Image source, Getty Images

Well... that's another working week over and done with.

As we blast off into the weekend, like new MTV Awards presenter Katy Perry (scroll down), let's look back at some of the day's top music stories.

The Killers told us how an unlikely source (above) influenced their forthcoming release, Sir Mick Jagger joined forces with a Mercury Prize winner and Arcade Fire finally released their long-awaited album Everything Now...

We just hope we are deemed hip enough to listen to it.

That's everything from us. Don't forget to check out the Loud and Proud shows on 6 Music this weekend, as part of the Gay Britannica season. Have a good one and see you back here Monday!

Take it away Beth...

Image source, PA

1) It's never too late for Justin Bieber to say Sorry

Last Friday the Canadian singer was banned from China for engaging in "bad behaviour."

On Tuesday he was then forced to apologise to fans after cancelling the last 14 dates of his Purpose world tour.

Then yesterday it emerged that he'd accidentally ran over a photographer.

What a week.

JB says he's going to use the downtime from his now cancelled tour to "ride some bikes."

Manager Scooter Braun says "the soul of a man" is more important than a few gigs.

Come back when you're feeling fresh Justin. We still Belieb.

Image source, Getty Images

2) No Glasto = No worries

If Justin is hopefully feeling a bit more like his old self by next summer then, who knows, you might even see him resume his touring duties to be on the bill at the BBC's Biggest Weekend.

Just a suggestion.

On Monday it was revealed that the one-off new festival, which will help to fill the massive 2018 Glastonbury void, will take place across four sites, in four nations, over four days over the late May bank holiday.

Over 175,000 tickets with be made available.

The festival revolution will be televised on iPlayer and covered across various BBC Radio stations too.

Read more.

3) Lana Del Rey loved living in the UK

The US singer popped into the BBC for a chat this week, after dazzling crowds with tracks from her new album Lust for Life at Brixton Academy.

The 32-year-old revealed that while she was recording her debut album Born To Die, in London five years ago, she particularly enjoyed sneaking a peak at the rowers on the River Thames.

"Do you know that place, The Rutland Arms?"

"I used to go there and get a coke and watch the rowers."

So if that was your rowing route in 2012 guys, Lana was watching.

Read more.

4) Scott Walker songs are simply made for the Proms

The work of enigmatic American crooner Scott Walker was re-imagined inside the Royal Albert Hall this week for a memorable evening of music at the BBC Proms.

Singers Jarvis Cocker, John Grant, Susanne Sundfør and Richard Hawley took it in turns - with the help of Jules Buckley and the Heritage Orchestra - to belt out songs from the solo career of the man who helped soundtrack the 60s/70s.

Listen again in full above.

Jarvis, who once recorded with Scott during his Pulp days, also revealed that "the way he hears the world is different from other people."

Read more.

Image source, Getty Images

5) Stormzy can win the Mercury Award

The grime star is one of the bookies' favourites to scoop the coveted award for best British/Irish album of the year, after being named on the 12 strong shortlist yesterday.

He'll be aiming to make it a grime double after Skepta's success in 2016.

If he can pull it off we imagine there will be similar scenes to those on stage in Sydney this week for his 24th birthday.

'Shoeys' all round please bartender.

Image source, PA

Even if they say so themselves.

Mini-comebacks have been a bit of a theme today haven't they? Jessie Ware, Sir Mick Jagger solo and now Belle and Sebastian.

We Were Beautiful is the first single to be officially released from the Glasgow group since 2015.

And you can listen to it here, right now. Go on... we dare you.

The band are also about to start a embark on a summer tour across the US.

They will play at Panorama festival in New York this weekend, ending up at the FYF Fest in Los Angeles at the end of August.

Other cities include Seattle, Chicago and Boston, so if you're passing through...

Kasabian have said they are "proud to support" a celebrity football game to raise funds for victims of the Grenfell Tower fire.

