OHMYGOSSIP — Jerry ‘JI’ Allison has died aged 82.
The legendary drummer – who was a member of Buddy Holly and The Crickets and co-wrote both ‘Peggy Sue’ and ‘That’ll be The Day’ – passed away on Monday (22.08.22).
A post on the Buddy Holly Foundation’s Facebook page reads: “Our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Jerry ‘JI’ Allison, drummer in The Crickets, one of Buddy’s very closest friends, and the inspiration to drummers for decades since, who passed away today at the age of 82.
“JI was a musician ahead of his time, and undoubtedly his energy, ideas and exceptional skill contributed to both The Crickets, and rock n’ roll itself, becoming such a success.
“Buddy is often heralded as the original singer-songwriter, but JI, too, wrote and inspired so many of the songs that would go on to be eternal classics.
“There’s more to be said and posted here in the coming days. For today, we think about his family and friends and wish JI to rest in peace.”
Tributes have poured in for the late musician, with The Mountain Goats drummer Jon Wurster – who has worked with the likes of R.E.M. and Katy Perry – among those paying their respects.
Sharing a video of Buddy Holly and the Crickets playing ‘Peggy Sue’ – which was named after Allison’s then-girlfriend and future wife – on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ in 1957, he tweeted: “Jerry Allison has left the building. For what I’m into, this is the greatest drumming ever televised.”
A fan wrote on Twitter: “Hearing news that Jerry Allison, best known as the drummer for The Crickets, has died.
“His paradiddle tom fills throughout ‘Peggy Sue’, playing a cardboard box on ‘Not Fade Away’, and playing his knees on ‘Everyday’ are well worth a listen.”
And another person added: “Very sad to hear that Jerry Allison has died aged 82. A true great in rock n roll history.”

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — Nicki Minaj’s ‘Super Freaky Girl’ is the first number one debut on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for a hip hop song by a solo female artist without accompaniment since 1998.
The 39-year-old rapper becomes the first star since Lauryn Hill, with ‘Doo Wop (That Thing)’ 24 years ago, to achieve such success, and ‘Super Freaky Girl’ has also given Nicki her first Hot 100 number one as an unaccompanied artist.
It is also her third Billboard Hot 100 number one, after she featured on Doja Cat’s ‘Say So’ in 2020, and she starred on ‘Trollz’ with 6ix9ine in the same year.
According to Luminate, ‘Super Freaky Girl’ hit 21.1 million streams, 4.6 million radio airplay audience impressions and 89,000 downloads in its first week following the tune’s August 12th release.
The track is also Nicki’s 21st Billboard Hot 100 Top 10, and it’s the second time she has made the top 10 this year.
In February, Nicki and Lil Baby’s tune ‘Do We Have a Problem?’ debuted at number two on the chart.
On Sunday (28.08.22), Nicki will receive the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the MTV Video Music Awards.
Bruce Gillmer, Paramount’s president of music, music talent, programming and events and Music for Paramount COO said: “Nicki has broken barriers for women in hip-hop with her versatility and creative artistry.
“She has shifted the music industry and cemented her status as a global superstar with her crossover appeal, genre-defying style and continuing to be unapologetically ‘Nicki.'”
The ‘Starships’ hitmaker added on her Instagram: “I’m receiving the Video Vanguard Award at the 2022 #VMAs! You DO NOT !!!! I REPEAT!!!! You do NOTTTTTT want to miss my performance – Sunday August 28 at 8pm on @MTV (sic)”

