Nicol Ostrc

TWICE’s Jihyo tests positive for COVID-19

TWICE’s leader Jihyo has tested positive for COVID-19 days out from the release of new mini-album ‘Between 1&2’, according to an announcement from JYP Entertainment. READ MORE: New generations: SNSD, NewJeans and the evolution of K-pop girl groups In a statement posted to TWICE’s fancafe earlier today (August 24), the agency announced that the vocalist had contracted the coronavirus, according to the results from a self-diagnosis antigen test the idol took. “Jihyo tested positive [after using a] self-diagnosis kit at 10:30am and is currently quarantined, following the guidelines from health department after testing positive for COVID-19 [through] antigen testing,” JYP Entertainment wrote in its statement. “We will prioritise our artist’s health and put our best effort [into] her quick and healthy recovery.” Advertisement At the time of writing, JYP Entertainment has not revealed if any other TWICE members have tested positive for the virus. They have also not confirmed if Jihyo will be absent from promotional activities for the group’s imminent release, ‘Between 1&2’, to comply with health guidelines. TWICE. Credits: JYP Entertainment Slated for release this Friday (August 26), ‘Between 1&2’ will mark TWICE’s first domestic comeback of 2022. It will include seven songs, including the title track ‘Talk… Read More →

23AUGNews

California Senate and Assembly approve bill limiting use of rap lyrics as evidence in court

The California Senate and Assembly have approved a bill limiting the ability for lyrics to be used against rappers in court cases. Bill AB 2799 is now awaiting the signature of Governor Gavin Newsom, who is expected to sign and confirm the bill as law. As Billboard report, the bill would restrict the use of song lyrics as evidence, and be banned from being referenced in court unless the prosecution can prove a direct relevance between the lyrics and the particular case, and that the process will not “inject racial bias into the proceedings”. Advertisement In a statement (via Pitchfork), the author of the bill, State Assembly member Reggie Jones-Sawyer, said: “Under current law rap artists can feel as though they are being read their Miranda Rights before they even begin to write music: ‘You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law’. “We should not stymie the creative expression of artists. Unfortunately, racial biases play a role when talking about musical genres. Rap music lyrics share many similarities to that of other musical categories yet are singled out by the judicial system to characterise an artist…. Read More →

23AUGNews

Here are the stage times for The National at All Points East 2022

The National will return to London on Friday (August 26) to headline All Points East 2022 – check out the full stage and performance times below. It will mark the band’s first show in the city since 2019, where they will be joined by a stellar cast of support acts including Mogwai, Fleet Foxes, Lucy Dacus, Kurt Vile and more. READ MORE: All Points East 2021 review: generations collide to end the summer in fervent style Across seven stages, the day also sees performances from Parcels, Tune-Yards, Perfume Genius and Rae Morris. Advertisement The performance comes just a few days after The National unveiled their new single ‘Weird Goodbyes’, which features Bon Iver. Speaking in a statement about ‘Weird Goodbyes’, The National’s Matt Berninger said: “It’s about letting go of the past and moving on, then later being overwhelmed by second thoughts.” See the full stage times for The National at All Points East below, and buy your tickets here. 6 Music Stage at All Points East 2021. CREDIT: Jim Dyson/Getty Images The East Stage The National: 9:25pm – 10:55pm Mogwai: 7:00pm – 8:00pm Kurt Vile: 5:45pm – 6:30pm Villagers: 4:35pm – 5:15pm Tune Yards: 3:25pm – 4:05pm Rae Morris: 2:25pm – 2:55pm The Ray-Ban West… Read More →

23AUGNews

Listen to Danny Brown’s first solo single in three years, ‘Winter’

