Six Grammy nods for Adele

Friday, 02 December 2011 18:17

''Turning Tables'' singer Adele has been nominated for six Grammy nominations, including best album for 21. The star, who recently underwent throat surgery, was also nominated for best song for “Rolling in the Deep.”

21 has sold over 12 million records worldwide, gaining massive momentum off the strength of singles “Someone like You” and “Rolling in the Deep.” Adele was forced to cancel a number of gigs after a series of throat troubles and it is not yet known as to whether she will be well enough to perform at the February ceremony.

Kanye West received the most Grammy nods this year – seven – and both Foo Fighters and Bruno Mars were nominated for six gongs each. West was given two nominations for best album – one for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and one for his collaboration with Jay-Z, Watch the Throne.

26-year-old Bruno Mars said that “it feels incredible” to be considered for so many Grammys. He told members of the press: “I’m so glad the album is being recognized in this way. This awards stuff, I’m still trying to get used to it. It’s hard for me as Adele and Kanye West are incredible, so the fact that the album was nominated in the same category is amazing.”

Three of Mars’ nominations stem from his hit single “Grenade,” off debut album Doo-Waps & Hooligans.

He said of the song: “[‘Grenade’ is] the song we worked the hardest on – that’s like our trophy right there. Of all the songs we’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of this year, we were most proud of that one.”

Although Lady Gaga had her share of hits this year, the “Judas” singer received only one nomination, for best album in Born this Way.

In spite of releasing his second album this year, Justin Vernon – who performs under the moniker Bon Iver – was nominated as best new artist alongside Nicki Minaj, J. Cole, the Band Perry and Skrillex.

Katy Perry feels trapped in media-induced soap opera

Friday, 02 December 2011 18:08

After rumors of pregnancy and then divorce made their rounds on the internet, Katy Perry took to her Twitter account to set things straight.

On Wednesday the new rumor had sprung that she and husband Russell Brand were on the rocks, and that the “Teenage Dream” singer had filed for divorce. Representatives for both parties denied that they were planning to separate.

Apparently sick of hearing untruths about herself and her marriage, a perplexed Perry compared the rumors to a soap opera. She tweeted: “First I’m pregnant & then I’m divorced. What am I All My Children?!”

 She topped the line off with a hashtag in reference to a popular character from the long-running American series: #ericakane. The infamous Erica Kane, played by Susan Lucci, was married ten times or more during the soap opera’s run and not without a few secret children.

The divorce story came just days after one that claimed the pair were planning to have a baby, and seemed to have sprung from US gossip website TMZ.

TMZ lawyer and reporter Harvey Levin clarified the seeming misunderstanding on his own Twitter page, writing: “A news outlet saying TMZ posted a story Katy Perry is getting divorced. We did not post such a story…just made a call… 100% NO DIVORCE.”

The Sun reports that the duo visited infamous LA tattoo artist Bang Bang after a gig in the city, further dispelling reports that Perry had filed for divorce.

Hubby Russell came away with a West Ham football logo on his arm and Perry a smiling peppermint candy on her foot. After receiving her tattoo, Perry took over the inking pen and gave the tattoo artist a peppermint candy tattoo of his own. According to the tabloid, 50 members of the singer’s touring team also received the peppermint branding after Bang Bang spent a week traveling with Perry’s tour.

Lady Gaga claims orgasms and spinach responsible for flawless complexion

Thursday, 01 December 2011 16:14

In the current issue of Elle magazine, Gaga lets go of a few beauty secrets - including her recipe for a flawless complexion.

However, her concoction doesn't include a single skin cream. Instead, the superstar insists that her beautiful skin is the result of a healthy amount of “orgasms, lots of orgasms.”

Eventually Gaga let on that in addition to orgasms, vegetable drinks can’t hurt.

But if her skin always looks fabulous, her relationships have usually been on less stable ground. The singer explained: “I have never felt truly cherished by a lover. I have an inability to know what happiness feels like with a man.”

Gaga recently started dating “You and I” video costar and Vampire Diaries actor Taylor Kinney, but she doesn’t seem entirely optimistic about love.