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — Megan Thee Stallion is suing her label for $1 million in damages.
The ‘Savage’ hitmaker has amended her lawsuit against 1501 Certified Entertainment after she released what she believed to be her final album in her contract with the label, ‘Traumazine’.
As well as seeking monetary reimbursement for allegedly not being paid royalties, she’s also hired a forensic investigator to establish why the LP was leaked early, according to Rolling Stone.
Carl Crawford, founder of 1501, has also alleged that the 27-year-old rap megastar has not paid her share of her touring and merchandise profits with the firm.
As she released her latest record earlier this month, Megan declared herself “almost out” of her contract with 1501 Certified Entertainment as she claimed it was the final album she will release on the label.
She told her fans – nicknamed Hotties – on Twitter before her latest record’s release: “We almost out.
Y’all know I always have problems with dropping my music under this label.
“[A]ll these games and having to go to court just to put out my art has been so stressful.”
She added: “Thank you hotties for rocking with me through the bull**** WE ALMOST OUT LETS STAY FOCUSED AND RUN THIS LAST ONE UP. (sic)”
Megan was countersued by 1501 over her compilation ‘Something for Thee Hotties’.
The ‘WAP’ hitmaker – whose real name is Megan Pete – filed a lawsuit against the label in February, “seeking a declaration that her album, ‘Something for Thee Hotties’ constituted an ‘Album’ as defined in the parties’ recording agreement.”
The record in question was released on October 29, 2021.
She claimed she was told on January 5, that the record was not classed as an album under her recording contract.
Her lawyers said in the filing: “1501’s new position, taken months after the album’s release, is clearly a ruse in an effort to try to take further advantage of Pete, at great expense and not in good faith.”
However, 1501 disagreed and filed a fresh lawsuit claiming the release was “made up of 21 recordings and includes spoken interlude recordings on which MTS does not appear as well as several previously-released recordings.”
They argued that the ‘Sweetest Pie’ hitmaker was only featured on the whole release for less than 30 minutes and that her contract with them includes a clause which states that for it to constitute an album it “must include at least 12 new master recordings of her studio performances of previously unreleased musical compositions.”
However, Megan’s side insisted she was only told that it would have to be 45-minutes long.
She took to Twitter to call out the label for allegedly telling her she doesn’t make enough money for them one minute and wanting to make more money from her the next.
She penned: “First the man over my label said I don’t make him any money … now he counter suing trying to keep me on his label because he wants to make more money lol if I ain’t making you no money why not just drop me? (sic)”
In 2020, Megan accused the label of blocking the release of her new music.
The ‘Hot Girl Summer’ rapper explained that she tried to negotiate aspects of her contract with 1501 after signing a deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation management – who enlightened her to some of the clauses in the deal.
And she insisted she is “not a greedy person” and doesn’t like “confrontation”.
Megan said at the time: “I’m not a greedy person. I’m not a person that likes confrontation. I’m nice and I’m real family-oriented.”

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — Alex Turner is “working on” getting fit like Sir Mick Jagger.
The Arctic Monkeys and The Last Shadow Puppets star, 36, has been practising the combat sport Muay Thai for several years.
And while the ‘Fluorescent Adolescent’ hitmaker insists he will never be as physically fit as the 79-year-old Rolling Stones frontman – who is just as famous for his singing voice as he is for his zestful stage moves and pre-show dance workouts – he’s aspiring to be.
Speaking to the new issue of France’s L’Equipe magazine, the musician said: “I run a little and I practise Muay Thai. I discovered this discipline several years ago, when I was in a nightclub in New York. I met a security guard from the North of England and he encouraged me to train with him.
“I take great pleasure in it, it’s good for the body and the mind, during the sessions you don’t think of anything else. I will never be Mick Jagger, but we are still working on it.”
However, Alex doesn’t see himself fighting in a ring anytime soon.
He said: “I will never reach the level to one day fight in a cage like a UFC fighter. I have not excelled in any of the sports I’ve taken up.”
Meanwhile, the ‘R U Mine?’ group – who headline Reading and Leeds Festivals this weekend – are said to have recorded their new album in Suffolk last summer.
Alex and co were reported to have stayed at Butley Priory, a former gatehouse to an Augustinian monastery, while they worked on their hotly-awaited follow-up to 2018’s ‘Tranquillity Base Hotel and Casino’.
The venue itself let slip in a since-deleted blog post on their website: “We’ve had a band staying with us for the last month recording an album.
“Musicians love the acoustics in the Great Hall and Drawing Room, with their huge vaulted ceilings.
“Being serenaded while watering and weeding the garden, listening to the double bass, drums and piano wafting out of the open double doors, was pretty nice. Thank you, Arctic Monkeys.”
Earlier that year, drummer Matt Helders revealed the ‘505’ rockers were in the “early stages” of trying to “write a [new] record”.
However, they were “faced with various obstacles” amid the coronavirus pandemic.
He said: “Being separated by the sea is one of them.
“We’re all eager to do it – we would have been doing it by now in a normal time.
“There’s definitely a desire from our end to do a new record, as soon as we can.”

