Cindy Choek

The Wiggles top Australia’s triple j Hottest 100 of 2021 countdown with Tame Impala cover

The Wiggles have topped Australia’s triple j Hottest 100 of 2021 countdown with their Like A Version cover of Tame Impala’s ‘Elephant’. The beloved children’s entertainers were the hot favourites to take out the youth broadcaster’s annual listener-voted poll by algorithmic predictor 100 Warm Tunas. It marks the first time a triple j Like A Version cover has ever landed in the top spot. The Wiggles made their debut on the Like A Version cover series in March with the cover, which interpolated lyrics from The Wiggles’ own ‘Fruit Salad’. Advertisement Coming in at number two was The Kid LAROI with his global smash hit with Justin Bieber, ‘Stay’, which marks the highest position an Indigenous Australian artist – The Kid LAROI is of Gamilaroi heritage – has taken in the countdown. ‘Stay’ was followed by Spacey Jane’s ‘Lots Of Nothing’, Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Good 4 U’ and Billie Eilish’s ‘Happier Than Ever’. triple j counted down the Hottest 100 of 2021 today (January 22). Artists who had multiple songs appear include Rodrigo, Doja Cat, Lil Nas X, SZA, Kanye West and Lorde, as well as Australian artists Rüfüs Du Sol, Gang Of Youths, Spacey Jane, Holy Holy and King… Read More →

21JANNews

Jamie T teases new music and announces 15th anniversary reissue of ‘Panic Prevention’

Jamie T has teased the arrival of some new music alongside news of a 15th anniversary reissue of his seminal debut, ‘Panic Prevention’. READ MORE: Prophets, martyrs and outlaws: The historical figures behind Jamie T’s album ‘Trick’ The South London musician’s critically acclaimed first LP was originally released on January 29, 2007, and was hugely influential on the UK scene, mixing punk, hardcore, rap, and indie; cutting the tracks up with a variety of iconic samples. Taking to social media earlier today (January 21), Jamie T (real name Jamie Treays) announced that an anniversary edition of the LP will be available from January 28 on limited 12-inch and double CD. Advertisement “I’ve just had an email from my manager, I’m just going to read it out to you. ‘For the announcement, you need to say – obviously in your own words – that the 29th of January will be the 15th anniversary of ‘Panic Prevention’. We’re releasing a limited edition 15-year vinyl and CD – 1,500 copies of vinyl, 2,000 copies of the CD. “Sign up on jamie-t.com to order. Also gonna give away 15 signed test pressings randomly selected from anyone who signs up.’” yeah yeah new music is coming ? pic.twitter.com/D9BAewaEDZ — Jamie… Read More →

21JANNews

Ibiza confirms nightclubs can open in April

Ibiza has confirmed that nightclubs can re-open from April. READ MORE: “We wanted togetherness and community”: how gigs came back with a bang in 2021 The news was reported in Diario de Ibiza and comes after the International Music Summit (IMS) had already announced plans to host its annual “season-starting event” a month earlier than usual (via MixMag). José Luis Benítez, manager of the Ocio de Ibiza (Leisure of Ibiza) association, said: “The idea is that the opening will be at the end of April, two weeks ahead of what is normally done.” Advertisement He said the season plans to “continue on until October…November if all goes well.” CREDIT: Getty Images Clubs in Ibiza have not opened for a full season since 2019. Last year, clubs were subject to restrictions such as capacity limits, COVID-19 passports and mask-wearing. Many were only able to stay open for a short time too. Benítez added: “all of the island’s major nightlife enterprises are actively working this winter to prepare for the season.” He continued: “Even so, we will proceed with caution and in collaboration with the authorities.” Advertisement Last year, the situation for nightclubs in the UK continued to worsen with the UK’s grassroots music venue sector warning they were… Read More →

