Eva Thai

Watch Drake join the Backstreet Boys onstage during ‘I Want It That Way’

Drake made a special appearance during the Backstreet Boys‘ show on Saturday night (July 2), joining them for ‘I Want It That Way’. The iconic boyband were performing in Drake’s hometown of Toronto where they brought the singer out for the classic 1999 hit, after introducing him as “the sixth member”. Watch footage from the concert below. What’s better than I Want It That Way? I Want It That Way…. f/ @Drake #BSBTO #DNAWORLDTOUR pic.twitter.com/pKVQK2XtDN — Backstreet Boys (@backstreetboys) July 3, 2022 Advertisement View this post on Instagram A post shared by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) The outfit are currently on the North American leg of their ‘DNA’ world tour, which kicked off in April. They’ve still got another two months of North American shows to go before heading over to Europe and the UK for a run of shows throughout October and November. Drake released his seventh studio album ‘Honestly, Nevermind’ last week, just hours after announcing it. The record was executive produced by Drake himself, Noah “40” Shebib, Oliver El-Khatib, Noel Cadastre and South African producer and DJ Black Coffee, whom Drake worked with on 2017 project ‘More Life’. It also featured production credits from DJ Carnage, aka Gordo,… Read More →

02JULNews

The Music share teaser with concert footage ahead of announcement on Monday

A month after they performed their first hometown show in 11 years, Leeds-native alt-rockers The Music have teased a big announcement for next week. The band posted a short video to their social media pages yesterday (July 1), showing 10 seconds of concert footage – seemingly filmed at that hometown gig, which took place at Temple Newsam on June 2 – before revealing the date of Monday July 4. Have a look at the teaser below: Advertisement ??? Posted by The Music (UK) on Friday, July 1, 2022 As for what The Music could be teasing, there was no hint offered in the caption (three staring eye emojis), however the inclusion of concert footage has fans arguing between two theories. The first is that the band could be releasing a live album and film of their Leeds show, as it was professionally recorded. The other, expectedly, is that the band could be set to embark on a proper tour in the immediate future. The Music performed 15 songs at Temple Newsam – seven from 2002’s self-titled debut album, and four each from 2004’s ‘Welcome To The North’ and 2008’s ‘Strength In Numbers’. It was their first gig in Leeds since August… Read More →

01JULNews

Authorised biography of The Rolling Stones’ Charlie Watts announced

An official biography of Charlie Watts, authorised by both The Rolling Stones and Watts’ family, has been announced. READ MORE: Charlie Watts, 1941 – 2021: the ballast that kept The Rolling Stones tempered and on-track Charlie’s Good Tonight: The Authorised Biography of Charlie Watts is due to be released on September 15 in the UK and October 11 in the US, according to Rolling Stone. The book features forewords from both Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, plus a prelude from the band’s former manager/producer Andrew Loog Oldham. The longtime Rolling Stones drummer died at the age of 80 last August prompting a huge outpouring of tributes from the music world and beyond. Advertisement His surviving bandmates reflected on the “huge loss” in September last year before later dedicating their first show of 2021 to Watts. The new biography has been written by author-broadcaster Paul Sexton and includes new interviews with Jagger, Richards, and Ronnie Wood, as well as friends, family and collaborators. “Our dear friend Charlie Watts was not just a fantastic drummer but a wonderful person,” the Rolling Stones said in a statement. “He was funny and generous and a man of great taste and we miss him terribly. It’s great that his family have… Read More →

01JULNews

Placebo’s Brian Molko on why they covered Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’

Placebo‘s Brian Molko has spoken about the band’s connection to Kate Bush and the reason they chose to cover ‘Running Up That Hill’. READ MORE: Placebo: “David Bowie taught me how to be a better person” The original song has found renewed popularity after featuring in the fourth season of Stranger Things. The track – which appears on Bush’s 1985 fifth studio album, ‘Hounds Of Love’ – reached Number One on the UK singles chart earlier this month (June 17). In an interview with the Guardian, the frontman revealed how he first came across Bush. “My first exposure to Kate Bush was the video for Babooshka when I was a preteen,” he said. Advertisement “I’d never seen anything like it: who is this person from outer space, singing an incredibly strange song? I was completely captivated by this beautiful woman who had such charisma and seemed so unique. “Then I discovered that my older brother had [album] ‘The Kick Inside’, so I was introduced to ‘The Man With the Child in His Eyes’ and ‘Wuthering Heights’. Then [in 1985] ‘Hounds of Love’ came out and blew my mind completely.” Placebo covered ‘Running Up That Hill’ in 2003, with the song becoming the… Read More →

