Music News

Lady Gaga performed for Stevie Wonder alongside a host of music stars
The 'Do What U Want' hitmaker was just one of the star singers who honoured the musical legend in Los Angeles last night (10.02.15).
Writing on Twitter after the event, she said: "It was an honor to play 4 Stevie Wonder tonight & wonderful to see old friends! Couldn't help but cry watching him. (sic)"
Captioning a picture of the pair hugging, she added: ""I Wish" for just a moment I could talk to my 6 yr old Stevie lovin' piano playin self, and tell her how lucky I would be to honor such an important figure in music.
"A man who stands for love, Civil Rights, and like he said tonight..showing the world the impossible is possible. (sic)"
Other performers at the 'Stevie Wonder: Songs In the Key of Life - An All-Star Grammy Salute' event at the Nokia Theatre included Beyoncé and Ed Sheeran, who collaborated to perform their versions of some of the 64-year-old singer's hits including 'Master Blaster (Jammin')' and 'Higher Ground'.
Popstar Ariana Grande also sung at the event and was clearly in awe of the experience.
She tweeted: "Had the honor of singing one of my favorite songs in the world w the incredible @kennyedmonds today to honor the one and only Stevie Wonder!
"Thankful to even be in the same room as so many of the arists that performed today let alone share a stage w/ them!! & Stevie Wonder! (sic)"
The concert will air on February 16th on CBS.

Taylor Swift has threatened to sue her old guitar teacher.
Computer repairman and part-time musician Ronnie Cremer recently spoke about how he gave the 'Shake It Off' hitmaker music lessons when she was younger, and since then he has registered the website ITaughtTaylorSwift.com, much to the fury of her representatives.
TAS Rights Management, LCC emailed Ronnie last week to say the domain name "incorporates the famous Taylor Swift trademark in its entirety and suggests TAS's sponsorship or endorsement of your website. The Domain Name and your use of the Domain Name are also highly likely to dilute, and to tarnish, the famous Taylor Swift trademark."
The letter went on to "demand" the technician give up the name within three days of receipt, but he insists he won't back down.
He told the New York Daily News newspaper: "I almost feel like they were trying to bully me a little bit.
"I'm not giving back the domain name. I mean, Go Daddy sold it to me."
Ronnie also admitted he has received hate mail after revealing he was hired by Taylor's parents to give her guitar lessons when she was 12, disputing the 25-year-old singer's previous claim that she was offered lessons by a computer technician while doing her homework.
He said: "I got a lot of hate mail from Swift fans who just do not want to believe under any circumstances that Taylor lied to them.
"That's she's just not capable. That her story, that she called a 'magical twist of fate' story, could ever not be the truth. And I just feel like if I keep getting the story that was told by you out there, and other bits, that the truth will finally come out, and she will have to acknowledge."

Azealia Banks wants to work with M.I.A.
The 23-year-old rapper has revealed she is planning on releasing a double disc album this year featuring a re-recorded version of her 'Fantasea' mixtape as well as a second disc featuring new tracks, on which she is hoping to work with the star.
She said: "I would really like [to collaborate with] M.I.A. I love M.I.A. I like her just because she doesn't give a f**k ... I live for her."
The '212' star - who released her debut album 'Broke With Expensive Taste' last year - explained her plans for new music by saying she is hoping to harness "deep dark energy" when creating it.
Speaking to SiriusXM, she explained: "'Fantasea 2' is coming ... It's already in the works.
"I wanna do like a double disc with 'Fantasea 1', re-record some of the songs and package it up and have a double disc with 'Fantasea 1' and 'Fantasea 2'.
"I was just scratching the service with 'Fantasea 1'
"It's gonna be f**king cool. But it's not going to be specific. I'm not going to expose anything, any secrets, but yeah it's going to be this deep, deep, deep dark energy."
Along with the 'Paper Planes' hitmaker, the controversial musician added Rihanna and Jay Z would complete her top three dream collaborators, but stated she would reject collaborations with Beyonce and Lady Gaga if the opportunities arose.
The statement comes two years after the trio are believed to have collaborated on a track named 'Ratchet', before Azealia fell out with Gaga who she claimed stole her track 'Red Flame'.
Tweeting in 2013, she wrote: "Make sure u let them know where u got the title for red flame from. U stole that from the demo I sent u.
"You can have it. Plenty more where that came from. Seriously... This one is free. Next time I'm charging (sic)."

