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Adele

Adele Gets All Starry Eyed After A Stevie Nicks Dedication


Adele Stevie Nicks

It seems even mega superstars can get starstruck which is what happened to Adele when she went to see Fleetwood Mac in concert earlier this week and met her personal hero: Stevie Nicks.

AdeleAdele was compared to Stevie Nicks by the singer herself during a Fleetwood Mac concert

The Rolling In The Deep singer was in the audience among other singing sensations including Florence Welsh at Fleetwood Mac’s London gig at 02 and, according to NME, Nicks gave a special shout out to Adele.

Continue reading: Adele Gets All Starry Eyed After A Stevie Nicks Dedication

Sony Pulls Adele, Kelly Clarkson And More From SoundCloud


Adele Hozier Kelly Clarkson

In another instalment of the ongoing struggle between record labels and streaming sites, Sony has removed a number its artists from SoundCloud, including Adele, in a dispute over royalties.

Sony pulled a number of its artists’ original music from the Swedish site on Thursday (May 7th), including Hozier, MR MS, Miguel, Passion Pit and Kelly Clarkson in addition to Adele. At the time of writing, they have not put them back, and more labels and artists are believed to be considering the same course of action.

AdeleAdele's music has gone from SoundCloud, hopefully only temporarily

Continue reading: Sony Pulls Adele, Kelly Clarkson And More From SoundCloud

Four Artists Most Likely To Release A Surprise Album This Year


Kendrick Lamar One Direction Fun Adele Blink 182 Drake

Surprise albums are all the rage, and it’s easy to understand why. They make sense for both fans and artists, and there’s hardly any downside to just throwing your highly anticipated album up for download on a random Saturday night with nothing else going on around the Internet. It practically sells itself at that point.

Kendrick Lamar LiveKendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly saw an early release

Take a look at Kendrick Lamar: his new record, To Pimp A Butterfly, wasn’t even technically a surprise, as it was just allegedly “accidentally” released early on iTunes before its release. It still yielded the same results as a complete surprise album would, and it smashed a ton of streaming records like the 9.6 million number that was achieved via Spotify listens. The record-holder before that was, of course, none other than Drake’s surprise mixtape, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late. You can see the trend here.

Continue reading: Four Artists Most Likely To Release A Surprise Album This Year

Ed Sheeran's 'X' Passes 2 Million Sales Landmark In The UK


Ed Sheeran Adele

After picking up the Brit Award for Album of the Year last month, Ed Sheeran’s X has another achievement to add to its growing list, as the record has just past the two million sales mark in the UK. According to the Official Charts Company, the 24 year old singer can now count himself alongside Adele, Take That and The Beatles, as one of the few artists to reach the milestone.

Ed SheeranEd Sheeran's X has hit the two million sales mark.

X managed to hit the two million mark just 38 weeks after its release last June, which makes it the sixth fastest album to reach the milestone since 2000 and the fifth fastest-selling album of the past five years.

Continue reading: Ed Sheeran's 'X' Passes 2 Million Sales Landmark In The UK

Adele Blasts False Reports Claiming She And Longtime Love Simon Konecki Are Separated


Adele

Although Adele rarely speaks out to the public, the British singer couldn't keep her silence after a false report was published claiming that she and her longtime partner Simon Konecki were separated.

Adele
Adele is still happily in a relationship

The 'Rolling in the Deep' and 'Someone Like You' singer took to Twitter on Sunday (Dec 28th) to blast an article in the tabloid The Sun that reported she and Konecki, who share a 2-year-old son, Angelo, have been living apart for some time, which sparked break-up rumours.

Continue reading: Adele Blasts False Reports Claiming She And Longtime Love Simon Konecki Are Separated

Adele Allegedly "Ignored" Bob Geldof's Band Aid 30 Call But Makes Charitable Donation Instead


Adele Bob Geldof Bono One Direction Ed Sheeran Rita Ora Pixie Geldof Sam Smith

Adele allegedly "ignored" Bob Geldof's calls about taking part in the Band Aid 30 charity single.

Adele
Adele is not taking part in Band Aid 30.

