After an amazing 2015/2016, due to the release of their album Drones, a sold out tour and a Glastonbury headline slot, it seems that the last couple of festival slots could signal the end of Muse's Drones album promotion.
However, footage has been released on Matt Bellamy's Instagram (which was reposted by the Muse Instagram page) of Bellamy playing a very futuristic sounding song on his guitar. Notably, the caption which accompanied the footage was "Back In the Studio. New song coming soon." There has also been photos posted of Dom Howard recording drums, complete with similar captions. So...could these pictures signal the "Uprising" (sorry!) of new Muse material?
The last sign that Muse were releasing new songs was the weird video of the band performing a song called New Kind of Kick, as part of a Muse Halloween special. However, apart from this, the band had been quietly completing their Drones tour. Yet, with news of headline slots at Reading and Leeds, Lollapalooza and Firefly, among others, it seems that there may be more than meets the eye when it comes to Muse's antics. Will we hear new songs during these dates? Chances are that they will!
But the question is what about after these dates? What is next in store for the band? Well, according to their official website, they are on tour until September 2017. So, it could be possible that we may not hear much from Muse but then again, judging from these social media posts, we could be hearing new music from them sooner than we think. And what about those amazing shows that Muse put on for fans, that can feature anything from Drones to satellite dishes? Well, according to reports emerging last year, the band want to take a step further by incorporating floating magnets to their shows. There are also rumours that the band may go on a smaller tour, playing acoustic songs, based on a Twitter Q and A by Matt Bellamy last year.
Overall, whether they go on a smaller acoustic tour or unleash a ton of magnets into the crowd, Muse fans will not be disappointed if, and when they go on tour. And as for that new album? Well, patience is a virtue, but judging by the sneak peeks, we could be in for a treat.
I'll keep you posted everyone!
Em
x
Sunday, 9 April 2017
Friday, 31 March 2017
Live Review: Olly Murs at the Genting Arena
I had previously seen Olly Murs live, as a support act to Robbie Williams, so when I approached the Genting Arena in Birmingham to see him on Saturday 25th March 2017, I was adamant I was in for a good night. Guess What? I was not disappointed.
The thing about Olly Murs is that he is the younger version of Robbie Williams.; the typical cheeky chappie that you can't help but smile at when you watch him perform, whose songs that you can't help but sing along to and who is just an all round entertainer. This cheeky chappie persona really shone, as he belted out hits that fans know and love, such as Heart Skips a Beat, Dance With Me Tonight and Troublemaker. It was also good to hear some of the new, soon to be classic, hits, such as Grow Up, Kiss Me and You Don't Know Love, as well new album tracks, such as 24Hrs and Back Around. It was also quite interesting that he put an old album track, I Need You Now, from the album In Case You Didn't Know.
One of the other things that I think makes Olly great is he can sing a variety of genres, not just pop. This was proven when he did a 70's/80's/90's/2000's medley, consisting of That's The Way I like It (KC and the Sunshine Band), Never too Much, (Luther Vandross), She's Got That Vibe (R Kelly), Jump Around (House of Pain), Can't Touch This (MC Hammer) and Can't Stop the Feeling (Justin Timberlake). As proven on The X Factor, Olly can take songs and put his own Olly Murs twist on them without any problems. He even did the Travis McCoy rap on Wrapped Up.
The only down side of this show was that although the covers were good, I felt they took up a lot of time, which I felt could have been given to some of Olly's hits that, in my opinion, should have been on the setlist, such as Right Place, Right Time. Having said this, it didn't really matter as Olly more than made up for this by putting on a show full of catchy tunes, dance moves and cheeky chappie charm.
Overall, Olly put on a fantastic show. The audience loved it, I loved it and I am sure, in the future, that I will go and see Olly Murs live again. In fact, I recommend everyone to go and see him because, even if you are not a big Olly Murs fan, or pop music fan for that matter, he is guaranteed to always put a smile on your face.
