Robbie Williams is set to perform in the metaverse

OHMYGOSSIP — Robbie Williams is set to make his debut in the metaverse, performing a 25th anniversary set in a hyper-realistic virtual city.
The ‘Angels’ hitmaker has partnered with AI-powered lifestyle metaverse platform, LightCycle, on the 3D experience for fans.
A first look at Robbie’s performance will be shown during the LightCycle preview night at EDGE Global Web3 and AI Investment Summit, in Hong Kong at the AsiaWorld-Expo on September 26 and 27.
The full event will take place later this year, with further information to follow.
The partnership with Vertexlabs.uk, the creator of LightCycle, comes after the 49-year-old pop idol dipped his toe into the AI world with ‘Angels (Beethoven AI)’ – a mash-up of ‘Angels’ with the German composer and pianist’s ‘Unfinished 10th Symphony’ with the classical elements composed by AI.
Robbie said: “Staying connected with my fans has always been important to me. I’m fascinated by the Web3 space – it’s full of creativity and mind-blowing potential. It’s also a big new market for music discovery. As an artist, I’m always looking for ways to push forward so this is the perfect next step in that journey. The talented development team at LightCycle have produced some incredible work and I’m excited to see it all brought to life in full 3D glory.”
Sara Ezen, CEO of LightCycle added: “Robbie has a dedicated and passionate fanbase and we believe that, through our unparalleled technology, we can bring them a supremely enhanced environment and fan-experience. The concert is truly something special and we’re excited to be giving it a home in LightCycle so his fans, new and old, can enjoy next-level interaction and engagement. We are looking forward to seeing where we can go with this.”
Ander Tsui, Founder and CEO of Vertexlabs.uk added: “Robbie is a visionary creative and, as the ultimate showman, his music and songs have had a huge cultural impact. We are enormously excited to be bringing this super special performance into LightCycle. We’ve had a lot of fun creating the project and we can’t wait to share it with the world. We hope that, through Robbie’s initiation into Web3, new and existing fans can elevate their entertainment experience in a virtually enhanced way.”

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Lorde has been living and working on new music in London

OHMYGOSSIP — Lorde has been working on new music whilst living in London.
The ‘Green Light’ singer revealed in a new email newsletter to fans that she has been living in the British capital since May.
She began: “Things feel clear here. I haven’t seen many friends; mostly, I’m alone with my thoughts.
“I go swimming, I go to work, I walk home or take the train, I eat in my kitchen, I go to bed thinking about what I’m making. I’m starting to miss my friends and family, like a vitamin I’m deficient in.”
The New Zealand-born star’s last studio effort was 2021’s ‘Solar Power’.
Lorde also revealed in the same update that she has been battling a mystery illness.
The 26-year-old singer – whose real name is Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor – stopped taking her regular medication less than a week ago after spending more than a decade on it and has suddenly found herself becoming ill on several occasions ever since.
She penned: “The little yellow pill I took every morning for thousands of mornings since I was 15. My gut isn’t working properly, my skin is worse than ever, I’ve gotten sick half a dozen times.”
The ‘Royals’ hitmaker went on to explain to fans that she has “never really listened” to her body and has been trying to use this year to focus on her health after “ignoring” it for so long.
She said: ” I realised earlier this year that listening to my body is hard for me, it’s something I never really learned how to do. I’ve been trying to teach myself that this year, but it’s been hard actually, pretty confronting, has made me fully aware of all the times I ignored it or didn’t give it what it needed, shamed it for a fight or flight response, took a handful of pills and pushed through.”
However, despite her woes, the Grammy-winning star is determined to reflect on 2023 with “fondness” but admitted it has nevertheless been “hard” to go through with initially.
She said: “I know I’m gonna look back on this year with fondness and a bit of awe, knowing it was the year that locked everything into place, the year that transitioned me from my childhood working decade to the one that comes next — one that even through all this, I’m so excited for. It’s just hard when you’re in it.”

