The track from West’s latest project, ‘Carnival’ seems to feature a brief guitar riff from the Black Sabbath track: ‘Iron Man’. Although the original version of ‘Carnival’ was intended to use Black Sabbath’s iconic ‘Iron Man’ riff, the live show switched this sample to one from West’s own discography. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’s ‘Hell of a Life’ was used in place of ‘Iron Man’. However, ‘Hell of a Life’ is itself an interpolation of Black Sabbath’s ‘Iron Man’. Speaking on social media Osbourne said: “Kanye West asked permission to sample a section of a 1983 live performance of ‘Iron Man’ from the US festival without vocals and was refused because he is an antisemite”.

. @KANYEWEST ASKED PERMISSION TO SAMPLE A SECTION OF A 1983 LIVE PERFORMANCE OF “IRON MAN” FROM THE US FESTIVAL WITHOUT VOCALS & WAS REFUSED PERMISSION BECAUSE HE IS AN ANTISEMITE AND HAS CAUSED UNTOLD HEARTACHE TO MANY. HE WENT AHEAD AND USED THE SAMPLE ANYWAY AT HIS ALBUM…

— Ozzy Osbourne (@OzzyOsbourne) February 9, 2024

Kanye West, as of late, has continually entrenched himself in controversy surrounding his frequent antisemitic outbursts. Speaking last year with far-right conspiracy theorist, Alex Jones, West said: “I see good things about Hitler.” Elaborating further, West doubled down by saying: “Every human being has something of value that they brought to the table, especially Hitler”. Kanye West has spent the last year surrounding himself with far-right personalities like the aforementioned Jones, who has recently lost a court case after he popularised a conspiracy theory that suggested that a 2012 shooting that took place in Connecticut’s Sandy Hook Elementary school was a hoax.

Other associates of West include Nick Fuentes, a far-right ethno-nationalist who is recognised by the Anti-Defamation League as a holocaust denier. As reported by Politico, both West and Fuentes attended a dinner hosted by former Republican president Donald Trump in late 2022. West has been a vocal supporter of Donald Trump since 2016. Although not Jewish himself, Ozzy’s wife Sharron Osbourne has gone on record with The Jewish Chronicle to say: “My family, my father’s family, my aunt, my cousins, are all Jewish.” In this light, Ozzy Osbourne’s statement that Kanye West’s antisemitic behaviour “has caused untold heartache to many” appears to have affected him on a personal level.

Although Kanye West posted an apology in Hebrew to his twitter page in late 2023 that read: “I sincerely apologise to the Jewish community for any unintended outburst caused by my words or actions.”, West continues to portray himself as an antisemite. Last night’s listening party livestream was cut short after the rapper said: “I’m still crazy, bipolar, antisemite, and I’m still the king”.

Despite his stance against West, Osbourne is not without his own political controversies. In a 1982 interview with Night Flight, a now-defunct American variety show, Osbourne stated that he got his ideas for his live performances from “Adolf Hitler”. The singer went on to say that: “Hitler had a charisma in a bad way and I kind of admired him. He was a freak; he was a lunatic, but he had something about him”.

Whether or not Osbourne’s past comments should be taken seriously, it is clear that he is attempting to distance himself from the antisemitism espoused by Kanye West, signing his tweet off by saying: “I want no association with this man [Kanye West].”

Since 2016, Vegyn has been a prominent producer, working with alternative Hip-Hop artists like JPEG MAFIA, featuring production on his third studio album All My Heroes Are Cornballs. Vegyn’s talents have also touched the mainstream, collaborating with Travis Scott on the wildly successful 2018 album Astroworld.

Outside of his collaborations with big-name American hip-hop and R&B artists, Vegyn has released a steady stream of solo albums, EPs, and singles. Since the release of his latest album, The Head Hurts but the Heart Knows the Truth, in May of 2023, Vegyn has released three singles, the most recent of which was released today (January 16). ‘The Path Less Travelled’ is a laid-back bouncy track that features Vegyn’s signature digital glitchy soundscape layered on top of melodic piano chords, and snappy drum rhythms.

‘The Path Less Travelled’ is the third single released in the run up to his sixth full album THE ROAD TO HELL IS PAVED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS. Posting on Instagram, Vegyn announced THE ROAD TO HELL IS PAVED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS, along with the full thirteen-song track list.

