OHMYGOSSIP — Music legend Paul Simon loves it when people get his lyrics wrong.
The ‘Graceland’ singer believes “the listener completes the song” and he doesn’t care if people mishear his words or create their own interpretations of what he meant when he was writing the tracks so long as they are getting “pleasure” from listening.
He told Big Issue magazine: “I should say something that I’m sure is deeply true, which is that the listener completes the song.
“And so, what I say in a song, I may have a thought of what it means, but the listener decides what it means to them.
“I know there are people who have a very strong attachment to some of my songs. And what they think it means is not what I meant.
“And I think, ‘Your idea is actually more interesting than mine. I like your idea at least as much as mine, and maybe more.
“It’s so funny when you hear people say, ‘I love your song, or that song,’ and then they sing a little bit of it and they get the lyrics wrong. And you realise, ‘Well, that’s the way they heard the lyric.’
“Their mind preferred that choice of words. And I think that’s great, because I wrote it to suit myself.
“And once it’s out of my hands and out into the air for anyone else to choose, they can construct it any way they want that gives them pleasure. And I’m fine with that.”
The 81-year-old musician also revealed he believes one of his guitars has “magical qualities”, while he can no longer bear to be parted from his favourite instrument, despite spending years refusing to use it on stage because he was worried it would get damaged.
Discussing what he uses on new album ‘Seven Psalms’, he said: “The main instrument is the acoustic guitar. I’ve had that guitar for 50 years other than the Simon and Garfunkel records where I used a Guild.
“There’s something quite extraordinary about this guitar.
“I never used to travel with it, because I valued it so greatly, I’ve never played it on stage. Now I travel with it all the time, because I can’t bear to be without it…
“I also use several other guitars. One is an electric guitar in high-strung tuning and it has a particular sound.
“It was made for me, and it has – I’m tempted to say, so I will say – magical qualities.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Niall Horan doesn’t want to compete with his One Direction bandmates.
Although Niall, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson have all gone on to release solo records, Niall insisted that there is no competition between them.
He told Variety: “I don’t think so. Everyone releases different types of music. It’s a great watch as a friend. There’s a bond there that can’t be broken and we’re always supporting each other.”
Niall will release his third solo album ‘The Show’ next month and says it represents a new direction for his music.
He explained: “If I made this album four years ago, I probably wouldn’t have written some of those songs. The pandemic was a good time for me to reflect on everything that’s happened up until that point.
“I wanted to say things I hadn’t said before. Writing a song like [‘The Show’]makes you start to think about what else you should be grateful for. I guess [the album] is quite contemplative but there’s fun stuff in there too. There’s definitely more of an alternative approach than probably we would’ve had previously.
“I obviously make music for myself, but I never try to alienate. I want the fans to enjoy it. This is just a nice progression. There’s nothing in there that would scare people away.”
And, Niall, 29, can’t wait to hit the road with his new record.
He said: “It’s the best part of what we do. Getting out there every night, feeling that feeling, playing tunes that you’ve written, hearing them sung back, there’s no feeling that can replace it.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Roger Waters has slammed “bad faith attacks” on his Berlin concert.
The 79-year-old musician defended himself against accusations of antisemitism after Berlin police announced an investigation into the imagery used at his arena concerts in the city.
He wrote on Facebook: “My recent performance in Berlin has attracted bad faith attacks from those who want to smear and silence me because they disagree with my political views and moral principles.
“The elements of my performance that have been questioned are quite clearly a statement in opposition to fascism, injustice, and bigotry in all its forms. Attempts to portray those elements as something else are disingenuous and politically motivated. The depiction of an unhinged fascist demagogue has been a feature of my shows since Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” in 1980.
“I have spent my entire life speaking out against authoritarianism and oppression wherever I see it. When I was a child after the war, the name of Anne Frank was often spoken in our house, she became a permanent reminder of what happens when fascism is left unchecked. My parents fought the Nazis in World War II, with my father paying the ultimate price.
“Regardless of the consequences of the attacks against me, I will continue to condemn injustice and all those who perpetrate it.”
