Nicol Ostrc

Bad Bunny shares new documentary about Puerto Rico as part of new music video

Bad Bunny has shared a new music video for ‘El Apagón’ alongside a documentary about his native Puerto Rico. READ MORE: Bad Bunny – ‘Un Verano Sin Ti’ review: the sound of an artist in his imperial phase The documentary, titled Aquí Vive Gente (People Live Here), plays after the official video for the new single on YouTube, and is narrated by Bianca Graulau. In the short film, a plethora of issues in Puerto Rico are discussed, including rising rent prices, social and economic issues and the development of luxury accommodation. Advertisement Watch the music video for ‘El Apagón’ and the Aquí Vive Gente (People Live Here) documentary below. Bad Bunny released his new album ‘Un Verano Sin Ti’ in May of this year. In a four-star review of the album, NME wrote: “Of course, 23 tracks is a lot to take in, especially if you’re listening to ‘Un Verano Sin Ti’ on the bus to work rather than a balmy beach. But there’s no sense of bet-hedging in its lengthy runtime and no real filler. “It’s the sound of an artist in his imperial phase doing as he pleases without needing to try too hard: not just a low-key… Read More →

17SEPNews

Drake posts DMs showing hateful messages to music critic Anthony Fantano

Drake appears to have beef with popular music journalist Anthony Fantano (best known for his YouTube channel The Needle Drop), revealing on his own accord that he’d sent the critic hateful messages on Instagram. READ MORE: Drake – ‘Honestly, Nevermind’ review: rapper’s house makeover provides long-overdue career boost Drake posted a screenshot of the messages he sent to Fantano on his own Instagram Story, poking fun at the critic’s rating system – whereby he’ll give records a score from 1 to 10 with a prefix of “light”, “decent”, “strong” or somewhere in-between (ie. “a light to decent 5”) – by writing: “Your existence is a light 1. And the 1 is ‘cause you are alive. And ‘cause you somehow wifed a Black girl. I’m feeling a light to decent 1 on your existence.” Advertisement It comes after Fantano joked about being messaged by Drake on YouTube; in a video posted to his eponymous secondary channel, he talked through screenshots of a fake thread showing Drake enthusiastically sharing a vegan recipe for chocolate chip cookies. Nowhere in the video, which runs for just over eight-and-a-half minutes, does Fantano even allude to the actual content of Drake’s messages. After Drake shared the… Read More →

16SEPNews

Kanye West opens new private school, ‘Donda Academy’

Kanye West has opened a Christian preparatory private school called Donda Academy in Simi Valley, California. READ MORE: ‘Donda 2’: Kanye West’s ego is scuppering these half-baked, dashed-off sounding songs The tuition-based school aims to “prepare students to become the next generation of leaders,” according to its website. “Each day, Donda students learn fundamentals, grow in their faith, and experience two enrichment classes,” the website states, adding that the daily schedule includes “full school worship, Core classes of language arts, math and science, lunch & recess, enrichment courses including World Language, Visual Art, Film, Choir and Parkour”. Advertisement The school costs $15,000 (around £13,000) per year although, as stated on the admissions page of the website, “Everyone is welcome to apply regardless of financial situation. Financial aid and scholarships are available for students who qualify”. Rolling Stone reported yesterday (September 15) that two families claimed that they were made to sign NDAs to have their children attend. However, Tamar Andrews, a consultant for Donda, told Rolling Stone that parents of each student only have to sign “an informal agreement”. Kanye West at the first ‘DONDA’ playback event in Atlanta in July 2021. CREDIT: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Music Group “Honestly,… Read More →

