Music News

Lorde and Imagine Dragons lead the way with the most nominations for the 2014 Billboard Music Awards.
The 17-year-old singer-songwriter and rock band each have 12 nominations each, while Justin Timberlake has 11, Katy Perry has 10 and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis have eight.
According to Billboard, the list is based on annual "key fan interactions with music, including album and digital singles sales, radio airplay, touring, streaming and social interactions on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, VEVO, Spotify and other popular online destinations for music."
Miley Cyrus, Luke Bryan and Bruno Mars are among the other nominated artists, as well as Beyonce, Eminem and One Direction.
The awards will air live on ABC from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 18.
All of the nominated acts released new material between March last year and March 2014.

List of main nominees for the 2014 Billboard Music Awards..

Top Artist
Miley Cyrus
Imagine Dragons
Bruno Mars
Katy Perry
Justin Timberlake

Top New Artist
Bastille
Capital Cities
Ariana Grande
Lorde
Passenger

Top Male Artist
Luke Bryan
Drake
Eminem
Bruno Mars
Justin Timberlake

Top Female Artist
Beyonce
Miley Cyrus
Lorde
Katy Perry
Rihanna

Top Duo/Group
Florida Georgia Line
Imagine Dragons
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
One Direction
OneRepublic

Top Billboard 200 Artist
Beyonce
Luke Bryan
Eminem
One Direction
Justin Timberlake

Damon Albarn is "sure" Blur will play live again.
The frontman releases his debut solo album 'Everyday Robots' this month but is still close to his band mates Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree, who helped him celebrate his 46th birthday on March 23, and he claims they will take to the stage again.
He said: "Graham was at my surprise party on Friday, along with Dave and Alex.
"Everything is good between us all. When you get to our age, you accept people for who they are, you know."
Damon insists it's "b****cks" that their planned appearance at Australia's Big Day Out festival later this year, which they pulled out of, was set to be their last gig.
He explained: "I said it's the last gig of a brilliant period we spent doing these gigs and we didn't want to sully it by going to something that was badly organised and where things weren't as they should have been.
"I'm sure we'll play again at some point. It'd be mad to go for the rest of our life and never play any of those songs again."
The singer also revealed he could record another Gorrliaz album with his music partner Jamie Hewlett as soon as "next week".
He said: "I can definitely see another Gorrilaz-esque record at some point, yeah. That will almost definitely happen. I could put a Gorrilaz album out next week, I've got enough stuff that I haven't finished. The only thing really that defines a Gorrilaz record in my head is when I just play most of it on keyboards.
"I've just been in Paris with Jamie Hewlett. There are points in everyone's relationship where they fall out with people that they're close to and then they reconcile, hopefully, and actually, you know, the relationship's probably in a healthier place as a result of that."

Jessie J wasn't embarrassed about singing about her belief in God on her track 'Thunder'.
The 26-year-old singer, who spoke about her religious beliefs in the 2013 song, claims it felt normal to sing about God then and although she doesn't feel the same way now, she doesn't regret the song.
Jessie said: "Selfishly, you never think about how other people are going to take what you're saying. From day one, I've only ever sung about what's in my heart or what's in my head and those things change.
"You don't even realise until you come away from it and look back at it and go, 'Wow, that time when I did that and sang about that, that felt normal.' And now it doesn't. You're constantly changing."
She said she felt like it was the "right time" to sing about believing in God but she didn't want to be too specific so everybody could relate to the song.
She continued: "Not everybody believes in God, so everybody can listen to that song and take from it what they want, but I knew what it meant to me."
Jessie thinks it's important for artists to be themselves and sing about what they want to.
She added: "You only get one chance ... especially as an artist, I think it's so important what your life is made of."
Jessie J headlines UK Live festival on June 22, 28 and 29 in Sunderland, Ipswich and Weston-super-Mare. For tickets visit www.uklive.co.uk.

Ed Sheeran has released the track listing for his new album.
The 23-year-old singer, who will release 'x' on June 23, the follow-up to his debut '+' in 2011, has posted the list of 12 songs on his new record in a photograph on Instagram today (09.04.14).
He captioned the image: "Album track listing. Pre-order goes up on Friday. (sic)"
The image has already had more than 100,000 'likes' from fans on the social media site.
He also posted on Twitter: "There is also a deluxe album with 4 extra tracks. Those are - Take it back, Even my dad does sometimes, Shirtsleeves and I see fire x (sic)"
Ed, whose new track 'Sing' from the album was played for the first time this week, had already revealed he's written a song called 'Don't' about an ex-lover, rumoured to be singer Ellie Goulding, who cheated on him in a hotel with his friend.
The lyrics include: "I never saw him as a threat, 'til you disappeared with him to have sex, and I'm downstairs at my party and you're upstairs doing that, that's disrespectful."
He adds: "We make money the same way ... you were looking for a lover to BURN."