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Duran Duran reunite with Nile Rodgers and Andy Taylor on Black Moonlight

OHMYGOSSIP — Duran Duran have reunited with longtime collaborator Nile Rodgers and former guitarist Andy Taylor on their latest single, ‘Black Moonlight’.
It’s the latest track taken from their upcoming Halloween collection ‘Danse Macabre’.
CHIC legend Nile has worked with the pop legends countless times over the years, most notably on their 1986 LP ‘Notorious’.
Keyboardist Nick Rhodes said: “Nile Rogers is a force of nature. When we get into a room, we start playing, and magic happens. Nile always says that CHIC is his first band, and Duran Duran is his second. Thematically, I personally prefer the moon to the sun. Simon took the idea and ran with it.”
Frontman Simon Le Bon added: “’Black Moonlight’ is this classic Duran Duran-Nile Rodgers collaboration. When Nile started playing his guitar in the studio, he really inspired everyone with his riff, and the song just kind of wrote itself.”
It’s the second of three brand-new songs to be released from the spooktacular record.
The recently released titular lead single features former bandmate Warren Cuccurullo on guitar, in their first collaboration since 2001.
The ‘Wild Boys’ hitmakers have also put their spin on Billie Eilish’s ‘Bury A Friend’, ‘Psycho Killer’ by Talking Heads, with Victoria De Angelis of Maneskin, The Rolling Stones’ ‘Paint It Black’, ‘Spellbound’ by Siouxsie and the Banshees, and many more.
It also features new versions of ‘Nightboat’ and ‘Secret Oktober 31st’.
The record – which arrives in full on October 27 – is inspired by a pair of Halloween-themed shows in Las Vegas last year, where they donned ghoulish outfits and performed covers of ‘Spellbound’, ‘Ghost Town’ by The Specials and ‘Super Freak’ by Rick James.

‘Danse Macabre’ track-listing:
1. ‘Nightboat’
2. ‘Black Moonlight’
3.’Love Voudou’
4. ‘Bury A Friend’
5. ‘Supernature’
6. ‘Danse Macabre’
7. ‘Secret Oktober 31st’
8. ‘Ghost Town’
9. ‘Paint It Black’
10. ‘Super Lonely Freak’
11. ‘Spellbound’
12. ‘Psycho Killer’ (feat. Victoria De Angelis)
13. ‘Confession in the Afterlife’

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Justin Timberlake finally explains bizarre NSYNC song pronunciation

OHMYGOSSIP — Justin Timberlake has finally explained why he mangled his pronunciation in NSYNC song ‘It’s Gonna Be Me’.
In the track, Justin sings the word “me” in a different way – pronouncing it “may” – which later led to a flurry of social media memes and the singer has now revealed the origins of the strange inflection explaining it was all down to a request from Swedish songwriter/producer Max Martin, who worked on the song along with Andreas Carlsson, and Rami Yacoub
During an appearance on the ‘Hot Ones’ YouTube show, Justin said: “The parts of their English that were broken actually made them catchier songwriters, because they would put words [in] a way they almost didn’t make sense, but when you sang them, they were more memorable. But yes, it was a specific note that I got and I was just like: ‘This guy is crazy.’ But yes, it was a specific note and I did it the way that he requested and that’s what made the record.”
The band have reunited and are poised to release their first single in 20 years – ‘Better Place’ – and Justin insisted they wanted the track to feel both modern and nostalgic.
He added: “I think the trick was to try to capture both, for our fans that have been with us for so long to give them something that felt not necessary, felt nostalgic but familiar, and then see if we could take that sound and make it feel modern.”
His bandmate JC Chasez added of the song: “We listen to the world today, we’re obviously influenced by 20 years of experiences. But we still want to give them us.”
‘Better Place’ features on the soundtrack to new movie ‘Trolls: Band Together’ and is released on September 29 ahead of the movie’s debut on November 17.

