Music News
Music News
Charli XCX wants to write for Justin Bieber.
The 'Boom Clap' hitmaker has penned songs for stars including Gwen Stefani and Iggy Azalea, but admitted the 21-year-old singer is at the top of her list for artists she wants to write for because she thinks he's "really, really great".
She said: "I like Justin Bieber as a pop star. I think he's really, really great. I really love the song 'Baby.' I think it's awesome.
"I would love to. I've never written for a boy before. I don't even know what I would say, but who knows?"
However, the 22-year-old star - who recently released her second studio album 'Sucker' - confessed she had a bit of a break from songwriting due to a creative block in April, but is now keen to get back into the studio to make music for herself and other acts before she embarks on a US tour with Jack Antonoff in July.
Speaking to Billboard at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas where she was attending the Billboard Music Awards, she said: "Last month I had a bit of a breakdown because I was feeling like I couldn't be creative enough so I've booked a load of studio time and I'm gonna be writing for myself, for my new project, and some other artists too. I can't say who. But yeah, there's songwriting going on right now."
Charli XCX wants to write for Justin Bieber
Charli XCX wants to write for Justin Bieber.
The 'Boom Clap' hitmaker has penned songs for stars including Gwen Stefani and Iggy Azalea, but admitted the 21-year-old singer is at the top of her list for artists she wants to write for because she thinks he's "really, really great".
She said: "I like Justin Bieber as a pop star. I think he's really, really great. I really love the song 'Baby.' I think it's awesome.
"I would love to. I've never written for a boy before. I don't even know what I would say, but who knows?"
However, the 22-year-old star - who recently released her second studio album 'Sucker' - confessed she had a bit of a break from songwriting due to a creative block in April, but is now keen to get back into the studio to make music for herself and other acts before she embarks on a US tour with Jack Antonoff in July.
Speaking to Billboard at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas where she was attending the Billboard Music Awards, she said: "Last month I had a bit of a breakdown because I was feeling like I couldn't be creative enough so I've booked a load of studio time and I'm gonna be writing for myself, for my new project, and some other artists too. I can't say who. But yeah, there's songwriting going on right now."
Music News
Jay Z attacked critics of Tidal in a freestyle rap during an intimate gig in New York City.
The hip hop superstar held nothing back, taking lyrical swipes at Spotify, Apple - in particular Jimmy Iovine, who is relaunching Beats Music with the company - YouTube and even Pharrell Williams as he defended his new music streaming service during a performance for 3,000 fans at Terminal 5 on Saturday (16.05.15).
Before beginning his rap, Jay told the crowd: "So I'm the bad guy now I hear, because I don't go with the flow ... I'm never gonna go with the flow, I'm never gonna let nobody take over our music ... This Tidal thing is all about the music. We gonna preserve the music, we ain't gonna let nobody take our music. We ain't gonna let nobody offer our music up and do what the f**k they want to do."
He then launched into his blistering freestyle rap attack, spitting the lyrics: "I don't need no middle man to talk to my n-gas .... I don't take no cheques. I take my respect. Pharrell even told me go with the safest bet. Jimmy Iovine offered a safety net. Google dangled around a crazy cheque.
"I feel like YouTube is the biggest culprit. Them n-gas pay you a tenth of what you supposed to get. You know n-gas die for equal pay, right? You know when I work I ain't your slave, right? (sic)"
Addressing the accusations that Tidal is just for rich and established artists, Jay - who launched the service with a galaxy of stars including his wife Beyonce, Coldplay's Chris Martin, Rihanna and Madonna - had a verse for those detractors.
He rhymed: "You know I came into this game independent, right? Tidal, my own lane, same difference. Oh n-gas is sceptical as their own s**t You bought nine iPhones, and Steve Jobs is rich. Phil Knight worth trillions you still bought those kicks. Spotify is 9 million they ain't say s**t. (sic)"
He continued: "You got some explaining to do. The only one they hating on look the same as you. I know they trying to bamboozle you. Spending millions on media trying to confuse you. I had to talk to myself, Hov get used to it. It's politics as usual. (sic)"
Other than his freestyle Tidal rhyme, Jay treated fans to a selection of rare B-sides, a Roc-A-Fella reunion with Memphis Bleek and Beanie Sigel and he paid a tribute to late blues legend B.B. King who died last week.
