The singer-songwriter was spotted serving coffee at a branch of the US restaurant chain in Birmingham last month.
She was also recently photographed with a fan at a local nail salon in the area. Additionally, Del Rey was later spotted in Florence which is approximately two hours away from Birmingham.
The singer-songwiter recently headlined the final day of BST Hyde Park in London. In a five-star review of the show, NME said: “This is an exquisite performance that, like some other shows that have been held in Hyde Park over the years, should go down in history.
“At last, Lana Del Rey gets to have her moment, in full – and she does nothing but excel.”
The concert saw the star address being cut off at Glastonbury 2023 last month due to the festival’s strict curfew. “It’s worth it even if you get the power cut,” she told the crowd. “It’s worth it.”
In other news, Del Rey has revealed that she “seriously” considered quitting working in music after feeling like a failure.
Ne-Yo has apologised for recent comments he made regarding parenting and gender identity – saying he plans to take a more “empathetic” approach going forward.
The singer-songwriter stirred controversy over the weekend during an interview with Gloria Velez for VladTV. In the discussion, he questioned parents who support their children identifying as a different gender than that which they were assigned at birth.
“I just personally come from an era where a man was a man and a woman was a woman. And there was two genders, and that’s just how I rocked,” he said in the clip. “You could identify as a goldfish if you feel like – I don’t care. That ain’t my business. It becomes my business when you try to make me play the game with you. I’m not gonna call you a goldfish. But if you wanna be a goldfish, you go be a goldfish. We live in a weird time, man. We do.”
He went on: “I feel like parents have almost forgotten what the role of a parent is. If your little boy comes to you and says, ‘Daddy, I want to be a girl.’ And you just let him rock with that? He’s 5 … If you let this 5-year-old boy decide to eat candy all day, he’s gonna do that. When did it become a good idea to let a 5-year-old, let a 6-year-old, let a 12-year-old make a life-changing decision for themself?”
“When did that happen? I don’t understand,” continued the father of seven. “He can’t drive a car yet, but he can decide his sex?”
Now, Ne-Yo – whose real name is Shaffer Chimere Smith – has issued an apology for his comments, and stated that he wants to “better educate” himself on the topic.
“After much reflection, I’d like to express my deepest apologies to anyone that I may have hurt with my comments on parenting and gender identity,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter) last night (August 6). “I’ve always been an advocate for love and inclusivity in the LGBTQI+ community, so I understand how my comments could’ve been interpreted as insensitive and offensive.
“Gender identity is nuanced and I can honestly admit that I plan to better educate myself on the topic, so I can approach future conversations with more empathy,” he continued. “At the end of the day, I lead with love and support everyone’s freedom of expression and pursuit of happiness.”
As reported by Billboard, the night prior he also made more comments, clarifying his stance on the topic, saying that while he doesn’t “condemn” anyone for their decisions, he should be allowed to express his honest opinion when asked.
“Who am I to condemn anybody? Your life, your kids, your choice. I was asked a question and I answered it. My opinion is mine. I’m not asking anybody to agree with me nor am I telling you what you can and cannot do with your children,” he said.
“Agreeing to disagree is not a declaration of war,” he also added. “Y’all do whatever the hell y’all want to. But my feelings on the matter are mine. Same way yours are yours. Meanwhile, I love everybody. Don’t agree with some of y’all’s ideals….but love you no less.”
In other Ne-Yo news, last month the musician revealed that he’s a huge fan of the game Street Fighter. It was also reported that he takes his PlayStation 5 with him on tour in a “new personal tradition” in order to handle the stresses that his work throws at him.
Tom DeLonge has said he will not go to Malaysia after sharing a kiss with The 1975‘s Matty Healy while at Lollapalooza in Chicago.
DeLonge, who watched The 1975 perform at Lollapalooza over the weekend, took to Instagram to share a screengrab of he and Matty Healy embracing mid-set. “I guess myself ‘AND’ The 1975 won’t be going to Malaysia – just a couple of dudes kissing during their phenomenal set at Lollapalooza.
See the post below. In a separate post, DeLonge shared a video of the embrace, during which Healy kissed DeLonge on the cheek. DeLonge wrote: “The 1975 blew me away at Lollapalooza… Great fucking band. [Matty Healy] even gave me a quick kiss as a first time hello.”
It is currently unclear if Tom DeLonge’s comments effectively rule out potential Blink-182 concerts in Malaysia in the future.
