Music news

• Producer Dr. Luke accuses Kesha supporters of 'trial by Twitter'

  22-02-2016 21:10
  Pop star Kesha's former music producer on Monday hit back at a "trial by Twitter" social media campaign backed by some of the biggest names in the music industry over the singer's bid to extricate herself from a recording contract with a man who she claims raped and manipulated her. Taylor Swift has donated $250,000 to Kesha while Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson, Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande are among hundreds who have posted messages on Instagram and Twitter to the fast-growing #FreeKesha campaign.
  
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• Rihanna's Work music videos –  the five best moments

  22-02-2016 20:25
  
  Rihanna has released two videos for the same song – but in truth, they’re both a bit boring – though there are some moments to savour thanks to dirty dancingPop stars love a long video these days. In fact, Rihanna’s last one – the MegaForce-directed, blood-soaked revenge fantasy for Bitch Better Have My Money – was more than seven minutes long. Most of Lady Gaga’s post-Bad Romance and pre-jazz videos were more like mini-movies than three minutes of produ
  
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• Alesha Dixon laments 'heartbreaking' lack of arts funding that nearly crushed her childhood dreams

  22-02-2016 20:12
  
  The singer, whose parents couldn’t afford stage school, is now celebrating a £179 million investment into arts and sport by the National Lottery.
  
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• Yoko Ono: 'I thought my music was beautiful all along'

  22-02-2016 20:00
  
  She was subjected to decades of vilification. Now everyone from Gaga to Sparks are lining up to pay tribute. How does the 83-year-old artist feel about the world catching up to the Yoko Ono sound?Yoko Ono is giving me a demonstration of her vocal technique. Almost half a century after it was first unleashed on an unsuspecting British public – at a 1968 Ornette Coleman concert at the Royal Albert Hall, while John Lennon was away in India with the Maharishi – it’s still a hair-ra
  
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• Is Tidal sailing steadily, or headed for the rocks?

  22-02-2016 19:11
  
  Rihanna and Kanye West’s album launches were the big events the streaming service was waiting for – so how is it faring a year after the Jay Z takeover?It’s just over a year since Jay Z, via his Project Panther Bidco investment company, took over the streaming service Tidal. It has, frankly, been a rum old time for everyone involved. On the plus side, Tidal has managed to persuade some of the biggest acts in the world to back it and give it exclusives, doubling its subscriber b
  
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• Rihanna Couldn't Decide Which 'WORK' Video To Release So She's Given Us Both

  22-02-2016 18:42
  
  RiRi twerk twerk twerks up a storm with Drake...
  
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• Wait, So Stephanie Davis And Jeremy McConnell Are Still Together - According To Stephanie Davis

  22-02-2016 18:37
  
  WHAT IS GOING ON?
  
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• Has Kanye West killed off the album as we know it?

  22-02-2016 18:23
  
  He’s released The Life of Pablo digitally, but continues to tinker with it – much like a computer game upgradeOn 8 January, Kanye West announced via Twitter that his seventh studio album, then named Swish but now titled The Life Of Pablo, would be released on 11 February. That day, which was later punctuated by an album premiere event at Madison Square Garden, came and went, but the album was not available to stream or purchase anywhere, save for low-quality audio rips from the event
  
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• Tanya Burr, Nicholas Hoult And More Best Dressed Celebs At LFW AW16

  22-02-2016 18:18
  
  Give us all the clothes. Please?
  
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• Roy Harris obituary

  22-02-2016 18:10
  
  Folk singer who founded popular clubs in Cardiff and NottinghamIn the 1960s and 70s, the guitar was the instrument of choice for most folk singers, especially those earning their living from the music. Roy Harris, who has died aged 82, was one of the exceptions: he was a solo singer who preferred to perform a cappella, in much the way the older village singers in Britain had always sung. This style suited his approach to the songs, with an emphasis on the words and the story, and on encouraging
  
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• 11 Things You Should Know About The Brand New Victoria’s Secret Angel Josephine Skriver

  22-02-2016 18:05
  
  She’s so hot right now.
  
