He shared the news on social media earlier this week, revealing the song would be out October 17 and would feature the “legend” on the piano. He also shared the artwork for the single.

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Elton John responded on his Instagram story, sharing the post and writing, “Incredibly excited for this,” as well as commenting on the announcement post, “Love you, Sam. This is a special one”

The pair have previously performed together and have spoken highly of each other, and this announcement comes after Sam Fender had teased a collaboration with his “good friend playing piano” on Instagram.

The collaboration was first teased last week, with an advert that also confirmed the news of  a deluxe edition of his latest album ‘People Watching‘.

The advert read, “Track 02. Talk To You (ft.)” before a blank name, which led fans to question who the featured artist could be.

Earlier this month, Yungblud performed alongside Aerosmith at the VMA’s in a special tribute to Ozzy Osbourne.

They have now posted a snippet of a new song ‘My Only Angel’. With the release date not being shared yet, the teaser does send chills down your spine.

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Fans seem excited about this collaboration with comments saying ““Finally, the rock ’n’ roll we’ve been waiting for!” and “yasss dream team!!”.

This upcoming single will mark the first original tune for Aerosmith in over a decade, as their last release was in 2012 when they released their album ‘Music From Another Dimension!‘.

While the band have retired from touring earlier than planned due to Tyler injuring his voice, Aerosmith have cautious when releasing new music. It is unclear as to whether ‘My Own Angel’ will be released as a one-off single, or as part of a larger project at the moment.

Yungblud’s performance with Aerosmith at the VMAs was generally met with praise from most viewers, expect for from The Darkness’ Dan Hawkins, who called them “a bunch of bellends”. Ariana Grande was caught watching the performance in amazement.

@rockglobal literally everyone who watched the vmas #arianagrande #vmas #yungblud #steventyler #yungbludarmy #rock #rockband #acdc #deftones #gretavanfleet #rocknroll #queen #kiss #ozzyosbourne #maneskin ♬ Changes – Live From Villa Park / Back To The Beginning – YUNGBLUD & Nuno Bettencourt & Frank Bello

Yungblud was a part of the ‘Back To The Beginning‘ Black Sabbath farewell show in Birmingham in July. He performed the Black Sabbath ballad ‘Changes’. After Ozzy Osbourne passed away, Yungblud vowed to play the song at every show.

Ozzy Osbourne sadly passed away in July at the age of 76. His death came three weeks after the farewell concert ‘Back to the Beginning’ help in Birmingham, his hometown.

“To sing this song for you at an event surrounded by legends inspired by you to a crowd that loved you was truly my life’s greatest honour and I vow to play this song every night for the rest of my life.”

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Yungblud spoke with NME about the impact the Ozzy Osbourne had on his career. “Ozzy was a character in my life who was a reflection of everything I went through,” he said.

“I was always a bit over the top. I was always seen to be a bit crazy. I was always seen to be a bit loud, but when some people saw that as a negative, Ozzy would provide me with the hope that there was an avenue for someone like me in the world.”

“From such a young age, he really inspired me. Then, to know him as a friend towards the end, to know his heart, and to know Sharon Osbourne… I really started to understand that they did things their way.”

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The new single surprised more than one as it features drummer Joel Amey on lead vocals alongside main singer Ellie Rowsell. The drummer shared: “I was inspired by what songs we had already that were becoming ‘The Clearing’; the sonic shapes we were creating, the big acoustics, the harmonies, but I wanted to underpin it with a driving krautrock beat. I was on this big adventure with my best mates, never feeling the need to call one place home, living out a suitcase, all the stuff that comes with being in a band. I felt that the answers to ‘who I am and where do I come from?’ didn’t matter so much; I’d chosen my family and they were the people around me. ‘White Horses’ was me trying to put all that into a tune, and Ellie, Joff and Theo helped me all along the way.”

The upcoming album follows on from their debut album ‘My Love Is Cool’, their sophomore release ‘Visions Of A Life’ and one of their most acclaimed piece of work ‘Blue Weekend’. The band will hit the road with their new record at the end of the year all around the UK and Ireland. Tickets are still available on Ticketmaster.