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Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson announces first solo album since 2005

OHMYGOSSIP — Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson has announced his first solo album in almost two decades.
The heavy metal legend will release ‘The Mandrake Project’ – the follow-up to 2005’s ‘Tyranny of Souls’ – in 2024 and says it’s been a deeply “personal” experience making it.
He said in a statement: “This album has been a very personal journey for me and I am extremely proud of it. Roy Z and I have been planning, writing and recording it for years, and I am very excited for people to finally hear it. As for what The Mandrake Project actually is… all will be revealed soon!”
Bruce is planning to hit the road in support of the LP.
He teased: “I’m even more excited at the prospect of getting out on the road with this amazing band that we have put together, to be able to bring it to life. We’re planning to play as many shows as we can in as many places as possible, for as many people as we can!”
Bruce’s album news comes after Iron Maiden’s drummer Nicko McBrain revealed he was paralysed by a stroke months before the band started rehearsals for their tour.
Speaking for the first time about his health scare last month, the 71-year-old rocker told fans he feared his career was over after he lost movement on the right side of his body in January.
He said in a video statement on his Instagram – made after 10 weeks of “intense therapy” ahead of his group’s ‘The Future Past Tour 2023’: “The reason I’m writing to you all today is to let you know of a very serious health problem that I have been through.
“In January I had a stroke, thank the Lord it was a minor one referred to as a TIA (transient ischaemic attack.)
“It left me paralysed… with the love and support from my wife, Rebecca and family, my doctors, especially Julie my OT (Occupational Therapist), and my Maiden family I was able to bounce back to somewhere near 70 per cent recovered.
“I feel it’s important to let you know about this now instead of earlier as I was mainly concerned with doing my job and concentrating on getting back to 100 per cent fitness.
“I’m not there yet but by the grace of God I’m getting better and stronger as the weeks go by.
“Thank you all for a most wonderful and magical tour so far, you have all been so amazing.
“Well that’s it from me. God bless you all, stay safe and well and I look forward to seeing you all somewhere in time.”

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Kylie Minogue makes triumphant return to the dancefloor with new album Tension

OHMYGOSSIP — Kylie Minogue has made a triumphant return to the dancefloor with her critically acclaimed 16th studio album, ‘Tension’.
The Australian pop idol, 55, has followed up viral sensation ‘Padam Padam’, which brought her music to a whole new younger generation of fans thanks to TikTok, with non-stop dance floor-fillers.
She said of the record: “Unlike my last two albums, there wasn’t a ‘theme’, it was about finding the heart or the fun or the fantasy of that moment and always trying to service the song.”
‘Tension’ is the ultra-modern follow-up to 2020’s retro disco-pop LP ‘Disco’.
Kylie’s new record gives her even more material to consider for the setlist of her upcoming Las Vegas residency.
The superstar will follow in the footsteps of fellow pop idols Sir Elton John, Adele, and Britney Spears when she takes to the stage in Sin City this November, and recently admitted he feels the three-month residency has come at the “perfect time” in her career.
She told HELLO Magazine: “It’s going to be an amazing time! It’s glamour…a little bit of Vegas, but magic. I always thought it would happen at some point. I think if I had done this earlier in my career, it might have been a bit too early. If I’d done it much later, I’d regret it being too much later. Right now, in my life – in my career – it feels like the perfect point, the perfect moment where I’ve got the catalogue, I’ve got the history but I’ve got the drive and the ambition to go so much further!”
The ‘Spinning Around’ hitmaker went on to explain that she will always be “grateful” for ‘Padam Padam’ ahead of her residency at The Venetian Resort.
She said: “It’s been an incredible journey! I will forever be grateful for what ‘Padam’ has given me and what it has given my audience. It’s such a joy that my audience and then some have taken it as their own, all the TikToks and the Reels…it’s gone beyond anything I could have imagined!”
‘Tension’ is out now on all major music platforms.

