Monthly Archives: August 2020

BTS the first Korean band to top the Billboard Hot 100 – Music News

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The South Korean boy band – comprised of RM, SUGA, Jin, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook – have made history yet again with their latest single, ‘Dynamite’, as it debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on Monday (31.08.20).

‘Dynamite’ makes BTS the first Korean artists, and only the second Asian artist, to ever top the popular US chart.
The song beat Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s collaborative hit ‘WAP’ to the top spot, and comes as their highest charting single to date, after their song ‘ON’ reached number four in March.

And if topping the chart wasn’t enough, it was also revealed that BTS’ single managed to sell a whopping 265,000 downloads in the US in its first week, making it the biggest digital sales week for any artist in the past three years.

A tweet from the Billboard Charts account read: “With 265,000 downloads sold (among its overall first-week total of 300,000, which includes its vinyl and cassette physical versions), @BTS_twt’s ‘Dynamite’ debuts with the biggest digital sales week since @taylorswift13’s ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ in September 2017 (353,000). (sic)”

The latest chart success comes as ‘Dynamite’ has broken a string of records for BTS since its release earlier this month.

The song became the band’s highest charting single in the UK on Friday (28.08.20) when it debuted at number three – a whole 10 places higher than their previous best, which they bagged when ‘Boy with Luv’ reached number 13 last year.

‘Dynamite’ also smashed the record for the most viewed music video in the first 24 hours of its release, after people watched the clip 101 million times.

And the single even gave BTS the title of the biggest Spotify global debut of 2020, when it garnered 7.779 million streams in its first 24 hours, as well as breaking multiple iTunes records, becoming the fastest song to ever reach number one in 100 countries, with a time of just eight hours, and making BTS the only artist to ever have five songs achieve 100 number ones.



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Liam Gallagher, Stormzy, and Post Malone to headline Reading & Leeds 2021 – Music News

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The annual music extravaganza was cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, but it has now been confirmed the event – which takes place on the August Bank Holiday weekend in both Reading and Leeds simultaneously – will be going ahead next year, with a host of big names already on the bill.

Former Oasis rocker Liam Gallagher will be taking on headline slots alongside the likes of Stormzy, Post Malone, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Disclosure and Queens of the Stone Age.

Of his upcoming performance, Liam said: “Yes Brothers and Sisters, I come bearing good news…Yours Truly is headlining Reading & Leeds 2021. C’MON YOU KNOW. LG (sic)”

Whilst Disclosure added: “We last headlined Reading & Leeds in 2016 with our friends Foals, it was amazing fun and we can’t wait to return next year when it’ll be even more special.”

Also announced for the festival are AJ Tracey, Ashnikko, Beabadoobee, DaBaby, Doja Cat, Fever 333, Lewis Capaldi, LYRA, Mabel, Madison Beer, MK, Sofi Tukker, Two Door Cinema Club, and 100 Gecs.

Melvin Benn, managing director of Festival Republic, said in a statement: “After an absence of a year we are delighted to announce the 2021 return to Reading’s Richfield Avenue and Leeds’ Bramham Park in 2021 with our most epic plan yet. Two main stages, six headliners, the best line up of acts 2021 will see and 200,000 fans are going to celebrate the best music in the best music festivals in Britain.”

Further line-up announcements are set to be made in the coming weeks and months.

Tickets are set to go on sale for the 2021 event on Thursday (03.09.20) at 9am.



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Amanda Kloots helps complete unfinished Nick Cordero song – Music News

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Amanda Kloots is keeping late husband Nick Cordero’s legacy alive by finishing one of his incomplete projects.

The Rock of Ages actor passed away in July after losing his battle with Covid-19 aged just 41 and, after documenting the Broadway star’s battle online, Amanda told fans she’s teamed up with family friend and composer Rickey Minor to finish a track by the late actor/singer.

“Tonight I got to work with musical legend Rickey Minor on a very special song, a Nick Cordero original,” she wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of herself and Minor at a recording studio.

“Nick wrote a song about his losing and missing his father, called Not Far Away. He posted it on Instagram, but only wrote one verse and chorus,” she explained. “Our friend Maddox had the idea for me to write the second verse and then sing a duet with Nick. Rickey and @lennywee helped me, added our voices together, mixed and arranged it, then added beautiful strings and chimes to create this new duet.”

Amanda continued: “This was one special night… I got to sing with Nick! It was hard living up to my husbands vocals but I closed my eyes and pretended we were onstage singing this song together. I cried a lot, but Rickey guided me through it every step of the way.”

