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Watch Taylor Swift surprise fans by joining HAIM on stage in London

Taylor Swift joined HAIM on stage in London tonight (July 21) – check out footage of the moment below. READ MORE: Haim at Glastonbury 2022: a victory lap worth the wait Swift surprised fans by appearing with the HAIM sisters on stage at London’s O2 Arena for a rendition of their collaborative track ‘Gasoline’ and a mash-up of Swift’s own song, ‘Love Story’. After joining the band, Swift said: “I haven’t been on stage in a very long time. It’s nice…it’s nice, it’s very nice [to be back]. When I heard my girls were playing in London at the O2, I thought, I’m going to have to see that. And it looks like there’s about 20,000 other people who also thought that. Advertisement “So we had a thought. If we were to do some sort of mash-up, we could possibly maybe get you to sing the loudest you have sung all night – which is a big challenge because you have been singing very loudly – extraordinary work.” HAIM opened for Swift during her ‘1989’ world tour in 2015 and have been frequent collaborators with her in the past. In 2020, HAIM appeared on Swift’s album ‘Evermore’ on the track, ‘No… Read More →

21JULNews

Watch the trailer for Woodstock ‘99 documentary ‘Clusterfuck’

Netflix has released a trailer for upcoming Woodstock ‘99 documentary series Clusterfuck – check it out below. The 1999 festival, held to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the original Woodstock, descended into violence and riots during performances by Limp Bizkit and Red Hot Chili Peppers. READ MORE: Woodstock 50 looks doomed – like every other iteration of the festival. Is Woodstock cursed?! The Netflix series features “rare insider footage and eyewitness interviews” from festival staffers, performers and attendees. Advertisement A synopsis reads: “This docuseries goes behind the scenes to reveal the egos, greed and music that fueled three days of utter chaos.” Korn’s Jonathan Davis, Fatboy Slim, Jewel and Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale all provide interviews for the series. Speaking in the trailer, Davis says: “When you see it with your own eyes, it is ten times more shocking.” Clusterfuck: Woodstock ‘99 is released August 3 on Netflix. Woodstock was set to hold a 50th anniversary festival back in 2019, but after months of controversy, venue changes and artist cancellations, the event was pulled altogether. In a statement at the time, Michael Lang, co-founder of the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival, said: “We are saddened that a series of unforeseen setbacks has… Read More →

21JULNews

New music is falling in popularity in the US

New and current music is experiencing a fall in popularity in the US, according to a new report. Mid-year figures published by US market monitor Luminate revealed that on-demand track streams, downloads, plus all album sales on digital and physical formats over the past 18 months fell by 1.4 per cent in the first half of 2022 compared with the same period last year. Up to 131.3million album-sale-equivalent units of music from the past 18 months were registered in the first six months of this year. Advertisement That was down by nearly two million units on the 133.1million units recorded in the first half of 2021. Despite that, anything streamed, downloaded or purchased prior to 18 months grew by 14 per cent to 344million units in the first half of this year. Vinyl on sale at a record store CREDIT: Getty Meanwhile, the volume of on-demand audio streams of current music also fell by 2.6 per cent in the first half of this year while the volume for video streaming platforms fell by 10.4 per cent during the same period. According to the report, there was a “measurable decline in ‘high impacting’ new releases overall, which are defined as [any] album… Read More →

21JULNews

H.E.R. to play Belle in ‘Beauty And The Beast’ TV special

H.E.R. is set to play Belle in an upcoming hybrid special celebrating the 30th anniversary of Beauty And The Beast. Alongside a screening of the 1991 film, the special will feature never-before-seen musical performances and brand new sets and costumes inspired by the Disney classic. Songs from the original film will also be performed in front of a live audience at Disney Studios. READ MORE: H.E.R. – ‘Back Of My Mind’ review: a victory lap after a stellar start to the year The special will be directed by Hamish Hamilton, with Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) serving as executive producer. Advertisement “I can’t believe I get to be a part of the Beauty And The Beast legacy,” H.E.R. said. “The world will see a Black and Filipino Belle! I have always wanted to be a Disney princess, and I get to work with two wonderful directors Hamish Hamilton and my favourite, Jon M. Chu. “It is very surreal and I couldn’t be more grateful.” H.E.R. Credit: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images In a statement, Chu said: “With her obvious extraordinary talent and stage presence, H.E.R. is the perfect embodiment of our Belle and we are thrilled for audiences to see her in… Read More →

