Music news

• Beyonce’s ‘The Lion King: The Gift’ Returns to Top 10 on Billboard 200 After ‘Black Is King’ Premiere

  09-08-2020 23:32
  
  Beyoncé’s The Lion King: The Gift album re-enters the Billboard 200 chart at No. 10, following the July 31 premiere of Black Is King on Disney+.
  The set earned 27,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Aug. 6 (up 1,462%), according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data.
  The album originally debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Aug. 3, 2019-dated chart.
  The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measure
  
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• Taylor Swift’s ‘Folklore’ Rules at No. 1 for Second Week on Billboard 200 Chart

  09-08-2020 23:30
  
  Taylor Swift’s Folklore holds atop the Billboard 200 albums chart for a second week, earning 135,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Aug. 6, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. The set is down 84% from its opening of 846,000 units – the biggest week for any album in 2020.
  The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. Units comprise album sales, track eq
  
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• Katy Perry Gets Surprise Visit From Orlando Bloom During Her Second #SmileSunday Live Stream

  09-08-2020 23:03
  
  With about three weeks left before the release of her new album, Smile, Katy Perry hosted her second #SmileSunday live stream on Sunday (Aug. 9), giving fans a sneak peek at what to expect on the upcoming release.
  During the approximately 45-minute Q&A, the 35-year-old pop star previewed new songs “Cry About It Later” and “Teary Eyes,” showed off some fancy lenticular album cover art, playfully teased younger fans about cassettes tapes and even got a surprise visit fr
  
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• Listen to Toots And The Maytals, Ziggy Marley and Ringo Starr team up on Bob Marley cover

  09-08-2020 22:28 via nme.com
  Toots And The Maytals, Ziggy Marley and Ringo Starr have teamed up on a new cover of a Bob Marley classic.
  The new collaboration, which will feature on Toots And The Maytals’ new album, also features Starr’s son Zak Starkey and Sly And Robbie’s Sly Dunbar.Read more: Oliver Stone on dropping acid during ‘Nam, his failed Bob Marley biopic and the psychedelic allure of Jim MorrisonThe musicians have put their own spin on Marley’s ‘Three Little Birds’,
  
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• Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA announces rescheduled ‘Liquid Swords’ 25th anniversary UK tour

  09-08-2020 21:17 via nme.com
  
  GZA has announced the rescheduled dates for his UK tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of his ‘Liquid Swords’ album.Read more: ‘Liquid Swords’ – Why GZA’s masterpiece hasn’t aged a dayThe tour was due to begin this March but was forced to be postponed by the spread of the coronavirus pandemic to Britain.
  The run of shows will now take place next year, kicking off in Brighton on February 25. GZA will stop at seven other cities on the tour, including a n
  
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• Britney Spears Makes Eye-Opening Discovery After Watching Tim Burton’s ‘Big Eyes’

  09-08-2020 20:35
  
  Britney Spears says she had a transformative experience — quite literally — after watching the movie Big Eyes.
  The 38-year-old pop star took to Instagram on Saturday (Aug. 8) to gush over her Tim Burton (her “favorite director in the whole world”) and his 2014 drama about American painter Margaret Keane, whose husband took credit for her popular big-eyed portraits of children in the 1950 and ’60.
  In her post, Spears first gives a short synopsis of the empowering fil
  
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• Jimi Hendrix’s ‘60s Japanese sunburst guitar sells for over £160,000 at auction

  09-08-2020 20:06 via nme.com
  
  Jimi Hendrix’s Japanese sunburst electric guitar that he used in the early ‘60s has sold for more than £160,000 at auction.
  The late star used the instrument after he was discharged from the army in 1962 and played it during his time in New York as a musician for the likes of the Isley Brothers.Read more: Inside Jimi Hendrix’s blood-spattered record collectionThe guitar was estimated to be worth $50,000 (£38k) before the auction, but was bought for a winning bid of
  
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• Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion set for highest new UK entry as Joel Corry and MNEK head stay firm