Serge Pizzorno, Kasabian's frontman, will take part in Game4Grenfell on 2 September.

He's pretty good, remember footy fans? Just bang his name and "Soccer Aid 2012 goal" into your internet search engine of choice and enjoy.

Organised by Mumford And Sons frontman Marcus Mumford and Queens Park Rangers, it will feature ex-professional footballers and celebrities as well as a firefighter who was involved in the relief effort.

Mumford, who lives near the burned tower block, said: "It's not about us. It's about the community and trying to create new memories."

Other musicians taking part in the event on 2 September will include Olly Murs, Jarvis Cocker, rappers Tinie Tempah and Wretch 32, and James Bay.

They'll attempt to hold their own against footballers Les Ferdinand and (new Radio X indie DJ!, external) Peter Crouch, amongst others.

More than 2,000 complimentary tickets will be issued to those affected by the tragedy including families, emergency services, volunteers and local residents.

Image source, Game 4 Grenfell

BBC Radio 1

While we were all going Mercury Prize crazy yesterday, one man who missed out (some might say harshly) was Declan McKenna.

His album What Do You Think Of The Car was released on the last possible date for the award last Friday but was left off the shortlist.

The 18-year-old London singer-songwriter didn't let that news ruin his day though and instead of moping he got himself down to the Radio 1 Live Lounge to perform some tracks including a cover of Miley Cyrus' Malibu.

Check it out above.

BBC 6 Music

As part of this weekend's Gay Britannia season, Beth Ditto will be sitting in for Iggy Pop as 6 Music goes Loud and Proud.

The season of programming marks the 50th anniversary of The Sexual Offences Act 1967, which partially decriminalised gay sex.

Here's Beth above introducing her own band's modern classic Standing In The Way of Control, which references "obstacles that we're still facing" and are "still relevant today".

You can check out 6 Music's full list of Gay Britannia programmes, including Queer as Punk, here.

Image source, Tiffany Edgbert

When is Arizona songwriter Courtney Marie Andrews not Arizona songwriter Courtney Marie Andrews?

When she is Irene.

In Irene - Courtney's latest video - the 26-year-old plays a supermarket worker at the ‘Family Grocer’ whose colourful imagination gets her into trouble.

But don't worry - Courtney says it's all about breaking free and leaving the toxic things behind. So there.

Just don't watch if you're scared of clowns.

Courtney released her confessional new album Honest Life - which she wrote and produced - earlier this year.

Her songs speak of of heartbreak and alienation, with titles like How Quickly Your Heart Mends and Table for One.

She spoke to the BBC earlier this year about never giving up on her dreams.

If, like us, you've been agonizing for weeks over who the "biggest pop star in the world" is that will feature on the Seattle band's next record then here's a big clue: Neither of them two ladies above.

Frontman Dave Grohl previously told Annie Mac on Radio 1 that their upcoming record Concrete And Gold features the "biggest pop star in the world" on backing vocals.

Fans have been speculating about who the guest could be, with Taylor and Adele leading the rumour mill.

However Dave told Rolling Stone, external: "Neither Adele nor Taylor Swift sang on the record."

Back to the drawing board then with your guesses.

Unless he's just trying to throw us off the scent. That would be sooooo Dave...

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

The Essex singer comes across as pretty easy going in her cool new collab with Snakehips and Joey Bada$$.

Check out the video below, which follows several groups of friends and couples hanging around street corners, dancing in the club, and chilling at home.

Anne-Marie is apparently happy doing all of the above, as long as you let her know. That's not too much to ask.

A few weeks back she let BBC Entertainment reporter Steven McIntosh know about her past a karate world champion.

One more reason to let her know I guess...

BBC Newsbeat

One of the members of west London hip hop collective WSTRN has been jailed for four and a half years for violent disorder.

Akelle Shemai Charles and his brother Naeem Neil Phillip-Charles were sentenced to a total of eight years at Isleworth Crown Court.