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — Harry Styles is already writing songs for his fourth solo album.
The ‘As It Was’ hitmaker only put out his record-breaking third album ‘Harry’s House’ in May, but he’s continued working on new tunes for the follow-up.
He spilled in a wide-ranging interview with Rolling Stone: “I’m always writing.
“I think all of us are so excited to get back to it, which feels insane because we’ve just put an album out.”
The former One Direction star earned his first-ever Mercury Prize nomination for the chart-topping LP.
Harry is shortlisted for the prestigious music prize, making its top Albums of the Year list.
The ‘Golden’ hitmaker, 28, will compete with the likes of Sam Fender’s ‘Seventeen Going Under’ and Little Simz’ ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’ to be crowned the overall winner of the prize on September 8 at London’s Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith.
Self Esteem, Joy Crookes, Fergus McCreadie, Gwenno, Jessie Buckley and Bernard Butler, Kojey Radical, Nova Twins, Wet Leg, and Yard Act also made the shortlist.
Meanwhile, the ‘Late Night Talking’ singer is said to have turned to golf to relax while touring.
Harry has been playing the game for years but has been trying to get in as many rounds as possible since touring as a solo star.
A source told The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column recently: “Harry loves to unwind by playing golf. When you’ve got over 60,000 fans screaming your name with every movement it can be overwhelming.
“A round of golf is the complete opposite of a stadium show – it’s peaceful and by its nature comes with privacy, so it’s perfect. Harry has made sure to check out as many golf courses as possible as he tours the world. He’s even added golfing clothes to his luggage.”
During their One Direction days, Harry and his bandmate Niall Horan, also 28, often enjoyed a round of golf together and Niall founded the golf management company, Modest! Golf in 2016.

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — Camila Cabello has teamed up with composer legend Hans Zimmer on an unlikely collaboration.
The ‘Don’t Go Yet’ hitmaker, 25, and the Oscar winner, 64, have recorded a soundtrack for the BBC series ‘Frozen Planet II’, which is narrated by Sir David Attenborough, a “dream come true” for Camila.
The former Fifth Harmony star said: “To be able to combine my passion for the planet we live on and my music is a dream come true – never mind also getting to work with the legend that is Hans Zimmer.
“’Frozen Planet II’ is stunning and Sir David’s narration is deeply powerful as we try to protect these incredible ecosystems from global warming. I’m grateful to be able to lend my voice to such an inspiring series.”
Zimmer – whose credits include ‘The Lion King’, ‘Gladiator’ and the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ franchise – shared in his own statement:
“It was hugely exciting composing and recording ‘Take Me Back Home’ with Camila and discovering that her musical talents are as powerful as her voice. The Bleeding Fingers team and I feel incredibly privileged to be given the opportunity to score such a pioneering and important natural history landmark as ‘Frozen Planet II’.”
Zimmer reunited with Bleeding Fingers Music’s Anže Rozman and producer Russell Emanuel on the project.
A release date for the six-part climate change-focused follow-up to the 2011 nature documentary ‘Frozen Planet’ is yet to be confirmed.
Mark Brownlow, Executive Producer of ‘Frozen Planet II’, added: “‘Frozen Planet II’ is a celebration of wondrous wildlife overcoming the challenges of life in the extremes. Yet today it faces the even greater challenge of climate change.
“Hans and Camila’s profoundly moving original song captures the fragility of these magical realms at a time when their very future hangs in the balance.”
Meanwhile, ‘Havana’ hitmaker Camila recently admitted she had a “f****** wild ride” during her time in the girl group Fifth Harmony.
The pop star shot to fame back in 2012 as part of the all-female troupe alongside Normani, Ally Brooke, Dinah Jane and Lauren Jauregui – but left the group back in 2016 to pursue a solo career.
Acknowledging the band’s 10th-anniversary last month, she sent “much love” to her former bandmates.
Alongside a throwback photo, she wrote: “Look at these innocent lil babies. We all have armpit hair now! We had some good laughs / inside jokes and a f***** wild ride. Much love and happiness to these ladies @fifthharmony. and thanks to everybody who supported and went so hard for us along the way x.”(sic)
Camila’s post came just a day after the rest of the girl band – who were formed on the US version of ‘The X Factor’ but have been on hiatus since 2018 – each took to social media to thank fans as they reached the milestone.