Back in June, the ‘Don’t Delete The Kisses’ band spoke to NME after their Glastonbury set about the new album: “I think very much. I think we were buoyed by the songier songs being things that people really connected to and we spent a lot more time working on those constituency, songy song parts of the songs,” Joff Oddie said. “It’s the hardest thing in the world to write a really concise song in a – I don’t wanna say pop structure, but you know what I mean. It’s quite easy to throw a five-minute jam together, but that’s so difficult, so it’s a brilliant challenge and that’s more so where we were focused with this album.”

NME gave Wolf Alice’s Glastonbury 2025 performance five stars, writing: “The energy they pour into today’s set feels like that of a band who should be topping the Pyramid Stage next time they play Worthy Farm. As the set ends with ‘Don’t Delete The Kisses’ – a strong contender for one of the best, most dizzyingly accurate love songs ever written – that feeling only intensifies. That song finds Rowsell writing herself a romantic Hollywood ending; Wolf Alice’s world-beating set does the same for Glastonbury 2025.”

Wolf Alice will be playing shows in Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Dublin, Leeds and London from November to December 2025.

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Lead singer Thom shared in an interview with Contactmusic.com: “We’re working on ideas with him. We’ve been sending over little ideas to each other and putting them together. And he’s a great writer. He’s so good, he’s so witty, and his lyrics are great and his melodies are great. So I just keep sending bits of music, he keeps sending bits back, and before we know it, we’re going to have a summer hit with Robbie Williams. I’ll just literally tell him my every thought, and he kind of tells me his, and we just try and make each other laugh. He’s become almost my therapist, which is so weird, like, ‘Robbie Williams is my therapist.’ ”

The Greater Manchester band is set to release their new album this Friday March 21, an album on which they have collaborated with artists such as Reverend and the Makers, Shed Seven, and Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger.

The lead singer shared some more about his experience working with the Nickelback frontman: “It was weird because I had to find our middle ground, I had to find the Venn diagram of Nickelback and Lottery Winners and then write a song that fit directly in the middle there. And luckily, I am a genius, so I managed to do it very easily [laughs]. But then when Chad came into the room and and put and put his parts on it, man, it just came alive!”

The band formed in Leigh back in 2008 and were discovered by music mogul Seymour Stein in 2019. Their third studio album ‘Anxiety Replacement Therapy’  saw them collaborating with Frank Turner, Shaun Ryder and Boy George and was placed number 1 in the Official UK album chart.

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“We’re gonna do one song here – we’re filming a bit of content – and then we’re going to do a parade and walk down and play some songs, if you want to come with us,” the Brit said, per local news website Nola.com. “I’ve got a new song coming in a couple weeks that no one’s heard. This will be the first time it’s ever been played live. We’ll play it once now and then we’ll walk down, play some songs that you know, and I’ll play this song again. Thanks for coming out. It’s nice to be back here.”

Backed by the brass band and pulling the amp around, Sheeran sang his famous tunes ‘I Don’t Care’ and ‘Don’t’ in-between high-fives and pictures with fans, ending the event with a singalong of his song ‘Shape Of You’.

This isn’t the first time the ‘Thinking Out Loud’ singer surprises his fans. Indeed, last month, the hitmaker attempted to perform on the streets of Bengaluru, India where he had performances planned for his ongoing tour +-=÷x. A performance that was quickly shut down by local authorities due to security concerns.

Ed hasn’t announced any release date for his new song ‘Azizam’. This would be his first music release since his last album Autumn Variations back in September 2023.

The Cheshire band’s new single focuses on the story of 16th century nun and reformer Teresa of Ávila whose burial, pre-canonisation, was interrupted resulting in several of her body parts being removed and taken to locations in Rome, Paris, Lisbon and elsewhere. A peculiar end put to honour in the lyrics of the song “Her fingers are in Avila / Her jawbone is in Rome / Saint Teresa / With your body in different places / You truly are without a home”.

‘Saint Teresa’ is the third single out of the new album to be released, following ‘Cold Dreaming’ and lead single ‘Renegade’.