Detective Constable Christopher McShane, from the Met's Trident and Area Crime Command, said: "This was a shocking ordeal for the two innocent victims, one of whom is a grandmother and who was punched in the face.

"I am pleased that both men will now have to reflect on their actions in prison."

Read more.

BBC 6 Music

The 12 best albums of the last 12 months were honoured yesterday as the Mercury Prize shortlist was announced.

Ed, Stormzy and The xx all made the cut.

You can find all sorts of action and reaction in yesterday's MNL and the good people at 6 Music have even compiled the best of their clips for you to view at your leisure here.

All you need to do now is pick your favourite.

Image source, Getty Images

After what has seemed like the longest, most-drawn out marketing campaign for an album in recent memory, the wait is finally over...

We can literally listen to Everything Now from the new Arcade Fire album.

The Montreal art-pop band have teased us with fake news posts and pretend gig instructions from the fictional Everything Now Corp for months.

Now it's time to let the music do the talking.

The Guardian, external give it three stars saying "the fake reviews, shouty anti-consumerism and mock promos may belie insecurity about their progressive new sound, but this album is often gorgeous."

The NME, external give it 5/5, saying the Canadians are "bigger, bolder and more fearful of the future than ever on their colossal fifth album."

Pitchfork, external are less impressed. They say AF are "in musical and lyrical stasis.

"The pale, joyless songs don’t transcend their social critique - they succumb to it."

Judge for yourself.

Here's the Abba/Talking Heads-esque title track above, featuring a great flute solo (not enough of them in modern pop music for us).

Many fans online are praising the lord that the record has arrived...

BBC Radio 1

Jessie Ware is back.

Oh yes.

And she's back with a new song.

Midnight, the first track from her third album, debuted on Annie Mac’s BBC Radio 1 show.

It's the singer’s first release since Till The End, from the 2016 film Me Without You.

Ware has also announced the as-of-yet-untitled follow-up to her 2014 album Tough Love will be out later this year.

Rumours are abound it will feature collaborations with Francis and the Lights, Ed Sheeran, Cashmere Cat, Julia Michaels, and more.

We'll see. We'll see...

Jessie popped into the Radio 1 studios last night to speak to her pal Annie about her hottest new record and balancing making music with making babies.

She also insists that Annie "made her get pregnant" and the new mum says she feels that she's now writing for two.

Listen above.

Rick Ross is a sorry man. Very, very sorry indeed.

Earlier this week the rap veteran was asked by a US radio station why he’d never signed a female act to his label, Maybach Music Group.

His answer? Because he’s afraid he’ll sleep with them.

He may not have used that *exact* expression, but the message was clear.

Ross's comments sparked immediate condemnation on twitter, leading the rapper to apologise and pledge to “do better”.

“I want to address an insensitive comment I made on a very sensitive issue, especially in a minority dominated industry like hip hop”, he said in a statement.

"I have a daughter myself, my most cherished gift in the world."

He added: “My comment is not reflection of my beliefs on the issue... Now it’s time to accept responsibility and all do better.”

Image source, Getty Images

Part three of our rock 'n' roll royalty trilogy - following Sir Mick and Prince Harry - brings the return of Sir Paul McCartney with his old chum Ringo Starr.

Like all the best Beatles songs We're on the Road Again features Ringo on lead vocals, with Sir Macca jamming along with Starr's brother-in-law Joe Walsh of Eagles fame, Toto's Steve Lukather and the song's co-writer Edgar Winter.

In the new track Ringo promises that his (ahem) Starr-studded band are...

Gonna play some rock 'n' roll, that's true // And we're heading down the highway to play for you.

They're not re-inventing the wheel but it's a real toe-tapper and you can check it out below.

Ringo alerted us to the fact that he was getting (half of) the old band back together with a tweet in February and he's been true to his word.

He also appears to have gone emoji crazy.

