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Bop Shop: Songs From Kendrick Lamar, B.I, My Chemical Romance, And More

The search for the ever-elusive “bop” is difficult. Playlists and streaming-service recommendations can only do so much. They often leave a lingering question: Are these songs really good, or are they just new? Enter Bop Shop, a hand-picked selection of songs from the MTV News team. This weekly collection doesn’t discriminate by genre and can include anything — it’s a snapshot of what’s on our minds and what sounds good. We’ll keep it fresh with the latest music, but expect a few oldies (but goodies) every once in a while, too. Get ready: The Bop Shop is now open for business. Kendrick Lamar: “The Heart Part 5” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAPUkgeiFVY At the mention of vehicular escape, Kendrick Lamar’s face morphs into O.J. Simpson’s. When he raps, “Friends bipolar, grab you by your pockets,” he becomes Kanye West. And then Jussie Smollett, Will Smith, Kobe Bryant, and finally, his departed friend Nipsey Hussle. Between these, in the show-stopping one-shot video for “The Heart Part 5,” Kendrick reverts back to his original face to keep rhyming. It’s a startling spectacle, and it takes repeated viewings to catch every nuance. But nothing is more potent than when he takes on Hussle’s visage, then once again… Read More →

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Watch Burna Boy’s self-directed video for new single ‘Last Last’

Burna Boy has shared a new track called ‘Last Last’ – you can listen to it below. Produced by Chopstix, the song samples Toni Braxton‘s 2000 single ‘He Wasn’t Man Enough’. It’ll appear on the Nigerian artist’s sixth studio album ‘Love, Damini’, which is due to arrive this summer. READ MORE: The NME Big Read – Burna Boy: “A revolution is needed. I want to inspire it” The accompanying ‘Last Last’ video was directed by Burna Boy – real name Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu – and features “my house, my car, my friends, my Igbo, my Shayo”, per an onscreen message. Advertisement “And most importantly [it’s] for you, my fans,” it adds. “Love, Damini.” Check out Burna Boy’s ‘Last Last’ visuals here: According to Pitchfork, Burna Boy debuted the new single during his recent show at Madison Square Garden in New York. He became the first Nigerian artist to headline a concert at the 20,000-capacity arena. Burna Boy’s revealed the title of ‘Love, Damini’ – the follow-up to 2020’s Grammy-winning ‘Twice As Tall’ – at that same gig. Per a press release, it’s “set to release for his 31st birthday [July 2]”. However, Pitchfork now reports that the album will come… Read More →

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James Bay on new album ‘Leap’: “It’s a cohesive album, born out of the least cohesive time”

James Bay has announced the release of his third studio album, ‘Leap’. Check out new single ‘One Life’ along with our interview with Bay below. READ MORE: James Bay live in London: new music aplenty, and a passionate call to “keep small venues alive” Bay’s new album will be released on July 8 via EMI Records/Republic Records, and comes previewed by the single ’One Life’. Arriving on the heels of March’s ‘Give Me The Reason’, the song is a tribute to Lucy Smith, Bay’s longtime girlfriend and the mother of his daughter Ada, who arrived last October. “I’d never written from this perspective before,” Bay told NME. “I’d never written from a place of such joy and positivity. Lucy and I first got together at 16 and have been together ever since. She’s supported me since day one. From open mic nights, right through to my biggest shows. It’s been one adventure after another, but now we’re on the biggest one of all. Raising our beautiful daughter Ada.” Advertisement The Hitchin singer-songwriter’s upcoming LP will be his first full-length project since 2018’s ‘Electric Light’ – a record that saw Bay take on a more experimental range of sounds. For ‘Leap’, Bay told… Read More →

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Listen to My Chemical Romance’s new song ‘The Foundations Of Decay’

