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Twenty One Pilots’ Tyler Joseph announces pregnancy news during VMAs performance

Twenty One Pilots have made a special announcement during their performance of ‘Saturday‘ at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards.

Frontman Tyler Joseph was mid-performance when he revealed his wife Jenna is pregnant with their second child. “I didn’t want to text everybody, so I thought I’d let you know right now,” Joseph laughed. “Now you know!”

The couple have been together since 2015 and have a daughter, Rosie, who is one year old.

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Watch the special performance below:

Twenty One Pilots are nominated for one award at this year’s VMAs, Best Alternative for ‘Shy Away‘. Both that and ‘Saturday’ are pulled from the Ohio outfit’s sixth studio album ‘Scaled And Icy’.

  • READ MORE: Twenty One Pilots – ‘Scaled and Icy’ review: an expectation-crushing statement of ambition

This performance arrives six years after they made their VMAs debut in 2015, which saw Twenty One Pilots join forces with A$AP Rocky for a medley.

Twenty One Pilots released ‘Scaled And Icy’ earlier this year in May. NME awarded the album four stars, labelling it “the soundtrack to a summer party where absolutely everyone is welcome – as long as they’re in the mood for a dance”.

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“If ‘Blurryface’ was the band fighting to be heard and ‘Trench’ saw them trying to maintain control, ‘Scaled and Icy’ sees the pair mostly at peace and following their gut. Despite the swaggering optimism and huge pop bangers, ‘Scaled and Icy’ is still very much in the Twenty One Pilots universe.”

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Normani Tributes Janet Jackson By Twerking on Teyana Taylor

Normani brought the audience to the "Wild Side" during Sunday night's VMAs.

The former Fifth Harmony member returned to the VMAs stage for the first time since she dribbled and dunked during "Motivation" on the 2019 awards show.

Normani took to the stage this year and brought her new single, "Wild Side," to life as she showed off her moves, dancing around a white stage against a solid backdrop, with an army of dancers behind her. But it was toward the end of her performance when Normani really reached her pleasure principle.

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Watch Sharon Van Etten join Angel Olsen during Pitchfork Music Festival set

Sharon Van Etten joined Angel Olsen on stage at Chicago’s Pitchfork Music Festival last night (September 11) – scroll down to watch footage now.

The annual festival made its return to the city’s Union Park this weekend (September 10-12), celebrating Pitchfork’s 15th anniversary.

  • READ MORE: Angel Olsen – ‘Aisles’ EP review: ’80s classics through a warped lens

Olsen headlined the Red Stage on Saturday and closed out her performance by bringing Van Etten on with her.

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“This last song, I’m gonna bring out one of my favourite singers, one of the kindest I’ve ever met in the music industry, Sharon Van Etten,” she told the crowd. The pair played their recent duet ‘Like I Used To’ to finish the performance. Watch fan-shot footage below now.

“Even though we weren’t super close, I always felt supported by Angel and considered her a peer in this weird world of touring,” Van Etten said at the time of ‘Like I Used To’’s release in May. “We highway high-fived many times along the way…”

Olsen added: “I’ve met with Sharon here and there throughout the years and have always felt too shy to ask her what she’s been up to or working on. The song reminded me immediately of getting back to where I started, before music was expected of me, or much was expected of me, a time that remains pure and real in my heart.”

Last month, Olsen released a new EP of ‘80s cover songs by the likes of Laura Branigan and Billy Idol. In a four-star review, NME said: “Though ‘fun’ isn’t necessarily the first adjective that comes to mind taking stock of these finished covers, it’s evident that Angel Olsen had plenty of it delving into the emotive guts of each song. At times you miss the cheese of the originals, but this is a solid concept, extremely well-executed.”

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Hannah Peel on “inspiring female artists to make electronic music”

Acclaimed synth-pop pioneer Hannah Peel has spoken out about the importance of inspiring more female artists to make electronic music – as well as the urgency of the music industry needing to act on climate change. Watch our video interview with Peel above.