Danny Brown has shared his first solo single in three years – listen to ‘Winter’ below. READ MORE: How Danny Brown called time on pill popping and returned with an extraordinary new album As Consequence Of Sound notes, the Detroit-born rapper and comedian premiered the track during the latest episode of the Your Mom’s House podcast last Wednesday (August 17). Later, he quietly uploaded ‘Winter’ to SoundCloud and posted a brief note note about it on his Twitter profile. “Produced by me as well,” Brown wrote of the atmospheric two-minute-30-second new cut. Advertisement Brown has since shared a link that allows fans to download the a cappella version of ‘Winter’. “yall know what to do,” he captioned that tweet. Check out the original song here: produced by me as well https://t.co/XMLNunKJqu — Danny Brown (@xdannyxbrownx) August 21, 2022 Brown’s fifth and most recent solo studio album, ‘uknowhatimsayin¿’, came out back in 2019. Last December, he explained that his next album ‘Quaranta’ was “just all over the place” sonically. “It’s going to be fun,” Brown said. “I’m nervous.” Advertisement The upcoming project is slated to be Brown’s last full-length release on Warp Records before he embraces independence with his own Bruiser Brigade… Read More →

23AUGNews

Harry Styles says ‘My Policeman’ shows “tender and loving” gay sex

Harry Styles has said My Policeman will feature “tender and loving” gay sex scenes. The singer and actor will soon be starring in the period romance film, directed by Michael Grandage, which follows a 1950s married British policeman who has an affair with a museum curator. READ MORE: Harry Styles live at Coachella: spectacular showman makes a bid for rock god status Styles plays the policeman opposite David Dawson as the curator, while The Crown star Emma Corrin plays Styles’ wife. Advertisement “I think everyone, including myself, has [their] own journey with figuring out sexuality and getting more comfortable with it,” Styles said while discussing the film in an interview with Rolling Stone. “It’s not like, ‘This is a gay story about these guys being gay.’ It’s about love and about wasted time to me.” Discussing the sex scenes in particular, Styles added: “So much of gay sex in film is two guys going at it, and it kind of removes the tenderness from it. “There will be, I would imagine, some people who watch it who were very much alive during this time when it was illegal to be gay, and [director Michael Grandage] wanted to show that it’s tender and loving and… Read More →

20AUGNews

Maren Morris and Zedd reunite on new song ‘Make You Say’

Maren Morris and Zedd have collaborated for a second time on a new song, ‘Make You Say’. Released today (August 20), ‘Make You Say’ was co-written by Zedd (aka Anton Zaslavski), Morris, DJ duo Beauz (aka sibling DJ Bernie and Johan Yang), as well as Charlie Puth and Jacob Kasher Hindlin. The track dropped alongside an official music video. Blending cartoon animation with live action, the clip centres on Morris and her fictional love interest. Advertisement Watch it below: In a press release, Zedd spoke about the origins of the track and working with the other artists to produce it. “I started working on this record with Beauz about three or four years ago,” he said. “We went back and forth slowly, refining the production over the years, and then Charlie and I got in the studio and wrote the topline for the track. “Maren recorded a demo of it and sounded phenomenal, so I met her in Nashville, and we recorded the final vocal to ‘Make You Say’ and she took the song to a whole new level. “‘Make You Say’ is the kickoff of a new chapter for me.” Morris and Zedd last collaborated in 2018, releasing ‘The… Read More →

20AUGNews

Cassyette heads to the beach in new ‘Sad Girl Summer’ video

Cassyette has shared a new video for her single ‘Sad Girl Summer’, which sees her hosting a goth beach party – watch it below. READ MORE: Cassyette: “Touring with Frank Carter was huge… it became a big learning curve” The new video comes ahead of festival performances at Reading & Leeds next weekend and a UK headline tour next month. In a statement, she said of the new video: “’Sad Girl Summer’ was so much fun to film. I got to smash up a whole table of stuff…I had a baseball bat and whacked the shit out of everything. It was amazing. It was a home run. Seriously though, it was one of the best things I have done so far. Advertisement “Jamie the director had the most amazing concepts. I went to him saying I wanted ‘goths on the beach and poisonous frog colours’ and he came back with fetish nuns, a jilted bride and a kinky acid trip. I feel like he really nailed my personality.” Watch the video below. The singer released her new single this summer, and is also set to head out on a ‘Sad Girl Summer’ headline tour around the UK next month. The… Read More →

20AUGNews

Låpsley announces new album ‘Cautionary Tales Of Youth’ with single ‘Dial Two Seven’

