Summary

  • News updates for 28 March 2018

  • Queen biopic coming to cinemas a month early

  • Jack White announces free gig in London

  • R Kelly accused of grooming 14-year-old girl

  • Warning: Third party content, may contain ads

  1. Over and Over and Over and outpublished at 15:48 BST 28 March 2018

    This YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on YouTube
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.
    Skip youtube video

    Allow YouTube content?

    This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.
    End of youtube video

    So that's it for today.

    Scroll back down for news on the Queen biopic, The Weeknd, Reading and Leeds festivals and George Ezra in the Live Lounge.

    Good luck if you've headed to London Bridge (below) to try and catch that free Jack White gig.

    If, like us, you are still stuck in the office/college/car/place of business, then enjoy the above offering from his latest album.

    Back soon.

    This X post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on X
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip X post

    Allow X content?

    This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of X post
  2. Musician wins landmark ruling over ruined hearingpublished at 15:40 BST 28 March 2018

    Clive Coleman
    BBC legal correspondent

    Chris Goldscheider
    Image caption,

    Chris Goldscheider joined the viola section of the ROH orchestra in 2002

    A viola player who suffered a life-changing hearing injury at a rehearsal of Wagner's Die Walkure in 2012 has won a landmark High Court judgment against the Royal Opera House (ROH).

    The case, won by Chris Goldscheider, has huge implications for the industry and the health and safety of musicians.

    It is the first time a judge has scrutinised the music industry's legal obligations towards musicians' hearing.

    The ROH said it was "surprised and disappointed" by the judgment.

    It is also the first time 'acoustic shock' has been recognised as a condition which can be compensated by a court.

    Quote Message

    I'm just so overjoyed at the judge's decision and I hope it will prevent any more musicians being injured from today onwards

    Chris Goldscheider

    The Royal Opera House said it would "consider carefully whether to appeal the judgment".

    "We do not believe that the Noise Regulations can be applied in an artistic institution in the same manner as in a factory, not least because in the case of the Royal Opera House, sound is not a by-product of an industrial process but is an essential part of the product itself.

    Read more.

  3. 5 pop songs you (probably) didn't know were about Godpublished at 15:27 BST 28 March 2018

    Justin BieberImage source, Getty Images

    Justin Bieber is recording a religious concept album, at least that's what the Sun says, external.

    Apparently, the pop star is said to be on the lookout for songs with a Christian message after reconnecting with his faith through the Pentecostal megachurch Hillsong Church.

    Typically, religious themes are viewed as something of a pop turn-off, as the saying goes "the devil has all the best tunes".

    But, as BBC Music's Mark Savage reveals, there are plenty of examples of mainstream artists turning their faith into great pop songs.

    Check out his piece, to uncover five of the most surprising faith-inspired tracks.

    Like this one below. Biblical.

    This YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on YouTube
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.
    Skip youtube video

    Allow YouTube content?

    This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.
    End of youtube video
  4. Joan Baez shares moving new video and cover versionpublished at 15:16 BST 28 March 2018

    This YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on YouTube
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.
    Skip youtube video

    Allow YouTube content?

    This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.
    End of youtube video

    The legendary folk singer and activist has recorded The President Sang Amazing Grace - a song which was written following the 2015 Charleston church shooting in the US.

    Then-president, Barack Obama, delivered a tearful eulogy following the attack by Dylann Roof, which killed nine people at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church.

    Mr Obama led mourners in a spontaneous rendition of the hymn at the South Carolina funeral in June 2015

    An animated new video uses watercolor and pastel to render the former US President in Baez's version of the track.

    The song appears on Joan's new album, Whistle Down the Wind.

  5. Rocktopia fails to rock Broadwaypublished at 14:56 BST 28 March 2018

    Dee SniderImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Twisted Sister's Dee Snider will guest star in the production next month

    The classical masters defined music.The gods of rock defied all the rules.When their greatest works collide,

    a new revolution in music is born.

