R&B Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Glastonbury’s Emerging Talent Competition is back for 2024, and the eight shortlisted artists have been announced. Check them out below.Taking place each year, the free-to-enter contest gives up-and-coming musicians the chance to play at one of the festival’s main stages, as well as a £5,000 Talent Development prize from PRS Foundation to help develop their songwriting and performing.The two runners-up will each be awarded a £2,500 PRS Foundation Talent Development prize.This year’s edition of the competition launched back in January, and last month the 90 artists who had made the longlist was shared.Now, the 90 artists have been whittled down to the final eight – with one set to be announced as the winner of this year’s instalment later this month.“We’re very pleased to announce the finalists for our EMERGING TALENT COMPETITION 2024, which is supported by PRS for Music and PRS Foundation,” Glastonbury shared on their X/Twitter page earlier this morning (April 11).

Mary J. Blige is surely feeling more than “Just Fine” — after the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul was announced as one of the 2024 inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Sunday night.But for the Yonkers, New York native, the enshrinement into musical immortality may be coming at the end of an illustrious career that began with her groundbreaking debut album, 1992’s “What’s the 411?”“I’m actually in the studio right now recording more music, and I’m having fun,” Blige, 53, told People.“This is another album,” she added, “and it’s probably my last studio album.”Say what now?“Everybody says that,” she added with a laugh.

Rihanna has provided an update on her long-awaited new album, saying she’s “already got stuff she could make hits out of”.Yesterday (April 17), the Bajan singer attended a launch party for her FENTY x PUMA Creeper Phatty Earth Tone shoe line in London. At the event, she spoke to Entertainment Tonight about her new collection, her fashion sense and motherhood.After sharing that her sons RZA and Riot‘s favourite song is ‘Wheels On The Bus’, Rihanna revealed if her children would appear on any of her new music.“I mean, it’s up to them,” the ‘Needed Me’ singer said. “I already got stuff I feel like I could make hits out of.

SZA will be honoured with the Hal David Starlight Award at the 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards gala.According to a press release, the Hal David Starlight Award is presented to “gifted young songwriters who are making a significant impact in the music industry with their original songs.” The chart-topping singer will also become the second black woman to receive the honour – the last being Alicia Keys in 2005.“This is such an exciting time for songwriters and music,” said Songwriters Hall of Fame chairman Nile Rodgers. “Phenomenal artists like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift are pushing the envelope of what success looks like, but who could argue that the last two years belong to SZA.

Amy Winehouse’s ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil has shared his thoughts on the new biopic Back To Black, explaining that he found it “therapeutic”.The film – directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson – arrives in cinemas earlier today (April 12), and follows the life of the late singer. It stars Marisa Abela (Industry) as Winehouse and charts the iconic singer’s vibrant years living in London, as well as her intense rise to fame.In the movie, Winehouse’s former husband Blake Fielder-Civil is portrayed by Jack O’Connell (Skins, Godless, Lady Chatterley’s Lover). He stars opposite Eddie Marsan, who was cast as the singer’s father, Mitch.Now, appearing on today’s episode of Good Morning Britain, Fielder-Civil shared his thoughts on the biopic, and admitted that he found the film “almost therapeutic” due to how he was depicted.In the interview with host Kate Garraway, he said that some parts of the movie made him feel seen “in a more accurate representation” to what he is used to.“Not in a sense of being let off the hook or whitewashed, as [has] been alluded to… just in a sense of it wasn’t all about addiction,” he said.

Bruno Mars will play the first two concerts at Los Angeles’ Intuit Dome, the future home of the Los Angeles Clippers that is still under construction at the time of publication.This pair of gigs will be his first in L.A.

Amy Winehouse‘s ‘Tears Dry On Their Own’ features previously unseen footage of the late singer. Watch below.The 2007 single appears on Winehouse’s classic second studio album, 2006’s ‘Back To Black’.

Beyoncé‘s daughter, Rumi, has become the youngest female artist to make it on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, thanks to her feature on ‘Cowboy Carter’.She made her appearance on the album when she featured on the track ‘Protector’ – contributing to the introduction of the soulful ballad. “Mom, can I hear the lullaby please?” she is heard asking at the start of the track, before Beyoncé comes in with the opening lyrics.The track debuted at Number 42 on the Hot 100 charts, following the release of the album last month.With the accomplishment, Rumi has surpassed the record set by her older sister Blue Ivy – who held the title after joining her mother on the track ‘Brown Skin Girl’, made for the Lion King: The Gift soundtrack.

