Sex Pistols artist and anarchist dies

OHMYGOSSIP — The artist and anarchist behind the Sex Pistols’ iconic artwork, Jamie Reid, has died at 76.
John Marchant Gallery announced the sad news of his death on Wednesday (09.08.23).
In a touching ode, the gallerist wrote: “We sadly announce the passing of Jamie MacGregor Reid January 16, 1947 – August 8, 2023; artist, iconoclast, anarchist, punk, hippie, rebel and romantic.
“Jamie leaves behind a beloved daughter, Rowan; a granddaughter, Rose; and an enormous legacy. Universal Majesty, Verity, Love, Infinite.”
The punk visual artist – who was best known for Décollage, the opposite of a collage – created the ransom-note style newspaper cutting lettering that he famously used on the cover of the Pistols’ 1977 song ‘God Save The Queen’, depicting a young Queen Elizabeth II with the track’s title slapped across the royal’s eyes and mouth.
The iconic artwork was based on Cecil Beaton’s photograph of the late monarch.
The Sex Pistols re-released their classic hit in time for the sovereign’s Platinum Jubilee last June. The song, originally released in 1977 during The Queen’s Silver Jubilee, was banned by the BBC and most radio stations but reached No. 2 in the UK Singles Charts. It is widely believed that the song was deliberately kept from the No. 1 spot on the charts due to its anti-royal stance.
Reid created the lettering style while designing the Suburban Press, a radical political magazine he ran for five years.
It was also used on the classic Pistols album ‘Never Mind the B******s’ and the singles ‘Anarchy in the UK’, ‘Pretty Vacant’ and ‘Holidays in the Sun’.
In 2007, on the 30th anniversary of the release of ‘God Save the Queen’, the artist debuted the new print, ‘Never Trust a Punk’, which was exhibited at London Art Fair.
In 2009, out of protest, after it was claimed that Damien Hirst was to sue a student for copyright infringement, Reid called him a “hypocritical and greedy art bully” and teamed up with Jimmy Cauty to produce his ‘For the Love of Disruptive Strategies and Utopian Visions in Contemporary Art and Culture’ image as a pastiche replacing ‘God Save The Queen’ with’ God Save Damien Hirst’.
A year later, David Jacobs, a founding member of the US Situationist group Point-Blank!, dared Reid to make the ‘Nowhere Buses’ graphic which appeared on the sleeve of ‘Pretty Vacant’.
It first appeared in a pamphlet for a protest about mass transit in San Francisco in 1973
Born in London in 1947, Reid passed away in Liverpool, where he had lived for many years.

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Janis Joplin and The Kinks among London’s Music Walk of Fame 2023 inductees

OHMYGOSSIP — Janis Joplin and The Kinks are among the 2023 inductees for London’s Music Walk of Fame.
The Camden trail is set to welcome tributes to 11 more music icons from September 4 to 9.
As well as the legendary late mezzo-soprano rock star and the ‘You Really Got Me’ group, UB40, Gordon Mac (Founder Of Kiss FM), Paul ‘Trouble’ Anderson, The Sugarhill Gang, Eddy Grant, Buzzcocks, Billy Bragg, Shalamar and Harvey Goldsmith complete the latest list of honourees.
Janis’ siblings Laura and Michael Joplin said: “It is a really special moment to see our sister being recognized by the Music Walk Of Fame. Janis’s music resonated with a generation hungry for authenticity. Her legacy is a reminder that vulnerability can be a source of strength, and her voice continues to inspire countless others to embrace their true selves. At moments like this, it’s a pleasure to see her legacy being honored in this way.”
Guyanese-British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Eddy Grant said: “It will be great to be back in Camden, where I grew up. To be honoured with a stone plaque that will be laid in the street where I walked, rode and drove from childhood to manhood.
“It is especially satisfying to be receiving this honour in 2023, the year of my 75th birthday and the 40th anniversary of my ground-breaking album Killer on the Rampage.
“My grandmother, who gave me all my sensibilities after coming out of the womb, always told me that when someone gives you something and it’s something good the most important thing to say is thank you.”
Lee Bennett, Founder of The Music Walk of Fame, commented: “I’m very excited that once again we’ll be progressing the project to a new level of integration and fan engagement by incorporating what will become an annual borough-wide festival utilising all the venues and open spaces that the London borough of Camden has to offer.”
The Music Walk of Fame is also set to welcome the new annual Camden Music Festival, a free event that will see parts of Camden High Street play host to an entire day of live entertainment and music on September 9.
The CMF main stage on Hawley Crescent, supported by the Music Venue Trust, will sees performances from Buzzcocks, Billy Bragg, Shalamar, Jazzie B (Founder of Soul II Soul), Rusty Egan (Blitz Music Machine) plus special guests.
And on Camden High Street, there will be a sound system hosting DJs throughout the day.
There are plans to expand the festival into a three-day event across all venues in Granary Square, Regent’s Park, Hampstead Heath, Denmark Street, and Camden High Street.
Previous inductees include The Who, Madness, Soul II Soul, Amy Winehouse and David Bowie.
A red carpet is thrown out at the ceremonies with fans lining the street.
For The Music Walk of Fame’s schedule head to themusicwalkoffame.com.