Speaking with Gadfly Magazine about his creative process in June of 2023, Thornally said “I like electronic music because there aren’t as many tethers to conventional structures—it’s so much more fluid.” This approach to music production has led to the development of Vegyn’s unique, genre-defying, electronic compositions. Thornalley continues to prove himself as one of the most creative and distinctive producers in the UK electronic scene. With the release of ‘The Path Less Travelled’, ‘Halo Flip’, and ‘Makeshift Tourniquet’, Thornalley’s upcoming album is gearing up to be one of his best so far.

The advert, as well as two posters that featured Kendall Jenner for the same brand, received complaints that the imagery was “offensive and irresponsible, because they objectified women; and” was “inappropriate for display in an untargeted medium.”  Whilst the ASA concluded that the posters featuring Kendall Jenner were found to be within regulatory standards since she is covered to a degree that the ASA considers “no more than mildly sexual”, the ASA deemed the poster featuring FKA Twigs to be “overtly sexual and… not suitable for display in an untargeted medium.”

The key contention held by the ASA is that Barnett’s poster relies upon nudity to draw the viewer’s attention instead of the advertised clothing. In this regard, the ASA ruled that the poster “used nudity and centred on FKA Twig’s physical features rather than the clothing, to the extent that it presented her as a stereotypical sexual object”.

Despite a response from Calvin Klein that argued that the “Images were not vulgar and were of two confident and empowered women who had chosen to identify with the Calvin Klein brand”, the ASA ruled that the advertisement “must not appear again in the form complained of”.

In response to the ASA, FKA Twigs took to Instagram to say: “I do not see the ‘stereotypical sexual object’ that they have labelled me.” She added “in light of reviewing other campaigns past and current of this nature, I can’t help but feel there are some double standards here.” What makes this ruling especially contentious, to many online, is the use of male models in equally suggestive marketing, receiving no criticism.

Although the ASA may have a technical case for pulling the FKA Twigs poster, it is hard to ignore that the singer openly endorses the poster and feels that she was able to “express myself exactly how I wanted to”. FKA Twigs cited women of colour like “Josephine Baker, Eartha Kitt and Grace Jones” who pushed boundaries in art and performance as inspiration for her work. Within this context, FKA Twigs’ feature has been deemed by many online to be entirely uncontroversial, with American indie-rock artists Mattiel commenting: “I see discipline in this photo. Many many years of discipline and thoughtful caretaking of the self.” 

pic.twitter.com/bA6LVFCRMd

— XL RECORDINGS (@XLRECORDINGS) January 1, 2024

Burial’s most recent release, Infirmary/Unknown Summer was in collaboration with Steve Goodman, also known as Kode9. The 2023 EP takes a more ambient approach, featuring spoken word sections, laid-back beats, and pitch-shifted vocals. In comparison, the new work teased by XL Recordings is aggressive, noisy, and raw. The clips feature distinctly different sounds from the ones produced with Kode9. This tonal shift may explain the change in label, a step away from the relaxed 2023 EP. Although the South London producer is currently signed to Hyperdub Records, owned by Kode9, Burial has worked with XL in the past. 

In 2020, Burial teamed up with XL, Kieran Hebden, better known as Four Tet, and Thom Yorke on two tracks titled ‘Her Revolution’ and ‘His Rope’. Since XL Recordings hosts a wide range of electronic producers, it is not out of the question that we may be getting another collaboration from Burial and another XL signed artist. Some of the major producers currently signed to XL Recordings are Overmono, a Welsh duo made up of Ed and Tom Russell, and Peggy Gou, a South Korean DJ and producer whose real name is Kim Min-ji. A potential collaboration between Overmono and Burial may seem more likely than some would think, with the glitchy aesthetic of both teaser videos matching that of the Overmono brand. 

We can speculate all day but all we currently know is that Burial is working on something new with XL Recordings. 

The 26-year-old singer took to Instagram to announce the theft. The post gives contact information as well as a list of the stolen equipment.

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A post shared by orla (@orlagartland)

The theft occurred on 16th October 2021 whilst the singer’s tour van was parked at Wembley Travelodge car park over the weekend. The singer was in London for a gig at Electric Ballroom in Camden on Friday 15th October 2021. The perpetrators have stolen 13 items of equipment from the van including two Fender guitars and a custom-made kick drum that bears the singer-songwriter’s name.

