Wednesday, June 17, 2026

My Chemical Romance release live-favourite cover of Pulp’s Common People

My Chemical Romance have released their fan-favourite cover of Pulp's Common People. The bonus 2010 track, recorded for BBC...
Home Music News

Music News

Mariah Carey bringing nostalgia to Europe on Sweet Sweet Fantasy Tour


Mariah Carey has announced she is returning to Europe next year with her 'Sweet Sweet Fantasy Tour' - which she promises will provide her fans with some fun "nostalgia".
The R&B superstar has unveiled a host of 2016 dates and the concerts will be partly inspired by her 'Mariah Carey #1's' Las Vegas residency show, which concludes at Caesar's Palace hotel and casino next February and featured all of her chart-topping hits such as 'Hero', 'Always Be My Baby' and 'We Belong Together'.
Mariah will be researching which of her songs were popular in the different countries she is performing in and adjusting her setlist for each different nation she visits.
In an interview on 'Lorraine', she said: "I'm calling it the 'Sweet, Sweet Fantasy' tour, I wanted to give people some nostalgia - so that title is from my song 'Fantasy' obviously.
"The fans can expect lots of songs - I'm going to research what songs were big in what territories and then I'm going to sing those songs especially for those fans."
The singer can't wait to "be close" to her fans in Europe again as she cherishes the special bond she has with the lovers of her music all over the world.
She added: "I'm just trying to put on a really good show that people are going to enjoy and be close to the fans. Not everyone is so close to their fans but I have a very special relationship with my fans. I love all things pertaining to music and creativity ... everything is fun for me but I love being on stage."
The 'Sweet Sweet Fantasy' tour will visit six cities in the UK before heading to mainland Europe for stops in Luxembourg, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, France and the Netherlands.
The dates are Mariah's first on this side of the Atlantic since the European leg of her acclaimed 'Charmbracelet' tour in 2003.
The 'Sweet Sweet Fantasy" tour will also head to South Africa for its' conclusion for a few special performances.
Tickets for the South African dates go on sale at 9am and for Copenhagen at 10am on Thursday December 17.
Tickets for the remaining European dates go on sale from 9am on Friday December 18.
Visit www.mariahcarey.com/tour and follow Mariah on Facebook (facebook.com/mariahcarey) and Twitter (@MariahCarey) for more information and announcements on the tour.

Mariah Carey's 'Sweet Sweet Fantasy' European tour dates 2016:

Date Country, City Venue
Tue 15 Mar-16 Scotland, Glasgow SSE Hydro
Thu 17 Mar-16 UK, Leeds First Direct Arena
Fri 18 Mar-16 UK, Manchester Manchester Arena
Sun 20 Mar-16 UK, Birmingham Barclaycard Arena
Mon 21 Mar-16 UK, Cardiff Motorpoint Arena
Wed 23 Mar-16 UK, London O2 Arena
Sat 26 Mar-16 Luxembourg Rockhal
Sun 27 Mar-16 Belgium, Brusells Forest National
Tue 29 Mar-16 Denmark, Copenhagen Forum
Thu 31 Mar-16 Norway, Oslo Spektrum
Sat 02 Apr-16 Sweden, Stockholm Ericsson Globe
Mon 04 Apr-16 Finland, Helsinki Hartwall
Wed 06 Apr-16 Estonia, Tallinn Saku Arena
Thu 07 Apr-16 Latvia, Riga Arena Riga
Sat 09 Apr-16 Lithuania, Kaunas Kaunas Arena
Mon 11 Apr-16 Poland, Krakow Tauron Arena
Wed 13 Apr-16 Germany, Cologne Lanxess
Thu 14 Apr-16 Germany, Munich Olympiahalle
Sat 16 Apr-16 Italy, Milan Medioianum Forum
Mon 18 Apr-16 Switzerland, Zurich Hallenstadion
Tue 19 Apr-16 Austria, Vienna Stadthalle
Thu 21 Apr-16 France, Paris Bercy
Sat 23 Apr-16 Holland, Amsterdam Ziggo Dome
Sun 01 May-16 South Africa, Johannesburg Ticketpro Dome
Mon 02 May-16 South Africa, Johannesburg Ticketpro Dome


Fan-sourced Taylor Swift book set for release in 2016

Taylor Swift fans are being given the opportunity to contribute to a new book about the American superstar. To mark the 10th anniversary of her self-titled debut solo album, superfans of the 26-year-old beauty are being offered the chance to share the...