Ringo Starr will release a new album next month.
The former Beatles member has announced 'Postcards From Paradise' will be available from March 30 in the UK, which will feature various musicians because he enjoys creating tracks with other artists.
He said: "I do basic tracks and I invite writers to come and join me, and we write songs -- from Van Dyke Parks to Richard Marx.
"So, I just have fun. I love hanging out with musicians. And we have the excuse, if we are writing a song."
The 11-track record - which will be his 18th studio release - was recorded and produced by the 74-year-old musician at his home studio in Los Angeles, with musicians already confirmed for the record including Dave Stewart, Joe Walsh, Benmont Tench, and Ann Marie Simpson, as well as friends and family members who visited him while the LP was being made last year.
As well as the new album, Ringo will tour the US and Latin America this year with his All Starr band - Steve Lukather, Todd Rundgren, Gregg Rolie, Richard Page, Warren Ham and Gregg Bissonette, who he has recorded the album with - and will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio on April 18, when he will receive the Award for Musical Excellence.
The tracklisting from 'Postcards From Paradise' is as follows:

1. 'Rory And The Hurricanes'
2. 'You Bring The Party Down'
3. 'Bridges'
4. 'Postcards From Paradise'
5. 'Right Side Of The Road'
6. 'Not Looking Back'
7. 'Bamboula'
8. 'Island In The Sun'
9. 'Touch And Go'
10. 'Confirmation'
11. 'Let Love Lead'

Justin Bieber's new music will "shock" people.
The 20-year-old musician is currently working on his first album since 2012's 'Believe', following a turbulent period during which he has had multiple scrapes with the law, and despite the delay, the singer's long-time manager and friend Scooter Braun has promised the new music will please and surprise his fans.
He said: "He's in such an incredible place right now, and he's excited to share where he is with the world next year.
"It will shock some people and make others really happy."
Adding to the promising claims, the 33-year-old talent manager - who welcomed his first son with Yael Cohen on Friday (06.02.15) - told Complex magazine the 'Boyfriend' hitmaker is ready to "be the man people want him to be" with his upcoming album, which will be filled with an "openness about what he's learned in the last year."
New material from the popular musician follows a public apology issued by Justin last month on the 'Ellen DeGeneres Show', which was followed by an online video in which he said he was "nervous" about the public interview.
He said: "I was really nervous, and I think I was nervous because I was afraid of what people are thinking about me right now.
"It's been a minute since I've been in a public appearance and I didn't want to come off arrogant or conceited - or basically how I've been acting the past year or a year and a half.
"Just being young and growing up in this business is hard. Growing up in general is hard."

Florence + The Machine have debuted a new song.
The indie pop band - fronted by Florence Welch - has unveiled a new track titled 'How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful', which is their first new music since their 2011 album 'Ceremonials'.
The track was uploaded to YouTube on Tuesday (10.02.15) along with a video directed by Tabitha Denholm and Vincent Haycock, which shows the 28-year-old singer dancing in an abandoned room with another version of herself.
The video comes a day after the star hosted a private listening party of the band's third studio album at Les Trois Garçons in Shoreditch, London, where she played new tracks including 'Ship To Wreck', 'Caught', 'Delilah' and 'What Kind Of Man' to pals including The xx, Jessie Ware and Daisy Lowe.
Rumours surrounding the imminent announcement of the highly anticipated album were heightened briefly on Tuesday morning (10.02.15) when iTunes briefly posted a banner welcoming fans to pre-order the album, which would allow for an automatic download of the first single, 'What Kind Of Man', although this has since been taken down.
Florence + The Machine will perform at several festivals this summer including Benicàssim in Spain, Rock Werchter in Belgium and South Side Festival in Germany, while they also have odds of 8/1 to headline the prestigious Glastonbury Festival in west England.