DeLonge’s comments come after Matty Healy and The 1975 were banned from Malaysia after criticising the country’s government for anti-LGBTQ laws during their headlining set at Kuala Lumpur’s Good Vibes Festival.
During the set, which took place on July 21 – day one of the three-day festival – Healy, who was drinking onstage, smashed a festival-operated drone and kissed bassist Ross MacDonald. The set was cut short and the next day, the remainder of the three-day festival was ordered cancelled by the authorities and the band was banned from performing in the country.
Following The 1975’s actions at Good Vibes, the Malaysian LGBTQ+ community have condemned Healy, suggesting Healy’s actions would make life for the LGBTQ+ community in the country worse.
The following week, Muse became the first international act to perform in Kuala Lumpur since the Good Vibes ordeal. In the lead up to the concert, Adam Ashraf, a founder of concert promoter Hello Universe revealed that the band had removed a song from their setlist to better suit the country’s performance guidelines. It was later revealed by Muse drummer Dominic Howard that the group decided to play ‘Resistance’ instead of ‘We Are Fucking Fucked’.
The band are potentially facing a class action lawsuit which is being readied by Malaysian law firm Thomas Philip. The suit will name all four members of The 1975 and seek compensation over losses suffered as a result of the incident, which the firm’s founder and managing partner Matthew Thomas Philip labelled a “deliberate reckless act done knowing well [sic] of the consequences”.
Elsewhere during their Lollapalooza set, The 1975 poked fun at the Malaysia controversy before performing ‘It’s Not Living If It’s Not With You’. Typically, the band have a gag where Healy begins to say something controversial and then the band cut him off with the beginning riff of the song. While performing the song during their set at this year’s Lollapalooza, Healy said: “You want my travel tip? Don’t go to…” before getting cut off by the start of the track.
Lil Wayne has shared his thoughts on influencing rappers to get face tattoos.
READ MORE: Five things we learned from our In Conversation video chat with DMC of Run-DMC
Speaking to Billboard to celebrate 50 years of hip-hop, Lil Wayne was asked what it’s like for him to see today’s rappers being directly influenced by his music and style. In short, the ‘A Milli’ rapper thinks “it feels amazing”.
Lil Wayne said: “Sometimes people ask me how I feel about everybody looking like me, everybody getting tattoos, etc. That’s like seeing your kid come out of the room and looking just like you; it feels amazing. So the visible influence is kind of obvious because I know for a fact I didn’t get this look from anyone. There was no one that inspired this look. I just ran into looking like this.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Lil Wayne – who was placed seventh in Billboard‘s ranking of the best hip-hop artists of all time – shared his own top five list, which features Missy Elliot, Jay-Z, UGK, Goodie Mob and Biggie in no particular order.
Lil Wayne most recently released his greatest hits compilation, titled ‘I Am Music’ in March. The record includes his biggest hits, such as ‘A Milli’, ‘How To Love’, ‘Mr Carter’ featuring Jay-Z, ‘Mrs. Officer’ and more.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, Run DMC, Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, Ice Cube, Eve, Lil Kim, Remy Ma, Fat Joe, Common, Ghostface Killah and more will be putting a special performance in New York on August 11. Tickets can be purchased here.
Holly Humberstone has explained why rushing her creative process on her upcoming debut album did not work for her.
While speaking to NME backstage at Lollapalooza 2023 ahead of her set, Humberstone opened up about her upcoming album ‘Paint My Bedroom Black’ and her creative process behind it.
“I did try to rush and write stuff but it just didn’t really work,” explained the singer. “My music has always been really personal to me and going into the studio and writing about stuff that has been going on is always really crucial to my mental health so I discovered that it is part of the process to take your time with things. I couldn’t have done it any faster if I tried.”
She continued: “I wanted it to be my favourite thing that I’d done to date. I feel like with so many of my favourite artists, their debut album has always been the most iconic piece of work so I wanted it to represent me to a ’T’ and I wanted it to just feel like it’s really come from my heart, it sounds really cringe but I did. It’s just something I feel like you can’t really rush.”
Holly Humberstone. Credit: Press
Humberstone also shared that she explored new places within songwriting that she has never explored before while writing the bulk of the LP on tour.