Rita Ora’s Google obsession


Rita Ora "used to be obsessed" with Googling herself.
The 'I Will Never Let You Down' hitmaker admits there was a point in her life when she looked up everything written about her but has since turned a blind eye to the "gossip side" of her life.
She said: "I used to be obsessed with it. I would Google my name and blah, blah, blah. But see, even talking about it now makes it a topic of conversation. The gossip side doesn't affect what I do.
"The personal stuff of actually, like, being in a relationship is what affects me. I don't expect anybody to understand my relationships, because they're not in my position in that moment, in that relationship."
And when it comes to relationships, Rita insists she is single and "in love" with her work.
She added to Refinery 29: "I'm in love with my work. It all started when I was on tour in Europe on my last album.
"I wanted to just put out new music, and I was, like, talking about being lonely and then finding a boyfriend at the time and being with that person for, like, a year and then slowly splitting up with that person. Basically, it's life, really."

Faithless’ low expectations


Faithless are "shocked" people still want to see them live.
The British electronica band recently played a few dates across the UK and admit they were shocked anyone actually came to see them perform.
Speaking to BANG Showbiz at the BBC Music Awards, Maxi Jazz said: "After such a long time, you wonder how many people are going to show up! I think people had gotten over it, long time. But it appears not.
"And that was really shocking, to see people going for it this summer the same way they were going for it like sixteen years ago. It's kinda crazy!"
And Sister Bliss also opened up about the group's latest remix album, 'Faithless 2.0', revealing they started "ringing round" to get people to remix their songs.
She explained: "I mean remixes, like our own music, it goes across genres. We've been bootlegged lots of times so it's quite nice to cure any of our own versions of remixes so, because I've been a DJ for 25-30 years, I crossed paths with a lot of people, had relationships with them, or people we admire along the way and people who said they had been inspired by Faithless.
"So we just started ringing round saying, 'Would you be up for remixing our tracks?' There is so much variety and strength in dance music at the moment, it's amazing to think we were kind of there pretty near the beginning of it."

Prince drops surprise LP ‘HitNRun Phase Two’


Prince has dropped a surprise LP.
The 'Purple Rain' hitmaker has debuted the 12-song album titled 'HitNRun Phase Two' exclusively on streaming service TIDAL, with subscribers getting an exclusive listen to tracks including 'RocknRoll Love Affair', 'Look At Me, Look At U' and 'When She Comes'.
Prince has been working on the songs for this album over the last four years, carefully picking ones which he thought fit together well.
A 16-member horn section - the joint ensemble of NPG Hornz and Hornheads - have provided their music stylings for the legendary musician's latest LP.
Meanwhile, the 57-year-old star previously revealed why he had chosen to release his music through Jay Z's TIDAL.
He shared: "After one meeting, it was obvious that Jay Z and the team he has assembled at TIDAL recognise and applaud the effort that real musicians put into their craft to achieve the very best they can at this pivotal time in the music industry.
"Secondly, TIDAL have honoured us with a non-restrictive arrangement that once again allows us to continue making art in the fashion we've grown accustomed to and we're extremely grateful for their generous support.
"And lastly, in the tech-savvy, real-time world we all live in today, everything is faster."

Johnny Marr put fashion first


Johnny Marr was too busy thinking about his trousers to form a new band.
The former Smiths guitarist thinks it is important to always consider shoes first when putting together an outfit, but has also spent hours deciding the best length and width of his legwear to complement his footwear.
He said: "Alec Guinness approached every role by first imagining the shoes the character would wear. He'd then go and find those shoes, in some cases having them made, wearing them and building the character from the shoes up. Who could argue with that?
"It doesn't end there, the shoes to trouser width and length axis is an important scientific consideration.
"I spent most of the 90s thinking about that, which is one of the reasons why I didn't form my own band."
While Johnny puts a lot of thought into his appearance, his guitar riffs haven't always required as much effort to create.
He told Q magazine: "If you're up at 3am and accidentally create two iconic guitar sounds that you're going to be asked to explain for 30 years, it might be an idea to write down what the hell it is you're doing.
"I've been asked about 'How Soon Is Now?' by guitarists and non-guitarists alike since the day it came out."