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Paramore pull plug on rest of US tour as Hayley Williams battles lung infection

OHMYGOSSIP — Paramore have cancelled the remainder of their North America tour due to illness.
Frontwoman Hayley Williams has been trying to solider on with a lung infection, which forced the ‘This Is Why’ group to postpone four shows after the 34-year-old singer’s body “just gave out” after she initially tried to battle through.
However, after completing two of the rescheduled concerts in San Francisco on Monday (07.08.23) and Seattle last night (09.08.23), which “got a little scary”, they have been forced to pull the plug on their shows at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland tonight (10.08.23)) and the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday (13.08.23).
In a statement on her Instagram Stories, Hayley said: “Hey everybody, we just got off stage in Seattle. After speaking with our team and my doc, I know that trying to finish this tour is now going to come at a detriment to my health.
“My lungs are just not healing quickly enough to keep up. It got a little scary tonight.”
She continued: “We will have the team post an official statement ASAP but we are going to have to cancel the last 2 shows of the tour so I can get better finally. I know some of you are camping in Portland already so I just wanted to get this out there.
“I’m so sorry for all the chaos this has caused some of you. I really tried to kick this shit. Love you all.”
The 34-year-old star recently hit back at the “internet bros” who criticised the singer for postponing shows.
One user went as far as to call the singer the C word and said if Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, 54, can break his leg onstage and continue to perform, Hayley should be able to carry on.
They tweeted: “b****es about how hard [touring] is at 34 … Dave f****** Grohl, falls off stage, breaks his leg and returns to finish set in wheel chair at 50 odd years of age… she’s a winey hypocrite **** (sic)”
Hayley reacted to the post and proceeded to reveal she had a lung infection that prevented her from being able to sing properly.
She responded: “I have a lung infection you soft s***! Not a broken limb. One you can sing with for 2 hours, another you cant.
“But worry not! The shows weren’t cancelled, merely postponed a week. (sic)”
She then suggested: “Maybe you should come out to one of them… like Dave did.”
Hayley went on to write another post calling out those who pit female artists against their male counterparts.
She moaned: “Internet bros have been pressed by my proximity to rock music and all its subgenres since 2005. The only thing that’s changed is the platform from which they spew their ignorance.
“Don’t think for a second your fav bands – metal or punk or otherwise – endorse your weird incel a** lifestyle.
She added: “So many of these bands have stood side stage at our shows and treat us with respect. Why? bc they aren’t threatened by a strong woman front[ing] a great band in a completely diff genre of music.
“Crying from laughing at myself I love when I have so so so much time. (sic)”

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Travis Scott’s Rome gig condemned by archeologists

OHMYGOSSIP — Travis Scott’s gig at a historic venue in Rome produced tremors equivalent to a 1.3 magnitude earthquake.
Archeologists in the Italian city have voiced concern about concerts being held at the Circus Maximus venue following the rapper’s one-off show there on Monday (07.08.23) to promote his new album ‘Utopia’ after experts recorded worrying readings.
Giovanni Diaferia of the Italian Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology tweeted: “An #earthquake at the #TravisScott concert in in #Rome? 60k people, 70kg each, jumping and reaching 0.15 m from ground radiate and energy of E = 6.2 MJ which is equivalent to a magnitude 1.3 earthquake, at each jump!! Enough to be recorded by a seismic station 9 km away!”
Archeologists have long worried about gigs at Circus Maximus putting the ancient Roman chariot-racing stadium at risk and they have now renewed calls to end live entertainment there following Scott’s recent show.
According to CNN, Alfonsina Russo, director of the head of the Colosseum Archeological Park, said: “The Circus Maximus is a monument. It is not a stadium, not a concert hall. These mega rock concerts put it at risk, including the Palatine Hill nearby. Rock concerts should be held in stadiums so as not to endanger public safety.”
Previous concerts held at the venue include gigs by the Rolling Stones, Guns N’ Roses and Bruce Springsteen.
Scott drew an audience of 70,000 to the venue after announcing the one-off show on August 1. He had previously planned to play a concert at the pyramids of Giza in Egypt on July 28 but the event was cancelled due to “complex production issues”.
A statement from organisers at Live Nation explained: “We regret to inform you that the Utopia show, originally scheduled for July 28th at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt is cancelled.
“Unfortunately, despite highest efforts, complex production issues meant that the show could not be constructed in the desert.
“We understand that this news is disappointing and not the outcome any of us desired. Refunds will be issued to all ticket holders at their point of purchase. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this cancellation may have caused and appreciate your understanding.
“We remain committed to bringing exceptional live performances to fans and hope to have the opportunity to do so in the future.”