Amy Winehouse biopic Back To Black arriving in cinemas, the search is on to find out which of her songs is the UK’s favourite.The film – which is directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson – is set to arrive on April 12, and will follow the life of the late singer. It stars Marisa Abela (Industry) as Winehouse and charts the iconic singer’s vibrant years living in London, as well as her intense rise to fame.Now, just days before it makes its way into cinemas, a nationwide search has been launched to uncover which of the singer’s tracks is the most-loved in the UK.Commencing last Friday (April 5) and running until tomorrow (April 10), a giant Back To Black touring installation has been making its way across Manchester, Glasgow and London.

Damon Albarn recently joined Thundercat on stage and performed a handful of solo tracks and a Gorillaz song.The Gorillaz frontman appeared at the third night of Thundercat’s four-night residency at London’s KOKO venue on Friday April 5 as part of his UK tour.Albarn joined the bassist towards the end of his set. Together they performed ‘Oh Sheit It’s X’, ‘Funny Thing’, ‘Them Changes’ and Gorillaz ‘Cracker Island’, the lead track from the animated band’s album of the same name in which Thundercat was originally featured on.Has this crowd been euthanised like do they know thundercat and damon albarn are in front of them playing cracker island pic.twitter.com/bJMLD0aVwX— tara (@drknesstolight) April 5, 2024Damon and Thundercat playing Funny Thing tonight in London.

Rihanna has shared an update on her long-awaited new album, revealing that she has “a lot of visual ideas” for the material.The singer spoke about the anticipated album in a newly shared discussion with Interview Magazine, which took place at the rehearsals for her first show in eight years.On the night, Rihanna took to the stage at a pre-wedding ceremony in India to play her first full live show since 2016 – and was reportedly paid $6million (£4.7million) for the private concert.During the discussion before the set, she was asked about what it was like to be back in a rehearsal space, and if she had “the vibe to do music again”.“I have a lot of visual ideas. It’s weird.

Glastonbury has announced details of the ticket re-sales for this year’s festival – you can find all the information below.The 2024 edition of the Worthy Farm event is due to take place between Wednesday, June 26 and Sunday, June 30. Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA will all headline the iconic Pyramid Stage this summer, as confirmed last month.Today (April 9) organisers have revealed that “a very limited number of tickets” will go on sale next week.

Beyoncé fans are speculating that her next album could see her venture down a rock route.The rumours about potential new directions for Bey arrive less than a week after ‘Cowboy Carter’ dropped – the second part of her ‘Renaissance’ trilogy, which saw her experiment with country music.The album has made countless headlines already, including for Beyoncé becoming the first Black woman to reach Number One on the US country chart with ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’, the first Black woman to score a Number One country album in the US charts, and gathering support from huge names including Michelle Obama and Paul McCartney.However, eager fans are already getting their eyes set on what part three will hold, and many are convinced it will see Beyoncé turn her focus to rock music.Rumours have run rampant for a while, although got a huge boost back in February after the singer donned an impressive mullet for a CR Fashion Book photo shoot. Since the release of ‘Cowboy Carter’, they have continued to expand – particularly after the ‘Lemonade’ singer sent flowers to Jack White, and personally thanked him for how much he influenced her on the new record.As highlighted by Complex, her nods towards the rock genre have also been seen throughout her career, including her close relationship with rock and roll legend Tina Turner, time working alongside Prince, and a surprise appearance at the Coldplay Super Bowl Halftime Show.Now, fans have begun sharing their thoughts on who Bey could collaborate with to make the album into a reality, and shared their suggestions for who could work with her sound.“Now if Beyonce’s does do a Rock album imma need to see Paramore on it,” one fan wrote on X, urging the singer to lock in a duet with Hayley Williams.

