OHMYGOSSIP — Demi Lovato is excited to “breathe new life” into her music with an album of rock covers.
The 30-year-old singer/songwriter’s new album will be released on September 15 and will feature rock covers of some of her biggest hits, which she says helped her to reconnect with her early music.
She tweeted: “Breathing new life into the songs that played such a huge role in my career has allowed me to feel so much closer to my music than ever before, I can’t wait for you to hear REVAMPED.”
She added in a press release: “With ‘Revamped,’ I wanted to pay homage to the songs that resonated the most with fans and played a big role in my career by breathing an exciting new life into them. Creating this project has been incredibly fun and allowed me to express my passion for rock music in a new way… I can’t wait for everyone to hear more!”
Demi released her most recent album ‘HOLY FVCK’ last August and it features several songs written by her partner Jutes.
Speaking about how they got together, she previously told PEOPLE: “We were texting, and he said something, and I was like, I took it one way and he was like, ‘OK, if you take it one way, then I know you like me. If you don’t, then…’ You know that kind of thing? And so, I took it that way and he was like, ‘OK, got it.’ Yeah, I’m super happy, and he’s my best friend.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — BLACKPINK‘s Jennie Kim suffered burnout after taking on the rap responsibilities in the group.
The 27-year-old singer revealed she was unhappy with her role in the group and struggled with the responsibility of being the rapper.
During a conversation on Dua Lipa’s ‘At Your Service’ podcast, Dua asked her: “I know one of the reasons you became a rapper is because you spoke English, so you got assigned the rap parts and you’ve obviously really grown into that rap role in BLACKPINK, it’s something that the fans love you for. What comes over you when you do the second verse rap in DDU-DU DDU-DU? You know, it’s like it’s like watching you become an entirely different person!”
Jennie replied: “I’ve never really said this anywhere, but I’ve wanted to. After our debut, we did like six songs where I would just rap like, seriously rap and along the way, I kind of got confused because I came to see that there’s a big side of me inside that loves to sing, but I actually never had the chance to really explore that as a trainee because I got told that I should be a rapper, you know?
“So there was a phase where I would hate to rap. I was like, ‘This isn’t me like, this isn’t the journey that I envisioned in my head like, I don’t think I’m a rapper.’ So there was definitely a burnout.”
Jennie also revealed that getting in to the group was a lot of hard work.
She said: “I’ve actually never really broken down how I did it. But the people who knew the importance of keeping their own identity and character within the training system are the people that are in the group right now – a lot of people got lost on the way because we were so focused to satisfy the people that we were working with, but we weren’t sure who we were doing it for, and how it can identify us in the future. Because it’s literally years of training, it’s not just a couple of hours. So you get really drawn into the lifestyle that they put us in.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Sir Brian May has insisted it is “not impossible” that Queen could play at Glastonbury.
The 75-year-old guitarist has previously been adamant that his group wouldn’t perform at the iconic festival because of his dispute with founder Michael Eavis over the badger cull in the countryside, and though he’s sticking by his views, he admitted he is open to sitting down to discuss the subject with the farmer.
He told The Guardian newspaper: “You can never say never, but it’s a very big matter of principle to me.
“I am convinced, more than ever, that the badger cull is the greatest crime this country has ever committed against wildlife. It’s completely pointless and the tragedy is immense: you’re talking about nearly half a million native animals killed and it’s not benefited farmers one bit.
“The fact that Michael Eavis supports badger-culling is difficult for me to swallow.
“I don’t really want to endorse his festival, but it’s not impossible that we could sit down and talk. I’ll talk to anyone – that’s the way we go forward.”
Michael previously admitted Brian’s stance “does have a bearing” on why Queen are unlikely to be booked for the festival, and he also branded the ‘We Will Rock You’ hitmaker a “danger to farming”, arguing the badger cull process helps reduce the risk of bovine TB to cattle.
Earlier this year, Brian hit out again at the Glastonbury boss and insisted Queen would never perform at the festival.
