Paul McCartney reveals Shakespeare subconsciously inspired ‘Let It Be’

OHMYGOSSIP — Sir Paul McCartney admits ‘Let It Be’ was subconsciously inspired by William Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’.
The Beatles legend has spoken about the origin of the 1970s classic before, suggesting his mother Mary McCartney said “let it be” to him in a dream.
He has now revealed the saying from Hamlet might have been on his mind as he used to have to recite the plays of Shakespeare at school.
Hamlet’s speech includes the line: “But let it be. Horatio, I am dead.”
Speaking on his ‘Paul McCartney: A Life in Lyrics’ podcast, he said: “In those days [at school], I had to learn speeches off by heart. So I could still do a bit of ‘to be or not to be’, or ‘O that this too too solid flesh’.
“And it had been pointed out to me recently that Hamlet, when he has been poisoned, he actually says, ‘Let it be’ – act five, scene two. He says ‘Let be’ the first time, then the second time he says, ‘Had I but time — as this fell sergeant, Death, Is strict in his arrest — oh, I could tell you. But let it be Horatio.'”
He added: “I was interested that I was exposed to those words during a time when I was studying Shakespeare so that years later the phrase appears to me in a dream with my mother saying it.”
The 81-year-old music legend previously explained how the idea for the song came to him in a dream about his mother during the intense writing sessions for The Beatles’ 1968 ‘White Album’.
His mother Mary Patricia McCartney died of cancer in 1956, when he was 14.
He later said: “It was great to visit with her again. I felt very blessed to have that dream. So that got me writing ‘Let It Be’.”
In another interview, he clamed she said to him in the dream: “‘It will be all right, just let it be.'”

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KISS confirm avatar tour will launch in 2027

OHMYGOSSIP — KISS’ first avatar tour will take place in 2027.
The veteran rockers called it a day after their final ‘End Of The Road’ concert at Madison Square Garden in New York on December 2, but surprised fans at the end of the gig by debuting digital versions of themselves created by the teams behind the lucrative ‘ABBA Voyage’ hologram show, and it has now been revealed that plans are already under way for a virtual gig series.
A teaser clip was captioned: “50 years is a long time, and what the future holds is in the making.”
The video also stated: “2027 a show is coming.”
Bassist and co-vocalist Gene Simmons, 74, recently told fans the avatars will “get better”, with millions of dollars being invested in the project.
During a Q+A at Electric Lady Studios in New York, he told one fan: “There’s so much being planned, even beyond my comprehension. But they’re spending, oh, about 200 million [dollars] to take it to the next level.”
He said of ABBA’s first-of-its-kind show, he added: “You can’t tell if they’re there, right there, like that.”
It comes after former KISS member Ace Frehley slammed the ‘Rock and Roll All Nite’ group’s avatars.
The 72-year-old guitarist told Rock Antenne: “I don’t get this avatar thing that they’re gonna do.”
He continued: “I mean, I saw some of it on a video on YouTube last night. It kind of looked like it, you know, was geared towards children. And it’s not rock and roll. I get up on stage without backing tracks, plug my guitar into a Marshall and go. That’s it. It’s always been that way and always will be.”
KISS declared the avatars the start of a “new era” in a video posted online after their final concert.
Gene said: “We can be forever young and forever iconic by taking us to places we’ve never dreamt of before. The technology is going to make [rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist] Paul [Stanley] jump higher than he’s ever done before … If you think you are going to get rid of us then that’s not going to happen.”