Missy Elliott has announced details of her first ever headline tour for North America later this summer.Today (April 8), the history-making musical polymath unveiled the dates for the ‘Out Of This World’ tour, which will start in Canada this July. She also revealed that she will joined by longtime friends and frequent collaborators Ciara, Timbaland and Busta Rhymes.“This is an incredible time in my life as I am experiencing so many milestone ‘firsts,’” Elliott said in a statement.

Beyoncé has become the first Black woman to score a Number One country album with ‘Cowboy Carter’ in the US charts.The music icon’s new country-inspired album has topped Billboard’s Top Country Albums, making history in the process as the first Black woman ever to do so, as revealed yesterday (April 7).The new record also debuted at Number One, her eighth album to top the Billboard 200 charts.Billboard revealed that, at 407,000 units, ‘Cowboy Carter’ claimed the biggest week of 2024 so far and the largest since Taylor Swift’s ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ reached 1.653 million units on the November 11, 2023 list back in October.‘Cowboy Carter’ also scored other achievements including Beyoncé’s biggest week by units since ‘Lemonade’ debuted at Number One with 653,000 units in 2016.The achievement follows a similar feat back in February when Beyoncé became the first Black woman to reach Number One on the US country chart with her new single ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’.She also became the second solo female act – with no accompanying featured artists – to debut at Number One, with Swift achieving this in 2021 with her re-recorded versions of ‘Love Story’ and ‘All Too Well’.Additionally, Beyoncé was announced as the first woman to top both the Hot Country Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hip Songs charts since these run-downs began in 1958.

Maxwell will embark on his ‘Serenade Tour’ with special guests Jazmine Sullivan and October London at arenas all over North America.That includes sensual stops at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on Wednesday, Sept. 25 and Newark’s Prudential Center on Sunday, Oct.

Jennifer Lopez has quietly rebranded her tour as a greatest hits show following low ticket sales and some dates being cancelled.Originally, the tour was branded as her ‘This Is Me… Now’ tour, and announced back in February to coincide with the release of her album of the same name.Now, seemingly because of low ticket sales, the tour has been rebranded by the singer as ‘This Is Me… Live | The Greatest Hits’ – distancing itself from the new LP.As highlighted by outlets including Variety and The A.V. Club, the album struggled to find an audience upon its release, selling 14,000 copies in its first week and arriving at Number 38 on the Billboard 200 – the second of her nine studio albums to place outside the Top 10.The studio release was one part of a self-financed $20million multimedia project, including the tour and two films: This Is Me…Now: A Love Story, and a documentary titled The Greatest Love Story Never Told.The A.V. Club has claimed that the rebranding of the tour may come in a bid to boost ticket sales and stop fans from thinking that the live show will see Lopez predominantly sing tracks from the new LP.Lopez’s reps and Live Nation, which is producing the tour, have not publicly responded to Variety’s request for comment, and Live Nation’s site hasn’t been updated to reflect the tour’s name change.

Leigh-Anne has announced details of her first solo headline show, taking place in an intimate venue in London. Find ticket details below.News of the new show comes as the former Little Mix singer is set to share a collection of songs – some of her first since launching her career as a solo artist last year.For her first live show, she will headline the Lafayette venue in the UK capital on June 11.

Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who previously formed the songwriting duo The Neptunes, are currently in a legal dispute over the group’s name.The lawsuit comes as Hugo accused Williams of “fraudulently” seeking sole control over the trademarks without consulting him.The Neptunes rose to prominence in the early 2000s, after both Williams and Hugo were friends in their childhood. They produced a run of hit tracks at the turn of the century including Gwen Stefani’s ‘Hollaback Girl’, Snoop Dogg’s ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot’, Justin Timberlake’s ‘Rock Your Body’ and Nelly’s ‘Hot in Herre’.They reached the peak of their success before Williams went on to become a solo musician, and they were inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 2022.However, the two have run into legal action following Hugo filing a lawsuit against his songwriting partner last week at a federal tribunal – accusing Williams of attempting to unilaterally register trademarks for the Neptunes name.