Jay Z’s rap attack against Tidal critics
Jay Z attacked critics of Tidal in a freestyle rap during an intimate gig in New York City.
The hip hop superstar held nothing back, taking lyrical swipes at Spotify, Apple - in particular Jimmy Iovine, who is relaunching Beats Music with the company - YouTube and even Pharrell Williams as he defended his new music streaming service during a performance for 3,000 fans at Terminal 5 on Saturday (16.05.15).
Before beginning his rap, Jay told the crowd: "So I'm the bad guy now I hear, because I don't go with the flow ... I'm never gonna go with the flow, I'm never gonna let nobody take over our music ... This Tidal thing is all about the music. We gonna preserve the music, we ain't gonna let nobody take our music. We ain't gonna let nobody offer our music up and do what the f**k they want to do."
He then launched into his blistering freestyle rap attack, spitting the lyrics: "I don't need no middle man to talk to my n-gas .... I don't take no cheques. I take my respect. Pharrell even told me go with the safest bet. Jimmy Iovine offered a safety net. Google dangled around a crazy cheque.
"I feel like YouTube is the biggest culprit. Them n-gas pay you a tenth of what you supposed to get. You know n-gas die for equal pay, right? You know when I work I ain't your slave, right? (sic)"
Addressing the accusations that Tidal is just for rich and established artists, Jay - who launched the service with a galaxy of stars including his wife Beyonce, Coldplay's Chris Martin, Rihanna and Madonna - had a verse for those detractors.
He rhymed: "You know I came into this game independent, right? Tidal, my own lane, same difference. Oh n-gas is sceptical as their own s**t You bought nine iPhones, and Steve Jobs is rich. Phil Knight worth trillions you still bought those kicks. Spotify is 9 million they ain't say s**t. (sic)"
He continued: "You got some explaining to do. The only one they hating on look the same as you. I know they trying to bamboozle you. Spending millions on media trying to confuse you. I had to talk to myself, Hov get used to it. It's politics as usual. (sic)"
Other than his freestyle Tidal rhyme, Jay treated fans to a selection of rare B-sides, a Roc-A-Fella reunion with Memphis Bleek and Beanie Sigel and he paid a tribute to late blues legend B.B. King who died last week.
Music News
Norman Cook has blasted Madonna for being fame-hungry.
The 51-year-old DJ shot to fame in the '90s as Fatboy Slim with huge hits like 'Praise You' and 'The Rockafellar Skank', but has been relatively quiet in recent years, only choosing to perform at gigs and festivals rather than release new music, and said he thinks that superstars like Madonna "always want more fame", and that's not the life he wants.
Norman said: "You look at people like Madonna and it's never enough. They always want more fame and more success and to do bigger gigs. Nowadays I'd rather go sideways than up. I don't want to do things on a bigger scale. I want to do things that are interesting.
"Trotting out the same thing over and over again is boring. And I have no ambition to be higher than a certain level. Cos everything that comes with it just becomes a ballache."
While he won't be bringing out any new music soon, the 'Weapon Of Choice' hitmaker - who is married to Zoe Ball - said that he's not going to retire any time soon due to an "endless supply" of young people wanting to have fun.
Norman told The Observer's The New Review magazine: "This is a job for life. Because there will always be an endless supply of young people who want to get high and get laid. And also, DJs are not like footballers or pop stars - we don't have a shelf life based on our age. Cos DJ were never really pin-ups..."
Fatboy Slim blasts fame-hungry Madonna
Norman Cook has blasted Madonna for being fame-hungry.
The 51-year-old DJ shot to fame in the '90s as Fatboy Slim with huge hits like 'Praise You' and 'The Rockafellar Skank', but has been relatively quiet in recent years, only choosing to perform at gigs and festivals rather than release new music, and said he thinks that superstars like Madonna "always want more fame", and that's not the life he wants.
Norman said: "You look at people like Madonna and it's never enough. They always want more fame and more success and to do bigger gigs. Nowadays I'd rather go sideways than up. I don't want to do things on a bigger scale. I want to do things that are interesting.
"Trotting out the same thing over and over again is boring. And I have no ambition to be higher than a certain level. Cos everything that comes with it just becomes a ballache."
