We'll leave you today with one of Kanye's latest musings.

If you're feeling like you haven't yet made it to your goal, just look at the generously moustached guy in the picture (above) ... he did alright.

Love the position: "Musician/star". It's all about self-belief...

Now that you're all motivated, scroll down for plenty of news from the Biggest Weekend, which keeps getting bigger, wider and longer, reaction to Beyonce's blistering #Beychella sets from a special VIP who shared the stage with her and the nominations for this year's Ivor Novello Awards for songwriting.

Plus a controversy-courting Newbie Tuesday from Sweden.

See you tomorrow for more.

Kurt has let his Courtney go (musically speaking) and got back together with his Violaters.

The band have just announced some UK/Ireland tour dates for November, kicking off in Brighton and ending in Dublin.

Check out the dates in full above.

*For anyone reading in the UK, when Kurt says fall, he means Autumn.

BBC 6 Music

So as well as getting bigger in Swansea (scroll down) next month's festival will now also include a series of fringe events around all four cities.

The Biggest Weekend Fringe is a creative and comprehensive 10-day outreach programme which will take place in and around Belfast, Coventry, Perth and the Welsh city the lead up to the event.

You can check the growing list of events including gigs, live radio broadcasts and industry talks, over at the Biggest Weekend website.

While criticism of Shania Twain's support for the US President may have forced her into an apology (scroll down), another of Donald Trump's celeb fans aka Kanye West is still a big fan.

That's what the rapper apparently told US rap show host DJ Ebro Darden over the weekend.

Kanye famously met up with DJT at his Trump Tower in New York shortly after his election victory in 2016 (above).

Now, Hot 97's DJ Darden has claimed the Chicago rapper and fledgling philosopher announced his continued support for the Pres during a heated half hour phone conversation at the weekend.

"He said, 'I do love Donald Trump,'" Darden said.

The rapper also spoke about suffering an addiction to pain relief drugs.

He has not commented on Darden's claims, which can be viewed on Hot 97's YouTube channel.

He has, however, been live tweeting his modern life philosophies again though.

Here's your thought for today...

Never a truer word texted.

Charlie performed a stripped back version on Sounds Like Friday Night on BBC One on Friday night and now the singer has shared a steamy new video which features R&B singer Kehlani.

Is it just us or does this summer banger make anyone else fancy grabbing some cocktails and a swimming pool?

BBC 6 Music

So as we told you earlier, Ed, Stormzy and Everything Everything are all up for the major gongs at next month's Ivor Novello Awards.

In the ever changing world of music, however, there are other ways to get your tunes heard than smash-hit albums and singles.

Having one or two of your tunes on a popular video game for instance is another way of getting sounds into more ears.

Daughter are nominated for best original video game score, for their work on the graphic adventure Life is Strange: Before the Storm.

Chris Hawkins from 6 Music spoke to Elena Tonra from the band about their music for the game, which was released on vinyl for Record Store Day on Saturday.

Listen above to how the band helped create original songs that they thought the game's characters would listen to.

Daughter are up against music from the games Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice and Horizon Zero Dawn.

Read more about the nominations in full.

Image source, Getty Images

After 15 years of tumbling profits, streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music have helped turn round the music industry.

In fact, according to a new report, they have become the biggest contributor to the music industry's coffers for the first time ever.

In total, streaming generated $7.1bn (£5bn) in 2017, more than sales of CDs and vinyl., with the number of subscribers topping 176 million.

The boom helped record labels chalk up a third consecutive year of growth, after 15 years of decline.

According to the IFPI, which represents the global music industry, the music market was worth $17.3bn (£12.4bn) last year, up from $15.7bn the year before.

Read more

Image source, PA

In other streaming news - that will please many of you hip hop-loving parents of young children - Spotify has started testing a way of filtering out songs which have explicit lyrics.

The feature has been introduced on its iPhone and iPad, external apps, six years after being requested on its online forums.

But some users have told BBC Radio 5 live that the feature does not have enough controls.

