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Charli XCX teases ‘hyperactive’ third LP


Charli XCX has teased her third album will be "hyperactive" and "electronic".
The 'Boom Clap' hitmaker released her second major label studio record 'Sucker' earlier this year, but has already started working on her next project which she promised is full of energy.
She said: "[It's] definitely the most poptastic hyperactive stuff I've made."
The 22-year-old star - who jetted out to Los Angeles over the weekend to work on the collection - continued to say she has been inspired by J-Pop star Kyary Pamyu Pamyu while creating her new music, which has much more of an electronic edge than her previous albums.
She told Digital Spy entertainment website: "It's definitely much more electronic, the most electronic sound I've done.
"I'm very inspired by this girl Kyary Pamyu Pamyu."
The 'I Love It' songwriter also revealed she has recently been creating tracks for several more acts, but has been bound to secrecy regarding who she's been working with.
When asked if she's been writing for other artists, she told BANG Showbiz: "Yes, but I can't tell you who. I can't say who else!"
The news comes just weeks after Charli confessed she "would love" to write for controversial star Justin Bieber at some point in the future.
She said previously: "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?"

Frank Ocean records LP at Abbey Road Studios


Frank Ocean has recorded his new album at Abbey Road Studios.
Pianist Christophe Chassol revealed he worked with the 27-year-old singer at the iconic London studios on the making of his second album, 'Boys Don't Cry', which is expected to be released in July.
He revealed: "Ocean invited me to Abbey Road to record on his album."
The French musician continued to praise the 'Thinkin' Bout You' hitmaker and his quirky way of creating music, explaining he uses images and art to inspire himself while in the studio.
He explained: "The guy is smart. He's really smart. The way he works in the studio is really cool. He has a printer, he has a lot of pictures of architecture, contemporary art, a lot of pictures of different kinds of things. So we start to work on a track and he says, this track is this - that car that you can see.
"I've never worked with that much money in music. It's good sometimes to have money, because you can try things."
And he continued to reveal acclaimed producer Rick Rubin - who has worked with acts including Adele, Jay Z and Mick Jagger in the past - has also been instrumental in developing the forthcoming record, although Christophe didn't recognise the famed musician until he had left the studio.
Speaking on BBC Radio 6 Music, he added: "At some point, a guy came into the studio, a guy with a long beard. We start talking and then he leaves and they tell me it's Rick Rubin! I didn't know the guy! Sometimes I'm the only one who doesn't know the things."

Years and Years ‘hoping to write for Ariana Grande’


Years & Years want to write music for Ariana Grande and Take That.
The pop trio have revealed they aspire to write for a range of artists, with their top two being the 21-year-old R&B star and the British 'Patience' hitmakers.
Speaking to BANG Showbiz at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in Norwich, synth player Emre Turkmen said: "I'm hoping to write for Ariana Grande soon."
Bassist Mikey Goldsworthy added: "I'd like to write for Take That, we could do a collaboration."
However, frontman Olly Alexander admitted they have been so focused on making their debut LP 'Communion' - which will be released in July - they haven't had a chance to think about writing or recording with other acts.
He explained: "I'm always up for writing [songs for other acts]. I've written for other artists before, and I've done collaborations before, and it's always really ... I always find it fun if you have the time. It's a good exercise to make you write in a different way. But I've just been so crazy focused on getting the album done in the last few months so I haven't really thought about it, but I definitely want to soon, with whoever I think is cool."
Performances from BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend Norwich 2015 are available to watch on demand on Radio 1's BBC iPlayer channel.

Little Mix are ‘perfectionists’


Little Mix re-recorded their new album in its entirety because they're "perfectionists".
The British girl group - which is made up of Jade Thirlwall, 22, Perrie Edwards, 21, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jesy Nelson, both 23 - have not released an album since their 2013 hit 'Salute', and Jesy has revealed why they haven't brought out another record since.
She explained: "We've been away a while because we wrote an album, sat with the record label and we thought, 'Nope, it's not good enough'.
"We recorded a whole album but we're perfectionists and knew we could do better. So we scrapped it and started again.
"It was very stressful, it just wasn't happening."
Meanwhile, Jade said that their new album has a distinctly different sound to their previous release.
She told The Sun newspaper: "'Salute' was very R&B and dark, this album is more fun. And there's a lot of banter on it."
The new album features collaborations with the likes of Jessie J and Jess Glynne, and Perrie has predicted fans will enjoy what they'll hear.
She explained: "I think the Jessie collaboration is a song the fans will like.
"And a lot of the cheeky banter on the album comes from Jess Glynne, she's one of the most fun people to be around."

Will Young: Making an album is like a fermentation process


Will Young has likened making an album to a "fermentation process".
The 36-year-old pop star's new record is titled '85% Proof', and Will has revealed the name stems from a strong type of alcohol called Moonshine.
Recalling how the title came about, Will explained: "When they brewed it they wouldn't know how strong it was, so the only way they could tell was by drinking it, which at that level they got s**t-faced.
"I thought it was interesting that with listening to music, I don't know how good something is [until I try it], so it's like a fermentation process. It has to be tasted to be able to tell."
Will - whose last album 'Echoes' was released in 2011 - revealed his twin brother Rupert was central to the naming of his latest record.
He told Digital Spy: "It just caught my imagination, and I hate all of my album titles. Apart from 'Echoes' actually, oh and I like 'Friday's Child', but the rest sound like self help books.
"I just thought, 'Oh God here we go again - what am I going to say this time?' Then my brother sort of said, 'Well what about this?'"