Låpsley has announced details of her third album, ‘Cautionary Tales Of Youth’, and shared a new single called ‘Dial Two Seven’ – listen to that below. The new album follows the singer’s 2020 LP ‘Through Water’ and is set to be released on January 20, 2023. According to a statement, the new single looks back on the singer’s time locked down in South Africa after being invited there in early 2020. Advertisement She says that the aim of the track is “to celebrate those experiences I had in South Africa over lockdown. It came together so quickly with one of my favourite producers in the city, Greg Abrahams, collaborating with Omri Dahan and Mikaela Faye. I wanted to translate the adventures, hedonism and love that blossomed between myself and my South African friendship group.” Watch the ‘Dial Two Seven’ video, directed by Kyla Philander and shot in Cape Town, below. Back in 2020, Låpsley spoke about the difficulties of releasing new music during the coronavirus pandemic. “It’s a bit strange releasing a record the first week we were quarantined,” she said. “It took me quite a few weeks to get my head round that and to focus on the positives,… Read More →

19AUGNews

Sum 41’s Deryck Whibley sells publishing and recorded music catalogue to HarbourView

Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley has sold his publishing and recorded music catalogue in a new deal with equity fund, HarbourView Equity Partners. READ MORE: Sum 41: “We’re not ashamed of anything, we’re not afraid of anything – we just do what we do” Whibley has served as the Canadian pop-punk outfit’s lead singer and primary songwriter since their inception in 1996. Their 2001 breakout album ‘All Killer No Filler’ boasted the hit single ‘Fat Lip’, which landed at Number 66 on the Billboard Hot 100. To date, Sum 41 have released seven studio albums, the latest being 2019’s ‘Order In Decline’. Terms of the deal between HarbourView and Whibley have not been disclosed, however the transaction saw the equity fund represented by Fox Rothschild, with Whibley’s legal counsel coming from Jordan Keller and Sarah Smith of Keller Turner Andrews & Ghanem, PLLC. Advertisement Over the course of their 26-year tenure, Sum 41 – who’ve just wrapped up a US tour with Simple Plan and head out together again to the UK and Europe this September – have seen their catalogue garner more than 15 million album consumption units, 5.05 million of which occurred in the U.S alone (per Billboard)…. Read More →

19AUGNews

M.I.A. coaches her artificial doppelganger in the music video for ‘Popular’

M.I.A. has released an official music video for her single ‘Popular’, the most recent taste of her forthcoming album ‘MATA’. Directed by Arnaud Bresson (Kanye West, Beabadoobee), the ‘Popular’ music video sees M.I.A. direct her artificial doppelganger – referred to in a press release as an “influencer-bot-in-training” called M.A.I. – in how to walk, talk, move, dance and inspire just like M.I.A. does. Watch it below: Advertisement ‘Popular’ was released on August 12 with the accompanying video following the next day. Coinciding with the single drop was the news of the artist’s forthcoming studio release, ‘MATA’, set to be her first album in six years. Though there’s still no official release date, M.I.A. – aka Mathangi Arulpragasam – announced the upcoming sixth full-length effort back in May with the release of a new single ‘The One’. A snippet from an as-yet-unreleased M.I.A. song was then previewed in the final episode of season three of Netflix‘s Never Have I Ever. When announcing the follow-up to 2016’s ‘AIM’, M.I.A. said ‘MATA’ would be “kind of rebellious”. “Everybody’s expecting me to put out that havoc,” she said, “Everyone’s expecting that, but it’s not, that’s not what it is. “It’s about the battle of… Read More →

19AUGNews

Listen to PJ Harvey’s haunting cover of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Who By Fire’

PJ Harvey has shared a haunting new cover of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Who By Fire’ – listen to it below. READ MORE: Sharon Horgan: “I still give a shit – but way less of a shit than I used to” The song was recorded with composer Tim Phillips for the new Apple TV+ series, Bad Sisters. The first two episodes of Bad Sisters are available on Apple TV+ now, with new episodes debuting each Friday until October 14. Advertisement In a press release, Harvey said of the cover: “It was a very enjoyable day spent recording the version of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Who by Fire’ for Bad Sisters. I had spoken to Sharon Horgan in advance of the recording session, so I understood why she felt the song’s lyric was so perfect for the series, but also understood what nuances of Leonard’s performance she most loved, and therefore what to try and recapture but in my own way. “Tim Phillips and I worked together on my performance for the song. I found Tim to be an inspiring and exciting work partner which made the whole experience flow.” Listen to the cover here: Sharon Horgan, executive producer and star of the show, also added: “I thought… Read More →

