Music News

Cheryl Fernandez-Versini thinks Little Mix are "great".
The 'Only Human' singer is a big fan of the group's latest single 'Black Magic' because she believes the track to be the perfect example of how a pop song should sound.
She said: "There's still some great pop these days - look at Little Mix. Four weeks at number one, that's brilliant, and it doesn't get more pop than that."
At the launch of her latest fragrance, StormFlower Noir, at London's Aqua Nueva last night (18.08.15), Cheryl enjoyed a cucumber and rose martini, and shared her secret to avoiding a hangover.
Speaking at the event, she told BANG Showbiz: "I don't know what I'm drinking but it's quite strong. I won't change though, you should always stick with the same thing."
The 32-year-old beauty has been "more adventurous" when creating her new fragrance, which is her third and contains notes of orange blossom, rose petals, mandarin, pear and rhubarb, as well as brown sugar and sandalwood.
She said: "I've been more adventurous with the fragrance profile as I have gained more confidence in the creative process. I met with the perfumers in Paris and we worked hard to ensure this new fragrance was both sensual and addictive."
StormFlower Noir is available nationwide from today (18.08.15) starting at £23.95 for a 30ml bottle.

Lionel Richie has been named the 2016 MusiCares Person of the Year.
The 66-year-old singer will be honoured with the accolade next year in recognition of his extensive career with the Commodores and as a solo artist, as well as his tireless charitable efforts for causes including breast cancers, AIDS, poverty and human trafficking.
Speaking about the award, he said: "As far as I'm concerned, this is the highest honor in our music business because it means you have a career.
"You've survived the journey, if you will. The people who have been there defy categories. When you say Barbra Streisand, Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney -- are you kidding me? When I got in this business I wanted to be like them."
The 'All Night Long' hitmaker - who has sold over 100 million records during his career - will be celebrated at the 26th annual MusiCares benefit gala, which will take place two nights before the 58th Grammy Awards, on February 13 2016.
Along with the award presentation, a star-studded tribute concert will celebrate Lionel, with Pharrell Williams, Lady Antebellum and Luke Bryan already confirmed to perform.
The evening - which will also include a reception, silent auction and dinner - will be held to raise money for MusiCares, which helps musicians in need of financial, medical or personal help.
In 2015, the prestigious prize was presented to Bob Dylan, while other recipients in recent years include Barbra Streisand, Neil Young, Sir Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen.

Dougie Poynter has vowed not to duet with Ellie Goulding.
The couple have been dating for the past 18 months but have no plans to record a soppy love song together because the McBusted star said it could "destroy" the 28-year-old star's career.
Asked if they are going to collaborate, he told Notion magazine: "No I wouldn't want to destroy her career. You've never heard me sing solo."
However, the 27-year-old hunk has previously revealed they enjoy singing together in the comfort of their own home, just like he does with his bandmates.
He said: "We both play guitar, exactly what I do with my bandmates. We sit down and play together and, like, jam together and mess around."
And the 'Air Guitar' singer and his girlfriend are regularly praised for their effortlessly cool fashion, but he insisted he prefers the blonde beauty's outfits to his own and gets bored by the limited range of clothing available to men.
He added: "I'll have to say Ellie has better style. Girls have way more to choose from. Even, like, down to underwear girls have more to choose from. With guys, you either wear briefs or boxers, but with girls it's like a whole different world. If I was a girl I'd dress like her."

Mozez has announced the release of his new solo album.
The Zero 7 collaborator has revealed he will release his first album of original material in almost a decade, 'Wings' on November 6, with Mozez insisting the record is about "optimism" in society.
He explained: "The point of the record is optimism.
"There's so much frustration and trouble in society, but the future is what we as humanity make of it. We're in a state of metamorphosis, and my view is we can have a grand future if we can come to a collective consciousness."
The 12-song LP has already proved impressive with singles 'Wings' and 'River Run' but Mozez - who received rave reviews for 2006's 'So Still' - admitted he struggled to make the record because after completing one album, he scrapped it as it sounded too similar to his work with Zero 7.
He commented: "I needed to get my own sounds. I've done that, eventually."
And the star - whose real name is Osmond Wright - also revealed he decided to create a moniker for making music in the first place because he wanted a "different mindset".
He added: "It didn't sound the right name for an artist. I admire Motown, hence Mo, and I played around with that until I hit on Mozez. It's strange how a name gives you a different mindset. If someone calls me Osmond now, I feel like I'm doing business. As Mozez, I feel like an artist."

Ed Sheeran has topped Spotify's list of the most influential artists under the age of 25.
The 24-year-old star was the company's most streamed artist of 2014 and his ballad 'Thinking Out Loud' is also the most-streamed song of all time, thereby justifying his position at the top of the chart.
Second place on the list - which is is based on total streams, number one hits, and volume and growth of streams over the past 12 months - went to US singer Ariana Grande, with Britain's Sam Smith in third position.
Meanwhile, Miley Cyrus was named in fourth and One Direction - who were reduced to a four-piece band in March after the departure of Zayn Malik - were listed in fifth.
One prominent name who did not feature on the list was Taylor Swift, who decided to remove her hits from the streaming service in November last year, arguing artists were not being fairly rewarded for their music.
Taylor previously said: "I think there should be an inherent value placed on art.
"I didn't see that happening, perception-wise, when I put my music on Spotify. Everybody's complaining about how music sales are shrinking, but nobody's changing the way they're doing things."