In a talk with NME, guitarist Jez Williams shared: “This is quite a dark album. We started to write it after we cancelled ‘The Universal Want’ tour, so some of the songs reflect that. We wanted ‘Renegades’ to start with this apocalyptic atmosphere. That’s what felt right for us after such a difficult time. Jimi was with us, but we were trying to make sense of all the mess – and that fed into the album. We’re living in pretty fucking horrible times, so we wanted to reflect that but give a little hope. When you listen to Neil Young, it feels like he understands you. It’s music that can hold your hand in this dark world. I see this as a future soul album for outsiders. We want you to feel understood.”

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Set to go on tour this year for the first time in 15 years, the Mancunian band shared recently that their front man would not be joining. They said Goodwin was “stepping back from live to focus on his wellbeing” and added: “Mental health has always been central to Doves and we fully support him in his decision.”

The rockers unfortunately had to cancel part of their last tour in 2021 due to Goodwin’s mental health struggles. Their 2025 tour will hit the road this February and March and will see the band visit 15 different venues across the UK. Tickets are now available via Ticketmaster.

The hotly anticipated new album marks the Welsh rockers’ latest musical endeavour since 2022’s ‘Oochyah!’ 

The ‘Maybe Tomorrow’ hit makers shared the announcement on their Instagram page January 30, alongside teasing the debut single ‘There’s Always Gonna Be Something’, giving fans a taste of what’s to come. This latest track reflects the band’s signature sound, marrying melodic guitar riffs and suspended bass lines with the familiar husky vocals of frontman, Kelly Jones. 

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Jones labels the track as an exploration of inner turmoil and resilience, stating: “‘There’s Always Gonna Be Something’ is a song that could be describing the restlessness in uncertainty, struggling to arrive at acceptance. A part within us all.” 

The Dakota singer also shared the inspiration behind the cover art, saying: “I went to New York, visited some galleries, and saw ‘ART IS A GUARANTY OF SANITY’ by Louise Bourgeois. The simplicity of the words etched onto a pink tile struck me. I tried scratching my title in a similar way, inspired by my own art school teacher from thirty years ago. And I loved it. The simplicity of the pink. The pink album was born.” 

Stereophonics have demonstrated themselves to be one of the most successful Welsh rock acts over the past twenty years, achieving six multi-platinum album certifications and selling 15 million copies worldwide. This summer, the band will embark on their most ambitious world tour yet, with show dates in the UK starting as early as May. This will include head-turning performances at some of the UK’s biggest music festivals, such as Neighbourhood Weekender (May 25) and Isle of  Wight Festival (June 21), as well as headlining shows at their native Cardiff Principality Stadium July 11 and July 12. 

Speaking to NME, Jones said of the tour: “Being on the road again with my best friends, playing all the hits of this band’s catalogue, for people in huge outdoor gatherings through the summer of 2025 makes me so excited, we should make a new album…oh wait…we already did that! See ya there for more good times.” Fans of ‘Phonics can expect to hear classics spanning from the award-winning ‘Performance and Cocktails’ (1999) and ‘Just Enough Education to Perform’ (2001), as well as singles from the latest album. 

On their official website, Stereophonics have released the track list of the upcoming ‘Make ‘Em Laugh, Make ‘Em Cry, Make ‘Em Wait’:

1. Make It On Your Own
2. There’s Always Gonna Be Something
3. Seems Like You Don’t Know Me
4. Colours Of October 
5. Eyes Too Big For My Belly
6. Mary Is A Singer
7. Backroom Boys 
8. Feeling Of Falling We Crave 

The single, which features R&B beats, features repeated lyrics “We know when it’s christmas” in a children’s choir style, with Fuse ODG’s rap over the top – a direct response to the Band Aid 40 song title, the question: “Do they Know it’s Christmas?”.  The rap style may not be as mainstream as the Band Aid single, but the repetitious lyrics is sure to be memorable for any listener following along with the controversy. 

