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Ronson’s DNA can be found across much of the most popular music of the last 20 years, be it his song-writing, his multi-instrumentalist performances, or his production that has earned him a hoard of prizes from the industry. He’s won 10 Grammy awards, including Best Album with Amy Winehouse’s 2006 classic ‘Back To Black’, as well as Record of the Year for both Winehouse’s 2006 ‘Rehab’ and for his own 2014 release ‘Uptown Funk’ featuring Bruno Mars. His work on film soundtracks have also received accolades from the movie business – ‘Shallow’ from A Star Is Born won Best Original Song categories at the Academy Awards and Golden Globes in 2018, and his score for Greta Gerwig’s 2023 Barbie flick received several considerations.

Prior to this weekend, he’d won twice at the BRIT Awards, first as Male Solo Artist of the Year in 2008, and again for British Single of the Year with ‘Uptown Funk’ in 2015. For this year’s blockbuster gala at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena, Ronson was presented his Outstanding Contribution to Music Award by grime star Skepta, following a short clip from other musical greats singing his praises. The list of artists included Tame Impala mastermind Kevin Parker, Raye, Christina Aguilera and Dave Grohl.

In his acceptance speech, he placed particular emphasis on how his work with the late Amy Winehouse, who tragically died in 2011, was instrumental in shaping his career, having had his first major hit as lead artist with their cover of The Zutons’ ‘Valerie’ in 2007. ‘Back To Black’ and its sombre title track written by the pair celebrate their 20th anniversary this year, and Ronson recounts the first time she came to his New York studio on the 6th of March 2006. “We went upstairs and we talked for four hours, and that night we wrote ‘Back To Black’ and that day changed my life forever”. Speaking on the endless list of famous artists he’s gone on to work with since, he says “I know the music I made with Amy is the reason that any of them know who I am anyway.”

Following the presentation, he took to the stage again shortly afterwards for a performance of his biggest tracks backed by a live band. Ronson opened the set at the DJ decks, mixing while Ghostface Killah rapped their 2003 hit ‘Ooh Wee’, before leading into a spoken-word interlude of Winehouse talking about her work with him. From there he moves into ‘Back To Black’ playing a piano with a TV atop showing Winehouse’s music videos, and a rousing rendition of ‘Valerie’. With the brass band members fully warmed up, Ronson moved over to electric guitar as they broke into ‘Uptown Funk’, finishing as Dua Lipa descended to the stage on a gigantic disco ball. She went through ‘Dance The Night’ which earned the pair a Golden Globe nomination via the Barbie soundtrack, and their 2020 hit ‘Electricity’.

The 46th annual BRIT Awards was a spectacular occasion start to finish, packed with glitz, glamour, and a bucketful of drama. The full event is available on-demand from ITVX, as well as highlights of the evening uploaded to the BRITs official Youtube channel.

Shot by director Paul Gore, the fresh-faced 20-year-old Winehouse can be seen wandering the halls of a swanky, dimly lit hotel carrying a guitar case, which leads her to eventually join a band of musicians in a grand ballroom. The singer-songwriter is followed in a voyeuristic fashion throughout the hotel, with the lens peering at her through bannisters and capturing her laughing, posing and causing mischief in one of the bedrooms.

However, her famous beehive hairdo is nowhere to be seen as the clips predate her ‘Back to Black’ era. Instead, it captures her in the early days of her 2003 debut album ‘Frank’ for which she received an Ivor Novello award for achievements in songwriting. The album was re-released as a deluxe edition in 2008, and was reissued on vinyl in 2015 following the release of the documentary film about her life the same year, simply titled ‘Amy’.

A new biopic about Winehouse is also set to hit cinemas this April. Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, the film ‘Back to Black’ will focus on her rambunctious relationship with ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil, and how it inspired her to write such a groundbreaking album. The first trailer hit the internet earlier this month to a heavy amount of criticism, with many fans left concerned that the portrayal on screen will not honour her in the way that she deserves.

There is a sense that Winehouse is being presented as a larger-than-life caricature, rather than the vulnerable, complex human being that she was. Others believe that her story should be laid to rest, and that any hardship and pain she suffered should no longer be profited from. Despite the controversy surrounding its release, the Winehouse camp are openly supporting it in its promotion, sharing the trailer across multiple social media channels.