01JULNews

Simon Pegg on being mates with Chris Martin and going to Disneyland with Jay-Z

Speaking to NME backstage at Glastonbury 2022, actor and writer Simon Pegg told us about his friendship with Coldplay‘s Chris Martin and a recent trip to Disneyland with Jay-Z. READ MORE: Glastonbury 2022 – Your favourite artists on why it matters The Spaced, Big Train, Star Trek and Mission Impossible star was talking to us just after his appearance in the Greenpeace Field, when he recalled a previous visit to Worthy Farm in 2016 when his daughter joined Coldplay on stage. “On her first Glastonbury she sang backing vocals with Coldplay,” said Pegg. “Chris Martin is an old, old friend and [my daughter] Tilly’s godfather. He invited her up on stage with his kids and their friend to sing the backing vocals on ‘Up&Up’. I was an incredibly proud dad that day.” Advertisement During the performance, Pegg was seen side of stage with “all his friends” Jay-Z, Beyoncé and Gwyneth Paltrow, but said that he wasn’t particularly close to the former rapper. “I did go to Disneyland with Jay-Z recently,” Pegg admitted. “I don’t know him that well but he’s friends with Chris [Martin] and we’ve met a couple of times. He’s a really sweet guy. He’s a dad too. We were all… Read More →

01JULNews

Cardi B Turns Up The Heat On Ye-Assisted Banger ‘Hot Shit’

Cardi B is turning up the heat this summer, dropping her latest single, “Hot Shit,” on Friday (July 1). Collaborating with Ye and Lil Durk, this is her first new music release since dropping the upbeat song “Up” in 2021. In this new record, she raps about luxury, extravagance, and her “checks comin’ fast.” “Either way you slice it, bottom line, I’m the top bitch / New Chanel, I rock it, twist and it ain’t even out yet,” Cardi spits, flaunting her success in a fiery verse. “All this jewelry at the grocery store, I’m obnoxious / Bought a home and closin’ on another, I know I’m blessed.” She also drops some lines toward the haters who have been trying to drag her down throughout her career: “Pretty when I wake up, I’m a bad bitch at breakfast / Still might slide on a opp / Hatin’ didn’t work so they lie / These bitches lookin’ hurt and they fried.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c14MVsSeVho Lil Durk comes through smoothly in the second verse with a line telling off those who try to use Cardi’s past against her. “This that pill talk, gotta bust his head, he cut on opp music / Who said… Read More →

01JULHit Singles

Elvis

Of all the filmmakers who could have made an Elvis biopic, it had to be one whose aesthetic is more Vegas bloat than Sun Studios leanness. Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis lives up to the swooning excess of his Moulin Rouge, even down to its digital diamanté-studded end credits. Less a narrative than a deluxe jukebox musical with touches of Douglas Sirk melodrama, Elvis is framed as a sort of Citizen Kane deathbed reverie from Colonel Tom Parker, Presley’s Dutch-born, Mephistophelean manager. He’s played by Tom Hanks with a bizarre, undefinable European accent, in makeup suggesting a cross between the Penguin and a papier-mâché effigy of Rupert Murdoch. ORDER NOW: THE BEATLES ARE ON THE COVER OF THE LATEST ISSUE OF UNCUT How Parker ‘created’, or rather enslaved Presley is the narrative drift, but the film’s real pleasure lies in its full-tilt comic-strip stylistics and a terrific performance by Austin Butler (a TV stalwart previously seen in Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time…). His Elvis is something of a coy innocent, less of a confident joker than the original, not quite aware of his powers, but rebellious when it comes to doing things his own way, as on the ’68 TV Comeback Special. Don’t… Read More →