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Daniel O’Donnell stricken with grief over death of his sister: ‘We still can’t get our heads around the fact that she is gone’

OHMYGOSSIP — Daniel O’Donnell is still reeling over the death of his sister.
The ‘Follow Your Dream’ singer, 61, was left devastated when his older sibling Kathleen Doogan unexpectedly passed away aged 67 in February.
He said about her death: “It was a big shock for us all. We still can’t get our heads around the fact that she is gone – she wasn’t old, she was 67 and died very suddenly.
“But I suppose, what can we do about these things?
“You have to accept it, I suppose, even though it’s not easy to accept.
“We have to be grateful for the life we had with her and the memories that we have of her.”
Daniel insisted Kathleen’s death hasn’t left him dwelling on his mortality.
He said: “I don’t know who I’d like to be remembered – everybody in life would like to think they lived a good life, and that’s the thing.”
Daniel’s added his fervent Christian belief sees him go to church every week.
But he said despite his belief in an afterlife he has never felt Kathleen’s spirit with him since her death.
The crooner added: “I’ve had nothing happen like that.”
Daniel also said he feels blessed to have come through Covid relatively unscathed.
He added: “I did get it once. But it wasn’t bad. I have been very fortunate with everything in life. There’s nobody who goes through life without ups and downs, but for the most part I’ve been very fortunate, thank God.”
Daniel added that even though he has strong Christian beliefs he doesn’t spend a second thinking about or criticising today’s ultra-sexualised acts such as Miley Cyrus.
He said: “I just enjoy what I do and most people enjoy it. There’s a place for all music and people like all different types. I’ve been fortunate I’ve had a good following down the years.
“I don’t really think about other entertainers – there is a place for everybody irrespective of what type of music.
“There is a place for everyone who is successful – there’s somebody that likes them and that’s why people are successful.”
Daniel also insisted he doesn’t dwell on the fact artists are complaining they are getting ripped off by streaming platforms.
He said: “Obviously everything has changed in that respect but I’m not the kind of person that looks at what I don’t have.
“I’m just grateful for the career that I’ve had. I don’t think about what I’m losing out on because of this and that – everything is what it is in life and there’s nothing you can do about it.
“I was lucky in that I came up when there were albums and touring, but what can you do about it? There’s no way around it.”
Daniel is currently on his ‘How Lucky I Must Be’ tour. Tickets and more information are available at danielodonnell.org, and his new single ‘How Lucky I Must Be’ is taken from his forthcoming album of the same name, due for release on 3 November.

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Doja Cat puts critics on blast on new album Scarlet

OHMYGOSSIP — Doja Cat hits back at those branding her work satanic on her new album.
The 27-year-old multi-hyphenate and queen of controversy – who recently lost 500,000 followers for mocking her own fans for calling themselves Kittenz – confronts her critics on her latest record, ‘Scarlet’.
On the track ‘Skull And Bones’, the ‘Paint The Town Red’ hitmaker reacts to accusations that the video for her track ‘Demons’ worships the devil.
She raps: “Y’all been pushin satan this, and satan that / My fans is yellin ‘least she rich,’ you need that pact / Lookin like I got some things you hate I have / And trust me baby, God don’t play with hate like that / So you gon be real upset when he pick Cat.”
Elsewhere, Doja reacts to those who have been disapproving of her controversial comedian boyfriend Jeffrey ‘J’ Cyrus.
On ‘Agora Hills’, she declares “whether they like it or not I wanna show you off … rub it in their face.”
Doja landed herself in hot water with the track ‘Balut’ with her description of the Filipino street food offending some.
She wrote on her Instagram Story: “I named the song ‘Balut’ because it signifies a bird that’s being eaten alive.
“It’s a metaphor for Twitter stans (obsessive fans) and the death of Twitter toxicity. The beginning of ‘X’ and the end of ‘tweets.’”
However, the dish uses a fertilized duck egg.
One user reacted on X: “Eaten alive? Who eats balut alive? Girl, you don’t need to shame my culture if you don’t understand it.”
Doja later insisted that she enjoyed the unusual delicacy.
She said on Instagram Live: “Balut was good. It reminded me of liver. It was almost like you can tell that it’s a small [serving] that is high [in] fat. I can taste the vitamins in it. You just know that [it is] good for you immediately.
“I liked it. [But] I don’t think I had it properly. It was still warm.”
Over on X, Doja continues to tell fans she doesn’t care about their opinions.
Responding to one user who commented on the artwork choice, she replied: “The art I chose for my album is beautiful and I like it a lot. The two spiders signify conquering your fear. None of my album covers had meaning until this album. You not accepting me was a fear I used to have. I don’t care anymore about satisfying you.”