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Cher doesn’t care if people don’t listen to new album

OHMYGOSSIP — Cher doesn’t care if people don’t listen to her new album.
The 77-year-old singer has released her first ever festive LP, which is simply titled ‘Christmas’ and includes collaborations with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Michael Buble and Cyndi Lauper, but she isn’t worried about how well the record sells as she just knows she’s very proud of it.
She told Britain’s OK! magazine: “Even if no one ever listened to it, or no one ever bought it, it’s still one of the best albums I’ve ever made and I would be proud.”
The album features covers of classic tracks and some new uptempo tracks because Cher was determined to keep things upbeat.
She said: “There are only two sad songs on the album.
“It’s not your mother’s Christmas album, you know? I didn’t want to sing ‘Silent Night’ or all the songs that had been sung in better ways by better singers than me”
Meanwhile, the ‘Believe’ hitmaker is happy society has stopped viewing women as having a “sell-by date” and doesn’t think older females are seen to have “lost their value” in the way they used to.
She said: “With men, it doesn’t seem to matter nearly as much as it does for women. You see men in films and they’re craggy-faced and they’re old, but no one seems to mind it, but you didn’t see women like that.
“But now women are able to get older and still be relevant. You just had this sell-by date it really didn’t matter what kind of person you were.
“I mean, it helped if you looked better, but women lost their value starting at a certain age, which is kind of bulls***.”

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Jessie Ware wants to create ‘club on stage’

OHMYGOSSIP — Jessie Ware wants to “create a club on stage” at her concerts.
The 39-year-old singer wanted the tracks on her critically-acclaimed latest album ‘That! Feels Good!’ to feel like “the best night out” and admitted the vibe she’s created for her live shows as a result is exactly what she was looking for.
She told The Sun newspaper: “Whenever you’re making a record, you are in your own world. I thought it was good but I wanted to know what everyone else thought.
“Then when people embraced it so much, it was incredible. The critical acclaim and how the fans loved it was amazing.
“Tracks including ‘Free Yourself’, ‘Begin Again’, ‘Pearls’ and the title track all make ‘That! Feels Good!’ seem like you’re on the best night out.
“I’m a mum of three and my clubbing days are not as frequent as they used to be. So, what I do is try to create a club on stage that I get to go to every night and also leave at a reasonable hour — it’s working perfectly for me.”
The ‘Table Manners’ host loves the fact she has such a “broad scope of fans” and promised anyone who watches her in action will enjoy themselves.
She said: “I feel so grateful. I have such a broad scope of fans. If anybody came to my show, you’ll see the queer community there in abundance.
“And you’ll also see mums, daughters and sons coming maybe because they listen to the podcast.
“There’s an intergenerational quality to it too, which I love. For me, everyone’s welcome at my shows. And you’re DEFINITELY going to have a good time.”
Though Jessie has had a hectic 2023, she’s already thinking about her next album.
She revealed: “I’m starting a new record. I will be in a studio from January and I’m very excited.
“There will be a lot of touring and festivals in the summer, maybe I’ll have some new music out then too.
“And the podcast carries on. It’s just a beast but I love it though it’s an absolute bugger to balance. But we’ve had Miriam Margolyes, Cher and Princess Eugenie who were all fantastic.
“Looking back I’ve done quite a lot in 2023. It’s been an amazing year and I feel really satisfied.
“I’m thrilled by it all to be honest. And now I feel like I’m able to give myself a bit of a rest.”

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Shania Twain and Chaka Khan competing for Glastonbury Legends slot

OHMYGOSSIP — Shania Twain and Chaka Khan are going head-to-head for Glastonbury’s coveted Legends slot.
The ‘Man! I Feel Like a Woman’ hitmaker and the Queen of Funk are both said to be in advanced negotiations to perform at the festival in the Sunday afternoon spot, which has previously seen the likes of Dolly Parton, Kylie Minogue and Lionel Richie grace the pyramid stage.
A source told The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column: “Talks have been ongoing for months and months with both Chaka and Shania.
“Organisers have left it far later than usual to nail down the festival’s three headliners and that has meant no decision has been made about who to choose for the Legend slot.
“But Chaka and Shania are top of the list, have each said they would be interested and are both keeping the date free. It would be an incredible honour for either of them — and the hits would please everyone.”
Shania previously admitted it would be a “dream come true” to bag the Glastonbury gig.
She told The Sun in August: “I’m not aware of it yet but wouldn’t that be awesome? I’m not sure where we’re at with that yet.
“Obviously it would be a dream come true. It’s an incredible honour and I’ve always heard so much about it.
“It’s the thing. It would be extraordinary. I would do it in a heartbeat, so let’s see what happens.”
Organiser Emily Eavis previously confirmed a woman would take the Legends slot this year.
She said in October: “Certainly, I can say the legend is female.”
However, Shania and Chaka could face further competition after Cher admitted she’d love to play the festival too.
Asked if she’d be interested in the slot, she said on BBC Radio 2: “I’d like to.”