16SEPNews

Festicket collapse will lead to “detrimental losses” for clubs

UK-based festival ticket booking service Festicket is on the verge of collapse, with clubs set to face “detrimental losses”. The platform entered a period of moratorium in August and was granted 20 days to seek a “rescue deal”, as reported by Mixmag. Now, as confirmed by Mixmag, Festicket will no longer be protected from creditors and as a result, falls into administration, affecting numerous clubs, promoters and festivals. Advertisement Bristol’s Motion posted a statement on Facebook on Wednesday (September 14) expressing their concerns: “As you may know from purchasing tickets through our website, Festicket and Ticket Arena were our ticketing partners for Motion and have been for the last 6 years,” they wrote. “Our event partners and Motion are owed in excess of £300,000 due to not receiving payments for tickets sold through their platforms. Last weekend we had an event which sold out at 3000 tickets, the promoter still hasn’t received all of their ticket funds for the event.” As you may know from purchasing tickets through our website, Festicket and Ticket Arena were our ticketing partners for… Posted by Motion Bristol on Wednesday, September 14, 2022 They continued: “We are now being told that key assets are being sold off… Read More →

16SEPNews

Robbie Williams breaks Official Chart records with ‘XXV’

Robbie Williams has broken Official Chart records as his latest album ‘XXV’ tops the Official Albums Chart. READ MORE: Robbie Williams on Damon Albarn, Morrissey and the dark side of Take That: “I have a cannon-full of quotes” The pop star released ‘XXV’, which contains re-recorded and orchestrated versions of songs from across his career, last Friday (September 9), and it is now his 14th Number One solo album. The Official Charts Company have confirmed that Williams has overtaken Elvis Presley to become the solo artist with the most UK Number One albums ever (Presley’s record was 13). The Beatles are now the only act with more UK Number One albums than Williams, having scored 15 across their career. Advertisement In addition, Williams racked up four further Number One albums during his time in Take That. The overall record holder for an individual with the most Number One albums is Paul McCartney, who has received 23 across his career in The Beatles, Wings and as a solo act, with John Lennon following behind with 19 Number Ones. “Thank you to everyone who’s supported the album: everyone who’s bought it, streamed it, downloaded it and reviewed it,” Williams said on breaking the… Read More →

16SEPNews

Father John Misty covers Stevie Wonder for new live EP

Father John Misty has covered Stevie Wonder‘s ‘I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)’ as part of a new live EP. READ MORE: Father John Misty live in London: showman schmoozes with old-school Hollywood sparkle ‘Live At Electric Lady’ was recorded at the iconic Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village, New York City back in May. Comprising six tracks, the special collection contains live versions of five songs from FJM’s latest album ‘Chloë And The Next 20th Century’. Closing the EP is Father John Misty’s take on Wonder’s 1972 number ‘I Believe…’. You can listen to ‘Live At Electric Lady’ on Spotify below. Advertisement Announcing the project on social media, FJM (real name Josh Tillman) shared a series of behind-the-scenes shots of himself and his accompanying string section recording at NYC’s Electric Lady. See those in the Instagram post beneath. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Father John Misty (@fatherjohnmisty) The tracklist for Father John Misty’s ‘Live At Electric Lady EP is as follows: 1. ‘We Could Be Strangers’ 2. ‘(Everything But) Her Love’ 3. ‘Goodbye Mr. Blue’ 4. ‘Buddy’s Rendezvous’ 5. ‘The Next 20th Century’ 6. ‘I Believe (When I Fall In Love… Read More →

16SEPNews

Kanye West ends fashion partnership with Gap

Kanye West has ended his partnership with the fashion company Gap. West’s lawyers sent a letter to the brand notifying them that the rapper would formally sever ties with it, terminating the 10-year agreement they first established in 2020. The letter, sent on West’s behalf, claimed that Gap had failed to meet the terms of its contract. Nicholas Gravante, who serves as one of West’s attorneys, elaborated on this claim in a statement to Pitchfork. “Gap left Ye no choice but to terminate their collaboration,” Gravante wrote, “because of Gap’s substantial noncompliance.” According to West’s team, Gap failed to deliver on its obligation to sell 40 per cent of the rapper’s Yeezy Gap items in brick-and-mortar stores, and failed to open retail stores dedicated to his products by mid-2023. Advertisement In their own letter sent to employees, Gap confirmed that the partnership had been terminated, writing that while the brand agreed on West’s creative vision, “how we work together to deliver this vision is not aligned.” The letter, attributed to Gap CEO Mark Breitbard, went on to argue that the fashion company had upheld their terms of the contract. “Throughout this partnership, we have upheld our commitments, and the teams have… Read More →