He said: “Michael Eavis has frequently insulted me, and I don’t particularly enjoy that. What bothers me more is that he’s in favour of the badger cull, which I regard as a tragedy and an unnecessary crime against wildlife.”
However, Adam Lambert – who sings with Queen in place of the late Freddie Mercury – previously said he’d love to perform at Glastonbury with the band.
He previously told NME: “I mean, I’m sure that if it were the right type of arrangement, I’m sure we would all be really, really honoured to be a part of Glastonbury.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler has recalled the time a “lunatic” threatened to “sacrifice” guitarist Tony Iommi at their Nashville concert.
The heavy metal band – which was fronted by Ozzy Osbourne at the time – were known for their satanic imagery, which didn’t go down well with Geezer’s “strict Catholic” father, and some Americans.
In an interview with Reader’s Digest, he recalled: “My dad wasn’t very pleased when he saw the inverted cross on the sleeve of our first album. But, generally, nobody in the UK or Europe cared that much about our Satanic imagery.
“In the US, though, people would threaten us and turn up at our gigs with crosses and bibles. In Nashville, someone jumped on stage and went for Tony with a knife. Fortunately, Tony had turned around to kick his faulty amp at that point, saw the attacker and got out of the way.
“The police arrested the attacker, though we don’t know what happened to him. But he wanted to sacrifice Tony. Lunatic.”
His religious upbringing didn’t stop Geezer – who has just released his tell-all memoir ‘Into the Void: From Birth to Black Sabbath – and Beyond’ – from crossing over to the dark side.
He shared: “I was ultra-religious. It wasn’t surprising as my dad and mum, Mary, were strict Catholics and our house was covered in pictures of Jesus and Mary.
“At school, the nuns would tell us we were going to hell, if we didn’t behave. Terrifying.
“But when I was a teenager, I got into the occult. Magazines, horror films with Vincent Price and books like The Devil Rides Out by Dennis Wheatley.
“There were lots of immigrants with different religions coming into Birmingham, too—Muslims and Hindus. It was fascinating to see new perspectives.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Rita Ora couldn’t have made her new album without Taika Waititi.
The ‘You Only Love Me’ hitmaker has never had such a “supportive” partner as the director – who she married in a secret ceremony last year – and praised him for helping her feel more “confident” when it came to working on her latest record ‘You and I’.
She told the Sunday Mirror newspaper: “I’ve never met someone who is so supportive of my work the way he has been. He loves all the songs on the album, including You and I – which is one of the most honest songs I’ve ever written.
“I don’t feel like there’s a lot to hide behind, I recorded it the day after we got married and it’s my perfect wedding song…
“He encourages me every step of the way, his support helped me feel more confident.
“The album started off as a diary and now it’s emerged as a full-blown love story. I’m at a stage in my life where I’m so content living in the now, and I wanted to share that in this album.”
The 32-year-old singer praised her parents for instilling a strong work ethic in her but insisted it doesn’t come before everything else because she’ll always make time for her loved ones.
She said: “I think my work ethic comes from my upbringing, it’s something my parents instilled in me.
“They always said that as an ­immigrant, I would have to work twice as hard to achieve my dreams. But they didn’t just teach me about working hard, they taught me about respect and how important family and loved ones are.
“I know how important it is to make time for your loved ones, and me and Taika always make sure we make that time.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Lewis Capaldi surprised gig-goers at The Vamps’ Kew the Music show in London on Wednesday night (12.07.23) by hugging singer Brad Simpson onstage – his first appearance since last month’s Glastonbury set that led him to step back from performing for the “foreseeable future”.
Fans of the boy band – also comprising Connor Ball, Tristan Evans and James McVey – screamed hysterically as the pair embraced to the side of the stage where Lewis was watching their set at Kew Gardens in south London.
The ‘Someone You Loved’ hitmaker came out during their performance of ‘Risk Of It All’ and grabbed Brad’s microphone before he appeared to sing, though he could not be heard over the animated audience.