01JULNews

Cha Eun-woo reportedly set to join upcoming Hollywood film about K-pop

South Korean K-pop idol and actor Cha Eun-woo has reportedly been offered the lead role in the upcoming Hollywood film, K-Pop: Lost In America. READ MORE: ASTRO talk pursuing a “relaxed, mature vibe” for ‘Candy Sugar Pop’, and their “meaningful” new solo songs Yesterday (June 30), Deadline first reported that Australia actress Rebel Wilson (Senior Year) and Riverdale actor Charles Melton have been cast in an upcoming film to be titled K-Pop: Lost In America, with filming said to kickstart sometime this fall. South Korean news outlet StarNews later reported today (July 1) that ASTRO member Cha Eun-woo has also been offered a role in the upcoming film. The publication claims that the singer is “in talks to play the lead”, as translated by Soompi, and that Cha has also “cleared part of his schedule for the second half of 2022 in order to prepare for filming”. Advertisement K-Pop: Lost In America was first announced in August 2021 by South Korean media company CJ ENM. The film will be produced by Parasite executive producer Miky Lee and Interstellar producer Lynda Obst. The film will reportedly revolve around a K-pop boyband who accidentally end up in Texas two days before their grand global debut in New York… Read More →

30JUNNews

Nova Twins speak out on “scary” Roe v. Wade reversal: “We’re gonna keep fighting”

Nova Twins have responded to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, saying they “can’t even fathom” a similar ruling in the UK. READ MORE: Five things we learned from our In Conversation video chat with Nova Twins Last week, the US Supreme Court made the decision to overturn the landmark abortion ruling Roe v. Wade. This means abortion will no longer be protected as a federal right in the US for the first time since 1973, and each state will be able to decide individually whether to restrict or ban abortion. “It’s a scary time for women, and we can’t even fathom what it would be like if that was happening here,” singer and guitarist Amy Love told Channel 4‘s Krishnan Guru-Murthy. “We’re gonna stand in solidarity. We have a responsibility for the people that come to our shows to make sure they feel safe and heard.” Advertisement Love continued: “It’s definitely a dark time. We’re gonna keep fighting. It’s our right, it’s our bodies. It’s crazy to think somebody is sitting there making that decision for us. It’s wrong on so many levels. “We never thought this would come to this. We’ve worked so hard to get to where we are… Read More →

30JUNNews

Vince Staples lands lead role in comedy pilot ‘The Wood’

Vince Staples has been cast in a comedy pilot for Showtime based on the 1999 film The Wood. According to Variety, Staples, Xavier Mills (Legacies), Karen Obilom (Doom Patrol), Melvin Gregg (Snowfall) and Essence Renae (Bosch: Legacy) will star in the pilot. READ MORE: Vince Staples: “It’s important for me to tell the truth about my experiences” Original stars Richard T. Jones and Tamala Jones will also reprise their roles as Slim and Tanya respectively in the show. Advertisement The film’s original director and writer, Rick Famuyiwa, will return to direct and executive produce the pilot. Famuyiwa previously worked with Staples on his previous feature film Dope. Richard T Jones, Omar Epps and Taye Diggs in 1999 film ‘The Wood’ CREDIT: Alamy The show is described as an “honest look at friendship and dating from the perspective of three young Black males born and raised in the gentrifying LA suburb of Inglewood”. Staples will play Jamal, an aspiring photographer from Ladera Heights who has been cut off by his upper-class family when he decided to follow his own path instead of going to Morehouse College. Mills will play the educated and ambitious Dame, Obilom stars as confident, polished engineer Brielle, while… Read More →

30JUNNews

Machine Gun Kelly smashes glass on his own face during after-show party

Machine Gun Kelly was left bloodied after he smashed a glass on his own face during an after-show party in New York City this week. The musician and actor had just played a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday (June 28) as part of his ‘Mainstream Sellout’ tour in support of his March album. READ MORE: Good Mourning review: it’s Machine Gun Kelly’s Excellent Adventure According to Rolling Stone, footage from Kelly’s after-show party that was shared on his Instagram Stories showed him standing on a table and telling a crowd of onlookers, “Bro, I don’t give a shit” before smashing a champagne glass on his forehead. Advertisement The clip, which was captioned “and this is when things turned…”, was followed by another which saw Kelly performing ‘My Ex’s Best Friend’ with blood pouring down his face despite his efforts to stop the bleeding with a rag. View this post on Instagram A post shared by the Blonde Don (@machinegunkelly) Kelly has since shared a selection of images from both the Madison Square Garden show and the subsequent party where he sustained his facial injury. The post, which you can see above, was captioned by Kelly: “NYC you’re my… Read More →