19AUGNews

Martin Scorsese’s film about the New York Dolls’ David Johansen will premiere next month

Martin Scorsese’s new documentary film about the New York Dolls’ David Johansen will premiere next month, it’s been announced. READ MORE: “There’s no end in sight”: what we learned from Martin Scorsese’s BBC short film about lockdown The documentary film, called Personality Crisis: One Night Only, will get its first airing at the New York Film Festival. The film focusses around a one-of-a-kind 2020 performance by New York Dolls frontman David Johansen. Advertisement “Then and now, David’s music captures the energy and excitement of New York City,” Scorsese said in a statement about the film following its initial announcement. The New York Dolls onstage in 1974 – CREDIT: Press “I often see him perform, and over the years I’ve gotten to know the depth of his musical inspirations. After seeing his show… at the Café Carlyle, I knew I had to film it because it was so extraordinary to see the evolution of his life and his musical talent in such an intimate setting. For me, the show captured the true emotional potential of a live musical experience.” Scorsese has co-directed the feature with David Tedeschi and worked with cinematographer Ellen Kuras (American Utopia) to film the gig, which took place in… Read More →

19AUGNews

SEVENTEEN member Wonwoo shares heartfelt cover of IU’s ‘Knees’ in tribute to his late mother

SEVENTEEN’s Wonwoo has shared an emotional new cover of ‘Knees’ by IU. READ MORE: SEVENTEEN – ‘Face the Sun’ review: seven years in, the K-pop stars are determined not to flame out Wonwoo’s cover, which is largely faithful to the original’s sound, was shared on the K-pop boyband’s official YouTube channel on August 19 at midnight KST. It marks his first solo contribution to SEVENTEEN’s sprawling collection of unofficial solo tracks and covers, which include Seungkwan and Youngji’s collaboration on Lizzo’s ‘Juice’ and Joshua’s cover of dhruv’s ‘double take’, among others. “If I lie down on your knee / Brush my hair / Like when I was young / If I fall asleep lightly from your nicе touch / Just let me stay for a moment,” Wonwoo croons in the song’s chorus. Advertisement Shortly after the cover was unveiled, Wonwoo himself took to fan community platform Weverse to shed light on his decision to take on the IU classic. The original song, which was released as a B-side on IU’s 2015 ‘Chatshire’ album, was written during the singer’s struggles with insomnia, and her reminiscence of moments in childhood when she felt most at peace while falling asleep on her grandmother’s lap…. Read More →

19AUGNews

Iceage announce rarities collection ‘Shake the Feeling’ and share title track

Danish post-punks Iceage have announced they’ll release a new rarities collection titled ‘Shake the Feeling: Outtakes & Rarities 2015–2021’ next month. READ MORE: Iceage on growing up: “The longer you live, the more nuance gets added to the palette” The collection, out September 23 via Mexican Summer, will contain 12 non-album cuts (songs frontman Elias Bender Rønnenfelt describes as “misfit children”) including covers of Bob Dylan‘s ‘I’ll Keep It With Mine’ and Abner Jay’s ‘My Mule’. To coincide with the announcement, the band have shared a new single, also titled ‘Shake the Feeling’. The song was recorded during sessions for the band’s 2018 album ‘Beyondless’, but left off the album for being too “happy go lucky”, according to Rønnenfelt. It arrives alongside a video directed by Alex Cantouris and filmed at Moth Club in London. Watch that below: Advertisement “We thought this one to be a little too ‘nice’ and well behaved at the time,” Rønnenfelt added of ‘Shake the Feeling”s title track in a press release. “I didn’t want to learn the song, so I ended up improvising on the final take we did before abandoning it. In hindsight, I find the song to be completely sprawling with… Read More →

