And what fun we have had, from introducing you to your new favourite neo-soul star-in-the-making Ruby Francis, to speculating wildly on who could take on the role of Marvin Gaye in Dre's proposed new biopic.

Plus we had a trailer for Macca's Carpool Karaoke debut, Will Ferrell mining Eurovision for comedy and new pictures of Abba in the studio.

We leave you with minutes to go before Poland take on Senegal in a Group H match at the World Cup. Derby grime star and former Newbie Tuesday Eyez has provided a freestyle for 1Xtra, based on the Polish team.

It's well worth a lookski.

Everybody's favourite female-fronted 90s Swedish indie rock band, The Cardigans have announced they will tour the UK later in the year to mark 20 years of their album Gran Turismo.

Nina Persson - who you may also know from the Manic Street Preachers track, You're Love Alone is Not Enough, external - and the band will head to Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham and London in December.

Check out Favourite Game from the classic indie album above and the tour dates in full below.

• Mon 3 December - Manchester O2 Apollo
• Tues 4 December - Glasgow O2 Academy
• Thurs 6 December - Birmingham O2 Academy
• Fri 7 December - London Eventim Apollo

The Cardigans' last music came in the form of 2005 album Super Extra Gravity.

The Bradford-born singer has been speaking to fashion mag GQ in his adopted home of New York City.

The former One Direction star is its latest cover star and as such can be seen donning a series of outlandish garments, like the snazzy little shirt/jacket combo above.

The 25-year-old recently broke up with girlfriend, model Gigi Hadid, but spoke highly of her, refuting claims the pair were only together for brand reasons.

"If a relationship is for your career, you can walk out the door. No way. See you later," he said.

"I'm really thankful that I met her. We're still really good friends, and we're still in contact.

"No bad blood [laughs]".

That would make a good title for a song.

Image source, Getty Images

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Image source, Getty Images

The first fans first heard about Beyonce and Jay Z's record was on Saturday night when video screens at their London Stadium gig flashed up the message: "Album out now."

Andre Lyon told Rolling Stone, external: "People were still recording parts an hour and a half before the last show in London.

"They were still putting last-second touches on."

Recording sessions took place in Paris and Cardiff as the couple rehearsed their joint On The Run II tour.

"Once [Beyonce] went to Wales, things really started to evolve," said Denisia 'Blu June' Andrews, who worked on six of the nine tracks.

"Us being there was key," added Andre Lyon who, as part of the production duo Dre & Cool, set up a recording facility backstage to "feed [them] beats every day".

He said: "[Beyonce and Jay-Z] don't have rules. No-one can get away with the things they do - and when I say get away with, I mean pull off."

Read more

Image source, Mike Peters

The Rolling Stones' return to Twickenham this evening is more than just another tour date - it's a rock 'n' roll pilgrimage five decades in the making.

Back in 1963, exactly 55 years ago to the day, the young band took to the stage just a short walk away from Twickenham Stadium, as part of their five-month residency at the Eel Pie Island Hotel - one of the birthplaces of the '60s revolution.

To mark the anniversary, those involved in the haze of The Stones' riverside gigs in south west London that summer speak to BBC News's Alex Taylor about their memories and explain just why it was so special.

To paraphrase a well known saying about the 60s, we think if they can remember it they weren't really there...

Read more

Kev Geoghegan
Music News LIVE reporter

North London neo-soul singer Ruby Francis is the first artist to be announced to play BBC Music Introducing's stage at the Latitude, external festival in July.

It could be the 24-year-old's biggest stage to date... she thinks.

"I'm not sure quite how big the stage actually is, I've never done a festival so this is quite exciting for me and the band, it's going to be a wicked day."

In fact, the gig will be unlike anything she has experienced so far, taking place on an outdoor stage surrounded by trees in Henham park in Suffolk.

"I've been to a few festivals but I've just never played at one, the festivals I've been to have felt really inspiring. But to be playing around nature is pretty cool."

Ruby first found her voice at the age of 11 when she learned how to play piano and began writing songs shortly afterwards.

What she can't do is pinpoint the record which made her decide she wanted to be a singer.

