Music News

Pharrell Williams will perform at the 2015 MTV EMAs. The 'Happy' hitmaker is the first act to be confirmed for the annual European Music Awards, which will be broadcast live from the Mediolanum Forum in Milan, Italy, on October 25. The 42-year-old st...

Justin Bieber believes One Direction took his album release date for extra publicity.
Last month, the 21-year-old star announced his new album 'Purpose' would be out on November 13 and just weeks later, the boyband revealed they would also be releasing their fifth studio album 'Made In The A.M.' on the same day meaning the two acts will go head-to-head in a chart battle.
Opening up about the band's choice of release date, he said: "They're not really going on the road much, but we're talking about them right now, so it gives them some promo, right?
"So, that's probably why they did it ... I think it was strategy on their part because my release date was first."
Despite the four-piece group's choice, Justin said he's "excited" for the chart fight to commence to see whose record performs better.
Speaking to New Zealand' 'Smash! The Edge', he added: "But whatever. It's whatever. It's going to be fun. I'm excited to see what happens."
The 'What Do You Mean?' hitmaker previously made light of the clash on Snapchat by suggesting the band should be scared about being trounced by his record.
With a terrified expression, he said: "The face you make when you come out with an album the same day as Justin Bieber."

Iggy Azalea wants Tinashe for her new album.
The pair previously collaborated on a remix of the latter's single 'All Hands On Deck' but Iggy has now revealed she's hoping to work with the R&B star again for her upcoming second album.
She teased on Twitter: "I would like to work with you again too @Tinashe... you're awesome. My album this time? (sic)."
Meanwhile the 25-year-old rapper is racing ahead with the LP and updated her fans on its progress by admitting she's already posed for the cover art.
In another tweet, she added: "STUFF IS HAPPENING PEOPLE. BRB.
"in addition to the aforementioned "stuff"... I shot my album cover today and im really excited. (sic)."
And the 'Fancy' hitmaker recently gave an update on the record, which she confessed she's been working on with D.R.U.G.S. - which stands for Dirty Rotten Underground Sound - who produced her 2011 debut mixtape 'Ignorant Art'.
She said: "I just been doing my whole album with the guys I did my first mixtape with actually, and we're almost finished and it's been super cool working with my whole friends."

Will Smith is planning to do a world tour next year.
The 47-year-old rapper, who has just released his first song in over a decade, is keen to reunite with his former partner DJ Jazzy Jeff for a number of gigs around the globe.
Speaking to Zane Lowe for Beats 1 Radio, he said: "Jeff and I actually have never done a full tour. I was always on 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' or making a movie."
He added: "I'm looking this summer to be the first time we go out on a full world tour. I'm terrified."
The handsome actor, who has three children Trey, 22, Jaden, 17, and Willow, 14, from two different marriages, was inspired to return to music while shooting his forthcoming thriller 'Suicide Squad' and has admitted he's penned around 30 new songs recently following his 10-year hiatus.
He explained: "I've been away doing some other stuff. Making kids and stuff. You know, it takes a little bit of your attention away. I'm at the beginning of this process. Shaking the rust off, knocking the dust off."
Meanwhile, Will - who has four Grammy awards under his belt - released his remix of the Bomba Estéreo's 'Fiesta', which sees him rap in English and Spanish, last week.

Sir Tom Jones thinks modern music is "s**t".
The 'Delilah' hitmaker is unimpressed with the current crop of musical talent and believes he would have no problem becoming a star if he was just starting out in music now as modern stars are no match for classic artists like Elvis Presley.
Asked if he would have the same success if he started singing now, he said: "Definitely. With the s**t that's around now, no problem! I was up against Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin ... the British thing was huge then so to be successful at that time was tough."
However, the 75-year-old star is a fan of some new acts and praised Tori Kelly who was famously rejected on 'American Idol' before forging her own career.
He revealed: "I like Bruno Mars, and Tori Kelly - the best female around today, of the new female singers she's the best. Truly great. She did try 'The X Factor' and [Simon] Cowell said no, he hated her voice. There's proof right there - if he hates it, it's great. She plays great guitar, she's a great looking chick and she sings like an angel. She can sing like Jessie J, all the vocal tricks. And she writes, too."
Meanwhile, he revealed he would be up to record a new James Bond theme tune following the success of 1965's 'Thunderball' but hasn't yet listened to Sam Smith's effort for 'Spectre', 'Writing's On The Wall'.
Asked if he would sing a new Bond song, he told The Guardian newspaper: "Yes. With the right song, yes. I think the songs are different now though. When I recorded 'Thunderball', it fit Sean Connery. It was a macho song for a macho James Bond at the time. I like Sam Smith and I'm looking forward to hearing his song."

