Suki Benjamin

Avril Lavigne confirms 20th anniversary reissue of ‘Let Go’

Avril Lavigne has confirmed that there will be a 20th anniversary edition of her debut album ‘Let Go’. READ MORE: Avril Lavigne – ‘Love Sux’ review: a modern update on early ’00s pop-punk In a new interview with Uproxx, Lavigne shared her thoughts on the 20th anniversary of the album, commenting that a reissue would be happening in the near future. When asked about how she feels about the anniversary, she said: “It feels crazy. 20 years! It does and it doesn’t feel like it… it kinda flew by, right? I’m really excited to be celebrating it this year.” Advertisement She continued: “I’m getting a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame around the anniversary. I’m planning on doing some fun shows that are just songs from that album. There’s a re-release of the album happening with some demos on it. It’s so crazy that it’s been 20 years.” Last year, Lavigne revealed that she was going to turn her 2002 hit ‘Sk8er Boi’ into a film. At the time, the pop-punk singer said that the song’s story about a “missed opportunity at love” would be explored in a movie, but didn’t confirm if she had anything green-lit by film… Read More →

28FEBNews

Wireless Festival 2022 adds Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat, Burna Boy and more

Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat and Burna Boy are among the latest high-profile additions to the line-up of Wireless Festival 2022. After returning to action in 2021, Wireless 2022 will take place across three sites – two in London, one in Birmingham – in July. READ MORE: Megan Thee Stallion: “I’m really working on my dynasty right now” With the likes of Tyler, the Creator, Cardi B and J. Cole set to headline Wireless this year, the festival has this morning (February 28) confirmed a host of new names for their 2022 event. Advertisement Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat and Burna Boy are joined by the likes of Baby Keem, Jack Harlow, Playboi Carti, Roddy Ricch, Little Simz, Polo G, Summer Walker and Central Cee on the 2022 line-up. Wireless Festival 2022 line-up (Picture: Press) You can see the updated line-up poster for Wireless Festival 2022 above. Tickets for the event go on general sale at 12pm today from here. The aforementioned artists are set to only perform at one of the three Wireless sites during this year’s festival, and you can find a full break-down of which artists will be performing at the respective Crystal Palace, Finsbury Park and NEC… Read More →

28FEBNews

The Rasmus win competition to represent Finland at Eurovision Song Contest

The Rasmus are set to represent Finland at the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest after winning a televised competition over the weekend (February 26). The band won in a landslide victory with their song ‘Jezebel’, which was co-written and produced by previous collaborator Desmond Child (KISS, Aerosmith). It was announced last month that the band were hoping to represent their country at the ceremony. READ MORE: Eurovision 2021 was a giddy reminder of the joys of live music (and that no one likes us) Speaking after winning Finland’s selection process event – Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK) – on Saturday night, vocalist Lauri Ylönen said: “We did it! We are so happy. It was a super tough competition, all the other songs were very good. Advertisement “We were preparing so hard for this for six months. We are really taken and honoured and we will be working like pigs to represent Finland in the best way in Turin.” Watch the band perform ‘Jezebel’ at the contest below. Elsewhere, Russia has been banned from competing in this year’s Eurovision following backlash to an earlier statement from organisers saying the country would be allowed to compete despite launching a military assault on Ukraine. Ukraine has officially severed… Read More →

27FEBNews

Elton John speaks out in support of Ukraine: “We are heartbroken”

Elton John has expressed that he’s “heartbroken” over the “nightmare” the people of Ukraine are currently living through. READ MORE: Elton John: “I’m not interested in the past – not even Elton John’s past” It comes after Ukraine severed diplomatic ties with Russia and declared martial law after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on the neighbouring nation on Thursday (February 24). Last night (February 26), John took to Instagram to post an image of Ukraine’s blue and yellow flag, showing his support for those affected by the attacks. Advertisement “For over 20 years, the Elton John AIDS Foundation has supported some of the most vulnerable people in Ukraine with access to HIV services and care, as part of our commitment to communities across Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The ‘Rocket Man’ singer’s charity was established in 1992 and supports HIV prevention, education programs and support services for those living with HIV. “We are heartbroken and appalled to see this conflict unfold and our hearts are with the people of Ukraine who do not deserve to live through this nightmare,” he continued. “During these devastating times, we stand for an end to the violence and suffering in Ukraine so that life-saving services… Read More →