21JULNews

Florence Welch says “sobriety is the best thing I ever did”

Florence Welch has spoken out about her sobriety. READ MORE: The most awe-inspiring moments from Florence + The Machine’s set at Mad Cool 2022 The Florence + The Machine singer, who has been sober for eight years, reflected on her current life without alcohol in a new interview on the Spotify podcast The Way We Are With Munroe Bergdorf. “In terms of navigating being in the public eye, I think sobriety is the best thing I ever did,” she explained. Advertisement “It took me a long time to come to terms with the fact that I had a problem with drinking because I was one of those drinkers where it was all or nothing. If I enjoy my drinking, I can’t control it and if I control my drinking, I don’t enjoy it.” Welch went on to say that around the time of the release of her 2011 album ‘Ceremonials’ was the point that her relationship with alcohol needed controlling. “It was like the glamour and the grandeur of ‘Ceremonials’ that created this shield of how chaotic it was behind the scenes which is why I think that record is so dark,” she said. Welch added: “Sobriety was really lonely. I had… Read More →

20JULNews

Kerry King confirms drummer for his post-Slayer project

Kerry King has announced his drummer for his forthcoming post-Slayer project. The guitarist has announced his new band is almost ready to launch, teaming up again with Slayer drummer Paul Bostaph for the new venture. “You know me, so you know what it’s going to sound like,” he told Metal Hammer in a new interview discussing the project. “I played this new song for a buddy, and I said to him, ‘If there’s anything I’ve written in the last few years that sounds like Slayer, it’s this.’ Advertisement “And he said, ‘That sounds like you could have pulled it off of any Slayer record.’” Kerry King performing with Slayer on their farewell tour in 2019. Credit: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images. King went on to say he had delayed launching the project due to the pandemic, initially planning on launching in early 2020. “But that thing called the pandemic fucked everything up for everyone. “You know, I waited on that, because it had to run its course. I didn’t want to be the guinea pig, I didn’t want to learn how to tour again. I already did my dues; I don’t want to have to prove myself again.” He added: “Have I been… Read More →

20JULNews

Simple Minds sell “key music interests” to BMG

Simple Minds have sold their “key music interests” to major label BMG. The agreement was made between the label and the band’s core members Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill, giving BMG the publishing rights to over 240 songs. READ MORE: Does Rock ‘N’ Roll Kill Braincells?! – Jim Kerr, Simple Minds “We are very pleased to have struck this deal,” Kerr said in a statement obtained by Music News. “It feels like the right time for us and our families. We look forward to working with everyone at BMG.” Advertisement Alistair Norbury, BMG President Repertoire and Marketing UK, said of the new acquisition: “There are few bands who can claim to have changed music, but over a period of 45 years Simple Minds have done precisely that. “It has been a long courtship, but we are delighted to have the opportunity to be custodians of their outstanding catalogue. We are thrilled that BMG is now the musical home of Simple Minds, past, present, and future.” Simple Minds. CREDIT: Dean Chalkley Earlier this year, Simple Minds announced their eighteenth studio album ‘Direction of The Heart’, due for release this October. The first single, ‘Vision Thing’ features music written by Burchill and lyrics… Read More →