A police spokesman in Berlin said Waters was being investigated on the “suspicion of incitement to public hatred because the clothing worn on stage could be used to glorify or justify Nazi rule”.
Waters is next set to appear in Frankfurt this weekend, after he successfully appealed a court order to ban the concert.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Matty Healy is “absolutely exhausted” and “ready for a break”, according to his mother.
The 1975 frontman is currently on a world tour with the group and his mum Denise Welch thinks people don’t realise just how “gruelling” his life can be.
Denise told Britain’s OK! magazine: “Matty is absolutely shattered. He’s on a world tour and as much as it’s hard to go, ‘Oh please feel sorry for my boy’, people don’t realise that it’s gruelling to be the lead singer, the creator, the writer, the producer of a massive show on the scale that Matthew does.
“Then he gets on stage and gets in a plane and flies seven hours then flies 24 hours.
“It’s a wonderful life, but he’s absolutely exhausted and ready for a break.”
The former ‘Waterloo Road’ actress – who also has actor son Louis with ex-husband Tim Healy – is in awe of the ‘Chocolate’ singer’s talent.
She said: “My son is a creative genius and I say that not just because he is my son.
“I’m privy to so much of he work he’s done before he hits the stage, what comes out of his mouth and out of his brain.
“I just think, ‘Sometimes I can’t believe I gave birth to you. Where are you from?’
“Louis and him are so supportive of each other. Their dad is a brilliant actor, so he has come from two very creative people.”
The ‘Loose Women’ star is proud of how Matty has overcome his addictions, having spent time in rehab in 2017.
She said: “Matty has had his demons and we’ve navigated them as a family and he’s come out the other side.
“We all support each other and I couldn’t be prouder of how he’s come through, with the help of his family and friends.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Mike Oldfield was told his vision for ‘Tubular Bells’ was “crazy”.
The 70-year-old musician’s debut album was a huge success when it was released in 1973 but he had no idea it was going to be so popular because so many record companies had snubbed the chance to work with him as they were convinced he needed vocals on his tracks in order to do well.
He reflected to Prog magazine: “I had no idea at all how the album would be received.
“My demo had been turned down by so many record companies during the previous year or so.
“They all thought I was crazy trying to sell instrumental music – they kept saying it needed vocals.”
But Mike had a “strong premonition” that spurred him to keep going.
He added: “However, something inside me told me to keep going and I have a vivd memory of the time I was living in Tottenham working on the demos.
“It was springtime and I remember going for a walk in a nearby park to try and relax.
“Suddenly this clear picture came into my head that the album I was working on was destined to be very successful.
“I had no evidence at all for my conviction, but it was such a strong premonition, giving me the confidence to keep going against all the odds.
“The fact it did indeed turn out to be successful helped me to have more faith in myself and my own intuition; throughout my life I’ve tried to be true to my own musical vision and to never compromise in order to please others.”
But the ‘Moonlight Shadow’ hitmaker had no idea just how much the record would change his life.
He said: “It was such a seismic shift in my life.
“I went from being a down-and-out, virtually broke, 19-year-old musician to a worldwide celebrity almost overnight.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Belinda Carlisle was unsure whether she wanted to return to music.
The 64-year-old singer – who has 31-year-old son James with husband Morgan Mason – was the lead singer of renowned rock group The Go-Gos and went on to achieve a string of hits in her own right in the 1980s but had been “ready to slow down” when her son’s chance meeting with legendary songwriter Diane Warren led to a spontaneous career revival.
She told The Daily Star Sunday’s Wired column: “I was ready to slow down, had done pretty much everything in my career, and then my son ran into Diane Warren. She said, ‘What is your mum doing? Let’s get her on the phone!’ So they Facetimed me and she said, ‘Get down to the studio, I have some hits for you. I thought, do I really want to go there and open that door? Then I thought I’d be stupid not to hear her out!”
