Music News

Rixton think Justin Bieber "is a great lad."
The boy band - consisting of Jake Roche, Charley Bagnall, Danny Wilkin and Lewis Morgan - have jumped to the 20-year-old singer's defence following his altercation with Orlando Bloom last week in Ibiza.
Speaking to the Daily Star newspaper, Jake, 21, said: "Justin is a great lad and really good to us. But if we hadn't met him we would be on the same bandwagon saying 'What an a***hole' like everyone else.
"Then when you meet someone you realise it's not fair and all blown out of proportion."
However, it's not just Justin the 'Wait on Me' hitmakers think is misunderstood as they believe rapper Kanye West is also made out to be a bad guy as well.
Jake explained: "It's the same with Kanye West. We were scared he would rant at us like people in the media make out.
"But he came up to us with no security and casually said: 'Hey guys, how you doing?' So we asked for a picture and he was like: 'Sure, jump in.'
"We chatted to him, fist-bumped him, and made him laugh - that's my biggest moment of glory"
Meanwhile, the four-piece - who share the same management as Justin, Scooter Braun - have hit out at those who question their ability on their upcoming album.
Jake explained: "The album kicks off with a huge a cappella song with layers of harmonies. It's a Boyz II Men or Beach Boys sort of thing.
"We wanted to start with that as a statement, then you hear us plug in our guitars and crank it up for the rest of the album."

Ben Howard was "racked with indecision" over his new album.
The 'Only Love' hitmaker wanted to record longer songs for his forthcoming second LP, but he admits he was hesitant about it for a while beforehand because he didn't want people to get bored of it.
Speaking to radio station XFM, he said: "All the songs are really long, it might just get tiring for people! I'll probably do a short pop record next time. But it seemed like the right thing to do.
"I didn't think too much about it. Then there were times when I thought way too much about it. I was kind of supremely confident then racked with indecision for the whole the winter. The whole record's really skitty and undecided - it feels like I've kind of lost my brain a bit!"
The 27-year-old hunk insists he'll be touring the album "quite heavily" in the near future because the songs featured on it, he believes, sound better played live.
He said: "There's talk of European tours sometime at the back end of the year. It's very much a live thing this record, so we'll be touring it quite heavily I think."
Ben released his preview track 'The End Of The Affair' last night (05.08.14) and his album will follow shortly.

Mariah Carey has parted ways with her manager.
The 'Hero' hitmaker's affairs are no longer looked after by longtime collaborator and producer Jermaine Dupri - who she first teamed up with in 2005 - and though he will no longer oversee her career, he insists they will continue to work together in other capacities.
Jermaine told Billboard in a statement: "I'm a very hands-on person when it comes to my work.
"I put my all into every project. But when I'm not allowed to do what I do, then I know it's time for me to move on. Mariah and I enjoy working together and will continue to make great music together in the future."
Mariah - whose latest album 'Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse' has sold just 103,000 copies since its release in May - is now working closely with Kevin Liles, who currently manages Ty Dolla $ign and Trey Songz, though "nothing official" has been signed with his firm KWL Enterprises.
Jermaine recently insisted he wasn't worried about the low sales of Mariah's latest album.
He said: "I actually feel like it's probably one of her best albums she's ever made.
"I'm excited to see where the album ends up. I tell a lot of people, this era of music and this genre, they don't understand records that come out small and sell a lot of records."

Jake Bugg doesn't watch other artists perform because he thinks it "messes with your head a bit."
The 20-year-old singer claims he's only been to seven gigs in his life because he's worried seeing other people perform will make him doubt his own talent.
Speaking in NME magazine, he said: "I think as a performer it messes with your head a bit. You think, 'What are they doing that I'm not doing?' when you should just get on with what you do."
The 'Lightening Bolt' hitmaker prefers to focus on his own music instead and admits he feels he's let himself down if he doesn't play music one day.
He explained: "I feel disappointed if I don't pick up my guitar in the day. I feel like I've not done anything, I'm not being productive. Relaxing for me is writing songs and having my guitar there."
Meanwhile, Jake has already started work on tracks for his new album, which will be the follow-up to his 2013 'Shangri La' collection, but is determined to stay tight-lipped on the content until nearer the release date.
He said: "I've been trying to keep what I'm doing under wraps at the minute. A producer or someone could stick me on the mics and I'll just make something up on the spot and not share the ideas that I've actually spent a bit of time on because I just want to have a bit more time with it."

The Who are seeking rare memorabilia from fans for their 50th anniversary.
The British rockers, who are planning a yearlong series of special releases and events, including a Greatest Hits collection and UK Arena tour, to mark the occasion later this year, are eager to include lost recordings and footage in their celebrations, and have asked fans and collectors around the world to trawl through their archives for unusual radio and TV performances, home movies from gigs, extraordinary bootleg material, demos, photographs and merchandise.
Any item that is used will be fully credited upon any release and the person with the most outstanding find will receive two VIP tickets for a show on the next Who tour.
Fans wanting to get in touch can contact the group by emailing [email protected]
The 'My Generation' hitmakers, who will release their upcoming Greatest Hits collection and start their new tour on November 3, recently admitted it will be the "beginning of a long goodbye," though they still don't know when they will call a halt to performing live.
Speaking at a press conference in June, singer Roger Daltrey, 70, said: "We can't go on touring forever, we don't know how long we will go on touring, it's an open-ended thing at the moment but there will be a finality to it."