  09-08-2020 19:55 via music-news.com
  
  The new Official Chart: First Look, which airs on BBC Radio 1 today between 6pm – 7pm, offers a first glance of the Top 20 ahead
  
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• Fans Choose Diplo and Joji’s ‘Daylight’ as This Week’s Favorite New Music

  09-08-2020 19:30
  
  Diplo and Joji’s new song “Daylight” has topped this week’s new music poll.
  Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (Aug. 7) on Billboard, choosing the latest single from Joji’s forthcoming album, Nectar, as their favorite new music release from the past week.
  In the music video for their new collaborative track, Diplo and Joji work behind the scenes on a video shoot for an elderly boy band. The pair is tormented by a very tanned, waxed and demanding director be
  
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• Watch Metallica play ‘Creeping Death’ in lockdown rehearsal session

  09-08-2020 19:26 via nme.com
  Metallica have shared footage from one of their first rehearsal sessions since the coronavirus pandemic began.
  The band have stayed in touch and collaborated on new music over the past few months, but have been unable to get together in person because of lockdown restrictions.
  Read more: Metallica: 10 best videos
  Posting on their Instagram story last week, the group gave fans a glimpse into their return to the rehearsal studio. In the short clips, the band ran through ‘Creeping Death&rsquo
  
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• Selena Gomez to star alongside Steve Martin in new comedy series

  09-08-2020 18:50 via nme.com
  Selena Gomez is set to appear alongside Steve Martin in a brand new comedy series, it has been confirmed.
  The pop star and actor will join up with the comedy icon in Only Murders In The Building, a new show from Hulu.Read more: Selena Gomez – ‘Rare’: the quietly confident star wrestles back her own narrativeThe series was created and written by Martin and John Hoffman (Grace And Frankie, The Emoji Movie), and will also star Martin Short.
  According to The Hollywood Reporter
  
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• Zoe Kravitz Calls Out Hulu for Not Having Enough Shows Starring Women of Color

  09-08-2020 17:55
  
  Following the cancellation of Hulu’s rom-com series High Fidelity earlier this week, castmember Zoe Kravitz briefly called out the streaming service for not having enough diversity in its programming slate.
  The actress wrote in an Instagram thread, “it’s cool. At least hulu has a ton of other shows starring women of color we can watch. oh wait.”
  The comment came as a response to actress Tessa Thompson’s reaction to Kravitz’s Instagram post following the show&r
  
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• Simon Cowell Hospitalized With Broken Back After Falling Off Electric Bicycle

  09-08-2020 16:34
  
  Simon Cowell broke his back on Saturday afternoon (Aug. 8) while test riding his electric bicycle in Malibu, California, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
  The English record executive and host of America’s Got Talent is being treated in hospital and will have surgery.
  “Simon had a fall from his bike on Saturday afternoon whilst testing his new electric bike in the courtyard at his house in Malibu with his family,” a spokesperson for Cowell told THR. “He hurt his back
  
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• Jimi Hendrix’s Early Sixties Guitar Sells for $216,000 at Auction

  09-08-2020 16:30 via rollingstone.com
  
  Future guitar god played Japanese sunburst electric guitar as R&B sideman and fledgling rocker in New York City
  
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• Vote for Your Favorite Juanes Collaboration: Sebastian Yatra, Greeicy & More

  09-08-2020 16:00
  
  Juanes is a man who enjoys working by himself but he also jumps on the wave when it comes to the new music trends, such as collaborating.
  In his 2019 album, Mas Futuro Que Pasado, the Colombian artist experimented with new sounds without compromising his Latin alternative essence. He navigated through the worlds of cumbia, vallenato and guasca (traditional folk music from Antioquia) with his authentic base and elements of electric guitar, reggae, rock.
  He also recruited some of the hottest Latin
  
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• Michelle Obama shares new playlist featuring Arlo Parks, Little Simz, and more