21JANNews

Bop Shop: Songs From Cordae, Whee In, Uwade, And More

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. This weekly collection doesn’t discriminate by genre and can include anything — it’s a snapshot of what’s on our minds and what sounds good. We’ll keep it fresh with the latest music, but expect a few oldies (but goodies) every once in a while, too. Get ready: The Bop Shop is now open for business. Cordae: “Chronicles” (ft. H.E.R. and Lil Durk) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6eK80vZ5aE Cordae sounds unmistakably warm on “Chronicles,” in part due to the track’s acoustic-on-the-beat foundation that sounds straight out of 2004. But even the quality of Cordae’s voice emanates heat, one intensified when H.E.R. stops by for a glowing verse of her own. Lil Durk, meanwhile, brings the appropriate counterbalance — a slight rasp — making “Chronicles” a banquet of texture. It’s a rainy-day tune that sounds like a sun shower. —Patrick Hosken Whee In: “Make Me Happy” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nVyoH0ppmI It’s solo comeback season for the ladies of Mamamoo, and next up is everyone’s favorite vocalist,… Read More →

20JANNews

Viral Downing Street “Christmas Rave” raises over £100k for charity

A viral Facebook event that was billed as a “Christmas Rave” at 10 Downing Street has raised over £100k for homeless charity Shelter. The fictitious event was set up by Scottish DJ Jon Mancini following the news that a number of members of government, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, attended parties at Downing Street during lockdown. Any such event would have breached government-enforced coronavirus regulations at the time, the guidance for which stated: “Although there are exemptions for work purposes, you must not have a work Christmas lunch or party, where that is a primarily social activity and is not otherwise permitted by the rules in your tier.” Advertisement Mancini’s parody event was set for December 29 and was described as a “massive rave at 10 Downing Street”. “No social distancing required. Bring who you like. Bring your own nibbles and drink,” the description added. Amongst the line-up, Boris Johnson was to headline alongside his “chums”, as per the event’s description. It also included a disclaimer: “Please note this event is not real and all just for humour and poking fun at the powers that be.” Surprised by the fact that more than 1.2million people signed up to the rave, Mancini decided to use… Read More →

20JANNews

Ghost announce new album ‘Impera’, share hopeful single ‘Call Me Little Sunshine’

Ghost have announced their new album ‘Impera’ will be coming later this year and released new song ‘Call Me Little Sunshine’ – check it out below. READ MORE: Ghost interview: the masked metal band on their new “positive” record about The Plague The band’s fifth record is out March 11 on Loma Vista Recordings (pre-order here) and is the follow-up to 2018’s ‘Prequelle’. The record includes their contribution to the Halloween Kills soundtrack, ‘Hunters Moon’ alongside new single ‘Call Me Little Sunshine’, a more hopeful track than anything from their plaque-infected previous record. Advertisement Check it out below. According to their website, “Over the course of ‘Impera’’s 12-song cycle, empires rise and fall, would-be messiahs ply their hype (financial and spiritual alike), prophecies are foretold as the skies fill with celestial bodies divine and man-made. All in all, the most current and topical Ghost subject matter to date is set against a hypnotic and darkly colorful melodic backdrop making ‘Impera’ a listen like no other.” Check out the tracklisting and album artwork below. ‘Impera’ tracklist: ‘Imperium’ ‘Kaisarion’ ‘Spillways’ ‘Call Me Little Sunshine’ ‘Hunter’s Moon’ ‘Watcher In The Sky’ ‘Dominion’ ‘Twenties’ ‘Darkness At The Heart Of My Love’ ‘Grift Wood’ ‘Bite Of Passage’ ‘Respite On The Spital Fields’ Advertisement The… Read More →

19JANNews

Listen to Griff and Sigrid’s empowering new single, ‘Head On Fire’

Griff and Sigrid have released a brand new single together called ‘Head On Fire’ – you can check it out below. READ MORE: Sigrid: “There’s a part of me that comes out when I play live – it’s my superpower” The two pop stars began teasing the joint project recently in a series of cryptic videos posted on their social media accounts. The collaboration came about after the pair connected online during the pandemic and then later met in person – something that led to a blossoming friendship and creative partnership between the two. Advertisement Their new song, which is described as an “empowering new anthem”, was BBC Radio One’s Hottest New Record tonight (January 19) and you can watch the song’s striking new video below. Describing how the pair first connected, Sigrid said: “Griff and I met sharing a pizza at the Rueben Selby show at Fashion Week in London…We went to the studio a while later and just had a day of talking about life, before writing ‘Head On Fire’.” Of the song, Sigrid added: “It’s about that feeling when you meet someone who just flips everything upside down and you can’t focus on anything else but that person. [Griff’s] just… Read More →