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The Hives were ’embarrassed’ by lack of new music

OHMYGOSSIP — The Hives were “embarrassed” not to have new music to play for fans for over a decade.
The ‘Hate To Say I Told You So’ hitmakers feared they were “over” as they struggled with writers’ block and the departure of bassist Dr. Matt Destruction, but stayed together because they didn’t know “what else to do”.
Frontman Pelle Almqvist told the Daily Star newspaper’s Wired column: “We definitely thought The Hives were over for a while.
“But we’re really bad at everything else and couldn’t figure out what else to do.
“The pandemic really kicked us in the b****. It taught us that we didn’t want to live lives where we’re not in The Hives. We now have a way better attitude to being in the band.
“I was almost embarrassed to have to say to fans there was nothing new.”
But now the group are back with ‘The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons’, the follow-up album to 2012’s ‘Lex Hives’ and the singer has a new excitement about his career.
Pelle said: “I didn’t enjoy being in an album-less Hives but now I’m very excited to be in The Hives again.”
The Swedish rockers believe their new record is “extremely different” to their previous work, but they don’t think fans will hear it that way.
The singer said: “In our minds, this is an extremely different record to other Hives albums. But we work in such a specialised field, it looks the same to anyone outside of that field.
“It’s like how Eskimos have 110 words for snow.
“The Hives is our version of what a great rock ‘n’ roll band should be.
“We’re not about making music about getting divorced or turning 40.”

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John Lydon on punk’s beginnings: ‘To wrap it around Patti Smith. It’s so wrong!’

OHMYGOSSIP — John Lydon has rubbished the idea punk came from New York and says it’s “wrong” to say Patti Smith started it all.
The latter, often dubbed the ” punk poet laureate”, was a key part of the US city’s punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album ‘Horses’, but the former Sex Pistol insists Britain is the birthplace of the radical genre with late-60s/early-70s acts, including David Bowie, T.Rex and Sweet, informing British punk groups the Pistols, The Clash and The Damned.
The ‘God Save The Queen’ hitmaker told The Sun newspaper: “I’ve heard an awful lot of American journalists pretending that the whole punk influence came out of New York.
“Well, hello? Bands like Sweet with ‘Ballroom Blitz’ and Mud with ‘Tiger Feet’ — that’s the do that, man!
“T. Rex, David Bowie, Slade, Mott The Hoople, The Alex Harvey Band — their influence was enormous.
“And they try to write that all off and wrap it around Patti Smith. It’s so wrong!”
Taking a veiled swipe at the Ramones, he continued: “But I didn’t like what it turned into with all that uniformed, studded leather jacket nonsense. I blame the Ramones!”
While the original Pistols are no longer, there is Generation Sex – a supergroup made up of Lydon’s former bandmates Steve Jones and Paul Cook and Generation X’s Billy Idol and Tony James.
Lydon – who is also known as Johnny Rotten – is not a fan and revealed he and his bandmates used to call ‘White Wedding’ hitmaker Billy “the Cliff Richard of punk”, though he insists he was a “nice fella”.
The ‘Anarchy in the UK’ star said of the project: “Good luck to them but come on boys, get it together.
“The Pistols side of it is songs they never really understood and Billy’s got to come in as a translator.
“What has poor Billy taken on? We used to call him the Cliff Richard of punk and he was such a nice fella and easy to get on with.
“Him and Sid [Vicious] used to be quite ludicrous about who could do the best Elvis Presley sneer.”
Lydon’s group Public Image Ltd (PiL) returned with the new album ‘End of World’ today (11.08.23), and the 67-year-old rocker has no plans to quit anytime soon.
He said: “By the time I’m fully finished with making sounds and putting words together, it will be the day I die.”

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Olivia Rodrigo’s loud scream disguised as instrument on new song Bad Idea Right?