Spotify's Top 10 most influential artists under the age of 25:

1. Ed Sheeran

2. Ariana Grande

3. Sam Smith

4. Miley Cyrus

5. One Direction

6. Disclosure

7. Selena Gomez

8. Rae Sremmurd

9. Demi Lovato

10. Fifth Harmony

Natalie Imbruglia has "started recording a new album".
The 40-year-old singer is currently promoting an album of covers titled 'Male', her first record in five years, but since getting back into the studio for the LP she had thrown herself back into original music and is already hard at work on her next album.
She said: "I've started recording a new album already. It's frustrating because I almost want to split myself in two; I'm promoting a new album but I'm also really keen on getting on with the next one. I feel a bit annoyed that I've broken that flow. The sessions have been so great that I don't want to lose what we're doing."
Natalie's last release was 2009's 'Come To Life', but she suggested her next record will have a much more "alternative" sound, drawing inspiration from Kate Bush and indie folk band Daughter.
She explained to the Official Charts website: "I guess this new album is a good segue between my older stuff and the future stuff. I've tried to identify what is it that I like in the music I listen to, which is much more alternative than what I put out. I try and communicate that to the songwriters and we've created a sound bed to work off, rather than writing songs with a guitar and tried to produce them later, which can be tricky.
"I'm inspired by acts like Daughter and Kate Bush. So far there are lots of electronic beats to it, but it's still very emotional and storytelling. It might well change, but that's where we are at the moment. We're just playing and it's a lot of fun. I'm excited!"

Jess Glynne rejected the opportunity to audition for 'The X Factor'.
The 25-year-old star has revealed she was approached by producers when she was 15 who begged her to try out for the singing competition, but she decided against the idea because she wanted to have full creative control of her career.
She explained: "I just wasn't really feeling it. It wasn't really me. It was a great thing to see but also a great thing to walk away from. I was quite an opinionated girl, I still am, and I know what I want so I don't think it would have been the right thing for me. Some people do need that platform, and for some people it's perfect because not everyone enjoys the creative part, the writing and making the music. But that's my favourite part."
Thankfully the 'Hold My Hand' hitmaker went on to sign a record deal with Atlantic in 2013 and will release her debut album 'I Cry When I Laugh' on Friday (21.08.15) and although she is thrilled to be doing what she loves, she admitted it does feel "weird" when she gets recognised while out and about with her pals.
She told The Independent newspaper: "I still get overwhelmed by it. I don't see myself as a famous person.
"It's really strange. I do find it quite uncomfortable, people staring at me while I'm having a drink with my mate. But of course I deal with it, it's fine. When people come up and tell me they're such a big fan, it's cool. But weird."

The Beatles' first recording contract has been put up for auction.
The document - which is being sold by the estate of late Beatles historian Uwe Blaschke, who died in 2010 - will be sold at New York's Heritage Auctions on September 19 and is expected to make $150,000 (£95,600).
The six-page contract was signed by Sir Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and original drummer Pete Best in Hamburg, Germany, where they honed their craft and created the single 'My Bonnie', and although the song was never a hit, their stint in Germany led to them signing to EMI the following year.
Beatles expert Ulf Kruger explained: "Not many people know that the Beatles started their careers in Germany.
"The Beatles had their longest stint in a club in Hamburg at the Top Ten Club. They played there three months in a row, every night. The style they invented in Liverpool, they cultivated in Hamburg."
Dean Harmeyer, Heritage's consignment director for music memorabilia added: "Without this contract all of the pieces wouldn't have fallen into place."
Other items of memorabilia from the band include a Swiss restaurant menu signed by the band while they were filming 'Help!' in 1965, valued at $12,000 (£7,650) and a 1962 copy of 'Love Me Do', estimated to be sold for $10,000 ($6,375), which was the first single recorded with Ringo after drummer Pete Best was dismissed.

Will.i.am is working on new music.
The 40-year-old musician jetted out to Los Angeles over the weekend to hit the studio and is intending to work with the "hottest" stars in music for his next record.
A source revealed: "Will is keen to get writing new tracks. He wants to collaborate with the hottest writers and artists on the scene."
The hip hop star released his fourth solo studio album '#willpower' two years ago - which included singles 'Scream & Shout' featuring Britney Spears and '#thatPOWER' featuring Justin Bieber - but more recently has been working with his Black Eyed Peas bandmates, apart from singer Fergie, with whom he started his career.
The band have already premiered songs 'Awesome' and 'Yesterday' so far this year to celebrate the group's 20th anniversary but Will is now looking to work on his own career as well, before he starts work on the next series of BBC singing competition 'The Voice', on which he is a coach.
The source told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "While he enjoys mentoring on 'The Voice', nothing compares to the feeling of performing in his own right.
"He's buzzing with ideas."