16SEPNews

Sublime announce biopic with surviving members’ involvement

Sublime will be the focus of a new biopic entering production at Sony, with the band’s two surviving members – bassist Eric Wilson and drummer Bud Gaugh – involved as executive producers. The pair announced the film themselves, saying in a press release that they “can’t believe this is finally happening” and “couldn’t be more honored and excited to have the great Francis Lawrence and Chris Mundy telling our story”. Lawrence will serve as the film’s director, with Mundy handling its script. Among its producers will be Dave Kaplan and Peter Paterno, with Sony’s 3000 Pictures, Chernin Entertainment and about:blank developing. At the time of writing, Sublime’s biopic is yet to receive a title, release date or cast. We know it won’t shy away from the story of late frontman Bradley Nowell, though, as alongside Wilson and Gaugh, Nowell’s widow Troy and son Jake will act as executive producers. “We know Bradley’s talent and spirit will be part of this incredible journey,” Wilson and Gaugh said in their statement. Advertisement Sublime were initially active between 1988 and 1996, releasing two albums – 1992’s ‘40oz. To Freedom’ and 1994’s ‘Robbin’ The Hood’ – before Nowell died from a heroin overdose at… Read More →

14SEPNews

The Snuts on Kings of Leon: “One of the best bands the world’s seen”

The Snuts have spoken about touring with Kings Of Leon, as well as the influence that Arctic Monkeys have had on the band. READ MORE: Five things we learned from our In Conversation video chat with The Snuts The West Lothian band’s frontman Jack Cochrane spoke to NME about their new album ‘Burn The Empire’ in a new interview published yesterday (September 13), and recalls being blown away by the experience of touring with the Followill brothers. “I remember listening to Kings Of Leon when I was playing FIFA in 2004. I was like, ‘What is this music? I’ve never heard this!’ It’s crazy watching guys you who just absolute pros. They’re one of the best bands the world has ever seen, there’s no doubt about it.” Advertisement The Snuts even “got a wave from them one night,” according to Cochrane: “One night they were like, ‘Hey dudes, hey guys’. It blew my mind.” Cochrane also cited Arctic Monkeys as a key influence on their approach to writing a new record. “They’ve managed to stay razor-sharp cool all the way through what they do, but they evolve in a way that people understand. That’s important, and that’s something we’re trying to… Read More →

14SEPNews

MONSTA X’s Kihyun to return with sophomore solo album in October

MONSTA X singer Kihyun is confirmed to be releasing new music next month. READ MORE: MONSTA X – ‘Shape Of Love’ review: a passion-fuelled deep dive into matters of the heart South Korean news outlet Sports Dongah reported on September 14 that the K-pop idol will be making a comeback with his second solo album in October. A source from Starship Entertainment responded to the report shortly after it was published, writing in a separate statement to TopStarNews, as translated by Soompi: “It’s true that Kihyun is preparing for his second solo album with the aim of a release at the end of October after having recently wrapped up the MONSTA X concert. Please show lots of support and interest.” Kihyun’s as-yet-untitled sophomore album will be MONSTA X’s first music since all members of the boyband were announced to have renewed their contracts with Starship Entertainment, with the exception of I.M. Despite I.M’s contract with the label getting terminated, Starship Entertainment clarified that he will continue to remain part of the boyband. Advertisement Kihyun’s comeback will also arrive roughly seven months since he made his debut as a soloist in March with the single album ‘Voyager’, led by a title track of the… Read More →