My Chemical Romance have returned with the surprise release of new song ‘The Foundations Of Decay’. Check it out below. READ MORE: Life after death: Why My Chemical Romance still have so much more to give The reunited emo legends are set to kick off a UK and European tour next week, including massive shows in Milton Keynes with Placebo With Fever and more. Ahead of those huge gigs, the band have shared their first new material in eight years with the track ‘The Foundations Of Decay’. The song starts as a slow-burning and emotive number, with frontman Gerard Way softly singing: “See the man who stands upon the hill, he dreams of all the battles won / but fate had left its scars upon his face, with all the damage they had done.” Advertisement The hypnotic, proggy track then builds into a subtle emo crescendo. During the six-minute epic, Way also appears to comment on the 9/11 attacks, having previously discussed how this led to the formation of My Chemical Romance. In the new song, Way sings: “And he was there, the day the towers fell / And so he wandered down the road / And we would all build… Read More →

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Death Grips hint at return and tease new music

Death Grips have hinted at their return by teasing the arrival of new music. READ MORE: NME’s Intense, Unseen Death Grips Interview from 2012 Earlier today (May 12), the group shared a short, 15-second clip of new music on their social media channels. The short video, which you can see bellow, feature a flashing light and a moth leaving some hands with an overlay of trance music. Advertisement The group’s last music release came in 2019 via ‘Gmail And The Restraining Orders Mix’ as part of an anniversary collection for Warp Records. pic.twitter.com/pXUjxtBCY2 — Ꭰeath Ꮹrips (@bbpoltergiest) May 12, 2022 Back in February, Death Grips unveiled a collection of clothing that features the album artwork for 2012’s ‘No Love Deep Web’. The cover of the band’s second studio album was notable for its sexually explicit imagery. The capsule collection from Vetememes and Rough Simmons featured Death Grips’ uncensored ‘No Love Deep Web’ artwork on items like parkas and sweatshirts. Conveniently, they all come with a removable magnetic censor bar. Elsewhere in the same collection, there were items featuring the American rapper Viper. The clothing is being billed as officially licensed Death Grips merchandise, with all proceeds going to the band. Check out… Read More →

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Watch Jamie T debut new material at first gig in five years

Jamie T debuted new material at his first live gig in five years – see footage from the show and the setlist below. READ MORE: Song Stories – Jamie T on how he wrote ‘Power Over Men’ The London singer-songwriter performed an intimate comeback show at the Subterania venue in Ladbroke Grove in west London last night (May 11). Amid airing his classics, T played new single ‘The Old Style Raiders‘ live for the first time as well as the unreleased songs ‘A Million And One Ways To Die’ and ‘Keying Lamborghinis’, which feature on his forthcoming album ‘The Theory Of Whatever’ (out July 29 via Polydor). Advertisement Fan-shot footage from the gig shows T debuting new songs, as well as playing ‘Sheila’ from his debut 2007 album ‘Panic Prevention’. Watch below. The old style raiders snippet from JamieT Snippet of keying Lamborghinis from JamieT The musician – real name Jamie Treays – made his first live appearance since 2017 at yesterday’s gig. Setlist (via Setlist.fm) Advertisement ‘The Old Style Raiders’ (live debut) ‘Operation’ ‘Salvador’ ‘Limits Lie’ ‘Don’t You Find’ ‘Keying Lamborghinis’ (live debut) ‘The Prophet’ ‘Dragon Bones’ ‘If You Got the Money’ ‘A Million And One Ways To Die’ (live… Read More →

Legendary Singer Larry D Releases New Catchy Tune “Just We”

One of r&b’s favorite artists, Larry D has been keeping it real with his amazing new release called “Just We.” Emotional yet romantic at the same time, the iconic artist delivers an outstanding composition that’s filled with soothing vocals, lovely sequences and positive melodies. The catchy single embodies how talented Larry D really is and his soaring voice adds on to that. An amazing feature, Jessica Ray manages to add her magical touches on the song, elevating it to another level. Packed with romantic lyrics and sensational performances, “Just We” takes any listener away and gives them a joyous feeling and a surreal listening experience. The singer, producer, author and philanthropist, Dr. Larry Dodson Sr. is one of the most iconic musicians of these last five decades. Having sold millions of records over the years, Larry D is looking to introduce new audiences to his music with his all-new single called “Just We,” a beautifully composed track. Make sure to give Larry D a follow on Spotify – Instagram – Twitter – Facebook – YouTube

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Smashing Pumpkins announce North American tour with Jane’s Addiction and Poppy