19JANNews

BRIT Awards 2022 confirmed to go ahead as public voting opens

The BRIT Awards have announced details of the public vote which will determine the winners of the four new genre awards. READ MORE: The 10 best moments from BRIT Awards history The new genre categories – Alternative/Rock Act, Hip-Hop/Grime/Rap Act, Dance Act and Pop/R&B Act – were introduced to the annual award show last November. For the first time, fans will be able to vote for their favourite artists on a dedicated voting hub, which is powered by TikTok. BRIT Chair Tom March commented: “I’m really excited to launch four new genre awards, which create even more opportunities for artists to be acknowledged for the brilliant music they create and produce, and give music fans the chance to get involved and vote to support their artists and help them to win a BRIT.” Advertisement The vote will launch at 12pm GMT on Thursday January 20, closing at 6pm GMT Thursday February 3. Users will be able to cast up to ten votes per category, per day, with vote limits resetting at midnight every night for the duration of the voting window. ready to vote for your faves? ? these are the four categories you’ll be able have your say on via… Read More →

18JANNews

iann dior shares new single ‘thought it was’ featuring Machine Gun Kelly and Travis Barker

iann dior has released a new single which features both Machine Gun Kelly and Travis Barker. Listen to ‘thought it was’ below. READ MORE: iann dior: “My role? I’m picking up where Juice WRLD left off” The single is the latest taste from dior’s upcoming third studio album ‘On To Better Things’, which is out on Friday (January 21) via 10K Projects. You can pre-order the album here. ‘thought it was’ premiered on BBC Radio 1 and follows last year’s singles ‘V12’, which features Lil Uzi Vert, and ‘let you’, which came out just before Christmas. Advertisement The new track is about being surrounded by people, fame and success but feeling more alone and unsettled than ever, sampling Semisonic‘s 1998 single ‘Closing Time’ along the way. Dior last teamed up with Kelly and Barker for the 2020 single ‘Sick And Tired’, but has also appeared on Kelly’s Travis Barker-produced album ‘Tickets To My Downfall’. Speaking to NME in 2020, dior said: “I want to become the Number One artist in the world, and I’m fully determined and obsessed with being the greatest. So I’m pretty sure next time we have a conversation, we’ll be talking about how I’m the number one… Read More →

18JANNews

Paris Hilton cooking show cancelled by Netflix after one season

Paris Hilton’s cooking show on Netflix has been cancelled after just one season. Deadline has confirmed that Cooking With Paris has been axed by the streaming giant, after an initial six-episode run premiered last August. READ MORE: Netflix cancelled ‘GLOW’ because it only cares about new subscribers Hilton invited guests including Kim Kardashian, Nikki Glaser, Demi Lovato, Saweetie, Lele Pons, and Kathy and Nicky Hilton to help her try and make a number of sweet and savoury recipes. Advertisement Meanwhile, Paris Hilton announced at the end of last year that she had built an island in Roblox, in which she performed a DJ set on New Year’s Eve. Paris Hilton released her self-titled debut album in 2006 “For me, the metaverse is somewhere that you can do everything you can do in real life in the digital world,” Hilton said at the time. “Not everybody gets to experience that, so that’s what we’ve been working together on over the past year — giving them all my inspirations of what I want in that world.” Elsewhere, UB40’s Ali Campbell criticised Hilton for the similarities between ‘Kingston Town’ and Hilton’s ‘Stars Are Blind’. The hotel heiress’ debut single, which was released in 2006, garnered a… Read More →

18JANNews

Vic Mensa arrested on drug charges over alleged possession of psychedelic mushrooms