Bastille want to collaborate with Rihanna.
The Grammy nominees - Dan Smith, Chris Wood, William Farquarson and Kyle Simmons - admitted they're keen to work with the chart-topping star because of her great looks and incredible stage presence.
William confessed: "I'd like to collaborate with Rihanna for two reasons. The first reason is because she's spectacularly beautiful and the second reason, I'm a firm believer that she's really good. I saw her live during a festival once and she was spectacular. She looks wicked, she dances and she sounds wicked."
Explaining his love for the 'FourFiveSeconds' hitmaker, the 31-year-old musician said it would be difficult to dislike her because she's released so many popular singles during her career, but finds it strange it is not "credible" for rockers like themselves to like her.
He told Ahlanlive.com: "She's brought out hit after hit for the past ten years. People forget that about her. She looks wonderful and it may not be the cool answer or credible, but I like her."
Meanwhile, the 'Pompeii' hitmakers - who are currently working on their second studio album - took the opportunity to hit back at their critics who have previously said they are too "posh" to make music of value
Responding to the accusations, he said: "I love that. It's interesting to see that that's what people see of it. It's unfair to attack someone because they're posh. We're just making music. I guess, if we went to public school and wrote songs about the struggle of growing up on a council estate then it would become hypocritical and people would comment on that too. We're just singing songs about stuff that are interesting to us. I don't think our social background should come in to it."

Beyonce and Jay Z could be set to release a joint album this year.
The couple - who have three-old-daughter Blue Ivy together - are reportedly working on a collaborative album to be released later this year, producer Noel 'Detail' Fisher has hinted.
He shared: "I'm working with a couple of new projects that I don't want to unveil, and then me and Beyonce and Jay are actually doing something together this year."
Beyonce, 33, and Jay, 45, both received a Grammy award for their 2014 collaboration 'Drunk In Love' on the weekend - with Detail receiving his first ever accolade at the annual ceremony for producing the track.
And it now seems he's planning to pursue even more awards by working with the famous couple - who previously collaborated on songs including 'Bonnie and Clyde' and 'Crazy in Love' - again.
He continued: "When you think of Jay and Bey together, you think 'album'. You should already know."
Asked if the record will drop this year, he added to Billboard magazine: "In my imaginary mind, I will work to say it's true."
Beyonce and Jay Z embarked on joint tour last year titled 'On the Run' following the 2013 releases of their respective albums 'Beyonce' and 'Magna Carta... Holy Grail'.
Beyonce's self-titled album was snubbed for the album of the year award at the Grammy's in favour of Beck's 'Morning Phase', resulting in Kanye West ranting about the "disrespectful" decision following the ceremony.

Sam Smith wants to work with Kacey Musgraves.
The 'Stay With Me' hitmaker - who scooped four Grammy awards at the weekend - is a big fan of the country singer and would love to make a record with her.
Asked who he wants to collaborate with, he said:"I like Kacey Musgraves, the county singer. She's great. That would be great."
And it seems Kacey is keen to work with the British star.
E! reporter Marc Malkin tweeted: "I love this. @samsmithworld told me he'd love to work with @KaceyMusgraves. Let's make that happen right now. #GRAMMYS", prompting Kacey to reply:
"@marcmalkin @samsmithworld Let's do it!"
Meanwhile, Sam "freaked out" at the Grammy Awards when soul legend Stevie Wonder sang one of his own songs to him backstage.
He said: "I was in my changing room and Stevie Wonder was next to my changing room.
"He asked me to come to his room and I walked in and he started playing my song to me, 'I'm Not the Only One,' and he started singing it to me and I was like what the f**k?
"I just freaked out and got on my phone and filmed a little. It was incredible."