    So runs the promotional blurb for Rocktopia, a theatrical concert fusing rock and classical music, which opened on Broadway on Tuesday.

    But for all the hyperbole, so far critics are less than impressed.

    "The snippets from well-known classical pieces followed by bombastic renditions of overly familiar rock songs prove novel for the first few minutes. But over the course of two-and-a-half hours, it becomes a punishing exercise that will please neither classical nor rock lovers," wrote Frank Scheck, in the Hollywood Reporter, external.

    The Wrap, external describes it as a "misbegotten mash-up", while The New York Times , externalcalled the musical production "a cacophony".

    The production, which features five vocalists, a rock band, a symphony orchestra and a 30-strong choir, recently announced Twisted Sister's Dee Snider (above) as a guest performer in the fourth week of the show's 6-week run.

    It remains to be seen whether it will last that long...

    This YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on YouTube
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.
    Skip youtube video

    Allow YouTube content?

    This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.
    End of youtube video
  6. Watch George Ezra in the Radio 1 Live Loungepublished at 14:06 BST 28 March 2018

    This YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on YouTube
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.
    Skip youtube video

    Allow YouTube content?

    This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.
    End of youtube video

    The bass-voiced singer dropped by the Radio 1 studio on Tuesday to perform a song from his new album, Staying at Tamara's.

    It's on course to replace The Greatest Showman soundtrack at the top of the charts this week.

    George performed Paradise from the aforementioned album.

    He also did a cover of Rudimental's These Days, which got a thumbs up from the east London dance artists.

    The Budapest star is performing at the Swansea leg of BBC Music's Biggest Weekend in May.

    This X post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on X
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip X post

    Allow X content?

    This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of X post
  7. Sigrid premieres new trackpublished at 13:47 BST 28 March 2018

    This X post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on X
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip X post

    Allow X content?

    This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of X post

    Sound of 2018 winner Sigrid has debuted her latest track, the ballad I Don't Want to Know.

    “It’s definitely different than what I’ve been releasing before but I think this one shows even more what type of music that I love,” the Norwegian singer told Zane Lowe on Beats 1.

    It's on streaming services now

    This X post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on X
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip X post 2

    Allow X content?

    This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of X post 2
  8. Zedd composes music for National Geographic seriespublished at 13:29 BST 28 March 2018

    This YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on YouTube
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.
    Skip youtube video

    Allow YouTube content?

    This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.
    End of youtube video

    The producer, DJ and songwriter has teamed up with Will Smith and filmmakers Darren Aronofsky and Jane Root on a new 10-part series about the Planet Earth.

    His original composition Love letter to Earth soundtracks the above trailer for the series One Strange Rock.

    Zedd said he had "immersed myself in the visual spectrum" and was "inspired to take on a different approach by experimenting with natural sounds and exploring grand themes that are representative of the world around us”.

    Check it out - and judge for yourselves whether he has achieved his noble aims.

  9. Lorde does an A cappella take on Kanye's Love Lockdownpublished at 12:57 BST 28 March 2018

    Lorde shared her appreciation of local boy Kanye West when she played Chicago's Allstate Arena on Tuesday night.

    The New Zealander has paid tribute to a number of her local musical heroes while on tour in the US, including Frank Ocean, Prince and The Boss.

    Last night, the 21-year-old Royals singer delivered an A cappella version of Kanye West’s Love Lockdown - then married her track Liability with the chorus of West's Runaway.

    "It must be nice to come from the same place as Kanye West," she cajoled the audience.

    Listen below.

    This X post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on X
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip X post

    Allow X content?

    This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of X post
  10. Mike Shinoda and Maggie Rogers added to Reading and Leeds line-upspublished at 12:35 BST 28 March 2018

    This X post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on X
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip X post

    Allow X content?

    This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of X post

    On Tuesday's MNL, we reported the Linkin Park rapper was making his solo debut at a free show in Los Angeles.

    Let's be honest, it's a bit far to travel for most of us.

    Luckily, he has just been added to this year's R+L line-up, alongside Maggie and Sound of 2018 runner-up Rex Orange County.