Rivals such as Apple Music already have password-protected parental controls to skip explicit tracks.

Read more.

We haven't had one of these for a while, it's James Corden back in a car pretending to drive to work.

His Carpool mate this time is Christina Aguilera and comedian Melissa McCarthy even pops up to rap along to Dirrty from his back seat.

Seriously, are we still meant to believe that they all live on James' route?

Why isn't it more of a new story that Hollywood's A-list performers spend their mornings loitering on street corners just in case a British TV host needs someone to help him take a slightly faster route in to the office?

Ask yourselves that.

Ever wanted to sample the authentic sounds of an airport departure lounge in Cairo but can't be bothered with the time and expense of a five-hour flight to Egypt?

Then you are in luck as the BBC Archives have made available more than 16,000 sound effects for free from BBC Sound Effects Beta, external.

The files are all BBC copyright, but are free to stream and download as WAVs for non-commercial purposes.

Be the envy of your friends when you play them back a 1910 wall set American Telephone receiver being lifted,

You can almost feel the handle being cranked and the bell tinkling.

What a time to be alive...

Image source, Getty Images

First the Arctic Monkeys, now Avril - it seems everybody is putting down their guitar and having a tinkle on the ivories instead these days.

While making her first red carpet appearance in what feels like a long time, the 33-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter told E! News that the follow-up to her 2013 self-titled fifth album will be with us v.soon.

Avril revealed in 2015 that she had been diagnosed with Lyme disease, external, but will apparently be back fighting fit on a stage near you soon.

Speaking at the 25th annual Race To Erase MS Gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, the singer told the publication; "It's a really powerful record."

"I've been working on this for three years. I can actually say this time I'm going to be done with this album in two weeks and I will put it out this year."

She added: "I've been writing songs that are really just powerful and true and honest and sincere and I think people will really be able to relate to it.

Paul Glynn
Music News LIVE reporter

An hour outside of Stockholm in a small town called Nynäshamn, Swedish trap hop/pop provocateur Angie is getting ready to "chill with a few beers."

Beers and "a new tattoo", to add to her already impressive ink work.

While this may all sound fairly innocuous, for the former drug addict and self-confessed hell-raiser to decide to mark the release of her seven track debut album; Suicidal Since 1995, in such a calm manner is a sure sign of progress.

The singer, who has drawn comparisons to Lana Del Rey and Miley Cyrus rose to attention with some rather suggestively-titled early singles a few years back about the joys of sex and drugs, including Housewife Spliffin' and others that might make your computer screen blush (you can find those for yourselves).

Her new album though, she tells Music News LIVE, is far less shocking but a truer reflection of where the 23-year-old is at these days as both an artist and a person.

If anyone has a problem with that, then... well... tell somebody who cares.

"I just write about the things I want to write about and I don’t care what people think about the titles or anything - this is my art and I do whatever" she says.

"I'm really excited to release something that’s a bit more me, songs I've been working on for two years.

"Everyone is going loco about it but I don’t understand why.

"The prevous singles have a more poppy, happy-ish sound. The ones on the album are more mystical.

Image source, Angie

"Just do whatever with the time you have and stop caring about what other people think."

She adds: "We live in a world full of critics but not many people are brave enough to do their thing.

"So you have to say [forget] it and just do your thing before you die."

Image source, Angie

The controversial singer admits that she's "always been a bit provocative" and puts it down as her own personal rebellion against being from a small-minded town.

"I want people to think bigger - if that’s provocative then maybe I am."

For that reason, she spends more time these days in the more liberal Swedish capital Stockholm and hopes to return to the UK and beyond with her new material soon.

While her music sounds nothing like the The Velvet Underground (bar a sultry cover of their Venus in Furs, below), the former waitress, nursery teacher and window fitter cites the "realness" of late band leader Lou Reed as a huge influence.

Angie, who also speak highly of fellow Swede Yung Lean, believes that music, painting and drawing helps her with her to cope with her attention deficit and borderline personality disorders and ADHD.