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Tom Odell pulls apart his appearance on honest new song Black Friday

OHMYGOSSIP — Tom Odell is back with the new acoustic ballad ‘Black Friday’.
The ‘Another Love’ hitmaker is self-deprecating on the honest track, in which he compares his looks to a lover’s friends.
He sings: “It’s all in my head, it’s all in my mind, I’m so selfish, you’re so kind…. I look in the mirror what is happening to me. I want a better body. I want better skin. I want to be perfect like all your other friends.”
On how the song came about, Tom, 32, said: “I wrote this song on my birthday last year, which happened to be the day before ‘Black Friday.’ The song is inspired by my admiration and love for the people in my life, but also my proclivity to be unkind to myself. It’s a love song, I think, and I’m very proud of it, and I hope people like it.”
The relatable track has proved popular on TikTok with more than 85 million views with fans taking the lyrics and applying it to themselves to create their own clips.
The accompanying music video will drop at 3pm BST on Tom’s official YouTube channel.
Tom independently released his LP ‘Best Day of My Life’ last year, and upon its release admitted success for him is having special encounters with his fans, not selling out arenas and hitting streaming numbers.
He told Britain’s Metro newspaper’s Guilty Pleasures column: “You spend enough time round those sorts of people, and it begins to distort the reasons you got into it in the first place. Actually, I think what’s common among all artists is, often, we have quite humble ambitions. For me, success is, I felt more of it in the last couple of years than I ever have before.
“It’s the moments on stage when people sing your lyrics back to you, it may just be one person you see in the crowd. It draws this connection between a stranger and in the most magical way. That makes it so worthwhile.
“All of the stats and size of venues, all of that … has gone up and down. I can compare myself to someone and feel totally unsuccessful and a failure, and what’s absurd is, someone can equally do the same thing to me. It’s a pointless task.”

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Olivia Rodrigo pulls Australia promo tour

OHMYGOSSIP — Olivia Rodrigo has pulled out of her promo run in Australia.
The ‘Vampire’ hitmaker was due to host a Q+A with her fans in Sydney on September 22 and carry out a number of media activities, however, due to “unforeseen circumstances”, she will no longer be heading Down Under.
A spokesperson for Universal Music Australia said: “Olivia is devastated that she won’t be able to make it, however, she’s so excited to see her Australian Livies [fans] in 2024.”
Olivia recently added 18 new dates to her 2024 ‘GUTS’ world tour, but nothing in Australia yet, but the above statement suggests that will change.
The 20-year-old singer’s mammoth jaunt will kick off in Palm Springs, California in February 2024.
The Breeders, Chappell Roan, Remi Wolf and PinkPantheress will be joining the ‘Good 4 U’ hitmaker on the road.
Olivia recently said she wrote her critically acclaimed second album with a tour in mind.
She told Capital FM: “I think there’s a lot of fun songs. I wrote the album with a tour in mind, so I think they’re all songs I wanted people to be able to scream in a crowd. Hopefully that’s what’s achieved.”
Meanwhile, the Grammy winner recently shared her joy in “teenage girl music” being taken “more seriously” these days.
The former Disney kid – who shot to fame in the shows ‘Bizaardvark’ and ‘ High School Musical: The Musical: The Series’ – is pleased to discover there are more older listeners enjoying her songs about childhood heartbreak.
She told PEOPLE: “I’m really excited by the way that people are getting behind artists that normally would be deemed for young people. I love interacting with fans who are my age and people who are going through the struggles that I’m going through in real time, but it’s been really fun also to experience those girls’ dads be like: ‘Wow, I remember when I was going through that heartbreak.’
“It’s super cool. Especially with [2021 single] ‘Drivers License’, I remember when that came out, people of all walks of life would just come up to me and be like, ‘I remember exactly where I was when I was experiencing that heartbreak for the first time.’ It’s just such a cool thing to see that we’re all so much more alike than we are different. It just makes me feel less alone. I’m just like, ‘Wow, my experiences aren’t really that unique. Everyone has experienced some sort of pain or loss and insecurity.'”
She added: “I think people are starting to take teenage girl music a little more seriously, which I’m really happy about.”

