Music News

Ed Sheeran has hit out at the Backstreet Boys for playing new music at their reunion shows instead of classic hits.
The 'Sing' hitmaker slammed the 90s US boyband - made up of Brian Littrell, A.J McLean, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson - for letting their fans down by performing new material during their 20th Anniversary Tour.
Ed told The Sun newspaper: "I study how other people perform and that is unacceptable, as the Backstreet Boys have so many hits. Do not do that ever again, that is not fair."
After hearing frontman Brian also played an acoustic set to open the band's show, the 23-year-old singer was particularly upset.
He said: "No mate - do that if you have your own gig, Brian. I played the Royal Albert Hall and did two new songs, but I know that's what people want. The Backstreet Boys, what are they doing? Play your hits.
"If you're a proper muso and people go to your gigs to witness your musicianship, a la Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan, do it. But if you're a pop star play your pop songs."
Ed insists he is a fan of the 'I Want It That Way' hitmakers, but claims he wouldn't go to a gig if they didn't play the hits.
He added: "That would really annoy me. Like when I saw Justin Timberlake, it was one of the best shows I ever watched as it was back-to-back hits, people need to do that much more.
"I went to see Paul McCartney and I knew every song, hit after hit."
Meanwhile, the Backstreet Boys will kick off the North American leg of their tour on May 3, followed by another European leg a month later before wrapping up the gigs in Poland in July.

S Club 7 are reportedly reuniting.
The seven-piece pop band - who had a string of hits including 'Bring It All Back' and 'Never Had a Dream Come True', as well as their own TV series, in the late 1990s and early 2000s - are getting back together for a big reunion tour next year.
A source told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "The band are even open to the idea of making new music."
The colourful group - which consists of Tina Barrett, Paul Cattermole, Jo O'Meara, Hannah Spearritt, Jon Lee, Rachel Stevens and Bradley McIntosh - topped the UK singles chart on four occasions and had one number one album.
At the height of their pop reign, S Club spawned three hit TV series set in the US, their own line of dolls, a movie called 'Seeing Double' and spin-off group S Club 8, which consisted of young singers including future The Saturdays stars Rochelle Humes and Frankie Sandford.
Paul left the group in 2002 and the band eventually broke up in 2003 after the release of a greatest hits album.
In recent years, Paul, Jo and Bradley have toured universities up and down Britain as S Club 3.
In December, Rachel - who recently gave birth to her second child - ruled out a reunion due to becoming a devoted mother.
She told BANG Showbiz: "I've got baby number two on the way now, so I can't imagine we'll be doing 'Reach for the Stars' any time soon.
''We've been in touch and everyone obviously has such fond memories of the band. If it was for the right thing and a celebration of what we had, I don't see why not at some point.''

Chris Martin has to "work really hard" not to "be a d**k".
The Coldplay singer admits it can be difficult being an arena rock frontman as "only about 20 other people do" it, and he has relied heavily on "key peers" Bono and Mickael Stipe, from U2 and R.E.M. respectively for advice over the years.
He added: "It does something to your brain which is odd... you have to work really hard not to be a real d**k".
The 'Magic' hitmaker - who split from wife Gwyneth Paltrow last month after 10 years of marriage - doesn't think he is a great lyricist but uses his songwriting as a "diary".
Speaking to BBC Radio 1 DJ Zayn Lowe, he said: "I write music as a diary. I'm never going to be as adept lyrically as Jay Z or Morrissey."
And Chris also insisted he doesn't care what anyone thinks of Coldplay's new album 'Ghost Stories'.
He said: "I don't really mind what anyone says about this album because it's just the truth. It's as true as my nose. Some people have a real problem with my nose, but what can I do?!"