    Check above for the full list of additions.

  11. Stars play dress up...published at 12:17 BST 28 March 2018

    We brought you that clip of Charli XCX in full costume as Ed Sheeran for the new series of Lip Sync Battles on Tuesday's Music News LIVE.

    What we didn't bring you, was her pal Rita Ora as a certain Scary Spice Girl.

    Check out both ladies in their costumes below.

    This X post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on X
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip X post

    Allow X content?

    This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of X post
    This X post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on X
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip X post 2

    Allow X content?

    This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of X post 2

    What remains to be seen is whether Ed can return the favour.

    Surely it's worth show producers trying to get that one booked in?.

    This X post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on X
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip X post 3

    Allow X content?

    This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of X post 3
  12. CCTV of Bowie's statue being vandalised is releasedpublished at 11:59 BST 28 March 2018

    Media caption,

    David Bowie: CCTV captures Aylesbury statue vandalism

    A CCTV camera, installed above a new bronze statue dedicated to David Bowie, has captured the moment it was vandalised.

    It happened fewer that 48 hours after it was unveiled in Aylesbury.

    We think he knew the camera was there, he seems to look right at it before he gets started.

    Vandalism or protest?

  13. Is a new album by The Weeknd on its way?published at 11:40 BST 28 March 2018

    The WeekndImage source, Getty Images

    The Canadian singer dropped a major hint on his Instagram account (below) with a single sentence.

    But what could it mean?

    This Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Instagram
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip instagram post

    Allow Instagram content?

    This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of instagram post

    Here are a few suggestions...

    1) A new album, perhaps called Indifferent?

    2) He's giving up Friday as a day of the week, leaving us just six days?

    3) There's a missing word 'by' - and he's just arranging to meet a friend that he's not really that bothered about seeing.

    Unless he is about to rewrite something given to us by the ancient Babylonians, our hope is that it is number one on the list,

  14. Sam Smith collaborates with rapper Logic on new singlepublished at 11:21 BST 28 March 2018

    Sam SmithImage source, Getty Images

    Sam Smith, who is currently on tour in the UK, has announced his next single will be Pray - featuring the US rapper Logic.

    The track, from his album The Thrill of It, has been remixed for its release date on Thursday, featuring a verse from the up-and-coming rapper.

    Logic is best known for his suicide prevention-themed single 1-800-273-8255 featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid.

    Sam called their collaboration an "absolute pleasure".

    On Tuesday night, he played the first of two dates at Manchester Arena. The UK tour ends on 10 April, with forthcoming dates in Dublin, Birmingham and London.

    This X post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on X
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip X post

    Allow X content?

    This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of X post
    This X post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on X
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip X post 2

    Allow X content?

    This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of X post 2
  15. #WhobitBeyonce actress comes clean...published at 10:54 BST 28 March 2018

    This Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Instagram
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip instagram post

    Allow Instagram content?

    This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of instagram post

    Yesterday, social media was awash with rumours of the identity of the actress who allegedly bit Beyonce on the face at a recent party.

    Now the culprit has stepped forward*, Buffy actress Sarah Michelle Geller posted the above pic on Instagram with the caption: "All right, I admit it. It was me #TheBiter, external"

    *she's probably joking.

    The mystery remains unsolved. For now.

    This X post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on X
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip X post

    Allow X content?

    This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of X post
    This X post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on X
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip X post 2

    Allow X content?

    This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of X post 2
    This X post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on X
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip X post 3

    Allow X content?

    This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of X post 3
  16. Queen biopic coming sooner than you thinkpublished at 10:26 BST 28 March 2018

    Queen, in 1976Image source, Getty Images

    Thunderbolt and lightning...

    The Queen biopic is coming to a screen near you this November.

    Bohemian Rhapsody has reportedly been bumped up the schedule to allow more time for the X-Men sequel. And who needs Magneto when you have Freddie?