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — Right Said Fred singer Fred Fairbrass turned to drug dealing before finding fame in music.
The musician, 65, who formed the band with singer brother Richard, 68, says he sold cocaine and amphetamines from his minicab to prostitutes and revellers.
He later made millions with Richard after releasing 1991 single ‘I’m Too Sexy’, but has told if his past in London the group’s new autobiography ‘Still Too Sexy: Surviving Right Said Fred’.
Fred said: “I used to sell speed and coke. I was a minicab driver in Fulham in 1982, and I used to work nights, and a bloke in the house I was living in was an amphetamine cook.
“So I used to buy a couple of grams here and there, firstly to keep awake, but then I had customers that wanted to buy it. I could deal in the car.
“I was useful because I ended up selling amphetamines from my cab.
I worked nights, because the party crowd and hookers were more than happy to buy my drugs. That paid my way very nicely.
“Although I was driving around with grams of speed on me, London felt quite anarchic back then, so it didn’t cross my mind that it was illegal.
“Fortunately I was never robbed or busted.”
Former filmmaker Fred also admitted he gave a movie crew drugs to get them to work late.
He added: “It was much cheaper to give the crew a couple of lines of coke so that they’d work late, rather than get a new crew in to work overnight”.
Fred and Richard were running a gym when they wrote their debut single mimicking bodybuilders and claimed they made more than £10 million from ‘I’m Too Sexy’.
Fred is now said to be worth around £4 million, with Richard previously saying the band received £4million when Taylor Swift used the melody of ‘I’m Too sexy’ on her 2017 song ‘Look What You Made Me Do’.

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — YUNGBLUD is teaming up with Show Support to offer mental health support to fans at his upcoming arena shows.
The ‘Fleabag’ rocker has just announced a series of UK arena dates for 2023 as part of his mammoth global jaunt next year, and promoters Live Nation have also announced that “qualified mental health professionals” will be on hand to help gig-goers who suffer “panic attacks, anxiety, or other mental health-related concerns.”
A press release states: “Fans will be able to access this support before, during and after the shows. During the shows, a safe space, fully equipped with qualified councillors, alongside a helpdesk to answer any questions will be available. This support will expand beyond the arenas, with a dedicated email helpline being established to answer any queries related to mental health from YUNGBLUD fans before, during and after the show.”
The 25-year-old musician – whose real name is Dominic Harrison – has been open about his own battles with anxiety and depression.
The tour is in support of the ‘cotton candy’ hitmaker’s upcoming self-titled album, and he recently warned fans that it’s “completely uncensored, completely outrageously”.
YUNGBLUD admitted his fans will be “shocked” by his follow-up to 2020’s ‘Weird!’.
He said: “This is, for me, the most personal music I’ve ever written.
“And I think people are going to be a bit shocked about that because all my other music is pretty personal.
“I think I just need to say it as it is completely uncensored, completely outrageously. And I think this is what this album’s doing. You know what I mean? That’s what I do.
“And my favourite songs I’ve ever released are the songs that do that. So, you know what I mean? Get ready.”
The UK leg kicks off on February 16 at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena, and concludes at London’s OVO Arena Wembley on February 25.
‘YUNGBLUD’ the album is released on September 2.
Fans can pre-order the album now to gain access to pre-sale tickets from August 22nd. General on sale Thursday 25th August at 9am. For tickets and more information visit www.livenation.co.uk/artist-yungblud-938602.