OHMYGOSSIP — Olivia Rodrigo’s new single, ‘Bad Idea Right?’, features her loud screams.
The Grammy winner has released the second single from her upcoming album, ‘Guts’, and they managed to make her gradually louder screams sound like an instrument.
The punky song is about the 20-year-old pop star having sex with an ex.
She sings: “Seeing you tonight/ It’s a bad idea, right?/ Seeing you tonight/ F*** it, it’s fine.”
Olivia said in a statement: “[It] started with us making a joke song about me hooking up with an ex-boyfriend, but then we realised we were actually onto something.
“We were throwing the weirdest things at the wall – in one of the choruses there’s a part that sounds like an instrument in the background, but it’s me gradually screaming louder and louder.”
The ‘good 4 u’ hitmaker recently shared a video of her typing out the 12 track titles on a typewriter for her hotly anticipated follow-up to her record-breaking debut ‘SOUR’, which is set for release on September 8.
Olivia, 20, said in a statement: “For me, this album is about growing pains and trying to figure out who I am at this point in my life.
“I feel like I grew 10 years between the ages of 18 and 20 – it was such an intense period of awkwardness and change.
“I think that’s all just a natural part of growth, and hopefully the album reflects that.”
She wrote on Instagram: “my sophomore album GUTS comes out september 8th. i am so proud of this record and I can’t wait to share it with you all! u can presave it now! xoxoxoxo (sic)”
Olivia also thanked her fans for all their “support and enthusiasm” over the past few years.
She wrote on her Instagram Story: “so excited about this new album and this new chapter. i cant thank you guys enough for all of your support and enthusiasm. making this album was very fun, and very fulfilling. i cant wait for it to be yours. here’s to all the good times ahead [black heart emojis] (sic)”
The release of ‘Bad Idea Right?’ follows the infectious lead single, ‘Vampire’.

‘Guts’ track-list is:
1. ‘All American Bitch’
2. ‘Bad Idea Right?’
3. ‘Vampire’
4. ‘Lacy’
5. ‘Ballad Of A Homeschooled Girl’
6. ‘Making The Bed’
7. ‘Logical’
8. ‘Get Him Back!’
9. ‘Love Is Embarrassing’
10. ‘The Grudge’
11. ‘Pretty Isn’t Pretty’
12. ‘Teenage Dream’

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Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On 50th anniversary reissue will bring 18 unreleased tracks

OHMYGOSSIP — Marvin Gaye’s landmark 1973 album, ‘Let’s Get It On’, is getting a 50th anniversary digital reissue – boasting 18 never-before-released songs.
Arriving August 25, via Motown, the collection is comprised of 33 bonus tracks.
Among the unreleased cuts are tracks recorded in 1974 for an album that never saw the light of day but was re-made in 1997 and became ‘Vulnerable’.
‘What’s Going On’ arranger David Van De Pitte worked on some of the tracks.
What’s more, the milestone will be marked with a special event at the GRAMMY Museum on August 23, featuring Smokey Robinson, Jimmy Jam, and the biographer of the tome ‘Divided Soul’, David Ritz.
Gaye was shot dead by his father in 1984, just a day before his 45th birthday.
In 2021, Warner Bros. acquired the Marvin Gaye biopic ‘What’s Going On’.
Allen Hughes will direct the film – which is expected to have a budget of more than $80 million – about the legendary soul singer, and he will produce the movie alongside Dr. Dre, Jimmy Iovine and Andrew Lazar.
Hughes told Deadline: “This is so personal for me.
“When I made my first film with my brother, we were fortunate to get ‘What’s Going On’ into the trailer for ‘Menace 2 Society’, and it was a game changer in elevating the marketing of that film.
“Every film of mine but the period film ‘From Hell’ had some Marvin Gaye in it, and I’ve just always connected to him.
“He’s the artist’s artist, with this ethereal voice that just comes out of the heavens.
“There have been plenty of great artists, and then Marvin, in his own lane.
“When you listen, in one measure you feel like you’ve read a novel.
“Such a rich inner life in that voice, heavenly but riddled with pain, the agony and ecstasy at the same time.
“When he gained his independence in the ’70s, with that album ‘What’s Going On’, then ‘Trouble Man’ and ‘Let’s Get It On’, ‘I Want You’ and his final masterpiece ‘Here, My Dear’, when it comes to vocal orchestrations and the way he layered his voice, he’s Mozart.”
Gaye’s songs will feature in the movie as his estate and Motown are part of the project.
Hughes added: “You’ve heard of all these big-name directors that have tried for 35 years to consolidate these rights.
“This started with Dre, saying, ‘Let’s do this together,’ and then Jimmy came on, and Andrew Lazar, and we worked with the estate, with Motown and some other things that needed to be tied down, and we got it done.”
Gaye’s widow Jan Gaye is an executive producer on the motion picture.
The producers were at the time searching for an actor to play the music icon.
Bosses were said to be eyeing a 2023 release date, but no further information is known at this time.
Gaye has a back catalogue of numerous hits, also including ‘Sexual Healing’, ‘Ain’t That Peculiar’, ‘How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)’, and ‘I Heard It Through the Grapevine’.
As well as showing how his music was a huge part of popular culture for decades, the film will also touch on the life of women who influenced his career, and his relationship with his father.
It was initially revealed in 2018 that Dre was making a movie about Gaye, following a string of failed attempts by others to bring his life story to the big screen.
Gaye’s family confirmed just days later that talks were underway with the rapper.
His son Marvin Gaye III said at the time: “I love and highly respect Dr. Dre, and we are currently in talks about his participation in the film.”

