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Eurovision Song Contest confirms presenters for BBC coverage
This year’s Eurovision Song Contest finale coverage will be hosted by Graham Norton, the BBC has confirmed. READ MORE: In the face of coronavirus cancellation – Eurovision has had one of its best years yet Following the cancellation of last year’s show due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, Norton will be returning to present the competition live on BBC One for the Grand Final on May 22. The finale will take place in Rotterdam, where it was due to be hosted in 2020. Advertisement Norton will be joined by Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden, who will act as Eurovision spokesperson...
Liz Phair announces new album ‘Soberish’ and shares single ‘Spanish Doors’
Liz Phair has announced that she will return with her next album ‘Soberish’ in June. The seventh album from the Chicago singer will arrive on June 4 via Chrysalis, and comes 11 years after her last effort – 2010’s ‘Funstyle’. Phair has also marked the record’s arrival with emotional lead single ‘Spanish Doors’, which can you listen to in full below. Advertisement ‘Spanish Doors’ is “about the fracturing of a beautiful life, when everything you counted on is suddenly thrown up for grabs”, Phair explained in an official press release. She added: “I drew inspiration from a friend who...
Taylor Swift Reveals Inspiration Behind Fearless Track ‘Hey Stephen’
After 13 years, Taylor Swift is finally setting the record straight: No, her song “Hey Stephen” is not about Stephen Colbert. The 31-year-old singer-songwriter stopped by The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on Tuesday (April 13) to finally break the news to the late-night comedian that he did not inspire the country track. Or did he? As the two discussed who the real Stephen is, Swift revealed increasingly personal bits of information about Colbert — even unveiling a mood board she covered with pictures of his face — and he started to question the veracity of her claims. In the end, however, she revealed that the song was...
Mercury Prize confirms details of 2021 ceremony
The organisers of the Mercury Prize have announced details of their plans for the 2021 ceremony. Last year’s ceremony, which saw the prestigious music prize being awarded to Michael Kiwanuka for his 2019 album ‘Kiwanuka’, was dramatically scaled back due to the coronavirus pandemic. READ MORE: Hyundai Mercury Prize 2020: Michael Kiwanuka is a perfect, timely winner The Hyundai Mercury Prize will return in 2021, with a 12-strong ‘Albums of the Year’ shortlist set to be announced on July 22. Advertisement The 2021 Hyundai Mercury Prize Awards Show will then be held at the Eventim Apollo in London on...
Listen to Mr Jukes and Barney Artist’s new collaboration ‘Blowin Steam (Open Up Your Mind)’
Mr Jukes and Barney Artist have teamed up for a new collaborative single ‘Blowin Steam (Open Up Your Mind)’ – you can listen to the track below. Mr Jukes – AKA Bombay Bicycle Club frontman Jack Steadman – has returned with his first new music of 2021, having followed up his 2017 debut album ‘God First’ with the song ‘Maiden Voyage’ last year. London’s Barney Artist, who contributed to ‘God First’ on the track ‘From Golden Stars Comes Silver Dew’, has now collaborated with Mr Jukes on the new single ‘Blowin Steam (Open Up Your Mind)’, which you can...
Chilean television network apologises for racist BTS parody sketch
Chilean television network Mega, which broadcasted a racist parody sketch about K-pop boyband BTS, has issued an apology after intense backlash. READ MORE: Chilean comedy sketch faces backlash for racist depictions of BTS The controversial sketch was part of a comedy programme titled Mi Barrio, where actors parodied the popular South Korean group. The skit, which mocked Korean accents and joked about the COVID-19 pandemic, received widespread backlash on social media, with users calling it out for being “racist” and “xenophobic”. On April 13, the network issued an apology on Twitter, saying that it “want to manifest our absolute...
CHIKA announces her retirement, citing the “mental toll” of the music industry
Rising rapper CHIKA has announced her retirement from music, citing the “mental toll being in the industry” has had on her. The 2021 Grammy nominee made the announcement via her Twitter on April 11. In a candid statement, CHIKA said, “the mental toll being in the industry has taken on me is not something you bounce back from easily.” The 24-year-old also discussed the backlash she had received after earlier mentioning the prospect of retirement. Advertisement “Today I told Twitter ,” she said. “What followed was a hoard of psychotic fans rejoicing in the decline of my mental...
Mick Jagger hits out at anti-vaxxers: “You can’t argue with these people”
Mick Jagger has opened up on his distrust of anti-vaccination activists and conspiracy theorists, after taking aim at them on his latest track. Yesterday (April 13) saw the Rolling Stones icon team up with Dave Grohl on ‘Easy Sleazy’ – which offers a rollicking look at life throughout the coronavirus pandemic. The track finds Jagger “shooting the vaccine, Bill Gates is in my bloodstream” – a tongue-in-cheek nod to dangerous disinformation that has been spread throughout the pandemic. Advertisement Discussing the track in a new interview with Rolling Stone, Jagger explained that he had been inspired to write the...
The Shins announce 20th-anniversary edition of ‘Oh, Inverted World’: “This record gave me the life that I never really dreamed I would have”
The Shins have announced a 20th-anniversary edition of ‘Oh, Inverted World’, fully remastered by Bob Ludwig. The new edition of the band’s 2001 debut will be re-released in June with an inverted colour album cover, and a booklet featuring vintage photos, handwritten lyrics, liner notes and more. Ten random copies of the record will have a “golden ticket” – notching them a 7”x7” classic photo of the band signed by frontman James Mercer. Mercer also released a press statement reflecting on the record’s legacy. Advertisement “This record gave me the life that I never really dreamed I would have,”...Recent Posts
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