While he won't be bringing out any new music soon, the 'Weapon Of Choice' hitmaker - who is married to Zoe Ball - said that he's not going to retire any time soon due to an "endless supply" of young people wanting to have fun.
Norman told The Observer's The New Review magazine: "This is a job for life. Because there will always be an endless supply of young people who want to get high and get laid. And also, DJs are not like footballers or pop stars - we don't have a shelf life based on our age. Cos DJ were never really pin-ups..."
Music News
Taylor Swift swept the board at the Billboard Music Awards 2015.
The 25-year-old superstar won eight awards at the ceremony held at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena last night (17.05.15), including Top Artist, Top Female Artist and Top Billboard 200 Album for '1989', and said she had "such a good night".
Picking up the Chart Achievement Award, Taylor said: "I wanna shout out of course to Iggy [Azalea] and Meghan [Trainor] because they're amazing, I'm just happy to be in the same category. This is such a good night. What EVEN!"
The 'I Knew You Were Trouble' hitmaker spent the night cuddling up to her boyfriend Calvin Harris - who won Top Dance/Electronic Artist - and also took the Billboard Awards as a chance to show off the star-studded video for her new single 'Bad Blood'.
The video features Lena Dunham, Kendrick Lamar, Oscar nominee Hailee Steinfeld, and models Cara Delavingne and Gigi Hadid, among others, in a Tarantino-and-Sin City-inspired extravaganza.
In the video, Swift recovers from a betrayal by a warrior buddy played by real-life friend Selena Gomez by going into battle training with a crew that includes many of her model friends. Cindy Crawford is also there to give her seal of approval before Taylor marches into battle.
Full list of winners at the Billboard Music Awards 2015:
TOP ARTIST
Taylor Swift
TOP COUNTRY ARTIST
Florida Georgia Line
BILLBOARD CHART ACHIEVEMENT AWARD PRESENTED BY SAMSUNG GALAXY (FAN-VOTED)
Taylor Swift
TOP TOURING ARTIST
One Direction
TOP FEMALE ARTIST
Taylor Swift
TOP RADIO SONG
John Legend, 'All of Me'
TOP MALE ARTIST
Sam Smith
TOP RAP SONG
Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX, 'Fancy'
TOP BILLBOARD 200 ALBUM
Taylor Swift, '1989'
TOP DUO/GROUP
One Direction
TOP NEW ARTIST
Sam Smith
TOP BILLBOARD 200 ARTIST
Taylor Swift
TOP HOT 100 ARTIST
Taylor Swift
TOP DIGITAL SONGS ARTIST
Taylor Swift
TOP RADIO SONGS ARTIST
Sam Smith
TOP SOCIAL ARTIST
Justin Bieber
TOP STREAMING ARTIST
Iggy Azalea
TOP R&B ARTIST
Pharrell Williams
TOP RAP ARTIST
Iggy Azalea
TOP ROCK ARTIST
Hozier
TOP LATIN ARTIST
Romeo Santos
TOP DANCE/ELECTRONIC ARTIST
Calvin Harris
TOP CHRISTIAN ARTIST
Hillsong United
TOP SOUNDTRACK
'Frozen'
TOP R&B ALBUM
Pharrell Williams, 'G I R L'
TOP RAP ALBUM
J. Cole, '2014 Forest Hills Drive'
TOP COUNTRY ALBUM
Jason Aldean, 'Old Boots, New Dirt'
TOP ROCK ALBUM
Coldplay, 'Ghost Stories'
TOP LATIN ALBUM
Enrique Iglesias, 'Sex and Love'
TOP DANCE/ELECTRONIC ALBUM
Lindsey Stirling, 'Shatter Me'
TOP CHRISTIAN ALBUM
Lecrae, 'Anomaly'
TOP HOT 100 SONG
Meghan Trainor, 'All About That Bass' - WINNER
TOP DIGITAL SONG
Meghan Trainor, 'All About That Bass'
TOP STREAMING SONG (AUDIO)
John Legend, 'All of Me'
TOP STREAMING SONG (VIDEO)
Taylor Swift, 'Shake It Off'
TOP R&B SONG
Pharrell Williams, 'Happy'
TOP COUNTRY SONG
Jason Aldean, 'Burnin' It Down'
TOP ROCK SONG
Hozier, 'Take Me to Church'
TOP LATIN SONG
Enrique Iglesias feat. Descemer Bueno & Gente de Zona, 'Bailando'
TOP DANCE/ELECTRONIC SONG
DJ Snake & Lil Jon, 'Turn Down For What'
TOP CHRISTIAN SONG
Carrie Underwood, 'Something in the Water'
Billboard Music Awards 2015: Taylor Swift sweeps the board
Taylor Swift swept the board at the Billboard Music Awards 2015.