****
The thing about Olly Murs is that he is the younger version of Robbie Williams.; the typical cheeky chappie that you can't help but smile at when you watch him perform, whose songs that you can't help but sing along to and who is just an all round entertainer. This cheeky chappie persona really shone, as he belted out hits that fans know and love, such as Heart Skips a Beat, Dance With Me Tonight and Troublemaker. It was also good to hear some of the new, soon to be classic, hits, such as Grow Up, Kiss Me and You Don't Know Love, as well new album tracks, such as 24Hrs and Back Around. It was also quite interesting that he put an old album track, I Need You Now, from the album In Case You Didn't Know.
One of the other things that I think makes Olly great is he can sing a variety of genres, not just pop. This was proven when he did a 70's/80's/90's/2000's medley, consisting of That's The Way I like It (KC and the Sunshine Band), Never too Much, (Luther Vandross), She's Got That Vibe (R Kelly), Jump Around (House of Pain), Can't Touch This (MC Hammer) and Can't Stop the Feeling (Justin Timberlake). As proven on The X Factor, Olly can take songs and put his own Olly Murs twist on them without any problems. He even did the Travis McCoy rap on Wrapped Up.
The only down side of this show was that although the covers were good, I felt they took up a lot of time, which I felt could have been given to some of Olly's hits that, in my opinion, should have been on the setlist, such as Right Place, Right Time. Having said this, it didn't really matter as Olly more than made up for this by putting on a show full of catchy tunes, dance moves and cheeky chappie charm.
Overall, Olly put on a fantastic show. The audience loved it, I loved it and I am sure, in the future, that I will go and see Olly Murs live again. In fact, I recommend everyone to go and see him because, even if you are not a big Olly Murs fan, or pop music fan for that matter, he is guaranteed to always put a smile on your face.
****
Tuesday, 21 March 2017
Is Streaming a Good Idea for Music?
Hi guys!
This may be a bit controversial so bear with me but is streaming really a good idea for music? Back in 2014, it was announced that music streaming would count as part of the UK charts. Since then, I feel that there is not much variety in the UK music charts, notably in the singles charts.
It's not that I don't like the artists that are around these days. I like many different artists, such as Ed Sheeran, Clean Bandit, Zara Larson etc. However, I also like artists who may not necessarily get a fair chance in the singles charts, such as Blossoms. Okay, yes, often a lot of the singles off an album are released after the album is released, so that could play a part of it. However, the situation still seems different to 10 years ago...
In 2007, the charts were definitely more varied. We had the usual suspects in the charts, such as Girls Aloud, Robbie Williams, Will Young and other pop acts who set the charts alight at the time. However, we also had indie acts such as Franz Ferdinand, Arctic Monkeys and The Killers. Nowadays, we hardly hear a peep of them in the top 20. For example, when Blossoms, a fairly new indie act, released Charlemagne, it only just entered the chart at number 98.
However, if you think about it, the reason why different artists have different successes on the UK chart is down to various factors. Firstly, I think it is down to how popular an artist is. Take One Direction for example. They have millions of fans compared to other musicians. That means millions of downloads, streams and purchases of their songs and albums. It also could be down to how often the musicians are played. For example, Ed Sheeran is played constantly and he managed to get all 16 of his songs on his new album, ÷ (Divide), into the top 20. Furthermore, it also depends which radio station people listen to. People who listen to a radio station like Radio 1 or Capital FM are more likely to stream musicians like Drake and Little Mix, compared to those who may listen to Radio X, who are more likely to listen to Blossoms.
So, what can we conclude from all this? Well, music taste is subjective and if everyone liked the same thing, life would be boring. Yes, it is a bit boring that Ed Sheeran's whole album is in the top 20 but hey! If you like Ed, go for it. Also, often on streaming services (I definitely know Spotify does this), they create a playlist of songs by bands that are similar to musicians you already listen to. You never know, in these lists you might find your new favourite band. So, yep some people may think streaming is not good, due to the lack of variety in the charts. However, bearing what I have just said in mind, I believe that streaming is good and that you should listen to what you would like to listen to.
Em x
This may be a bit controversial so bear with me but is streaming really a good idea for music? Back in 2014, it was announced that music streaming would count as part of the UK charts. Since then, I feel that there is not much variety in the UK music charts, notably in the singles charts.
It's not that I don't like the artists that are around these days. I like many different artists, such as Ed Sheeran, Clean Bandit, Zara Larson etc. However, I also like artists who may not necessarily get a fair chance in the singles charts, such as Blossoms. Okay, yes, often a lot of the singles off an album are released after the album is released, so that could play a part of it. However, the situation still seems different to 10 years ago...