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BTS star Jimin releases digital single dedicated to fans: ‘Anytime you want me I’ll be here’

OHMYGOSSIP — BTS’ Jimin has released a new digital single titled ‘Closer Than This’.
The track from the K-pop boyband phenomenon is dedicated to the group’s fans and the music video was unveiled on Friday. (22.12.23)
It came after an announcement earlier this week the song was on the way, with Big Hit Music saying the song would convey Jimin’s “love and affection for his fans”.
The accompanying music video opens with a behind-the-scenes clip where Jimin brainstorms lyrics for the track.
Later, there is a montage of BTS meeting fans and at concerts.
Jimin sings in the chorus of the track: “’Cause anytime you want me (I’ll be), Right here where you call be (I’ll be), I could never let you go, never let you go, Whenever you need me (I’ll be), If you believe me (I’ll be), I’ll never let you go, never let you go.”
The release of ‘Closer Than This’ comes just over a week after Jimin enlisted for his mandatory military service, alongside his bandmate Jungkook.
They were the last of the boyband to enlist, with all seven BTS members now serving their military terms.
Before enlisting, Jimin made his debut as a soloist in March with his debut album ‘FACE’.
Earlier this week, HYBE and Disney+ premiered their new BTS docuseries ‘BTS Monuments: Beyond the Star’, which is a 10-part series following the band’s journey.
One of the band’s highlights this year included being namechecked by King Charles on a visit to South Korea, during which the monarch joked he regrets not developing the “Gangnam Style” dance.
The monarch made the gag as he was joined by Queen Camilla and Catherine, Princess of Wales at a banquet in Buckingham Palace featuring South Korean pop stars.
Charles spoke briefly in Korean during his address, and compared the success of British export James Bond and Beatles to Korea’s Squid Game TV show – which became a Netflix smash – and K-Pop boyband BTS.

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Shane MacGowan ‘died with fortune of at least £4.3 million’

OHMYGOSSIP — Shane MacGowan is said to have had a fortune of at least £4.3 million when he died.
The Pogues frontman, who died aged 65 on 30 November after suffering a string of illnesses including pneumonia, raked in most of his fortune in royalties from his and his band’s festive drunk tank classic ‘Fairytale of New York’.
Business Plus said the Irishman made between €250,000 (£216,000) to €300,000 (£260,000) a year in royalties from the song.
It highlighted how he and his widow Victoria Mary Clarke also shared an apartment in the luxurious area of Ballsbridge in Dublin which will be worth a small fortune.
The outlet added Shane had long quit The Pogues companies Pomoco LLP and Pogue Mahone Ltd, but said his net worth including his property and estimated royalties savings would have meant he was worth in the region of €5 million (£4.3 m) at the time of his death.
On top of that, the couple would have extra income from Victoria’s scarves.
Shane’s wife designs high end silk accessories that start from €129 (£112.)
‘Fairytale’ royalties will be higher than ever this year as it has been tipped to finally claim the UK Christmas No1
Fans of ‘Fairytale’ are campaigning for the song to claim the festive No1 spot in the UK charts after it was released in 1988 and only peaked at No2 after it was beaten to the coveted landmark by the Pet Shop Boys’ ‘Always on my Mind’.
But the track is currently trailing in the chart behind Wham!’s ‘Last Christmas’ and Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’.
Shane was being treated in hospital since June and was allowed home just before he died surrounded by loved ones including his wife Victoria.
She recently told ITV’s Good Morning Britain about dealing with her grief: “I want you all to know (losing a loved one) is not as bad as you think it’s going to be and there’s a huge amount of love that comes your way when you lose someone that you didn’t really expect.”

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Brandon Flowers secretly working on new solo album: ‘It’s different!’