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• Students Are Swapping Drinking For Thinking

  22-02-2016 17:44
  
  Shout out to learning
  
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• FKA Twigs Unveils Fresh New Visuals For ‘Good To Love’

  22-02-2016 16:53
  
  Fresh from featuring in the latest #MyCalvins campaign alongside the likes of Justin Bieber and Kendrick Lamar, London born songstress FKA Twigs debuts the spellbinding visual for ‘Good To Love’.
  
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• Ren Phillips Releases Brand New Single ‘Blue Ruin’

  22-02-2016 16:46
  
  After delivering heaps of bangers over the past year, up and coming producer Ren Phillips unveils his latest release ‘Blue Ruin’.
  
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• The Round-Up: Chip Vs Yungen

  22-02-2016 16:36
  
  It’s been a pretty explosive weekend in the world of Grime….Unless you’ve been living under a rock or something, it’s absolutely certain that you would have managed to catch a glimpse the beef between both Chip and Yungen.Seeking to fill the gaps on what you’ve missed? Look no further, TWU have you covered…
  
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• Kim Kardashian Shares First Photo Of Saint West In Honour Of Her Late Father's Birthday

  22-02-2016 15:49
  
  And he's ridiculously cute.
  
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• V Festival 2016 line-up: Justin Bieber and Rihanna confirmed as headliners

  22-02-2016 15:38
  
  V Festival 2016 is shaping up to be a very star-studded event with Justin Bieber and Rihanna confirmed as headliners. The annual music festival will return to Chelmsford and Staffordshire to celebrate the best of pop music.
  
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• Brits Chairman Max Lousada's playlist: Adele, Kanye and Jarvis' Jackson invasion

  22-02-2016 15:16
  
  Ahead of this year’s ceremony, the Brit awards chief shares his favourite performances – from the bizarre and brilliant to the era-definingAdele – Someone Like You (2011)
  It’s the performance that fired the starting gun on Adele’s race to global success and changed pop culture in the process. Unforgettable. Continue reading...
  
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• Figaro Gets a Divorce review - Pountney's gamble pays off

  22-02-2016 15:15
  
  Millennium Centre, Cardiff
  Vivid portrayals and the theatricality of WNO’s production mean we care about these familiar characters propelled into current political instabilityThis final opera of Welsh National Opera’s Forever Figaro series is perhaps the strongest vindication yet of artistic director David Pountney’s policy of themed seasons. Going for a contemporary sequel to Rossini’s The Barber of Seville and Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro represents high stakes
  
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• BBCSO/Stenz review – Glanert's subversive Strauss celebration

  22-02-2016 15:06
  
  Barbican, London
  Splenetic woodwind solos and pulsing accompaniments were the order of the day in Detlev Glanert’s hugely energetic Frenesia, composed as a riposte to StraussLast month, the BBC Symphony gave the British premiere of Detlev Glanert’s Brahms-Fantasie, and another of Glanert’s tributes to one of his German antecedents was the novelty in the orchestra’s latest concert, which was conducted by Markus Stenz.Unlike the Brahms piece, though, Frenesia – compos
  
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• Vi Subversa: flesh and blood and punk

  22-02-2016 14:37
  
  In her 40s when she burst on to the scene with Poison Girls in 1976, Subversa was a powerful and inspiring embodiment of punk music and politics
  On Friday, Vi Subversa’s son Pete Fender posted this message on Facebook:It is with deep sorrow that I have to announce the mourning of my wonderful mum, Frances Sokolov, known to many as Vi Subversa, who has passed away peacefully following a short illness.We know that her death will come as a shock. Vi had recently celebrated her 80th birthday a
  
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• Ukraine's Eurovision Entry Takes Aim At Russia

  22-02-2016 14:27
  
  Ukraine will be represented at this year's Eurovision song contest by a Crimean Tatar who sings about her family's deportation by Stalin. Jamala was picked to represent the country with her song about the forced migration of hundreds of thousands of people from her Black Sea homeland, two years after Russia annexed the territory. The singer and one of the judges on the panel struggled to hold back tears as they talked about Russia's annexation of Crimea 70 years later.
  