Cheryl Fernandez-Versini wanted "to go back to the pop route" for her new album.
The 31-year-old singer is set to release her fourth LP 'Only Human' in November and she admits she wanted to include a mixture of genres to put a "fun" spin on the collection.
Speaking to MTV News UK, she said: "The album is the most versatile album I've done so far. There's a lot of flavours on there. I wanted to go back to the pop route and do a lot of pop, there's a bit of RnB on there, a bit of 90s dance vibes, I mean it's just fun, you know it's hopeful, it's up-lifting."
She added: "I just want people to enjoy themselves for an hour... I'm not saving lives, I'm making pop music you know."
Meanwhile, the brunette beauty - who recently got married to her beau Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini following a whirlwind romance - wants to drop her surname and be known as "just Cheryl" in her professional work because her fans are struggling to pronounce her marital moniker.
She explained: "It's just Cheryl, keeps everything simple, people seem to be having a hard time so you can just call us Cheryl."

Beyoncé didn't want Nicki Minaj to "hold back" in their new 'Flawless' remix.
The 32-year-old singer wanted the 31-year-old rapper - whose real name is Onika Maraj - to let loose when she recorded her verse for the re-worked track.
Speaking on radio station Hot 97, Nicki said: "A month or two ago, Gee [Roberson] called me when I was on my way to Vegas and said, 'Beyoncé wants you to remix to 'Flawless'.
"After I got proper medical help and started breathing again, I was like, 'What?'
"She sent me a version that she wanted. She told me, 'I want you to be you. I don't want you to hold back.'
"I was actually in New York writing the verse. I recorded the verse in New York and she stopped by the studio. She was such a sweetheart. She was hyping me up, 'Do your thing. Don't hold back. Go in.' "
However, the busty brunette admits she didn't think a collaboration with Beyoncé would ever happen at this stage in her career.
She explained: "I figured that eventually we would do something together. I mean, I'm not gonna lie. Recently I thought it would never happen because I felt like if she was going to ask me, she would have asked."
She added: "I think the stars aligned the right way. We are just in the right places in our careers that it makes sense now."
'Flawless Remix' was released last weekend.

Paramore's Hayley Williams has to do stretches so she doesn't injure herself head banging.
The 25-year-old singer makes sure she warms up her neck before taking to the stage because she's worried she'll hurt herself when she violently shakes her head around to the music.
She told the Daily Star newspaper: "These days I have to do stretches so I don't hurt my neck head banging. I'm loving it but I might collapse at one of these shows."
However, Hayley isn't the only one worried about injuring herself when she performs at Leeds and Reading festival later this month as her bandmate Jeremy Davis, 29, suffered a hernia on the band's recent US tour and is hoping to be recovered in time.
Meanwhile, Hayley recently admitted she feels "uncomfortable" being the lead singer for the band, which is completed by Taylor York, even a decade after they formed in 2004.
She said previously: "I'm still surprised when I feel uncomfortable with it after 10 years.
"It's funny when I feel left out, or in the cold, and everyone's focusing on me. Onstage, it's so much about the music that I feel comfortable.
"But being the frontwoman is not an easy job, it's something I'm really proud to be getting better at; performing really well, singing really well and speaking to the crowd - that's the part I'm most nervous about, like "What do I say that makes me sound cool?" - but also trying to keep it the same way that it felt when we were in clubs."

Rita Ora has been working with will.i.am on her upcoming album.
The 23-year-old singer announced she is teaming up with the former Black Eyed Peas star, 39, last night (04.08.14) after she tagged him in a picture from the recording studio she posted on her Instagram account.
She accompanied the snap with the caption: "Last night. Oooooooo what we cooking up in here!! So excited @iamwill. (sic)."
This isn't the first time will.i.am and Rita have worked together as he also helped to produce her debut album 'Ora' two years ago and featured on one of the tracks, 'Fall In Love.'
Meanwhile, the rapper joins an already long list of stars - including Jay Z and Prince - who are also signed on to appear on Rita's forthcoming release.
However, the blonde beauty found herself in a spot of bother recently after her ex-boyfriend Calvin Harris - with whom she recorded hit single 'I Will Never Let You Down' - reportedly banned her from releasing any more tracks they penned and made together.
A source said previously: "Rita's album has hit a bit of a road block after Calvin pulled all the songs he had worked on for the project before they split.
"He'd made a lot of songs for her but they're now likely to go to other artists."
The eagerly-awaited record, which is yet to be given a title, is set for release later this year.