Music News

Prince thinks it is a "bad time for music".
The 57-year-old musician - who is preparing to release his new album 'HitnRun' this month - has admitted he is not impressed with the current crop of pop stars as their music is not exciting enough.
He told the New York Post: "It's a bad time for music in general. There's not a lot of pop music in the mainstream that makes you feel scared, that makes you wonder what's happening.
"I'm not interested in what happened yesterday. There might be music that sounds like me, but what good is that? You're essentially in the feedback loop."
However, there are some younger artists who have impressed him, including his 'HitnRun' producer Joshua Welton.
He said: "I'm not the kind of person who's down on young people in music. Joshua is one of the new generation who can do multiple things.
"Janelle Monáe is making her own music industry with her music and her label. She's not afraid of anybody. One day, she's gonna be president and no one's gonna even know what happened!"

Rudimental could make a "reggae offshoot album".
The English drum and bass group - which consists of Piers Agget, Amir Amor, Kesi Dryden and DJ Locksmith - have enjoyed incredible success since their single 'Feel the Love' topped the UK charts in 2012, but have admitted they could soon take their sound in a different direction.
Speaking to BANG Showbiz, Amir shared: "We could easily do a reggae offshoot album or a hip hop offshoot album.
"We've done so many weeks in the studio where we've come out with bunches of songs that don't really fit the whole body of work."
Kesi said that although the group could continue with their drum and bass material, they're keen to branch out.
He explained: "We could easily release a reggae album. We spent a week in Jamaica in the studio out there, which was meant to be finishing off our album but we ended up just starting making reggae.
"We was in there with the likes of Max Romeo, Chronixx and Barrington Levy, some real legends in there, as well as some current artists, so it was amazing. And I think it's just a testament to how eclectic we are.
"We're so versatile, we don't just stick to making drum and bass or house tracks, we can hit the boundary."
To catch up on all the highlights from Fusion Festival 2015, tune into 4Music (Freeview 18, Sky 360 and Virgin 330) on Saturday 5th September from 3pm to watch 'Fusion Festival 2015: The Best Bits'.

The Rolling Stones plan to record a new album next year.
Guitarist Keith Richards is keen for the 'Brown Sugar' hitmakers to get back to work on new music, but he admits it is hard to persuade the rest of the group to get into the studio.
He told Entertainment Weekly magazine: "I'm trying to get the Stones into the studio. But I don't quite honestly see it happening this year.
"After we do South America in February and March [2016], I'd love to get in the studio in April. But I know what those guys are like. When they finish a tour, they don't want to do nothing!"
Keith is set to release his first solo album in 23 years, 'Crosseyed Heart' and admits the record was badly timed as the Rolling Stones came out of hiatus while he was working on it.
He said "I only do it when the Stones go into hibernation. Unfortunately, as I was recording this and had just finished it, the Stones came out of hibernation.
"I had it sort of sitting back there for a couple of years, waiting for the right time. Why should I clash with myself, you know? It was looking for the right spot and the right time. Because, when the Stones work, you know, hey, that's my numero uno!"

David Bowie is to write songs for the 'SpongeBob SquarePants' musical.
The 'Space Oddity' singer - who previously voiced a character on the cartoon in 2007 - will be joined by a host of stars including Cyndi Lauper, TI, The Flaming Lips, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, John Legend, Lady Antebellum and They Might Be Giants in contributing music to the Broadway show.
Nickelodeon's president of content development and production, Russell Hicks, told the Chicago Tribune newspaper: "All of those amazing composers are fans of SpongeBob."
"Music has always been an important part of the show and everyone saw this as a real creative challenge ... We have a story and a subplot, but it's all spiced with the particular flavourings of the SpongeBob universe."
The show will have an initial run in Chicago from June 7 to July 13, 2016, before heading to Broadway for 2016-17.
The show will be co-conceived and directed by Tina Landau, with a book by Kyle Jarrow and music supervision by Tom Kitt.
No cast members have been announced yet, but the director confirmed the actors will not be dressed in prosthetics.
Instead, they will take part in circus-style workshops to explore "how the human body can transform itself into cartoon-like characters".

James Hetfield thanked the "Metallica family" at the Reading and Leeds Festival.
The 'Whiskey In The Jar' hitmakers returned to the two location event after a seven-year-break over the weekend and during their 18-song setlist, which including massive hits 'One', 'The Unforgiven' and 'Nothing Else Matters', the frontman admitted the metal legends were "truly blessed" to have such loyal fans.
Speaking during their closing set at Leeds on Sunday night (31.08.15), Hetfield told the crowd: "We are truly blessed. Thank you Metallica family."
Hetfield addressed the crowd asking who their favourite act of the weekend had been and answered his own question with "Metallica".
He said: "Has it been a good weekend? What are some of your favourites? Metallica? Me too. But they're a bit heavy. Do you like it heavy? Do you want Metallica heavy?"
The band then brought 50 fans on to the stage and lead guitarist Kirk Hammett helped one play along to songs 'Fade To Black' and Seek To Destroy'.
They brought the festival to a close ending on an encore of 'Whiskey In The Jar' dedicated to "fallen soldier" Cliff Burton, their late bassist who died in a bus crash in 1986.
James declared: "This is going to make you bounce."
And ended with an explosive 'Enter Sandman' followed by a fireworks display.