The Dublin born singer-songwriter first gained popularity from her YouTube channel where she posted performances of cover songs. Gartland’s music has been identified within the genre of folk music, the singer has cited Joni Mitchell as her influence. Her first EP entitled Laughing at My Own Jokes was released in August 2011. However, Gartland’s first official EP is often regarded as Roots.

The artist’s EP, Roots, was released on 11th November 2013 to great critical acclaim. The release reached the top of the Irish album charts and reached number fifteen within the UK album charts. The four-track EP’s title track “Roots” became Apple iTunes Single of The Week within the UK and Ireland. The singer’s next EP, Lonely People, was released on 18th January 2015, the release incorporated funk styles into Gartland’s trademark folk-pop sound. The singer has released two more Eps, Why Am I like This? and Freckle Season before her debut album.

Gartland’s first studio album, Woman on the Internet, was released on 20th August 2021 and has sired three singles. The first single, “Pretending” was released on 16th October 2020. The album’s second single entitled “More Like You” was released on 13th January 2021, the track explores themes of jealously and identity. The third single taken from the debut album, “Zombie!” was released on 13th April 2021 and discussed toxic masculinity within society. Within the latest single, Gartland worked with producer Pete Robertson. Robertson is known for his work with singer-songwriter beabadoobee and indie rockers The Vaccines.

The artist has just finished eight UK performances, the singer embarked on tour earlier this month in support of her debut album. The singer-songwriter began the UK leg of her tour on 6th October in Bristol and finished with a performance in Brighton on 17th October. Gartland will be hitting the road again on 16th December with three performances in Ireland. In Spring next year Gartland will begin the European leg of her tour. Starting on 6th April, the singer will perform in twelve European cities.

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) claims it acquired US court documents which allegedly confirm the 8-page lawsuit filed by Integral Images on 6th July 2021. Within them, it states that Lipa allegedly shared a photo on a social media platform which depicted the singer at the airport wearing a big hat with her ticket and passport in hand in February of 2019, Lipa was surrounded by her fans in the photo. Lipa allegedly shared the photo to the social media site on 7th February 2019 with the caption “I’ll be living under big fluffy hats until further notice“, any potential social share of this image has since been deleted

A potential amount of money could be asked to cover the legal costs and attorney costs that could potentially occur. Integral Images’ legal team are also allegedly looking for a jury trial and an order to stop the singer from performing alleged other acts of infringement. The court documents claim the singer profited alleging as the singer’s Instagram is “monetised in that it contains content designed to accumulate followers who are directed to, via link and/or advertisement, consume and purchase [her] content“. The Grammy award singer has been contacted for a statement from the BBC, NME and other representatives of the press but the singer is yet to comment on the alleged claims.

Lipa is not the only star to stumble into claimed copyright infringement trouble, many artists have also been sued by photographers and their representatives. American superstar Jennifer Lopez was sued in sued in 2019 by Splashy news and its picture agency after the singer shared a picture to Instagram. The companies claiming the dispute later dropped the complaint, the photo in question was of herself with Alex Rodriguez, her boyfriend at the time.

In other news from Lipa’s camp, the singer has now turned her attention to acting. The ‘We’re Good’ number one singer will be staring in the new spy film ‘Argylle’. The singer will make her acting debut alongside Henry Cavill, Catherine O’Hara, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L Jackson, John Cena, Bryan Cranston and Bryce Dallas Howard. The new film which is being directed by Matthew Vaughn will also feature Lipa’s music, the singer will be penning the film’s soundtrack and score.

This intimate performance comes at a difficult time for all of us in the UK where the second wave of coronavirus is still wreaking havoc and costing us many lives every single day. The consequences of this are a full national lockdown and no live music in sight. While many artists are still planning tour dates for 2021, there is still much uncertainty as to whether any of this will actually go ahead.

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A post shared by Declan Mckenna (@thedeclanmckenna)

It is due to this uncertainty that Declan McKenna’s fans will likely be very appreciative for the direct-to-fan interaction which he provides through his social media presence. While a simple home recorded video is not a replacement for a full on live show, it will certainly be a comfort and a relief to many of us who are locked down that musical interactions are still going on in some way. For dedicated music fans, this is not merely a luxury item but something essential to our survival, we need to hear and share music like we need to eat food.