Ed Sheeran isn't worried about becoming a "fat slob" because his records aren't sold on his looks.
The 'Sing' hitmaker, who will release his second album 'x' later this year, believes his appearance has nothing to do with his success and feels he doesn't have to watch his weight.
He said: "I don't think I've ever sold records based on my looks, which is positive, 'cos it means that even if I do become a fat slob when I'm older, it won't matter."
New track 'Take It Back' features lyrics about his looks, with the lines: "I don't ever want to be perfect, 'cause I'm a singer that you never want to see shirtless."
He also seemingly makes reference to a sexual encounter with a fellow star, singing: "Sleeping with a movie star and adding to the population," but refused to name the famous woman.
Ed told the new issue of Q Magazine: "I'm British so I have to be a gentleman in these situations and not say any names."
The 23-year-old singer jokingly added: "But you know what? I spent a year in America and did what any young lad would, which is experience Hollywood life. I think it's the best way to put it..."
Ed's success in America has seen him work with Pharrell Williams on tracks and Rick Rubin, who produced his new record, the follow-up to his debut '+'.
He added: "I wanted to take full advantage of the opportunities that were given to me from the doors opened by the American success."

Kasabian have revealed their fifth studio album '48:13' will be released on June 9.
The 'Fire' band - made up of Tom Meighan, Serge Pizzorno, Christopher Karloff and Chris Edwards - have chosen the LP's title because of its running time, 48 minutes and 13 seconds and it features 13 new tracks with Eez-eh the first to be released on June 2.
In a statement, guitarist Serge - who wrote and produced the album - said: "We had the confidence to be more direct, more honest with this album. I started to strip away layers rather than to just keep adding."
Frontman Tom Meighan added: "Less is more, you know? It's direct. It is what it is. Just listen to it. We've had the confidence to lay ourselves bare. Serge has stripped it right back. It's unbelievable."
Meanwhile, the band have also announced they will headline Glastonbury Festival, making their debut appearance at the top of the Pyramid stage bill on Sunday, June 29.

Track-listing for Kasabian's new album..

1 Shiva
2 Bumblebee
3 Stevie
4 Mortis
5 Doomsday
6 Treat
7 Glass
8 Explodes
9 Levitation
10 Clouds
11 Eez-eh
12 Bow
13 Sps

Beyoncé and Jay Z have announced a joint US tour for later this year.
The 'Drunk In Love' hitmaker and her rapper husband, who have two-year-old daughter Blue Ivy together, will kick off their 'On The Run' tour on June 25 in Miami.
Beyoncé took to Facebook to unveil a tour poster today (28.04.14), showing the couple in an embrace wearing black balaclavas, along with ticket details.
The post reads: "#OnTheRunTour This Summer. Exclusive Beyhive pre-sale begins tomorrow (29.04.14) at 8am."
The 32-year-old star and her husband, 44, have collaborated together on a number of occasions and performed on stage at the Grammy Awards earlier this year.
Rumours spread of a joint tour in recent weeks and after the pair wrapped on their own individual tours, with Jay performing 52 dates in support of his 'Magna Carta...Holy Grail' album and Beyoncé concluding her 'Mrs. Carter Show' world tour last month.
Meanwhile, Beyoncé's sister Solange praised her work ethic and how she manages to juggle her career with being a wife and mother.
She told ASOS magazine: "I have never seen anything like it in my life, from anyone. It's absolutely insane.
"Now that she's become a mother, and the way that she's able to balance that is so inspiring. If I am ever feeling like I want to open up my mouth and complain about how hard I am working, I think, 'Uhhh! Sit down!'."

June 25 - Miami, FL, Sun Life Stadium
June 28 - Cinicinnatti, OH, Great American Ball Park
July 1 - Foxborough, MA, Gillette Stadium
July 5 - Philadelphia, PA, Citizens Bank Park
July 7 - Baltimore, MD, M&T Bank Stadium
July 9 - Toronto, ONT, Rogers Centre
July 11 - East Rutherford, NJ, Metlife Stadium
July 15 - Atalanta, GA, Georgia Dome
July 18 - Houston, TX, Minute Maid Park
July 20 - New Orleans, LA, Mercedes-Benz Superdome
July 22 - Dallas, TX, AT&T Stadium
July 24 - Chicago, IL, UL 24
July 27 - Winnipeg, MB, Investors Group Field
July 30 - Seattle, WA, Safeco Field
August 2 - Los Angeles, CA, Rose Bowl
August 5 - San Francisco, CA, AT&T Park