  • READ MORE: Electronic Ladyland – why it’s vital we celebrate the female pioneers of synth

Peel was speaking to NME on the red carpet of the Mercury Prize 2021, where she was nominated for her acclaimed eighth solo album ‘Fir Wave’, after years of also making celebrated music across the worlds of film, TV and stage soundtracks, as well as work with the likes of The Magnetic North, John Foxx, Philippe Cohen, Beyond The Wizard’s Sleeve and many more.

“I’ve been playing music with other artists, from sessioning to doing my own records, for probably the last 15 years,” she said. “It’s amazing to be here in my own right as a solo artist.”

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On why this record in particular caught the hearts and imaginations of so many, she said: “Maybe it just came at a time when people had the time to sit at home and listen to music, listen to the album form, and celebrate those voices that have been unheard. [This album] references a lot of the Radiophonic Workshop and Delia Derbyshire in the ’70s.

“Those unheard voices that were unearthed through archives and have been allowed to breathe has probably touched a lot of people – especially because the record is really forward-looking; it’s not retrospective. It’s about the future and acknowledging our eco-climate and things that are happening right now.”

Peel went on to explain the “massive” influence of women on the world of electronica, and what that means for emerging acts.

“Those artists had a lot to deal with, and were a lot of times ignored,” she told NME. “It’s amazing now that we can celebrate them and actually look forward to inspiring other female artists to make electronic music.”

Peel continued: “I find that electronic music is not cold. It’s full of passion. Those soundwaves are like an orchestra. There is no reason why a synthesizer should be separate from a violin. If you find the right textures they can work. This record has an element of classical orchestration in some sense because it moulds, it shifts and it shapes. It’s not done to BPMs and clicks. It’s very fluid.”

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Hannah Peel & Tubular Brass perform on stage during Day 3 of the Womad Festival at Charlton Park on July 29, 2017 in Wiltshire, England. (Photo by C Brandon/Redferns)
Hannah Peel & Tubular Brass perform on stage during Day 3 of the Womad Festival at Charlton Park on July 29, 2017 in Wiltshire, England. (Photo by C Brandon/Redferns)

Having been very vocal on the climate crisis, Peel explained how her album also dealt with peril that the environment faces – and how the music industry is not doing enough to help.

“There’s a lot more we could be doing – especially the majors [labels] and the big industry players,” she said. “We all need to do something about it. The big question at the moment is, ‘What can we do?’ It’s easy to say, ‘Let’s try touring a bit differently’, but there are so many other options that could be talked about.

“I’m doing a talk with Brian Eno and Brian Cox on September 23. We’re working with a group called Earth Per Cent, and it’s all about the music industry and how we can make a difference. Like when we had Live Aid, this is one of those moments where we need to join together and make a difference.”

The artist also told us about how she’s already working on a new album which should be out in 2022.

“It’s very different again, like every single Hannah Peel record that’s ever been released,” she said. “I really went to the underground [this time]. I’ve done records that are about space and outer-space with brass bands. I really wanted to go to the opposite of that with deeper levels of the earth; like deep time, our roots and our beginnings.

“This has a very root-y, soul kind of feel. Not ‘soul’ as in music, but the double bass, the cellos, the bassoons and the earthiness mixed with electronic music and sound worlds.”

The Mercury Prize went on to be won by Arlo Parks, beating off competition from the likes of Ghetts, Wolf Alice, Mogwai, Celeste, BERWYN and Laura Mvula.

Peel will be moderating the David Ferguson lecture on music and the climate emergency – with by Brian Eno, Professor Brian Cox and climate scientist Dr Tamsin Edwards – as part of Ivors Week on Thursday September 23. Visit here for more information.

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BERWYN: “I’m sitting on hundreds of songs and some high-profile features”

Rising rapper BERWYN has revealed that he’s currently “sitting on hundreds of new songs” and also has some “high-profile features” in the bag. Watch our video interview the rapper above.

  • READ MORE: BERWYN – Romford underdog’s soul-baring rap is helping those in need

The Trinidad-born, Romford-raised rapper, producer, and songwriter was speaking to NME on the red carpet ahead of last week’s Mercury Prize – which he described as “one of the best days of my life”.

