NEWS
Jack Savoretti Looks to Depose Olivia Rodrigo on U.K. Albums Chart
Europiana accumulates the most physical sales and downloads over the weekend, and should give Savoretti his fourth consecutive Top 10, the OCC reports. Meanwhile, Tyler, The Creator enjoys a solid start with his sixth record Call Me If You Get Lost (Columbia). It’s new a No. 3 and is on track for the U.S. hip-hop artist’s highest-charting album ever in the U.K., outpacing the No. 4 best of his 2019 album Igor. Doja Cat could snag her first Top 10 with Planet Her (Ministry of Sound), which starts at No. 4 on the chart blast, while alt-rock artist John Grant’s latest, Boy From Michigan (Bella Union), is new at No. 5. Further down the list, Anaheim rock outfit Buckcherry is targeting a first-ever appearance in the U.K. Top 40 with Hellbound (Earache), new at No. 8, while British metal gi...
Ed Sheeran Performs ‘Bad Habits’ During Night TV Takeover: Watch
But first, to get the ball rolling Sheeran appeared in his dressing room for quick chat with the host. Sheeran mentioned he’d become a dad. And the old pals, we learned, had a few too many the previous night. Corden apparently left his car in Malibu, somewhere. “Bad Habits” is currently flying in the U.K., where it’s on track to give Sheeran his tenth No. 1. The “Shape Of You” singer also sat for a chat with Corden, covering off parenthood, soccer, glitter and, of course, music. “I’ve done the loop-pedal thing for 15 years,” he said. “I feel like something has to change on the next tour. That doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be a band, but I’m trying it out and seeing how it feels.” Sheeran also hung out with Reggie Watts, with the band leader asking the Brit a science question in ...
Ed Sheeran Encourages Sheerios to Show Their Fangs With Vampiric ‘Bad Habits’ Snapchat Filter
In the visual for the first single from his as-yet-untitled fifth studio album, Sheeran swans around in the night in a pink suit, glittery eye makeup and his sharpened fangs, chronicling regrets about poor choices made in the dark. “My bad habits lead to late nights, endin’ alone/ Conversations with a stranger I barely know/ Swearin’ this will be the last but it probably won’t,” sings the new dad. “I got nothin’ left to lose, or use, or do/ My bad habits lead to wide eyes starin’ at space/ And I know I’ll lose control of the things that I say/ I was lookin’ for a way out, now I can’t escape/ Nothin’ happens after two, it’s true, it’s true, my bad habits lead to you.” Well, fans were happy to shar...
11-Year-Old Nandi Bushell Rocks Arctic Monkeys Cover with Matt Helders: Watch
Nandi Bushell is 11 now, and like any self-respecting wunderkind with a massive online following, she’s hosting jam sessions with some of the brightest stars of today. Bushell has shared a new instrumental cover of “I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor” by Arctic Monkeys, and her performance is accompanied by actual Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders. “Matt Helders came to my house for a cup of Tea and a Jam with me,” Bushell wrote on Instagram. “We had the best time! We jammed loads of songs together and had a lot of fun improvising drum beats.” They also played Arctic Monkeys songs, which begs a question: if you play a band’s songs with members of the band, is it still a cover, or is it more of an audition? Asking for Alex Turner. The new performance of “I Bet You Look Good on the Dan...
The Recording Academy Attempts to Boost Diversity With 2021 Class Invitees
In response to accusations of corruption and a lack of diversity among its Grammy Awards voting body, the Recording Academy announced today that they’ve extended invitations to over 2,700 musicians and industry professionals to join the 2021 class of new members, with 55 percent of those coming from “traditionally underrepresented groups.” Via Pitchfork, the Academy’s membership is currently “26 percent female and 27 percent from traditionally underrepresented groups.” In recent years, artists like The Weeknd, Fiona Apple, and Frank Ocean have chastised the Grammys over a lack of diversity in their awards process. Though the Academy has attempted to reform their nomination process multiple times over, they’ve long been plagued by problems, culminating in a lengthy public complain...
John Lithgow Joins Cast of Showtime’s Dexter Revival
John Lithgow is reprising his role as the “Trinity Killer” for the upcoming revival of Dexter, according to Deadline. The return is described as “a short but decisive appearance,” with Deadline reporting the writers have “concocted a pathway for the Trinity Killer to come back that works within the larger Dexter narrative.” As such, Lithgow is only expected to film on the Los Angeles set for “a day or so.” In 2010, the now-75-year-old actor won an Emmy Award for his portrayal of Arthur Mitchell during Season 4 of the original series. Mitchell was a source of particular interest for Michael C. Hall’s titular character, appearing to show a path to balancing a family with a secret life as a serial killer. Dexter ultimately offed him during the season finale. Related Video Airing on Showt...