The 25-year-old superstar won eight awards at the ceremony held at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena last night (17.05.15), including Top Artist, Top Female Artist and Top Billboard 200 Album for '1989', and said she had "such a good night".
Picking up the Chart Achievement Award, Taylor said: "I wanna shout out of course to Iggy [Azalea] and Meghan [Trainor] because they're amazing, I'm just happy to be in the same category. This is such a good night. What EVEN!"
The 'I Knew You Were Trouble' hitmaker spent the night cuddling up to her boyfriend Calvin Harris - who won Top Dance/Electronic Artist - and also took the Billboard Awards as a chance to show off the star-studded video for her new single 'Bad Blood'.
The video features Lena Dunham, Kendrick Lamar, Oscar nominee Hailee Steinfeld, and models Cara Delavingne and Gigi Hadid, among others, in a Tarantino-and-Sin City-inspired extravaganza.
In the video, Swift recovers from a betrayal by a warrior buddy played by real-life friend Selena Gomez by going into battle training with a crew that includes many of her model friends. Cindy Crawford is also there to give her seal of approval before Taylor marches into battle.
Full list of winners at the Billboard Music Awards 2015:
TOP ARTIST
Taylor Swift
TOP COUNTRY ARTIST
Florida Georgia Line
BILLBOARD CHART ACHIEVEMENT AWARD PRESENTED BY SAMSUNG GALAXY (FAN-VOTED)
Taylor Swift
TOP TOURING ARTIST
One Direction
TOP FEMALE ARTIST
Taylor Swift
TOP RADIO SONG
John Legend, 'All of Me'
TOP MALE ARTIST
Sam Smith
TOP RAP SONG
Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX, 'Fancy'
TOP BILLBOARD 200 ALBUM
Taylor Swift, '1989'
TOP DUO/GROUP
One Direction
TOP NEW ARTIST
Sam Smith
TOP BILLBOARD 200 ARTIST
Taylor Swift
TOP HOT 100 ARTIST
Taylor Swift
TOP DIGITAL SONGS ARTIST
Taylor Swift
TOP RADIO SONGS ARTIST
Sam Smith
TOP SOCIAL ARTIST
Justin Bieber
TOP STREAMING ARTIST
Iggy Azalea
TOP R&B ARTIST
Pharrell Williams
TOP RAP ARTIST
Iggy Azalea
TOP ROCK ARTIST
Hozier
TOP LATIN ARTIST
Romeo Santos
TOP DANCE/ELECTRONIC ARTIST
Calvin Harris
TOP CHRISTIAN ARTIST
Hillsong United
TOP SOUNDTRACK
'Frozen'
TOP R&B ALBUM
Pharrell Williams, 'G I R L'
TOP RAP ALBUM
J. Cole, '2014 Forest Hills Drive'
TOP COUNTRY ALBUM
Jason Aldean, 'Old Boots, New Dirt'
TOP ROCK ALBUM
Coldplay, 'Ghost Stories'
TOP LATIN ALBUM
Enrique Iglesias, 'Sex and Love'
TOP DANCE/ELECTRONIC ALBUM
Lindsey Stirling, 'Shatter Me'
TOP CHRISTIAN ALBUM
Lecrae, 'Anomaly'
TOP HOT 100 SONG
Meghan Trainor, 'All About That Bass' - WINNER
TOP DIGITAL SONG
Meghan Trainor, 'All About That Bass'
TOP STREAMING SONG (AUDIO)
John Legend, 'All of Me'
TOP STREAMING SONG (VIDEO)
Taylor Swift, 'Shake It Off'
TOP R&B SONG
Pharrell Williams, 'Happy'
TOP COUNTRY SONG
Jason Aldean, 'Burnin' It Down'
TOP ROCK SONG
Hozier, 'Take Me to Church'
TOP LATIN SONG
Enrique Iglesias feat. Descemer Bueno & Gente de Zona, 'Bailando'
TOP DANCE/ELECTRONIC SONG
DJ Snake & Lil Jon, 'Turn Down For What'
TOP CHRISTIAN SONG
Carrie Underwood, 'Something in the Water'
Music News
Tom Fletcher and his wife want more children.
