itsjojosiwa Thank you for all the well wishes🤍 grateful for the Doctors and Nurses for working so fast and helping me get back on time, keep it pushing🤍 ♬ original sound – JoJo Siwa She said her mother advised her to call an ambulance and at the hospital, she learned what had happened. “One of my ovaries had a cyst on it that burst and was… Read More →

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Billy Corgan names second most influential band of 20th Century after The Beatles

The Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan has named his pick for the second most influential band of the 20th century – after The Beatles. The frontman was a guest on a recent episode of the YouTube series Track Star*, where he was quizzed on a range of bands that the host considered to be among the greatest of all time. Advertisement After hearing an excerpt of one song in particular, Corgan made the bold claim that only the Fab Four have had a greater impact on music than the artist he had just listened to. The song was ‘Disorder’, the opening track of ‘Unknown Pleasures’, the debut album from Manchester post-punk giants Joy Division. “So, I’ve argued for a good 20 years that probably outside of The Beatles, Joy Division is the most influential rock band of the 20th century,” Corgan said. “I think it sort of speaks for itself. They sort of crystallised post-punk in a way that no bands ever did and they became the template for so many bands that followed.” [embedded content] Expanding on his claim, he added: “It’s pop music not made for a pop market and that’s why people are still listening. But where does that music go? They had what, one big song, maybe, which is ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart.’ But I just think they’re one of the… Read More →

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Black Rebel Motorcycle Club announce deluxe 20th anniversary reissue box of ‘Howl’

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club have announced a deluxe 20th anniversary reissue of their third album ‘Howl’. The San Francisco garage rockers are currently on a UK and European tour where they are playing the 2005 record in full, with dates to come next month in Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, Bristol and London – find any remaining tickets here. Advertisement Now, they have shared details of an extensive re-release of the album, which will be made up of a 3LP white vinyl set, including session tracks, previously unheard demos and alternate mixes. There will also be a photobook of over 100 previously unseen photos from the ‘Howl’ era and original handwritten lyrics, as well as a poster featuring photos from the period. There is also a 2LP set on black vinyl and a CD version. The reissue will be available from January 20, 2026 via PIAS and you can pre-order/pre-save your copy here. ‘Howl’ was BRMC’s third studio album, released in August 2005. It included the singles ‘Shuffle Your Feet’, ‘Ain’t No Easy Way’ and ‘Weight Of The World’, and it was notable for representing a move away from the band’s signature garage rock sound, embracing folk and Americana influences. In our original review, NME noted: “Back to basics is obviously an ongoing theme; if The White Stripes’ ‘Elephant’ seemed minimal for… Read More →

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Hayley Williams tells racists, sexists and anti-trans people they’re “not welcome” at upcoming tour

Hayley Williams has declared that racist, sexist and anti-trans people are “not welcome” at her upcoming solo tour. The Paramore frontwoman announced a run of dates earlier this month, and within days she extended the tour due to “overwhelming demand”. The shows kick off in Atlanta on March 27 and include dates in London, Manchester, Glasgow and Dublin in June. See all the info here and find any remaining tickets here. Advertisement Now, she has given an interview to Clash in which she has clearly stated that she intends the tour to be entirely inclusive, saying she wants everybody to “feel welcome to the party”. “I don’t want racists around, and I don’t want sexist people around, and I don’t want people there who think that trans people are a burden,” Williams told the publication. “I think that’s a hard line for me now. I hope it naturally happens that people who do harbour those harmful ideologies aren’t going to feel welcome, because they’re going to walk in the door and realise that the gang’s all here, all banded together around something positive,” she continued. “All are welcome if you believe all should be welcome… If you don’t believe that, you’re not welcome!” Williams is a long-standing campaigner on these subjects, openly criticising the Tennessee Republican leadership last year after turning down an official State Honour. “The blatant racism of our state leadership is embarrassing and cruel,” she said. “Myself, as well as… Read More →

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Listen to two new Aphex Twin tracks – surprise released on Soundcloud

Aphex Twin has surprise-released two new songs via his account on SoundCloud. Titled ‘Zahl am1 live track 1’ and ‘Zahl am1 live track 1c f760m1 unfinshd’, they appear to be two alternate versions of the same track, uploaded to his page (username: user18081971) yesterday (November 27). Advertisement Both uploads have cover images featuring the artist, real name Richard D. James, with his partner in the sea. “Got many requests for this one from a few years back,” he wrote in the ‘Zahl am1 live track 1c f760m1 unfinshd’ description. “Italy, pic with my love from Sicily recently. Need sun, relentlessly raining in the UK. Mixed down on the Zähl, think there are better mixes, will upload them if I find them.” You can listen to the songs below: The electronic musician’s last release was a 2024 compilation called ‘From The Merch Desk (2016-2023)’, which was also revealed as a surprise to fans. It features all the music the legendary producer and DJ has released in eight years of vinyl drops that were previously only available from the merch table at his live shows. Recommended It followed an expanded edition of his 1994 album ‘Selected Ambient Works II’ in October to… Read More →