YUNGBLUD’s 2023 UK tour dates:
FEBRUARY 2023
16 – Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena
18 – Birmingham, Resorts World Arena
19 – Manchester, AO Arena
21 – Newcastle, Utilita Arena
22 – Glasgow, OVO Hydro
24 – Sheffield, Utilita Arena
25 – London, OVO Arena Wembley

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — Taylor Swift passed on her “focus and joy” in the studio to collaborator Aaron Dessner.
The National star produced and co-wrote much of the ‘Shake It Off’ hitmaker’s 2020 sister records ‘folklore’ and evermore’, and he came away learning a lot from the 32-year-old pop megastar.
Speaking to Britain’s The i newspaper, Aaron said of working through the pandemic: “It was almost like I was in some crazy boot camp for making a tonne of music really fast and fully producing it and then it would be released quickly.”
He added of his sessions with Grammy winner Taylor: “And you learn a lot when you’re doing that. Even just working with Taylor, she’s a brilliant musician and so experienced in terms of making records, so I was learning from her – I picked up a focus, and also just the joy that she has.”
Aaron previously said he believes the team behind the records will “continue to be in each other’s artistic and personal lives”.
The 46-year-old musician said: “It’s kind of the thing where I have so many musicians in my life that I’ve grown close to, and make things with, and are just part of my life. And I’ve rarely had this kind of chemistry with anyone in my life — to be able to write together, to make so many beautiful songs together in such a short period of time.
“Inevitably, I think we will continue to be in each other’s artistic and personal lives. I don’t know exactly what the next form that will take, but certainly, it will continue.”
However, he insisted that “this era has concluded”.
He continued: “I do think this story, this era, has concluded, and I think in such a beautiful way with these sister records — it does kind of feel like there’s closure to that. But she’s definitely been very helpful and engaged with Big Red Machine, and just in general.
“She feels like another incredible musician that I’ve gotten to know and am lucky to have in my life. It’s this whole community that moves forward and takes risks and, hopefully, there will be other records that appear in the future.”
Aaron had earlier hailed the ‘Blank Space’ hitmaker for her “seemingly boundless talent” as a singer, songwriter and storyteller.

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley has sold his publishing and recorded music catalogue.
The 42-year-old musician has struck a deal with equity fund, HarbourView Equity Partners – which was founded in 2021 by CEO Cherrese Clarke Soares – to offload his music portfolio, according to Billboard.
Deryck recorded seven albums with Sum 41, selling over 15 million records and he has also worked as a producer.
No details of the sale have been revealed.
HarbourView has also acquired music portfolios from Hollywood Undead, Brad Paisley, Lady A, and many more.
Sum 41 released the record ‘Order In Decline’ in 2019 and are working on the double album ‘Heaven and Hell’.
Lead guitarist Dave Baksh previously told Gigwise: “We’re working on a brand new one actually, because we’ve had so much time off, songs have just collected, collected, and collected. It’s actually going to be a double record, called ‘Heaven and Hell’.”
Backing vocalist Jason McCaslin said: “So, the Heaven side is kind of our past more pop-punk stuff with a new twist to it, and the Hell side is going to be really, really heavy.”
Dave added: “So essentially… we’re going to be putting out a double record that spans out that whole genre-bending theme. We were all a part of that generation where instead of having a record of the exact same thing, we do whatever we want!”
And Jason said: “We’re also a strange band in the sense we’ve done poppy songs too, then we also went to like thrash metal. We have a weird fanbase in the sense: some kids only like the poppy stuff, some kids only like the heavy stuff, and some of them like it all. So, this new album is going to kind of bring them together! So hopefully, we can’t get any of our fans going ‘woah, I don’t like the poppy stuff’. Like, just listen to the B-side!”