  09-08-2020 15:30 via nme.com
  
  Michelle Obama has shared a new playlist on Instagram, inspired by the first season of her new podcast.
  Read more: Arlo Parks: “I feel like I’m 10 and 100 at once”
  The selection features tracks from recent NME cover stars Arlo Parks and Little Simz, as well as Jhené Aiko, Tierra Whack, and longtime friend of the Obamas, Beyoncé.
  The former FLOTUS captioned the Instagram post: “Excited to share with you a new @Spotify playlist inspired by the first
  
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• Cardi B says she’s spoken to Joe Biden and told him “we don’t want no false promises”

  09-08-2020 15:25 via nme.com
  
  Cardi B has revealed that she has spoken to Joe Biden and that she told him if he wants people to vote for him “we don’t want no false promises.”
  Read more: Cardi B’s team-up with Megan Thee Stallion is a truly filthy return
  Speaking in a new interview, the rapper, who released her new track ‘WAP’ with Megan Thee Stallion earlier this week, discussed the presumptive Democratic candidate, the upcoming election, and the urgent need to vote.
  Asked how she fe
  
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• See the Weeknd Play ‘After Hours’ Hits, Tease New Song During TikTok ‘Experience’

  09-08-2020 15:02 via rollingstone.com
  
  Doja Cat makes cameo during app's "first-ever interactive augmented reality broadcast"
  
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• Bruce Hornsby Looks Back on Jerry Garcia’s Last Days: ‘I Miss Him So Much’

  09-08-2020 15:00 via rollingstone.com
  
  The sometime Grateful Dead pianist recalls his final shows with the group and what made Garcia "a great hang"
  
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• 2 Chainz announces new album ‘So Help Me God’

  09-08-2020 13:52 via nme.com
  
  2 Chainz has announced that he’s working on his next album, ‘So Help Me God’.
  Read more: 2 Chainz – ‘Rap Or Go To The League’ review
  Speaking in a new interview, the rapper revealed that he’s working on a “full rollout” for his sixth studio album and that his “bars are up to par” on the new project.
  “You will be seeing a rollout from me,” he told The Breakfast Club. “Videos, all that shit been shot. Content in th
  
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• Madonna is working on a screenplay with ‘Juno’ writer Diablo Cody

  09-08-2020 13:26 via nme.com
  
  Madonna has revealed that she is working on a screenplay with Oscar-winning writer Diablo Cody.
  Read more: The Big Read – Madonna: ”People pick on me. That’s just the way it is”
  The iconic pop star announced the news in a short video posted to her Instagram on Friday (August 7) captioned: “When you’re stuck in a house with multiple injuries what do you do? Write a screenplay with Diablo Cody about…?”
  The line was followed by a string of film
  
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• Mika pens emotional letter to Lebanese people following Beirut explosion

  09-08-2020 13:08 via nme.com
  
  Mika has penned an emotional letter to the people of Lebanon following the giant explosion that took place in Beirut last week.
  The explosion, which happened in the Lebanon capital on Tuesday (August 4), has killed nearly 80 people and injured 4,000.
  The New York Times reported that the explosion was caused by a fire at a warehouse at Beirut’s port, and that “highly explosive materials” that the government seized years ago were found at the blast site.
  British singer-
  
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• Carole Baskin calls out Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion for “abusive” tiger scenes in ‘WAP’ video

  09-08-2020 12:42 via nme.com
  
  Tiger King star Carole Baskin has called out Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion for their use of big cats in the music video for new single ‘WAP’, describing the clip as “lurid.”
  Read more: Cardi B’s team-up with Megan Thee Stallion is a truly filthy return
  In a statement written to Billboard in response to the video, the Big Cat Rescue CEO said that on top of her concerns regarding the animals’ welfare when capturing the footage, she felt the clip coul
  
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• Black Country, New Road shares cover of Weezer’s ‘Say It Ain’t So’