18AUGNews

Demi Lovato says Paramore’s Hayley Williams is her “dream collaborator”

Demi Lovato has named Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams as her “dream” collaborator in a new interview. Speaking to Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, Lovato revealed that the sound of her eighth album ‘Holy Fvck’ – out tomorrow (August 19) – had been inspired by ’00s female artists such as Kelly Clarkson and Ashlee Simpson. READ MORE: Demi Lovato – ‘Dancing with the Devil… the Art of Starting Over’ review: raw, cathartic pop She cited the former’s 2004 hit ‘Since U Been Gone’ as “one influence that really changed where I wanted to go directionally”, hailing the single as “a monster record”. Advertisement “And I saw the transformation of [Clarkson] as an artist go from R&B soul pop to pop rock,” Lovato continued. “And I was like, wait, that’s what I want to do.” The star would later go on to discover bands like Paramore and Flyleaf. “I’ve known Hayley [Williams] since… I think I met her when I was 15,” Lovato told Lowe. “I had a lot of people pulling for me that I didn’t necessarily talk to. She seems like the type of person that would be pulling for me during those times. But yeah, I didn’t get to… Read More →

18AUGNews

Kid Cudi reveals he had a stroke while in rehab in 2016: “Everything was fucked”

Kid Cudi has revealed that he suffered a stroke while he was in rehab for depression and drug addiction in 2016. Almost six years ago, the musician and actor – real name Scott Mescudi – confirmed in a post on social media that he’d entered a rehabilitation centre after experiencing “depression and suicidal urges”. READ MORE: Kid Cudi – ‘Man On The Moon III: The Chosen’ review – an art piece of epic highs and honest lows He said at the time that he felt “ashamed” about his struggles, but promised to “be back, stronger, better”. Advertisement During a new interview with Esquire, Cudi explained that he had a stroke two weeks into the programme, which affected his speech and movement. His manager and childhood friend, Dennis Cummings, advised that he needed to take a break from music. “Everything was fucked,” Mescudi told the publication. The star spent the following few months in physical rehab before turning a corner in 2017, when he felt well enough to audition for a Broadway play, Lobby Hero, with Michael Cera. Cudi was required to memorise a significant amount of dialogue, and the role ultimately went to another actor. However, Mescudi said that the experience… Read More →

17AUGNews

Hit-Boy says Beyoncé’s ‘Thique’ was originally made in 2014

Hit-Boy has revealed Beyoncé‘s ‘RENAISSANCE‘ single ‘Thique’ was originally put together back in 2014. READ MORE: Beyoncé – ‘Renaissance’ review: a celebration of love and Black joy The guest-heavy 16 track album was released last month and featured the likes of AG Cook, Skrillex, Giorgio Moroder, Grace Jones, Tems and Jay-Z. Now, Hit-Boy has told a Rolling Stone podcast, how Beyoncé stashed away their collaboration for eight years. Advertisement “I had to sit on that beat for eight years!” he said. “That’s the way the game goes sometimes. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in the game and certain people will perceive like, ‘Oh, where’s Hit-Boy been? What’s Hit-Boy been doing?’ “But then I’m sitting on stuff like ‘Thique’ that just hasn’t materialised yet. Y’all don’t even know how ahead I really am… I’ve been holding onto legendary stuff, and there’s plenty more.” Over the years, the pair have worked on seven singles including ‘Flawless’, ‘XO’ and ‘Bow Down/I Been On’. “I was basically trying to make a [Jay-Z and Kanye West‘s] ‘N***** In Paris’, female version,” he said of the latter. “With that bounce, with that synth. Obviously, you look at the lyrics, she’s talking crazy, talking rapper… Read More →

17AUGNews

Watch Korn reunite with Evanescence’s Amy Lee to perform ‘Freak On A Leash’