“I don’t really know it feels,” he told NME. “I don’t expect to win. I’m just looking forward to sitting and playing the piano live on TV. I’ve always wanted to do that.”

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Asked if he’d brought all of Romford along to the ceremony, BERWYN replied: “I wish I could, but unfortunately not. We’ll do that for the Grammys.”

As for the rest of the nominees, BERWYN said: “The shortlist to me, says that life in 2021 is in a fruitful place. Beyond all the drama and the sadness, you always get that bi-product that trumps everything.

“Secondary to that, the quality of music that we’re producing in comparison to our counterparts globally is serious competition. It’s a very, very beautiful time for British music, I believe.”

Describing his own music as “solemn, musical and explorative”, the 25-year-old said that he felt people had been drawn to the “bravery, honesty and faith,” on his nominated record ‘DEMOTAPE/VEGA’ – describing these qualities as “tools relative to every human being inside of the matrix we live in.”

“It was brave in the sense that when I was composing all of those pieces, the biggest genre was drill,” he said. “[My style] was as unfamiliar to the world as it could be. It’s very much its own thing.”

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Looking to the future, BERWYN revealed: “All I do is write music. I had to take a two week break because I had to just do some human being stuff for a minute; take a walk in the park of that, but I’m sitting on hundreds of songs and maybe some high profile features as well. I’ve been grafting.

“The new music is slightly more polished. I actually have a bit of money now. I can actually afford a mic now, so there will be no more poor beats or poor quality. There will be the same amount of honesty because that’s all I’ve got to offer at the end of the day.”

The Mercury Prize went on to be won by Arlo Parks, beating off competition from the likes of Ghetts, Wolf Alice, Mogwai, Celeste and Laura Mvula.

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Listen to Lupe Fiasco freestyle over Drake’s ‘Champagne Poetry’

Lupe Fiasco has turned Drake‘s ‘Champagne Poetry’ into ‘Diet Soda Poetry’ with a new freestyle over the track.

  • READ MORE: Drake – ‘Certified Lover Boy’ review: a boring, bloated disappointment

The original song serves as the opener to Drake’s long-awaited sixth studio album, ‘Certified Lover Boy’, which arrived last week after a series of delays. Fiasco took to Twitter upon the album’s release, declaring his love for the cut by writing: “Champagne Poetry is my #1 running it back to back…Goodnight…(if y’all find that beat floating give me a sign)”.

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Sharing his version on Friday (September 10), Fiasco raps: “Just left album mode with me and my n**** [A] Trak / And Drake dropped this shit got me thinkin’ ’bout going back“.

He also references Kanye West‘s recent album release, ‘DONDA’, saying: “I listened to ‘Donda’ / I also listened to Kanye’s mama in real life / That means I’m real twice“.

Check it out below.

It’s one of many freestyles Fiasco has shared in recent years, dropping a tribute to MF DOOM after the legend’s death was announced back in January. Back in 2020, he also shared a freestyle over Beanie Sigel‘s 2001 track ‘Nothing Like It’ and reworked Eminem‘s ‘Stan’ to fire back at claims he doesn’t interact with his fans.

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Drake’s ‘Certified Lover Boy’ was given two stars in an NME review, who called the album “a boring, bloated disappointment”. However, the record still went on to score the Toronto rapper his fourth UK Number One album spot.

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Boyband Why Don’t We detail alleged abuse from managers: “We will no longer be silenced”

Content warning: This story contains discussion and descriptions of abuse. 

American boyband Why Don’t We have spoken out about the “mental, emotional and financial abuse” they allegedly faced at the hands of their production team.

The five-piece — comprising Jack Avery, Corbyn Besson, Zach Herron, Jonah Marais and Daniel Seavey — detailed their experiences of the alleged abuse in a recent statement on social media.

In the post, they claimed the abuse took place under the supervision of one of their Signature Entertainment managers while they were living and working together in a house referred to as the “Why Don’t We compound”.

“He would not only live with us during the day, but controlled us 24/7, setting an alarm that would go off if any door or window was opened,” Why Don’t We’s statement reads.

“Food was restricted to the point that some band members developed eating disorders… We were verbally berated almost every day and alienated from our friends and families.

