News updates for Wednesday 17 August 2016
John Newman 'fine' after being diagnosed with brain tumour
Taylor Swift donates $1m to Louisiana flood relief
Lady Gaga announces first lead film role and new single
Britney to perform at MTV VMAs for first time since 2007
We're off now, but it has been a busy one... scroll down for news of a new single AND a new film role for Lady Gaga, a health update from John Newman and news from Taylor Swift, Drake and Britney.
There's also new music from Regina Spektor, Lower Than Atlantis and De La Soul.
We'll be back bright and early tomorrow with a fresh selection of musical goings on - till then...
Image source, APAnd you can expect it some time in September.
Gaga made the announcement in a very colourful collage puzzle on her Instagram page, and also on her website, external.
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She's been working with names including Mark Ronson, Red One and Nile Rodgers on her new material and this will be our first taster of her new album.
Pitchfork confirmed, external Perfect Illusion is produced by Ronson, Gaga, Tame Impala's Kevin Parker and BloodPop.
Gaga is certainly keeping busy - scroll down for news of her first lead film role, alongside Bradley Cooper.
Image source, Getty ImagesHe's the man behind Broadway's smash hit musical, Hamilton. But now Lin-Manuel Miranda is trading founding fathers for mermaids, as he's teaming up with iconic songwriter Alan Menken to write the songs for the live action movie reboot of The Little Mermaid.
Menken wrote the songs for the original film - remember classics like Under the Sea and Kiss the Girl? He won Oscars for those too, so multi Tony-winning Miranda alongside Menken should be a golden pairing.
It's been reported that Miranda will also co-produce the Disney film and that he even called his newborn son Sebastian!
In the meantime, Miranda is set to star alongside Emily Blunt in Disney's Mary Poppins reboot.
James Woolley, who was once the keyboardist for the rock band Nine Inch Nails has died aged 50.
His former wife announced the news on Facebook, external.
Quote MessageJames passed away this weekend. I wanted our friends to know so you can please keep Brendan, Mary and Anne, the Woolley family and all his loved ones in your prayers.
Kate Van Buren, Woolley’s former wife.
Woolley suffered from significant spine and neck injuries but the cause of his death is unknown at this time.
He joined Nine Inch Nails in 1991 and left the band in 1994.
Image source, Getty ImagesCorinne Bailey Rae launches her six-part podcast series today, called The Heart Speaks in Whispers - the same title as her critically acclaimed new album.
The podcast will explore the themes and personal experiences which inspired the creative process behind her record.
Corinne will act as narrator, interviewer and guide, and "take the listener on a journey through topics such as the restorative power of nature, the therapeutic powers of music and the incredible ways we can control our own reality through our dreams."
She said of the podcast:
Quote MessageI wanted to do these podcasts to explore the themes of the album – how we respond to nature, what we can learn from listening to our bodies, paying attention to our dreams, following our instincts and being in the present moment. I talked with fascinating people about their lives, struggle and journeys and I was moved, inspired and intrigued by each speaker. There is something engaging in each of these podcasts. The heart speaks in whispers. We've got to listen.
Public Service Broadcasting love a space launch, now they themselves are on the launch pad for a whole science festival.
They've been confirmed as the opening night act for the 10th Manchester Science Festival, external.
The duo will perform their album The Race For Space in its entirety for the first time, backed by musicians from The Royal Northern College of Music at Manchester’s Albert Hall.
Instead of a support act J Willgoose, Esq from the band will be interviewed about his love of American and Soviet space race stories by Stargazing Live’s Professor Tim O’Brien.
Tickets go on sale at 10am. Friday. The countdown starts now…
Image source, UniversalHere's a treat for Regina Spektor fans awaiting the imminent arrival of her next album - she's covered George Harrison classic While My Guitar Gently Weeps for new animated film Kubo and the Two Strings.
The action-adventure is from the studio behind Coraline, ParaNorman and The Boxtrolls.
It features an epic all-star voice cast that includes Matthew McConaughey, Charlize Theron, Rooney Mara and Ralph Fiennes - with Art Parkinson, who plays Rickon Stark in Game of Thrones, as the voice of Kubo.
The film's out on 9 September but you can watch the video for Spektor's song right here...
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BBC Radio 1
Ahead of their main stage performances at Reading and Leeds later this month, Lower Than Atlantis have shared new track Work for It.
Rockers Mike and Eddie joined Annie Mac in the studio as it debuted as her Hottest Record.
"There is an album in the works," they admitted, telling Annie they were working to a "write three, record three" rule.
Listen to the track and the interview below...
Glass Animals also performed live for Annie from Maida Vale studios and you can listen back to the full show now.
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Here's a musical bromance we can get behind. As Drake continues to follow in the footsteps of Taylor Swift's star-studded 1989 tour, he's pulled out the big guns in Detroit - bringing one of the city's most famous residents, Eminem, out on stage with him.
Drake's already been joined by the likes of Rihanna, Kanye West and LeBron James - and last night Eminem rose from a trap door in the stage to perform Forever.
As reported by Pitchfork, external, Drake told fans "make some noise for the greatest rapper to ever get on a microphone".
While Eminem responded: "It’s an honour to share the stage with this man right here.”
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Following collaborations with Snoop Dogg and Little Dragon, De La Soul have shared the latest track from their forthcoming album, Greyhounds featuring the sultry R&B tones of Usher.