Fuse ODG, real name Nana Richard Abiona is a Ghanaian-English rapper born and based in London. The 36-year-old has been active since 2012 making music influenced by Afro-beats, reggae, dance and hip hop. His name ‘Fuse’ is said to come from his combination of genres while ‘ODG’ stands for ‘Off Da Ground’. In 2013, his song “Antenna” became his first top ten hit, reaching number 7. His song “Dangerous Love” also reached number 3 in 2014. He is well known as a voice for African people, being of African descent himself. In 2022, he launched an educational gaming app for children called “School of New Africa” to educate others on African history and languages, as well as financial literacy.

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Talking about why he refused the offer to participate in Band Aid, Fuse ODG said, “I refused to participate in Band Aid because I recognised the harm initiatives like it inflict on Africa… While they may generate sympathy and donations, they perpetuate damaging stereotypes that stifle Africa’s economic growth, tourism, and investment, ultimately costing the continent trillions and destroying its dignity, pride and identity.” It’s this view that Fuse ODG explained to Ed Sheeran, and since their comments went public, it has educated several on the other side of the story. This song and music video is a direct response to the Band Aid single, titled “We Know It’s Christmas (Band Aid Reply)”, following Bob Geldof’s recent comments welcoming the debate. Geldof welcomed the debate concerning the Band Aid single, saying it’s fantastic, alluding to the fact that the more people talk about it the more awareness it brings – meaning the single will ultimately be listened to more.

In an interview, Fuse ODG has made it clear that the original Band Aid was “touching” and well-intentioned, saying “It’s been touching seeing the efforts that were put into it initially […] because there was a crisis at the time they needed attending to”. But went on to say the subsequent Band Aid singles has created an identity crisis for Africans, saying that “It took away our collective sense of pride and identity.”

 

 

 

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During an interview on Radio 2, co-founder of Band Aid, Midge Ure, said that this sort of opposition has been thrown at them many times over the past forty years and he understands the aspect of the “white saviour complex” that the charitable work poses. He ultimately concluded that regardless of the debate, the work is still helping those in Africa who need medicines and education. Others like Tony Hadley, who sang on the original Band Aid single, have been more pointed in the criticism of the single, saying “Everybody’s doing their bit to try and support various charities and we were doing our bit, innocently, to support what was happening in Ethiopia… So what do we do? Do we sit back and do nothing?”. There have yet to be any direct public comments on Fuse ODG’s single. 

It’s true to say that the criticism and debate has brought more attention to the Band Aid remake, as well as the charitable history of the organisation. However, Fuse ODG is a recognised voice for Africans and his voice cannot be ignored. It’s important, and always has been, to listen to the voice of the people the issues directly concern – “We Know It’s Christmas” is one way in which the African voice can be represented.

The singer prefaced the announcement acknowledging the newest surprise track was a gift to her fans until her next single drops.

I didn’t want you all to have to wait so long for music again MIDNIGHT COWBOY is a gift from me to you until my next single drops oh and there’s a visualiser out at 10am BST too pic.twitter.com/zKOF15c7T6

— JADE (@jadethirlwall) September 24, 2024

‘Midnight Cowboy’ proves to establish JADE as an artist to watch during the ascendence of her recent solo career, which commenced with JADE’s debut single ‘Angel Of My Dreams’ which was released in July of this year. Following the beginning of Little Mix’s hiatus in 2022, it is evident JADE has carefully planned a clear vision for her solo career which will inevitably establish her as the next pop it-girl. ‘Angel Of My Dreams’ and JADE’s latest track ‘Midnight Cowboy’ sound sonically different to one another, exposing the multi-faceted nature of JADE’s newfound solo career.The release of ‘Midnight Cowboy’ reveals an experimental side to JADE, as the singer attempts to cement her own artistry whilst adapting her skills from her experience in Little Mix. ‘Midnight Cowboy’ was released alongside an official visualiser for the track. The visualiser depicts energetic and alluring choreography to display JADE’s ability to provide powerful performances. It is clear JADE knows what her listeners want, and ‘Midnight Cowboy’ inevitably leaves fan wanting more. This latest track exhibits mindful efforts from JADE to build anticipation for her upcoming debut album. ‘Midnight Cowboy’ begins with an unexpected cameo from Doctor Who and Sex Education star, Ncuti Gatwa. Acting as JADE’s hype man, Gatwa’s contributions make the release of ‘Midnight Cowboy’ even more iconic.