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — Steps are grateful to have filmed a documentary about their reunion as it gave them the chance to “air their grievances” about their split.
The band was torn apart back in 2001 when Claire Richards and Ian ‘H’ Watkins quit on the last night of their ‘Gold: Greatest Hits tour’ but the group reunited in 2011 and documented it in a four-part Sky Living documentary called ‘Steps: Reunion’.
And bandmember Lee Latchford-Evans says filming the show was cathartic for them all.
He told Heat magazine: “At the time, we had mixed feelings about it(the documentary) but we knew fans deserved an explanation. Plus social media was starting to become quite important, as was reality TV, so we decided to jump on that bandwagon – we didn’t want to get left behind.
“It was also a structured way for us to air our grievances within the group and understand what led us to split in the first place.”
Claire and H’s decision to walk away from the band to form their own pop duo led to the band’s demise and the exit was covered in the reunion show – revealing to fans for the first time what really happened behind the scenes.
Speaking on the show, Lee insisted Claire and H took away the rest of the band’s choices by walking out.
He said: “They took something away from three people that we loved and we didn’t get a choice because certain people took that choice away from us and I think that is very unfair.”
H later told the Daily Mail: “Steps was a melodrama – it started off amazingly and then we imploded.
“When you are in a band you live in a bubble and things can become exaggerated. I do have a lot of regrets about the way we split up.
“Afterwards we needed therapy, and the television documentary was our therapy. Everyone said what they felt and it was very painful, but it needed to be said. I had to face up to what was said about me. I’m a very different man to the person I was back then.”

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — Sam Smith’s collaboration with Kim Petras is “upbeat and fun”.
The 30-year-old pop star has teamed up with Kim, 29, to record a racy new track and an insider has revealed that the “song just came alive” in the studio.
The source told The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column: “Sam and Kim have been friends for a while and are big supporters of each other’s music.
“Working together just made sense. As soon as they hit the studio the song just came alive. It’s upbeat and fun.”
On the track, Sam sings about going to the “body shop”.
The chart-topping star sings: “Mummy don’t know Daddy’s getting hot at the body shop, doing something unholy. He’s sat back while she’s dropping in, she be popping in, yeah she put it down slowly.”
Sam came out to the public as gay in 2014 and as a non-binary in 2019.
And the singer has previously confessed that their identity issues has led to “problems and sadness”.
The ‘Stay with Me’ hitmaker shared: “It’s something I battle with all the time. I think it’s the root of all my problems and sadness. When it comes to work I feel like a 40-year-old man – my responsibilities, where I live, it’s nuts. But in terms of my romantic life I feel very young, very inexperienced. It’s really hard. I think that’s the same for all queer people.”
Sam also revealed that they couldn’t imagine settling down.
The London-born star added: “What I try to do is concentrate on the important things – to be kind to people and accept that I’m a bit of a gypsy, just travelling around and singing, and that’s OK for now. I really hope that I get to catch up at some point.”

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — Sam Fender and Wet Leg are among the performers at this year’s Mercury Prize with FREE NOW Awards Show.
The overall winner of the prestigious music prize will be announced on September 8 at London’s Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith.
As well as Sam’s acclaimed LP ‘Seventeen Going Under’ and indie duo Wet Leg’s self-titled LP, records by Harry Styles, Little Simz, Self Esteem, Joy Crookes, Fergus McCreadie, Gwenno, Jessie Buckley and Bernard Butler, Kojey Radical, Nova Twins, and Yard Act also made the shortlist.
Harry – whose LP ‘Harry’s House’ earned him his first-ever Mercury nod – is unable to perform live due to being on tour in the US, however, the ‘As It Was’ hitmaker has pre-recorded a special performance “to celebrate” his record which will be aired on the night.
Other performers include Fergus, Gwenno, Jessie and Bernard, Joy, Kojey, Simz, Nova Twins, Self Esteem, and Yard Act.
Lauren Laverne is hosting proceedings.
The judging panel – which includes musicians Anna Calvi, Jamie Cullum and Loyle Carner, and is chaired by Head of Music, 6 Music and Radio 2 Jeff Smith – commented on the selection for the Albums of the Year: “Getting down to 12 albums this year was not easy, simply because there were so many remarkable ones to choose from. That serves as proof that British and Irish music thrives during unsettled periods in history, with the albums chosen covering everything from imaginative pop to pioneering rap to Cornish language folk-rock. We feel that these 12 amazing albums each have something to say artistically and socially, all in their own unique, enriching ways. Now comes the really hard part… choosing only one overall winner.”
The Prize’s broadcast partner, BBC Music, will be providing coverage of the event across BBC TV, BBC Radio 6 Music, online and social media.
Digital partner Amazon Music will provide playlists and programming from now until the Awards Show.
The 2021 Mercury Prize was awarded to Arlo Parks for her much-lauded debut studio album ‘Collapsed in Sunbeams’.
Tickets are available from www.eventimapollo.com