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Jason Derulo is touring the UK in March 2024

OHMYGOSSIP — Jason Derulo has announced his first UK tour in five years.
The ‘Ridin’ Solo’ hitmaker will bring his ‘Nu King’ arena run to Bournemouth, Cardiff, London’s The O2, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, and Glasgow, next March, and wrap the run in Dublin, Ireland, on March 14, 2024.
It will mark his first tour on this side of the pond since 2018’s ‘2Sides World Tour’.
As for new music, in March, Jason hinted at releasing her first new studio album in eight years.
The 33-year-old star hasn’t put out a studio album since 2015’s ‘Everything Is 4’, but after signing a new record deal with Atlantic Records two years ago, he’s eager to share all the new music he’s been working on.
He told fans on Instagram: “I’m finally with a record label I feel really comfortable with.
“I finally see eye to eye, there’s gonna be more music than ever.
“I’ve got some really, really exciting material as well as a really cool project which is an audio experience that has never been accomplished before.”
Jason has had viral hits recently with ‘Savage Love’, ‘Take You Dancing’, and ‘Glad U Came’.
The ‘Talk Dirty’ hitmaker has been spurred on since becoming a father for the first time to son Jason King – whom he has with Jena Frumes – in May 2021.
He added: “The person that motivates me most is my son Jason King. It’s crazy how life can shift and all the energy and all the goals are now to help his goals come true.”
Jason previously explained how the COVID-19 pandemic made him re-evaluate how he works.
He told new! magazine: “It’s been a lot of fun honestly. I can’t see myself going on the road again as intensely as I used to. Of course, I want to get back out there and tour but I used to do so much so I’ll really keep an eye on my time at home too.”
Tickets for the UK leg go on general sale at 10am Friday (22.09.23).

‘Nu King’ UK and Ireland Tour Dates
4 March 2024 – Bournemouth BIC
5 March 2024 – Cardiff Arena, Cardiff
6 March 2024 – O2 Arena, London
8 March 2024 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham
9 March 2024 – First Direct Arena, Leeds
10 March 2024 – AO Arena, Manchester
12 March 2024 – OVO Hydro Arena, Glasgow
14 March 2024 – 3Arena, Dublin

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‘I just wanted to really give that to the world again’: Diddy felt the charts were missing ‘R’n’B music

OHMYGOSSIP — Diddy felt obliged to record a new album because he didn’t have any “R’n’B music to listen to as a fan”.
The 53-year-old music icon – whose birth name is Sean John Combs – recruited the genre’s biggest stars, including Mary J. Blige, John Legend, Busta Rhymes, Teyana Taylor, H.E.R. and many more, for his latest LP ‘The Love Album: Off the Grid’ – his first studio effort in 17 years.
Asked why now was the time to release a new album, Diddy told ‘Extra’s’ Megan Ryte: “It’s something that sort of hits you like boom. It is time. It is time to put on the cape back on. Time to spread the love. Time to lift up the frequency.”
Megan then asked: “What’s the inspiration behind the title?”
To which, he replied: “Number one, not having no R’n’B music to listen to as a fan and that’s the kind of music I make so I just wanted to really give that to the world again. Give that feeling of this is what a baby-making record sounds like.”
On collaborating with Justin, 29, he added: “A lot of people see Justin as a pop artist, but I know Justin from him singing R’n’B to me when he was just coming up in the game.”
The ‘I’ll Be Missing You’ hitmaker is set to hit the road in support of the record.
He teased: “You know I don’t play when it comes to the stage. So, the tour, once we get out there and touch the people, it’s just truly a blessing.”