OHMYGOSSIP — Brandon Flowers has secretly been working on his third solo album.
The Killers frontman, who released his ‘Flamingo’ and ‘The Desired Effect’ albums in 2010 and 2015, said while discussing the future of his band he was close to finishing his latest effort.
He told NME: “I’m making a solo record right now! I almost had it wrapped up. “The goal has always been to get all four original members to take ownership and be proud of what we’re doing, but it’s so difficult with all four of us living in different cities.
“It’s not impossible. It’s weird to be talking to you about it, but I’d definitely like to do that.”
Brandon added about the style of his upcoming album: “It’s different. I feel like it embodies a little bit of my first two solo records, but obviously there’s so much more living that I’ve done in the seven years since my last effort.
“I’ve got a lot more insight and things that I’ve absorbed. I’m really loving how it’s turning out.”
The Killers – consisting of Brandon, drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr and their sometime bandmates Mark Stoermer and Dave Keuning – spoke about his new solo record as news broke that the Las Vegas indie veterans’ new ‘best of’ collection ‘Rebel Diamonds‘ had reached No1 in the UK charts.
It marked the ‘Mr Brightside’ rockers’ eighth chart-topping LP, which Brandon hailed as “pretty amazing”.
He added: “It’s hard to fathom. I’ve been caught up in this whirlwind for 20 years; in this cycle of touring, writing, touring and writing.
“The most time we had to reflect was during Covid, and it was quite an awakening process to get time to look through all that we’d done. I’m really proud of the band and the work.”

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Libertines cover ‘Fairytale of New York’ in tribute to Pete Doherty’s late wildman pal Shane MacGowan

OHMYGOSSIP — The Libertines have covered The Pogues’ ‘Fairytale of New York’.
Pete Doherty, Carl Barât, John Hassall and Gary Powell shared a video on their official Instagram page of Carl playing the festive classic tune on the piano, with him and Doherty singing along.
The caption of the video said it was a tribute to late Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan, who died aged 65 on 30 November after being stricken with a string of illnesses including pneumonia.
It said: “RIP Shane, this one’s for you matey x.”
The band also posted a second video of the whole band performing the song while on stage during one of their intimate shows.
It was captioned: “Another one for Shane x.”
Pete, who was a friend of Shane’s, revealed after the wildman’s death he once stole his crack pipe and told him his drugs were rubbish.
The recovering heroin addict told the tale while recounting his first meeting with the singer.
Pete said on BBC Sounds about being introduced to Shane by his supermodel ex-girlfriend Kate Moss: “When I met him he charged in and took my crack pipe off me, smashed it up, charged out and then came back and helped me put it back together with Sellotape.
“He smoked all my drugs and told me (what bad) quality they were after having smoked them all. That was the first time I’d ever met him so I thought that was pretty cool!”
Pete stressed not all their encounters involved drugs, adding: “Most of the time he’d be (at Kate’s) house and he’d say, ‘Go on, get the guitar out and show us what you’ve got,’ and we’d just play guitar and sing songs.”
Pete also said about his shock hard-living Shane had died: “I just loved the bloke to be honest. I knew he was ill but I kind of thought he was bulletproof… I don’t want to sound all gushing but I’m just going to say how I really feel.
“I loved him, he was solid, he had a manic laugh and he knew a hell of a lot about history – the American Revolution, the history of Cuba… when he’d get up on stage and play with us, he was just always up for it. Always up for the banter.
“Up in the dressing room we’d get the guitar out and for me that’s the strongest connections I’ve made – with people like that, through music.
“I loved and respected him. For a long time I was sitting at his feet in awe and over time I got his respect.
“During difficult times in my life I could speak to him. When I was in jail he knew some people and he helped me out with a few spots and I felt close to him.”
Pete also gushed Shane was one of the “top three or four lyricists of the past 40 years” and said ‘Fairytale’ was “one of the best songs ever written”, adding: “It’s something he can be proud of – you never get tired of hearing it.”