Beyoncé has given Dolly Parton full songwriting credits on her reimagined version of ‘Jolene’.The artist dropped her new country album ‘Cowboy Carter’ last week, which features a reinterpretation of Parton’s 1973 classic.While Parton’s version sees her plead with Jolene (“I’m begging of you please don’t take my man“) Beyoncé’s takes on a more empowered edge as she sings: “I’m warnin’ you, don’t come for my man.”The re-written lyrics seem to address Jay-Z cheating on her, as she refers to someone trying to “come between a family and a happy man”.While Beyoncé included several re-worked lyrics in her version of the song, the writing credits on streaming credit solely Parton, while Beyoncé is credited as the performer and producer.Parton has since given her verdict on Beyoncé’s cover, writing on Instagram: “Wow, I just heard Jolene. Beyoncé is giving that girl some trouble and she deserves it! Love, Dolly P.”It came after she previously gave Beyoncé’s country pivot her blessing, saying: “I’m a big fan of Beyoncé and very excited that she’s done a country album.” Ahead of Beyoncé’s version, Parton asked fans to stream her original track.Nancy Sinatra also expressed her admiration for Beyoncé after she sampled ‘These Boots Are Made For Walking’ on ‘Cowboy Carter’.Beyoncé unveiled the news of her new album a month ago, dropping two songs ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ and ’16 Carriages’ in February and announcing the record in an ad at the Super Bowl.

Dolly Parton has asked her fans to stream her original track ‘Jolene’ before Beyoncé drops her cover of the track.The ‘Love On Top’ singer is set to share her version of the iconic 1973 country track tomorrow (March 29), as part of her highly-anticipated new album ‘Cowboy Carter’.Now, one day before the track goes live, the original ‘Jolene’ singer Dolly Parton has requested that fans stream her version of the song before the cover drops.Sharing the tracklist on her Instagram Story, Parton wrote: “Play the original while you wait for @beyonce’s ‘Jolene’,” using the newfound hype around the track to draw attention back to the classic version.The update from the country music veteran comes after she accidentally let slip that the pop icon had put her own spin on the track for her forthcoming album.Speaking to Knox News earlier this month, she said: “I think she’s recorded ‘Jolene’ and I think it’s probably gonna be on her country album, which I’m very excited about that.“I love her! She’s a beautiful girl and a great singer.”She also gave her blessing to Bey covering the track, adding: “We’ve kind of sent messages back and forth through the years. And she and her mother were like fans, and I was always touched that they were fans, and I always thought she was great.”Arriving tomorrow, ‘Cowboy Carter’ is the second instalment of a believed trilogy project that began with 2022’s ‘Renaissance’.There has been hype around the album for months now, and yesterday (March 27) the singer shared the full tracklist with fans.

Tori Kelly has spoken to NME about her fifth studio album ‘TORI’, saying that she finally feels like she is “owning [her] craft” and living her dreams.Last Friday (March 22), the California singer-songwriter was in London working on the soundtrack for a popular TV show, which has yet to be disclosed to the public. Speaking to NME, she reminisced on the fact that four years to the day, she was in the capital for the UK leg of what was supposed to be her first-ever world tour.

SZA has shared an update on her forthcoming deluxe album ‘Lana’ after someone uploaded some of the tracks intended for it without permission.The songs making up ‘Lana’ were originally intended for a deluxe edition of her 2022 album ‘SOS’, but the project took on a life of its own and will now be a separate release. It was first announced in September and was originally earmarked for a late 2023 release, with the singer revealing the cover art on the first anniversary of the Grammy-winning ‘SOS’.

Jhené Aiko announced ‘The Magic Hour Tour’ that will send her and special guests Coi Leray, Tink, Umi and Kiana Ledé to arenas all over North America from June through August.Along the way, the neo soul icon is set to swing into Newark’s Prudential Center on Saturday, June 29 and Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on Monday, July 1.The 36-year-old “Sativa” songstress was scheduled to trek all over the U.S. and Canada in 2020 as part of her ‘Chilombo Tour’ in support of her album with the same name but had to cancel due to the COVID-19 pandemic.While we can’t say what the former B2K backup singer will bring to the stage this time around — although we’d guess “Chilombo” cuts and her latest single will make the set list — we do know the best way to find out is live.And if you want to be there to catch the six-time Grammy nominee live, you can grab tickets for all shows as soon as today.Although inventory isn’t available on Ticketmaster until Friday, March 29, fans who want to ensure they have tickets ahead of time can purchase on sites like Vivid Seats before tickets are officially on sale.Vivid Seats is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand.They have a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and will be delivered before the event.A complete calendar including all tour dates, venues and links to buy tickets can be found below.On Aug.

