Music News

Ed Sheeran will refuse to go to the Grammys in 2017 if he doesn't win this year.
The 'Thinking Out Loud' hitmaker is up for two gongs at the annual ceremony - Song of the Year and Record of the Year - and whilst he faces stiff competition from the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Mark Ronson and pal Taylor Swift, the 24-year-old singer has given the organisers an ultimatum.
He is quoted by The Sun newspaper as saying: "I wasn't going to attend [this year] even after getting nominated, because I've been the last three years and always lost. I've known I'm not going to win so I get smashed before.
"But then it's going to be sod's law that this would be the year I get it if I didn't go. So I'm going to go and if I don't get it, I won't go again."
Meanwhile, Ed is currently in the first few weeks of a social media hiatus, having recently revealed he wants to stop "seeing the world through a screen" for the time being.
Taking to his Instagram account, he shared: "Hello all. I'm taking a break from my phone, emails and all social media for a while, I've had such an amazing ride over the last five years but I find myself seeing the world through a screen and not my eyes so I'm taking this opportunity of me not having to be anywhere or do anything to travel the world and see everything I missed.
"To my family and friends, if you love me you will understand me buggering off for a bit, to my fans, the 3rd album is on its way and is the best thing I have made thus far. See you all next autumn, and thank you for being amazing. Ed x (sic)"

David Bowie has died aged 69.
The 69-year-old singer passed away on Sunday (10.01.16) following an 18-month battle with cancer, his publicist has confirmed.
A statement posted on his official Facebook page read: "David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18 month battle with cancer.
"While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family's privacy during their time of grief."
David's filmmaker son, Duncan Jones, also confirmed the news on Twitter, sharing an old photograph of himself and his famous father.
He wrote: "Very sorry and sad to say it's true. I'll be offline for a while. Love to all."
The influential singer/songwriter - whose real name was David Jones - only released his 29th album, 'Blackstar', on Friday (08.01.16) to coincide with his 69th birthday.
The 'Starman' hitmaker is credited with being instrumental in the rise of glam rock and also dabbled in a wide range of other genres, including punk, electronica, rock, jungle, techno, dance and soul during his 40-year career.
His breakthrough came in 1972 with the release of 'The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars' and creation of his alter ego Ziggy Stardust.
His first major US success came in 1975 with the number one single 'Fame'.
He turned to acting in 1976 when he played an alien in 'The Man Who Fell to Earth', and he took on a number of other roles, most memorably in 'Labyrinth', as well as a well-received stint on Broadway in 1980 as the lead in 'The Elephant Man'.
In 2013 - 10 years after the release of 'Reality' - he shocked the world with a surprise musical comeback, releasing the album 'The Next Day'.
His last tour came with the 2003-2004 'Reality' tour and his final live performance was in 2006.
As well as Duncan, he is also survived by wife Iman and their daughter Alexandria 15.

Noel Gallagher will continue working until no one shows up to his gigs.
The Oasis frontman has no plans to make his exit from the music industry just yet and insists he'll be on stage until there is no audience members at his concerts.
When asked if he would be sad if he wasn't well known anymore, he said: "No. So long as I could still work. But I'd keep working until I did a gig that nobody turned up to and then I'd say, 'This is not just f***ing working anymore.' So there you go - I'm both."
And whilst most stars insist they haven't been changed by fame, the 48-year-old musician is hopeful the success has made him a better person.
He told The Sunday Times' Style magazine: "When people ask, 'Has fame changed you?', the s**t answer is 'No, of course it hasn't.' I always say, 'I hope it f***ing has!' Nobody could go through what I've gone through and not be changed. But the key is to recognise it.
"I go back to the same council house I grew up in to see my mum - she still lives there, my single bed is still in the same room with Liam's single bed - and I sit on that bed and think, 'This is where I played guitar for the first time.' But I'm not a professional working class person, and I can just as easily sit in my big house down here and think, 'This isn't because of anybody else it's because of all the practice I put in.' And I love it."

Carl Barât has a "deep bond" with Pete Doherty.
The Libertines rocker admits that the pair are incredibly close and feels they have been "through so much together" that he is happy to stick with Pete despite his struggles with drug abuse.
He said: "I can't say I don't have my own foibles. But we just stick with it really. We went through so much together and shared our perceptions of the world through our writing.
"I don't suppose we can find anyone else to perform that role. We always end up meandering back to one another. Even if there are various prisons and other organisations along the way. There's just a bond there that's very deep. I never thought I was being patient. It's just, what was the choice?"
The 37-year-old musician admits there were times when he tried to depart the group to "protect" himself but now believes it is a job for life.
He told The Independent magazine: "I tried to convince myself I was done with it to protect myself. But I think it's a lifelong thing. I have the name of the band tattooed on my arm, which is a constant reminder. I'm not going to tattoo "Debbie" over it or anything. Pete went at his with a knife but that didn't work."