The Smashing Pumpkins have announced details of a North American arena tour – you can see the band’s upcoming live dates and find tickets below. READ MORE: 50 geeky facts about Smashing Pumpkins The announcement of the ‘Spirits On Fire’ tour comes swiftly after the band confirmed last month that they had finished work on their “big” and “epic” 12th studio album, the follow-up to 2020’s ‘Cyr’. The 32-date tour, which kicks off in Dallas on October 2, will see the Pumpkins being supported by Jane’s Addiction, with Poppy and Meg Myers also set to open on select dates. Advertisement Pre-sale tickets to the ‘Spirits On Fire’ tour will be available from 10am local time tomorrow (May 12), before a general sale starts at 10am local time on Friday (May 13). Tickets will be available to buy here. You can see the dates of Smashing Pumpkins’ ‘Spirits On Fire’ tour below. OCTOBER 2022 2 – American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX 3 – Toyota Center, Houston, TX 5 – Moody Center, Austin, TX 7 – Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL 8 – Hard Rock Casino, Hollywood, FL 10 – Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN 11 – State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA 13 –… Read More →

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Dua Lipa says her third album is “about understanding what I want”

Dua Lipa has shared more details about her upcoming third album, saying the record is “about understanding what I want”. The singer’s follow-up to her 2020 smash ‘Future Nostalgia’ was first teased back in January, when Lipa said she had “done a big chunk of writing” for the new record. READ MORE: Dua Lipa live in Manchester: ‘Future Nostalgia’ victory lap confirms her place as a pop colossus In March, she then revealed that the album was “50 per cent done” and is “starting to take shape”. Advertisement Reiterating that the album is half-way finished in a new interview with Vogue, Lipa also discussed more of the inspirations and ideas behind her third album. “I’ve definitely grown up. Overall, whether it’s sonically or in terms of the themes, I’ve matured,” she said. “It’s like I’m coming into my power and not afraid to talk about things,” she added of the third album. “It’s about understanding what I want.” Dua Lipa performs in Las Vegas on March 25, 2022 as part of her ‘Future Nostalgia’ tour (Picture: Ethan Miller/Getty Images) In a January interview with The Wall Street Journal, Lipa said that LP3 was “still in baby form” and that she was “in no… Read More →

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Woosung drops thrilling teaser for upcoming single ‘Phase Me’

The Rose frontman Woosung has released a music video teaser for his upcoming solo single ‘Phase Me’, the title track of his new album ‘Moth’. READ MORE: LE SSERAFIM – ‘Fearless’ review: HYBE’s new girl group don’t fully live up to their name on hit-and-miss debut The clip opens with Woosung standing in front of an eerie-looking street light, dressed in a bright blue jacket with his back facing the camera. It cuts to scenes of the singer with blank all-white eyes, as well as shots of him dancing with women. “This don’t phase me at all,” Woosung croons in the trailer, before the screen cuts to black. ‘Moth’ is slated for release on May 13. The all-English language record is set to feature four tracks written and produced by Woosung himself according to Transparent Arts, Woosung’s management agency. Advertisement Apart from the release of his new record, Woosung is also set to embark on the ‘Moth EP Showcase Tour’ on May 15. Here, he will visit European cities such as Paris, London and Berlin, before heading to North America for shows in both the US and Canada. As the title implies, Woosung’s concert series will feature live performances of his… Read More →

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Doja Cat and Dolly Parton to appear in Taco Bell TikTok musical

Doja Cat and Dolly Parton are set to appear in a new TikTok musical for Taco Bell about the chain’s notorious Mexican Pizza. Mexican Pizza: The Musical will air on the social media site on May 26 to mark the return of the previously discontinued and much-loved item to the fast food chain’s menu. Doja Cat has been a high-profile supporter of the Mexican Pizza, writing a “contractual” rap for Taco Bell in 2020 when the item was taken off the menu. “I will end you if you ever dare to go discontinued,” she rapped in the jingle, adding: “This ain’t even Mexican food.” @dojacat ♬ original sound – Doja Cat Advertisement The seeds of Mexican Pizza: The Musical were then sown when TikTok comedian Victor Kunda took the jingle and created a parody version of a musical about Mexican Pizza starring Doja Cat. Kunda will now appear in the new musical having partly inspired it with her video, EW report. Also involved in the musical’s creation are screenwriter Hannah Friedman and duo Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, famous for their TikTok musical ‘The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical’. “We sat down and composed a musical for Mexican Pizza,” Barlow revealed in… Read More →