Read More: One Direction, Bono, Ed Sheeran: See Stars Arrive For Band Aid 30 Recording [Pictures].

Continue reading: Adele Allegedly "Ignored" Bob Geldof's Band Aid 30 Call But Makes Charitable Donation Instead

One Direction, Ed Sheeran, Bono: See The Stars Arrive For Band Aid 30 Recording [Pictures]


One Direction Harry Styles Bob Geldof Bono Ed Sheeran Adele Rita Ora

The Band Aid 30 recording of ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’ took place in London today, with stars such as One Direction, Ed Sheeran, Bono, Adele and Chris Martin all lining up to take the mic for a new version of the charity Christmas classic. The single will be available for download from Monday, with proceeds going to help fight Ebola in West Africa.

Harry StylesHarry turned up bright and early ahead of his One Direction bandmates

Fans waited outside the recording studio in Notting Hill all morning to catch a glimpse of their favourite artists, with One Direction’s Harry Styles among the first to arrive.

Continue reading: One Direction, Ed Sheeran, Bono: See The Stars Arrive For Band Aid 30 Recording [Pictures]

Adele Will Not Release New Album In 2014


Adele

Fans of Adele will be left hugely disappointed that the British singer has no plans to release a follow-up to 2011's '21,' which sold more than 25 million copies around the world, this year and will have to wait at least until 2015.

Adele
Fans are still waiting for Adele to release a new album

Speculation of a third studio album being released in 2014 began when Adele turned 26 years-old in May. The multi-platinum singer tweeted, "Bye bye 25... See you again later in the year," and since her previous top two selling albums, '19' (2008) and '21' (2011), were titled in accordance to her age when she recording the songs, it was assumed 25 would be the title of her next record.

Continue reading: Adele Will Not Release New Album In 2014

Aretha Puts Diva On Top Of Diva


Aretha Franklin Adele David Letterman

Known as one of music’s great divas herself, Aretha Franklin’s newest album of covers puts diva on top of diva as the Queen of Soul tackles some of music’s biggest tunes, starting with a version of Adele’s Rolling in the Deep. The album, Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics, is due out on 21 October and includes a number of well-known melodic masterpieces from Etta James, Gladys Knight and The Pips, Alicia Keys and The Supremes amongst others.

Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin is one of music's greatest soul singers

While 26-year-old Adele may seem particularly young within the company of greats such as Chaka Khan and Gloria Gaynor, many fans are excited about the cover, which went live on Monday.

Continue reading: Aretha Puts Diva On Top Of Diva

Ariana Grande And Iggy Azalea Are Conquering The World, One Billboard Record At A Time


Ariana Grande Adele Iggy Azalea

Everything is coming up Ariana Grande these days, including a record that hasn’t been topped since 2012. Ariana currently has three songs in the Billboard Top 10 - Break Free at No.4, Problem at No.7 and Jessie J and Nicki Minaj collaboration Bang Bang at No.10 (Ariana is credited as a lead artist on that, so it still counts).

Ariana Grande
Is Ariana Grande on the fast track to lasting success?

The previous record holder was Adele, with three of her songs in the Top Ten of the Billboard Hot 100 back in 2012. The songs in question were Set Fire To The Rain at No. 2, Rolling In The Deep, which landed at No. 5 and Someone Like You at No. 7 – the trifecta of songs, which make up every great breakup playlist.

Continue reading: Ariana Grande And Iggy Azalea Are Conquering The World, One Billboard Record At A Time

One Direction Named Britain’s Best Selling Musical Export For 2013


One Direction Adele Harry Styles

It looks as if One Direction are now officially Britain’s biggest pop act, after the boy band were named 2013’s best selling artist. The band’s success was topped off in November when their third album, Midnight Memories, became the year’s biggest selling album worldwide.

One Direction at the Brit AwardsBest band ever? One Direction top global album chart

Despite only being released in November, Midnight Memories managed to shift a massive four million copies in only six weeks. The album’s success pushed Eminem’s comeback album The Marshall Mathers LP 2 into second place, while Justin Timberlake had to be content with coming in third.

Continue reading: One Direction Named Britain’s Best Selling Musical Export For 2013

So What Do We Know About Adele’s New Album?