Usher‘s comments about his experiences at Diddy‘s home in a resurfaced interview have gone viral.Following the news of Diddy’s homes being raided in a sex trafficking investigation, an old interview has resurfaced due to the R&B singer’s claims about what he saw in Diddy’s home.Diddy (real name Sean Combs) discovered and developed Usher through his success in the 90s and 00s. Usher was also sent to live with Combs for a year after he signed a record deal with LA Reid.During his time there, he told Rolling Stone in 2004 that Combs introduced him to “a totally different set of shit — sex, specifically”. “Sex is so hot in the industry, man,” he continued, alleging that “there was always girls around.

Roots Manuva has had his Mercury Prize trophy returned after moving house and accidentally leaving it behind.Manuva – whose real name is Rodney Hylton Smith – took home the award at the 2002 Mercury Prize for his album ‘Run Come Save Me’.Shared in August 2001, the LP marked his second studio album, following on from his 1999 breakthrough debut, ‘Brand New Second Hand’.

Summerfest’s jaw-dropping 2024 lineup.Set to take place over three warm weekends — June 20-22, June 27-29 and July 4-6 — the annual Milwaukee fest went above and beyond once again booking some of the biggest names in the biz to headline this year.On the first weekend, Kane Brown, Mötley Crüe, Goo Goo Dolls, Taking Back Sunday and Chelsea Cutler will take the stage along with a yet-to-be announced surprise act.Tyler Childers, Keith Urban, Illenium, MUNA and REO Speedwagon top the second three-day weekend’s bill.Finally, Maroon 5, Lil Uzi Vert, AJR, Ivan Cornejo and Bryson Tiller will take Summerfest home over July 4 weekend.In total, we counted 175 acts on this year’s lineup.And if you want to get in on the genre-hopping action, tickets are available for select shows as of today.Clicking into the American Family Insurance Amphitheater or BMO Harris Pavilion venue pages on Vivid Seats will take you to a number of shows to choose from — not just for Summerfest but all year long.Want to know more about the expansive extravaganza coming to Milwaukee this June and July?Keep reading, music fans.We’ve got everything you need to know and more about Summerfest 2024 below.A complete breakdown of all the events we could find taking place at Summerfest this year — including dates, artists and links to their performer pages to buy tickets — can be found here:Hoping for a closer look at this year’s sprawling list of performers?Feel free to sneak a peek and check out the 2024 Summerfest poster below.Hope you find a favorite or three of yours (personally, we can’t wait to see R.E.M.

Azealia Banks has criticised Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ as being “white women cosplay”.Beyoncé announced that she would be turning her sights to a country direction last year, and recently shared the cover and title of her upcoming album, ‘Cowboy Carter’.However, rapper Azealia Banks isn’t too happy about the finished product, and has taken to social media to slam the ‘Love On Top’ singer as being in “white woman cosplay”.

Amy Winehouse biopic, Back To Black, with it including an original new song by Nick Cave.The film is directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and is set to be released in cinemas on April 12. It will follow the life and career of the iconic London singer, with the title role being taken on by Marisa Abela.Now, details of the official soundtrack to the movie have been shared – featuring songs by the singer herself, as well as tracks by other iconic artists.Titled ‘Back To Black: Songs from the Original Motion Picture’, the compilation album is set for release on May 17 via UMR/Island Records, and features three original recordings from Winehouse’s highly influential debut, ‘Frank’ and three songs from her multi-award-winning LP ‘Back To Black.It also includes a new original track called ‘Song for Amy’, which is sung by Nick Cave.Cave, along with longtime collaborator Warren Ellis, composed and recorded the film’s score.A further 5 songs are included on the album, recorded by artists whom Amy Winehouse saw as an inspiration.

Lollapalooza doesn’t play around when it comes to their massive genre-hopping lineups.Year in and year out, the early August festival brings the best in music to Chicago’s Hutchinson Field at Grant Park for four days of rock, punk, Hip-Hop, R&B, K-Pop and more.The 2024 go-round will be no different. This year, the fest, taking place Aug.