“I have this effect on people where it starts out good,” she said. “Then, when I’m  in these relationships with people who are also creative, or creative in their own way, what happens is the attraction is initially there and it’s all unicorns and rainbows.

“And then they hate me. It’s a hideous place to be in when someone that you love has convinced you that you will never be good enough for anyone.”

Gaga and Kinney may be keeping it casual for now, but a source close to the couple claims that Gaga finds it exciting that Kinney plays a vampire on the HBO series.

The insider revealed: “Gaga loves anything extreme. Watching a bunch of men unload guns would turn her on just as much. It’s extreme in a different way. Taylor and his pals like having her around as she’s a laugh. She likes nothing more than heading to the pub for a few beers after.”

Little Monsters can expect a fragrance line from Lady Gaga in the near future, as the singer applied for a perfume license in September. The “You and I” singer reportedly requested that the new scent be based upon the molecular structure of blood and semen.


 

Hanson plan Mmmhop ale brand

Thursday, 01 December 2011 16:04

Former teeny boppers Hanson have just wrapped up a world tour, and now the brotherly band are eyeing the beer business. The threesome have plans to launch an Mmmhop brand of beer.

Isaac, 31, Taylor,28, and Zac, 26, appeared at the Oxford Union on Monday to play a few songs and speak to the crowd.  There the Oklahoma natives explained that they planned to launch a beer line named after their 1997 hit single.

Zac told the crowd: “It’s vital our fans have trust in everything Hanson do. We are soon going to be selling our own beer. I’m not joking – Mmmhop IPA anyone?”

Shout It Out, the boys’ eighth studio album, was released in June of last year. Their debut single, “Mmmbop,” made more recent headlines when X Factor contestant Janet Devlin forgot the lyrics during a performance.

The boys told MSN what they thought of Devlin’s blunder: “Let’s just say this: she doesn’t need us to remind her it wasn’t the greatest performance, but we’re flattered. Any time your song is referred to as classic enough for people to want to play it on shows like that, because people know what it is.”

Hanson also explained how they felt shows like X Factor impacted the pop music scene. “You have to put it in perspective of what they really are, which is ultimately, TV. Entertaining television, and no matter how great the artists are, no matter how great the music is, the focus of those shows is about making entertainment for the TV audience.”

They added: “At its core, I don’t think those shows are about finding the kind of artists that will be the voice of a generation for instance. There are some exceptions to that rule, where some great artists have come out of there. People who are really talented – Leona Lewis for example has a really great voice.”


 

N-Dubz stars Fazer and Tulisa planning a family

Thursday, 01 December 2011 15:57

Although X Factor judge Tulisa Constostalvos doesn't much like to speak about her relationship with bandmate Fazer, the N-Dubz rapper doesn't seem to mind giving out a few personal details.

Fazer informed Heat magazine that the pair are looking forward to settling down together in the future. He added that they also planned to start a family of their own.

“We’ll definitely have kids one day,” Fazer told the mag. “I’ve always wanted children for as long as I can remember. You can just imagine them running around your feet like Mini-Me’s.”

He added: “It’s great because Dappy has Milo and Gino so we can just play with them then give them back when they get a bit annoying. It’s definitely something I want one day though.”

Asked whether he minded the extra attention Tulisa was receiving from male fans who watch X Factor, Fazer said: “I love it that guys fancy her. It’s far better than them saying, ‘Fazer, what the f*** are you doing with her?’ It’s good.”

The ITV star revealed earlier this week that she had been receiving more than just positive feedback for her role on X Factor – Tulisa has also received death threats since joining the judging panel.

The 23-year-old said she had no plans to call the police in spite of threatening messages such as: “I’m gonna hunt you down and kill you.”

Tulisa told The Sun: “I’ve always had abuse – since the age of 17 – so I’ve been trained for it. It’s nothing to me. If anything it’s gotten a bit more lighthearted since I’ve been on the show.

“N-Dubz fans are a bit feistier. It used to be, ‘I’m gonna slice your throat and you’re a whore.’ Now it’s more like, ‘You’re s***, I hate you.’ You still get the whole, ‘I’m gonna hunt you down and kill you.’ But I’ll message them back and go, ‘Bring it on, bitch.’ That s*** doesn’t bother me.