29JUNNews

Travis Barker reportedly hospitalised for pancreatitis following procedure

Travis Barker has reportedly been hospitalised with pancreatitis following a hospital procedure. READ MORE: jxdn – “Working with Travis Barker is like winning the lottery” According to TMZ, Barker was rushed to hospital with the condition, which is inflammation of the pancreas, following a recent hospital procedure for a colonoscopy. The Blink-182 drummer was pictured on a stretcher outside Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles with his wife Kourtney Kardashian at his side. Just hours before the news broke of his hospitalisation, Barker tweeted, “God save me.” It’s unclear whether this was in reference to the reason for his hospitalisation, as ‘God Save Me’ is also the title of a song that Barker worked on with Machine Gun Kelly and appeared on the latter’s ‘Mainstream Sellout’ album in March. God save me — Travis Barker (@travisbarker) June 28, 2022 Taking to her Instagram Story, Barker’s daughter Alabama seems to have alluded to the incident, writing: “Please send your prayers.” In a since-deleted TikTok, Barker could be seen lying on a stretcher with a brace around his left hand. NME has reached out to representatives for Barker for comment. Recently, Barker credited artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish and Jxdn for changing what it means… Read More →

28JUNNews

Rammstein’s huge Coventry gig heard over 10 miles away

Rammstein played a huge outdoor gig in Coventry on Sunday (June 26), with the show reportedly heard over 10 miles away. Local news outlet the Coventry Telegraph reported that multiple noise complaints were made by residents multiple miles from the CBS Arena venue. As the Telegraph write, “householders leapt onto social media to report hearing ‘loud thumping’ across Nuneaton and as far away as Burton Hastings — which is eleven miles away. Advertisement “Some were confused at what the noise until others said it was the rock band’s gig.” The outlet revealed that Facebook posts from local residents revealed that they could hear “loud thumping” and “a loud beat through their closed windows,” adding: “A loud boom was heard around 10:20PM as fireworks lit up the night sky to end the gig.” See footage from Rammstein’s massive stadium show below. The band’s new tour, which stretches throughout 2022, follows the release of the German rockers’ eighth album, ‘Zeit’, which was released earlier this year. As revealed last month, two sets of piano players, Duo Jatekok and Duo Abélard, are set to support the band’s shows in both Europe and North America. Tickets for North American dates can be found here, while… Read More →

28JUNNews

Metronomy’s Joe Mount says he’s working on another EP to follow ‘Posse’

Metronomy’s Joe Mount spoke to NME backstage at Glastonbury 2022 and told us what new music he plans to release next. Watch more from our interview below. READ MORE: Glastonbury Festival 2022 – review: camping, killer tunes and catharsis on Worthy Farm The band were making their return to Worthy Farm where they played the Other Stage on Friday (June 24). But before that, Mount told us his favourite memories from the fest, how the band distills seven albums into “the perfect hour of power” for festivals, and plans for the follow-up to Metronomy’s latest album ‘Small World’. “I did an EP called ‘Posse’, which is all collaborations,” Mount told us when asked what fans could expect from the band next. “I’m working on another one of those.” Advertisement The last EP came stacked with Radar favourites, including Biig Piig, Spill Tab, Pinty, Folly Group, Brian Nasty, and rising heroes like Sorry. Around the time of the release of ‘Posse’, Joe told NME he wanted to work on the project because, “Some of the formative albums I listened to growing up were guest-studded, so it’s always been something I’ve been interested in.” Backstage, Mount also told us it’s hard to take a break from making new music. “Every time… Read More →