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The album and the Anonymous Nobody... will be out next month, with other guests including David Byrne, Damon Albarn, 2 Chainz and Jill Scott.
De La Soul recently told the BBC the "heart-wrenching" and "unfortunate" reason their classic albums are missing from streaming services and download stores.
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"Tell the people pls". That's what Calvin Harris tweeted when a dialogue started on Twitter pointing out that he sings on his tracks, Summer and Feel So Close.
He went on to add:
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The multi-talented music maker is doing pretty well right now - yesterday Forbes revealed him to be the world's highest-paid DJ from June 2015-2016, raking in a whopping $63 million. Kerching!
Organisers of Reading Festival say tickets for the August Bank holiday weekender have now sold out.
The event - headlined by Foals, Disclosure, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Biffy Clyro - takes place from Friday 26 August to Sunday 28.
Tickets are still available for the Leeds Festival, external though, which handily has almost exactly the same line-up...
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Image source, AP/Getty ImagesLady Gaga has told fans she's "elated" to bag a role in a remake of A Star is Born, starring alongside the film's director Bradley Cooper.
The film will mark Gaga's first lead role in a feature film, and follows a Golden Globe-winning performance in hit US TV show American Horror Story.
The singer will compose and perform new songs in the film too, which tells the story of an aspiring starlet's relationship with a leading man whose star is on the wane.
Previous versions starred Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand.
Gaga called Cooper - who makes his directorial debut with the film - a "brilliant visionary artist":
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Katy Perry given us a sneak peek into the making of her dramatic music video for her Olympics inspired track, Rise, which rose to the top of the US charts.
Shot in Snow Canton, Utah, the video features Perry attached to a giant parachute, in the red dirt of the Utah mountains.
"I have extreme OCD... So this is a very difficult shoot for me, to be dirty all the time," she reveals.
And after all the mucky work, here's the full video...
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Image source, Quincy JonesConductor Jules Buckley, who is curating next week's Quincy Jones Prom at the Royal Albert Hall, says the nerves are starting to kick in.
The event will celebrate the legendary pop producer's hits, from Michael Jackson's Thriller and Off the Wall to Jones's big-band work, jazz compositions and film scores.
And the 27-time Grammy-winner is coming to London to watch the concert.
"We had Thriller on in the car when I was three," says Buckley, a child of the 80s. "And then it was like, 'wow, he's an incredible big-band writer, too? What the hell?'
"He's a guru. He doesn't have an equal. There's no-one that comes close in the jazz and pop world, in terms of being a conductor, composer, arranger, producer, mentor, philanthropist. It's crazy."
It's a studio which has seen it all. Adele's tears when she heard Hello on the radio for the first time... Miley covering Summertime Sadness... Kim Kardashian even wants to take the lights home!
So here's a behind a scenes look at where all of that action takes place... a tour of the studio that's home to the Breakfast show and the famous Radio 1 Live Lounge...
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Gorgon City have shared the video for their new collaboration with Wyclef Jean, Zoom Zoom.
The colourful vid is a celebration of all things carnival...
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The boys have made no secret of their happiness at getting the chance to team up with the rapper...
Quote MessageWorking with Wyclef was amazing, after growing up on his and the Fugees' music it was pretty surreal... He is extremely talented and has insane ideas, we'll never forget it!
They'll also be touring the UK from 12 October, kicking off in Glasgow and finishing up in London.
Image source, APIt's fair to say Britney Spears and MTV's VMAs awards ceremony have history. She snogged Madonna there in 2003, got friendly with a snake in 2001 and in 2007 - well, she lip-synced badly through an underwhelming performance of Gimme More.
But... Britney's back! The singer's confirmed this year will be her first VMAs performance since that fateful night.
After being honoured with MTV's highest honour last year - the Video Vanguard Award - Britney will sing her current single Make Me... at the ceremony on Sunday 28 August.
Here's how she made the announcement (featuring her famous catchphrase for the easily offended)...
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After revealing last week that he'd been diagnosed with a brain tumour for the second time, John Newman has reassured fans that he is "absolutely fine".
The British singer - who was first diagnosed with a non-cancerous tumour in 2012 - said he hopes to bring awareness to the condition.
"Where I'm at with it is I'm absolutely fine...I'm being monitored," Newman told Reuters.
"I don't just want to be moping around worrying... I want people to know about (these) sorts of things. I want people to go...to the brain tumour trust and things like that and bring this awareness."
The 26-year-old, who collaborated with Calvin Harris on recent single Ole, said he would not stop making music "no matter how much radiotherapy" he had to endure - although he did add touring would take a back seat.
"I won't do any live shows because it takes it out of me too much to go through something like that. I say that [but] it'll probably come to the time where I'll miss it too much."
Image source, Getty ImagesTaylor Swift is donating $1 million (£770,000) to flood relief for the state of Louisiana in the US, after torrential rains caused massive flooding, killing at least 11 people and damaging tens of thousands of homes.
She said that she felt compelled to help having felt graciously welcomed when kicking off the US dates of her 1989 tour in the state last year.
Swift said in a statement:
Quote MessageWe began The 1989 World Tour in Louisiana, and the wonderful fans there made us feel completely at home. The fact that so many people in Louisiana have been forced out of their own homes this week is heartbreaking. I encourage those who can to help out and send your love and prayers their way during this devastating time.
Image source, AFPThe flooding is some of the worst in Louisiana’s history.