In 2007, the charts were definitely more varied. We had the usual suspects in the charts, such as Girls Aloud, Robbie Williams, Will Young and other pop acts who set the charts alight at the time. However, we also had indie acts such as Franz Ferdinand, Arctic Monkeys and The Killers. Nowadays, we hardly hear a peep of them in the top 20. For example, when Blossoms, a fairly new indie act, released Charlemagne, it only just entered the chart at number 98.
However, if you think about it, the reason why different artists have different successes on the UK chart is down to various factors. Firstly, I think it is down to how popular an artist is. Take One Direction for example. They have millions of fans compared to other musicians. That means millions of downloads, streams and purchases of their songs and albums. It also could be down to how often the musicians are played. For example, Ed Sheeran is played constantly and he managed to get all 16 of his songs on his new album, ÷ (Divide), into the top 20. Furthermore, it also depends which radio station people listen to. People who listen to a radio station like Radio 1 or Capital FM are more likely to stream musicians like Drake and Little Mix, compared to those who may listen to Radio X, who are more likely to listen to Blossoms.
So, what can we conclude from all this? Well, music taste is subjective and if everyone liked the same thing, life would be boring. Yes, it is a bit boring that Ed Sheeran's whole album is in the top 20 but hey! If you like Ed, go for it. Also, often on streaming services (I definitely know Spotify does this), they create a playlist of songs by bands that are similar to musicians you already listen to. You never know, in these lists you might find your new favourite band. So, yep some people may think streaming is not good, due to the lack of variety in the charts. However, bearing what I have just said in mind, I believe that streaming is good and that you should listen to what you would like to listen to.
Em x
Monday, 13 March 2017
Who Runs the World? Girls!
Hi Everyone!
So, on Wednesday 8th March, it was International Women's Day. Therefore, let's celebrate the female musicians who I feel have been the most influential, whether it is for being themselves or for their influence on music. These are the females who show that girls truly run the world.
Adele
Ok, so Adele's music is everywhere. There is no denying it. However, what is so great about Adele is that despite her fame, Adele is what she is...a down to earth normal girl. Yes she has many Brit Awards and Grammys, as well as her albums, 21 and 25 being two of the best selling albums in the world, but she has not let fame change her. She has always maintained her privacy and she has not felt the need to suddenly slim down now she is in the limelight, showing that it is important to feel comfortable in your own skin. Finally, she always has time for her fans, with a staple part of her recent 25 tour being her inviting fans onto the stage with her. Go Adele!
Little Mix
They won The X Factor. Like a few of The X Factor winners, they could have just disappeared after the first single...never to be heard of again....
However, Little Mix have gained more and more success and now, they are the most successful girl group in recent times. Having had 4 UK number ones (the most for an X Factor winner), with the last Number one, Shout Out to My Ex, being there for three weeks, and a number one album for 5 weeks, Glory Days, it is clear to see that these girls are here to stay. This length of time with a Number one album for a girl group happened previously to the Spice Girls, in 1997 with Spice, proving that Girl Power is still around.
There is more to these girls than their success though. They are perfect role models for young girls. Yes, ok there was that Perrie and Zayn drama but apart from that, that is the only scandal that they have been involved in. These girls focus on themselves and their fans, and any criticism that they have received, they have ignored, showing girls that they can be, and do, anything if they put their mind to it.
Spice Girls
As soon as Sporty, Baby, Scary, Ginger and Posh are mentioned, people know straight away that these are the Spice Girls. Back in 1997, apart from Britpop, these girls were the late 90s. They coined the term "Girl Power," and showed that every girl is worth it. Apart from Little Mix, Spice Girls are one of the most successful girl bands ever. Not only did they produce one of the most iconic performances ever at the BRIT Awards, thanks to Geri Halliwell and THAT Union Jack dress, their success also branched out into merchandise, such as dolls and their own film. In fact, I doubt that we will ever have a girl group that has this much impact on pop culture again. Girl Power!