Lewis, 26, is a Vamps superfan.
Bass guitarist Connor Ball previously revealed the Scottish singer once came up to the group at an afterparty and began singing the lyrics to one of their lesser-known album tracks.
Connor told the ‘Celebrity Search Engine’ podcast: “We were at this afterparty with Lewis Capaldi and we were just chatting with him. We were just having a normal conversation and then, out of nowhere, he started screaming in mine and Brad’s ears this album track, off our first album. So like, not even a single, he just loves the song!”
The ‘Pointless’ singer has been struggling to perform with vocal tics plaguing his singing, a symptom of the neurological disorder Tourette Syndrome, which he was diagnosed with last year.
Lewis confirmed he needs to spend more time focusing on his “mental and physical health” after fans rallied behind him after Glastonbury, which marked his first show in almost a month.
In a lengthy statement shared on social media, he said: “First of all, thank you to Glastonbury for having me, for singing along when I needed it and for all the amazing messages afterwards. It really does mean the world.
“The fact that this probably won’t come as a surprise doesn’t make it any easier to write, but I’m very sorry to let you all know I’m going to be taking a break from touring for the foreseeable future.
“I used to be able to enjoy every second of shows like this and I’d hoped 3 weeks away would sort me out.
“But the truth is I’m still learning to adjust to the impact of my Tourette’s and on Saturday it become obvious that I need to spend much more time getting my mental and physical health in order, so I can keep doing everything I love for a long time to come.”
The ‘Forget Me’ hitmaker thanked everyone who has supported him and said he feels “fortunate” to have the freedom to step back when he needs to.
He continued: “I know I’m incredibly fortunate to be able to take some time out when others can’t and I’d like to thank my amazing family, friends, team, medical professionals and all of you who’ve been so supportive every step of the way through the good times and even more so during this past year when I’ve needed it more than ever.
“I’m so incredibly sorry to everyone who had planned to come to a show before the end of the year but I need to feel well to perform at the standard you all deserve.
“Playing for you every night is all I’ve ever dreamed of so this has been the most difficult decision of my life. I’ll be back as soon as I possibly can.
“All my love, always, Lewis x.”
Towards the end of his set, he said: “We’re gonna play two more songs if that’s okay, even if I can’t sing properly.
“I’m really sorry, before I go any further. You’ve all come out and I’m really apologising. My voice is packing in.”
Fans sang his words back to him as he was visibly struggling, and he suggested he wouldn’t be performing for the rest of the year.
He added: “I feel like I’ll be taking another wee break for the next few weeks, you might not see me for the rest of the year. But when I do come back and I do see you, I hope you’re up for watching.”
Head to www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/kew-the-music-2023 to grab all remaining tickets for this month’s Kew the Music concerts.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Carly Rae Jepsen’s new album ‘The Loveliest Time’ is about “blossoming” after a period of “darkness” and loneliness”.
The ‘Call Me Maybe’ hitmaker is set to release the companion album to ‘The Loneliest Time’ on July 28, and she insists it’s a proper “body of work” and not just some “cast off ideas” from the former record.
Speaking about the inspiration for the LP, she wrote on Instagram: “It’s been the loneliest time, it’s been the loveliest time.
After a season of hibernation comes the season of blossoming. I got to know loneliness and discover the beauty in it. The loneliest time taught me that growth comes from being planted in darkness. But now the world has opened itself back up again and in turn so have we. It’s time for celebration and for all the lessons we have learned to burst into joyful action. The Loveliest Time…
At this point you know me so well that I won’t even tease about a b sides. It’s almost disrespectful because you know that it’s coming. And in fact this is the time to announce that it’s here. It’s done and a month from now The Loveliest Time will be all yours. I can’t really call it a b sides as if these were cast off ideas – it’s the completed set to a body of work that taught me so much about love and loneliness and myself.
So let the countdown begin. Thank you for your continued support. Always x. (sic)”
Carly confirmed the new album in a recent interview in Japan.