27FEBNews

Watch Dashboard Confessional perform ‘Everyone Else Is Just Noise’ on Kimmel

Dashboard Confessional have appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live – watch them perform ‘Everyone Else Is Just Noise’ below. The emotive set saw the group deliver their latest single from new album, ‘All The Truth That I Can Tell’ – the group’s first new album in over four years. The album arrived on Friday (February 25) via Hidden Note Records/AWAL. The new song sees frontman Chris Carraba reflecting on ageing and getting older. “I’m starting to live without doubting/I’m learning to like who I am…I’m trying to let go a little/I’m starting to think that I can,” he sings on the track. Advertisement Watch the performance here: Speaking about the new album recently, Carrabba added: “Honesty was at the heart of the writing process, at the heart of the recording process, and at the heart of this collection of songs. “I had the rare opportunity to be unflinchingly honest. But I think I would have thought in the early days that that would be commonplace. Now, I realise it’s some kind of cycle within your life and there’s great personal reward in accepting that.” Last year, Carrabba sustained “severe injuries” in a motorcycle accident. Advertisement Sharing a photo of himself lying in a hospital bed,… Read More →

27FEBNews

Kanye West is in the studio with Beach House

Kanye West looks to be in the studio with Baltimore dream pop duo Beach House. READ MORE: On the scene at Kanye West’s ‘Donda 2’ event in Miami: “It felt like a cult convention” Beach House – Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally – are currently on a US tour behind new double album ‘Once Twice Melody’, playing Madison, Wisconsin and St. Paul, Minnesota this weekend. Taking to Instagram yesterday (February 26), Kanye shared a pair of photos of him in the studio with the duo, which have since been confirmed as legitimate by John Cunningham, a producer on ‘DONDA 2’, say Stereogum. Advertisement It’s not clear whether the photos were actually taken yesterday or if the acts were in the studio together in the past, but Ye appeared to be wearing the same outfit in the studio photos and an Instagram Live that same day. See the photos below. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ye (@kanyewest) View this post on Instagram A post shared by ye (@kanyewest) Meanwhile, Kanye has updated his bespoke Stem Player platform to add 12 new songs to ‘DONDA 2’, bringing it up to a current total of 16 tracks. It’s not clear whether this is… Read More →

26FEBNews

Madonna shares support for Ukraine with release of ‘Sorry’ remix video

Madonna is the latest artist to weigh in on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, voicing her support for the latter. READ MORE: The Big Read – Madonna: ”People pick on me. That’s just the way it is” It comes after Ukraine severed diplomatic ties with Russia and declared martial law after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on the neighbouring nation on Thursday (February 24). In the early hours of this morning (February 26), Madonna took to social media to share a fanmade video set to a remix of her 2005 song ‘Sorry’. Advertisement “Russia’s Pointless and Greed Driven Invasion Of the Ukraine MUST be stopped!!” the queen of pop captioned the post. “Please Send in Humanitarian Aid to help millions of citizens of the Ukraine who’s lives are being affected by this CRISIS at this very moment !! “Putin has Violated Every Human Rights Accord in Existence. Putin has no right to try to erase the existence of the Ukraine. We support you President Zelensky!! We are praying for you and your country! ??.” She concluded: “God Bless You All! Lets not feel helpless when confronted by Geo-political Actions of this magnitude. There are things we can do.” Madonna… Read More →

26FEBNews

Watch Liam Gallagher perform ‘Everything’s Electric’ on ‘The Tonight Show’