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Sam Fender sells out “biggest gig to date” at Finsbury Park London

Sam Fender has sold out his upcoming show at Finsbury Park, which will be the singer’s biggest gig to date. READ MORE: Sam Fender live in Newcastle: a euphoric homecoming for the Toon’s The London event, which is set for Friday (July 15) will feature performances from Fontaines D.C., Declan McKenna, Beabadoobee, Goat Girl, Nilüfer Yanya, Rachel Chinouriri, Stone, Heidi Curtis and Kay Greyson. The North Shields singer-songwriter will be following in the footsteps of the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Queens Of The Stone Age, Pulp and Liam Gallagher in headlining Finsbury Park. Advertisement “Holy shit, this is absolutely fucking ridiculous!” Fender said. “Finsbury Park is SOLD OOT 45,000 of you joining us in London for our biggest gig to date.” Holy shit, this is absolutely fucking ridiculous!!!! As if Finsbury Park is SOLD OOT ??? 45,000 of you joining us in London for our biggest gig to date❤️? pic.twitter.com/HsQ2v42jK2 — Sam Fender (@samfendermusic) May 9, 2022 “It’s the biggest gig we’ve put on so far – 45,000 tickets,” he told NME following the show’s announcement. “It’s gonna be like Sam Fender with his mates and friends. We’ve got Fontaines D.C. confirmed so far, and I’m so, so excited because I absolutely adore them boys…. Read More →

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Pale Waves announce third album ‘Unwanted’ and share new single ‘Lies’

Pale Waves have announced details of their third studio album, ‘Unwanted’, with the follow-up to 2021’s ‘Who Am I?’ due to be released on August 12 via Dirty Hit. READ MORE: The NME Big Read – Pale Waves: “I’ve been hiding who I am for so long now. I don’t wanna do that any more” To coincide with the announcement, the band have shared the album’s first single ‘Lies’, which was previously teased last month. The group shared two previews on their official TikTok account, with the song’s chorus (“You called it love but it never had a feeling/ Ripped out my heart and left it bleeding“) playing over the videos. Advertisement The track was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Zakk Cervini, who has worked with the likes of Blink-182, Halsey and Machine Gun Kelly. It features crunchy guitars and a ripping, pop-punk backdrop. “‘Lies’ is about someone who built up my trust and destroyed it like a wrecking ball,” frontwoman Heather Baron-Gracie said of the track. “It caused some real trust issues, but fortunately for me that person is no longer in my life. Once you do me wrong you’re gone!” Speaking of new album ‘Unwanted’, Baron-Gracie said: “It was really the… Read More →

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Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra current favourites to win Eurovision Song Contest 2022

The Ukrainian group Kalush Orchestra are currently the favourites to win the Eurovision Song Contest. READ MORE: Ukrainian artists on the Russian crisis: “Now is the time to push for change” Kalush Orchestra, a rap group who formed in 2019, replaced Ukraine’s original entrant Alina Pash, who withdrew from the competition in February. The group’s track ‘Stefania’ is an ode to powerful mothers. The Grand Final of Eurovision 2022 will take place at the PalaOlimpico in Turin, Italy this weekend (May 14), with Kalush Orchestra’s odds currently sitting at 8/11 (via Oddschecker). Advertisement Written by frontman Oleh Psiuk, ‘Stefania’ is also the most watched on YouTube among the 35 contenders. “Some people are saying we could win because of the war, but our song was among the five favourites before the start of the conflict, which means people like it regardless,” Psiuk said in an interview with the Italian news agency Ansa (via Guardian). He continued: “Those of us here represent every Ukrainian. After Eurovision we will return home to provide our contribution.” On Stefania being dedicated to his mother, he said: “This is the best thing I have ever done for her; and with the outbreak of war the meaning… Read More →

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Watch Kanye West’s new video for ‘Life Of The Party’ in honour of Mother’s Day