Jamie Lynn Spears Voices Support for Britney Spears in Conservatorship Battle
Jamie Lynn Spears is speaking out in support of her sister Britney Spears days after the pop star went public with her desire to end the restrictive conservatorship that has controlled her life for the last 13 years. In a video uploaded to Instagram on Monday, the 30-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears explained that she did not want to publicly comment on her sister’s ordeal “until my sister could speak for herself and say what she felt she needed to say publicly.” “Now that she’s very clearly spoken and said what she needed to say, I feel like I can follow her lead and say what I feel I need to say,” Jamie Lynn continued. Related Video “I don’t care if she wants to run away to the rainforest and have a zillion babies in the middle of nowhere, or if she wants to come back and dominate the wor...
A Rundown of All the Stellar Performances From the 2021 BET Awards
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Bennett Raglin / Getty The 21st annual BET Awards this past Sunday (June 27th) night proved to be a fantastic affair. Hosted by actress Taraji P. Henson, the awards show took place in front of a live audience at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California. BET made sure that this awards show, the first since last year’s all-virtual event, was charged with intensity from the opening performance of gospel legend Kirk Franklin and rapper Lil Baby’s song “We Win.” The theme of the 2021 BET Awards was “The Year of The Black Woman”, and the ladies certainly shined with their performances throughout the night. [embedded content] Migos took to the stage and got the crowd hyped with their performance of “Straightenin”, and Cardi B joined them for “Type S–t” –...
Rolls-Royce’s Landspeed Collection Is Lightly Salted Luxury
There are lots of special-edition Rolls-Royces with interesting details and backstories. Heck, there’s one with the entire Arabian peninsula on its hood. Or how about another that includes a cryptographic mystery concealed in glyphs hidden around the car? The special models Rolls-Royce recently pulled the wraps off of, however, are a little more traditional. These models are none the weaker for it, either, as the Landspeed Collection celebrates the remarkable career of the Thunderbolt land speed racer, which was powered by twin Rolls-Royce aero engines. See all 31 photos Available on the Dawn and Wraith in Black Badge form, the limited run (25 of the former and 35 of the latter) is chock full of cues that celebrate both the Thunderbolt and the famous Bonneville Salt Flats. ...
Lady A on Creating a New Album During the Pandemic, The Other Lady A & The Power of Music
The album’s opening track, “Talk of this Town,” written by Haywood, Kelley and Scott with Nicolle Galyon and Jordan Reynolds, looks at what it feels to be the topic of conversation, whether it’s gossip about a relationship or other issues and, more obliquely, refers to “sort of the things [the band] went through last year,” Haywood says. Haywood is referring to the controversy that erupted last year when the group changed their name from Lady Antebellum to Lady A to move away from the association the word “antebellum” has with with the pre-Civil War era and slavery. The name change led to a lawsuit involving blues singer Anita White, who also performs as Lady A. “It’s all about trademark rights, so we’re just letting our lawyers figure it all out,” Kelley says, “but it’s been a very intere...
Elton John Calls U.K. Government ‘Philistines’ Over Post-Brexit Touring Issues
John noted that artists like him “can afford to go to Europe” because they can pay for teams to focus on all the forms and individual visas now required thanks to the post-Brexit trade pact. But for younger or lesser-known artists, who have already been struggling following the shutdown of the touring industry due to the pandemic, the system is actively working against them. “We’ve been talking to Lord Strasburger about it, and we’ve been talking to Lord Frost, but we didn’t really get anywhere with him,” John said. “It’s a nightmare. To young people just starting a career, it’s crucifying.” Much of the singer’s ire was due to those failed attempts at lobbying members of the U.K. government on behalf of the arts and entertainment industry. “The government are philistines,” John said of Bor...
Christina Aguilera Throws Support Behind Britney Spears
“It is unacceptable that any woman, or human, wanting to be in control of their own destiny might not be allowed to live life as they wish,” writes Aguilera, in a thread accompanied with a throwback photo of the pair as kids. “To be silenced, ignored, bullied or denied support by those ‘close’ to you is the most depleting, devastating and demeaning thing imaginable. The harmful mental and emotional damage this can take on a human spirit is nothing to be taken lightly.” Every woman must have “the right to her own body,” Aguilera continues, “her own reproductive system, her own privacy, her own space, her own healing and her own happiness.” Aguilera’s comments come after Spears spoke openly about her conservatorship, primarily overseen by her father,...