More than a decade on since Winehouse’s tragic death, her presence and significance within music and pop culture is still as prevalent as ever. Last year marked the singer’s 40th birthday, with legendary producer and close friend of Amy, Mark Ronson, paying tribute to her in an Instagram post which featured clips of them working alongside each other in the studio. Her North London stomping ground, Camden, was also the centre of a series of one-off shows celebrating her life, including her original band performing a tribute gig at iconic music venue KOKO last month.

After wiping her entire Instagram profile of around 1500 posts, Lipa shared a teaser video with the caption “I’m not here for long”. The snippet showcases the singer’s new auburn look in a series of close-up shots set to an italo-disco-inspired groove, culminating with the lyrics “catch me or I go”. The video has since been deleted.

Fans will have noticed that keys played a significant role in the teaser: Lipa opens her mouth to reveal a key lying on her tongue, while the sound of metallic rustling and unlocking prematurely cuts off the music, leaving bewildered listeners with an enigmatic impression.

Indeed, the pop star’s online behaviour has been particularly cryptic as of late. As well as wiping her Instagram feed, Lipa changed her various social media profile pictures to an image of her eyes reflected in a kaleidoscopic diamond shape. 

Not only that, but upon closer inspection, it seems all of her YouTube thumbnails, as well as album artworks on streaming platforms such as Spotify, have been swapped with kaleidoscopic versions of the original depictions.

Every sign points towards a much-anticipated third studio album – and a new Dua Lipa “era”. In August, the singer revealed that her new record will be coming out in 2024, but will mark a departure from the house-inspired sound of Future Nostalgia. 

Listen to “Don’t Start Now” off Future Nostalgia:

According to Lipa, the new collection of songs is heavily informed by “1970s-era psychedelia”, which the new imagery she has been teasing seems to support. In an interview with Variety, the pop star explained:

“The album is different – it’s still pop but it’s different sonically, and there’s more of a lyrical theme. If I told you the title, everything would make sense – but I think we’ll just have to wait.”

Lipa is said to be working with a smaller group of collaborators, including modern psychedelia wizard Kevin Parker of Tame Impala – a songwriting partnership the former “all but confirmed” during an interview with The New York Times Style Magazine in August.

Meanwhile, producer Mark Ronson, who worked with Lipa on Barbie smash-hit “Dance The Night”, revealed that he has heard some of the new album, describing it as “incredible”.

Listen to “Dance The Night” below:

“Happy Birthday Amy,” he posted on Instagram, alongside studio footage of himself listening to the recording session for stone-cold classic “You Know I’m No Good”.

“Today my dad turns 75. Nas turns 50 and Amy would’ve been 40,” Ronson added. “Thinking how me and my dad would’ve partied at Nas & Amy’s amazing joint bday. We miss the Lioness so much but let’s celebrate all the legends with some of her genius.”

Check out the post below:

It has been twelve years since Winehouse passed away at age 27, joining ill-fated music icons such as Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison in the infamous 27 Club. The Grammy Award winner had openly struggled with addiction, often turning to self-destructive drugs before succumbing to alcohol poisoning in 2011.  

Many of the singer’s most popular songs, including “Back To Black”, “Love Is A Losing Game” and “You Know I’m No Good” were co-written or produced with the then up-and-coming Ronson, with whom she forged a close friendship. 

Listen to “Back To Black” below:

When they first met in 2005, introduced to each other by Island Records music executive Darcus Beese, Winehouse was reportedly surprised at how young Ronson was, having expected an older, more seasoned producer. The budding hit-maker had put out one album by that point, a record full of the kind of superficial pop music that Winehouse despised. However, the unlikely pair instantly clicked, and soon began working on the singer’s sophomore album.

In 2021, looking back on his relationship with Winehouse, Ronson told The Guardian: “That connection happened like that […] It was an instant familiarity. I just loved being in her company, her presence. She was just so funny.”

Elsewhere, Winehouse’s band have announced a special show to mark the late singer’s 40th birthday. The one-off gig, which is set to take place at the KOKO venue in the musician’s hometown Camden on December 22, will be headlined by the very same musicians who performed alongside Winehouse from the start of her career until her untimely death.

Get tickets here.