The ‘Heaven is a Place on Earth’ hitmaker went on to explain that upon hearing the song ‘Big Big Love’ , she “freaked out” and immediately said yes to Diane – who has sold 125 million records and written nine number-one hits – as she noted that a host of “weird coincidences” led to her recording her new EP ‘Kismet’, more than five years after she last released an album.
She added: “She played me ‘Big Big Love’ and I freaked out and said, ‘I wanna sing this song! You can’t say no to the women who has written more hit songs than anyone else! I adore her. I ended up recording five songs and calling the EP Kismet because that really encapsulates what happened. All these weird coincidences that lead me to singing.”
‘Kismet’ is out now.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Mimi Webb puts “all of her life experience” into her music.
The 22-year-old pop star – who has been dating friend JP since April – used a previous breakup as the inspiration for her album ‘Amelia’ and explained that she is able to “appreciate” the ups and downs of life when she writes about it.
She told The Sun on Sunday’s Bizarre column: “I feel like I just pull from so many different situations in my life, as well as chapters and experiences. For me, it is about taking all of those, everything from my journey, and putting it towards my music. You never know, I could have another heartbreak.
“But I really appreciate that journey of life, especially when I write about it, because it makes you realise life is actually so up and down, and that is just part and parcel of it all. You have your highs and lows and then you just have to enjoy every second of it.”
The ‘Red Flags’ hitmaker previously explained that she had “never” dated a friend before and it was “nice” to be happy on her latest tour after enduring heartbreak throughout all of her previous shows.
She told The Mirror: “On all my past tours I’ve been going through break-ups and heartaches – that’s where the whole ‘Amelia’ album has come from, so it’s nice to be a happy girl on tour this time.
[JP and ] been friends for years – we’re best friends – and it was just the right time and it worked out.
“I’ve never done that before, dated someone I’ve known for a while, but it’s a really nice, healthy way of doing it. Everyone loves him. We were sound-checking earlier and he was dancing on the stage He’s been there with me since the start so he knows everything. It’s really lovely.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Anne-Marie is shocked when she hears her own blunt lyrics back in a different context.
The ‘Psycho’ hitmaker bares her soul on upcoming new album ‘Unhealthy’ on tracks like ‘Kills Me To Love You’ and ‘Obsessed’ and she admitted what she’s written doesn’t always sink in until someone else mentions the lines to her.
She told the ‘Zach Sang Show’ podcast: “When you sing this stuff, it doesn’t sound as harsh, and then you say it and I’m like, ‘Holy s***, I said that in a song!’ What the f***, it’s actually mental! [laughs]”
She admitted that the studio is an environment where she can unload and sing things she wouldn’t usually say “in real life”, but then the songs go out into the world.
She said: “”When you’re in the studio, you actually just say loads of s*** that you wouldn’t normally say in real life, and then you have interviews with people and they say it in real life and you’re like, maybe I should go and see my therapist.”
However, the 32-year-old singer was keen to point out that “every single song is reality”, which comes from her musical influences.
She added: “I grew up listening to Alanis Morrissette and Eminem, people that weren’t scared to say anything, you know?
“I grew up and then I started writing record, and I tried the whole, ‘I’m going to the club and I’m gonna get high’, but it killed me soul.
“I was like, what am I actually trying to say? What do I wanna say? And then went back into that Alanis Morrissette, Eminem, Kendrick [Lamar], Lauren Hill – all those kinds of people who say stuff. I was like, I have to write about what I’m going through, there’s no other way.”
Anne-Marie prefers to write about things as she’s going through them, while she revealed she struggles to write a typical love song.
Speaking about ‘Kills Me To Love You’, she laughed: “I always write about bad experiences, and try and make them funny. That’s what I try and do. This time, I was like, I wanna write a love song but I can’t write a love song.
“It’s hard to be lovey and cute, so in this love song, it’s just the craziest version of what love is to me – the deepest love.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Jess Glynne skipped meeting Jay-Z because she had to wait for a delivery.
The ‘Hold My Hand’ hitmaker signed to his management firm Roc Nation last year and got the chance to meet the ‘99 Problems’ rapper, 53, but couldn’t make it in that day because she was waiting for her telly to be delivered and installed.