“It’s probably some spotty 12-year-old having a laugh with his mates because he can’t get a girlfriend.”


 

Guy Ritchie doesn’t regret ‘soap opera’ marriage to Madonna

Thursday, 01 December 2011 15:44

The ex-Mr. Madonna doesn't usually speak openly about his former relationship with the legendary pop star, but he made an exception in a recent interview with Details magazine.

Guy Ritichie explained that although their eight-year marriage was somewhat dramatic, it made him a happy man.

“I enjoyed my first marriage. It’s definitely not something I regret. The experience was ultimately very positive. I love the kids that came out of it, and I could see no other route to take. But you move on, don’t you?

“I stepped into a soap opera, and I lived in it for quite a long period of my life. I’ll probably be more eloquent on it 10 years from now.”

The couple have one son, 11-year-old Rocco, and adopted five-year-old David together. According to Ritchie, marriage to Madonna enriched more than just his family life – his career and finances also benefited from Madge’s influence.

He said: “When you end up with a lot of the things you set out to chase and find that you’ve stumbled into all sorts of hollow victories, then you become deeply philosophical. I’m quite glad that that experience was accelerated for me. I’m glad I made money, in other words. And I’m glad I got married.”

The director has settled down with model Jacqui Ainsley, and the pair had a son together last September. Meanwhile Madonna’s influence is likely serving to benefit another man – 24-year-old Brahim Zaibat.

The singer recently explained to Harper’s Bazaar that she believed Zaibat was a positive influence on her sons: “[They] need a male role model as well. So I need to keep this in mind: What is this person modeling to my sons? What kind of man is he? What values does he have? What energy is he giving off?”

Zaibat is only nine years older than Madonna’s eldest child, 15-year-old Lourdes.

Britney Spears looks to Adele and Jessie J for inspiration

Thursday, 24 November 2011 15:08

The success of UK pop acts like Jessie J and Adele give ''Criminal'' singer Britney Spears the motivation she needs to ''want to do better.''

The star spoke to Stylist to promote her latest perfume scent – a “girly” fragrance featuring hints of “night-blooming jasmine” – and revealed that the up-and-coming acts on the pop scene made her feel a bit competitive.

“There are so many soulful singers, even the ones coming from London, like Adele and Jessie J, who are just amazing. It feels like a really cool time to be making music now.

“In the beginning obviously I was very young and I didn’t know the ins and outs of things; I was very instinctive in what I wanted to do, and I was very vocal with my input on things.

“I think as the years have gone by, and I’ve evolved as an artist, I’ve put even more into my career, and after that amount of time you start to know exactly what you want. You feel a little bit more in your skin, in terms of who you are. And that just feels really nice.”

Spears – whose weight has gone up and down over the years – admitted that it isn’t always easy finding the inspiration to go to the gym.

She said: “Trying to get up and work out in the morning [is difficult]. I haven’t worked out in, like, two weeks. Sometimes it’s hard to be motivated. But once you get up and do it you feel like you’ve conquered the world.”

The singer recently made headlines when she filmed her “Criminal” video without notifying Hackney set property owners that the crew would be shooting a gun scene.

Asked whether it was difficult for her two boys to grasp the difference between their mom and her music video facades, Britney explained: “I think they’re starting to understand that it’s part of my work and what I do. It’s part of mommy being a performer. And being a performer, one of the things that entails is playing different characters and having fun and doing different things.”


 

Archeological study ranks Sex Pistols’ graffiti important

Thursday, 24 November 2011 15:02

According to archeologists studying graffiti from London's early punk years, these anti-establishment doodles are as important as the cave drawings from the Upper Paleolithic period found in France.

Drawings left behind by Sex Pistols’ Johnny Rotten on the wall of an old London flat are thought to give a new perspective on the punk movement.

No doubt the drawings already have plenty of meaning for punk fans, but now researchers have come to the conclusion that the graffiti is “a direct and powerful representation of a radical and dramatic movement of rebellion.”

“This is an important site,” the archeologists affirm, “historically and archaeologically, for the material and evidence it contains. But should we retain it for the benefit of this and future generations? In our view, with anti-heritage, different rules apply.”