Over 230,000 fans tuned in to see Lemmy Kilmister laid to rest.
The service for the Motörhead singer and bassist - which was held at Forest Lawn Memorial Cemetery in Los Angeles yesterday (09.01.15) - was livestreamed online so the 'Ace of Spades' hitmaker's fans could pay tribute to the musician, who tragically died in December only two days after finding out he had an "extremely aggressive cancer".
Tributes were made in the form of speeches by a number of stars but none were more poignant than Lemmy's son Paul, who praised his father's "free spirit".
He said: "He wasn't a religious man and praying for a miracle was something he would have viewed as a delusional act, but he was profoundly spiritual.
"Travel well, my dear father. You are back out on the road for a longest tour to the great gig in the sky."
The service paid homage through and through to the late rocker, with four amps adorning the altar and a bottle of Jack Daniels, a hat and a pair of cowboy boots placed on the coffin.
The congregation included the likes of Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon, KISS' Gene Simmons and Twisted Sister's Dee Schneider as well as Guns N' Roses' frontman Slash, who spoke of his "honour" to have known Lemmy.
In a speech, he shared: "Lemmy was somebody I just feel so honoured to have been friends with.
"He lived his life the way he wanted to ... his music and personality will last forever."
The ceremony ended with a round of applause as feedback from Lemmy's bass guitar, which was plugged into the amp, echoed around the room, a final and all encompassing tribute to the life of the legendary rock star.

Lulu had "so much fun" playing Glastonbury.
The 'Shout' hitmaker performed at the iconic music festival last summer and is still stunned by the great response she received from the crowd.
She said: "As I went on stage at Glastonbury, the roar from the crowd was deafening.
"I was very surprised as I didn't really know what to expect. It was just fantastic and I had so much fun.
"My younger brother Billy is a musician and he told me that all the angels were looking down on me because the sound was perfect, the lighting good and the crowd was fabulous."
And the 67-year-old singer has an extra special souvenir at home to always remind her of the occasion.
She told Britain's HELLO! magazine: "My daughter-in-law Alana took the best picture afterwards, of my son Jordan and I laughing backstage, and she made me a mug as a present for my birthday with the photo on it.
"On the back, it says, 'My mother just rocked Glasto'.
"I never drink out of a mug normally - I'm old-fashioned and like a cup and saucer - but I drink out of that mug every day now. I love it."

Sky Ferreira has issued an update on her delayed LP 'Masochism'.
The 23-year-old singer posted a lengthy statement on her Instagram account, where she said she's not going to put her new music out unless it's "honest".
She wrote: "I refuse to put out something that isn't honest. It's not something that I can force out. If I was to do it any sooner I either would have been compromising myself & anyone listening. I would have had to put out music that wasn't true or a message I would not want to put out into the universe (sic)"
And the synth-pop singer has promised her fans to expect the album to be released at some point this year and offered an apology for being "vague" about the tracks she's working on.
She added on the photo-sharing application: "I also know I've been really vague about my music so I appreciate the patience from some of you, she starts in the post, before confirming, I've been working on it the whole time & in 2016 you will hear it."
The follow-up to 2013's 'Night Time, My Time' has been in the making since July of last year.

The Spice Girls are still trying to "figure out" their reunion plans.
Mel B has been instrumental in trying to get the group - which also comprised Victoria Beckham, Mel C, Geri Horner and Emma Bunton - back together for their 20th anniversary this year, and though she confirmed talks are still ongoing, she doesn't want to "jinx" the plans by talking about them too much.
She said: "We're definitely in talks, but as to what actually happens, we'll see.
"We're trying to figure it out right now.
"I don't want to jinx myself, but I think it would be great if we got up onstage together. I'm kind of working on that."
Mel is very proud that she and her former bandmates are still friends.
She told heat magazine: "I think it's great we're still all friends 20 years on, and it just goes to show that we really are the poster children for girl power.
"We're five women from different walks of life and we've worked together, we support each other, we respect each other and we love each other. That's what women should do."

Kanye West's new album will be released on February 11.
The 'Only One' hitmaker's highly-anticipated LP, 'Swish', is set for release in just over a month's time, he has revealed.
Taking to Twitter, he wrote simply: "Swish February 11 16 (sic)"
Meanwhile, the 38-year-old rapper's wife Kim Kardashian West recently teased Kanye would be releasing new music every Friday via the microblogging site.
She tweeted: "Friiiiiiday!!!! New music!!!! #EveryFriday#Swish#RealFriends (sic)"
The message prompted speculation Kanye would release tracks from his upcoming album in the same way he did for his 2010 LP 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy', with new material uploaded online once a week in a series titled 'G.O.O.D. Fridays'.
The news comes after Kanye asked to be left alone until he had finished his LP.
He previously wrote: "I'm finishing my album and my next collection...no offense to anyone... I'm asking everyone DON'T ASK ME FOR ANYTHING TILL AFTER I'M FINISHED WITH MY ALBUM (sic)."
Meanwhile, Kanye recently defended his mention of LeBron James in his track 'Facts'.
He said: "The media tried to make it seem like I was downplaying LeBron on my song FACTS which I would never do, LeBron is fam bottom line (sic)".