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• Shuggie Otis review – R&B phenomenon radiates cool

  22-02-2016 13:49
  
  Koko, London
  Otis returned to his virtuoso guitarist days, launching stupendous solos on the back of soft-rock epics in a confounding but compelling showAt 62, Shuggie Otis remains one of rock’n’roll’s greatest enigmas. “Where’m I at?” he asks quizzically, once the initial applause has receded. In his pinstripes and fedora, he looks sharp enough not to have forgotten what city he’s in. But then he turns and repeats the question to his saxophonist. Termin
  
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• Scotty T's Ex Ashleigh Defty Spotted Arm-In-Arm With Stephanie Davis' Ex Sam Reece On Night Out

  22-02-2016 13:46
  
  So many reality TV crossovers…
  
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• Jeremy McConnell Confirms Split From Stephanie Davis As He Admits ‘The Pressure Was Just Too Much’

  22-02-2016 13:38
  
  They’ve even made it social media official.
  
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• Kendall Jenner Boldly Claims That Harry Styles Smells And Should 'Shower More' In KUWTK

  22-02-2016 13:36
  
  This is a bit awkward.
  
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• R&Bangerz

  22-02-2016 13:32
  
  R&Bangerz, the feature whipped up to round up some of the month's strongest R&B numbers. Who made the cut this time around? Think Zayn, think Tweet, think Mic Lowry...think Chris Brown.
  
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• Not talkin' bout a revolution: where are all the protest songs?

  22-02-2016 13:27
  
  From anti-Vietnam war ballads to miner’s strike songs, folk artists have long voiced counter­cultural anger. With so much ammunition today, could folk music be about to wake from its recent docility?Last November, the folk singers Nancy Kerr, Martyn Joseph, Sam Carter and Maz O’Connor went to Westminster to perform for MPs. Nothing so remarkable about that, perhaps, but what they were singing about might have made several of their audience a little uncomfortable. The musicians we
  
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• Loyle Carner review – soul-searching hip-hop with charged intensity

  22-02-2016 13:23
  
  Garage, London
  The fresh-faced British rapper’s unsentimental candour is coupled with a thrilling love for language and J Dilla-inspired beats‘Write what you know,” remains sound creative advice and Loyle Carner has certainly heeded it. This 20-year-old south London rapper, born Benjamin Coyle-Larner, is on stage for mere seconds before launching into BFG, a heartrending eulogy for his late stepfather: “Everybody says I’m fuckin’ sad, of course I’m fucki
  
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• Quiz: Is This A YouTube Sensation Or A Household Object From Across The Nation?

  22-02-2016 13:11
  
  1. Is this Zoella or an umbrella?
  
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• Caroline Flack Quits X Factor Following Rumours She'd Been 'Axed'

  22-02-2016 13:06
  
  Olly Murs has also stepped aside.
  
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• DJ Fen Links Up With Kit For 'Not Enough'

  22-02-2016 13:04
  
  Prepare yourself for some old school UKG for this one. South London singer-songwriter Kit Rice teams up with garage producer DJ Fen(one half of Ramsey & Fen) for a hefty slice of UKG.
  
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• L Martin of TRTT Unleashes Visuals For 'Winter Days In The West'

  22-02-2016 13:01
  
  L Martin of the TOORARETODIE camp, shares the visuals for his introspective track 'Winter Days In The West'.
  
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• Geordie Shore’s Kyle Christie Declares He’s ‘Single As F**k’, But What About Holly Hagan?

  22-02-2016 12:58
  
  The man has spoken…
  
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• Willow Smith Drops Soulful Track Called 'JIMI'

  22-02-2016 12:57
  
  There's something oh-so 'IDGAF' about the Smith siblings -- they just do exactly what they like. Willow Smith, the youngest of the children from Will and Jada Smith, shared a new track on Soundcloud called 'JIMI'.
  
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• Gigi Hadid's reaction to Zayn Malik's song about Perrie Edwards revealed

  22-02-2016 12:51
  
  Gigi Hadid is apparently a huge fan of Zayn Malik's new single, It's You. The 23-year-old singer debuted his new track from the forthcoming solo album Mind Of Mine, on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, which is seemingly inspired by his highly-publicised split from the Little Mix singer, Perrie Edwards. "She knows that every song on the album is important to Zayn and she is giving him his full support.
  