Liam Gallagher stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last night (February 25) to deliver a performance of his new single, ‘Everything’s Electric’. READ MORE: Liam Gallagher: “I sound good. I look cool. I talk from the heart” Released earlier this month, the track is set to appear on the former Oasis frontman’s upcoming new solo album ‘C’MON YOU KNOW’, which is set for release on May 27 and is the follow-up to 2019’s ‘Why Me? Why Not.’. For his appearance on Fallon, Gallagher and his band perform ‘Everything’s Electric’ from a dimly lit studio space, with the singer wearing his trademark Parker and yielding a pair of maracas. Advertisement You can watch the performance below: ‘Everything’s Electric’ was co-written by Foo Fighters frontman Grohl, who also plays drums on the track, and its producer Greg Kurstin. Gallagher and Grohl first met a number of years ago when the Foos and Oasis toured together, and speculation about a collaboration between the two has been building in recent years. Speaking about Grohl’s contribution in a recent interview with NME, Gallagher said it was the first time the Foo Fighters frontman had ever sent him a song, but Grohl’s bandmate Taylor… Read More →

26FEBNews

Listen to Abby Roberts’ glistening new single ‘Pink Champagne’

Abby Roberts has returned with a new track – watch the video for the lovestruck ‘Pink Champagne’ below. READ MORE: Five things we learned from our In Conversation video chat with Abby Roberts The new track follows Roberts’ viral debut single ‘Paramaniac’, and has had success on TikTok ahead of its official release. It comes ahead of a number of UK festival appearances – including London’s Community and The Great Escape in Brighton – as well as a summer tour of the US in support of Halsey. Speaking of the motivations behind ‘Pink Champagne’, Roberts said: “I wrote ‘Pink Champagne’ because I wanted to have a go at writing a love song but without making it cliche, there’s so many love songs out there and I didn’t wanna be all soppy! Advertisement “It’s essentially a breakup song reminiscing about the nicer parts of a not so perfect relationship, I think it’s super visual and manages to bring you on a journey with the dreamy vibes.” Watch the track’s official video, directed by Grow Up Sad, below. Having gained fame through TikTok posts about make-up, beauty and art that have received many millions of views, Roberts has since worked with the… Read More →

26FEBNews

Notorious B.I.G. ‘Life After Death’ 25th anniversary box set announced

The estate of Notorious B.I.G. has unveiled details of a 25th anniversary release of ‘Life After Death’. READ MORE: The Notorious B.I.G.’s ‘Ready To Die’ at 25: 9 surprising things about the era-defining album The release will take the form of a new boxset that will contain the original album plus 12″ releases of hits ‘Hypnotize’, ‘Mo Money Mo Problems’, ‘Sky’s The Limit’ and ‘Nasty Boy’ (via Complex). It will also include a commemorative booklet with rare photos, new linear notes and and commentary from team members who worked on the original release. Advertisement The box set is part of a year of celebrations in memory of Biggie Smalls, who would have turned 50 this year. The year-long campaign – “Sky’s the Limit: A Year Celebrating the Legacy of the Notorious B.I.G.” – will also see the release of an ‘enhanced digital version’ of ‘Life After Death’, a number of online events, upgrades of his entire video back-catalogue on YouTube plus some “additional surprises” (via Pitchfork). Notorious B.I.G. CREDIT: Chris Walter/WireImage Last September, the Brooklyn apartment where B.I.G. recorded his 1994 album ‘Ready To Die’ has gone up for sale. As per The New York Post, the two-bedroom, two-bathroom property in the Fort Greene neighbourhood… Read More →

26FEBNews

Watch Kelly Clarkson’s powerful cover of George Michael’s ‘Faith’

Kelly Clarkson has shared a powerful cover of George Michael classic ‘Faith’ on her TV show – watch it below. As has become customary on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Clarkson began her show this week with a ‘Kellyoke’ segment, which Clarkson performing a cover version of a song requested by her audience to open the program. “We’re going to kick things off in a different way with a Kellyoke special, because I literally showed up today…I was like ‘I can’t sing today,’” she told the audience before sharing a pre-recorded cover of ‘Faith’. Advertisement “I went to sleep at like 3 a.m. and I’m very tired. We knew this would happen before once or twice because mama’s got some jobs and children, so we kind of recorded a few Kellyokes in case this day arrived, and it did.” Watch the cover below. Previous Kellyoke segments have seen Clarkson cover the likes of Sharon Van Etten’s ‘The End Of The World’, Pixies’ ‘Where Is My Mind’, My Chemical Romance’s ‘Welcome To The Black Parade’, Radiohead’s ‘Karma Police’ and more. Her most recent cover saw Clarkson deliver her take on Bleachers‘ ‘I Wanna Get Better’, which appeared on the Jack Antonoff-led project’s 2014 debut album ‘Strange Desire’. Elsewhere, Clarkson… Read More →