Adele

It’s been two years since Adele released ‘Skyfall’ and frankly the music business misses her. But rumour has it, the singer could be about to come back to the pop world, and unexpectedly drop a new record. But what do we know about the singer’s very top secret third album?

AdeleCould Adele be about to release her third album?

Adele has been doing all she can to make sure no one finds out much about her highly anticipated third album. Never one to behave like everyone else on planet pop, the singer has kept quiet about her rumoured future release, but it’s only made us even more intrigued. The closest we’ve got so far to having any word from the woman herself, is a cryptic tweet sent out last month which read, ‘Bye bye 25... See you again later in the year x’.

Continue reading: So What Do We Know About Adele’s New Album?

"Unacceptable" Terms Of YouTube's Music Service Could Spell Mass Exodus For Indie Labels


Adele Radiohead

Videos from independent music labels could start disappearing from YouTube in the coming weeks, as the website has reached an impasse in the negotiations with several record companies. As YouTube prepares to launch a brand new music service, which would dispense with ads and allow users to download full-length albums, contracts have been negotiated with the three major labels – Sony, Universal and Warner. The indies, as represented by WIN (Worldwide Independent Network) have not been offered the same deal, according to Forbes. This could mean that soon, indie artists like Adele and Radiohead could start disappearing from the site. The wipe would exclude videos under the VEVO umbrella, but live performances and particularly rare recordings are under threat.

Adele
Artists like Adele tend to pride themselves on their indie status, but it could now do them a huge disservice.

Independent labels have instead been offered template contracts with unacceptable, but non-negotiable terms which undercut the rates of services like Spotify and Rdio.

Continue reading: "Unacceptable" Terms Of YouTube's Music Service Could Spell Mass Exodus For Indie Labels

Adele & Arctic Monkeys' Music Videos Face YouTube Removal If Labels Refuse Terms


Adele Arctic Monkeys

Hundreds of music videos will be removed from YouTube if the artists' record labels do not sign up to the sites new subscription service. Music videos by artists such as Adele and Arctic Monkeys could be removed from the site as their independent labels have refused to sign YouTube's licensing terms, meaning their videos could be removed within days.

Adele
Adele's music videos could face removal.

YouTube's new subscription service will charge users to listen to music without advertisements and allow users to download tracks on to their mobiles. The service is due to start a trial within the next few days and will enable users to upgrade their current YouTube and Google apps to a paid for subscription in which they will be able to watch and download music videos even without internet connection. After an initial trial, the service should become available to all users by the end of the summer. 

Continue reading: Adele & Arctic Monkeys' Music Videos Face YouTube Removal If Labels Refuse Terms

Ed Sheeran Received Sage Advice From Fairy Godfather-like Pharrell


Ed Sheeran Pharrell Williams Elton John Rick Rubin Adele

With his sophomore album, X, Ed Sheeran is taking a whole new musical direction and he couldn’t have found a better advisor than Pharrell Williams. In his new MTV documentary, Sheeran talks about the process of working on his first single off X, the dance anthem Sing.

Ed Sheeran
S
heeran attributes the success of Sing  in part to Pharrell Williams' sage advice.

Apparently the track wouldn’t have seen the light of day (not as a single anyway) until much later, had it not been for Pharrell’s advice.

Continue reading: Ed Sheeran Received Sage Advice From Fairy Godfather-like Pharrell

Jack White Apologises For Black Keys & Meg White Rolling Stone Comments


Jack White Meg White White Stripes Black Keys Adele Amy Winehouse Duffy Karen Elson

Jack White, the former frontman of The White Stripes, has apologised for the seemingly insensitive comments he made in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine. White is the cover of June's Rolling Stone magazine and made a series of comments in the accompanying interview in which he appeared to criticise The Black Keys, amongst others, for capitalising on the sound and music style he made so popular. 

Jack White
Jack White has issued an apology to numerous acts.

White's comments about The Black Keys were revealed when his ex-wife, Karen Elson, made public emails between the two which described White's opinions on the band. The revelation was as a result of their ongoing divorce case. 