Vic Mensa has been arrested in the US for alleged felony possession of narcotics, including suspected psychedelic mushrooms. The Chicago rapper – real name Victor Mensah – flew from Ghana to Dulles International Airport in Virginia on Saturday (January 15), where he was arrested by US Customs and Border Patrol charged with felony narcotics possession. Mensa underwent a secondary search at the airport, the US Customs and Border Patrol said in a statement, during which authorities allegedly discovered 41g worth of liquid LSD, about 124 grams of psilocybin capsules, 178 grams of psilocybin gummies and six grams of “psilocybin mushrooms”. Advertisement TMZ reported that according to a source, the authorities were still testing the alleged substances to confirm their contents. Under US federal law, psilocybin is a Schedule 1 substance, though several states have considered its legalisation. Per the US Drug Enforcement Administration, Schedule 1 drugs are any substance that isn’t accepted for medical use. NME has reached out to representatives for Mensa for comment. Mensa, whose father is from Ghana, had been visiting the country with Chance the Rapper to promote tourism. During their visit, both Mensa and Chance met with Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo in Accra. Mensa and… Read More →

18JANNews

Watch Twenty One Pilots’ funky performance of ‘The Outside’ on ‘Jimmy Kimmel’

Twenty One Pilots performed their recent single ‘The Outside’ on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night (January 17) – check out the video below. READ MORE: The NME Big Read – Twenty One Pilots: “We want to be the best – and keep everyone else at bay” The Ohio duo (Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun) appeared as the musical guests on the late night US chat show in support of their latest album ‘Scaled And Icy’, which came out last May. Donning a long black coat, Joseph sang next to a blue light shaped like the Twenty One Pilots logo as Dun and the group’s touring members played behind. Advertisement The band was illuminated by brightly coloured lights, with dazzling visuals being displayed on a screen at the back of the stage. “Thank you for having us,” Joseph said during the track’s funky breakdown. Last week saw Twenty One Pilots play a concert at The Forum in Los Angeles as part of iHeartRadio’s ALTer EGO event. During the gig, the band covered Coldplay classic ‘Yellow’ and said Chris Martin and co. were “big influences on us”. Meanwhile, footage emerged of Muse frontman Matt Bellamy dancing beside Joseph in the crowd. Resharing the… Read More →

18JANNews

Madonna and Earth, Wind & Fire songwriter Jon Lind has died aged 73

Veteran American songwriter Jon Lind passed away over the weekend (January 15), losing a two-year battle with cancer at the age of 73. Lind’s attorney, Jeremy Rosen, confirmed the songwriter’s passing to Variety. A statement from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) described Lind as “a great songwriter and a beautiful soul”. “[He] leaves a legacy of iconic songs both as a songwriter and supremely talented A&R man,” the group wrote. “The ASCAP family mourns his loss but his humor, his music and his wonderfully generous spirit live in our hearts.” As a songwriter, Lind’s best known compositions are Earth, Wind & Fire‘s 1979 hit ‘Boogie Wonderland’, and Madonna‘s 1985 chart-topper ‘Crazy For You’. Across decades in the industry, Lind also worked with artists such as Cher, The Temptations and Cheap Trick. In the early ’90s, Lind worked with former Miss America, Vanessa Williams, on her 1992 single ‘Save The Best For Last’. The song went to Number One on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that year, and later earned Lind a Grammy nomination for Song Of The Year. Lind also worked as a musician in the ’60s and ’70s, forming the band Howdy Moon with Valerie Carter and… Read More →

17JANNews

Mandy Moore has “new music coming very soon”

Mandy Moore has revealed that she has some new music “coming very soon” in a new social media post. The singer, songwriter and actor released ‘Silver Landings’, her first album in 11 years, in 2020, and in a recent Instagram post, she reflected on the release and confirmed that she’s working on new music. “Nearly 2 years ago, my first record in 11 years came into the world,” Moore captioned a photo of herself in a studio recording vocals. “We were 4 days away from leaving for my first tour since 2007 when the pandemic shut the world down. Advertisement “It was hard to sort through the myriad of emotions of what it took to make that music: the disappointment and sorrow of unfulfilled dreams….all while we were collectively grappling with and grieving the tragedy unfolding around the globe. So I turned back to music because that was the only catharsis I could find while stuck at home.” She continued: “With Taylor Goldsmith and Mike Viola, I started a new record during a very uncertain time… but it was also the mark of the ultimate chapter surrounding impending parenthood. “Anyway…. all of this to tell you that there is new… Read More →