The 33-year-old singer told The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column: “I was meant to meet him, but I was getting my TV fitted on the day.
“I was in LA, and I was in a brand new apartment. I had loads of workmen delivering stuff and putting things in, and I was meant to be in the office.
“I was like, ‘Ah yeah, I can’t make it’. Partially nerves but partially I had people fitting my TV.
“He found it funny though, so that’s OK. He laughed, he respected the fact I had to get my s*** together, you know. I was doing what real people do.”
Jess admitted she went through a “really dark space” before finally deciding to leave Atlantic Records.
She said: “It really was a very nerve-wracking time of my life. It was very brave and bold and I think you never know what the outcome is going to be when you make such big decisions.
“But for me, I was at a point where a lot had happened in my life, and life is short.
“It’s important to put happiness, mental health and greatness in front of you, rather than suppress it.
“If you do that, I think you’re going to be a very depressed person, and I think I was in a really dark space.
“It was a clash. It got to a point with my record label where we had extremely different creative views and I think it was important I had a team around me that understood and believed in what it was I wanted to achieve.
“That’s where it made complete sense for us to go our separate ways.
“For me to be my authentic self and do what felt right, it was like, I either stick in a relationship that isn’t going to provide what I want or I make a decision to choose me and do what I want.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Samira Mighty has “always wanted” to sing.
The 27-year-old star – who started out as an actress in West End shows such as ‘Mamma Mia!’ and ‘Dreamgirls’ – was a contestant on the 2018 series of ‘Love Island’ but launched a career in music last year and has now released her new single ‘That’s Not What My Friends Say’, which she says is about finding “the one” in life who won’t let her down.
She told The Daily Star’s Wired column: “For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to be on stag, dance, sing and perform. I have been through it with dating as well, so this is the time to find your voice and just say what you want to say! It’s all about finding the one that won’t completely screw you over – but they all are! Exes for me are exes. I don’t want to know where they are or what they are doing – they are blocked.”
The former ‘X Factor: Celebrity’ contestant – who finished in eighth place on the hit ITV2 reality dating series – went on to remind fans that she was in fact working in the entertainment industry long before she appeared in the villa and implored others to “drop” the stigma surrounding sudden fame on a TV show.
She added: “I would hate people to think ‘She’s just some girl on a TV show that now sings. But actually, my job before the villa was being a performer. It is a thing that people really need to drop, if I am being honest!”
‘That’s Not What My Friends Say’ is available to stream across all platforms now.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Jess Glynne remains in touch with the Spice Girls after opening for them on their 2019 stadium tour.
The 33-year-old singer was a huge fan of the chart-topping girl group during her younger years, and she still has fond memories of the tour.
Jess – who is performing at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Dundee, Scotland, on Saturday (27.05.23) – told the Sunday Post: “It was incredible. It was crazy because I was their biggest fan as a kid. I had every piece of merchandise, every picture.
“I spent time with them, we hung out and we still communicate to this day. It’s weird to think that at one point in my life, they were these untouchable dolls!”
The London-born star is also thrilled by the success of other British female artists.
She shared: “Just being a woman is hard in this industry. It’s a blessing and it’s so nice to see so many young women coming through. They don’t get enough praise for it where we’re from.”
Earlier this year, meanwhile, Jess took to social media to reintroduce herself to her fans after a lengthy hiatus.
The singer explained that her outlook on life and her career had been transformed by the death of a friend.
Jess – who released her comeback single, ‘Silly Me’, in April – wrote on Instagram at the time: “I want to re-introduce myself. It has been a while, a lot of time has passed and a lot has changed.
“In 2021 I lost a friend in a really tragic way and it has changed the way I see and feel life. I was deeply unhappy and I was so lost in my career and I felt trapped by people who didn’t believe in me during such a sensitive time.
“I made a decision to walk away from all that negativity and start again because I saw how short life is and how important it is to look after you.
“This was probably one of the toughest, scariest things I have ever done and at the time I had no idea how it would work out but I had to put my happiness and my mental health first no matter what.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Coldplay dedicated their show in Barcelona, Spain to “the beautiful Tina Turner”.