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Jonas Brothers tease ‘very famous’ special guest for pair for Yankee Stadium shows

OHMYGOSSIP — The Jonas Brothers have a “very famous” surprise guest set for their Yankee Stadium shows.
The ‘Sucker’ hitmakers – comprising brothers Nick, 30, Joe, 33, and 35-year-old Kevin Jonas – will play two sold-out concerts at the home of the famous venue in the Bronx, New York, this weekend as part of ‘The Tour’, and they have something up their sleeves for fans that doesn’t even involve them.
Speaking to Variety, Nick teased: “They’re very famous.
“The surprise is going to be combination of different things that don’t necessarily include us. In other words, I will be excited to be watching this moment from backstage and seeing how the audience reacts.”
Meanwhile, Joe has joked that he’s going to bring his baseball bat with him just in case anyone decides to follow the scary trend of throwing items onstage.
First, Nick said: “It’s unfortunate these things keep happening.
“It’s important to tell everyone that it’s very dangerous to do that and it should not continue. I don’t understand it. I can’t begin to understand it.”
His brother – who is also known for the pop group DNCE – then quipped: “I’ll have my baseball bat to hit it back.”
Nick recently admitted it “can be a little strange” singing about sex with his brothers.
The group reference romps on their latest LP, ‘The Album’.
On the steamy track ‘Summer In the Hamptons’, the siblings sing: “Sex with you is like…”
Kevin began in their interview with Bustle: “It’s just natural to speak about your life and where you’re at. Like, that’s my wife and partner in crime of 13 years, you know?”
Nick, 30, then admitted: “We’re always conscious that we’re three brothers singing on stage together.
“So when we speak about sex specifically, it’s gotta be kind of a nuanced thing, otherwise it can be a little strange.”

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James Bay is back with a new guitar ballad

OHMYGOSSIP — James Bay has returned with the new song ‘Goodbye Never Felt So Bad’.
The ‘Hold Back The River’ hitmaker – who became a father for the first time to daughter Ada, whom he has with his wife Lucy, in October 2021 – has been testing the waters by playing the tune for his fans at his live shows, and it went down so well, he decided to drop it.
In a statement, James said: “Goodbye Never Felt So Bad is a song about how crazy it can feel to say goodbye. There’s rarely ever anything good about it. I say goodbye to the people I love constantly; it comes with the territory of my work. I’m always travelling. It’s an amazing job but everything in life has its upsides and downsides.
“This summer I started playing the song live, way before I even knew it would be released. I just wanted to share new music for the thrill of it. You can’t ask an audience to like something, but every time my fans put their hands in the air, clapped along and by the last chorus they were singing the words. It’s been unbelievable. I’m really excited to share the recording with the world. I wrote it with my mate, the brilliant Phil Plested. I hope you love it!”
It’s the 32-year-old singer-songwriter’s first new music since his 2022 LP ‘Leap’.
Earlier this year, James revealed he’s in the early stages of his next album and is planning to showcase more of his “guitar playing”.
The ‘Wild Love’ hitmaker is going back to his roots after enjoying a rawer approach to playing his acoustic guitar as he did on open-mic nights when he was starting out.
He explained: “With all my heroes, a lot of my favourite work of theirs was recorded in the first or second take. It had that sort of carefree [nature], ‘Let’s just do it. Emote and move on to the next thing.’ I’m trying to do that at the moment.”
He continued in an interview with Guitar.com: “[Recording an album] piece by piece by piece? I’ve done that a lot. I totally respect it, it really worked for me in the past. But lately, I’ve been standing in front of a microphone with my acoustic guitar, like I used to do on an open-mic night. I’m just singing the song in. No click. Nothing. Just a performance. And it’s fun! It’s sort of freeing to not have to sort of stress over all the minute details.”
James insisted the lyrics and the song itself are still important to him, but he really wants to home in on his guitar skills.
He added: “I do see myself moving towards showcasing more guitar playing in my songs. So maybe [fans’ perceptions] will change as time goes by … but it depends on what the songs dictate.
“The songs are still the most important thing to me, what the melody is doing, what the lyrics are saying, the performance and the delivery of the song. But I will always stand up on stage with a guitar in my hand, so I think, in the studio, I’m gonna give myself a little bit more to do with the guitar.”