13SEPNews

Wet Leg explain missed US shows due to “mental and physical health” issues

Wet Leg have updated fans on why they didn’t perform two of their recent US tour dates, citing “mental and physical health” concerns. The duo have been touring their “instant classic” debut album across the States, and were due to play Abiquiú, New Mexico and the Westword Music Showcase in Denver, Colorado on September 9 and 10 respectively. After returning to the UK for a few days, however, it was announced that those dates would not go ahead. READ MORE: Wet Leg: “I think there’s more authenticity to the music if you’re having fun” Posting on social media today (September 13), the band wrote: “Hey everyone! just wanted to say sorry for missing you Denver and New Mexico. And no it wasn’t because of covid! truth is that it all got a bit on top of us and we just couldn’t quite manage to get back on that plane. Advertisement “It’s been an amazing year playing our music all over the world but our busy touring schedule finally got the better of us this time. I just want you guys to know that it wasn’t an easy decision at all and I’m sorry I didn’t post anything about it sooner. Our… Read More →

12SEPNews

Lewis Capaldi recreates Wham!’s ‘Club Tropicana’ video for new single ‘Forget Me’

Lewis Capaldi has shared the video for his new single ‘Forget Me’, in which he recreates Wham!‘s ‘Club Tropicana’ – watch below. READ MORE: The NME Big Read – Lewis Capaldi: “I make jokes because I’m comfortable with who I am” ‘Forget Me’ is the Scottish singer-songwriter’s first new original material since the release of the extended edition of his 2019 debut album ‘Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent’. The single’s video, filmed at Pikes Hotel by award-winning director Louis Bhose, sees Capaldi duplicate the 1983 Wham! video ‘Club Tropicana’, shot for shot. Advertisement “‘Forget Me’ is a song that’s so dear to my heart and I definitely feel like it’s my best tune yet,” Capaldi said. “It’s about a break up I went through where after a year, the only real contact I had with my ex was seeing her ‘post-me’ life play out on her Instagram. “I was at a point where I was feeling pretty miserable and she seemed like she was moving on and having the best time, thriving, and I hated it. It seemed unfair to me that she appeared happy while I was hurting, and I was fearful she might have forgotten about me completely, so I… Read More →

12SEPNews

Billy Nomates announces new album ‘CACTI’ with single ‘Balance Is Gone’

Billy Nomates has announced details of her second album,’CACTI’, and is previewing it with first single ‘Balance Is Gone’. READ MORE: Billy Nomates: “In a world of Yes Men, I’ll be a No Woman, thanks” The new record, which follows a debut album from 2020 and last year’s follow-up EP ‘Emergency Telephone’, is released on January 13, 2023 via the Invada label. Speaking of the process of writing the new album, Billy Nomates – aka Tor Maries – said: “Writing ‘CACTI’ took just over a year. I wrote very intensely and then none at all. (This seems to be the way I work best). Advertisement “I picked up old drum machines, mapped out things in my kitchen with the same small micro keyboard I always use and then raided the cupboards and rooms at Invada Studios, to play and experiment with old synths, an upright piano, this weird organ thing. I hope everyone finds their own narrative in ‘CACTI’. I think it’s about surviving it all.” Of new single ‘balance is gone’, she added: “It’s a lot to ask, balance. Does anybody feel on kilter? Has anybody achieved all that harmony? I don’t think it’s a unique chase. And some… Read More →

12SEPNews

Death Cab For Cutie on their new album ‘Asphalt Meadows’: “This feels like a new band”

Death Cab For Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard has told NME about how the creation of the band’s upcoming tenth album ‘Asphalt Meadows’ made them “feel like a new band”, while also revealing that one of the album’s tracks took 25 years to complete. The band are releasing their follow-up to 2018’s ‘Thank You For Today’ this Friday (September 16) via Atlantic, and so far it has been previewed by the singles ‘Foxglove Through The Clearcut’, ‘Roman Candles’ and ‘Here To Forever’. READ MORE: Ben Gibbard on his new Fender signature guitar – and how it’s influencing the new Death Cab For Cutie album Work on what would become ‘Asphalt Meadows’ began prior to the pandemic, but Gibbard told NME that the opportunity that was given to the band to “get off the touring treadmill” during the COVID lockdowns changed the album they were making for the better. Advertisement “I remember specifically saying to my wife, at some point in January 2020, ‘I just wish I had a year off’,” the singer recalled. “The band had intermittent things planned that year, but there were a couple of own goals I had [made] too. I booked a two-and-a-half week solo tour for… Read More →