Chris Martin’s band took to the stage at the city’s Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys to perform a concert just hours after news of the superstar’s passing broke around the world – and they honoured her memory by dedicating the entire show to her while they also paid tribute by performing ‘Proud Mary’ – the Creedence Clearwater Revival tune covered by Ike and Tina Turner back in 1971.
According to Billboard.com, frontman Chris dedicated the set to “the beautiful Tina Turner” before belting out an acoustic version of the famous song.
Tina’s death was announced in a statement which read: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tina Turner. With her music and her boundless passion for life, she enchanted millions of fans around the world and inspired the stars of tomorrow,” the caption read. “Today we say goodbye to a dear friend who leaves us all her greatest work: her music. All our heartfelt compassion goes out to her family. Tina, we will miss you dearly.”
Since her passing, she has been remembered by artists including Lizzo, who honoured Tina at her show in Phoenix, Arizona by singing ‘Proud Mary’.
Lizzo told the crowd: “There wouldn’t be no rock ’n’ roll without Tina Turner! … Today, we lost an icon and I haven’t allowed myself to be sad. I haven’t allowed myself to cry. I don’t want to right now because I’d much rather celebrate the incredible legend Tina Turner is. “As a black girl in a rock band, I would not exist if it were not for the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Royal Blood’s new album was written from a “dark” place.
Singer Mike Kerr, 33, and his drummer bandmate Ben Thatcher, 35, are releasing their self-produced ‘Back to the Water Below’ album on 8 September, with a taster single in the form of ‘Mountains at Midnight’.
Mike – who has been sober around four years after a drink and drugs battle – told The Cut: “It feels like I was writing from that place of being somewhere that’s very isolated, dark and deep down.
“Whenever I get to that place, it’s not always about trying to escape it. It’s not about trying to swim for the surface; it’s about acknowledging that this is where I’m at and sitting in those feelings. I’ll try not to give everything away, though.”
But he said the record is not just heavy noise to suit the mood of his words.
Mike added: “The biggest danger of being in a rock band right now is walking out onstage, looking cool as f*** and hiding behind a wall of noise without having any art or meaning to what you’re doing.
“That’s the quickest way to get lost. I want to feel what I’m saying. I want it to come from somewhere that’s real… I really sweated over every word, and I’m fully aware that I will go out, attempt to explain it and ruin all that hard work.”
Mike added the band’s set-up may look simple but their job is far from “easy”.
He said: “I’m sure there are people out there who think what we do is easy.
“Go ahead and try it. There’s nowhere to hide in this band.”
He added about the band’s new track: “It feels like the sort of Royal Blood song that should have always existed.”
Mike also told NME about the new album: “It’s always about getting people’s attention, and songs of this nature seem to be rare.
“It sounds so much like us and what we’re known for. As a reintroduction to us, it felt like a bold way to come back and say, ‘Hi!’”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Tina Arena has announced her first new album in eight years.
The 55-year-old singer – born Filippina Lydia Arena – has titled the record, which will be her seventh entirely in English, ‘Love Saves’, and said it was inspired by lockdown.
She told Rolling Stone: “Like many of us, I retreated inwards during the pandemic.
“I found solace in music. I processed my feelings the only way I know how – through my art.
“From rock bottom, I ran the gauntlet of human emotion. I faced my own demons, emerging the other side transformed, triumphant, renewed, and at peace.
“Remember, be brave, be vulnerable, and love saves!”
Tina has released two new singles ahead of the album’s release on 14 July, with one titled ‘House’ and co-written with Mattias Lindblom, Tania Doko and Michael Zlanabitnig.
There is also a French language version of ‘Dancing on Thin Ice’, with a teaser of the English language version to come.
Tina earlier this year urged artists to inspire political action instead of simply making political statements during an emotional speech at the 2023 Shure Rolling Stone Australia Awards.
She told a crowd of hundreds of artists and industry professionals as she was honoured with the first ‘Rolling Stone Icon Award’: “We’re not here to relay political messaging, but to inspire political messages.