Lewis Hamilton unsure of music future


Lewis Hamilton is unsure if he'll ever release his music.
The Formula One champion has been recording tracks ever since he built a home studio for his ex-girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger, and despite other acts gushing about his ability as a musician, he admitted he would prefer to write for other people than sing his own songs.
He told Evening Standard magazine: "I ... I don't really know. I just like doing it. I mean, if a song I did was good enough for someone to want to sing it, that'd be awesome. To be known as a writer, would be ... pretty awesome. But I'm going to try and get that third world championship and that takes priority."
Despite confessing his career as a race car driver is taking precedence over his music, the 30-year-old hunk was recently praised by 'All Day' rapper Kanye West, who said he, along with his wife Kim Kardashian West, are big fans.
He said: "It's so weird, so Lewis Hamilton's over at my house, right? And he starts playing music.
"We're having an Easter brunch and all of the family's there, my wife's family, my friends, everything. And he's playing music, and everybody's like: 'What is this music?!' and I'm like 'It's Lewis Hamilton's music.' They're like: 'Oh my god, I thought it was gonna sound like...' and I'm not gonna say the names of who they thought it was gonna sound like, but it's good. It's really, really good."

Melody Gardot eager for album release


Melody Gardot feels like she's "waiting for a baby to be born" with her new album.
The 30-year-old singer/songwriter is gearing up to release her fourth studio record 'Currency of Man' and said she's eager for the collection to be available because it's as if she's in the final stages of labour.
Speaking about the release, she told BANG Showbiz: "It's like waiting for a baby to be born, it's like, 'Get it out! Come on!' I feel like I'm on those last little labour pains in a way because we worked on this album almost a year ago, so now it's like an overdue thing. I'm happy that it's finally going to be in people's hands."
The 'Preacherman' singer's LP will be her first since 2012's 'The Absence', and although her previous collections have been critically acclaimed, she insisted this is her favourite out of all the albums she's made.
She continued: "It's my favourite one out of all those discs we've done so far. That's hard to say, but the reason is there's some things that we discovered in the process that I think are going to be formulaic for my later music."
Melody also spoke about what inspired the 10-track collection, saying she hoped to create "an anthem for every man" by taking influence from people who are rarely spoken about in society.
She added: "I was writing this record and I was like, there's so many beautiful people around and nobody is really paying attention, so these are songs for people that maybe in the grand view of society, people forgot, and it's nice to have an anthem for every man."
Melody's new album 'Currency Of Man' is out on 1 June on Decca.

Adele for Vegas residency?


Adele is in talks for a two-year residency in Las Vegas.
The 'Set Fire to the Rain' hitmaker, who is currently working on her new album after taking time off to raise her two-year-old son, Angelo, has reportedly sparked a bidding war between several hotels, including the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, The Venetian and Caesars Palace, and is in line to ink a $40 million deal.
A source told In Touch Weekly magazine: "The demand for Adele is off the charts.
"Everyone is dying to see her perform again. This could be the biggest deal ever put together."
The British singer, 27, hasn't toured in almost four years after being forced to cancel a series of shows in the US in 2011 due to vocal issues.
The 'Skyfall' singer was expected to bring out her third LP - the long-awaited follow-up to 2011's '21' - this spring but the release has been pushed back again following a number of delays.
A source previously said: "The album is currently scheduled for release in September.
"The most recent plan was for it to hit shops before the summer but that's now been scrapped. Adele's taking her time to make sure the album is perfect and doesn't want to compromise."

Brandon Flowers: The Killers need to find the ‘right groove’


Brandon Flowers says The Killers need to "find the right groove".
The 33-year-old singer, who is currently promoting the release of his solo album 'The Desired Effect', has confessed he would love to make another record with the band because he doesn't think their last album, 2012's 'Battle Born', was "good enough".
He explained: "It's not that I'm completely disappointed in it, but I feel like we could have done better. We just need to find the right groove and we all need to be on the same page. I don't know that we were on that record. It's tough. It's tough to get four people to, almost, share a brain. It doesn't always work out."
However, the 'Somebody Told Me' hitmaker claims his bandmates - Dave Keuning, Mark Stoermer and Ronnie Vannuci Jr. - weren't ready to go back to work after their greatest hits show at Wembley Stadium in 2013.
He shared: "I was feeling really excited about the prospect of what's next, but everyone else wanted to slow down a little and take some time out. So I made a solo record."
Despite insisting he would've liked to have made another album with them, Brandon admits it was easier working on his own as "it's more personal in a way".
He told Grazia magazine: "I don't feel as restricted or shy. Lyrically, I didn't have to get their opinion on anything."
Asked if he considers himself a workaholic, he added: "I guess. Some people would say that. It feels natural to me. It keeps me happy."

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