Independent researcher Paul Graves-Brown and John Schofield of the University of York Department of Archeology worked together to analyze the pictures’ cultural significance. The drawings are on the wall of a 19th-century West End home which is currently being used as an office.

Johnny Rotten – né John Lydon – created much of the graffiti, including eight cartoon drawings of himself and his bandmates. Rotten also depicted the band’s manager Malcolm McLaren a few other associates.

The pair admit that many of the doodles can be considered offensive, but still maintain that their presence mean that the surrounding flat is a historical archeological site.

That said, the two do not believe that the Denmark Street flat should be brought to public attention via the standard blue plaque. This, they say, would not be a punk-approved move.

“The tabloid press once claimed that early Beatles recordings discovered at the BBC were the most important archaeological find since Tutankhamun’s tomb,” Dr. Schofield said. “The Sex Pistols’ graffiti in Denmark Street surely ranks alongside this and – to our minds – usurps it.”


 

George Michael in hospital with pneumonia

Thursday, 24 November 2011 14:56

After suffering from a chest infection for weeks, George Michael was forced to cancel a number of UK dates and check into the hospital with pneumonia. The 48-year-old cancelled a show in Vienna, where he was ordered by doctors to stay in hospital.

The singer canceled an additional three shows, one in Strasbourg, France and two in Cardiff that had been scheduled for the weekend.

Last month Michael caught a viral infection and a high fever, forcing him to pull out of shows at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Photos snapped by fans at a recent London gig revealed the singer to be out of shape and rather round of belly. 

Michael hopes to beat his current illness in time to perform at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on November 30.

“George has had to cancel some shows because he has pneumonia,” a spokesperson said. “It started with a chest infection and developed into pneumonia, therefore he had to cancel some shows. When you have pneumonia it takes a while to get better.”

Michael’s spokesperson declined to say when the singer was expected to get his health back, and discounted rumors that he was also suffering from heart troubles.

“That’s total nonsense,” she said.

In May Michaels told the press that this string of gigs would be “surprising because I’m being far more true to myself.” He added that he felt “reenergized” after “recent troubles.”

The Wham! singer had said that his 2008 tour would be his last, but announced these new dates soon after crashing his car whilst under the influence of cannabis and serving a subsequent jail sentence.

The Royal Albert Hall gig was rescheduled for May 2 at the same venue. The cancelled shows in Cardiff, Vienna and Strasbourg will also be rescheduled, with dates provided to ticketholders as they become available. 

 

JLS want to collaborate with Gary Barlow and Lady Gaga

Thursday, 24 November 2011 14:43

Aston, JB, Marin and Oritse wouldn't mind writing a charity single with the likes of Lady Gaga and Gary Barlow.

JLS spoke to the Daily Star ahead for their appearance at the Children in Need Rocks Manchester concert last week, where the foursome shared billing with both the Take That frontman and Mother Monster herself.
 
“When we’re performing alongside Lady Gaga and Coldplay you have to do something special,” Marvin told the news source. “What we need is to get Gaga, us and Gary Barlow in a room behind a piano to write a song together – that could be Children in Need’s single for 2012.” 
 
The boy band debuted at No. 2 on the UK album chart this week with their album Jukebox, missing out on the top spot when Michael Buble’s Christmas beat the boy band to the summit by a margin of less than one percent. 
 
Last week Marvin still had hopes that the album would debut at the top: “We lost out to Take That last year but whether it’s a number one single or album, it still means a lot to us when we get one.” 
 
The singer added that he was anticipating to a few upcoming albums from fellow artists: “I’m looking forward to hearing Rebecca Ferguson’s album and I’m planning to buy the Wanted’s album. I really like their new single ‘Warzone.’” 
 
The boys of JLS have tipped Misha B to win this year’s X Factor – and they’re not alone. Both Lady Gaga and Tinchy Stryder are also fans of the budding diva.
 
Tinchy told Popdash: “Her voice is powerful and there’s something about her, she has a cool attitude to her like she knows she can sing and she has a cool confidence. It’s something different and when I’m watching the X Factor there’s not that many people that make you go, ‘Wow,’ but she has that.”