26FEBNews

Code Orange release immersive ‘Back Inside The Glass’ concert film

Code Orange have dropped a visually stunning concert film titled Back Inside The Glass, which the hardcore outfit initially premiered as a ticketed livestream event. READ MORE: The show must go online: inside the rise of virtual gigs during the coronavirus crisis The one-off gig went down in October of 2020, streamed live – in VR, no less – from the Preserving Underground Church in New Kensington, Pennsylvania. It was particularly notable for its immersive and cinematic visuals, with the band performing to a fave-camera setup on an entirely projection-mapped stage. The show saw Code Orange perform over half of their fourth album, ‘Underneath’ – they’d released it in March of 2020, but couldn’t perform it to a proper crowd until 2021 thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Highlights include singles ‘Swallowing The Rabbit Hole’ and the title track, as well as deep cuts ‘Autumn And Carbine’ and ‘A Sliver’. Advertisement Fans can purchase Back Inside The Glass on DVD from Code Orange’s webstore, but the band have also made it free to view in via YouTube. Check it out below: The release of Back Inside The Glass comes just a week before Code Orange embark on a 19-date US… Read More →

25FEBNews

Robbie Williams secretly lent vocals to Lufthaus dance track ‘Sway’

Robbie Williams has revealed his involvement in Lufthaus, the (formerly) mysterious Armada Music signing that launched earlier this month. READ MORE: ‘Better Man’: eight classic stories the Robbie Williams biopic should include The group released their debut single – a club-ready house banger titled ‘Sway’ – on February 11, but although it’s unmistakably Williams’ voice on the track, his identity was kept secret until today. The revelation comes via The Sun (as reported by Yahoo), which printed a statement from Lufthaus in its Bizarre column. “This project has been keeping us busy in the studio throughout the pandemic, so we’re delighted to now be releasing the first single,” the group – rounded out by producers (and Williams’ longtime collaborators) Tim Metcalfe and Flynn Francis – wrote. “We’ve purposely kept Lufthaus unrevealed, so we’re looking forward to releasing more music and revealing more material over the coming months.” Advertisement Have a listen to ‘Sway’ below: Williams went on to tease that he’s got plenty of other new music in the bank, saying he’s “constantly writing new songs”. He supposedly wrote 27 tracks in just three days, recently, and noted: “There is stuff that’s on my computer now that I wrote two… Read More →

25FEBNews

James Arthur links up with You Me At Six’s Josh Franceschi for new single ‘Lose My Mind’

James Arthur has dropped a punchy new single titled ‘Lose My Mind’, for which he’s teamed up with You Me At Six frontman Josh Franceschi. READ MORE: Soundtrack Of My Life: You Me At Six’s Josh Franceschi In a Tweet announcing the guitar-driven pop tune – the first shared from a deluxe edition of his recent fourth album, ‘It’ll All Make Sense In The End’ – Arthur said he was “so excited” to release it as he’s been a longtime fan of rock acts like You Me At Six. “As I grew up listening to rock bands, this song means a lot to me,” he wrote. Advertisement Have a listen to ‘Lose My Mind’ below: ‘It’ll All Make Sense In The End’ was released last November via Columbia. The forthcoming deluxe edition adds six new tracks, bringing it up to a hefty 20 songs in total. It’s due out on March 11, with pre-orders open now on Arthur’s webstore. The release coincides with the artist’s forthcoming tour of the UK and Ireland. He’s got 27 shows pencilled in for March, kicking off in Bournemouth on Sunday 6 and wrapping up in Dublin on Wednesday 30. From there, he’ll head to… Read More →