12SEPNews

R. Kelly to pay £25,000 in court fines and victim restitution from prison account

R. Kelly will pay nearly $30,000 (£25,000) in court fines and victim restitution from his personal prison commissary, it has been ruled. Per reports in Billboard and Rolling Stone, on Friday (September 9), a federal judge ruled that money in Kelly’s prison account could be seized by the prosecution team to pay required fees. The prosecution said (via Billboard): “The defendant has amassed nearly $30,000 in his inmate trust account over the course of the last three years of incarceration. “The defendant has not made any payments towards the substantial criminal monetary penalties imposed upon him at sentencing, even though payment was due immediately.” The ruling was handed down by U.S. District Judge Ann M. Donnelly, who said that the victims in R. Kelly’s case deserve “full and timely restitution”. Kelly is currently on trial in Chicago, which comes after he was sentenced to 30 years in prison in June, following his conviction by a federal jury in New York last year, on separate charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. He and his team are appealing the verdict of that case. Last month, a woman identified herself as the underage girl in the footage that formed the basis of R. Kelly‘s child pornography trial in… Read More →

12SEPNews

Disney+ to livestream Elton John’s last-ever US performance

Disney have announced that Elton John’s last-ever performance in the US this November – a third consecutive show at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium – will be streamed live on Disney+. READ MORE: Elton John: “I’m not interested in the past – not even Elton John’s past” The show will take place at the 56,000-capacity stadium on Sunday November 20, rounding out the North American leg of John’s ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ tour. For its streaming release – announced over the weekend at this year’s D23 conference – the show will be titled Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium. His other two shows at Dodger Stadium, going down on Thursday November 17 and Saturday 19, will also be filmed, but not streamed. That footage will instead be used for an upcoming documentary on the tour, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: The Final Elton John Performances And the Years That Made His Legend, which according to Deadline, will be released exclusively on Disney+ after a planned festival run and limited theatrical release. Advertisement Helmed by R.J. Cutler and David Furnish, the film will also feature archival concert footage, material from John’s “hand-written journals”, and present-day footage of the artist and his family. A… Read More →

11SEPNews

Fall Out Boy began work on “guitar-based” new material that is now on the “back burner”

Fall Out Boy guitarist Joe Trohman has revealed that the band were recently working on “guitar-based” new material that is now on the “back burner”. READ MORE: “These songs feel bigger than our band”: how Fall Out Boy’s ‘From Under The Cork Tree’ inspired a generation Trohman was speaking to Rolling Stone about his upcoming memoir, None Of This Rocks, which explores the guitarist’s youth and evolution into a musician. It’s described as being “unlike any [memoir] you’ve ever read.” In the new interview, Trohman is asked about a segment of the book where he says Fall Out Boy are working on new rock-orientated new material more akin to their earlier work. Advertisement In response, he revealed that this particular set of music appears to have now been set aside, saying: “We were working on some stuff that was guitar-based. I don’t know know what’s happening with it. I think it unfortunately went to the back burner. It would be nice to make a record where the guitar is a little more upfront. “We did start that way, as a guitar-based rock band, and it’d be cool to go back to those roots. We’d have to find a way to do… Read More →

10SEPNews

Robbie Williams says going to Glastonbury in 1995 was “like Putin turning up in Westminster”