"It was probably something really cringey, do you remember Hear'Say? Probably one of theirs or the Spice Girls, even though my music now is nothing like that.

She has a point there, Ruby's inspirations come more from the classic R&B era (traditionalists are welcome to baulk at this) of the 1990s and artists like Lauryn Hill, Mary J Blige, TLC and Jill Scott.

"The inspiration came from growing up around it, my parents listened to loads of old school records from the 70s and 80s and then later singers like Erykah Badu and Jill Scott and D'Angelo.

"My dad's a bass player too, external and he's been really supportive."

Ruby's songs - which she writes and produces herself - share those signature harmonies of bands like En Vogue but crucially the layers of voices are all her own work.

"It's all me, I would love to work with other singers.

"Production's massively important to me, I produce or co-produce everything. I'm obsessed with harmonies and vocals, that's my thing, I go way overboard.

Ruby was BBC Music Introducing in London’s featured artist in April and supported Marie Dahlstrom at her sold out show at the city's Sebright Arms.

It's only been a few years since she played her first ever gig (outside of school) and she admits to being so nervous: "I couldn't even look up at anyone, I was staring at my feet but I wasn't expecting the turnout."

But since then she says that her stagecraft has improved considerably: "I've done so many gigs where I've been put on for a random support for an indie rock band so no-one is expecting me, with a mic and laptop but it's great to get you over that hurdle of being scared."

With potentially 35,000 music fans at Latitude, where the headliners include The Killers, Solange and alt-J, that's just as well.

Keep tuned to MNL tomorrow, where we'll have the other artists handpicked to play the Introducing stage.

Read more: Newbie Tuesday #31 - Shame are taking abuse (but not themselves) seriously

BBC Newsbeat

The pop rock band have been speaking to Newsbeat as the team behind the Brit Awards have announced £250,000 will be donated to charities which promote mental well being and music education.

The money will be spread between mental health charity Mind, The Brit School for Performing Arts and Technology and a new charity aimed at supporting music industry addictions and mental health, called Music Support.

Ashton Irwin from 5 Seconds of Summer said: "Artists can be some of the most depressed people.

"I'm glad that the awareness is being brought up and it just needs to spoken about freely by people who have experienced it and come out the other side.

"But you've got to listen to the person's lyrics... that's where you hear where they're really coming from."

Read more.

Paul Glynn
Music News LIVE reporter

Image source, Getty Images

We've heard it through the grapevine today (well Variety actually) that superstar rapper/actor/producer Dre has acquired the film rights to Marvin's music.

So we've been talking in the Music News LIVE office about who we'd like to see in the role of the late soul singer.

Here's some of the runners and riders...

Jamie Foxx won an Oscar in 2005 for his portrayal of R&B legend Ray Charles in another music biopic. If anything, his performance as Ray was so memorable that it could work against him being cast in the role of Marv too.

Foxx, like Dr Dre, bought the music rights to Gaye's back catalogue for a TV series back in 2016 but little has been heard about that project since, so he may decide to join forces with the hip hop legend.

Not only can he act but Jamie can certainly sing too, as Kanye West fans will testify., external

And if it's sex appeal you want in the role of the Sexual Healing star, then look no further...

Donald Glover - aka Childish Gambino - is the one of the most in demand entertainers in the business at the moment.

His stylishly politically-charged video for This Is America has been viewed almost 284 million -yes, MILLION - times now on YouTube.

When he's not spitting out arresting visual statements he's entertaining us with his comedy- drama series Atlanta (above).

As fictional rapper Paper Boi even points out to Donald's character, Earn, on the show, early on: "I need Malcolm [X] - and you're more Martin [Luther King Jr]."

Marvin loved to laugh and liked to get political too, on What's Going On, so the role could be made for him.

Lenny Kravitz may claim to have been denied a role in Big Little Lies because of the colour of his skin but he was reportedly one of the first names to be approached for the role of Marvin on one of the earlier failed attempts to bring his life story to the screen.

According to TMZ in 2012, external, Lenny was asked by Gaye's son and childhood friend Marvin III to walk away from the role of a lifetime after arguments over the script.