19JULNews

High-Caliber Producer DUNGEONMUSIC Drops New Album Summertime With Friends 2

Naturally-born musician DUNGEONMUSIC is on it again as the masterful producer releases another full-length album called Summertime With Friends 2. The American artist made sure to both instill his authentic style and managed to add new elements and sounds to his game and the result might just be his best work so far. DUNGEONMUSIC gets the best out of his collaborators, however, each collaboration sounds different than the next, with each artist displaying their own capacity and style. But the American artist somehow achieves a balanced theme throughout the album, resulting in a mellow summer-chill beats that breathe life into the features’ vocals. Before dropping Summertime With Friends 2, fans were already excited about two tracks off the album; “Faith in Me” with Griff Tyler and “Fien’n” with the talented Stockton siblings Dyli and CALYN. These flagship songs are brilliantly mixed and produced, and each conveys a unique story worth hearing! For more, follow DUNGEONMUSIC on: Instagram – YouTube – Spotify – Facebook – Twitter

19JULNews

Usher says Justin Bieber “is doing great” following recent health issues

Usher says Justin Bieber is now “doing great” following his recent period of ill health after being diagnosed with ‘Ramsay Hunt Syndrome’. READ MORE: Justin Bieber – ‘Justice’ review: pop star finds his purpose again On June 11, Bieber posted a video explaining that he was recently diagnosed with the rare condition, which, according to the Mayo Clinic, “occurs when a shingles outbreak affects the facial nerve near one of your ears”. In his video, the pop star could be seen struggling to blink, smile or move his right nostril. As a result of the condition, he was forced to postpone the opening stretch of his North American ‘Justice’ tour. He’d broken that news prior to revealing his facial paralysis, citing an unspecified “sickness” at the time. Advertisement Bieber assured fans that his facial paralysis would subside over time and he later posted an update to share news that his condition was slowly improving. Now, in a new interview with Extra, musician Usher revealed that he had spent time with him on holiday recently and said that the musician was “doing great” and on the road to recovery. “As an artist, I think we are all going to experience some things that… Read More →

18JULNews

Rock Sensation Allan Franzner Doesn’t Hold Anything Back In Debut Album Who Pays The Price?

Experimental artist Allan Franzner shows his worth in brilliant fashion by releasing one of the most hard-rock albums called Who Pays The Price? in a time when it’s most needed. The Canadian artist can be heard complaining about some of the biggest issues, including calling on the big corporations, greedy billionaires and governments to act on climate change and social issues before it’s too late. The political musician is a well-trained vocalist and guitarist who draws inspiration from the reality that surrounds him, sharing his views through his infectious music. The opinionated artist tackles issues like imperialism, greed, capitalism and how liberal ideologies are part of the solutions to save ourselves and the planet we live in. Who Pays The Price? is full of powerful tracks with different flavors. The last song of the album “Sometime The Crook Is but a Memory” was rereleased by the Canadian rockstar to remind his listeners the kind of aftermath we are doomed to experience if we don’t act now. You can follow Allan Franzner: Instagram – Spotify – Website

18JULNews

Billie Eilish calls on fans to vote in the US midterm elections

Billie Eilish has called on her fans to vote in the forthcoming US midterm elections. READ MORE: Billie Eilish live at Glastonbury 2022: headline set ushers in a new era for the festival The star has partnered with the non-profit voter registration organisation, HeadCount, to help to encourage her followers to get involved in the elections in November. The elections will decide which seats will go to the two main parties in both houses of Congress. Advertisement “I’m working with HeadCount to encourage everyone to show up at the polls and use their voice during these midterm elections,” Eilish said in a statement (via Rolling Stone). “With what is going on in our country, we need to get out to the polls and vote for what we believe in. Not showing up is not an option.” Fans who check their voter registration status through HeadCount can also win a chance to travel to New Zealand and Australia to see Eilish perform. Finneas, Billie Eilish and Joe Biden (CREDIT: Getty The sweepstake includes two premium tickets, travel accommodations, and signed merchandise from the star. For more information head here. Earlier this year, Eilish and Finneas met with President Joe Biden in the White… Read More →

18JULNews

Kasabian push back release date of new album ‘The Alchemist’s Euphoria’