Beyoncé
Let's be honest, you can't have an influential female musicians list without Beyonce. This woman does everything, from creating incredible tunes to being an all round icon. Not only is she queen of R 'n' B, she is also seen by many as a face of Black Power. She notably announced that she was expecting twins on February 1st, which just so happened to be the first day of Black History Month. Not only that, she also has previously condemned the treatment of Black Americans. However, Black Americans are not the only people she has been standing up for. Recently, she joined a long list of celebrities who came out in force to support transgender students, after Donald Trump's controversial plan to withdraw protection that these students were to receive at their schools. She has also supported same sex marriage.
Additionally, it is not only her support towards important causes that makes her great. it is her girl power anthems, from the Destiny's Child songs, Survivor and Independent Women, to her solo track, Run the World (Girls). These songs, along with her other popular tunes, show why she deserves the 22 (!) Grammy awards, 24 MTV Music awards and even three Guinness World records, earning biggest power couple in 2009, with Jay-Z, highest annual earnings by a female singer in 2008 and earning the fastest selling album on iTunes, with Beyonce, in 2013. With all these accolades, it is clear to see that the ultimate Queen within music is the Queen Bey herself.
All Hail Queen Bey!
Em x
So, on Wednesday 8th March, it was International Women's Day. Therefore, let's celebrate the female musicians who I feel have been the most influential, whether it is for being themselves or for their influence on music. These are the females who show that girls truly run the world.
Adele
Ok, so Adele's music is everywhere. There is no denying it. However, what is so great about Adele is that despite her fame, Adele is what she is...a down to earth normal girl. Yes she has many Brit Awards and Grammys, as well as her albums, 21 and 25 being two of the best selling albums in the world, but she has not let fame change her. She has always maintained her privacy and she has not felt the need to suddenly slim down now she is in the limelight, showing that it is important to feel comfortable in your own skin. Finally, she always has time for her fans, with a staple part of her recent 25 tour being her inviting fans onto the stage with her. Go Adele!
Little Mix
They won The X Factor. Like a few of The X Factor winners, they could have just disappeared after the first single...never to be heard of again....
However, Little Mix have gained more and more success and now, they are the most successful girl group in recent times. Having had 4 UK number ones (the most for an X Factor winner), with the last Number one, Shout Out to My Ex, being there for three weeks, and a number one album for 5 weeks, Glory Days, it is clear to see that these girls are here to stay. This length of time with a Number one album for a girl group happened previously to the Spice Girls, in 1997 with Spice, proving that Girl Power is still around.
There is more to these girls than their success though. They are perfect role models for young girls. Yes, ok there was that Perrie and Zayn drama but apart from that, that is the only scandal that they have been involved in. These girls focus on themselves and their fans, and any criticism that they have received, they have ignored, showing girls that they can be, and do, anything if they put their mind to it.
Spice Girls
As soon as Sporty, Baby, Scary, Ginger and Posh are mentioned, people know straight away that these are the Spice Girls. Back in 1997, apart from Britpop, these girls were the late 90s. They coined the term "Girl Power," and showed that every girl is worth it. Apart from Little Mix, Spice Girls are one of the most successful girl bands ever. Not only did they produce one of the most iconic performances ever at the BRIT Awards, thanks to Geri Halliwell and THAT Union Jack dress, their success also branched out into merchandise, such as dolls and their own film. In fact, I doubt that we will ever have a girl group that has this much impact on pop culture again. Girl Power!
Beyoncé
Let's be honest, you can't have an influential female musicians list without Beyonce. This woman does everything, from creating incredible tunes to being an all round icon. Not only is she queen of R 'n' B, she is also seen by many as a face of Black Power. She notably announced that she was expecting twins on February 1st, which just so happened to be the first day of Black History Month. Not only that, she also has previously condemned the treatment of Black Americans. However, Black Americans are not the only people she has been standing up for. Recently, she joined a long list of celebrities who came out in force to support transgender students, after Donald Trump's controversial plan to withdraw protection that these students were to receive at their schools. She has also supported same sex marriage.
Additionally, it is not only her support towards important causes that makes her great. it is her girl power anthems, from the Destiny's Child songs, Survivor and Independent Women, to her solo track, Run the World (Girls). These songs, along with her other popular tunes, show why she deserves the 22 (!) Grammy awards, 24 MTV Music awards and even three Guinness World records, earning biggest power couple in 2009, with Jay-Z, highest annual earnings by a female singer in 2008 and earning the fastest selling album on iTunes, with Beyonce, in 2013. With all these accolades, it is clear to see that the ultimate Queen within music is the Queen Bey herself.