Charlie Simpson has rejoined Busted.
Charlie quit the rock/pop band in 2005 and insisted he would never return, but he has reportedly already agreed to come back and is in discussions with his former bandmates Matt Willis and James Bourne about an arena tour next year.
A source told The Sun newspaper: "Busted are re-forming by the end of the year and Charlie is part of the band again. It's amazing because Matt and James have always said there's more chance of pigs flying than Charlie coming back to Busted.
"But this is something that has been secretly discussed for a number of months - it was important the three guys felt they could work together again and get along as friends."
Over the past few years Matt and James have enjoyed huge success after joining forces with McFly to form supergroup McBusted and insiders believe Charlie has been tempted back after seeing how well his former bandmates are doing.
The insider added: "Obviously McBusted's success, including financially, must have had something to do with Charlie's decision."
Although Busted had a bitter split, Charlie revealed last year that the trio had gotten their friendship back on track.
He explained: "I went for a long time keeping completely out of touch with Matt and James, but now that they are doing music again, we've got in touch and it's really nice. We used to be really close when we were younger, it's nice to have that relationship back again."

Hozier is suing Chilly Gonzales.
The 25-year-old singer/songwriter has started legal action against the musician after the latter accused him of plagiarism with his hit single 'Take Me To Church'.
Chilly, 43, recently commented on the similarities between the multi million-selling song and a track by his former collaborator Feist titled 'How Come You Never Go There'.
However, Hozier's manager Caroline Downey has hit back at the allegations which she has slammed as being "groundless" and told the Irish edition of The Sunday Times newspaper that Hozier intends to pursue legal action.
In a clip posted on YouTube by Chilly, which has since been deleted, he described the track as "the exact same thing" as Feist's 2011 track.
He said: "This sounds quite familiar to me, I must say.
"This very slow and noble triple time and those sad chords. I think I know what it might be.
"It's almost the exact same thing. That's a crazy coincidence that my good friend and musical little sister Feist with her song 'How Come You Never Go There' had the exact same idea to use those chords and that slow triple time as Hozier. What are the chances?
"I'm being told by the research staff that Feist's track came out well over a year before Hozier's. Doesn't look so good does it? 'Take Me To Church'? Maybe Feist should take him to court."

Seal's new album is all about love.
The 'Kiss From A Rose' hitmaker - who split from his model wife Heidi Klum in 2012 - is gearing up to release '7' next month (06.11.15) on which he's tried to portray all of the intricacies of being in love.
He explained: "The album concerns the most sung about, most talked about, and most documented emotion - love.
"I tried to capture all of the wonderfully different dynamics of love, whether it's the anger, the acceptance, the bliss, the sadness, the elation, or the recklessness. It's this emotion and the ways it makes us feel. It's about the extreme joy and the extreme regret as well as all of the crazy things love makes us do."
The 52-year-old musician - who has kids Leni, 11, Henry, 10, Johan, eight, and Lou, five, and is reportedly expecting another child with his girlfriend Erica Packer - has once again worked with his long-term collaborator Trevor Horn on the LP but insisted they are so close they don't even need to speak about music when they're in the studio together.
He said: "We barely spoke about music in the studio.
"We talked more about life and our relationship over the years. He just understands how to place my voice. On the one hand, you have this elaborate production and signature of Trevor Horn, but you never lose sight of what it is I'm saying. That's the narrative. There's no producer who understands how to sustain and keep focused on the narrative of my voice and what I'm trying to say better than Trevor does. He pushes me, and we left it all on the court. He taught me a work ethic and approach to making records that will stay with me until the day I die."

Slash is set to star in a bizarre "dark fairytale" movie.
The iconic guitarist is the latest musician to join the strange 'Gutterdämmerung' film, which has been described as a "rock 'n' roll/film/gig concept" from visual artist Bjorn Tagemose.
The Guns N' Roses rocker will appear alongside Grace Jones, Lemmy, Iggy Pop, Justice, Josh Homme and other famous faces in the movie, which will involve the stars in a strange quest to find the "Phallic tool of eternal torment".
Despite a long list of musicians set to feature in the 1920's Hollywood-inspired film, it will be silent apart from a lone piano and live rock band.
The film will tell the story of a world saved of sin, including sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, which has the Devil's guitar introduced once again by a "punk-angel" called Vicious, played by Iggy Pop.
However Henry Rollins will play an evil puritan priest who persuades a girl to retrieve and destroy a guitar sent down to earth, with the youngster battling against well-known rockers and a rival woman determined to prevent her destroying the instrument.
The film will tour with a live band and narrator in 2016.