And producer, Rostam – who helped produce its 2022 predecessor – has also worked on this record and teased that fans need to “get ready to dance”.
Commenting underneath a tweet about the new album, he wrote: “the two we did for The Loveliest Time have BPMs —get ready to dance (sic)”
The songs that make up ‘The Loneliest Time’ were recorded in isolation amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 37-year-old singer said previously of the period of remote working: “The most awkward thing for me so far has been trying to do writing sessions over Zoom.
“You’re trying to spark creativity with, sometimes, a complete stranger. It’s just a really awkward beginning process. We’re staring at each other like, ‘Can I call you back when we each have some ideas?’ I’m always writing, chipping away at a couple ideas here and there. Right now I would say it’s been the most successful with my guitarist Tavish [Crowe], who’s based in Canada, just because we are really used to each other’s flow and I don’t feel self-conscious sending him a voice memo, even if it sounds crap. I know he trusts that we’ll get it to the right place.”
The LP was the follow-up to 2019’s ‘Dedicated’ and its 2020 companion record ‘Dedicated B’.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Britpop rockers Shed Seven’s first studio album in six years, ‘A Matter of Time’, features Pete Doherty and Rowetta from Happy Mondays.
Ahead of the album’s release on January 12, the band have shared the lead single, ‘Kissing California’, and announced a 2023 autumn tour.
The album – the follow-up to 2017’s ‘Instant Pleasures’ – reunites singer Rick Witter, guitarist Paul Banks and bassist Tom Gladwin and is “full of the towering, arms-in-the-air anthems and yearning melancholia that fans have come to love them for.”
The ‘Disco Down’ group have taken influence from the likes of The Smiths, The Cure and Duran Duran on the new tunes, the groups who inspired them to form Shed Seven back in 1990.
The core trio are joined by new drummer Rob ‘Maxi’ Maxfield (Audioweb) and keyboardist Tim Willis (Ian Brown).
The album was produced by the Grammy winner Youth – who has worked on tracks for Pink Floyd and The Verve – and mixed by Cenzo Townshend (Florence + The Machine, Inhaler).
Paul commented: “For this album, we took a nostalgic journey back to our roots, immersing ourselves in the records and sounds that ignited our passion for songwriting at the tender age of 12. The influences of bands like The Smiths, R.E.M., U2, Simple Minds, The Cure, and Duran Duran permeate every note, making it a heartfelt homage to those cherished times. It embodies the essence of rebirth, empowering individuals to embrace their true selves without inhibition. With utmost conviction, we declare this as the pinnacle of our musical endeavours – the record we’ve always yearned to create.”
Rick added of the shimmering new single: “‘Kissing California’ is Shed Seven’s summer anthem. It’s essentially a celebration of being alive, and grabbing the opportunity to paint the town red with someone special and have the best of times. It’s the medicine we all need sometimes.”
Libertines and Babyshambles rocker Pete appears on ‘Throwaways’, Rowetta is on ‘In Ecstasy’, and Laura McClure of Reverend and The Makers is featured on ‘Tripping With You’.
The tour will kick off on October 19 in Cardiff, and wrap in Manchester on October 28.
Fans who pre-order ‘A Matter of Time’ from the band’s official store will receive access to a pre-sale for tickets for the October tour. The pre-sale will open at 9.30am on Wednesday, July 19th and will remain live until any remaining tickets go on general sale at 9.30am on Friday, July 21st via www.gigsandtours.com and www.ticketmaster.co.uk.
Until then, they play Millenium Square, Leeds, on July 15, and a headline set at Party At The Palace on August 12.

‘A Matter of Time’ tracklist:

‘Let’s Go’
‘Kissing California’
‘Talk of the Town’
‘Let’s Go Dancing’
‘In Ecstasy’ (featuring Rowetta)
‘Tripping With You’ (featuring Laura McClure)
‘Let’s Go (Again)’
‘Real Love’
‘F:K:H’
‘Ring The Changes’
‘Starlings’
‘Throwaways’ (featuring Peter Doherty)

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OHMYGOSSIP — Shania Twain has been styling her tour looks herself and “repurposing and reimagining” items from her closet.