Kasabian have pushed back the release date of their new album ‘The Alchemist’s Euphoria’. READ MORE: Kasabian talk ‘SCRIPTVRE’ and new album ‘The Alchemist’s Euphoria’: “This is a re-set” The Leicester band were due to release their seventh album, on August 5 via Columbia. But due to “production issues” at their vinyl plant, the LP will now come out on August 12. Advertisement “Due to production issues at our vinyl plant, we’ve had to push the release date of ‘The Alchemist’s Euphoria’ back by a week. We can’t wait for you to hear it on 12th August.” the band wrote on Twitter. Due to production issues at our vinyl plant, we’ve had to push the release date of ‘The Alchemist’s Euphoria’ back by a week. We can’t wait for you to hear it on 12th August. — KasabianHQ (@KasabianHQ) July 18, 2022 Kasabian have already previewed ‘The Alchemist’s Euphoria’ with the singles ‘ALYGATOR’, ‘SCRIPTVRE’ and ‘Chemicals’. The forthcoming record will mark the group’s first full-length release since the departure of ex-frontman Tom Meighan in 2020. Meighan was fired from the band after being convicted of assaulting his then-girlfriend-now-wife, Vikki Ager. Serge Pizzorno has since taken on the role of frontman. During an interview… Read More →

18JULNews

Ray J defends tattoo he got of sister Brandy, says she was “a little uneasy about it”

Ray J has defended a tattoo he recently got on his leg of his older sister, R&B legend Brandy. The new tattoo was inked on the singer, actor and reality star’s leg earlier this month by tattoo artist Alexey Mashkov, more commonly known as Mashkow. The tattoo is of Brandy’s face, but heavily incorporates Mashkov’s signature style – she has glowing pink eyes, and graffiti-like tattoos that say “Best friends 4 ever” and “From Ray with love”. Ray J shared a video of the process on his Instagram account. He added that he plans to get his “whole leg tatted” by Mashkov, noting that he “had to start with my best friend”. Predictably, Ray J’s new body art drew a mixed reaction, quickly going viral and racking up a slew of differing opinions in the comment section. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ray J (@rayj) Advertisement View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alexey Mashkov “MASHKOW” (@_mashkow_) Now, both he and Brandy have discussed the tattoo. In an interview at the airport with TMZ, Ray J defended the new ink, saying, “It’s my leg, it’s my sister.” He continued: “I love my sister and… Read More →

17JULNews

Lady Gaga debuts ‘Free Woman’, ‘Sour Candy’ and more during first night of ‘The Chromatica Ball’

Lady Gaga has officially kicked off ‘The Chromatica Ball’, premiering her new stage show to over 54,000 fans at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany tonight (July 17). READ MORE: Lady Gaga – ‘Chromatica’ review: pure pop celebration from an icon in a world of her own It comes after a lengthy string of delays were imposed on the tour, which initially scheduled to begin in 2020 before being postponed to last July, and then again to this month. The final run of dates was locked in back in March. Gaga performed 20 songs on at the first ‘Chromatica Ball’ show, including nine from the album it comes in support of (which landed back in May of 2020). Six of those were live debuts: in addition to singles ‘Stupid Love’, ‘Rain On Me’ and ‘911’, Gaga performed ‘Alice’, ‘Replay’, ‘Sour Candy’, ‘Babylon’, ‘Free Woman’ and ‘Enigma’ for the first time ever. Advertisement The latter two songs featured extended outros, according to setlist.fm, while ‘911’ was performed with an extended intro, and both ‘Babylon’ and ‘Stupid Love’ were extended in different ways. Additionally, Gaga performed her 2009 hit ‘Monster’ for the first time in eight years – having last squeezed it into… Read More →

17JULNews

Watch Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp cover Slipknot’s ‘Psychosocial’