Metallica's Leeds setlist:

Fuel
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Blackened
King Nothing
Ride the Lightning
The Day That Never Comes
The Memory Remains
The Unforgiven
Sad But True
Turn the Page
The Frayed Ends of Sanity
One
Master of Puppets
Fade to Black
Seek & Destroy

Encore:
Whiskey in the Jar
Nothing Else Matters
Enter Sandman

Dappy has three new N-Dubz albums ready to release when the band reforms to make them bigger than the "Black Eyed Peas".
The hip-hop group went on indefinite hiatus from November 2011 just a few months after parting company with Def Jam Records but reunion rumours have persisted for the past two years.
Now Dappy has admitted he has a host of songs ready to record with his bandmates Tulisa and Fazer and is desperate to reunite N-Dubz so the band can "finish what we started" because he is unhappy about the circumstances surrounding their split.
Speaking to BANG Showbiz at Fusion Festival, he said: "I'm going to bring back the dynamite trio that is N-Dubz and finish what we started. We'll be bigger than the Black Eyed Peas I reckon. I've got three massive records that I wrote for me and the group, so I'm just waiting for the right time."
While N-Dubz have been apart, Dappy has released one solo album 'Bad Intentions' and is due to bring out his second LP 'Miracles' later this year, but he only after he has topped the charts with a succession of singles.
The 28-year-old pop star is confident he will have several hits because he's recorded some amazing "raunchy club music".
Dappy explained: "I'm not releasing the album just yet. All I want is three or four consecutive hits for people to say, 'Wow, he's killing it at the moment.' Once I get that response, then the demand will be massive for my album and I'll do it ... I've got about eight massive, great records, and they're not just emotional, connecting records with the crowds, there's also a lot of sexual, raunchy type of club type music. They'll be thinking, 'He looks good, he's killing it right now!' I'm going to be huge this year. This year or the next year, I'm going to be massive."
Dappy was joined on the bill at Fusion Festival - which raises money for youth charity the Prince's Trust and is held in Birmingham's Cofton Park - by Rudimental, Labrinth, MNEK and Grammy Award winners Clean Bandit among others.
To catch up on all the highlights from Fusion Festival 2015, tune into 4Music (Freeview 18, Sky 360 and Virgin 330) on Saturday (05.09.15) from 3pm to watch 'Fusion Festival 2015: The Best Bits'.

Ed Sheeran's 'x' has sold over 10 million copies.
The 24-year-old singer took to Instagram to share the news that his second album had reached the impressive number of sales through physical, digital and streaming copies.
Posting a breakdown, he wrote: "Multiply hit 10 million sales this week. F**k yeah."
This comes after Ed performed the final UK show of his 'x' tour at Fusion Festival with Vimto on Friday (28.08.15).
He headlined the festival in Birmingham, England, after Justin Bieber pulled out of the slot, and played a 90-minute set, which was his only UK festival performance of the year.
He told the crowd: "This is my final UK show of this summer and this is the only festival show I'm doing!"
The fiery-haired superstar performed a flurry of his own hits which he mixed up with other classic tracks such as 'Feeling Good', 'Superstition' and 'I Can't Help Falling In Love With You'.
However, the 'Thinking Out Loud' hitmaker - who ended his set with the Pharrell Williams-produced track 'Sing' - was in for a surprise following one track after witnessing a brawl take place in the crowd.
Halfway through his set, he said: "I saw a fight break out in that. I think that's the first time there's been a fight break out in my show in a long time."

Miley Cyrus' new album "happened naturally".
The 22-year-old singer shocked fans when she released her new record, 'Miley Cyrus and Her Dead Petz', for free online on Sunday night (30.08.15), and the singer admits the more organic-sounding record is a big departure from 2013's 'Bangerz', but feels true to the way she feels at the moment.
She explained: "When I made 'Bangerz,' it was as true to me then as this record is now. It just happened naturally in my head. It's like anything -- styles just change."
The album cost Miley just $50,000 to make and was produced alongside The Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne. Her record label, RCA Records, didn't have any input in the process and the album won't be considered part of her discography with them.
Speaking about her transformation between her two albums, Miley said: "It's really scary. If one of my friends doesn't see me for two or three weeks, you have to re-get to know me in a way. My soul will still be the same, but everything around me can be different, and I won't dress the same and maybe different kinds of people will be around."
Miley's long-time producer pal Mike WILL Made It compared the young star to Madonna, who is also known for constantly evolving.
He told the New York Times newspaper: Why would she drop another 'Bangerz'? Miley is the new Madonna."

Matt Cardle believes Mel C has saved his life.
The 32-year-old singer - who shot to fame on 'The X Factor' in 2005 - credits the former Spice Girls star for helping him when he spiralled into drugs and alcohol addiction in 2013.
He told The Sun newspaper: "Lots of people picked me up from my lowest... that includes my family and Mel. I know where I went wrong and I know I'll never go there again."
The 'When We Collide' hitmaker previously revealed he was just weeks away from death and only realised he needed to seek help for his problems when he collapsed in the street, began stripping on a train and nearly choked on his vomit.
He said last year: "I was so out of it - I was like a zombie. "The doctor said to me if I'd been left to my own devices for another three or four weeks I might not be here now."
After four weeks in the rehab facility The Priory last year, Matt managed to curb his addiction and is ready to focus on his music career and personal life.