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BTS star V’s debut solo album Layover is out a month today

OHMYGOSSIP — BTS star V’s debut solo album, ‘Layover’, will be released on September 8.
Big Hit Music confirmed the title and release date on Twitter on Tuesday (08.08.23).
And the six-song track-list is as follows: ‘Rainy Days’, ‘Blue’, ‘Love Me Again’, ‘Slow Dancing’, ‘For Us’ and ‘Slow Dancing (Piano version)’.
Fans can expect a whole “new side” to the V they know from the chart-topping K-Pop boy band.
V, 27, said in a statement about the LP: “[I’m nervous]. But [I’m] happy too. This is an album that has my personal preferences. There will be a lot of things to show.
“I prepared it while thinking that ARMY would be happy, so I hope you all look forward to it. You will be able to see solo artist V, which will show a new side and will be different from BTS’s V.”
V – whose real name is Kim Tae-hyung – unveiling his album comes a month after his bandmate Jungkook dropped the lead single, ‘Seven’, from his upcoming mini solo album.
The BTS member recently released his debut solo single ‘Seven’ with American rapper Latto, and he has another single on the way before fans are treated to the mini album.
Speaking to his BTS bandmate Suga on his talk show ‘Suchwita’ last month, Jungkook teased: “I have another single. And then, I’ll be releasing a small mini album by November.”
The 25-year-old star admits it’s challenging following up ‘Seven’.
Asked if he’s finished the collection, he confessed: “No. I have to start working on them now.
“I want a song like [‘Seven’] for my second single too, but I haven’t found it.”
Suga, 30, then suggested he write Jungkook a song.
Jungkook went on to admit that if he didn’t land on ‘Seven’, fans wouldn’t have gotten his debut track for a while longer as he was enjoying his hiatus.
He admitted: “The moment I heard it, I was like ‘I have to do this’. Without the song ‘Seven’, I might’ve still been on a break right now.
“I was totally enjoying my time off, and this song got me started again.”
In a recent interview, Jungkook admitted his musical ambition is to become “more appreciated and be even better”.
He told Weverse Magazine: “In a word: cool. That’s the whole reason I’m doing this. I want to be that kind of pop star someday – I want to be able to really experience that feeling…
“I hope the day comes that I can look at myself from a third-person perspective and give myself that kind of recognition.
“I’ll know I’m that kind of pop star once I can do that.”

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Are Guns N’ Roses dropping a previously-unreleased song this week?

OHMYGOSSIP — Guns N’ Roses could be about to release the track ‘Perhaps’ on Friday (11.08.23).
The ‘Patience’ rockers released two tracks, ‘Absurd’ and ‘Hard Skool’, both reworked outtakes from 2008’s ‘Chinese Democracy’, in 2021.
The notorious record was delayed for years and held up by legal hassles, while guitar-slayer Slash, bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Matt Sorum quit the group, and only frontman Axl Rose and keyboardist Dizzy Reed remained.
Slash has previously teased more new music from the hard rock band.
And fans might not have much longer to wait to hear the track also from the ‘Chinese Democracy’ era, as a since-deleted listing on Universal Music was spotted with a pre-save link for the track on Spotify and Apple Music.
However, the ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ hitmakers haven’t officially confirmed anything yet.
The band reunited with original members Slash and Duff for the 2016 ‘Not in This Lifetime… Tour’.
Slash previously admitted he and his bandmates hadn’t penned any new material since reuniting.
He said in October 2021: “As far as new Guns is concerned; we haven’t even gotten to that point of really in earnest sitting down and writing.
“We’ve been doing a lot of material that’s been sort of sitting around for a while. So that will be a whole focused endeavour unto itself.”
Axl, Slash and Duff’s last studio album was 1993’s ‘The Spaghetti Incident?’.
This June, the ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ rockers headlined Glastonbury festival with special guest Dave Grohl joining them for a rendition of ‘Paradise City’.
Introducing his friend, singer Axl said: “There’s never such a thing as too many guitars!”
However, the hit-filled set appeared blighted by sound issues.
And at one point, Axl told the crowd: “I can’t walk out here that far because when I do I can only hear me and I can’t hear the band. I’m not trying to wuss out they were.”