The mother of one added that she’s “so grateful” to have the song completed for her and Nick’s 14-month-old son, Elvis Eduardo, and opened up about how “therapeutic” it has been to work on the Broadway star’s unfinished project.

“It made me feel very close to Nick, like he was with me,” Amanda admitted in a separate post on her Instagram Stories. “I’ve had a really hard last couple of days just with the things that come along with a loved one passing… I’ve been exhausted and emotionally drained, but I’ve had a lot of help, which has been wonderful.”

“Doing this tonight was therapeutic,” she reflected. “It was pretty special and it was really nice.”



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Katy Perry: ‘Russell Brand split was the first breaking of my idealistic mind’ – Music News

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Katy Perry has reflected on the “resistance” she faced in her marriage to Russell Brand, while gushing about her “healthy frictional” relationship with fiance Orlando Bloom.

The 35-year-old singer married British comedian and actor Russell in October 2010 but their union only lasted 14 months. Both have since moved on from the split, with Katy welcoming daughter Daisy with Orlando earlier this month, while Russell shares two children with his wife Laura Gallacher.

That doesn’t mean they’re not still asked about the relationship, however, as Katy found when she was interviewed on Australia’s 60 Minutes on Sunday.

Reflecting on her former marriage, Katy said: “It was the first breaking of my idealistic mind. I was having great success at 23, 24 and 25, and then I met someone that was interesting and stimulating. It was just like a tornado. It was everything happening once.”

Adding that she’s always been someone who has “resonated with friction and resistance and challenges”, Katy explained: “I know that inherently (about myself). Like, ‘OK, it’s gonna take a lot of work but oh, we’re gonna get somewhere great,’ or, ‘It’s gonna be a beautiful diamond. All this pressure is gonna turn into (that)’.”

While the pressure ultimately led to Katy and Russell’s break-up, she has found a way to balance both friction and love with Orlando.

“It’s very open, very communicate, nothing is swept under the mat,” she explained of her relationship with her fiance. “It’s like, we should probably walk into the other room to discuss when we disagree because we’ll do it in public. If we can get to the ends of our lives together, we’ll be each other’s greatest teachers. This is solid. This is, like, the main course.”



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Liam Payne proposed to Maya Henry with her grandmother’s ring – report – Music News

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Liam Payne reportedly proposed to girlfriend Maya Henry with one of her grandmother’s prized items of jewellery.

The One Direction star and Maya sparked rumours of an engagement when she was pictured wearing a diamond ring, reportedly worth $4 million (£3 million), on her wedding finger during a night out with the singer on Thursday.

A representative for Liam has since confirmed to The Huffington Post UK that he and the 20-year-old Texan are engaged to be married, with a source telling U.K. tabloid The Sun the ring was one of her grandmother’s which he had remodelled for Maya.

“Liam is absolutely smitten with Maya and living together in lockdown made him realise she is absolutely the one for him,” they shared. “He was determined to make it the perfect proposal so instead of shelling out a fortune on a ring that didn’t mean anything, he proposed using one which is cherished in her family.

“It meant so much to Maya and she was over the moon. It’s been remodelled for her and is extremely special.”

While the couple is “in no rush to tie the knot”, the source went on to suggest that, “Liam wanted to show his commitment by proposing now. He knows they will be together forever so they are going to take their time in organising a wedding. They don’t have any plans for it yet.”

Liam, who shares three-year-old son Bear with his ex, British popstar Cheryl, is believed to have been dating the model for around two years. However, it wasn’t until last September that he made their relationship Instagram official.



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Paloma Faith wants to write more realistic love songs – Music News

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The 39-year-old star has opened up about her fifth album ‘Infinite Things’ and how her three-year-old daughter – who she has with partner Leyman Lahcine – has changed both her relationship and the direction of her songwriting.

Speaking to The Guardian newspaper, she said: “[Love songs are] not just about saying, ‘You’re the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me.’ It’s like also: ‘You are highly annoying and you hurt me, and I still want to be with you.’
“Which is a bit more what it’s like to be in a long-term relationship, particularly one that involves children, because they’re binding. You have those thoughts still: ‘Oh, I don’t know if this is going to work.’

“But your attitude towards those thoughts is different because you’ve got children or a child together. And it’s that thing: how you become more selfless.

“You’ve got to think about what’s best for your child, and what’s best for your child is also what’s best for your partner, because they love their other parent.”

The ‘Only Love Can Hurt Like This’ hitmaker – whose fourth album ‘The Architect’ was released in 2017 – was delighted with the sessions for the new record and how she was able to find a renewed sense of “creativity” after focusing on “commercialism” for too long.

She explained: “The best creative experience I’ve had in years, in a decade. I feel like I’ve got ownership of it and it feels exciting.