17JANNews

Listen to White Lies’ synth-driven new track, ‘Am I Really Going To Die’

White Lies have shared a new synth-driven single from their upcoming album – listen to ‘Am I Really Going To Die’ below. Recorded at Sleeper and Assault and Battery studios in west London with long term collaborator Ed Buller, the track is the latest preview of the trio’s new album ‘As I Try Not To Fall Apart’ which arrives on February 18, 2022 – pre-order it here. Speaking about the new track, the band’s Charles Cave said: “‘Am I Really Going to Die’ is a song with familiar subject matter for White Lies but a new chapter musically. Advertisement “It’s the first part of a two-song narrative about a self-important hot-shot given a terminal diagnosis, and the various stages of his coming to terms with it.” He added that the track is “loosely inspired by the great Danny Huston’s character in ‘Ivans XTC’” as well as ‘Station to Station’ era Bowie.” Listen to ‘Am I Really Going to Die’ below: The song’s imaginative video was directed by Balan Evans. Speaking about the idea behind it, Evans said: “This song has so much story in it, it was quite easy to come up with this idea. It sort of spilled out of the lyrics. “I was talking… Read More →

17JANNews

‘Alex From Glasto’ reportedly helped launch controversial political Twitter account

Reports claim that ‘Alex From Glasto’ helped launch the controversial political news aggregator Politics For All, which was banned from Twitter earlier this month for allegedly “violating” rules on “platform manipulation and spam”. READ MORE: NME meets Alex Mann: the viral sensation who rapped ‘Thiago Silva’ with Dave at Glastonbury Alex Mann AKA ‘Alex From Glasto’ found fame in 2019 when Dave pulled the then 15-year-old from the audience at Glastonbury to perform ‘Thiago Silva’ with him. The footage went viral (one video is currently at 28million Youtube views). According to VICE, not long after Glastonbury, Mann used his newfound fame to link up Mail On Sunday columnist Dan Hodges with his friend, 17-year old Nick Moar (who also did social media for The Spectator) to launch Politics For All. Advertisement In just over two years, Politics For All amassed over 400,000 followers and earned a reputation for providing no-nonsense political news. If you haven’t already, check out @PoliticsForAlI. Simple, factual political news. Good addition to political Twitter. — (((Dan Hodges))) (@DPJHodges) November 27, 2019 However, Politics For All faced criticism and accusations of claiming neutrality while being skewed to the right politically in its coverage, as well as pursuing… Read More →

17JANNews

Pope Francis leaves the Vatican to visit local record shop

Pope Francis took a rare private trip from the Vatican to visit his local record shop READ MORE: The Rockin’ Priest Behind The Pope’s Album Tells Us What It’s Like Being God’s Own Producer On Tuesday (January 11) Pope Francis was spotted by Javier Martinez-Brocal, director of the Rome Reports news agency, heading into Stereosound – a CD and vinyl store in Rome. He’d stopped by to bless the recently renovated store, which he apparently frequented before the beginning of his papacy in 2013. Advertisement “He was here for maybe 20 minutes, just time for us to have a chat. It was an honour, very emotional. He is a great person, a simple man but marvellous,” Tiziana Esposito, one of the owners of the shop, told The Telegraph. “He used to come here before he became Pope, when he was the archbishop of Buenos Aires and visiting Rome. This time we gave him a present, a CD, but I’m not telling anyone what it was.” Apparently The Pope’s previous private trips outside the Vatican included a visit to an optician to change his glasses in 2015. The following year he went to a shop to buy some new orthopaedic shoes…. Read More →

17JANNews

BTS tease soundtrack for new webtoon ‘7Fates: CHAKHO’