Listen to “Speed Drive” here:

The Barbie movie has been taking the internet by storm ahead of its release, promising to be all things camp and iconic with its star-studded cast and effective promotional campaigns. Starring Margot Robbie in the titular role, accompanied by Ryan Gosling as everyone’s favourite airhead Ken, the movie has already spawned a major fanbase and multiple memes before it has even hit cinemas.

Accompanying the movie will be Barbie The Album, produced by Mark Ronson and featuring some of the biggest names in music, including Dua Lipa, HAIM, Nicki Minaj, Lizzo, Ice Spice and Khalid.

Dua Lipa recently released her track “Dance the Night” from the soundtrack, followed by Nicki Minaj and Ice’s Spice’s collaboration, “Barbie World.”

Sharing a snippet of “Speed Drive” on Twitter, Charli XCX wrote “this barbie likes to vroom,” referencing the Barbie promotional posters as well as her own beloved track, “Vroom Vroom.”

this #barbie likes to vroom speed drive out now https://t.co/3km77uq5nK pic.twitter.com/YkqU2mILkW

— Charli (@charli_xcx) June 29, 2023

Charli XCX also took the opportunity to share an exclusive clip of “Speed Drive” in the movie, in which we see Barbie running through the real world accompanied by the track.  

umm ok cute speed drive drops in 30 minutesssss pic.twitter.com/bMkrcDfv5j — Charli (@charli_xcx) June 29, 2023

“Speed Drive” samples Toni Basil’s classic 1981 track “Mickey,” with Charli XCX telling Rolling Stone that she flipped the track to “feel quite bratty” and to be “about just being hot.”

Charli XCX also revealed to Rolling Stone that she was one of the first artists that Mark Ronson approached when beginning work on the soundtrack and discussed her personal relationship to the Barbie franchise. She said that she’s “always loved the escapism my Barbies provided with me and it’s kind of a full circle moment to be a part of this soundtrack and movie.”

Speaking about the track itself, Charli XCX shared, “I’ve always really liked singing about cars. For me, there is this intrinsic link between driving and music and feeling like you’re a star when you’re in a car.” The star opted to have her track accompany a chase scene in the movie for this very reason.

Ahead of the official release of Barbie The Album, Mark Ronson has curated a Barbie inspired Spotify playlist, which can be found here:

Listen to music from and inspired by Barbie, curated by @MarkRonson Follow the official @barbiethemovie playlist on @Spotify https://t.co/vO3kOx2Wmq pic.twitter.com/xqhhZJDWxT

— Barbie The Album (@barbiethealbum) June 26, 2023

The album will also be available to purchase on vinyl, with Barbie and Ken themselves showing you the pink and blue formats that are available for pre-order now:  

Calling all Barbie’s & Ken’s Pre-order Barbie The Album on Vinyl in Exclusive Hot Pink, Sky Blue and more https://t.co/v7ZU1n4dG5 pic.twitter.com/Vox6snmVXX

— Barbie The Album (@barbiethealbum) June 16, 2023

In the meta new video, Dua stars as herself making a music video. Dressed in pieces from her new clothing line, La Vacanza, in collaboration with Verscace, the star weaves between giant falling disco balls, pink polished cars, and shimmery clothing rails whilst singing “I’ll still keep the party runnin’, not one hair out of place”. Watch Dua dance the night away below:

Chatting to Dazed this month, Dua Lipa revealed, “Greta said that the whole film was inspired by disco. There’s a lot of very glittery and pop moments in it.”

One of the most anticipated films of the summer for lovers of kitsch, Barbie is set to arrive in cinemas worldwide on 21^st July. With the elite team of Margot Robbie in the titular role, Ryan Gosling playing the beloved himbo Ken, and Ladybird director Greta Gerwig taking the reins, Barbie’s live-action debut seems to be in good hands. Watch the third trailer, released on Thursday the 25^th May, below:

The supporting cast is also jam-packed with A-listers including Helen Mirren, Will Ferrell, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, Michael Cera, Ncuti Gatwa, and Emma Macke.

Dua Lipa will make a cameo in the film playing a mermaid Barbie. It was announced last month that the singer would be in the film when a poster of her in character in costume was released.