“I feel like I’ve returned to my creativity and that, for a long time, maybe I got lost in a world of commercialism…
“[I want] more writing, more everything. I’m going to see where the wind takes me.”



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Melanie C reveals her dream music festival headliners – Music News

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Melanie C’s dream music festival would feature Freddie Mercury, Beyonce and The Beatles.

The 46-year-old Spice Girls star revealed she would love to see the late star Mercury headline, with Beyonce, The Beatles, Prince, Arctic Monkeys and The Prodigy also on the bill.

She told The Guardian: “I never got the opportunity to meet Freddie Mercury, so my headline act would have to be Queen. I was 11 years old in 1985 when they brought the house down at Wembley for Live Aid. We recorded it all on VHS – four tapes, cos it was that long – and watching Queen over and over made me want to have a career in music. Freddie had the whole stadium eating out of his hand and they were ahead of the game in mixing genres, which everyone does now. As a singer and a frontperson, Freddie is the ultimate.”

And Melanie added: “I’m not sure how they couldn’t be headliners, but I’d have to see the Beatles, ideally in the Revolver period.

“Beyoncé – she smashed Glastonbury and, like Freddie, is so phenomenal physically and vocally that she might be superhuman, or half-robot. I met her when she was in Destiny’s Child and she said she was a Spice fan, which I always remember when I watch her.”

Melanie also praised late star Prince, The Prodigy and Arctic Monkeys for their live performances.

She said: “I was lucky enough to see Prince at the O2 and then the Indigo club afterwards, where he duetted with Amy Winehouse. He was tiny, but his presence was so huge that he filled any room, whether a tiny club or an arena.

“Arctic Monkeys are top of my list of artists I still want to see live. I love that observational, poetic world that Alex Turner brings to his songs.

“The Prodigy transformed from a rave act into this incredible festival slayer. I first saw them in Mr Smith’s in Warrington when I was 18. It might actually have been the under-18s night, which is very irresponsible of me, but I was right down the front and Keith Flint grabbed my hand. My claim to fame.”



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Lady Gaga: ‘Wear a mask, it’s a sign of respect’ – Music News

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Lady Gaga urged people to wear face masks as she won five gongs at the first ever socially distant MTV Video Music Awards 2020.

The 34-year-old singer won big at the ceremony on Sunday evening (30.08.20), which was very different due to the current coronavirus pandemic, including the Tricon Award and Artist of the Year, as well as an impressive three gongs including Song Of The Year, Best Collaboration and Best Cinematography for her track with Ariana Grande, ‘Rain On Me’.

Wearing face masks during every element of the show, Lady Gaga said: “Just because we’re separated right now and culture may feel less alive in some ways, I know a renaissance is coming and the wrath of pop culture will inspire you and the rage of art will empower you as it responds to hardship with its generosity and love. This is what I believe. I want nothing more than to be your artist in 2020, it’s a total privilege. I love you, stay safe, speak your mind and I might sound like a broken record, but wear a mask, it’s a sign of respect.”

Elsewhere, it was a good night for BTS, who took home four trophies including Best Group, Best Pop, Best K-pop and Best Choreography for their track ‘On’.

The Weeknd also collected two prizes, both for his song ‘Blinding Lights’, which won him Video Of The Year as well as Best R&B track.

And to coincide with the “new normal” brought on by the current health crisis, there was two new lockdown-specific awards including Best Music Video From Home, which was won by Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber for their collaboration ‘Stuck with U’ and Best Quarantine Performance by CNCO for their Unplugged at Home series.

A full list of winners at the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards are as follows:

Video of the Year
The Weeknd, ‘Blinding Lights’

Tricon Award
Lady Gaga

Artist of the Year
Lady Gaga

Song of the Year
Lady Gaga / Ariana Grande, ‘Rain on Me’

PUSH Best New Artist
Doja Cat

Best Latin
Maluma, ‘Qué Pena’ ft. J Balvin

Best Direction
Taylor Swift, ‘The Man’ (directed by Taylor Swift)

Best Collaboration
Lady Gaga / Ariana Grande, ‘Rain on Me’

Best Hip-Hop
Megan Thee Stallion, ‘Savage’

Video for Good
H.E.R., ‘I Can’t Breathe’

Best R&B
The Weeknd, ‘Blinding Lights’

Best Pop
BTS: ‘ON’

Best Rock
Coldplay, ‘Orphans’

Best Cinematography
Lady Gaga / Ariana Grande, ‘Rain on Me’ (cinematography: Thomas Kloss)

Best Visual Effects
Dua Lipa, ‘Physical’ (visual effects: EIGHTY4)