“We had no support system except for each other and were made to believe that this was ‘normal’, that every artist had to pay their dues.”

Read the full statement below.

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A post shared by Why Don’t We (@whydontwemusic)

The statement comes two weeks after a legal battle between the band’s managers and former business partners, Randy Phillips and David Loeffler, went public.

As reported by Billboard, Loeffler fired Phillips from the investment company in control of Signature Entertainment, essentially ending his management of the band.

Loeffler claimed that Why Don’t We refused to sign a new recording contract unless Phillips was reinstated, for which he sued them and Phillips for anticipatory breach of contract and tortious interference with a business relationship.

Phillips responded with his own lawsuit to have his former business partner expelled from the limited liability company that owns Signature Entertainment, which is when allegations of abuse that have been levelled at Loeffler arose. Phillips’ attorney Howard King said the band had endured “nightmarish behaviour” while under Loeffler’s supervision, including verbal abuse.

In response, Loeffler told Billboard the claims were “in retaliation for the suit we filed”.

“The allegations now being made by Mr. Phillips have no merit and will be debunked in court,” he said.

The band are now petitioning the California Labor Commission to terminate their contract with Loeffler and Signature Entertainment.

If you’ve been affected by domestic violence in the UK you can contact Refuge’s freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247. In the US, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline on 1800 799 7233.

If you’ve been affected by domestic violence in the UK you can contact Refuge’s freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247. In the US, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline on 1800 799 7233.

If you’ve been affected by domestic violence in the UK you can contact Refuge’s freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247. In the US, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline on 1800 799 7233.

If you’ve been affected by domestic violence in the UK you can contact Refuge’s freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247. In the US, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline on 1800 799 7233.

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BTS choreographer on working with J-Hope, Jimin and Jungkook: “I truly admire 3J’s work ethic”

Choreographer and dancer Nick Joseph has opened up about working with BTS.

  • READ MORE: Eight K-pop songs from August 2021 you need to hear, from Red Velvet to TXT

On September 9, Joseph shared a lengthy Instagram post reflecting on his experience being in South Korea and working with BTS members J-Hope, Jimin and Jungkook. This came shortly after the group released a new performance video for their remix of ‘Butter’ featuring Megan Thee Stallion.

The three boyband members, fondly dubbed ‘3J’ by fans, had performed a routine choreographed by Joseph to Megan’s verse in the video. “In regards to these 3, I truly admire 3J’s work ethic as well as their unique distinct personalities,” he wrote. The choreographer also noted that the K-pop superstars were “super welcoming” and “hella funny”.

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A post shared by Nick Joseph (@nickjxseph)

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Joseph also shared his admiration for the trio’s “extreme dedication” to their craft. “They do not settle whatsoever,” he added. “Multiple rehearsals, run-throughs and notes all to make sure they perform at their best, and they killed it! I am very appreciative of their efforts and care.”

He also hinted that the performance video for the ‘Butter’ remix would not the end of his work with HYBE labels. “Still got quite some time left here, so I’m looking forward to whatever else may come,” Joseph wrote at the end of his post. The dancer had previously posted an image of the HYBE building entrance, where he called it “home Base for the next few months.”

The Megan Thee Stallion-assisted remix of ‘Butter’ dropped late last month. The collaboration was released shortly after a judge cleared the song and granted Megan permission to release the remix, following Megan’s claims from earlier last week that her label 1501 Certified Entertainment and distributor 300 Entertainment had blocked her from releasing it.

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BLACKPINK’s Lisa has finally made her solo debut with ‘Lalisa’

BLACKPINK’s Lisa has finally made her highly anticipated solo debut with the release of her first-ever single album, ‘Lalisa’.

  • READ MORE: BLACKPINK’s Rosé takes things back to basics on captivating solo debut, ‘R’

The project features four tracks, including the title track ‘Lalisa’ and B-side ‘Money’, alongside their instrumental versions. ‘Lalisa’ was written by frequent BLACKPINK collaborators 24, Bekuh Boom and Teddy Park, while ‘Money’ was helmed by 24, Boom, R.Tee and Vince.