Lorde has hit out at "spineless" music critics.
The New Zealand singer has taken to her Tumblr account to post a blog slamming Complex magazine which gave rapper Iggy Azalea a poor review for her new album 'The New Classic', after featuring her on the cover.
Lorde posted: "Bugs me how publications like complex will profile interesting artists in order to sell copies/get clicks and then shit on their records. It happens to me all the time - [music website] Pitchfork and that ilk being like 'can we interview you?' after totally taking the p*ss out of me in a review. (sic)
"Have a stance on an artist and stick to it. Don't act like you respect them then throw them under the bus."
Iggy backed Lorde on Twitter, posting: "I agree @lordemusic media LOVE to flop about, But when you're completely spineless Im sure its hard to stick to even ur own opinion #GoGirl. (sic)"
Complex magazine later responded to Lorde's blog post, explained its reasoning behind the review in a comment piece from associate editor Insanul Ahmed.
He said: "No one should stick to their opinion when new facts (possibly in the form of new music) are made available that can alter your views. Art and artistry are fluid things.
"Celebrities seek attention and media coverage every time they do something great, why would the camera stop rolling when they do something not so great? And even if they do, it isn't meant to be disrespectful - it's meant to be critical."

One Direction fans were 'crushed' during the band's gig in Peru, leaving 47 young people needing medical attention.
The boyband - made up of Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne - stopped performing during the concert and warned the audience they would walk off stage if they didn't stop pushing each other.
Mario Cassareto from the Estadio Nacional stadium told a Peruvian radio station: "We treated 47 children with the first stages of asphyxia. Everything is under control. We have nothing to be ashamed of, we've handled the situation well.
"We put in place a second evacuation plan so that the younger fans were not affected."
He insists venue bosses are working with the police and security companies who were contracted for the show."
Mario added: "It's under control. We are still treating those with symptoms of asphyxia that we pulled from the back. The ministry of health has set up tents."
A video taken from inside the venue shows singer Niall Horan warning the crowd: "If you don't want anyone to take us off the stage, make sure you stay back."
Bandmate Liam Payne added: "Or we'll have to go - and we don't want to go."
It was only the group's second of 69 shows as part of their 'Where We Are' world tour.
The 'Little Things' hitmakers kicked off their tour at the El Campin Stadium in Bogota, Colombia, where 44,000 fans filled the stadium.

One Direction, Katy Perry and Kings of Leon will perform at Radio 1's Big Weekend.
The free music event, which takes place this year in Glasgow, Scotland, from May 23 to May 25, have managed to secure the boy band - made up of Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne and Zayn Malik - for the festival, despite them having another show on the same day in Dublin, Ireland.
The 'Little Things' hitmakers will also join Ed Sheeran, Kings of Leon, Coldplay, Tinie Tempah, John Newman, The Vamps and The 1975, who are all on the bill.
One Direction, who kicked off their 'Where We Are Tour' this month, which will see them play more than 60 dates across the world, will headline on the Friday night, with Coldplay topping the bill on Saturday and Kings Of Leon on Sunday.
In a statement, One Direction said: "We're so excited to perform at Radio 1's Big Weekend in Glasgow. Glasgow we are coming to get you. We're going to put on a great show and we can't wait to see you all there."
Kings of Leon drummer Nathan Followill also said: "We're so excited to play Radio 1's Big Weekend. We've heard great things, and we can't wait to experience them first-hand."
The 50,000 free tickets available for this year's event were snapped up in less than one hour and Ben Cooper, controller at Radio 1, described the line-up as "phenomenal", adding: "It's probably the best in the world this year, in one of the world's great music cities."