He then went on to act alongside Jennifer Lawrence in the Hunger Games.

Is Dre going to go his way this time around?

John Boyega is best known for his role as Finn in the 2015 Stars Wars film, The Force Awakens and 2017 sequel The Last Jedi.

The Londoner is now a household name in Hollywood, as he told Radio 1Xtra DJ Dotty (above) but it turns out he's a keen music fan too.

John's appearance in the music video for James Corden's parody of the Brandy & Monica track The Boy(ega) is Mine showed great promise.

We feel the music biopic force is strong with this one.

Image source, Getty Images

What about Dr Dre himself?

As well as producing Straight Outta Compton - the tale of his band NWA - we've seen Dre appear in films like Training Day, alongside Denzel Washington.

The rights to telling Marvin's story won't come cheap so it's obviously a labour of love for the rapper.

Tragically, Gaye was fatally shot by his dad aged 44 and while the rapper is a little older, 53, we think he could get away with it if he was to award himself with the lead role and the right camera angles.

John Legend and his wife Chrissy Teigen may have just welcomed another little Legend to their family but if paternity leave in showbiz is as short as is it is in reality then the singer/actor could be back to work sooner rather than later.

As well as being a world class crooner, he starred alongside Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in the Oscar-winning La La Land.

If anyone is fitting of the name Legend, then surely it's Marvin Gaye.

Last but not least...

Our wild card entry in the form of BBC Sports News presenter Hugh Woozencroft.

Hugh has demonstrated his ability to handle the big occasion, mingling with the stars while reporting on World Cups, Wimbledons and more.

His acting credentials have yet to be truly tested but like Marvin in his prime, he's looking to Get it On.

Oh and he's already nailed the beard.

Image source, Getty Images

Rock star Lenny Kravitz says he lost a role on the TV show Big Little Lies because producers felt uneasy about casting a black actor as a villain.

Lenny has told our music reporter Mark Savage he was "considered to play one of the husbands" in the drama, which revolves around three emotionally troubled women in suburban California.

Had he won the role, Kravitz would have been "the only black man on the show," he said.

"And the word that came back to me was that, if I was the only black man on the show, they didn't want me doing what it was that I would be doing."

Big Little Lies was one of the most critically-lauded dramas of 2017, dealing with issues like domestic abuse, with an all-star cast including Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman and Laura Dern.

Read more

The first trailer for his Carpool Karaoke, filmed in his native Liverpool has made it online.

Check it out above as James Corden fulfils the dream of every Beatles fans who has ever lived by singing along to their greatest hits next to the bloke that wrote half of them.

Interesting to see that James has handed over control of the wheel to Sir Paul.

Perhaps the road was a bit too long and winding for him?

James has been speaking to 6 Music about hanging out with Macca and the success of his series of automobile interviews and singing sessions.

Listen below.

Norway's finest is heading over here and you can check out the dates (above).

The tour is in addition to previously announced festival dates at TRNSMT in Glasgow and Somerset House in London in July, as well as the Reading and Leeds festivals in August.

Image source, Getty Images

The actor has apparently signed up to write and star in a film about the annual music competition for Netflix.

This year 43 countries competed in Lisbon with Netta from Israel bagging the trophy for her song Toy (below).

Will was spotted in the audience at Eurovision, where he watched various stages and was reportedly given the go-ahead to make the film by the organisers.

Read more, external

Variety

Image source, Getty Images

The rapper - who previously produced Straight Outta Compton, which chronicled the rise of N.W.A - has apparently secured the film rights to the Motown singer's music, according to Variety magazine., external

Gaye, who sang hits like I Heard it Through the Grapevine, Sexual Healing and Let’s Get It On, was fatally shot by his father in 1984 at the age of 44.

Previous attempts to tell his story on screen, by the likes of Cameron Crowe, James Gandolfini and Lenny Kravitz, all failed to get the official thumbs up from Gaye's family.

Jamie Foxx did land the rights for a limited series in 2016 but little has been heard about that one since.

So over to Dre.