The single album dropped alongside a music video for the title track ‘Lalisa’. During a press conference prior to the project’s release, the Thai-born singer said she hopes the song would “show the strength of my name and my confident side”, as translated by Soompi.

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“I hope that people will hear the song and think, ‘Wow, this is it. This is something only Lisa can do’,” she added. The BLACKPINK member also spoke about the music video, noting that “the set and outfits… capture that Thai vibe well”.

During the press conference, Lisa also spoke about what she hopes to achieve through her solo debut. “Rather than focusing on rankings, I hope that people will see that Lisa has this side to her as well. If I can make BLINKs happy with my songs and performances, I’m satisfied,” she said.

The K-pop idol is the third member of BLACKPINK to make her solo debut. Earlier this year, Rosé released her first solo single album ‘R’, which featured the smash hit ‘On The Ground’. Meanwhile, Jennie went solo in 2018 with the song ‘Solo’. It’s currently unclear when Jisoo is set to make her solo debut.

In the first four days of it going up for pre-order, ‘Lalisa’ racked up more than 700,000 sales. According to her label YG Entertainment, pre-orders came from many regions outside of South Korea, including the United States, China, Japan, Europe and Southeast Asia.

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In May, producer DJ Snake claimed he had collaborated with Lisa on a new song in a since-deleted string of tweets. It is currently unknown when the collaboration will be released, if ever.

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Stevie Nicks makes first public statement on Lindsey Buckingham’s exit from Fleetwood Mac

Stevie Nicks has made her first public statement on her bandmate and ex-partner Lindsey Buckingham‘s exit from Fleetwood Mac three years ago.

  • ORDER NOW: The Rolling Stones are on the cover of Uncut’s November 2021 issue
  • READ MORE: Lindsey Buckingham shares triumphant new song “Scream”

The guitarist was fired from the veteran group back in 2018, and was replaced by Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers’ Mike Campbell and Crowded House’s Neil Finn. At the time, it was reported that his exit came following “a disagreement over the band’s upcoming tour”.

In July this year, Buckingham blamed his exit on Nicks, saying the band’s manager Irving Azoff told him, “Stevie never wants to be on a stage with you again.”

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Now, Nicks has responded in a statement to Rolling Stone, accusing him of telling a “revisionist history” of what happened.

Her statement in full says:

“It’s unfortunate that Lindsey has chosen to tell a revisionist history of what transpired in 2018 with Fleetwood Mac. His version of events is factually inaccurate, and while I’ve never spoken publicly on the matter, preferring to not air dirty laundry, certainly it feels the time has come to shine a light on the truth.

Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, and John McVie of Fleetwood Mac in 2018.
Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, and John McVie of Fleetwood Mac in 2018. Credit: Steve Granitz/Getty Images

“Following an exceedingly difficult time with Lindsey at MusiCares in New York, in 2018, I decided for myself that I was no longer willing to work with him. I could publicly reflect on the many reasons why, and perhaps I will do that someday in a memoir, but suffice it to say we could start in 1968 and work up to 2018 with a litany of very precise reasons why I will not work with him.

“To be exceedingly clear, I did not have him fired, I did not ask for him to be fired, I did not demand he be fired. Frankly, I fired myself. I proactively removed myself from the band and a situation I considered to be toxic to my well-being. I was done. If the band went on without me, so be it.

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“I have championed independence my whole life, and I believe every human being should have the absolute freedom to set their boundaries of what they can and cannot work with. And after many lengthy group discussions, Fleetwood Mac, a band whose legacy is rooted in evolution and change, found a new path forward with two hugely talented new members.

“Further to that, as for a comment on ‘family’—I was thrilled for Lindsey when he had children, but I wasn’t interested in making those same life choices. Those are my decisions that I get to make for myself. I’m proud of the life choices I’ve made, and it seems a shame for him to pass judgment on anyone who makes a choice to live their life on their own terms, even if it looks differently from what his life choices have been.”

Meanwhile, Buckingham is set to release his new self-titled solo album on September 17. He has previewed the project with the singles “I Don’t Mind” and “On The Wrong Side”.