More details surrounding the rest of the soundtrack were also revealed this Thursday alongside the newest trailer. Ava Max, Charli XCX, GAYLE, HAIM, Ice Spice, KAROL G, Pink Patheress, Lizzo, Nicki Minaj, and Tame Impala are just some of the artists joining Dua Lipa on the cheery pop soundtrack. Mark Ronson is the executive producer of the soundtrack which will be released on the same day as the film.

In other news, Dua Lipa will be hosting a live recording of her podcast, At Your Service, at the famous Hay Festival in Hay-on-Wye, Powys, Wales on the 3^rd June. Unfortunately for fans, Dua’s event at the literary festival is now sold out.

Dua Lipa is currently working on her third album which she’s previously told The Wall Street Journal, “I’ve done a big chunk of writing: It’s starting to take shape; I’ve got a lot of it recorded”.

See below for details of Dua’s appearance:

03/06/23 – Hay Festival – Hay-on-Wye

SO FREAKING EXCITED I CAN FINALLY ANNOUNCE THIS LABOUR OF LOVE WE’VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR A LOOOOOONG TIME NOW…. FOR MUSOS, NERDS, AND JUST PLAIN FANS OF THE MUSIC…we’re going to break it all down ALONG WITH YOUR FAVES….CAN’T WAIT TO SHARE/ HAPPY DAYhttps://t.co/udBzIPebhh

— Mark Ronson (@MarkRonson) April 13, 2021

The six-part series “will examine sound creation and the revolutionary technology that has shaped music as we know it” says Apple press release. The show will premiere on 30th July and will hail from Academy Award winning producer Morgan Neville and be hosted by Dj, Golden Globe and seven-time Grammy award winner Mark Ronson. 

Every episode will follow the host “as he uncovers the untold stories behind music creation and the lengths producers and creators are willing to go to find the perfect sound”. He will speak to music legends and icons like Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Mike D from Beastie Boys and more, where he finds out what tools and techniques they used and what influence their work.

Each episode will end with Ronson creating a unique piece of original music using innovative technology including synth, auto-tune, sampling, reverb and distortion.

Mark Ronson’s latest Album ‘Late Night Feelings’ came out in 2019 and peaked at No.4 in UK Charts. MXDWN reviewed it as “consistently eclectic, sharp and enjoyable”. You can read the full album review here.

Last year, the London born producer has released a Bond demo ‘No Time To Die’ that featured on ‘Various Artists Working To Advert The Collapse Of American Democracy” Vol 2 alongside Pearl Jam and David Byrne to name a few.

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Along with the song, Troye also released the music video, directed by Bardia Zeinali, who also directed Troye’s collaboration with Ariana Grande, for their video for Dance to This. The music video stars Troye and Kacey as runaways, hiding in motels and changing their appearances, Kacey using hair dye and Troye cutting his mullet off. Along the way, they make stops at clubs featuring karaoke, dancing and drag shows.

Speaking to Vogue about the video’s concept, Troye explained; “We’ve separately had our own experiences…regrets, scorning our lovers…and we find solace in each other.” Easy is originally from Troye Sivan’s recent EP In a Dream, released in August 2020 via EMI Music Australia and Capitol Records. Along with Easy the EP includes singles such as Take Yourself Home and Rager Teenager. 

Troye described the album as; “A story that’s still unfolding, this small collection of songs explores an emotional rollercoaster period in my life when the feelings and thoughts were most shockingly fresh. Revisiting these songs and moments is tough, but I’m proud of this music and excited to have it out in the world.”

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This song comes following the recent release of Miley Cyrus’ album Plastic Hearts, where Mark produced three tracks, High, Bad Karma and Never Be Me. Mark talked about the song in an Instagram post saying; “Honestly, High is one of the most beautiful vocals/melodies I’ve ever recorded. And wait til u hear the harms.” 

“Bad Karma was written at a jam session at Max’s Kansas Xity in 1976 with Ace Frehley and Joan Jett (it wasn’t but u get my drift, shit is pure seedy, rock n roll. Angel Olsen’s guitar cuts like razor wire). And Never Be Me is that unapologetic heartbreak shit that you love from ms Miley.”

Easy is available on all platforms. You can watch the video below.