Korn reunited with Evanescence frontwoman Amy Lee last night (August 16) to perform their 2007 version of the former’s ‘Freak On A Leash’ – watch fan-shot footage below. The two bands kicked off their joint US tour at the Ball Arena in Denver yesterday, with both performing hits from the respective back catalogues. READ MORE: Korn: “On this record, we have grown emotionally. Music is healing to all of us” At the end of Korn’s set, Lee joined the band for a live rendition of their 2007 MTV Unplugged collaboration – a take on Korn’s 1998 track ‘Freak On A Leash’, which featured on their album ‘Follow The Leader’. Advertisement You can watch fan-shot footage of Korn and Lee performing ‘Freak On A Leash’ below. The two bands will continue their tour at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre tomorrow night (August 18), and wrap up their jaunt in Washington on September 16. Any remaining tickets for the tour can be purchased here. Last month, Korn and Evanescence made an appearance at the 2022 Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival alongside Disturbed and Breaking Benjamin. The three-day event took place at the Ohio State Reformatory, an old prison that was made famous in the film… Read More →

17AUGNews

Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner’s first interview of the year is all about sports

Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner has given his first interview in three years – and it’s all about sports. The indie icons returned to the road earlier this month for a European tour, marking their first gigs since 2019. READ MORE: Arctic Monkeys at Sziget Festival 2022: a career-spanning showcase tees up the next era Fans are expecting the band to return with their long-awaited new album later this year, but so far no new material has been played at the comeback gigs – and Turner’s first interview of 2022 revolves around his love of football and sport. Advertisement Speaking to the French paper L’Equipe ahead of the band’s headline set at Rock En Seine festival in Paris next weekend (August 25-30), Turner spoke about growing up going to see Sheffield Wednesday play, and how he fell in love with their star player Chris Waddle. Discussing Wednesday and their fierce rivals, Sheffield United, Turner said: “You have to make a choice between the two clubs.” Arctic Monkeys performs during a show as part of the Pal Norte Music Festival 2019 on March 23, 2019 in Monterrey, Mexico. (Picture: Medios y Media/Getty Images) Of Waddle’s influence on him, Turner added: “When… Read More →

17AUGNews

Timbaland and Swizz Beatz sue Triller for £23million over ‘VERZUZ’ sale

Timbaland and Swizz Beatz have sued Triller for $28million (£23m) over claims of non-payment after the recent sale of their popular VERZUZ series. VERZUZ is the popular entertainment series that pits producers, songwriters and artists against each other in a rap battle style format. READ MORE: Timbaland and Swizz Beatz on VERZUZ battle series: “We want to celebrate the architects of good music” Kicking off in March 2020 after Timbaland and Swizz Beatz issued challenges to one another, artists that have taken part so far have included T-Pain, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Brandy, Monica, Rick Ross, DMX, Snoop Dogg, D’Angelo and many more. Advertisement Last year, the rights for the series were sold to Triller, who livestream the events on their app. In a new lawsuit seen by Billboard, Timbaland and Swizz Beatz claim that Triller owe them £23m and have been defaulting in previously agreed payments. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Three 6 Mafia on stage during their ‘VERZUZ’ battle. CREDIT: Jerritt Clark/Getty Images The suit goes on to claim that while the pair received payments as planned in January and April 2021, a payment that was due in January of this year has still not arrived. A new payment plan was then reportedly agreed, but the money from that… Read More →

17AUGNews

Aitch addresses mural of Joy Division’s Ian Curtis being painted over for album ad: “Getting fixed as we speak”

Aitch has promised that he and his team are attempting to make things right after a mural of late Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis, which had been a fan-favourite landmark in his hometown of Manchester, was painted over with an advertisement for Aitch’s forthcoming debut album. Late on Tuesday (August 16), the rapper retweeted an image of the mural – located on Port Street in Manchester’s Northern Quarter – being painted over, saying he had been previously unaware of his album ad being put there. “I don’t just choose locations for billboards, this is the first time I’ve seen it myself. Getting fixed as we speak,” he wrote. In a separate tweet, Aitch – who is also from Manchester – elaborated: “It’s come to light that the iconic Ian Curtis mural on Port Street has been painted over with my album artwork. This is the first time I’ve heard of this, me and my team are getting this fixed pronto. No way on earth would I want to disrespect a local hero like Ian.” Advertisement Founding Joy Division bassist Peter Hook acknowledged the rapper’s intention to correct the situation, writing, “Thank you [Aitch] great gesture.” I don't just choose locations… Read More →