The ‘Man! I Feel Like a Woman!’ hitmaker has chosen a sustainable option for her costumes and only wears one ensemble per night on her ‘Queen of Me’ tour.
Speaking to Indianapolis’ IndyStar, she said: “I decided that instead of doing quick changes in a show, I’ll just change every night. So every show, the fans get a different look. It’s been a lot of fun, and it keeps it all fresh for me.
I’m enjoying basically pulling things out of my closet that I’ve had for years. Some of it is vintage haute couture, some of it is just from boxes of fabrics that I’ve had in storage. I’m repurposing and reimagining a variety of these things on my own.”
The ‘Up!’ singer also spoke about how “surreal” it is to pass on her words of wisdom to artists like Harry Styles and Taylor Swift, who were only young when they discovered her music.
She said: “The beauty of having longevity is that you get to experience from their own words what influence I may have had on them and still do. I have relationships with a lot of these artists. So, it’s surreal for everything to go full circle within my career, and I’m enjoying it very much.
“It’s just a really great feeling to be able share what I’ve been going through in my career all of these years, and what they’re now going through themselves. When they discovered me, they were little kids. Now, I’m talking to adults. It’s really funny.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Damon Albarn says Arctic Monkeys were the “last great guitar band” before the genre’s recent resurgence.
The Blur and Gorillaz star admits guitar music had gotten “so sterile”, and even though there are bands with a “huge amount of potential” coming through, Damon, 55, still believes Alex Turner and co can’t be beaten.
He told the ‘Broken Record’ podcast: “I feel like there’s a bit more excitement about guitar music again, that can’t be a bad thing because it got so sterile. For me, the last great guitar band would have been Arctic Monkeys and I don’t really know if there’s anything as good as that since.
“But now there are bands with a huge amount of potential. It’s really dismantled itself guitar music and put itself back together again in a different form. You’ve got some fantastic new mutations of the genius of it.”
Damon doesn’t like “generic rock s***” and said he looks for “poets and guitars” in a good band, while giving the nod to Sleaford Mods and Yard Act.
He added: “I really like the band Wu-Lu, they seem to be really cool. There’s one I picked up on somewhere in the American countryside but I can’t remember his name, that’s narrowing it down isn’t it.
“Then you’ve got bands like Yard Act who seem to be getting better and better. Obviously, they are not new, but I still see them as emerging are bands like Sleaford Mods, brilliant. There’s lots of great language being used again, not this generic rock s*** – I hate that, I like poets and guitars.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — BTS star Jungkook says rapper Latto’s “unique charm” perfectly suits the “overall mood” of his sexual debut solo single, ‘Seven’.
The pair have hooked up on the spicy song all about sex, and the 25-year-old star says he felt the rapper’s “liveliness” was just what the track about sexual fantasy needed.
Asked if he was happy for the ‘Big Dick Energy’ hitmaker to dial up the sex talk in such a direct way, he told Variety: “I thought it’s important that it suits the overall mood of the song, and Latto’s unique charm came through very well.”
The lyrics include: “Come here baby let me swallow your pride.
“What you on I can match your vibe. Hit me up and I’mma Cha Cha Slide… (sic)”
On how Latto, 24, came to appear on the track, he said: “I thought it’s important that it suits the overall mood of the song, and Latto’s unique charm came through very well.”
“We thought about who would be the best rapper for this summer song, and one of the producers recommended Latto. So, we reached out to her, and she gladly agreed to work together for ‘Seven’. I personally like her rapping voice, and I thought her voice adds another layer of liveliness.”
Jungkook insists he wasn’t chasing a hit when he wrote ‘Seven’, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t love it to smash the charts.