The McBusted singer and spouse Giovanna are already parents to 14-month-old son Buzz and want to expand their brood before the little boy gets too much older.
Giovanna said: "I reckon we'll have a nice size family. Im one of three and Tom is one of two. My dad is one of four and my mum is one of six. But we're not going to have six children.
"I think I'd like them to be close in age. Me and my siblings had two to three-year gaps between us so we were always playing together."
And Giovanna thinks Tom would love their family to be joined by a "daddy's girl".
She told New! magazine: "He's protective of Buzz but I Think he would be [really protective] with a daughter.
"Buzz is a mummy's boy - he's quite clingy - so I think Tom would revel in the fact that a little girl would be a daddy's girl.
"[I don't know how a daughter would change things], it depends on the type of girl you have. When Tom's sister Carrie came along, she ruled the house.
"If we had a Carrie, the house dynamics would change completely. I'm just looking forward to having another little one."
Tom Fletcher wants more children
Tom Fletcher and his wife want more children.
The McBusted singer and spouse Giovanna are already parents to 14-month-old son Buzz and want to expand their brood before the little boy gets too much older.
Giovanna said: "I reckon we'll have a nice size family. Im one of three and Tom is one of two. My dad is one of four and my mum is one of six. But we're not going to have six children.
"I think I'd like them to be close in age. Me and my siblings had two to three-year gaps between us so we were always playing together."
And Giovanna thinks Tom would love their family to be joined by a "daddy's girl".
She told New! magazine: "He's protective of Buzz but I Think he would be [really protective] with a daughter.
"Buzz is a mummy's boy - he's quite clingy - so I think Tom would revel in the fact that a little girl would be a daddy's girl.
"[I don't know how a daughter would change things], it depends on the type of girl you have. When Tom's sister Carrie came along, she ruled the house.
"If we had a Carrie, the house dynamics would change completely. I'm just looking forward to having another little one."
Music News
Meghan Trainor cured herself of constant sickness by eating broccoli.
The 21-year-old singer has revealed she repeatedly fell ill before she adopted the nutritious vegetable into her diet.
She said: "I used to get sick a lot. I wasn't eating the best and not sleeping - so I started eating chicken and broccoli to clear my lungs, and I don't get sick anymore."
The 'Lips Are Movin' hitmaker added she needs all the energy she can get as her hectic schedule rarely allows her to take time off.
She told Top of the Pops magazine: "No one knows how hard we work. There's not a day off! I remember talking to Jessie J and she said she'd only had one day off in the last four months. I was like, 'What?' She was like, 'Yeah, but that's how we get to No. 1'."
Meghan also admitted that shooting to fame quickly has made it difficult for her to adapt to life on tour.
She explained: "Overnight I was a pop star, so instead of spending ten years learning how to tour, I had to jump right into it."
Meghan Trainor cured by broccoli
Meghan Trainor cured herself of constant sickness by eating broccoli.
The 21-year-old singer has revealed she repeatedly fell ill before she adopted the nutritious vegetable into her diet.
She said: "I used to get sick a lot. I wasn't eating the best and not sleeping - so I started eating chicken and broccoli to clear my lungs, and I don't get sick anymore."
The 'Lips Are Movin' hitmaker added she needs all the energy she can get as her hectic schedule rarely allows her to take time off.
She told Top of the Pops magazine: "No one knows how hard we work. There's not a day off! I remember talking to Jessie J and she said she'd only had one day off in the last four months. I was like, 'What?' She was like, 'Yeah, but that's how we get to No. 1'."
Meghan also admitted that shooting to fame quickly has made it difficult for her to adapt to life on tour.
She explained: "Overnight I was a pop star, so instead of spending ten years learning how to tour, I had to jump right into it."
Music News
Nadine Coyle's new album is "coming together".