All Hail Queen Bey!
Em x
Friday, 24 February 2017
BRITs Hits
So...this week...the biggest night in music happened. Yep, I'm talking about the BRITs. As you probably have read, I predicted who would win. Let's see which ones I got right and which ones I got wrong.
Best British Male
I predicted that Craig David would receive this award. However, I also noted how he had strong competition in the form of David Bowie. And yep...of course David Bowie won.
Best British Female
Of course it was going to be Emeli Sande. With her second album getting to number one, it is clear that everyone had missed her. This BRIT award was the icing on the cake for Emeli after having her hugely successful comeback. Oh and when she received her award, she brought her sister on stage to accept the award with her. That is what I call "sister goals."
Best British Group
We had Bastille. We had Radiohead. Somehow, The 1975 won. Matty Healy used his acceptance speech to inform people to use whatever platform they had to speak about what was important to them. To be fair, The sound and Chocolate are both good songs, and it was the least predictable win of the night.
Best British Video
This was voted for on Twitter so obviously, One Direction won. I think we should just give awards to One Direction, when Twitter decides the winner, to be honest.
Best British Single
I missed this category out of my predictions because it could have gone to any one. There were so many good songs by acts such as, Coldplay, James Arthur, Clean Bandit and Calvin Harris, to name a few. However, all eyes were on the fact Little Mix's Shout Out to my Ex was up against erm...the ex, in the form of Zayn's Pillowtalk. The champions of this battle were Little Mix, who thanked their exes for inspiring this song. It is also noteworthy that the girls were up against Zayn's former band mates in the best video category, with One Direction winning, as previously mentioned.
Best British Breakthrough
I really thought Blossoms had this. They even went as far as forming their own campaign, which included the band handing out leaflets saying "vote Blossoms" to members of the public. However, Rag 'n' Bone man won. Don't get me wrong, I like Rag 'n' Bone Man but he had already received an award, in the form of the Critics' Choice. Surely, with their full on campaign, Blossoms had a chance?
Best International male
To be honest, he had to win for having the longest running number one, with One Dance, and having the most annoying song in the form of Work. Yep, I am talking about Drake. However, yes it was number one for weeks, but One Dance is a good song and during his speech, Drake took the time to do a shout out for Skepta. Could there be a collaboration on the way?...
Best international female
Who else would it have been but Beyoncé? Yep, Queen Bey herself bagged the prize, beating the likes of the princess of R n B, Rihanna and quirky girl, Sia. Also, she beat Solange in the whole "battle of the sisters." All hail Queen Bey!
Best International group
So...we had two huge successes of 2016, which were Kings of Leon and Twenty One Pilots. Randomly though, it went to A Tribe Called Quest. A lot of people I think were wondering who they are, myself included.
Best British album
It was David Bowie...obviously. The man is a legend and will never be forgotten. What was sweet was that Duncan Jones, Bowie's son, came to collect the award, with the intention of telling his son what his grandad was like. He also stated that the award was for people who were considered to be "kooks" who liked to be different.
Notable moments
The BRITs are usually so controversial but recently it has been really tame. But I would like to thank Katy Perry for providing entertainment into what is known as "a falling house." Yep, a dancer dressed as a house fell off the stage. Also, she had massive skeleton puppets who were strangely dressed like Donald Trump and Theresa May. Well played Katy. Well played!
Another highlight was Twitter going into a panic when The 1975 performed The Sound, as they thought that The 1975, The BRITs and ITV1 itself had been hacked. This was due to pink screens showing insults about the band popping up between shots of the band performing. However, The 1975 fans knew that messages just so happened to appear in The Sound music video. Problem solved!
There was also a not so secret performance from Coldplay and The Chainsmokers, who performed their new song, Something Like This. This was no thanks to Spotify, who had announced the release of the single earlier that day. Chris Martin also performed a beautiful tribute to George Michael, by singing A Different Corner, with George being shown on a big screen. Before the tribute, Andrew Ridgely, Pepsi and Shirli spoke about times with their bandmate, with tears in their eyes, showing how loved George Michael was.