He said: “I honestly didn’t have a huge goal in mind, but since you said that, I’d be ecstatic if it becomes a ‘hit’.”
The K-Pop star went on to explain that he wants fans to see his “more mature” side with his solo tunes.
He said: “It’s my official solo debut, so everything is a challenge and feels new and fresh. Of course, I think a lot about delivering good music and performance while working on my music. But above all, as this is my first step forward in the spotlight as a solo artist, I want to show a more mature and grown version of myself.”
Jungkook also teased that he’s aiming to release his debut solo album before the end of 2023.
He said: “I’m working hard to release a solo album this year. It’s early to mention anything specific, but look forward to it!”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Rita Ora has shared the “chapters of her love journey” on her new album, ‘You and I’.
The ‘Anywhere’ singer – who is married to Hollywood director Taika Waititi – has dropped the follow-up to 2018’s ‘Phoenix’, which not only documents her love story with her other half, but her love for her family and herself.
In a press release, Rita said: “The ‘You’ in ‘You and I’ represents more than just the man I love.
“It’s my mum, my friends, my fans, and in some ways, it represents the relationship I have with myself. This album has been like my diary for the past two years, and I’m so thrilled you finally get to hear it.”
The diaristic tunes see the pop star deep in reflection and are made for the dancefloor.
‘Girl in the Mirror’ sees Rita pay homage to her younger self, ‘Notting Hill’ is about her teen years, and ‘Shape of Me’ is a touching tribute to her mother Vera.
Hollywood legend Eddie Murphy makes an unexpected appearance on ‘That Girl’ with an interpolation of ‘Party All The Time’ – the lead single from the ‘Haunted Mansion’ star’s hit 1985 debut musical album ‘How Could It Be’ – used.
The 32-year-old singer sings about “never feeling more alive” when her filmmaker husband “saw her naked” for the first time on the previously released single ‘Don’t Think Twice’.
She sings: “And, baby, when you saw me naked. I’ve never felt more alive.”
Rita said of the song: “‘Don’t Think Twice’ is about not thinking twice and just jumping in, romantically. You only live once, so it’s really about seizing the moment, and not being held back by thoughts of what might or might not happen.”
The collection also includes the singles ‘Praising You (feat. Fatboy Slim)’ and ‘You Only Love Me’.
The singer recently explained that co-writing ‘You and I’ from her diary entries made her realise just how much has changed in her life.
Rita was quoted by The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column as saying: “Over the past few years, I’ve just grown up. My life evolved. I started journaling and those journals turned into songs. If you’re being vulnerable with your songs, you have to be honest.
“That is the magic. Diving into songwriting with this album has been an eye-opener.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Troye Sivan announced his first album in five years – and it’s a “celebration of sex”.
The ‘Idol’ star has shared his hotly-anticipated single, ‘Rush’, from the upcoming LP ‘Something to Give Each Other’, which is described as “a celebration of sex, dance, sweat, community, queerness, love and friendship.”
In a statement, Troye – who is openly queer – said of the sensual disco anthem: “‘Rush’ is the feeling of kissing a sweaty stranger on a dancefloor, a 2-hour date that turned into a weekend, a crush, a winter, a summer.
“Party after party, after party after after party. All of my experiences from a chapter where I feel confident, free and liberated. Independent, yet somehow the most connected to the music and community around me.”
The full record will follow on October 13.
The 28-year-old former YouTuber-turned-singer-and-actor provided fans with an update on his long-awaited follow-up to 2018’s ‘Bloom’ last month, and revealed that in between his filming – including ‘The Idol’ alongside Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd – he’d been busy preparing new songs.
Alongside a snippet of ‘Rush’, Troye wrote on Instagram: “It’s not lost on me that some of you guys have been following along since i was the kid w the stye in my eye in that first video.
“Btw — I didn’t mean to take 5 years to make this album – Bloom tour happened (lmk if you came!), then i started working on it, then c***big19 (COVID-19), then The Idol, always working on the album in all the moments between.. and now here we are. 10 years since i signed my record deal, 5 years since bloom. Enough excuses now. Enough saying ‘soon’ this is for YOU and it starts NOWWWW.