Best Music Video From Home
Ariana Grande / Justin Bieber, ‘Stuck with U’

Best Quarantine Performance
CNCO: Unplugged at Home

Best K-Pop
BTS, ‘ON’

Best Group
BTS

Best Alternative
Machine Gun Kelly, ‘Bloody Valentine’

Best Editing
Miley Cyrus, ‘Mother’s Daughter’ (editing: Alexandre Moors and Nuno Xico)

Best Art Direction
Miley Cyrus, ‘Mother’s Daughter’ (art direction: Christian Stone)

Best Choreography
BTS, ‘ON’ (choreography: Son Sung Deuk, Lee Ga Hun and Lee Byung Eun)



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Reading and Leeds Festival to host six ‘first time headliners’ across two main stages in 2021 – Music News

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Organiser Melvin Benn has opened up about the annual event – which traditionally takes place across two sites in England over the August Bank Holiday weekend with identical rotating lineups – and revealed having a year off due to the coronavirus pandemic has given his team more time to work on something special.

He told NME: “We’re also going to reproduce the main stage twice. What was the second stage is going to be elevated to an equal stage with the same presentation.

“What that really allows us to do is book six acts that are headliners… Everyone one of them is a first time headliner.”

Benn insisted all six artists topping the bill will “very much” be of an equal level, and he was determined to craft a new lineup rather than carrying over the same bands from the scrapped 2020 festival.

He explained: “I was very clear and determined about that.

“The idea that the 2020 line-up would work perfectly well for 2021? No, it’s not happening – not for Reading and Leeds.

“We just wiped the slate clean and started again. There will be one headliner that will repeat, but that’s the only one.
“Someone asked if we should just book the same thing, but we’ve never done that so why would we start now? We’d be a year out of date.”

It’s not yet known which of the planned 2020 headliners will be back next year, but Stormzy, Liam Gallagher and Rage Against The Machine were the three booked before the cancellation.

In 2019, the festival bill was topped by The 1975, Post Malone, Twenty One Pilots and Foo Fighters.



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Lady Gaga rules MTV Video Music Awards – Music News

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Lady Gaga was crowned the big winner at the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards, taking home five top prizes, including Artist of the Year.

The pop icon’s Rain on Me hit with Ariana Grande earned the “soul sisters” Song of the Year, Best Collaboration, and Best Cinematography, while Gaga was also named the inaugural winner of the Tricon Award, honouring her music, acting, and philanthropy work.

She missed out on Video of the Year – that went to The Weeknd for Blinding Lights. He also picked up Best R&B.

Other multiple honourees included BTS and Miley Cyrus, who dazzled viewers with pre-taped performances, as did Maluma, Doja Cat, and Gaga and Grande, who both donned special face masks as they hit the stage for a rendition of Rain on Me.

It wasn’t all about the music at the annual ceremony – host Keke Palmer launched the New York-based show by dedicating the night to late Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, following his death from cancer on Friday, and used her platform to encourage people of her generation to keep up the fight against racial injustice.

The timely topics were also thrust into the MTV spotlight during DaBaby’s Rockstar performance, delivered while standing on the roof of a cop car after he was shown being arrested, while recent police brutality victims were on The Weeknd’s mind as he collected both of his awards.

“It’s really hard for me to celebrate right now and enjoy this moment, so I’m just gonna say justice for Jacob Blake and justice for Breonna Taylor. Thank you,” he said.

The winners of the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards are:

Video of the Year:

The Weeknd, Blinding Lights

Artist of the Year:

Lady Gaga

Song of the Year:

Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, Rain on Me

Best Collaboration:

Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, Rain on Me

PUSH Best New Artist:

Doja Cat

Best Pop:

BTS, On

Best Hip-Hop:

Megan Thee Stallion, Savage

Best Rock:

Coldplay, Orphans

Best Alternative:

Machine Gun Kelly, Bloody Valentine

Best Latin:

Maluma, Que Pena (ft. J Balvin)

Best R&B:

The Weeknd, Blinding Lights

Best K-Pop:

BTS, On

Best Group:

BTS

Video for Good:

H.E.R., I Can’t Breathe

Best Music Video From Home:

Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber, Stuck with U

Best Quarantine Performance:

CNCO: Unplugged at Home

Best Direction:

Taylor Swift, The Man (directed by Taylor Swift)

Best Cinematography:

Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, Rain on Me

Best Art Direction:

Miley Cyrus, Mother’s Daughter

Best Visual Effects:

Dua Lipa, Physical

Best Choreography:

BTS, ON

Best Editing:

Miley Cyrus, Mother’s Daughter

Tricon Award:

Lady Gaga



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