nothing to see here. just hanging out pic.twitter.com/6q0duE2qFb — JADE (@jadethirlwall) September 23, 2024

Despite ‘Midnight Cowboy’ not being a single, instead a filler track whilst fans wait for the next single, JADE took to X (previously Twitter) to notify fans of her desire to keep them involved during her artistic evolution. The development of her artistry and the result of her hard work is certainly commendable given the release of ‘Angel Of My Dreams’ and ‘Midnight Cowboy’ which allows JADE to determine what genres sonically work for herself and her fans.  

it’s important to me that i keep sharing my artistry and hard work with the world, so i wanted to drop a track to hold you over until the next single I wrote this a while back in a 2022 session with @raye and Jonah Christian – I adore you both

— JADE (@jadethirlwall) September 25, 2024

When providing gratitude to all the hard work that contributed towards ‘Midnight Cowboy’, JADE revealed the track was written back in 2022 during a studio writing session with Jonah Christian and Raye.

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The surprise release of ‘Midnight Cowboy’ proves JADE’s desire to continually ‘wow’ fans during every step of her solo career. With the release of ‘Angel Of My Dreams’ and now, ‘Midnight Cowboy’, JADE is a visionary wishing to cement her solo artistry whilst building anticipation for her upcoming debut, which remains unannounced.

Speaking on the story behind the song, Bird said: “Burn The Hard Drive was a song I wrote while still in my last relationship. I think my subconscious knew before I did that it was over. But also, that the ending would be where so much more could begin. Working with Mura Masa has been the purest process. When I got emotional hearing it back after the breakup, he helped me finish it and not erase it, fittingly like everything else.”

“I wanted to get something close to the emotions I had been feeling this past 18 months, and when I see me, hand in hand with a ghost, it hits hard“, she added.

As Bird suggests, not only do we end up having to remove people from our physical spaces, but our digital ones too. For the best part of a decade, the internet was always viewed as a place to escape from the real world, but in recent years, it now seems that the real world offers an escape from the internet, especially during the aftermath of a relationship.

The accompanying music video expresses this very sentiment, presenting a world that is half physical and half pixelated, with momentary flashes of Bird, people and places, illustrating how photographs, video and social media are so deeply intertwined in our real lives, just as memories and past moments reappear in certain places that we walk or drive by. A summer picnic playing out on an icy, barren meadow; seeing someone’s silhouette in the corner of a once beloved pub, or holding hands with their ghost on a park bench. Bird posed an emotional question to fans about the video’s concept, asking them: “All those places have a new meaning now. Where’s a place you just can’t go to anymore?!”

Bird begins the video journeying in a car on a blistering, dirt road, looking back at her past self in the rear view mirror. Shot in various locations, she walks alongside the ghost of an ex-lover, watching as they slowly fade away. Expertly and lovingly crafted, the video was directed by Aries Moross, who Bird has previously worked with on her album visuals. The singer spoke on working with Moross in an Instagram post announcing the single, commenting: “Aries Moross has been my hero and favourite collaborator since my debut video ‘Lottery’ (they shot that too!), there’s something that feels amazing about shooting this new era with them. I’m floored by their work and ability to put together the most incredible people on the daily.”

The collaboration between the pair perfectly captures the same sense of longing and sorrow woven into Bird’s lyrics, while also demonstrating the power in being able to detach from these feelings, move on with your life in a healthy way and cherish new people and new memories.

‘Burn The Hard Drive’ is a glimpse into what is perhaps Bird’s most nuanced sound yet, beguiling us as she flits between softer and rockier vocals. Relishing in her signature raspy tone, Bird plays with a sultry, percussive folk melody no longer filled with darkness or yearning, but with acceptance, relief and new beginnings.

‘Burn The Hard Drive’ is out now.