Kanye West – aka Ye – has shared a new video for his track ‘Life Of The Party’ in honour of Mother’s Day, lifted from the deluxe edition of his latest album ‘DONDA’. READ MORE: Kanye West – ‘DONDA’ review: some gems among lots – and lots – of filler While the original album cut is a collaboration with André 3000, the new video doesn’t contain André’s verse, and has a much shorter run time. The clip features Ye’s childhood photos, with the rapper’s clothing edited as items from his forthcoming Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga collection. Check it out below. Advertisement The new Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga drop is set to arrive on May 25, via the Yeezy Gap website. The three brands, Yeezy, Gap and Balenciaga, launched the collaboration in February this year, where they debuted the first items. Ye had already been collaborating with Gap since 2020, with the brands joining forces to launch their first Yeezy Gap clothing the following year. Ye released his much-delayed 10th studio album ‘DONDA’ last year, followed by the deluxe edition, which came in at 32 tracks long. Among these was the André 3000 collaboration ‘Life Of The Party’, which West… Read More →

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Kendrick Lamar shares first new single in four years, ‘The Heart Part 5’

Kendrick Lamar has shared ‘The Heart Part 5’, the first single to be lifted from his fifth studio album ‘Mr. Morale And The Big Steppers’ ahead of its release this Friday (May 13). The song serves as Lamar’s first solo single since 2018’s ‘All The Stars’, which featured SZA and served as the lead single from Lamar’s curated Black Panther soundtrack. As its title suggests, ‘The Heart Part 5’ is the latest instalment in a series of tracks Lamar has released across his career – parts one and two were released in 2010, part three was released in 2012 and part four was released in 2017. An accompanying music video has been shared for the single, co-directed by Dave Free alongside Lamar himself. Lamar raps the song in front of a red background, before his face is transformed via deepfake technology to resemble people such as Kanye West, Kid Cudi and Will Smith. South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are given “special thanks” in the video’s credits. Advertisement Watch the video for ‘The Heart Part 5’ below: Lamar made his return to music following a nearly three-year absence in late 2021, appearing on two tracks by his cousin Baby Keem – ‘Family… Read More →

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Dua Lipa says Jack Harlow’s song about her is “OK, I suppose”

Jack Harlow has revealed that he went to Dua Lipa to get her blessing for his new track which is named after the singer. READ MORE: Dua Lipa live in Manchester: ‘Future Nostalgia’ victory lap confirms her place as a pop colossus Harlow released his new album ‘Come Home The Kids Miss You’ on Friday (May 6). As well as featuring the likes of Drake, Lil Wayne, Pharrell and Justin Timberlake, the record includes the song ‘Dua Lipa’. Speaking on The Breakfast Club podcast, Harlow revealed that while Lipa has yet to acknowledge the song publicly, he did reach out to her in private ahead of its release. Advertisement “I wanted to get her blessing, so I FaceTimed her and played it for her because I didn’t want her to be blindsided by that or feel like creeped out or anything,” he said. “If she had said, ‘Yo, I hate it. I don’t want it to come out,’ it wouldn’t have come out,” Harlow explained before revealing Lipa’s reaction to the track. “She was like, ‘Oh, I mean it’s not my song. I suppose it’s OK.’ She was just kinda thrown off and she just kinda let it go.” He… Read More →

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Bikini Kill members announce charity album featuring The Linda Lindas, Kim Gordon

Bikini Kill’s guitarist Erica Dawn Lyle and drum tech Vice Cooler (who also drums in The Raincoats) have announced a benefit compilation featuring contributions from The Linda Lindas and Kim Gordon. Bikini Kill vocalist Kathleen Hanna features on the album’s first single ‘Mirrorball’, which can be heard below. READ MORE: The 50 best music documentaries of all time Advertisement ‘Land Trust: Benefit for NEFOC’ is released June 3 on Bandcamp and all funds raised will go towards Northeast Farmers Of Colour Land Trust. “This is the very, very rare benefit album where no one just sent in some crappy B-side,” Hanna said in a statement. “All the songs are fucking great and the performers really put their hearts into it. It’s a testament to Erica and Vice doing a phenomenal job bringing people together.” Listen to ‘Mirrorball’ below. LAND TRUST: BENEFIT FOR NEFOC by Erica Dawn Lyle + Vice Cooler The project started during COVID after Bikini Kill’s 2020 tour was postponed.“People were trying to figure out how to help each other,” Lyle said. “I thought ‘all the musicians are home right now. It would probably be easy for us to do something quickly—because everybody, everywhere, is trying to find… Read More →