Lou Reed famously underwent electroshock therapy as a teenager in an attempt to cure his anxiety and social problems, before going on to write many rock 'n' roll classics.

"It [making music] is helpful and painful... It’s hard and it's fun at the same time.

Image source, Getty Images

Like Lou before her, having sang about drugs and drug dealers [try The VU's Waiting for the Man] a fair bit you'd be forgiven for thinking that the Swedish femme fatale would be speaking to us through a purple haze.

But not anymore.

Angie won’t allow her dreams to all go up in smoke.

"I do not promote drugs. I definitely see how artists can use them to get really good music or art but I don’t think drugs are the best thing to do.

"Even though I sing about it all the time its beause I've done them so much, I've been a real addict.

"But I just don’t do them anymore because it's not worth it. You get really slow out of it and more anxious - so I had to chill."

She adds: "One of my best friends just died so I think it's some agnostic thing going on in my brain right now.

"I think you grow out of the sorrow and understand that you can't treat your body like you have been doing and I'm so glad that I came to the conclusion that I did as it's not good for your brain.

Image source, Angie

Things like connecting with her fans, artistically, via a rather revealing Instagram account.

So what, we wonder, would her late hero make of her recent evolution?

"I don’t know if Lou Reed would do the same as me, showing his bum on a table!

"But I've always been into art so much and I really like photography and so I want to be recognised as an artist and not just a musician.

"That’s really important to me.”

If she can stay true to that vision then it seems the new Angie has Sweet Nuthin’ to lose.

Suicidal since 1995 is out now.

Read Newbie Tuesday #23: The Orielles are (quite literally) picking up more fans

Variety

Image source, EPA

Yes, according to an exclusive new report in the trade magazine Variety.

They've done an interview, external with Troy Carter - one of the new caretakers of the artist’s estate.

Last week, we got to hear Prince's original demo of the song Nothing Compares 2 You but according to Troy, we ain't heard nothing yet as "we’re working on a release for the fall - a full-length album".

Prince's vault of unreleased music - some of it decades old - has been moved to a new climate-controlled facility where it is being archived and restored.

Carter told Variety: "Michael Howe, who’s been working with us on [Prince's] archive, has done a tremendous job of finding some special pieces of work, and one of the pieces that he found, all of us fell in love with it and decided this was special enough for fans to hear. So we’re putting the final touches on it - it’ll come in the fall.

"After the excitement around [Compares], we felt; 'Let’s give the fans something else this year.'"

BBC Radio 2

The former Bros hearthrob-turned-Vegas resident has joined the lineup for this year's BBC Proms In The Park this year.

Matt - who reunited with his brother Luke for several Bros shows last year - announced the news on the Ken Bruce Show on Radio 2 earlier.

"Me and my brother played two nights at the O2, I love playing to a big audience because once the you get that energy going, it becomes all one, its like a family."

Listen above.

Proms in the Park will be broadcast live on 8 September.

Image source, PA

Because just hours after her hand-wringing social media apology for that Guardian interview, in which she said she would have voted for Donald Trump, she landed a big presenting gig.

She has just been named to host the Canadian Country Music Awards, where she will also receive the Generation Award for her contributions to country music on her native country.

It all takes place in Hamilton, Ontario on 9 September.

"It’s such a pivotal moment in country music as the industry evolves we’re seeing a new generation of deeply talented artists emerge and I look forward to being a part of the celebration of them and also celebrating some of the trailblazers before them," Shania said, in a statement which did not make any mention of Donald Trump at all.

That's what the people at People style are asking.

It's not exactly clear from the Bradford singer's mysterious Instagram video above.

As the publication point out, the former One Direciton singer - who has recently split up from both his girlfriend and his management - revealed a swirling image of a shaven head and what looks like a prett hefty tattoo behind his left ear.

Zayn's existing inkwork includes a giant wolf on his chest, Gigi's eyes and a Harry Potter battle scene on his leg.