Well he always was down with the kids.

The above track will feature on the Fab Four drummer's 19th - yes nineteenth - solo album Give More Love, which is out on 15 September.

Sir Macca will return to the site of his old Liverpool school today to give a special award to Hollywood A-list actor Woody Harrelson.

The actor/director is set to become a companion of McCartney's Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA).

Well we're impressed.

Those Haim girls have covered Shania Twain’s That Don’t Impress Me Much in a new session for triple j's “Like A Version, external” series.

It follows hot-on-the-heels of their intimate rendition of Man, I Feel Like A Woman at a pop-up shop show.

We can sense a theme developing.

What's next? From This Moment On?..

Image source, Getty Images

Now from actual royalty to rock 'n' royalty.

Sir Mick is back with two new politically-charged tracks, one featuring UK grime star and 2016 Mercury Prize winner Skepta.

The 74-year-old Rolling Stone released England Lost and Gotta Get A Grip on Thursday after we left you and said he was inspired by the “anxiety [and] unknowability of the changing political situation”.

Jagger, who appears to tackle topics like English nationalism, Brexit and Donald Trump, said in a statement that "we are in a difficult moment in our history”.

"We obviously have a lot of problems. So am I politically optimistic?... No."

He added:

Image source, Getty Images

There's a slight swear word in England Lost so we can't embed it on MNL though you can find it here, external. But you have been warned.

In the other track; Gotta Get A Grip, Sir Mick exclaims:

The world is upside down // Led by lunatics and clowns.

No-one speaks the truth and a mad house runs the town.

BBC Radio 6 Music DJ Steve Lamacq and co discussed the "curious new track" last night and you can check it out below.

Mick's bandmate Keith Richards revealed this week that the Stones will be "cutting new stuff" pretty soon.

BBC Newsbeat

Who knew?

The Vegas indie rockers say they have held jam sessions with the Royal for the last decade.

In an interview with The Sun, drummer Ronni Vannucci explained how the band have had "a lot of long nights" with the 32-year-old.

"He just showed up at a show one time and we got along. I mean, it's been ten years I guess.

He added how unnamed royal "cousins" have also taken part and that "they're all just regular dudes."

Prince Harry was spotted rocking out, enjoying a beer and taking selfies at the band's recent Hyde Park gig.

Pretty short walk home for him from there.

Read more.

Image source, EPA

The Killers are preparing to release their fifth studio album Wonderful Wonderful in September and they've also revealed to BBC Music reporter Mark Savage that former world heavyweight champion boxer Mike Tyson has influenced the new record.

It's all coming out today isn't it?

Brandon and co have just teased a trailer for new track Run For Cover, which you can check out above.

Nice goggles - and look who's inside.

The track will appear on their new album, which we know because they've also posted the tracklisting in retro two-sided vinyl stylee.

It's on Side A, look...

Image source, David LaChapelle/MTV

Katy Perry is over the moon to be presenting this year's MTV Video Music Awards.

Literally.

As well as hosting the awards, Perry is nominated for five trophies (which will be quick an easy to hand out if she wins).

She is up for Best Collaboration, Best Pop, Best Direction, Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects.

Also leading the nominations for 2017 are Kendrick Lamar who is up for eight awards and The Weeknd, who is shortlisted in five categories.

The MTV VMAs will take place in California on 27 August.

Get ready for blast off....

Image source, Getty Images

It's nearly the weekend everybody. Don't fall apart now.

Today New Music Friday is part sponsored by the swinging 60s as (half of) The Beatles are back together and Mick Jagger returns too, with the help of a Mercury Award winning rapper.

We'll have an infinite amount of new content today from the likes of Arcade Fire and Jessie Ware plus later we'll reveal 5 Things We've Learned This Week from the world of music.

Speaking of the Mercuries, check out yesterday's coverage of the prize nominations so you sound hip and in the know this weekend and we'll be right back with you.