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Death Row Records singer Jewell Caples has reportedly died

Jewell Caples, who was known as the ‘First Lady’ of Death Row Records, has reportedly died. She was 54 years odl. The news was shared by her former Death Row Records collaborator Daz Dillinger, who posted the news on Instagram earlier today (May 6). “RIP @iamjewellcaples. IM SAD THIS REALLY HURT BUT JEWELLZ PASSED THIS MORNING,” he wrote alongside a picture of the singer. “WOW DEATHROW FOR LIFE. WE GONE MISS HER.”CLASSIC MUSIC. FAMILY OVER EVERYTHING.” As yet, no official statement has been released regarding Caples’ death. NME has reached out to representatives for Caples for comment. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dazzel Dillinger (@dazdillinger) The R&B singer-songwriter was known for working with the iconic Hip Hop label and making hits with the likes of Dr Dre and N.W.A. She appeared on Dre’s ‘The Chronic’ and Snoop Dogg’s ‘Doggystyle,’ as well as Tupac’s ‘All Eyez On Me.’ Fans have taken to social media to pay tribute. One fan wrote: “Woah man…RIP Jewell. She graced so many classic Death Row joints. A beautiful voice and underrated ingredient in West Coast hip hop. Peace to her family & loved ones.” Another added: “RIP to one of the unsung stars of 90’s era… Read More →

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Watch Kelly Clarkson perform emotional Harry Styles cover

Kelly Clarkson has given an emotional performance of one of Harry Styles’ singles in a recent episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show. The long-running US TV series features a segment called Kellyoke, which sees the host and singer perform different covers from an eclectic range of artists. READ MORE: Harry Styles live at Coachella: spectacular showman makes a bid for rock god status During Thursday’s (May 5) episode of the show, Clarkson chose to air her own rendition of Styles’ ‘Falling’, the original version of which appeared on his second album ‘Fine Line’. Backed by her band Y’all, the star added new layers to the powerful ballad, bringing guitar and drums to its central piano line. Advertisement Watch Clarkson’s take on ‘Falling’ below now. Styles is set to release his third album ‘Harry’s House’ on May 20. To celebrate the new record, the British pop star will perform two special gigs – one in New York on the day of release and a second at London’s O2 Academy Brixton on May 24. Both shows will see the musician performing tracks from the new album for the first time, following him airing three of the record’s songs at Coachella 2022. During Styles’… Read More →

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The Rolling Stones share two previously unheard live recordings

The Rolling Stones have today (May 6) shared two previously unheard live recordings – check them out below. The live tracks, ‘Tumbling Dice’ and ‘Hot Stuff’, were recorded in March 1977 during the Stones’ secret concerts at the 300-capacity Toronto club El Mocambo. READ MORE: The Rolling Stones – their 10 best songs The two songs are set to feature on the upcoming ‘Live At The El Mocambo’ album, which is being released in full for the first time on May 13. Advertisement The album will be available on double CD, 4xLP Black Vinyl, 4xLP Neon Vinyl and digitally. It features the Stones’ full set from the March 5 show, plus three bonus tracks from the March 4 gig, newly mixed by Bob Clearmountain. You can pre-order ‘Live At The El Mocambo’ here. Listen to the two tracks here: ‘Live At The El Mocambo 1977’ tracklist: 1. ‘Honky Tonk Women’ 2. ‘All Down The Line’ 3. ‘Hand Of Fate’ 4. ‘Route 66’ 5. ‘Fool To Cry’ 6. ‘Crazy Mama’ 7. ‘Mannish Boy’ 8. ‘Crackin’ Up’ 9. ‘Dance Little Sister’ 10. ‘Around And Around’ 11. ‘Tumbling Dice’ 12. ‘Hot Stuff’ 13. ‘Star Star’ 14. ‘Let’s Spend The Night Together’ 15. ‘Worried Life Blues’ … Read More →