Carl Barat has announced his first gig with his band The Jackals.
The former Libertines man recruited the group via Facebook, after posting an advert for a drummer, bass player and rhythm guitarist, and receiving more than 100 applications.
Carl wrote on the site yesterday (08.04.14): "Dearest friends, I wanted to thank those of you for your support through the process of me finding a new band using social media and even bigger thanks to those of you who auditioned.
"I've thoroughly enjoyed the entire process was overwhelmed by the calibre of musicians who applied; I really couldn't have asked for more."
The new line-up features frontman Carl, guitarist Billy Tessio, bassist Adam Claxton and drummer Jay Bone, who will play their debut show at London's XOYO on May 15.
Earlier this year, the former Dirty Pretty Things star revealed that he has recorded demos for the follow-up to his 2010 self-titled debut solo album with Johnny Marr, Andy Burrows and The Bronx's Joby Ford.
However, he insisted he wouldn't release any of the new material until he had formed a new band and played some live gigs.
Meanwhile, for the next few months Carl will be away filming his leading role in French movie 'For This Is My Body'.
His Jackals band mates will put the finishing touches to the album while he is away and the record will be released in September.

Sir Tom Jones will perform at this year's Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park.
The 73-year-old singer will join veteran metal band Black Sabbath, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, The National, McBusted, Little Mix, The Vamps and the Backstreet Boys between July 4 -13 in London.
Sir Tom, who will take to the stage as a headline act on July 13, said: "I love playing in Hyde Park, it's such a beautiful place and so many of the greats have played there.
"There is a real sense of musical history and a fantastic atmosphere that comes with playing in the middle of a great London park on a wonderful summer evening."
'The Voice' coach will also support Morrissey on tour in May with Sir Cliff Richard as the former Smiths man heads out on the road.
Sir Tom and Missouri singer Kristeen Young will open the show for the singer on May 10 at Los Angeles Sports Arena.
The 'Sex Bomb' singer will then be joined at Hyde Park by Scouting For Girls, Tom Odell, Lucy Rose, 10cc and the Bootleg Beatles and Ethan Johns, among others.
Tickets are on sale now, visit bst-hydepark.com.

Courtney Love insists she doesn't want to be a "rock 'n' roll cliche".
The Hole singer, who is the widow of late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, claims people expect "badass behaviour" from her after 15 years of crazy antics but she is bored of the stereotype.
She told NME magazine: "So I'll be that girl onstage, but I'm just over it. Taking my bra off and showing my boobs was fun for a while, but I'm 50 and I'm not gonna show my boobs.
"You'll still get the unexpected, but I don't really have the desire to be a cliche."
The 49-year-old singer insists just because she's not flashing her flesh doesn't mean she's a "boring old fart", it simply means she wants to focus more on the music and roll 'n' roll performance.
She explained: "That's where I put my energy. And I could use all that power and that energy for, at this age, good. And then I guess you are a boring old fart, but - guess what - it's doesn't mean that you can't play rock."
Courtney will tour the UK next month as a solo artist and is back with new track 'Wedding Day', while there are also rumours she could reform with her Hole band mates in coming months.

Ed Sheeran admits his track about an ex-girlfriend came about after she ditched him for his friend.
The 'Drunk' singer, who will release his second album 'x' in June, has written a track titled 'Don't' about a bad experience with a former lover, which he claims is "100 per cent true".
Ed told Billboard magazine: "I could have gotten nastier ... there was more s**t that I didn't put in.
"I was seeing someone for a bit of time, and then they ended up physically involved with one of my friends in the same hotel that we were staying in, while I was downstairs. And I feel like, 'Treat people how you want to be treated'."
The 23-year-old singer also revealed Justin Timberlake was "pretty close to a direct inspiration" for his new track 'Sing'.
He explained: "I love Justified and FutureSex/LoveSounds, so I took inspiration from those."
Talking about the follow-up to 2011's '+', he added: "The last album was more young and dewy-eyed and innocent. I've still got very nice songs on this record. But some of them are bite-y."

Jessie J has admitted her last album wasn't successful.
The 26-year-old singer released 'Alive' in September 2013, and though it debuted at number three in the UK charts, it rapidly fell down the top 40, and its singles also struggled, with her most recent, 'Thunder', peaking at number 13, so she is planning to release new music as soon as possible in order to get her career back on track.
Jessie - whose debut album 'Who You Are' went four times platinum and sparked two number one singles - said: "I'm very aware of how 'Alive' sold, which is why right now I'm working on new music to be put out ASAP.
"I'm a businesswoman as well as an artist and I'm aware 'Alive' didn't do as well as 'Who You Are', but that doesn't mean I'm a flop."
The 'Nobody's Perfect' singer is now "re-evaluating" herself in order to ensure her third album is more successful, and she insists she isn't too upset about her recent chart performance.
She added to The Sun newspaper: "It doesn't mean I'm not talented. It just means I have to re-evaluate what's going on in my life and what I can improve. It's funny that people tell me like I wouldn't see it.
"One year Yves Saint Laurent is the biggest-selling clothing line and the next it's D&G. You can't be the person at the top all the time."