So...the BRITs are over for another year. With some worthy winners and some standout moments, will the BRITs 2018 top the BRITs 2017? Time will tell.
Em x
Best British Male
I predicted that Craig David would receive this award. However, I also noted how he had strong competition in the form of David Bowie. And yep...of course David Bowie won.
Best British Female
Of course it was going to be Emeli Sande. With her second album getting to number one, it is clear that everyone had missed her. This BRIT award was the icing on the cake for Emeli after having her hugely successful comeback. Oh and when she received her award, she brought her sister on stage to accept the award with her. That is what I call "sister goals."
Best British Group
We had Bastille. We had Radiohead. Somehow, The 1975 won. Matty Healy used his acceptance speech to inform people to use whatever platform they had to speak about what was important to them. To be fair, The sound and Chocolate are both good songs, and it was the least predictable win of the night.
Best British Video
This was voted for on Twitter so obviously, One Direction won. I think we should just give awards to One Direction, when Twitter decides the winner, to be honest.
Best British Single
I missed this category out of my predictions because it could have gone to any one. There were so many good songs by acts such as, Coldplay, James Arthur, Clean Bandit and Calvin Harris, to name a few. However, all eyes were on the fact Little Mix's Shout Out to my Ex was up against erm...the ex, in the form of Zayn's Pillowtalk. The champions of this battle were Little Mix, who thanked their exes for inspiring this song. It is also noteworthy that the girls were up against Zayn's former band mates in the best video category, with One Direction winning, as previously mentioned.
Best British Breakthrough
I really thought Blossoms had this. They even went as far as forming their own campaign, which included the band handing out leaflets saying "vote Blossoms" to members of the public. However, Rag 'n' Bone man won. Don't get me wrong, I like Rag 'n' Bone Man but he had already received an award, in the form of the Critics' Choice. Surely, with their full on campaign, Blossoms had a chance?
Best International male
To be honest, he had to win for having the longest running number one, with One Dance, and having the most annoying song in the form of Work. Yep, I am talking about Drake. However, yes it was number one for weeks, but One Dance is a good song and during his speech, Drake took the time to do a shout out for Skepta. Could there be a collaboration on the way?...
Best international female
Who else would it have been but Beyoncé? Yep, Queen Bey herself bagged the prize, beating the likes of the princess of R n B, Rihanna and quirky girl, Sia. Also, she beat Solange in the whole "battle of the sisters." All hail Queen Bey!
Best International group
So...we had two huge successes of 2016, which were Kings of Leon and Twenty One Pilots. Randomly though, it went to A Tribe Called Quest. A lot of people I think were wondering who they are, myself included.
Best British album
It was David Bowie...obviously. The man is a legend and will never be forgotten. What was sweet was that Duncan Jones, Bowie's son, came to collect the award, with the intention of telling his son what his grandad was like. He also stated that the award was for people who were considered to be "kooks" who liked to be different.
Notable moments
The BRITs are usually so controversial but recently it has been really tame. But I would like to thank Katy Perry for providing entertainment into what is known as "a falling house." Yep, a dancer dressed as a house fell off the stage. Also, she had massive skeleton puppets who were strangely dressed like Donald Trump and Theresa May. Well played Katy. Well played!
Another highlight was Twitter going into a panic when The 1975 performed The Sound, as they thought that The 1975, The BRITs and ITV1 itself had been hacked. This was due to pink screens showing insults about the band popping up between shots of the band performing. However, The 1975 fans knew that messages just so happened to appear in The Sound music video. Problem solved!
There was also a not so secret performance from Coldplay and The Chainsmokers, who performed their new song, Something Like This. This was no thanks to Spotify, who had announced the release of the single earlier that day. Chris Martin also performed a beautiful tribute to George Michael, by singing A Different Corner, with George being shown on a big screen. Before the tribute, Andrew Ridgely, Pepsi and Shirli spoke about times with their bandmate, with tears in their eyes, showing how loved George Michael was.
So...the BRITs are over for another year. With some worthy winners and some standout moments, will the BRITs 2018 top the BRITs 2017? Time will tell.
Em x
Thursday, 23 February 2017
NME awards...The good, the bad and the...what?