BTS have announced an upcoming soundtrack for 7Fates: CHAKHO, a new original webtoon based on the boyband. READ MORE: ENHYPEN – ‘Dimension : Answer’ review: bold independence and more eclectic exploration Earlier this month, HYBE shared that the boyband would be releasing a new song for the webtoon. The as-yet-unnamed track will be produced by rapper Suga and will be sung by vocalist Jungkook. In a new announcement by Naver webtoon, the song will also see a special limited edition physical CD release for readers of the webcomic. Subscribers to 7Fates: CHAKHO on the Webtoon app who have turned on notifications for new episodes, and purchased early access to its first three episodes will be eligible to win one of 300 CDs. Advertisement while others will stand a chance to receive official merchandise and free cookies (Webtoon currency). The event will run from January 15 to February 5. 어디서도 볼 수 없는 고퀄리티 한정판 기프트! 무려 OST CD까지..!? ?웹툰 <CHAKHO> 오픈 기념 정주행 이벤트? [참여방법] 1.’CHAKHO’ 관심 웹툰 등록하기 2.알림 ON 해두기 3.’CHAKHO’ 3회까지 정주행하기 이벤트 기간: 2022. 1. 15 ~ 2. 5 ?이벤트 참여하러 가기https://t.co/ABD2TwYuKx pic.twitter.com/0FgOJp7iAp — 네이버웹툰(NAVER WEBTOON) (@naver_webtoon) January 16, 2022 As time of writing, it is currently unclear if… Read More →

14JANNews

Bop Shop: Songs From Stromae, Raveena, Orville Peck, And More

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. This weekly collection doesn’t discriminate by genre and can include anything — it’s a snapshot of what’s on our minds and what sounds good. We’ll keep it fresh with the latest music, but expect a few oldies (but goodies) every once in a while, too. Get ready: The Bop Shop is now open for business. Kae Tempest: “More Pressure” (ft. Kevin Abstract) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8gymPzmtZs Kae Tempest’s “More Pressure” is simply undeniable. The British rapper and poet devotes the first few minutes of their new single to reciting self-betterment maxims as if items on a checklist: “More pressure, more release, more relief / More belief / Less push, more flow / Please, let me let go.” This is engrossing because of the musical bed underneath it, which dazzles with pure synthpop delight. Then, the beat drops out for three whole seconds, but Tempest trusts you’ll stick around to hear the rest. See to it that you do, and you’ll… Read More →

13JANNews

K-pop artists sell over 57million physical albums in 2021

Over 57million physical albums by K-pop artists were sold last year, according to new data from Gaon Chart. READ MORE: Woozi’s new solo song ‘Ruby’ is a galvanising introduction that packs a powerful punch According to new year-end data published by Gaon Chart – the South Korean equvalent of the Billboard Charts – the Top 400 albums from the country had altogether sold a total of over 57million physical copies globally, per Yonhap News Agency. The figure is a nearly 37 per cent increase from 2020, where the Top 400 albums moved roughly 41.7million units. South Korean musicians sold 25million physical albums in 2019, and had surpassed the 20million mark for the first time in 2018. Advertisement According to industry insiders who spoke to Yonhap, the sharp increase in album sales could be attirubuted to fans who have resorted to purchasing more albums during the COVID-19 pandemic, instead of attending live K-pop concerts and events. “Physical album sales may slow down slightly if concerts are normalised again, but the upward trend is likely to continue in the medium to long term,” predicted Gaon Chart’s senior researcher Kim Jin-woo. Yonhap also noted that acts from two particular K-pop labels – HYBE and… Read More →

12JANNews

The Ronettes icon Ronnie Spector has died

Ronnie Spector, the leader of The Ronettes, has died at the age of 78, her family has confirmed in a statement. The ‘60s girl group icon died earlier today (January 12) “after a brief battle with cancer”, the statement – which was posted to her official website – read. “She was with family and in the arms of her husband, Jonathan,” Spector’s family wrote. “Ronnie lived her life with a twinkle in her eye, a spunky attitude, a wicked sense of humour and a smile on her face. She was filled with love and gratitude. Her joyful sound, playful nature and magical presence will live on in all who knew, heard or saw her. “In lieu of flowers, Ronnie requested that donations be made to your local women’s shelter or to the American Indian College Fund. A celebration of Ronnie’s life and music will be announced in the future. The family respectfully asks for privacy at this time.” Ronnie Spector CREDIT: Getty Images Spector formed a group, originally known as The Darling Sisters, alongside her sister Estelle Bennett and cousin Nedra Talley in New York in 1957. They released a handful of singles with Colpix under the moniker Ronnie And… Read More →