“I love you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you (sic)”
In the clip, Troye is seen over the years in vlogs saying, ‘Hey guys, it’s Troye Sivan.”
The ‘1999’ hitmaker – who has collaborated with the likes of Charli XCX, BTS, Ariana Grande and Alessia Cara – has released two studio albums; 2015’s ‘Blue Neighbourhood’ and ‘Bloom’.
In 2020, Troye released his fifth EP, ‘In A Dream’.
The pop star had to relive a difficult period in his life to create the collection – the follow-up to his 2015 EP, ‘Wild’ – and admitted it was “tough” to write.
He explained at the time: “This small collection of songs explores an emotional rollercoaster period in my life when the feelings and thoughts were most shockingly fresh.
“Revisiting these songs and moments is tough, but I’m proud of this music and excited to have it out in the world.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Sir Brian May revealed he’s an unexpected fan of Avril Lavigne and Pink, but confessed he barely has time to listen to music.
The Queen guitar god, 75, has heaped praise on pop punk princess Avril Lavigne, 38, describing her music as “fresh”.
He plays the ‘Sk8er Boi’ hitmaker, pop megastar Pink, 43, and rock titans Foo Fighters albums when he’s in the car and never gets fed up hearing their tunes.
Taking questions from readers of The Guardian for G2, Brian said: “I’m ashamed to say how little I sit down and listen to music. I’m generally making music, or working in some other way – in astrophysics, or campaigning for wild animals – and I have three children and seven grandchildren. There ain’t much time spare! I do have a few CDs in the car that I tend to keep listening to. Pink is one of them. I love her. She’s incredible. I listen to the Foo Fighters a lot and I like Avril Lavigne – I don’t get fed up with that, I always find her music fresh. There’s an ebullience to it that I like.”
The ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ hitmaker says if he weren’t in Queen, he would’ve loved to have been a Beatle, and he believes it would’ve been an “easy” gig”.
Asked which other band he’d like to have been in, he replied: “The Beatles, probably. I’m sure it wouldn’t have been easy to be a Beatle, but that incredible level of creativity, I would relate to.”
The astrologer and animal rights activist admits he got tearful watching the ‘Let it Be’ hitmakers in the studio in Peter Jackson’s docuseries ‘Get Back’ because it reminded him of the intense times in the studio with Queen’s late frontman Freddie Mercury and his bandmates.
He continued: “I watched a lot of ‘Get Back’. I got a bit sad watching the first one, because it reminded me of us – sometimes Queen in the studio would be [inhales nervously], ‘Here we are, and things aren’t quite fitting’. I felt they were in quite a painful place – but the second one, I felt like they were really finding each other again. It’s a textbook of how to be in a studio. If it wasn’t the Beatles, it could’ve been Led Zeppelin. If they let me in.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Marina of Marina and The Diamonds fame has been battling chronic fatigue syndrome.
Medically known as Myalgic encephalomyelitis, the long-term condition has a wide range of symptoms, but the most common is extreme tiredness.
And the ‘Primadonna’ hitmaker, 37, has revealed she has been running on pure “adrenaline” for the past seven years, with only a “few periods of remission”, and described feeling like she had been “poisoned”.
Sharing her own debilitating symptoms, Marina wrote on Instagram with a selfie: “I’ve had symptoms like deep fatigue, numbness, tingling, low appetite, brain fog, rashes, insomnia and a feeling of being ‘poisoned’ for so long it’s been hard to remember what healthy feels like.
“My baseline energy has been at 50 – 60 per cent for a long time. Aside from a few periods of remission, the last 7 years have consisted of relying on adrenaline and will power to push me through each day.⁣”
It was just two months ago that she started recovery after a nasty flare-up and she sought the help of a specialist to find out the cause.