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• Taylor Swift donates $250,000 to support Kesha after contract ruling

  22-02-2016 12:35
  
  Kesha, whose attempt to escape a recording contract with Dr Luke was denied in a preliminary hearing, has been offered money by Swift ‘to help with any of her financial needs during this trying time’Taylor Swift has donated $250,000 to “help with the financial needs” of the singer Kesha following a court’s adverse ruling in the preliminary hearing of her case against Dr Luke.Related: Kesha denied legal request to escape contract with man she alleges raped herContinu
  
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• Kesha: Taylor Swift gives $250,000 to singer after Dr Luke lawsuit fails

  22-02-2016 11:54
  
  Taylor Swift has come to the aid of fellow pop star Kesha by donating $250,000 (£176,000) to the singer in the midst of her financial troubles. The gesture of support comes after Kesha, 28, was denied the right to leave her recording contract with Dr Luke, the music producer she has accused of sexual assault. Appearing at a court in Manhattan, New York, a judge rejected Kesha's request to end her contract with Sony and said that she was violating an agreement to record five albums under th
  
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• The 'Friends' Cast Finally Reunite As They Reveal Their Favourite Episodes

  22-02-2016 11:41
  
  Is it ‘all of them’?
  
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• Racy dresses worn by Beyonce and Lady Gaga to be auctioned

  22-02-2016 11:30
  
  A black and gray two-piece latex outfit worn by Beyonce and a black-fringed dress that Lady Gaga wore for a fashion shoot will go under the hammer in Los Angeles. Beyonce sported the titillating dress in her 2007 Green Light music video, while Gaga adorned the long sleeve dress for the Spring/Summer 2014 collection by Rein. Post filming, Beyonce said that working on the video was the toughest job she had done in her career, as she had severe blisters on her feet and muscle spasms after the 18-ho
  
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• The Weeknd Reveals How He Got His Name & Where That ‘E’ Went After All

  22-02-2016 11:29
  
  Abel opened up in a Reddit AMA...
  
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• Devlin Returns With Eagerly Anticipated New Track ‘B*tches’

  22-02-2016 11:17
  
  Check out B*tches here!
  
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• MM Share Their First Tune Of 2016 With ‘Things I Need’

  22-02-2016 11:12
  
  Check out Things I Need here!
  
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• Jamal Woon Gets Atmospheric On Latest Track ‘Stubborn’

  22-02-2016 11:06
  
  Check out Stubborn here!
  
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• Charli XCX: New Album Will Be "Really Groundbreaking For Pop Music"

  22-02-2016 11:00
  
  "I just want it to talk for itself. And it will."
  
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• The X Factor: Olly Murs quits as co-presenter amid rumours of Caroline Flack being sacked

  22-02-2016 10:56
  
  The X Factor has lost another member of its cas,t with Olly Murs announcing that he is leaving the ITV series. The Kiss Me singer co-presented the 12th season of the singing competition alongside Caroline Flack, but he has announced he is not returning for another outing in order to focus on his music career. In an interview with The Sun, Murs, 31, admitted that while he enjoyed presenting the series, his music suffered while also trying to juggle hosting the live shows.
  
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• Justin Bieber & Rihanna Announced As V Festival 2016 Headliners

  22-02-2016 10:56
  
  Little Mix, Jess Glynne and Sia will also perform.
  
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• Feder Picks Out His Top 10 Dance Floor Weapons Just For MTV

  22-02-2016 10:37
  
  Get schooled with tunes from Flume, Hot Since 82 and Erick Morillo...
  
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• Swift Supports Kesha With $250k Donation

  22-02-2016 10:17
  
  Taylor Swift has given fellow pop star Kesha $250,000 (£176,000) as she battles to get out of a contract with a record producer she has accused of assaulting her. A representative for Swift confirmed that the singer had made the donation in what she called a "show of support". Kesha, famous for her hits Tik Tok, Die Young and Timber, claims Dr Luke, real name Luke Gottwald, forced her to "take drugs and alcohol in order to take advantage of her sexually while she was intoxicated".
  
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• Justin Bieber and Rihanna to headline V Festival 2016

  22-02-2016 10:09
  
  As well as Sia, David Guetta and Bastille, Bieber makes his first proper headline appearance at British festival, while Rihanna returns after five years This year’s V Festival will celebrate its 21st birthday by enlisting pop titans Justin Bieber and Rihanna for its event. The first wave of acts are spearheaded by both the Canadian and Barbadian stars, who both perform UK exclusives at the festival this summer.Continue reading...
  
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