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J Balvin’s new album is ‘a lot of greatness’

OHMYGOSSIP — J Balvin is “excited” about his next album because it features “a lot of greatness”.
The 38-year-old Latin star has been busy working on his sixth studio record – the follow-up to 2021’s ‘Jose’ – and while it does not yet have a title or a release date reports suggest it’s due to land in the autumn and Balvin is adamant it will be worth the wait because he’s been keen to “reinvent” himself.
He added to PEOPLE: “I’m excited. It’s a lot of greatness.”
It will be his first album since he became a first-time dad after welcoming his son Rio in June 2021 with his model girlfriend Valentina Ferrer, and Balvin is adamant his life has completely changed in the last two years.
He added: “A lot of things changed. I’m just a different person. I grew up some more. I still have a lot of things that I have to adapt to … I have to change. Like definitely getting in the space to take a minute and say: ‘We need to have fun and not everything is work’.”
Balvin recently released his new single ‘Dientes’ – a collaboration with Usher and DJ Khaled – which is a interpolation of Usher’s 2004 track ‘Yeah!’ and the musician hopes the song resonates with fans all over the world.
He added: “I’m Latino but I make music for the whole world. I want people from Japan, people from Indonesia and Australia to mesh with the music. I think [‘Dientes’] achieved that.”
Much of the star’s new album was recorded during a month-long trip to London, and Balvin previously told Billboard the record took inspiration from the city’s nightlife and actually tested out many of the tracks in clubs there during the recording process.
He explained: “We wanted to see fan reaction and it was amazing.”
Balvin added that he wanted to create a record which brings joy to listeners following the COVID-19 pandemic.
He added: “We decided, from within ourselves, to focus on giving happiness to our listeners and change the vibe from negative to positive.”

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Megan Thee Stallion insists she doesn’t chase chart success

OHMYGOSSIP — Megan Thee Stallion doesn’t “really care” about the charts so never intended to “top” ‘WAP’ with her latest Cardi B collaboration ‘Bongos’.
The ‘Hot Girl Summer’ hitmaker insists the rappers are “different” people from when they put out the explicit polarising smash hit in 2020, and she would never put out a song just to have a hit.
In an interview with Billboard, Megan said: “I know for myself, I don’t make music with any expectations. I don’t really care about charts and stuff like that. Obviously, everybody wanna be No. 1, everybody wants to win, everybody wants to give their fans these bragging rights. But I just make music because I love to make music, so I’m not making it like, ‘Oh, I gotta top this’ or ‘Oh, we have to be better than the last time.’ I’m like, ‘No, we’re gonna make a song because we like to make music, and it’s gonna be fun!’ It doesn’t have to be the same vibe. That was already its great, own moment. It served its purpose at that time. That was two, three years ago. We two different women now! So this is different.”
The 28-year-old star was excited by how different ‘Bongos’ was.
She continued: “I wasn’t expecting it to be anything like ‘WAP’ because we’re not even in the same headspace. I think it was COVID. Baby, we was in the house recording! [Laughs.] Now we outside! It’s time for everybody to be in a good mood. It’s time for everybody to feel a different way. I was so excited when [Cardi] sent me this song because I had never recorded over a beat like that before. I never rapped to anything like that, and I felt like it was a challenge. I was like, ‘Oh, this is something new. OK, girl, you want me to go to work today, I got you!'”
After her last album, 2022’s ‘Traumazine’, dealt with legal hassles and the ordeal of being shot by Tory Lanez, Megan’s new album marks a whole new chapter.
She teased of her new album: “It’s definitely coming very soon. I’m really excited about this chapter of my life because I feel like I’m finally closing all the old chapters, and now I’m starting with a blank slate. Very fresh, very new. I think Thee Hotties are gonna be so excited. I’m trying different things. I got a lot of things that I produced with Ju and with some new producers.”