Robbie Williams has told NME about his notorious weekend at Glastonbury in 1995, saying it made him feel “like Putin turning up in Westminster”. READ MORE: Robbie Williams on Damon Albarn, Morrissey and the dark side of Take That: “I have a cannon-full of quotes” During a new interview with NME about his album ‘XXV’, out yesterday (September 9), which contains re-recorded and orchestrated versions of songs from across his career, the former Take That member discussed the indie snobbery of the mid-1990s and Britpop era. Williams discussed the “that school of thought that pop music is a lower art form” that saw him set apart from the country’s Britpop heroes, saying: “I grew up in a time where that was never more prevalent, that sort of militant indie-ness: them against us. And by them against “us” I mean indie people against pop people, not pop people against indie people. ‘Cause it’s just like, ‘We’re just tryna have some fun!’” Advertisement Of his time at Glastonbury in ’95, which came shortly after he left Take That, he said: “You know, me turning up at Glastonbury… I’m trying to put it into terms that won’t get me in trouble, but it’s like… Read More →

09SEPNews

Yung Gravy says Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst told him “man don’t get too into drugs”

Yung Gravy has spoken to NME about the advice he received while on tour with Limp Bizkit and what it was like to hang out in the studio with Bad Boy Chiller Crew. Watch our interview with Yung Gravy below. READ MORE: Five things we learned from our In Conversation video chat with Yung Gravy Earlier this year, the rapper supported Limp Bizkit on multiple dates of their ‘Still Sucks’ tour, and told NME that being on the road with the nu-metal rockers was “sick.” “The band is really cool and Fred Durst is such a nice guy,” he said. “The whole band is down to earth.” Gravy also shared the advice Limp Bizkit’s frontman gave him while on tour. “I think any artist gets the same kind of memo from a mentor, but Fred Durst, he was like ‘man don’t get too into drugs’” he said. “That’s what everyone says, and that’s what I’d say to anyone else [because] I’ve had phases before when I was too into drugs and drinking.” Advertisement The American rapper, whose career started in Minnesota, also talked about playing in Birmingham, Manchester, and London in March of this year. “It was great we had… Read More →

09SEPNews

Kacey Musgraves shares making-of ‘Star-Crossed’ documentary to mark album’s first birthday

Kacey Musgraves has shared a new documentary on the making of her album ‘Star-Crossed’ to celebrate its first anniversary. READ MORE: Kacey Musgraves – ‘Star-Crossed’ review: a powerfully honest depiction of heartbreak The singer’s fifth studio album came out a year ago tomorrow (September 10, 2021) and the new 14-minute documentary follows the creation of the record. Star-Crossed: Making The Album teams studio footage of Musgraves making the album with her collaborators and interview footage of her discussing specific songs and the themes behind the album. Advertisement Check out the new documentary below. Reviewing ‘Star-Crossed’ upon its release last year, NME said: “This record, with its varied sounds and brutally honest lyrics, never finds Musgraves shying away from the uncomfortable. It’s an intricate project – the record also comes with an accompanying 50-minute film – that could collapse under the weight of its concept. Bolstered by its author’s frank pen, though, and instilled with a sense of hope, it’s a powerful listen.” After the album’s release, ‘Star-Crossed’ was embroiled in controversy after the record was deemed ineligible for the Best Country Album award at the 2022 Grammys. Musgraves had submitted her recent album for Best Country Album category, but it was… Read More →

09SEPNews

Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O on performing live: “I’m going to steamroll you and you’re going to like it”

Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman Karen O has spoken about performing live ahead of the band’s fifth album, ‘Cool It Down’. READ MORE: Yeah Yeah Yeahs live in Manchester – indie sleaze icons triumphantly kick off ‘Cool It Down’ era In an interview with The New York Times, O discussed her larger-than-life stage presence and how it has influenced up-and-coming artists. “Disarming is another speciality of what I try to do with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs,” she said of her role as a frontwoman. “I’m being absolutely ridiculous, quite overtly sexual, totally heart-on-my-sleeve. I’m going to steamroll you, and you’re going to like it.” Advertisement Perfume Genius, who features on Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ recent single, ‘Spitting Of The Edge Of The World‘, also discussed how the New York City band inspired his performances in the interview. “Before I would go on tour, I would watch videos of them, and live shows, just to gas me up,” he said. “They’re just so [expletive] cool.” He added: [In the music industry] a lot of people are in your ear, talking to you and suggesting things. To just maintain a core warmth and kind of magic about what they do and how they approach things, it’s… Read More →