    It comes after director Bryan Singer was replaced just three weeks before the end of shooting by the studio, which Singer claimed was "not my decision and was out of my control"

    "I wanted nothing more than to be able to finish this project and help honour the legacy of Freddie Mercury and Queen, but Fox would not permit me to do so."

    A Twentieth Century Fox source told the BBC the main reason for the firing was "a pattern of unreliable behaviour on the set".

    The film features Mr Robot’s Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury; former Midsomer Murders alumnus Gwilym Lee as Brian May; Ben Hardy - aka EastEnders' Peter Beale - as Roger Taylor and New Yorker Joseph Mazzello as John Deacon.

    Both May and Taylor serve as producers on the film.

    This X post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on X
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip X post

    Allow X content?

    This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of X post
  17. Jack White announces free gig in Londonpublished at 10:08 BST 28 March 2018

    Jack WhiteImage source, AFP

    Ahead of his show at the Garage in north London this evening, the former White Stripes frontman will play a free show this afternoon.

    It will take place at 1700 BST at The George Inn near London Bridge, one of London’s oldest pubs.

    The doors open at 15.30 BST on a first-come, first-served basis.

    His latest album, Boarding House Reach, was released last week and has been roundly praised, external by critics

  18. R Kelly accused of grooming 14-year-old girl in new BBC Three docpublished at 09:46 BST 28 March 2018

    R KellyImage source, Getty Images

    In a new BBC Three documentary, R Kelly: Sex, Girls and Videotapes, the filmmaker and former R Kelly fan Ben Zand aims to break down what he calls a “wall of silence” surrounding the singer's personal life.

    In the documentary, which airs on Wednesday, the R&B singer is accused of sexually abusing a girl since she was 14 years old.

    It's the latest in a string of allegations of the sexual abuse of young women by Kelly - whose name is Robert Kelly.

    The BBC Three investigation features an interview with his former girlfriend, Kitti Jones, who reveals the abuse she suffered while dating the singer from 2011 to 2013.

    She says she was part of R Kelly’s “sex dungeon", where R Kelly claimed to be "training" a girl aged 14 to be his sex "pet". Kelly has previously denied these claims, calling them false and defamatory. His representatives have not responded to current allegations.

    In the BBC documentary, Jones says Kelly was “very abusive, physically, mentally, verbally"

    She added: "I think he gets some sort of satisfaction within himself, knowing that he’s taking control over other people.”

    In 2008, Kelly was found not guilty of child pornography charges after he was accused of filming and photographing sexual encounters with a 14-year-old girl.

    The star behind hits include Bump n’ Grind, I Believe I Can Fly was one of the world's most successful R 'n' B artists, but has not had a top 20 hit since 2007.

    R Kelly: Sex, Girls and Videotapes is available now on BBC Three iPlayer

  19. Radio 1 to play more music from 'emerging artists'published at 09:28 BST 28 March 2018

    Greg James

    Radio 1 has been told that 50% of the songs it plays in the daytime must be "new music".

    The ruling came from Ofcom, external, which said "a significant proportion" of the music must come from "emerging UK artists".

    The watchdog also tightened up its definition of new music, which could result in a higher rate of turnover on Radio 1 and Radio 2's playlists.

    It stopped short of imposing tougher guidelines requested by the BBC's commercial rivals.

    Radio 1 and Radio 2 already exceed the targets - playing 54% and 28% of new music respectively.

    Read more

  20. Surprise!!published at 09:11 BST 28 March 2018

    Justin BieberImage source, Getty Images

    It's us again.

    We hope you're well-rested and ready to get cracking, back to a day of brand new music.

    Coming up... Radio 1 is ordered to play more 'new music' and BBC Three uncovers some disturbing new allegations about singer R Kelly.

    Plus, Simian Mobile Disco cancel a US tour due to a rare illness, The Weekend could be about to drop a surprise album, and following news that Justin 'be careful if the wind changes, your face will be stuck like that' Bieber is working on a new record about his faith - here are some other pop songs you didn't know were about God.

    Let's dance...