“I feel like I felt things last year that I’d never really experienced before because it’s all still really new to me. I discovered that I had two different sides to myself so the album is split in half and one half is sort of extroverted part of me that I knew was already there and the other half is this darker, kind of wanting to shut the world outside of me I guess and I went into that,” she said.
She added: “It’s titled ‘Paint My Room Black’ because I felt like that summed it all up. It is more personal than anything I have ever written before and I am really proud of it. I am a bit scared to release it just because I care about it so much so I guess that’s a good thing.”
Elsewhere, Humberstone shared what it was like working with D4vd on her track ‘Superbloodmoon’.
Holly Humberstone ‘Paint My Room Black’ album artwork. Credit: Constantine/Spence
“Working with D4vd was so cool. I’ve been a fan of him forever, since he started releasing music. He was in the UK on tour and I asked him if he wanted to come into the studio and we wrote ‘Superbloodmoon’.”
Humberstone’s debut album, ‘Paint My Room Black’, is set for release on October 19 via Polydor/Darkroom/Geffen. Visit here to pre-order the LP.
Check back at NME all weekend for more reviews, news, interviews, photos and more from Lollapalooza 2023.
Reinier Zonneveld went the distance over the weekend in the Netherlands, where he made history after setting a new Guinness World Record for the longest electronic music live set.
DJing at the inaugural Karren Maar Festival at the Stadsblokken in Arnhem on August 5th, the techno superstar played for an astonishing 11 hours and 11 minutes to break the record. A representative from the Guinness World Records was on hand to certify the feat.
Zonneveld’s team tells us he began at 12:49 pm and ended precisely at midnight, capping off a marathon DJ set that places him squarely in the electronic music history books.
Reinier Zonneveld holding his certificate after breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest electronic music live set.
c/o Press
“Karren Maar festival was an extraordinary journey of sound and connection. Playing for 11 hours and 11 minutes allowed me to deep dive into the essence of my music, exploring uncharted territories of emotion and energy,” Zonneveld said. “It was a humbling experience to witness the support and energy from the crowd, creating a one-of-a-kind atmosphere. I am grateful for the opportunity to have shared this unforgettable experience with everyone present, as we pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in the world of electronic music.”
Zonneveld’s venerated Filth on Acid label hosted its own stage at Karren Maar, showcasing sets from GORDO, Space 92 and more. He’s now gearing up for a brand-new album, which is expected to release in September 2023. Check out the record’s lead single, a pulsing techno track called “Music Is The Answer,” here.
Jorja Smith has shared a brand new single which sees her branching into an indie sound – listen to ‘Go Go Go’ below.
READ MORE: Jorja Smith – ‘Be Right Back’ review: make yourself at home in this sonic ‘waiting room’
The track is the latest preview of the singer’s second album ‘Falling Or Flying’. Set for release September 29, ‘Falling Or Flying’ is the follow-up to Smith’s debut album ‘Lost And Found’ and 2021’s “sonic waiting room” EP ‘Be Right Back’.
Of ‘Go Go Go’, Smith said: “It’s kind of an f you song. Why do people have to kiss and tell, kind of vibe.
“I’m in my little alternative bag, but I’ve always kind of been in it. People might be like ‘I didn’t expect this’, but I’m like: ‘well, I would!’”
Watch the video for the new track below.
According to a press release, the new album “thrillingly broaches any gap between Jazz, Soul, R&B and Funky House”.
Smith said the songs on the record “touch on breakups, relationships with my friends, relationships with old friends, relationships with myself. It’s definitely about a lot of relationships, but every song I write I can sing it to myself,” she added. “This is the first time I’m putting stuff out there that I can connect with right now.”
‘Falling Or Flying’ will feature recently released singles ‘Try Me’ and ‘Little Things’. Speaking about the latter, Smith said: “The song is pretty self explanatory, I had a lil concoction – rum, ting and a magnum. When we started creating this song I was just imagining hearing this walking into a party and seeing someone I’d had my eye on. It’s fun!”
In a three-star review of 2021’s ‘Be Right Back’, NME wrote: “As Jorja Smith takes her time to release a second album that lives up to the hype, the steadily sombre ‘Be Right Back’ is a perfect prelude to her next chapter.
“Experimenting with different vocal registers and taking advantage of how harmoniously her voice goes with live instruments, she’s shared a collection that should leave you itching for her next step. If these are loosies, it’s proof of how top-notch her craft is.”
The Linda Lindas have shared the best advice that Paramore‘s frontwoman Hayley Williams gave them as they were starting up as a band at Lollapalooza 2023.