Marina – whose full name is Marina Lambrini Diamandis – went on: “Recovery started 2 months ago after an unusually bad flare up that involved shooting pains and burning sensations all over my hands, legs and back. After seeing countless doctors, I started working with a functional medicine practitioner to find the root cause of the symptoms.⁣
⁣”After a lot of reading, I now understand that these symptoms are a result of a hypersensitive nervous system, developed in response to chronic stress. ⁣My body has felt stuck in “fight or flight” mode and there were many warning signs it gave me before the worst symptoms set in.”
Marina’s energy levels have improved to around 65 to 70 per cent, and she’s hoping she’ll feel well enough to return to making music properly soon after her first day back on Wednesday (12.07.23).
She continued: “Regardless of the trigger, the key to healing seems to lie in retraining the nervous system to regulate itself again.⁣ The happy news is… (!) I am feeling better today than I have in a long time. My energy levels are around 65 – 70 per cent most days and the dips I have are shorter.
“Healing is demanding a lot of my energy and attention right now, but the better I feel, the sooner I can get back to my creative life again. I worked for the first time in a while yesterday and it felt so good. (sic)”
Her health battle has inspired the Welsh star to “rebuild my life from scratch”.
⁣She added: “I am very grateful for the lessons this experience has given me and I KNOW it’s going to change my life for the better! I feel like I have been given the opportunity to rebuild my life from scratch, exactly how I want it to be.”
Marina’s last solo album, ‘Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land’, was released in 2021 and was her last under a major label.

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — Wolfgang Van Halen doesn’t think a Van Halen reunion or tribute show for his late father Eddie Van Halen is “possible”.
The 32-year-old musician admits there is too much politics between bandmembers that they aren’t willing to put aside to honour axe-slayer Eddie – who lost his lengthy battle with cancer in October 2020 at the age of 65.
Speaking to Total Guitar magazine, he said: “Unfortunately, with the way Van Halen operates and has operated, I don’t think it’s possible.
“With Foo Fighters and what they pulled off with the Taylor Hawkins tributes, the whole organisation from the ground up is very rooted in not too much personnel. With Van Halen and all of the history behind it, there may be a bit too much of that to be put aside for what should happen.”
Wolfgang – who had a stint performing alongside his father as bassist in Van Halen – got his “closure” when he performed at the Taylor Hawkins tribute concerts in London and Los Angeles.
He said: “Personally, I feel like I got my closure when I played the Taylor Hawkins tributes, because
– at least just for me – they were just as much about my dad as they were Taylor.”
He continued: “I was very grateful for the opportunity to be part of those celebrations – it meant a lot! I got a lot of my feelings out when we did those shows.
“That’s what I’ve come to terms with..”
Further casting doubt of a tribute concert for the ‘Hot For Teacher’ rocker, he concluded: “When it comes to Van Halen, there’s too much that isn’t quite right. Some things are just the way they are, unfortunately.
“But right now, it’s all systems go with my own band.”
There have been various lineups over the years.
Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted had let slip that guitarist Joe Satriani and drummer Alex Van Halen were in talks to put on a special show.
And while Sammy Hagar – was their lead singer from 1985 to 1996, before returning in 2003 until 2005 – would love to be a part of a tribute, he alleged he’d been ghosted by the sticksman.
Speaking on SiriusXM in November, Sammy said: “As far as I know, [there has been] nothing.
“There was that talk everybody heard about Jason [Newsted] being the bass player and Joe Satriani playing guitar and Alex [Van Halen] and all that. Then I got the call from the management, I got the call from Irving Azoff, [who] said, ‘Hey, you wanna do you and Mike [Anthony] and Al with a superstar guitar player?’”
However, he told them: “There is no Van Halen. I don’t care what anyone says.”
Sammy says Alex has a problem with him that he believes he’s gonna “take to his grave”.
Wolfgang’s band Mammoth WVH release their second studio album, ‘Mammoth II’, on August 4.

Source: IconInsider.com