Jimmy Page to return to stage in 2016 with new band


Jimmy Page's new live band won't be "what people are expecting".
The Led Zeppelin legend says his new music will be nothing like the 'Stairway To Heaven' hitmakers and people can expect some "surprises" and songs from "different eras" when he goes on tour in 2016.
Talking about his upcoming new live setup, he said: "It's taken a long time to get to this point, but I want to do it properly. And there will be surprises - that's what I've done all the way through my career, really.
"There will be all sorts of material from different eras.
"Right across the board - that's the way I'm seeing it. But like I said, there will be surprises. It won't be entirely what people might be expecting."
The 71-year-old rocker explained the reason his solo LP and tour have taken so long is because of Led Zeppelin's reissue campaign.
But, when the live shows come around Jimmy will prepare in the same way he did for Zeppelin's show at London's O2 Arena in 2007, where they reunited for a one-off concert.
He told Classic Rock magazine: "The O2 was great and we worked hard on getting that right. I worked at home, with other musicians, before I got together with the other guys (in Led Zeppelin). And I'll do exactly the same thing next time, because the playing has got to be at least at that level as it was at the O2. I know how to go about it."

Noel Gallagher: I don’t need to be the best any more


Noel Gallagher doesn't think he has to be "the best" any more.
The rock superstar sees the music industry differently to when he first started off in Oasis in 1991 and after making music doesn't feel he needs to "prove" himself to anyone.
Talking about what motivates him to make music now, he said : "With all of that (20 years in music) behind me, though, I've come to approach music like this: I write all the time. When I write something that I think is good, I record it. Once I've got 12 together, I've got an album. Once I've got the album, I go and play it to the people - and, quite frankly, try and sell them some f**king T-shirts.
Then, I shall count the money when I get home, go on holiday for six months and start the process over. I don't feel like I have to be the best any more. Everything I ever wanted to achieve from being in a band, I was able to achieve in about six weeks."
The 48-year-old rocker has admitted that when he and his brother Liam Gallagher signed their first record deal in 1993 to Creation Records, he did develop a competitive streak because he wanted Oasis to be the biggest band in the world.
But once they realised that dream in the 90s he then lost his edge.
He told website Music Feeds: "I was never an idealistic young man. I didn't really want to change the world. I just had a knack for songwriting. When I got a record deal, though, something twigged. I wanted to be the best. Once we became the biggest and the best, the motivation kind of went. I felt like we'd proven ourselves."

Lady Gaga wins Woman of the Year at Billboard’s Women in Music event


Lady Gaga was named Woman of the Year at Billboard's annual Women in Music event in New York on Friday (11.12.15).
The 29-year-old pop star was introduced to the stage by her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, who recalled how the chart-topping singer learned to walk by holding on to the leg of the family piano, "and in the process managed to reach the keys".
Upon collecting the coveted gong, Gaga said: "Women provide a wisdom to music that is very unique and special.
"It is a perspective no one else can have because we bear life. And because we go through things no one else goes through. And because it's right. Because we're all equal."
The 'Bad Romance' hitmaker ended her speech by sending a message to all the people who doubted her along the way.
She said: "I couldn't wait to prove you wrong. Because I may not be a lot of things, but I can write songs, and I can sing."
Elsewhere on the night, American band Fifth Harmony - comprised of Camila Cabello, Normani Hamilton, Lauren Jauregui, Allyson Hernandez and Dinah Hansen - collected the Group of the Year award, while Tori Kelly was named the Breakthrough Artist of the Year.

Billboard Women in Music winners:

Selena Gomez: Chart Topper

Kelsea Ballerini: Rising Star

Fifth Harmony: Group of the Year

Loretta Lynn: Legend

Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard: Powerhouse

Missy Elliott: Innovator

Tori Kelly: Breakthrough Artist

Demi Lovayo: Rulebreaker

Lana Del Rey: Trailblazer

Lady Gaga: Woman of the Year

Must Read

Simon Le Bon explains how Duran Duran have stayed together

Simon Le Bon has explained how Duran Duran have stayed together for almost 50 years. The pop group has...

Queen legend announces new solo album

Roger Taylor has announced his seventh solo album Violence Insane In A Beautiful World, arriving September 18. Marking his...

Jay‑Z and Eminem receive first joint credit in 25 years on starry new Rakim album

Jay‑Z and Eminem are credited on the same track for the first time since 2001's Renegade. Details of a...