Toyah Willcox and her husband, King Crimson founder Robert Fripp have covered Slipknot for this week’s Sunday Lunch session – check out their performance of ‘Psychosocial’ below. READ MORE: Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp’s 10 best lockdown covers – ranked! The track was originally released by Slipknot as the second single to 2008’s ‘All Hope Is Gone’, while Willcox and Fripp’s reworking sees the pair perform in front of a banner that reads: “Every note is hope”. In recent weeks, the pair have had a run of rock classics, covering the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ ‘Can’t Stop’, The Cranberries’ ‘Zombie’, Garbage’s ‘I Think I’m Paranoid’, Rage Against The Machine’s ‘Killing In The Name Of’, Foo Fighters’ ‘All My Life’ and Rammstein’s ‘Keine Lust’. Advertisement Check out their cover of ‘Psychosocial’ below, with Fripp wearing a homemade, Corey Taylor-inspired mask while Willcox plays the electric whisk. The pair’s series has been running since 2020, when Fripp was missing live shows due to coronavirus lockdowns. Speaking to The Guardian last year about how the series began, Willcox said: “Here I am in this house with this 74-year-old husband who I really don’t want to live without. He was withdrawing, so I thought: ‘I’m going… Read More →

17JULNews

Watch Sigrid cover Neil Young’s ‘Old Man’ with an orchestra

Sigrid and the BBC Concert Orchestra have performed a cover of Neil Young’s ‘Old Man’ – check it out below. READ MORE: Sigrid – ‘How To Let Go’ review: rocky riffs and jumbo hooks indebted to The Killers ‘Old Man’ originally featured on Young’s 1972 album ‘Harvest’ but was reworked by Sigrid for Radio 2. Taking to social media shortly after the performance, Sigrid called it an “honour”. “So today I got to sing and play piano on ‘Old Man’ just like I do at home, but together with BBC Concert Orchestra,” she added. Check out the gorgeous performance below: Advertisement Sigrid also performed ‘Bad Life’ and ‘Don’t Feel Like Crying’ during the session. Speaking to NME ahead of the release of her debut album ‘Sucker Punch’, Sigrid said her ideal collaboration would be with Neil Young, “but I know that’s not gonna happen. In my dreams, it would be Neil Young. My family would die of joy.” Earlier this year, Sigrid teamed up with Bring Me The Horizon for ‘Bad Life’ after she and Oli Sykes hung out together at Reading Festival 2021. “It might not be the most likely collab, but we’ve been fans of each other for a… Read More →

17JULNews

Lorde opens up about desire to play with gender and beauty conventions

Lorde has spoken about her desire to start playing with the conventions of gender, beauty and form in a new letter to fans. READ MORE: Lorde: “I feel like I can see my world and myself a lot clearer now” Writing to fans via her mailing list, Lorde started by saying she was currently “growing out my unibrow as an entry point for playing with conventions of beauty/gender/form.” She went on to say she was inspired by seeing an exhibition by painter Walter Sickert “which (was) just his paintings of nude women.” Advertisement “The shock my brain got seeing these not particularly idealised versions of the female form shocked ME. I realised my brain is getting programmed to want what the algorithms want when it comes to female physical form, just by sheer exposure to these systems and the current beauty standards,” she wrote. Credit: Phoebe Fox for NME She went on to explain that “the algorithm doesn’t want to see certain things, and therefore I’ve stopped looking for them, if that makes sense. It sounds soooo obvious, but I realised, like, fuck if I’m not careful I’m just gonna end up striving for conventional (albeit alternative/chic) hotness until I… Read More →

16JULNews

Watch The Shins cover The Stone Temple Pilots’ ‘Vasoline’

The Shins have covered The Stone Temple Pilots on the first night of their tour – check out the moment below. The band were in San Francisco for the opening night of their ‘Oh, Inverted World’ 21st birthday tour. The band’s debut album came out in 2001 via Sub Pop, and last year saw a 20th anniversary reissue released. “This record gave me the life that I never really dreamed I would have,” frontman James Mercer reflected of the album in a statement at the time. “It opened me up to the whole world and gave me validation. It’s also something that stands as a bit of a pinnacle for our band.” Advertisement “You release that first record and it’s so well embraced, but you’re always trying to get that magic back, I think,” he added. “We’ve done well, certainly, but the fervour that happened around ‘Oh, Inverted World’ we never quite reached again. It’s a special moment when you’re a new band and you’ve got what was apparently kind of a new sound. This record symbolised a very special moment in my life, a watershed moment for sure.” During part of the performance last night, Mercer could be seen… Read More →