The 2022 Mercury Prize with FREE NOW ‘Albums of the Year’ are:

Fergus McCreadie ‘Forest Floor’
Gwenno ‘Tresor’
Harry Styles ‘Harry’s House’
Jessie Buckley and Bernard Butler ‘For All Our Days That Tear the Heart’
Joy Crookes ‘Skin’
Kojey Radical ‘Reason to Smile’
Little Simz ‘Sometimes I Might be Introvert’
Nova Twins ‘Supernova’
Sam Fender ‘Seventeen Going Under’
Self Esteem ‘Prioritise Pleasure’
Wet Leg ‘Wet Leg’
Yard Act ‘The Overload’

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — Sam Ryder has released his new single, ‘Somebody’.
The 2022 UK ‘Eurovision’ runner-up, who came second to Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra with mega-hit ‘Space Man’, has dropped the soulful follow-up and a fun music video to boot.
Speaking of the track, the TikTok superstar said: “‘Somebody’ is inspired by YOU! All of the kindness, positivity and joy we’ve experienced so far this year. Ultimately it’s about the joy of giving love and experiencing love.”
Both tracks feature on Sam’s hotly-anticipated debut studio album, due for release later this year.
Earlier this week, Sam was unveiled as one of the National Album Day Ambassadors for 2022.
The annual celebration of the album format returns on October 15, this time with the theme of Debut Albums.
A press release notes that the day will “showcase a broad range of first album releases across multiple genres and decades – from debut recordings that have gone on to become classics to those that are perhaps only now being fully appreciated or which, years later, merit reappraisal.”
As well as Sam, Scottish rockers Franz Ferdinand, rap star KSI, Liverpool’s rising rock outfit The Mysterines and English indie-folk trio The Staves have been chosen as this year’s Ambassadors.
Sam said: “I’m stoked to be a part of this year’s National Album Day! There are so many amazing albums from artists that have been a massive part of my life bringing so much joy. By listening to an album, you really get to know an artist. I’m so excited to be finally releasing my debut album this year and can’t wait for you all to hear it!”
Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos said: “What a glorious medium the album is. On the most basic level it’s a bunch of songs that sound good together, but what I love is that it is a moment in time for the artist and the listener, a way to define a period of a lifetime. It’s the long form: a novel rather than a short story, a film rather than a trailer. Sure, you can get a panel of writers to construct a song to meet the criteria of the algorithm, and that’s a distinct skill, but it will never have the complexity or richness and deep reward of a good album.”
National Album Day is presented in association with official audio partner Bowers and Wilkins and official broadcast partner BBC Sounds.
Further product and releases, events and other activities will be announced in due course alongside further updates.
Head to www.nationalalbumday.co.uk for all the latest information on NAD.
Stream ‘Somebody’ on all streaming platforms now, and watch the official music video on Sam’s YouTube channel.