25FEBNews

Ashanti announces UK arena tour with Trey Songz and Mario

Ashanti is gearing up to return to the UK this summer, announcing an arena tour with special guests Trey Songz and Mario. The R&B singer, known for the hits ‘Foolish’, ‘Baby’ and ‘Happy’, will hit the road between May 29 and June 2. She’ll perform at London’s OVO Arena Wembley, Leeds’ First Direct Arena, Birmingham’s Utilita Arena and Manchester’s AO Arena. Put on in collaboration with UK promoters TCO, Ashanti’s upcoming UK trek will celebrate 20 years of her debut single ‘Foolish’, which was originally released on February 11, 2002. Advertisement Her last album was 2014’s ‘Braveheart’, but she announced in December that she plans to re-record her 2002 self-titled debut album, explaining at the time that she made the move “so I can collect my coins”. The former Murder Inc. singer has become the latest in a growing number of high-profile artists to recreate their older work, in order to regain control of their master recordings. Ashanti has also starred in a number of films including Coach Carter, Resident Evil: Extinction, and John Tucker Must Die. Her most recent film was last year’s Honey Girls – she played Fancy G, a pop star who hosts a contest to find the next big solo artist…. Read More →

25FEBNews

Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos pays tribute to “open and welcoming” people of Kyiv

Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos has paid tribute to the “open and welcoming” people of Kyiv in a new Instagram post. It comes after Ukraine severed diplomatic ties with Russia and declared martial law after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on the neighbouring nation yesterday (February 24). Writing on Instagram, Kapranos paid tribute to Ukraine sharing a picture of the time he and his band visited Kyiv. He wrote: “This is Kyiv when we visited less than three and a half years ago. I loved this city which had a sense of optimism in amongst the deep history. The people were welcoming, open and comfortable in their identity. In some ways it reminded me of Berlin 25 years ago: a flower of opportunity unfurling in the spring sunlight. “To see missiles crashing onto its streets and the advance of tanks towards it fills me with incomprehensible horror and foreboding for what is to come and what will be destroyed. The people. All those people on the streets, in the cafes, just going about their lives. All because of the paranoia and ego of one criminally insane man.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alex Kapranos (@alkapranos) Kapranos had… Read More →

25FEBNews

Bop Shop New Retro Edition: Songs We Love From 2012

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. And for New Retro Week, a celebration of the biggest artists, hits, and cultural moments that made 2012 a seminal year in pop, MTV News has looked back to see what lies ahead. We revisited Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange breaking new ground, Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” defining a moment, and how Fun’s Some Nights kicked off the Jack Antonoff era in pop. We charted the evolution and very different respective cultural dominances of both KCON and Spotify. We marked Rihanna’s transition into full-on mogul, Taylor Swift bringing the personal to pop, and One Direction reaching for more control. Now, for this week’s music round-up, we shine the spotlight back on our favorite songs from 2012. Get ready: The New Retro Week Bop Shop is open for business. Kendrick Lamar: “Backseat Freestyle” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZW7et3tPuQ “Alright” became the anthem. “DNA” and “Humble” defined a seminal chapter in Kendrick Lamar’s career. Meanwhile, on 2012’s breakout success… Read More →

25FEBNews

Miley Cyrus says she’s “standing in solidarity with everyone in Ukraine” following Russian invasion

Miley Cyrus has shared her support for the situation in Ukraine, saying she is “standing in solidarity with everyone” there following the Russian invasion yesterday (February 25). The country has officially severed diplomatic ties with Russia and declared martial law after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on the neighbouring nation, according to BBC News. In a statement on Twitter, Cyrus, who filmed her 2019 music video ‘Nothing Breaks Like A Heart’ in Kyiv, shared her support with Ukraine saying the news was “heartbreaking.” Advertisement Cyrus wrote: “I had the most incredible experience filming ‘Nothing Breaks Like A Heart’ in Kyiv and will be forever grateful to the local community who welcomed me with open arms. “There are local reports that at least 40 Ukrainians have been killed already, and this conflict can lead to many more deaths, another refugee crisis with so many forced to flee their homes and more. “I am standing in solidarity with everyone in Ukraine who is affected by this attack and with our global community who is calling for an immediate end to this violence.” pic.twitter.com/XTzqwJdgl2 — Miley Ray Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) February 24, 2022 Since Cyrus’ post last night (February 24), Ukraine president… Read More →