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Ed Sheeran on AI: ‘Have you not seen the movies where they kill us all?’

OHMYGOSSIP — Ed Sheeran finds AI “weird” and fears reality could turn into one of the movies where AI gets too clever and decides to wipe out humanity.
The 32-year-old pop star believes it’s a bad idea to replace human jobs with robots, however, he doesn’t think much harm can be done by the AI chatbot, ChatGPT, which is developed by OpenAI and can make songs that song like any artist, understand and generate human-like responses to questions, pen creative writing and assist with everyday tasks.
In an interview on Audacy, Ed said: “What I don’t understand about AI is like, for the last 60 years, Hollywood movies have been telling you, ‘Don’t do it’. And now everyone’s doing it.
“And I’m just like, ‘Have you not seen the movies where they kill us all?'”
He added: “Also, I just don’t know why you need it – if you’re taking a job away from a human being, I think that’s probably a bad thing.
“The whole point of society is we all do jobs. If everything is done by robots, everybody’s gonna be out of work. I just find AI a bit weird. But ChatGPT… f****** why not?”
Ed having his say comes days after Damon Albarn quipped that “we’re gonna need better drugs” to get through an age of AI.
The 55-year-old Blur frontman slammed AI versions of the ‘Parklife’ group’s songs sung in the vocal likeness of Frank Sinatra, Michael Bublé and Snoop Dogg.
Asked about the rise in Artificial Intelligence music, Damon was quoted by The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column as saying: “It’s absurd. Anyone who has so much time to sing songs through a Michael Bublé filter and put them on the internet is a f****** idiot. If the AIs are the future of music, we’re gonna need better drugs to get us through it!”
Many artists have raised their concerns about the lack of emotion in AI, including Nick Cave, 65, and Sting, 71, the latter of whom believes it will be a “battle” for the music industry.
However, 35-year-old experimental artist Grimes – who has gone as far as to create her own AI software – and will.i.am are pro-AI.
The Black Eyed Peas star, 48, is one of the music artists championing songs created by artificial intelligence software, with the songwriter claiming it can pen a tune just as good as he can.
He told ITV’s ‘Good Morning Britain’: “People have to decide what types of songs they want to write because, although I wrote songs like ‘Boom Boom Pow’ and ‘I Gotta Feeling’, the machine is going to write amazing versions or original ‘Boom Boom Pows’.”
The tech enthusiast says AI can provide “social commentary” just like a human.
He said: “It was a new song and it wrote it the way I would have written it.”
Will continued: “It’s a unique world that we’re entering into. It’s a new renaissance.”
He added: “The concern is what we do as people and the regulation that we put on folks that are building the models.”

Source: IconInsider.com

Normani has ‘new music on the horizon’ after signing to new management

OHMYGOSSIP — Normani has “new music on the horizon” after signing to a new management company.
The former Fifth Harmony star now shares a manager with Mark Ronson, Charli XCX and Troye Sivan in Brandon Creed, who is working with Lydia Asrat to oversee the singer’s career, after she parted ways with S10 Entertainment’s Brandon Silverstein in May.
A representative for the star told Rolling Stone: “With new music on the horizon, and Asrat and Creed now at the helm of her musical career, she and the rest of her team are extremely excited to embark on this new chapter and partnership.
“She wishes Silverstein all the best.”
Last year, Normani said she won’t release her new album until she feels ready.
The 27-year-old singer shot to fame as part of the girl group and although she’s been teasing her solo album for a couple of years, she’s always been determined to take her time.
Normani – who enjoyed chart success with her 2019 single ‘Motivation’ – explained on the ‘Today’ show: “Everybody says, ‘Oh, well, she should’ve dropped her album during ‘Motivation’, which to everybody from an outside perspective seemed like the perfect time. But for me, I was just coming out of the group and I needed to figure out what I wanted my sound to sound like.”
Normani explained that by taking her time, she’s been able to work out what’s important to her.
She explained: “I needed to figure out what I wanted to talk about and what was important to me. And I’ve had the time to do that. So this will really be an introduction to who I really am.”
Meanwhile, Normani previously admitted she always felt “very overlooked” in Fifth Harmony.
The singer starred in the chart-topping girl group alongside Ally Brooke, Dinah Jane, Lauren Jauregui, and Camila Cabello – but she admits it wasn’t easy being the “only black girl”.
She shared: “For someone that’s always felt very overlooked and being the only black girl in a group, mentally was a lot for me. There were times that I didn’t feel seen, and felt unimportant, and my vocal ability wasn’t just as amazing.
“To come out of that speaks to, I feel, my resilience, but also the people that have been riding with me since day one. I’m just so grateful for it.”