Catch Sam Ryder live in 2022 and 2023:
August 5th 2022 – Hatfield, UK, Hatfield Park
August 26th 2022 – Kingham, UK, The Big Feastival
November 23rd 2022 – London, UK, HERE at Outernet
November 24th 2022 – London, UK, HERE at Outernet
March 17th 2023 – Belfast, UK, Ulster Hall
March 18th 2023 – Dublin, UK, 3Olympia
March 21st 2023 – Manchester, UK, Academy
March 22nd 2023 – Glasgow, UK, Barrowland
March 23rd 2023 – Newcastle, UK, O2 City Hall
March 25th 2023 – Liverpool, UK, O2 Academy
March 26th 2023 – Leeds, UK, O2 Academy
March 28th 2023 – Birmingham, UK, O2 Academy
March 29th 2023 – Cambridge, UK, O2 Academy
March 30th 2023 – London, UK, Eventim Apollo
April 1st 2023 – Cardiff, UK, The Great Hall
April 2nd 2023 – Bristol, UK, O2 Academy
April 4th 2023 – Bournemouth, UK, O2 Academy
April 5th 2023 – Brighton, UK, The Dome

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — The Native have released the new EP ‘Looking Back’.
The rising Plymouth rockers – comprising Charlie Noordewier, Ben Andrew, Tom Booth, Harry Youngs and Fergus Segrove – recently signed with This Feeling Records and the six-track mini album is their first release on the label.
The ‘Blindside’ group have also announced they will perform on ‘Soccer AM’ on Sky Sports on Saturday morning (20.08.22).
Their EP release comes after a support tour with Bastille, and gig-goers loved the lyrics to the title track so much, that they asked if the band could write them out so they could get them inked on their bodies.
The Native said: “When we first wrote ‘Looking Back’ it never really stood out to us as a single, we didn’t think much of it until we started playing it live on the Bastille tour and it became the highlight of the set. We had people ask us to write out the lyrics so they could get them tattooed which was something we’ve never had before.
I think after seeing the effect it had on people we realised what a special song it was and honestly think we can all say it’s the best song we’ve ever written. We haven’t ever been more proud of a body of work and can’t wait to share the whole EP.”
The collection was produced by John Cornfield and mixed by Adrian Bushby – both of whom are known for their work with British rockers Muse.
Meanwhile, the band’s summer touring schedule includes slots at Reading and Leeds later this month.
Listen to ‘Looking Back’ on all major streaming platforms via ada.lnk.to/LookingBack.

Catch The Native live:
AUGUST
26th – Leeds Festival
28th – Reading Festival

SEPTEMBER
10th – Little Orchard Cider Music Festival
24th – Gathering Sounds, Stockton (This Feeling stage)

OCTOBER
15th – Live At Leeds

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — New Found Glory’s Chad Gilbert has had successful surgery on a spinal tumour.
The ‘My Friends Over You’ rocker was declared “cancer-free” in January after having “half a liver, a gallbladder and one adrenal gland” removed last year.
However, this week the 41-year-old musician revealed he had to have more surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible, with a very small amount left in the bone, which they will zap with radiotherapy.
The positive star said everything is “going great”, telling fans in an update on Instagram: “Got out of surgery yesterday afternoon! Things went really well.
“They were able to remove almost all of it besides a microscopic amount of tumour that was in the bone. Once we get test results back from the tissue, we’ll be able to blast it with whatever treatment it needs so we can keep it at bay or even kill it completely.
“Pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas are very rare tumours. So it is a very strategic process to treat them. But all news has been good so far for what the situation is and things have been going great!”
Chad – who was previously married to Paramore’s Hayley Williams between 2017 and 2016 – dubbed himself “Robo-Chad” as he fends off the disease.
He added: “First two nurses I saw post-op were big NFG fans which was really special. Their compassion and love made me feel not alone. I have two rods and five screws in my back and now have one less rib. But I’m stronger than ever. Robo-Chad is on a mission!”
Chad had to quit the NFG tour in the US after struggling with intense back pain.
He said: “Unfortunately we found a new Pheochromocytoma tumour in the 12th vertebrae of my spine pinching on my nerve bad.”
However, the pop punk veterans will be back out on the road for three headline shows in Philadelphia, Asbury Park and Buffalo on September 7, 8 and 9.
They wrote: “Our September shows will still be happening as planned. The 3 headline shows are nearly sold out so get your Philly tickets while you still can or see us at some incredible festivals next month! newfoundglory.com/tour.”

Source: IconInsider.com