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Bugzy Malone post-horror quad bike crash: ‘I was really quite insecure with my position in the game as a rapper and as a person’

OHMYGOSSIP — Bugzy Malone lost all his confidence in his rapping and his identity after his horror quad bike crash.
The 32-year-old star – whose real name is Aaron Davis – was riding the bike in Bury, Greater Manchester, in 2020, when he collided with an Audi and subsequently suffered a bleed on the brain.
Police released a statement and confirmed that the injuries were “not believed to be life-threatening”.
However, Bugzy later revealed he was left “unconscious” and “sustained serious injuries”.
The following year, he returned with his second studio album ‘The Resurrection’, but he wasn’t happy with how the record turned out because he was feeling “really quite insecure”.
However, he’s since regained his confidence and is proud of the new music he has coming out.
He told The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column: “The Resurrection is not that good. I was really quite insecure with my position in the game as a rapper and as a person.
“I put a lot of my identity into being a guy that could look after myself, so when I was smashed to bits I didn’t know how to react. It took me a while to get my confidence back. But now I’ve made something serious.”
Bugzy is lucky to be alive and preaches about the importance of remaining “positive” and focusing on “doing better”.
He explained: “You get people that haven’t yet become positive or understand the effect of positivity in life which is why I talk about being inspired, it’s a mind-set.
“Because I’ve done well for myself people think I’m superhuman but I’m not. I just try to focus on doing better than what I’ve done before.”
Alongside a series of snaps from the incident and one of him in his hospital bed with a number of cuts and stitches on his face, Bugyz had wrote on Instagram at the time: “They tell me I’m lucky to be alive but although I sustained serious injuries at the time I lost consciousness so I don’t remember much, what I do remember is the none stop love, and just want to say thanks for all the well wishes and prayers you lot caught me off guard with all the support!
“Lock down ain’t easy because boredom causes the craziest problems, but be safe regardless. (sic)”

Source: IconInsider.com

Metallica’s Kirk Hammett: Prog rock was instrumental in shaping heavy metal

OHMYGOSSIP — Metallica’s Kirk Hammett says prog rock music paved the way for heavy metal.
The axe-slayer says heavy metal would sound “different today” if it wasn’t for the progressive genre of rock music’s influence.
Appearing on the ‘Kyle Meredith with… ‘ podcast, he said: “I’m super influenced by classical music and prog these days.
“I just discovered prog by the way, I just never got around to listening to it, and then a few years ago I was just like, Hey, I need to start listening to this stuff, because this stuff is really cool and important and instrumental in what, you know, heavy metal is today. I think you can definitely draw a line there, especially with the early prog: I mean, if it wasn’t for that early prog, you know, heavy metal would sound different today… the prog influence was huge.”
Reeling off the list of prog acts he has more recently gotten into, he added: “I’ve always been a Rush fan, but I never really listened to, you know, Yes, Jethro Tull, Genesis, King Crimson… all those kind of affiliated bands. At one point I was just like so into Yes, it was all I listened to for like a couple weeks, it was like driving everyone crazy around me. But you know it’s just great stuff, really instrumental and important stuff.”
For the band’s latest tour, Kirk has been improvising his guitar solos.
He previously shared his intention to play “something completely different” at their concerts – and if the fans don’t like it, Kirk insists that’s “tough”.
He told Total Guitar magazine: “I have every intention on playing every solo from this album differently whën we play live.
“If you watch old videos of Ritchie Blackmore, Jeff Beck, or even Michael Schenker, they’re not playing the solos on the album – they’re playing whatever the f*** they wanna play. I love that because it’s a moment of real honesty.
“With this album [’72 Seasons’] I went in intentionally to improvise 20, 30 solos, give them all to Lars [Ulrich, drummer] and Greg [Fidelman, producer], and go ‘You guys edit them!’ I know I’m gonna play something completely different live, so I can offer something different every time you see Metallica. When you buy a ticket to a Metallica show, you’re not gonna hear carbon copy versions of the album.”
He continued: “At a time when it’s just so accessible to see videos of your favourite band, there needs to be some sort of impetus for people to go out and see live shows that are actually somewhat spontaneous.”
Kirk concluded: “That’s my thing these days – and if people don’t like it, that’s just tough!”

Source: IconInsider.com