16JULNews

Glass Animals announce tiny London show for next month

Glass Animals have announced details of a tiny London show to ‘re-launch’ their 2020 album ‘Dreamland’ – find ticket details below. The band played Shoreditch venue Village Underground in early 2020, just before the pandemic hit, to preview cuts from what would become their third album. READ MORE: Glass Animals at Glastonbury 2022: do they justify their place as one of Britain’s biggest bands? Now, they’ve announced a small gig at the same venue on August 25 to carry through “some of the things that were in our original plan” that were scuppered because of COVID. Advertisement Frontman Dave Bayley explained: “Back in 2020 we had this delicately constructed, intricate plan to launch Dreamland with a bunch of special shows, signings and real-life events. “Then… we got spanked by the pandemic and we had to tear our plan in half. I was pretty damn sad for a bit, but eventually the support from everyone on the web was so great that it pulled me out of my mind-hole and I realised we could make a new plan… One based on the magnificent wonder that is the internet.” The frontman added: “We did that and it was absolutely wicked, but I still… Read More →

16JULNews

Calvin Harris shares video for Justin Timberlake, Halsey and Pharrell collaboration ‘Stay With Me’

Calvin Harris has shared an official video for his new single ‘Stay With Me’ featuring Justin Timberlake, Halsey and Pharrell Williams – watch it below. READ MORE: Calvin Harris live at Glastonbury 2022: Fans amplify the hit-fuelled Arcadia set The track, set to feature on Harris’ upcoming album ‘Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2’, was released yesterday (July 15) as the latest preview of the record. ‘Stay With Me’ follows the tracks ‘New Money’ featuring 21 Savage and ‘Potion’ (feat. Dua Lipa and Young Thug) which have been released ahead of ‘Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2’, which is set to be released on August 2. Advertisement Watch the sun-kissed new video for ‘Stay With Me’ below. ‘Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2’, which is the follow-up to 2017’s ‘Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1‘, is set to drop early next month and will also feature Stefflon Don, Pusha T, Lil Durk, Offset, Coi Leray, Busta Rhymes, Donae’o, Latto, Swae Lee, Snoop Dogg, Chlöe, Shenseea, Tinashe, Normani, 6LACK and Jorja Smith. This month, Harris is set to play a huge Glasgow stadium show at Hampden Park, with slots at EXIT Festival, Creamfields South, Sziget and the Belfast-based Belsonic all confirmed so far. He’s also set for a residency at Ushuaïa Ibiza from June through to September. Harris also played a special set at last month’s Glastonbury, DJing from inside the awe-inspiring… Read More →

16JULNews

The Weeknd flies six-year-old fan to Philadelphia gig after Toronto cancellation

The Weeknd flew out a six-year-old superfan to his Philadelphia tour opener this weekend after his Toronto gig was cancelled. Last week (July 8), Abel Tesfaye was due to begin his ‘After Hours Til Dawn’ tour in his Canadian hometown, but had to cancel the gig at the last minute due to a nationwide power outage of Canada’s main telecommunications company, Rogers. After the cancellation was made public, footage went viral on Twitter of a young fan dressed as The Weeknd from the ‘Blinding Lights’ video crying and being consoled outside the venue. Advertisement The Weeknd then made a callout online for someone to identify the child in question, who was then revealed to be six-year-old Phoenix Prince. In an interview with CBC, Prince’s father Blake said: “Phoenix was getting attention with his suit. We had a breakdown moment. He got upset over the fact the show was postponed, and somebody captured a picture.” Revealing that he still hoped to see The Weeknd live one day, Phoenix added: “I would say that you’re the best artist and that I love your songs and you’re so good and I was really looking forward to [the concert].” can someone please find him… Read More →