28JUNNews

Pet Shop Boys announce summer 2023 UK tour dates

Pet Shop Boys have announced details of their summer 2023 UK arena tour. The duo, who headlined The Other Stage at Glastonbury 2022 last weekend, will continue their ‘Dreamworld: The Greatest Hits Live’ tour next year. READ MORE: Pet Shop Boys live in Hull: four decades of holding pop to a higher standard The new tour dates will kick off with a show at London’s OVO Arena Wembley on June 17, 2023, with dates following in Aberdeen, Liverpool and Leeds. Advertisement Tickets for these shows are on sale now from here, and you can see details of Pet Shop Boys’ newly announced 2023 UK tour dates below. June 17 – OVO Arena Wembley, London 21 – P&J Live, Aberdeen 23 – M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool 24 – First Direct Arena, Leeds Pet Shop Boys were joined on stage at Glastonbury on Sunday night (June 26) by Years & Years’ Olly Alexander, with the two artists performing ‘Dreamland’ together. Earlier in the day, Alexander covered the Pet Shop Boys’ ‘It’s A Sin’ during Years & Years’ set on The Other Stage. Back in March, Pet Shop Boys joined forces with Soft Cell to release the joint single ‘Purple Zone’. The song… Read More →

28JUNNews

Korn’s Munky speaks on Fieldy sitting out touring: “He wasn’t quite ready”

Korn guitarist James ‘Munky’ Shaffer has spoken on the status of the band’s bassist, Reginald ‘Fieldy’ Arvizu, following his bandmate’s decision to sit out of their current tour. READ MORE: Korn: “On this record, we have grown emotionally. Music is healing to all of us” During a press conference at French heavy metal festival Hellfest, Shaffer fielded a question regarding Arvizu – who announced last year that he would be stepping away from the band ahead of their new album ‘Requiem’ being released. “He needed a little time at home with his family to kind of regroup,” the guitarist said. “We decided we were gonna make a record during the pandemic, and use that time constructively. Once [restrictions were lifted], we were ready to go back on the road [but] he wasn’t quite ready to do that yet. The rest of us were anxious to get back in front of our fans and play for everybody.” Advertisement Watch footage from the press conference below: Although Arvizu played bass on ‘Requiem’, he is yet to perform any songs from it live. Ra Diaz of Suicidal Tendencies has been substituting for Arvizu since Korn returned to live performances last year. Fieldy’s absense has… Read More →

27JUNNews

Watch Mariah Carey join Latto for ‘Big Energy’ collaboration at BET Awards

Mariah Carey made a guest appearance at this year’s BET Awards, where she joined Latto for a performance of ‘Big Energy’. READ MORE: Latto – ‘777’ review: “Queen of da Souf” digs deeper with soul-searching second album The BET Awards, which took place last night (June 26), included a number of performances from the likes of Jack Harlow, Lizzo and Chance The Rapper. Latto took to the stage to perform her single, which originally came out in September, with Carey appearing on a new remix in March. Advertisement For the performance of ‘Big Energy’, Young Dirty Bastard opened, with Carey later belting out a high note hidden behind a screen. The screen eventually lifted to reveal Carey as she performed her verse. At the end, Latto handed her a bouquet of flowers as confetti rained down on the stage. Latto released her second album ‘777’ in April. In a four-star review, NME said: “Here is proof, once again, that Latto could go toe-to-toe with the best of ‘em.” Speaking to NME last year, she said: “I’m in my own lane. I literally made history with my song ‘Bitch From The South’ as the first solo female rapper from Atlanta to go gold. Then I… Read More →

27JUNNews

Chung Ha to release second studio album ‘Bare & Rare’ next month

Chung Ha has officially announced the release details for her sophomore studio album, ‘Bare & Rare’, due out in July. READ MORE: Chung Ha’s new single ‘Killing Me’ is a powerful ode to the frustration of the times Today (June 27), the K-pop singer shared on Twitter and Instagram that her second studio album, titled ‘Bare & Rare’, will arrive on July 11 at 6pm KST. The announcement was made alongside a “scheduler” poster, which reveals when the album’s tracklist and teasers will be unveiled leading up to its release. Led by the title track ‘Sparkling’, the forthcoming record appears only be the first part of Chung Ha’s ‘Bare & Rare’ project. The second half is expected to be released in the latter half of 2022. CHUNG HA The 2nd Studio Album Pt.1 'Bare&Rare' Scheduler 2022.07.11. 6:00PM (KST) 2022.07.11. 4:00AM (EST)#청하 #CHUNGHA #Bare #Sparkling #2nd #Album #Part1 pic.twitter.com/naxp5x6ygn — CHUNG HA (@CHUNGHA_MNHent) June 26, 2022 Advertisement ‘Bare & Rare’ is also set to include Chung Ha’s new song ‘California Dreams’, which she performed at the Seoul Waterbomb Festival 2022 over the weekend. Notably, fans have belatedly realised that the singer had previously revealed the title of the her forthcoming project… Read More →