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Wham lands Christmas Number One

OHMYGOSSIP — Wham! has obtained a Christmas Number One with ‘Last Christmas’ after 39 years.
The classic tune – written and produced by the late George Michael – has finally reached number one in the UK and also made history by setting the record for the longest-ever journey to the UK Christmas Number One.
Speaking to Official Charts, Wham!’s Andrew Ridgeley said: “‘Last Christmas’ has finally ascended to the much-cherished and sought-after Official Christmas Number One, which was always the main goal.
“George would be beside himself [that] after all of these years, [we’ve] finally obtained Christmas Number One. Yog [George] said that he wrote ‘Last Christmas’ with the intention of writing a Christmas Number One. It’s mission accomplished!”
The song was originally kept off the top spot by Band-Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’.
However, ‘Last Christmas’ faced strong competition this year, from Sam Ryder and The Pogues.
Sam – who rose to fame after representing the UK at the ‘Eurovision Song Contest’ in 2022 – was chasing the festive top spot with ‘You’re Christmas To Me’, but said it would be “gorgeous” if ‘Fairytale of New York’ pipped him to the post after Shane MacGowan’s death in November.
He told the Daily Star newspaper’s Wired column: “I’ve got love in my heart for the ‘Fairytale of New York’ situation.
“That’s never got to Number One and that would be a gorgeous moment, especially now Shane MacGowan’s left us.
“There’s a lot of tragedy wrapped up in that song – two gorgeous voices no longer with us and taken too soon. That’s me taking a lovely romantic view on it.”
Fans had been campaigning to get The Pogues to the top of the charts following MacGowan’s death on November 30.

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Jimin shows ‘love and affection’ for fans on new single Closer Than This

OHMYGOSSIP — Jimin is signing off 2023 with a brand-new solo tune.
The BTS star will release ‘Closer Than This’ on Friday (22.12.23) as a special treat for fans this Christmas.
BigHit announced on Weverse: “As we approach the final days of 2023, we hope that ‘Closer Than This,’ with its lyrics conveying Jimin’s love and affection for his fans, will bring you hope and warmth.”
The 28-year-old K-Pop star released his debut solo album ‘Face’ to acclaim in March.
The five-track collection broke sales records on its opening day, selling more than a million copies.
Meanwhile, Jimin recently admitted he “didn’t have any ambition” to join BTS.
The musician revealed it was his bandmate Suga, 30, who inspired him to be in the group with him, Jungkook, 26, V, 27, Jin, 31, RM, 29, and j-hope, also 29.
Appearing on Suga’s ‘Suchwita’ talk show, he said: “When I first joined the agency as a trainee, I didn’t have any ambition to be on the team, because I didn’t think it was my team.
“But it was because of you [that I changed my mind].”
He added: “I still remember the lights were off, and we were in our beds. I think we woke up because Namjoon was snoring, and you were on the top bunk.
“As you looked down towards me, and you said, ‘You’re a good singer, so I really want you to be on our team.’ That was when my ambition sparked.”
Suga recalled the moment too, and explained he realised Jimin could do more than the agency was letting him at the time.
He said: “I knew what your tone and your voice would sound like when you sang. No one else on the team had that tone, [so] I felt that you could become a singer with a unique voice.
“I already knew, so that’s why I said that. I said, ‘He should be singing, why are you making him rap when he can’t even rap?’”

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Nicki Minaj would collaborate with Taylor Swift ‘in a heartbeat’