Ok, tatt's all for now folks.

BBC 6 Music

The singer and keyboard whizz has just released his latest solo album Beautiful Thing and has been sharing his thoughts on music.

His band have six albums to their name and he has three of his own but on one new track, Alexis told 6 Music he still wanted to analyse what makes a hit song.

"I'm talking about how a hit song doesn't have to sell the truth and it doesn't always have to move the listener and those are things that interest me."

Listen above for more.

LA Times

Image source, AFP/Getty Images

Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child has been speaking The LA Times, external about what it meant to be part of Beychella (that's Beyonce at Coachella FYI) over the past two weekends in the California desert.

Queen Bey brought her old pals Michelle and Kelly Rowland out for a mini-band reunion - to celebrate their 20th anniversary - which included renditions of their hits Lose My Breath, Soldier and Say My Name.

The singer also infused her performance with black power symbolism, including a black power shield, a raised fist and nods to Queen Nefertiti and the first African-American college fraterntiy Alpha Phi Alpha.

"First of all, long time coming" said Michelle, when asked about the "proudly African performance" as the publication put it.

"Music can heal and it can unite; it can unite races, cultures, faiths.

"I just love what she was able to do. I told her; 'you have definitely had a hand in shifting the culture.'"

Beyonce has previously tackled social issues of race and gender on her Grammy-winning (best urban contemporary album) Lemonade.

Michelle went on to describe getting the old band back together as "a blessing".

“Beyonce and Kelly - they’ve been in the game for, what, 23 years?.

“Me just 18 years. And when people see us together, they still lose their minds!"

She added: "People are asking, 'When y’all gonna tour? When y’all gonna put out new music?'

"It’s been 14 years since we’ve had an album together, and people are still asking.”

Read more., external

Arctic Monkeys won best British group and album in 2014, after returning with their shiny beats heavy fifth record AM.

"That rock n roll eh? It just won't go away..." began a rather hiccupy frontman Alex, when accepting the latter award.

He then went on to discuss the how "the cyclical nature of the universe" would mean that "rock 'n' roll will never die" and will continue to "smash through glass ceilings."

The highlight of the speech was the singer's mic drop sign off.

"Invoice me for the microphone if you need to."

Now in their first interview ahead of the release of their follow-up album Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino, Turner has told Mojo, external: "What else was I supposed to do?

Their new album is out on 11 May and the band will tour the UK and Ireland in September.

Image source, Getty Images

Avicii's family has thanked fans for their support following the DJ's death last week.

The body of the Swedish star, whose real name is Tim Bergling, was found at a hotel in Muscat, Oman.

His family praised fans and other musicians for their tributes, which included church bells "ringing out his music" and tributes at Coachella.

A family statement read:

Read more.

Few details have been release about the circumstances surrounding Avicii's death, though it has been reported there are no "criminal suspicions".

According to the Official Charts Company, Avicii looks set to return to the charts this week following his death.

Wake Me Up is top 15 in the midweek chart with Levels and Hey Brother also both set for re-entry

The 2018 Ivor Novello Award nominations are in and EdStorm are once again leading the pack.

The awards recgonise British and Irish songwriting excellence within the industry.

Stormzy's album Gang Signs & Prayer is up for best album, while Ed has two nods in the PRS most performed work category for Castle on the Hill and Shape of You.

You may have heard those once or twice in the last year or so.

Ed faces competition in the above category from Rag 'n Bone Man for his breakthrough hit Human.

Meanwhile Stormzy is up against albums by Everything Everything (A Fever Dream), and Kate Stables - aka This is the Kit - for Moonshine Freeze.

In the best song section, 2017 Mercury winner Sampha is up against Bury's finest Elbow for their track Magnificent (She Says) and Everything Everything again again for Can't Do.

Choose your favourite below and head to the awards Twitter page, external for the full list of nominees.

The winners in each category will be announced at the award ceremony, hosted by Paul Gambaccini, at the Grosvenor House, London on Thursday 31 May.