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Biffy Clyro on the biggest gig of their lives, their Scotland World Cup anthem and wild new material to come: “There’s life in the old dog yet”

As tickets go on sale for the biggest gig of Biffy Clyro‘s career so far, the band caught up with NME to tell us about their plans for Finsbury Park, staying relevant in shifting times, their ‘Band Aid’ style single for Scotland’s World Cup bid, and already being at work on new material. Fresh from the release of their acclaimed 10th album ‘Futique‘, the Scottish alt-rock trio announced a massive gig to 40,000 fans at London’s Finsbury Park next July where they’ll be joined by Nothing But Thieves, Don Broco, Marmozets and more. Advertisement “We’ve put together a fucking unbelievable bill,” frontman Simon Neil told NME. “We’re lucky that a lot of people wanted to play, but we wanted to lean into British rock bands and be proud of where we come from. Nothing But Thieves, Marmozets, Don Broco, it’s dynamite. “Sometimes we put a bill together and it’s pointed. ‘I want people to learn about this band!’ Magic will happen.” Biffy Clyro Finsbury Park gig poster, 2026. CREDIT: Press The Biff’ invited NME to their AirBnB on a recent stop in London. “It looks like we’re showing off, but this was cheaper than going to a hotel,” revealed drummer Ben Johnston. It’s… Read More →

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The guitar Metallica’s Kirk Hammett used at Black Sabbath’s final gig just sold for a huge amount of money

A guitar that Metallica‘s Kirk Hammett played on at Black Sabbath‘s final gig has sold for a massive amount of money – find out more below. READ MORE: Ozzy Osbourne, 1948-2025: culture-smashing revolutionary that redefined rock and reality TV On July 5, Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne performed their final gigs ever, dubbed Back To The Beginning, in Birmingham. The show was a star-studded affair that featured the likes of Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Alice In Chains, Gojira, Anthrax, Smashing Pumpkins‘ Billy Corgan, Guns N’ Roses, KoRn, Tool, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and the surviving members of Soundgarden and many others. Advertisement During Metallica’s performance, Kirk Hammett brandished silver Gibson SG, notably on their cover of Sabbath’s ‘Hole In The Sky’. Following the gig, the axe was signed by Hammett. The guitar was later listed for sale via Julien’s Auctions as part of its annual Played, Worn & Torn auction, which featured over 800 guitars and rare pieces of music memorabilia. The Gibson SG has since been sold at auction for a whopping $76,800, well over 12 times its original $4000-$6000 estimate – find out more here. [embedded content] In total, 150 models from Hammett were put on sale. Besides the Gibson SG, the highest grossing Hammett-played axes were the 1985 Gibson Custom… Read More →

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Ticketmaster put cap on Olivia Dean resale tickets after she hit out for them to “be better”

Ticketmaster has put a cap on the price of Olivia Dean resale tickets, following the artist calling them out and urging them to “be better”. Her comments came over the weekend, when additional dates for her 2026 US tour went on sale and quickly started to appear on resale sites at prices much higher than the original cost. Advertisement Taking to Instagram Stories, the ‘Dive’ singer called out Ticketmaster, Live Nation and AEG and said that they were “providing a disgusting service”. “The prices at which you’re allowing tickets to be re-sold is vile and completely against our wishes,” she added. “Live music should be affordable and accessible, and we need to find a new way of making that possible. BE BETTER.” She also apologised to fans for the high prices on resale sites and said that she found it “extremely frustrating” that people were being “scammed or overcharged for our show”. Ticketmaster then addressed her comments, and said that it would be “cap[ping] resale prices on our site at face value and hope other resale sites will follow.” Now, the ticketing giant has shared an official statement saying that it is making good on its promise, and will be… Read More →

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Warner Music is teaming up with Suno, the AI brand it sued last year

Warner Music Group has announced a partnership with AI tech company Suno, which it sued last year – find out more below. READ MORE: Beyond human imagination: How AI is pushing the boundaries of entertainment Last year, Warner and fellow major music labels Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group filed lawsuits against Suno and another AI company Udio for copyright violations of “an almost unimaginable scale”. Advertisement Suno is a company based in Massachusetts, which emerged in 2023 and claimed last year that over 10million people had already used it to create AI-assisted music. It operates on a subscription basis declared it raised $125million (£98.4m) from investors. Per a Pitchfork report, Warner has signed a new licensing deal with Suno, which settles last year’s lawsuit. Additionally, Suno has now acquired concert listing platform Songkick from Warner as part of the deal. The deal has reportedly been designed to introduce a licensed model into Suno’s offerings, making it such that users can pay to download songs that were made using AI. Pitchfork also reports that the deal ensures artists and songwriters who opt into AI deals with Warner and Suno will be compensated fairly, and will retain “full control” of their… Read More →