“We’re here to point fingers at what’s not right, and inspire people to do something about it.
“Never give in, never surrender. We’re here to break rules, not obey them, break balls, and take names.”
Australian music veteran Tina has won seven ARIA Awards, including Album of the Year for her 1995 hit ‘Don’t Ask’ – a category no other solo female artist had won at the time.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Abba’s Anni-Frid Lyngstad struggles to grasp it isn’t really her singing as an avatar.
The 77-year-old singer was part of the group’s Abba Voyage shows at a purpose-built arena in Stratford, east London, which have will celebrate its first anniversary with a special performance on Friday (26.05.23) after being seen by more than a million fans.
She told The Sun’s Bizarre column: “It’s hard to fully grasp that it isn’t me and yet it is me.
“I can certainly see myself in the digital figure, the gestures, the facial expressions, the eyes that express all sorts of feelings. It’s absurd but it’s real.”
Frida’s bandmate Benny Andersson, 78, added about the shows: “Did we expect the response to be so intense? No. We didn’t know at all.
“And do you know what? It’s always been that way, from day one.
“You start with a song and beyond that you have no control. Will people like it as much as we do? Will people ignore it?
“People will tell you that they know – people in the business. But no one ever knows. And it was the same with this.”
Abba said after the show launched they were planning to use their concert holograms for “exciting new things” in future.
The group – which also features Agnetha Fältskog, 73, and 78-year-old Björn Ulvaeus – were quoted in the Daily Star newspaper as saying: “If you are an Abba fan, who loyally has stuck with us for many years, our hope is that you will see the Abba-tars as agents in the new story, which may lead to exciting new things in the future.”
The comment prompted speculation the holograms could appear in everything from pop-up musical projections to advertisements.
Even though the upcoming holographic show is “performed” by their avatars on stage, all four members of Abba are expected to attend the premiere.
Abba, who reunited in 2016, originally consisted of couples Agnetha and Björn, and Benny and Anni-Frid.
But the band went their separate ways in 1982, just years after both duos separated.
Agnetha and Björn split officially in 1980, while Benny and Anni-Frid announced their divorce in 1981.
After a week of their divorce, Björn had a new partner and Agnetha was in counselling.
In 2013, she opened up about her emotions singing in Abba’s ‘The Winner Takes it All’, which was written during her and Björn’s split.
She said: “Björn wrote it about us after the breakdown of our marriage.
“The fact he wrote it exactly when we divorced is touching really.
“I didn’t mind. It was fantastic to do that song because I could put in such feeling.
“I didn’t mind sharing it with the public. It didn’t feel wrong. There is so much in that song.
“It was a mixture of what I felt and what Björn felt but also what Benny and Frida went through.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Charli XCX says her 1975 drummer and lyricist boyfriend has inspired her to “take some time” when creating new music.
The 30-year-old singer started dating George Daniel a year ago, and he has helped her to slow down and appreciate the tunes she has made rather than try to drop several albums a year.
She told The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column: “Now that I’m in a relationship with another musician he’s influenced me a lot with his process and how he and his band work.
“It’s really different to how I work and that has definitely influenced me and my process. I used to be very, ‘Quick, quick, quick, album a month, let’s go’.
“Now I’m like, ‘Oh, maybe it’s cool to take some time and live in the music that you create.’ My process is definitely evolving.
“I’ve always been very much a spontaneous, go in the room and see what happens type of a songwriter and I’ve never really cared to prep or think about what I want to say.
“But actually my process has completely changed and I’m thinking a lot more about being hyper-specific especially with my lyrical content.”
Charli also plans to create her “version” of music that is influenced by rockers The Velvet Underground.
She added: “I always kind of feel that when I finish an album cycle and I’m beginning a new one that I should try and make my version of The Velvet Underground.
“That’s where I’ve landed, like a Velvets type thing, but my version.”
Charli confirmed her relationship with George in May 2022.
She shared some snaps of them together on Instagram, and wrote in the caption: “a delicious week off (sic)”

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