  09-08-2020 12:08 via nme.com
  
  Black Country, New Road have shared a new cover of Weezer’s ‘Say It Ain’t So’ – you can watch it below.
  Read More: The NME 100: Essential new artists for 2020
  The newcomers, named among NME’s 100 essential new artists for 2020 at the beginning of this year, were supposed to perform at the Haldern Pop Festival in Germany this summer, but, like most festivals this year, it was cancelled due to the coronavirus.
  To fill the void left by the cancelled festival, org
  
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• Black Country, New Road share cover of Weezer’s ‘Say It Ain’t So’

  09-08-2020 12:08 via nme.com
  
  Black Country, New Road have shared a new cover of Weezer’s ‘Say It Ain’t So’ – you can watch it below.
  Read More: The NME 100: Essential new artists for 2020
  The newcomers, named among NME’s 100 essential new artists for 2020 at the beginning of this year, were supposed to perform at the Haldern Pop Festival in Germany this summer, but, like most festivals this year, it was cancelled due to the coronavirus.
  To fill the void left by the cancelled festival, org
  
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• MTV bosses pull Video Music Awards from Barclays Center

  09-08-2020 12:00 via music-news.com
  
  The show will be staged at various outdoor locations around New York City.
  
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• JoJo texted Demi Lovato for collaboration after she praised album

  09-08-2020 12:00 via music-news.com
  
  The remix of Lonely Hearts will be released on 28 August.
  
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• Foo Fighters scrap 25th anniversary tour

  09-08-2020 12:00 via music-news.com
  
  The rockers previously postponed the tour in light of the Covid-19 outbreak.
  
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• Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion fans demand Kylie Jenner is removed from WAP video

  09-08-2020 12:00 via music-news.com
  
  Despite the backlash, Cardi took to Twitter to shout out "every woman that was apart (sic) of my video".
  
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• Frank Turner 'nearly cried' when stepping into a music venue again after months

  09-08-2020 11:40 via music-news.com
  
  Frank Turner "nearly cried" when he walked back into a music venue for the first time in months.
  
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• Timbaland teases a possible sequel to Justin Timberlake’s album ‘FutureSex/LoveSounds’

  09-08-2020 11:36 via music-news.com
  
  The 48-year-old DJ and record producer worked with Justin on the acclaimed album - which featured hit singles ‘SexyBack’ and
  
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• The Vamps reveal their new album signifies their 'rebirth'

  09-08-2020 11:35 via music-news.com
  
  The British band - made up of Bradley Simpson, James McVey, Connor Ball and Tristan Evans - are gearing up to release their fourth studio album
  
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• Sideman quits Radio 1Xtra over BBC’s use of racial slur

  09-08-2020 11:16 via nme.com
  
  1Xtra DJ Sideman has quit the station following the BBC‘s use of the N-word in a recent news report.
  Sideman, whose real name is David Whitely, posted a video to Instagram describing the broadcaster’s “action and the defence of the action” as “a slap in the face of our community.”
  The announcement followed the broadcast of the slur in full during a report of a racist attack in Bristol. Despite generating more than 18,600 complaints, the BBC defended the use of
  
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• Kanye West “virtually certain” to be kicked off presidential ballot in home state

  09-08-2020 10:43 via nme.com
  
  Kanye West‘s presidential campaign has run into another obstacle as the rapping producer may not be allowed to appear on the ballot in his home state of Illinois.
  Read more: Inside the West Wing: What sort of President would Kanye West be?
  It was reported last month that officials in Illinois planned to review the validity of the signatures needed to secure West’s place on the November ballot.
  In order to be considered an Independent nominee, he needed to submit 2,500 written signatu
  
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• Simon Cowell hospitalised after breaking his back falling off bike

  09-08-2020 09:47 via nme.com
  
  Simon Cowell has been hospitalised after breaking his back falling off his new electric bicycle.
  The music mogul was trying out the bike in the courtyard of his Malibu home with his family when he fell off and injured himself.
  A spokesperson for Cowell said he was due to undergo surgery last night (August 8) and that he is under observation in hospital and is said to be fine.
  “Simon had a fall from his bike on Saturday afternoon whilst testing his new electric bike in the courtyard at his
  