Hello Everyone!
So...the most rock and roll night of the year happened on Wednesday (15th Feb)...the NME awards. Here's a run down of what went on...from the good and the bad to the...err...what?
The Good
The NME awards kicked off with an amazing performance from Bastille, singing their Best track nominated...er...track Good Grief, complete with images that fans will know were from their Wild Wild World tour. Things got even better for the London quartet that night, as they won the Best album award for Wild World, beating the likes of Beyonce, Radiohead and the Mercury Prize 2016 winner, Skepta.
Another highlight was seeing the Pet Shop Boys get the Godlike Genius award. Having watched the eccentric 80s duo live, as a support act for Take That back in 2011, I can assure everyone that it was a good choice. Ending the show, performing hits, such as West End Girls and It's a Sin, they provided proof of why they deserved to win this award.
In the awards based on festivals, Glastonbury rightly won Best festival and Coldplay won Music Moment of the Year, after their touching tribute to Viola Beach. This involved Coldplay creating an "Alternative future" for the band, by covering Boys That Sing, enabling them to be Glastonbury Headliners for one night. Meanwhile, Adele won Best Headliner.
The Bad
OK...so the points I'm going to make are not necessarily bad but I am a bit biased when it comes with who I want to win at awards ceremonies. Having seen Bastille live, I reckon they would have easily walked away with the best Live act award. It is particularly noteworthy that The 1975 got voted worst band a couple of years ago by NME readers and now they are being voted the Best Live act. Err...okay then.
In the mean time, Biffy Clyro won Best British Band. Again, I would have liked to have seen either Bastille or The Last Shadow Puppets win. However, with their most recent album, Ellipses, going to number one in the UK official album chart and gaining headline slots at T in the Park and Download, it's fair to see why they got the prize.
Regarding the best track, Bastille lost out to Christine and the Queens' Tilted. Christine and the Queens also managed to beat Beyoncé at best international female but I still think Christine and the Queens is a good artist.
The err...what?!
So...it is always a little bit strange when a politician attends an awards ceremony so when the London Mayor, Sadiq Kahn turned up to present an award, I was a little bit surprised. However, it actually worked. He even got a photo with a Skepta and Wiley, among others. Just think, it could have been Boris Johnson...
Another interesting moment was when Matty Healy from The 1975 came to get the award for best Live act and started waffling about the current state of the world. However, I couldn't help but think that he was slightly tipsy (the wine glass in his hand might have been a clue).
Finally, it's not exactly music based but I was shocked that Stranger things didn't win best TV show. It got beaten by Fleabag. So a Netflix hit TV show which has practically been watched by everyone lost out to a TV show not many might have heard of. Yep...makes perfect sense.
I hope you enjoyed my summary of the NME awards. Here's to next year's :)
Em x
So...the most rock and roll night of the year happened on Wednesday (15th Feb)...the NME awards. Here's a run down of what went on...from the good and the bad to the...err...what?
The Good
The NME awards kicked off with an amazing performance from Bastille, singing their Best track nominated...er...track Good Grief, complete with images that fans will know were from their Wild Wild World tour. Things got even better for the London quartet that night, as they won the Best album award for Wild World, beating the likes of Beyonce, Radiohead and the Mercury Prize 2016 winner, Skepta.
Another highlight was seeing the Pet Shop Boys get the Godlike Genius award. Having watched the eccentric 80s duo live, as a support act for Take That back in 2011, I can assure everyone that it was a good choice. Ending the show, performing hits, such as West End Girls and It's a Sin, they provided proof of why they deserved to win this award.
In the awards based on festivals, Glastonbury rightly won Best festival and Coldplay won Music Moment of the Year, after their touching tribute to Viola Beach. This involved Coldplay creating an "Alternative future" for the band, by covering Boys That Sing, enabling them to be Glastonbury Headliners for one night. Meanwhile, Adele won Best Headliner.
The Bad
OK...so the points I'm going to make are not necessarily bad but I am a bit biased when it comes with who I want to win at awards ceremonies. Having seen Bastille live, I reckon they would have easily walked away with the best Live act award. It is particularly noteworthy that The 1975 got voted worst band a couple of years ago by NME readers and now they are being voted the Best Live act. Err...okay then.