OHMYGOSSIP — Nicki Minaj would love to collaborate with Taylor Swift.
The rapper has heaped praise on her friend after she was named Spotify’s most-streamed artist of 2023, and admitted she would do a song with the ‘Anti-Hero’ hitmaker “in a heartbeat”.
In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), she wrote: The SAG[ITTARIUS] QUEEN TAYLOR DESERVES!!!! PERIOD!!!!!
“She takes months and years off then comes back with great music and fans who’ll never leave her!!!! The END!!!!!!! (sic)”
When one fan asked if she would do a song with the pop superstar, she replied: “In a heartbeat.”
Nicki also posted to Instagram to mark her latest LP ‘Pink Friday 2’ breaking a record for the most “vinyl sales for any female rap album in history.”
She continued: “That means that retailers had no way of knowing that the vinyls would be in such high demand.
“Now they do! That’s a marvelous thing! (sic)”
The ‘Anaconda’ hitmaker then called on her Barbz to help her emulate the success of Taylor and her loyal Swifties.
She said: “Taylor and her fans have put in the work.
“Now it’s our turn.”
She added: “This is a CELEBRATION!!!!!
“The point is that we have something to aspire to as we watch the SAG QUEEN Taylor and the swifties.”
The pair previously performed Taylor’s hit ‘Bad Blood’ at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2015.
Meanwhile, Nicki recently teased that she has shared things “nobody would expect” in her upcoming documentary.
The 41-year-old rap star is set to release a new documentary about her life and her music career, and Nicki gave fans an insight into what to expect.
During an appearance on ‘Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen’, Nicki explained: “It’s going to be a great experience for my fans.”
The ‘Super Bass’ hitmaker remains committed to the project, despite a lengthy delay.
She said: “What happened was … because my album was not done when I was going to originally put it out, I didn’t want the documentary to come out without the music. That would’ve made no sense to people.
“Because of that, that network, they had to go with something else and I couldn’t force a documentary out either.”
Asked why the documentary wasn’t released at the same time as her new album, Nicki replied: “I wouldn’t have wanted it to come out right now because then it would take time from them really being able to really listen to music. And so now that they’ve digested the music, when the documentary comes, it’ll be a different level of emotional roller coaster I think.”

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’95 years of adventures…’: Metallica’s Lars Ulrich mourns loss of dad Torben

OHMYGOSSIP — Metallica’s Lars Ulrich is mourning the loss of his beloved father.
Torben Ulrich was 95 when he passed away and was a renowned writer, musician, filmmaker, and professional tennis player.
In a touching tribute, the Danish rocker, 59, wrote on Instagram alongside a series of portraits and magazine covers of his dad: “Torben Ulrich: 1928-2023
95 years of adventures, unique experiences, curiosity, pushing boundaries, challenging the status quo, tennis, music, art, writing….and quite a bit of Danish contrarian attitude.
Thank you endlessly!
I love you dad.”
The cause of death is not known at this time.
Torben worked as a journalist for Reuters and several jazz magazines in Denmark.
As a tennis player, he won the Stuttgart Open tournament in 1953 on red clay.
He also loved jazz and played the clarinet.
Torben notably formed the group Instead Of with cellist and composer Lori Goldston in 2005, who toured with Nirvana from 1993 to 1994 and plays on their live album ‘MTV Unplugged in New York’.
He appeared in two Jorgen Leth films, ‘Motion Picture’ (1969) and ‘Moments of Play’ (1986). And would go on to co-direct (with Gil de Kermadec) and appear in ‘The Ball and The Wall’ (1988).
Lars turns 60 on December 26 and recently admitted he doesn’t feel “old” thanks to his obsession with the gym and his Peloton exercise bike.
He told Metal Hammer magazine: “Surely there must be some mistake.
“When people turn 60, aren’t they supposed to feel old?
“I don’t feel very old. I feel in some perverse way younger and more clueless than ever. But it is what it is. I’m accepting of the things you can’t change.”

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Maren Morris was ‘sick’ when she recorded flawless Teddy Swims duet

OHMYGOSSIP — Maren Morris was poorly the day she recorded her Teddy Swims duet.
The country pop star, 33, and the rising soul singer, 31, teamed up to record a version of the latter’s tune ‘Some Things I’ll Never Know’ from his debut solo LP ‘I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 1)’ and Maren admits she was frustrated that she was struck down with a cold on the day they laid down the duet
She told People: “I was a little bummed that it was the only day I could do the vocal and I was sick.”
However, singing with the ‘Lose Control’ singer wasn’t an opportunity she wanted to miss, as she compared harmonising with Teddy to “feeling like” you’ve seen God.
She continued: “It was definitely an experience that I’ll never forget, just because I didn’t think about hitting certain notes perfectly. I wasn’t overthinking or over-analysing. I was just so in the emotions of Teddy’s vocal, and just found my footing throughout the second verse, and just feeling like you see God or something when you get to harmonise with a vocal like Teddy’s.”
Maren has an emotional connection to the ballad amid her divorce from Ryan Hurd.
She explained: “It just resonates—the meaning of the lyric resonates with me so much right now. It’s just such a beautiful song with or without me on it, but I’m obviously so honoured to be a small part of this one.”
Teddy says he and Maren are “besties” after bonding in the studio.
He added: “I’ve just always loved Maren and we reached out like, ‘Please do this.’ Thank God it happened. Collaborations are so different nowadays, like you can collaborate with somebody without actually meeting them in person. And we met each other for the video, so now we’re besties!”