In an Instagram post, Dua Lipa announced the album saying; “CLUB FUTURE NOSTALGIA THE REMIX ALBUM W THE BLESSED MADONNA COMING AUGUST 21ST – LEVITATING AUGUST 14TH – FEATURING MISSY ELLIOTT & MADONNA – PHYSICAL FT. GWEN STEFANI REMIXED BY MARK RONSON +++ ALL FUTURE NOSTALGIA TRACKS N THEN SUM REMIXED BY UR FAVES AND MANY MANY MORE SURPRISES!!! C YA SOON”

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CLUB FUTURE NOSTALGIA THE REMIX ALBUM W THE BLESSED MADONNA COMING AUGUST 21ST – LEVITATING AUGUST 14TH – FEATURING MISSY ELLIOTT & MADONNA – PHYSICAL FT. GWEN STEFANI REMIXED BY MARK RONSON +++ ALL FUTURE NOSTALGIA TRACKS N THEN SUM REMIXED BY UR FAVES AND MANY MANY MORE SURPRISES!!! C YA SOON

A post shared by DUA LIPA (@dualipa) on Aug 4, 2020 at 5:22pm PDT

It has been announced that the hit song Physical will be done by Mark Ronson and will feature Gwen Stafani and The Blessed Madonna will be doing a remix of Levitating which will feature Missy Elliot and Madonna.

There is speculation among fans who think the cover is hinting at the other guests. Some fans have guessed that the horse could imply that Kylie Minogue will feature and others believe that Normani has been cut out the image but her arm is still in the corner.

We see you there @Normani Can’t wait for Club Future Nostalgia with @DUALIPA #IfItAintMe #dualipa #FutureNostalgia pic.twitter.com/mQraNy9024

— Luiz Neres (@luissneres) August 5, 2020

Future Nostalgia has already been a masive hit. It was the  biggest album release of 2020 so far by a British act, topping the Official Albums Chart for four weeks following its release in March. This deluxe edition is bound to be another chart topper.

Dua Lipa has also previously hinted at the possibility of the release of a B-side to Future Nostalgia. When a fan asked on an Instagram post, she replied saying; “don’t worry I got that n then some coming your way. Hold tight i’ve got enough to hold you all the way through till 2022.” Looks like Dua Lipa is ready to provide her fans with everything they need to survive the pandemic.

Future Nostalgia was released in March and is available on all platforms. Club Future Nostalgia: The Remix Album will be released on the 21st of August.

The mega producer took to his Twitter, detailing how the cover came together. “I bet everyone here has a song (or two, or fifteen) that they’re been rinsing during this period,” wrote Ronson.

For him, the 44-year-old referred to “I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight” by iconic duo Richard and Linda Thompson. The “Uptown Funk” hitmaker said that the song was the one he could not stop listening to as well as “the ultimate song about a messy weekend night out.”

“I imagine the reason I’ve been so drawn to this song is because I miss that all very much, I bet a lot of us do.” He added, “I suddenly had this idea to cover the tune and hopefully make a video by asking you all to send in pics and vids of your cities at night.” Read the whole statement from the post below.

NEW SONG: “I WANT TO SEE THE BRIGHT LIGHTS TONIGHT” ft Raissa https://t.co/N6latnyBlh pic.twitter.com/ogrm5k5Zgl

— Mark Ronson (@MarkRonson) May 11, 2020

Ronson invited Raissa, who he recently welcomed to his record label Zelig West: “She had never heard the song before but loved it and within hours sent me back an incredible vocal that brought a freshness to the tune I hadn’t imagined.” Check it out from the video below.

In the tweet, he also thanked everyone involved with the project, including Jamie-James Medina who is behind the making of the music video. “[Medina] was able to make maybe one of my favourite videos I’ve ever been involved with,” said Ronson.

The cover of “I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight” is Ronson’s latest work since the release of the fifth studio album, ‘Late Night Feelings‘, last year. The album is a gigantic feat-fest from A-listed stars with the likes of Miley Cyrus (“Nothing Breaks Like a Heart“), Lykke Li (“Late Night Feelings“), Camila Cabello (“Find U Again“), and Alicia Keys (“Truth“).

This is another track to listen to while being locked up for a good cause in this time around. Despite postponements and cancellations of both concerts and the releases of new albums by numerous artists, it is delightful to see a lot of musicians using this quarantine to craft great music to bring us safe-at-home joy.