In the mean time, Biffy Clyro won Best British Band. Again, I would have liked to have seen either Bastille or The Last Shadow Puppets win. However, with their most recent album, Ellipses, going to number one in the UK official album chart and gaining headline slots at T in the Park and Download, it's fair to see why they got the prize.
Regarding the best track, Bastille lost out to Christine and the Queens' Tilted. Christine and the Queens also managed to beat Beyoncé at best international female but I still think Christine and the Queens is a good artist.
The err...what?!
So...it is always a little bit strange when a politician attends an awards ceremony so when the London Mayor, Sadiq Kahn turned up to present an award, I was a little bit surprised. However, it actually worked. He even got a photo with a Skepta and Wiley, among others. Just think, it could have been Boris Johnson...
Another interesting moment was when Matty Healy from The 1975 came to get the award for best Live act and started waffling about the current state of the world. However, I couldn't help but think that he was slightly tipsy (the wine glass in his hand might have been a clue).
Finally, it's not exactly music based but I was shocked that Stranger things didn't win best TV show. It got beaten by Fleabag. So a Netflix hit TV show which has practically been watched by everyone lost out to a TV show not many might have heard of. Yep...makes perfect sense.
I hope you enjoyed my summary of the NME awards. Here's to next year's :)
Em x
Sunday, 12 February 2017
So...BRITS...who is going to win?
Hello everyone!
So, firstly, apologies for being away for a couple of weeks but I'm back! During my time away, there has been some big news regarding the BRIT awards ...yep the nominations have been revealed. So...who do I think is going to win? (Note: I have not included Best British Video as the actual shortlist will be announced on the day of the BRITs.)
Best British male:
- Craig David
- David Bowie
- Kano
- Michael Kiwanuka
- Skepta
Who Should Win? I reckon out of all these Craig David has a good chance that he'll win Best British Male, considering the successful comeback that he had. However, amongst the nominees is David Bowie and Mercury Music Prize winner, Skepta...
Best British Female
- Ellie Goulding
- Emeli Sande
- Lianne La Havas
- Nao
- Anohni
Who should win? I saw Lianne La Havas last year when she supported Coldplay and she was really good so it would be nice to see her win this award. However, previous winners Ellie Goulding and Emeli Sande are also in the mix so Lianne has stiff competition...
Best British Group
- Radiohead
- Little Mix
- Bastille
- Biffy Clyro
- The 1975
Who Should win? As a fan of Bastille, I hope they win yet for some reason I think one of the other groups might pip them to the post...maybe Radiohead?
Best British Breakthrough
- Anne-Marie
- Skepta
- Rag 'N' Bone Man
- Blossoms
- Stormzy
Who should win? As a fan of Blossoms, I hope they win. However, unlike the other categories, the winner is decided by a public vote so any of the nominees could win...
Best International Male
Best International Male
- Drake
- The Weeknd
- Leonard Cohen
- Bruno Mars
- Bon Iver
Who should win? This is a difficult one as I believe there is more than one winner in here. However, if I had to pick one, I would pick Drake.
Best International Female
- Sia
- Beyoncé
- Solange
- Rihanna
- Christine and the Queens
Who should win? Again, a diificult one as I believe there is more than one winner. However, Beyoncé is in there...
Best International Group
- Twenty One Pilots
- Drake and Future
- Kings of Leon
- Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
- A Tribe Called Quest
Who Should Win? I think Kings of Leon are worthy winners as they have had a big successful comeback in the past year. However, Twenty One Pilots have had a suceesful 2016 as well so either of these acts could win...
Best British Album
Blackstar-David Bowie
I Like It When You Sleep for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It-The 1975
Made in the Manor- Kano
Konichiwa- Skepta
Love & Hate- Michael Kiwanuka
Who should win? Considering how popula Skepta has been, with Konichiwa winning the 2016 Mercury Music Prize, I would not be surprised if it wins Best Briitish Album. However...it is up against fellow Mercury Music Prize nominees, Bowie's Blackstar and I Like it When You Sleep... from The 1975
So...with predictions now made...will they be correct? Find out by tuning into The Brit Awards on Wednesday February 22nd on ITV1 at 7:30pm.
Em x
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