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‘You really could be like us…’ Bananarama share secret to their pop success

OHMYGOSSIP — Bananarama believe the secret to their huge popularity in the 1980s is that the group’s fans could relate to them and believed they could be like the singers.
The ‘Cruel Summer’ hitmakers – made up of Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward – feel that their awkwardness during performances and lack of expensive styling appealed to fans, even though they were major pop stars in the UK and elsewhere.
Keren told Classic Pop magazine: “We didn’t know what we were doing, and also we weren’t styled. We didn’t have any expensive clothes, so you really could be like us.
“It was maybe the last time when you could totally find your own way. Now, of course, there are literally places like the Brit School where you can learn to be a pop star. It’s more slick and glossy.”
Keren explained how much of Bananarama’s work came from their working class background as the group – which also included former member Siobhan Fahey – moved from Bristol to London, where they were joined by many other acts from the era.
The 62-year-old singer said: “So much about Bananarama was from our working class backgrounds.
“We were singing about our experiences. Anyone could be a pop star at the time. Everyone else seemed like us, too: Boy George, Soft Cell, whoever, it didn’t matter where you were from or who you were.”
The ‘Venus’ group are releasing the compilation album ‘Glorious: The Ultimate Collection’ next year and are set play a pair of shows at the London Palladium in April, although Keren is still surprised by their ongoing appeal.
Keren said: “We still play every show wondering, ‘Will anyone come?’
“The Palladium has so much history, we were asking our manager when the first show went on sale: ‘Are you sure?’, only for us to be told: ‘Yes! It’s sold out!'”

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Metallica’s Kirk Hammett confirms fans’ ‘Batman Riff’ theory

OHMYGOSSIP — Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett has revealed the band included a deliberate reference to the iconic theme of the 1960s ‘Batman’ TV series in their song ‘Shadows Follow’.
Fans of the thrash metal legends pointed out that a specific lead guitar riff on the track – which features on Metallica’s 11th studio album ’72 Seasons’, released in April 2023 – has a striking similarity to the music from the show, which starred Adam West as The Caped Crusader and Burt Ward as Robin.
Kirk has now revealed that the group – also comprised of frontman James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich and bassist Robert Trujillo – referred to the guitar part, which can be heard at four minutes 20 seconds into the track, as “The Batman Riff” during recording sessions for the LP confirming the fan theory.
When asked about the reference in an interview with Total Guitar magazine, he said: “That’s really funny, because we called that riff ‘The Batman Riff’, and I know exactly what you are talking about.”
Since the album was released, Metallica fans had been posting online about “The Batman Riff”, with thread appearing on community site Reddit dedicated to it.
On the subreddit, one fan asked: “Anyone else here [sic] the 60s Batman theme song in Shadows Follow?”
Prompting a reply that read: “Yes! I immediately heard it and it honestly took me out of the song for a second.
Elsewhere in the interview, the 61-year-old rock icon mused on the importance of guitar solos in songs, and revealed that he has accepted that the majority of music fans don’t really care about the technical skill displayed in a solo.
Kirk – who is widely considered to be one of the greatest guitarists of all-time – stated: “I hate to say it … but non-musicians, who are the majority of the listening world, they are not going to remember guitar solos.
“They are gonna remember a great melody, and they’re really gonna remember a great song – especially a song that’s gonna bring them to a different place from where they were five minutes previously.”

Source: IconInsider.com