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• Ellie Goulding: 'I made my father-in-law sob'

  09-08-2020 07:14 via music-news.com
  
  In the latest instalment of Apple Music's At Home With Session series Ellie Goulding covers Into My Arms by Nick Cave &
  
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• Mika Shares Letter to the Lebanese People ‘Devastated by the Apocalypse’

  09-08-2020 05:59
  
  A massive warehouse explosion in Beirut last Tuesday (Aug. 4) killed at least 157 people and injured thousands more, devastating the city’s port area. As investigators continue to comb through the rubble, protesters have vented their anger against the Lebanese government, accusing leaders of years of negligence in the storing of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate linked to the blast.
  British glam-pop star Mika (real name Michael Holbrook Penniman Jr.), who was born in Beirut and whose mot
  
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• The Weeknd previews new track during TikTok virtual concert

  09-08-2020 05:30 via nme.com
  
  The Weeknd has previewed an excerpt of a new track as part of his recent extended reality livestream held on TikTok last Friday (August 7).
  The show, ‘The Weeknd Experience’, was announced in late July and billed as a “live fan interactive & immersive XR moment”, where The Weeknd would perform tracks from his latest album, ‘After Hours’, as a digital avatar.READ MORE: The Weeknd – ‘After Hours’ review: his most all-encompassing record to
  
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• Miley Cyrus gears up to release new single, ‘Midnight Sky’

  09-08-2020 04:39 via nme.com
  
  Miley Cyrus has announced the forthcoming release of a new single, ‘Midnight Sky’.
  On Thursday August 6, the singer posted the news to both her Instagram and Twitter accounts, locking in a release date of August 14.
  “I know it feels like you’ve been waiting forever and ever …. but no more….. She is finally here,” Cyrus said.I know it feels like you’ve been waiting forever and ever …. but no more….. She is finally here.My new single
  
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• Snoop Dogg Crashed Chika’s Live Stream and Now She’s Going to Write a Country Song for Him

  09-08-2020 04:01
  
  Rising rap star Chika added an unexpected, but unbelievably welcome, guest on to a recent Insagram Live: Snoop Dogg. And she’s still reeling in the afterglow of the pure moment that was their virtual meeting.
  “What the f—, Snoop in here?” she said once she noticed he was viewing her stream. “What’s up? What you doing? Now I feel like I have to do something entertaining. I’ve just been sitting here talking shit, being dumb. But I can smoke in your honor.
  
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• Kehlani struggles not to feel 'guilty' over friends' deaths

  09-08-2020 02:15 via music-news.com
  
  Kehlani has discussed the impact multiple deaths of her friends has had on her life.
  
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• Carole Baskin Bashes Cardi B & Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘Lurid’ Music Video for ‘WAP’ & ‘Big Cat Pimps’

  09-08-2020 02:03
  
  Carole Baskin is not down for Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP” video, which features some exotic cool cats.
  The Big Cat Rescue CEO tells Billboard that the rappers’ use of big cats as props could be detrimental to them, particularly since it might “glamorize” the idea of having them as pets.
  “My guess is that most people won’t even see the Photoshopped cats in the scenes because the rest of it is so lurid,” Baskin, who became a househo
  
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• Listen to Doja Cat sample Paul Anka on doo-wop inspired ‘Freak’

  09-08-2020 00:05 via nme.com
  
  Doja Cat has made her 2018 track ‘Freak’ available to stream across all platforms – you can listen to it below.
  Read more: Orville Peck: “Female rappers like Doja Cat have a lot of cowboy energy”
  Channeling her inner Adina Howard, the rapper shares some of her deepest fantasies over a doo-wop track that takes its lead from Paul Anka’s 1959 track ‘Put Your Head On My Shoulder’.
  “I could fuck him in the rain, I could fuck him in the R
  
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