Source: IconInsider.com

BLACKPINK turns 7! Pink Venom hitmakers thank fans for making their dreams come true

OHMYGOSSIP — BLACKPINK have marked their 7th anniversary by paying tribute to their loyal fan base.
Rosé, Lisa, Jennie, and Jisoo of the South Korean girl group took to their respective Instagram accounts to thank their Blinks for making their dreams come true.
Rosé penned on Instagram alongside a series of snapshots of moments from their career so far: “Thank you, BLACKPINK for being such a blessing in my life. I have really been able to experience everything and more than what I have ever dreamed of growing up as an aspiring artist.
“Thank you, thank you and thank you a thousand times.”
Lisa wrote: “7 is one of my favorite numbers and I hope this year will be a lucky one for us. (sic)”
Jennie said: “I love us I love Blackpink I love Blinks. (sic)”
And Jisoo added to her account in two separate posts: “BLACKPINK is always in your area” and “Blinks, BLACKPINK forever.”
As they mark the career milestone, YG Entertainment is set to celebrate the ‘Pink Venom’ hitmakers with special video screenings planned in the US and Asia, including in Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the cities will also be painted pink.
There will also be 76 screens at New Jersey’s Secaucus Junction Station, which will be decorated BLACKPINK style.
The band also have the New York Verdy pop-up taking place tomorrow (09.08.23) until Friday (11.08.23) where fans can make use of a photobooth.
What’s more, the ‘Sour Candy’ stars have teamed up with Starbucks on a special merchandise line in Asia.
The four-piece are the highest-charting female Korean act on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 13 with ‘Ice Cream’ in 2020, and on the Billboard 200, peaking at number one with their second studio album, 2022’s ‘Born Pink’, which is the best-selling album of all time by a female act in South Korea and the first to sell over two million copies.

Source: IconInsider.com

Dua Lipa to face court for third time over 2020 hit Levitating

OHMYGOSSIP — Dua Lipa is set to go to court for the third time over her hit song ‘Levitating’.
Songwriters L. Russell Brown and Sandy Linzer filed a lawsuit last March accusing the pop star of copying their 1979 disco hit ‘Wiggle and Giggle All Night’, with the pair believing the opening melody shares “compositional elements” with Dua’s 2020 ‘Future Nostalgia’ track.
And now, US District Judge Katherine Polk Failla says the 27-year-old singer will have to stand trial.
However, the plaintiffs will have to prove the “striking similarity” of the “repetitive rhythm” and “signature melody”.
Failla said: “The court cannot foreclose the possibility of plaintiffs meeting the undoubtedly high bar of proving striking similarity.”
Jason Brown, a lawyer for the pair, said they “have great respect for the artists of today but if their material is used there must be proper attribution and compensation.
“We look forward to conducting discovery and taking this case to trial.”
The duo also claimed 1980’s ‘Don Diablo’, which was performed by Miguel Bosé, also resembles Dua’s chart hit.
Just recently, another ‘Levitating’ copyright infringement case was dismissed.
The ‘Dance The Night’ singer and label Warner Records were sued over the track’s similarities to Artikal Sound System’s 2017 reggae single ‘Live Your Life’.
The band said they believed Dua, and her team heard their song and produced a carbon copy in ‘Levitating’.
However, US District Judge Sunshine Sykes said that Artikal Sound System had no way of proving that Dua and her team had access to their song.
They were given the option to file a new lawsuit should they wish to, with their attorney Stewart Levy stating that they were contemplating their next move.
Furthermore, the judge refused to allow them to move the case from Los Angeles to New York, where Linzer and Brown’s will be heard.
As well as Dua and Warner, DaBaby, the rapper who featured on a remix of ‘Levitating’, was named in the lawsuit.
And, on July 31, musician Bosko Kante alleged Dua didn’t seek his permission to use his “talk box” recording in remixes of the hit.
Dua previously admitted she never expected ‘Levitating’ to become such a big hit.
She confessed: “I can never preempt what song people are going to react to the best, but ‘Levitating’ was the first song that helped dictate the rest of the album.”

Source: IconInsider.com