One of the most simple, yet effective ways to raise one’s spirits through music is through the reinterpretation of old and well-loved songs with a fresh voice. In an industry plagued by commercialisation and the effects of monopolising major record labels, it is easy to forget the simple human aspect of communication and solidarity which is produced by a musical experience. We don’t need music only to be delivered to use in neatly purchased packages of albums and singles, we need it regularly and more than anything else we need it to be live.

Declan McKenna’s second album ‘Zeros,’ was released in 2020, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and yet has managed to see him rise to a much greater level of fame and success than he achieved with his debut, with ‘Zeros,’ reaching number 2 on the UK official album charts. While this was an impressive feat for an Indie artist in 2020, with the days of The Smiths topping the charts long behind us, McKenna’s impressive feat paved the way for another British Indie artist, this time hailing from up north, to reach an even greater success last year.

Fellow Indie Rocker Yungblud managed to top the UK album charts in December with his second album ‘weird!’ which came out just months after McKenna’s ‘Zeros.’ Both of the young Indie singers are heavily influenced by the glam rock era which was defined by British stars like David Bowie and Marc Bolan, there is great promise in both of them.

Taking to Instagram, the artist conveyed the news to his followers, beginning by wishing them to be “safe and well in these mental times.” Fender then announced that “we’re pushing all shows back to next year,” but kept hopes up by confirming “by the time these shows come around, there will be loads of new music to play to you.” He also shared the official dates and assured fans that their tickets will still be valid.

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Hope everyone is safe and well in these mental times. What the fuck happened to 2020?! With the current state that the UK is in, we’re pushing all shows back until next year – it sucks eggs but it’s unavoidable. The silver lining is that by the time these shows come around, there will be loads of new music to play you. And you can only imagine the energy as it will be 13 months since our last show. I haven’t gone this long without playing a show since I was 16! We can’t wait to get back out there and start sharing music again. So keep hold of your tickets cos it’s gonna be insane. See you then. Much love, Sam x

A post shared by Sam Fender (@sam_fender) on Jun 8, 2020 at 2:01am PDT

The thirteen dates have all sold out since going on sale in September last year, following the release of Fender’s debut album. ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ reached number 1 on the UK Albums Chart and gained millions of streams. With nine of the thirteen tracks coming out as singles, Fender created a music video for each, as well as a short video to showcase the making of the album. The first few songs take on a socio-political theme, which mirror his experiences with toxic masculinity and white privilege, while the other tracks address his friendships, love life, and more personal endeavours.

Sam Fender has been sharing his music for years after being noticed performing in a pub in his hometown, and is now signed to Polydor Records. Winning the Critic’s Choice Award at the 2018 Brit Awards, his fast-growing fanbase have supported him throughout his career, even after he experienced vocal damage in 2019 due to overuse while on tour. Now rested and healed, the 26-year-old is excited to play live again.

Here are the full UK tour dates:

07/04/2021 – Barrrowland Ballroom – Glasgow
08/04 – Barrowland Ballroom – Glasgow
11/04 – O2 Academy – Birmingham
12/04 – O2 Academy – Bristol
14/04 – O2 Victoria Warehouse – Manchester
15/04 – O2 Victoria Warehouse – Manchester
18/04 – O2 Academy Brixton – London
24/04 – Motorpoint Arena – Cardiff
27/04 – Alexandra Palace – London
28/04 – Alexandra Palace – London
30/04 – First Direct Arena – Leeds
01/05 – Utilita Arena – Newcastle
08/06 – De Montfort Hall – Leicester

Lewis released the first instalment on 28th April with an acoustic guitar cover of ‘Friday I’m In Love’ by The Cure. Recorded by the singer himself, he can be seen setting up only one microphone and running only one take, creating a simple but effective video for his 46,000 followers. Fans were asked to send in song requests for future covers as there will be a new upload every week for the duration of the isolation period.

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I’m gonna post a Caravan Session once a week until the end of isolation when I’ll be leaving the caravan behind. Today’s session is ‘Friday I’m In Love’ by The Cure. Let me know if you have any song requests for the next couple of weeks.