The former Girls Aloud singer is hoping to release her second solo LP later this year and is very excited for her fans to hear the record.
She said: "It'll be out hopefully by the end of summer. It's really soon and it's all coming together well.
"When you start doing it, you don't know how long it's going to take. I'm so excited.
"I'm looking forward to seeing what everybody thinks."
When she isn't spending time in the recording studio, Nadine - who has 15-month-old daughter Anaiya with fiance Jason Bell - is "addicted" to watching reality TV but doesn't think she could take part in a show herself, despite having received many offers.
She told OK! magazine: "I love all those shows. I'm addicted - even when I'm in LA.
"I'll be thinking, 'How do I get 'Celebrity Big Brother'?' They asked me to go on 'Bear Grylls: Mission Survive'. Are you crazy? No way!
"I love watching them but I'm too afraid to do it myself.
"What actually put me off was that it was in Costa Rica and I'd been before - the mosquitos were crazy and I was in a five-star resort. If I couldn't deal with them then, how am I going to deal with them living in the jungle?"
Nadine Coyle’s new album is ‘coming together’
Nadine Coyle's new album is "coming together".
The former Girls Aloud singer is hoping to release her second solo LP later this year and is very excited for her fans to hear the record.
She said: "It'll be out hopefully by the end of summer. It's really soon and it's all coming together well.
"When you start doing it, you don't know how long it's going to take. I'm so excited.
"I'm looking forward to seeing what everybody thinks."
When she isn't spending time in the recording studio, Nadine - who has 15-month-old daughter Anaiya with fiance Jason Bell - is "addicted" to watching reality TV but doesn't think she could take part in a show herself, despite having received many offers.
She told OK! magazine: "I love all those shows. I'm addicted - even when I'm in LA.
"I'll be thinking, 'How do I get 'Celebrity Big Brother'?' They asked me to go on 'Bear Grylls: Mission Survive'. Are you crazy? No way!
"I love watching them but I'm too afraid to do it myself.
"What actually put me off was that it was in Costa Rica and I'd been before - the mosquitos were crazy and I was in a five-star resort. If I couldn't deal with them then, how am I going to deal with them living in the jungle?"
Music News
Janet Jackson has announced a comeback album and world tour.
The superstar - who turned 49 today (16.05.15) - surprised fans by posting a video on her Twitter last night (15.05.15), announcing her 11th album, which will be a follow-up to 2008's 'Discipline'.
Janet said: "I promised you'd hear it from my lips and now you will. This year: new music; new world tour; a new movement. I've been listening. Let's keep the conversation going."
The video was captioned, "My Conversation", and included the hashtag, "Conversations In A Cafe", which may be a reference to the name of the 'That's The Way Love Goes' singer's new album.
It was rumoured earlier this year that the sister of Michael Jackson - who recently moved record labels to Atlantic Records - would be releasing new music on 10 July, after the forum Janet.Club.com posted a photo of an album box with "reserve your copy today" written on it, in what looks like a record store.
The Twitter post accompanying the photo read: " @harmonicait ...Call the FYE in BKLYN and ask if Janet is in their release sched. They say yes. From the store... (sic)"
Janet still hasn't confirmed a release date for her new music.
Janet Jackson announces comeback album and world tour
Janet Jackson has announced a comeback album and world tour.
The superstar - who turned 49 today (16.05.15) - surprised fans by posting a video on her Twitter last night (15.05.15), announcing her 11th album, which will be a follow-up to 2008's 'Discipline'.
Janet said: "I promised you'd hear it from my lips and now you will. This year: new music; new world tour; a new movement. I've been listening. Let's keep the conversation going."
The video was captioned, "My Conversation", and included the hashtag, "Conversations In A Cafe", which may be a reference to the name of the 'That's The Way Love Goes' singer's new album.
It was rumoured earlier this year that the sister of Michael Jackson - who recently moved record labels to Atlantic Records - would be releasing new music on 10 July, after the forum Janet.Club.com posted a photo of an album box with "reserve your copy today" written on it, in what looks like a record store.
The Twitter post accompanying the photo read: " @harmonicait ...Call the FYE in BKLYN and ask if Janet is in their release sched. They say yes. From the store... (sic)"
Janet still hasn't confirmed a release date for her new music.