26JUNNews

Watch Years & Years’ Olly Alexander join Pet Shop Boys at Glastonbury 2022

Years & Years‘ Olly Alexander joined Pet Shop Boys on stage at Glastonbury 2022 tonight (June 27) – take a look below. The singer and actor joined the iconic band to perform their hit ‘It’s A Sin’, after covering it as Years & Years and starring in the Channel 4 smash hit programme by the same name. READ MORE: Years & Years at Glastonbury 2022: the story of his set – in stunning photos While Alexander took to the same stage earlier in the afternoon and performed a cover of the song on his own, he teamed up with the song’s writers for their packed-out headline slot on the Other Stage. Advertisement Take a look here: What a moment ?@alexander_olly joined @petshopboys for this spectacular performance of Dreamland on the Other Stage. Watch on @BBCiPlayer | Listen on @BBCSounds pic.twitter.com/S0e0QX1MFz — BBC Radio 2 (@BBCRadio2) June 26, 2022 During his own set, Alexander thanked the crowd for welcoming him with such open arms, saying: “I don’t want this to end, ever, I’m going to remember this for the rest of my life.” Elsewhere at Glastonbury 2022, many artists have used their time on stage to speak out against the overturning… Read More →

26JUNNews

Kendrick Lamar closes Glastonbury with “godspeed for women’s rights” chant

Kendrick Lamar has closed his Glastonbury set with an emotional speech thanking fans, followed by a performance of ‘Savior’. At the end of the ‘Mr. Morale And The Big Steppers’ track, he repeated the chant: “They judge you, they judged Christ. Godspeed for women’s rights”, before promptly leaving the stage as fake blood poured down from his crown of thorns. READ MORE: Kendrick Lamar – ‘Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers’ review: a cathartic, soul-baring autobiography The chant is significant because of the Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade (June 24). Multiple musicians have referenced the ruling during their Glastonbury sets, including Billie Eilish, Lorde and Phoebe Bridgers. Advertisement Lamar opened his set with an instrumental interlude from ‘Savior’ before launching into ‘United In Grief’. Elsewhere, he played ‘Count Me Out’ and ‘N95’, as well as hits like ‘Humble’ and ‘Alright’. He was joined by dancers throughout, both men dressed in black trousers and white shirts like Kendrick, and women in flowing red dresses. After performing ‘Love’, he said: “On behalf of me and my team, I want to thank every individual out here tonight. I consider y’all family, this shit is special, it means a lot to me.”… Read More →

26JUNNews

Watch Dave Grohl and Bruce Springsteen join Paul McCartney on stage at Glastonbury 2022

Paul McCartney ended the second main day of Glastonbury 2022 by headlining the Pyramid Stage (June 25), ending his set by inviting both Dave Grohl and Bruce Springsteen on stage. Check out footage and the setlist below. The legend took to the stage after Noel Gallagher tonight, performing a stellar set of classics from throughout his colourful career – including solo staples alongside many numbers from his time with The Beatles and Wings. After playing ‘Get Back’ by the Fab Four, McCartney beckoned the Foo Fighters frontman on stage. Advertisement “Now, I’ve got a little surprise for you,” teased McCartney, before inviting “your hero from the west coast of America – Dave Grohl!” After some light banter of Paul offering, “Hi Dave,” before Grohl replied, “Hi Paul. How are you?” the pair then tore into The Beatles’ ‘I Saw Her Standing There’ and Wings’ ‘Band On The Run’. “This guy flew in especially to do this,” Macca then jovially told the crowd, revealing how Grohl overcame flight cancellations from Los Angeles. This moment also marked the first time that Grohl had appeared on stage since the death of his Foo Fighters bandmate Taylor Hawkins in March. When the crowd thought that… Read More →