A post shared by Rhys Lewis (@rhyslewismusic) on Apr 28, 2020 at 9:55am PDT

These sessions come just a week after Lewis’ debut album was due for release. Unfortunately, given the circumstances concerning Covid-19, the artist is unable to finish the album in time and has therefore pushed the date back to 10th July 2020. The album is titled ‘Things I Chose To Remember’ and, in an announcement, Lewis stated “After 3 and a half years of releasing music I’m finally putting out my debut album. This collection of songs means a lot to me, I’m nervous and excited in equal measure about sharing it with you all.”

Upon the release, five intimate shows had been planned to take place around the UK, with London’s gig selling out completely. These are in the process of being rescheduled for later this year, so stay updated on his official website. Furthermore, Rhys Lewis was announced as the support act for some of Lewis Capaldi’s US tour this summer. There has currently been no update on these shows, however it is likely that they will not go ahead due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Despite not being able to release his album just yet, Rhys Lewis has put out a new EP ‘Live At RAK Studios’, in which he performs live versions of previously released singles. The tracks included were ‘What Wild Things Were’, ‘When Was The Last Time?’, and ‘What If’, all of which will be on the upcoming album.

Another of the singer’s current projects is supporting small record stores which will lose business during this time. He posted on social media to discuss the ‘Love Record Stores’ campaign and remind fans to continue to buy from and support them.

Rhys Lewis began playing the guitar at age 13, developing his blues style from a young age. He signed to Decca Records in 2016 and released his first single ‘Waking Up Without You’, followed by many more singles which gained millions of streams. In 2018, Lewis released his debut EP ‘Bad Timing’, and is now in the process of completing his debut studio album.

The idea behind ‘The Bed Covers’ is to, as the artist wrote in a social media post, “cover a song that is calm and soothing and makes me feel slightly more peaceful in what we can all agree is not the most calm and peaceful time”. Kicking the series off with Coldplay’s ‘Fix You’, Peters creates a relaxing atmosphere, usually filming at sunset in her bedroom with only a piano or guitar, and her voice. She also writes a lovely message to fans on each video explaining why she chose a particular song.

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Ok so I’ve decided to start a thing called the bed covers where every night I’m gonna cover a song that is calm and soothing and makes me feel slightly more peaceful in what we can all agree is not the most calm and peaceful time. Play it before u go to sleep or in the bath or in a difficult moment. I’m hoping it will help us both stop existential crisising for at least 59 seconds. Gonna start it off with one of the all time greatests, but pls leave any requests or ideas in the comments #thebedcovers

A post shared by Maisie Peters (@maisiehpeters) on Apr 6, 2020 at 1:31pm PDT

Requests are welcomed for the series, with fans most recently asking for ‘The Night We Met’ by Lord Huron. Peters gladly obliged, saying that she had forgotten how much she loved the song. “I forgot how much I adore this song. I had all and then most of u some and now none of u. Like what. Who writes that. Ugh. Keep requests coming,” she expressed.

The first cover came out only two weeks after the release of Peters’ new single ‘Daydreams‘, a song she worked on with Ian Fitchuk and Daniel Tashian about unrequited love. The song received an amazing reception from fans, and Peters managed to make a lyric video from her home while self-isolating. The singer also was able to connect with fans through Instagram Live, running a livestream concert on the day ‘Daydreams’ was released.

 

 

 

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Daydreams acoustic from the live last week which was so much fun even if I did leak loads of music and be a general embarrassment for 40 minutes hehe also my sister has just got home and wants us to do a live stream would u guys be up for that amount of chaos and if so what should we do pls leave your thoughts below

 

A post shared by Maisie Peters (@maisiehpeters) on Mar 30, 2020 at 12:25pm PDT

This year, Maisie Peters was arranged as one of the supporting acts on Niall Horan’s ‘Nice To Meet Ya Tour’. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the tour was unfortunately cancelled and Horan said he would be releasing new music and running an entirely new tour in 2021. It is not confirmed yet if Peters will remain a guest.

Posting original music on YouTube in 2015, Peters gained popularity over the next few years, releasing two singles independently before signing with Atlantic Records. Her YouTube channel has now reached 77,000 subscribers from her self-described “emo girl pop”. With her record company, the artist has also put out two more singles including ‘Worst Of You’ which has over 62 million streams on Spotify, as well as two EPs. On YouTube, her most viewed video is ‘Stay Young’, a single release in 2019.