The rock band – comprised of guitarists Bela Salazar and Lucia de la Garza, bassist Eloise Wong, and drummer Mila de la Garza – just wrapped up touring with Paramore as one of their support acts. They have previously opened for the likes of The Breeders, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Blondie and more.
Speaking to NME before their set at this year’s edition of Chicago’s famous festival, they shared the best advice that Williams gave them while things were picking up for them.
“When things kinda just started happening for us, Hayley told us no is just as powerful as yes and that you need to know that it is okay to say no to things. You don’t have to say yes to everything,” said Salazar.
She continued: “A lot of things come your way and I think you need to be true to yourself and if you don’t want to do something then you shouldn’t do it.”
Drummer Mila de la Garza added that this was important to know especially since smaller bands may sometimes take on more than they could handle.
“Especially as a smaller band that’s newer, it’s really easy to get caught up in everything that is happening and be like ‘Oh yeah we want to do that and we want to do that too’ but I think it’s good just to be able to know that you can take a break sometimes and not do everything all at once,” she said.
The Linda Lindas recently released their latest single “Resolution/Revolution”. Guitarist Lucia de la Garza told NME that the song is about “how doing small things to make a difference is better than not doing anything at all. A lot of the times, you feel like you’re one person and you can’t do anything but that’s also an excuse in a way to not do anything. It’s just about trying to do your best.”
They are currently working on a new album and will be serving as support for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs at a their upcoming shows in Mexico this October.
Check back at NME all weekend for more reviews, news, interviews, photos and more from Lollapalooza 2023.
Maggie Rogers has finally met the fan who posted the viral video with Pharrell Williams that launched her music career.
In 2016, a clip went viral of Pharrell marvelling at Rogers’ song ‘Alaska’ during a songwriting masterclass at New York University.
“I have zero, zero, zero notes for that,” he said in the video, being visibly moved by the song. “I’ve never heard anyone like you before, and I’ve never heard anything that sounds like that.”
The video was uploaded by a fan named Dimitri to Reddit, with Rogers then going on to sign to a major label, release two albums and headline gigs across the world.
“So obviously my career started seven years ago with that video of me and Pharrell Williams at NYU blah blah blah,” she told fans in a video message posted to Instagram. “But a couple of years ago I got put in touch with this guy named Dimitri, who, seven years ago, was the original person that uploaded that video to Reddit.
“I had no idea who he was or what he was like and we kept emailing over the years, and I actually got to meet him for the first time at my show in Toronto the other night.”
“It was really emotional to catch up,” she added. “It was really crazy that there was this person who fundamentally made my life pivot.”
Elsewhere, Rogers has confirmed that she has finished writing and recording her third album. As revealed in a new Instagram post, the follow-up to last year’s ‘Surrender’ LP was laid down at Electric Lady Studios in New York.
Rogers is currently out on her biggest US tour to date, that will see her playing alongside Soccer Mommy and Alvvays.
See the remaining dates below.
AUGUST 2023 9 – Morrison, CO, Red Rocks Amphitheatre# 10 – Orem, UT, UCCU Center# 13 – Los Angeles, CA, Hollywood Bowl# 16 – Seattle, WA, WaMu Theater# 17 – Troutdale, OR, McMenamins Edgefield# 29 – Washington, D.C., The Atlantis
There’s a new era of Swedish House Mafia on the horizon.
The trio’s long-awaited debut album, Paradise Again, has been the lynchpin of their sets over the last year. Though amid a comprehensive world tour of the record, they haven’t hesitated to stay creative, bringing fans “See The Light” a few weeks ago.
Now comes another new single, “Ray of Solar,” which Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso have confirmed is the start of a sophomore album cycle from the iconic dance music outfit. The reveal came amid their collaborative performance in Tomorrowland’s second 2023 weekend, during which Angello said the album will arrive “later this summer.”
While fans await further details of that effort, “Ray of Solar” is giving them a lot to be excited about in the meantime. The tremolo house single is characterized by a breathtaking, operatic vocal that cascades into a high-energy dance cadence driven by uplifting piano chords. The cathartic nature of the single and its tone mark a perfect stylistic bridge between the Swedish House Mafia of old and new.
The track first captivated attention during their Kappa Futur Festival performance earlier this summer, and luckily it’s been a quick turnaround to its release. Listen to the full track below.
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