Image source, Getty Images

As well as producing, Dre - whose real name is Andre Young - has also appeared in front of the camera in films like Training Day and Car Wash.

We'll have more on that one as soon as we know What's Going On.

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The Scots indie rockers were due to play the Robert Smith-curated even at London's Southbank Centre this evening.

The gig was cancelled following the death of singer Scott Hutchison in May.

His body was found near South Queensferry, almost two days after he was reported missing.

Scott - who had talked openly about his mental health and depression - had written a tweet before her went missing saying "I'm away now."

Tonight, the stage will instead be dedicated to a discussion - Mental Health And The Music Industry, external.

Panellists will include Kristin Hersh of Throwing Muses, Stefan Olsdal of Placebo and Christine Brown of music charity Help Musicians UK.

A statement from the Southbank Centre, external reads, “The music industry has seen a number of devastating losses of life in recent years, and ever-increasing numbers of musicians are speaking out in the media and in their songs about struggles with mental health.”

BBC iPlayer has just shared an archive session from Frightened Rabbit, filmed in November 2016, which you can watch above.

Image source, Getty Images

Animated heroes Gorillaz return next week with another new album, The Now Now.

Their 2017 record Humanz was a star-studded guest affair featuring the likes of Noel Gallagher, De La Soul, Vince Staples and Grace Jones.

The new one sounds like a more stripped-back affair, with actual human mastermind Damon Albarn taking centre stage once again.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, external, the former Blur frontman has bashfully warned fans not to bother investing in the record if - like him - they don't like the sound of his voice.

"My voice has gotten a lot better," he said.

“A lot richer and deeper, I think. [But] I wouldn’t say I like it. I’m permanently dissatisfied, period, with what I do.

Oh Damon, you had it all along.

It wouldn't be a Gorillaz record, however, without a little cameo or two, and they come courtesy of Snoop Dogg and 75-year-old jazz-guitar legend George Benson.

Check out album opener, Humility, featuring Benson, below.

Image source, Shutterstock

US rapper XXXTentacion, who quickly rose to fame with two consecutive hit albums, has been killed aged 20.

He was leaving a motorcycle dealership in south Florida on Monday when an armed suspect shot him.

Police in Broward County said XXXTentacion, whose real name is Jahseh Onfroy, was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

He was often described as one of rap's most controversial artists and was facing domestic violence charges.

Read more.

Kanye West described the rapper as an inspiration, adding: "Thank you for existing."

BBC music reporter Mark Savage has been looking back at the troubled talent of the volatile rap star.

Overnight, there was also news of another rising US rapper - Jimmy Wopo - who was killed in a drive-by shooting in Pittsburgh.

The 21-year-old, whose real name Travon Smart, was one of two victims.

The news was confirmed on Facebook, external by his manager Taylor Maglin.

He wrote: "I lost my brother today and it’s the worst feeling in the world. He was destined for greatness and he wanted the best for his friends, family and community."

Fellow rappers Mac Miller and Wiz Khalifa have paid tribute to Jimmy.

Well, we can't see any bell bottoms or sparkly platform boots but we'll take it on good faith that this picture does indeed show Agnetha and Frida recording one of the two new tracks the band have promised by the end of the year.

And where are Benny and Bjorn?

Click the arrow on the right to find them driving the studio desk.

The picture, on Abba's official Twitter account was taken RMV Studio Stockholm.

We know one of the songs, I Still Have Faith In You, will be performed by a digital version of the band for the BBC in December.

Morning all and welcome back to Music News LIVE.

We hope you've recovered from the excitement of England 2-1 win over Tunisia in Volgograd last night.

Sir Paul McCartney was certainly watching (above) writing on Instagram: "Thanks England for my birthday present!! Loved it!"

Coming up today:

• Reaction to the death of young US rapper XXXTentacion

• Damon Albarn on his vocal insecurities

• Lenny Kravitz reveals why he missed out on a TV role
• Abba share a reunion picture
• Dr. Dre is making a movie about a music legend

First up today though a preview of coming attractions from Little Mix and American electronic music DJ trio Cheat Codes.

The track will be available to hear in full before England's next game this weekend.