25FEBHit Singles

Spiritualized – Everything Was Beautiful

When Jason Pierce surfaced during that sweltering summer of 2018 to promote the new Spiritualized album And Nothing Hurt – his first for six years – he spoke of its protracted gestation in gruelling terms, as if producing and mixing the record on his own had pushed him to the edge of madness. With typical candour, he was the first to admit that the ordeal was entirely self-inflicted and preventable, and that however pleased he was with the results – his best since Ladies And Gentleman…, some said – after what he’d gone through, even for such a perfectionist, he couldn’t guarantee that there would ever be another Spiritualized album. ORDER NOW: Kate Bush is on the cover in the latest issue of Uncut No-one really believed him – what else could Pierce do at this point, aged 55, retrain? – but what’s surprising about Everything Was Beautiful is how quickly it has appeared, at least by the Spaceman’s standards, and how extravagant and exciting it sounds. Pierce claims there is no real concept behind the album and that its initial track selection was “arbitrary”. He drew on seven tracks from the pool of demos that he recorded in 2013-’14,… Read More →

24FEBNews

Toro y Moi and friends take over San Francisco in the music video for ‘The Loop’

Toro y Moi has released the third single from his upcoming seventh studio album ‘Mahal’, the playful and funky track ‘The Loop’. The track arrived on streaming platforms on February 22 alongside a video of the chillwave artist and his posse cruising through the streets of San Francisco in GoCars and a customised ‘Mahal’ Jeepney. It also features a cameo appearance by Filipino rapper Eyedress. On the laid-back song, Toro y Moi – real name Chaz Bear – sings about how hard it is to keep up to date in the digital age, musing, “East Coast friends fill me in, I know you get the early scoop / Online trends that border cringe start to feel overused”. Advertisement Watch the music video for ‘The Loop’ below. Toro y Moi’s upcoming album ‘Mahal’ is set to be released April 29 via Dead Oceans, and the singer has already released two singles and music videos to promote the album in ‘Postman’ and ‘Magazine’, the latter featuring vocals from Salami Rose Joe Louis. “I wanted to make a record that featured more musicians on it than any other record of mine,” Toro y Moi explained in a statement about the follow-up to his… Read More →

23FEBNews

Kanye West shares four tracks from ‘DONDA 2’ on his Stem Player device

Kanye West has shared four tracks from ‘Donda 2’ via his own Stem Player. READ MORE: Here’s what happened at Kanye West’s ‘Donda Experience’ event in Miami The rapper and producer, now legally known as Ye, has uploaded four tracks – ‘Security’, ‘Pablo’, ‘Open Road’ and ‘We Did It Kid’. Writing in a tweet which has since been deleted, West wrote: “Thank you producers, first four Donda 2 tracks live, Security’, ‘Pablo’, ‘Open Road’ and ‘We Did It Kid’.” Advertisement He gave no indication as to when any further tracks will be released from the record. THANK YOU PRODUCERSFIRST FOUR DONDA 2 TRACKS LIVESECURITY, PABLO, OPEN ROAD, WE DID IT KIDGO TO https://t.co/81me2iWKLsCONNECT YOUR STEMPLAYERCLICK GET DONDA 2STAND BY FOR MORE pic.twitter.com/URMvdGtaCQ — STEM PLAYER (@stemplayer) February 23, 2022 It comes after West held a listening party for his forthcoming new album and a live event in Miami, last night. Fans were played around 45 minutes of music, including both previously-unreleased tracks such as ‘Flowers’ and recent collaborations like ‘Eazy’ with The Game along with Pusha T‘s latest single ‘Diet Coke’, with Pusha appearing onstage alongside Ye as it played. Other unreleased tracks West played featured the likes of Migos and Jack Harlow, both of whom also appeared beside… Read More →