Continue reading: Jack White Apologises For Black Keys & Meg White Rolling Stone Comments

Coldplay's 'Ghost Stories' And The Five Best Breakup Albums Of All Time


Coldplay Abba Adele Bon Iver Alanis Morissette Amy Winehouse

Coldplay’s new album Ghost Stories has been released, to quite a mixed bag of reviews. When just three weeks after the album’s track listing had been announced Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow announced their “conscious uncoupling” we all had a pretty good idea what the tone of the album would be like. With tracks like “Another’s Arms,” “Always in my Head” and “Magic,” it became pretty self-explanatory that "Ghost Stories" was going to be a breakup album.

Coldplay Breakup Albums "Ghost Stories" focuses on the marriage breakup between Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow

Perhaps he was inspired to call the album “Ghost Stories” as some of these breakup albums have been the some of the most hauntingly heartbreaking albums ever released.

Continue reading: Coldplay's 'Ghost Stories' And The Five Best Breakup Albums Of All Time

Adele Suggests Third Album '25' Will Be Released In 2014


Adele

Adele has dropped a big hint that suggests her third album may be released towards the end of 2014.

The singer, who celebrated turning 26 on Monday (May 5th) took to Twitter to post a cryptic message to her 20.1 million followers.

"Bye bye 25... See you again later in the year x," she wrote, along with a photo of herself giving the thumbs up.

Continue reading: Adele Suggests Third Album '25' Will Be Released In 2014

Adele Bids Farewell To 25 With Low-Key Party And Cryptic Tweet


Adele

"Bye bye 25," tweeted Adele on Sunday night before her 26th birthday celebrations on Monday evening. Turning a year older is a special time for anyone but for the Oscar-winning singer's celebratory tweet is under extra scrutiny for her following comment: "See you again later in the year x."

Adele
Adele Has Hinted That Her Next Album Will Be Called '25.'

Adele has two top-selling records under her belt, 19 and 21, prompting speculation that her cryptic tweet could be hinting at an album release this year called 25. The 'Someone Like You' star has been taking her time with her next release but could be gearing up to drop another album in time for Christmas this year.

Continue reading: Adele Bids Farewell To 25 With Low-Key Party And Cryptic Tweet

Justin Bieber Vs. Slipknot: Music's Maddest Mash-up Tracks


Nirvana Justin Bieber Korn Slipknot Taylor Swift Adele Britney Spears Nine Inch Nails Carly Rae Jepsen

There are certain things in life that don’t sound like they should ever go together, but then you put them together and...they just do. Peanut butter and jelly, French fries dipped in chocolate milkshakes, Justin Bieber and Slipknot. Huh? Yep, you heard us right! Some musical masters out there are just capable of seeing the potential for a great/totally bonkers mash-up song, when the rest of us could never imagine mixing two totally different artists together.  The result can be oddly hypnotic and scarily addictive.  Take these mad, but surprisingly great, mash-ups for example.

carly rae jepsen mashups Are Carly Rae Jepsen and Nine Inch Nails made for each other?

You’d never imagine that Carly Rae Jepsen, she of super cheesy ‘Call Me Maybe’ fame, could ever be teamed up with industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails and the result not make you want to claw your ears off. Call Me a Hole, the Carley Rae Jepsen vs. Nine Inch Nails mash-up is surprisingly easy listening. The poppy beats of Miss Swift behind Trent Reznor’s recognisable rasp kind of works, perhaps these guys could actually get together for a legitimate collaboration one day!

Continue reading: Justin Bieber Vs. Slipknot: Music's Maddest Mash-up Tracks

Cure Me I'm Gay: Doctor Warns "Adele Songs Will Make You Homosexual"


Adele Christian Jessen

You may have seen interesting TV programme has been touted around Channel 4 ad breaks recently. We say interesting - we mean bizarre. "Cure Me I'm Gay" - set to air in the UK tonight (March 19, 2014) follows the openly gay TV presenter Dr Christian Jessen who travels to America to test therapies that purport to "cure" homosexuality.

Cure Me I'm GayDr Christian Jessen Encounters Controversial Ex-Doctor John Smid, in Texas

There, he encounters John Smid, a retired doctor from Texas who claims to be able to turn a gay person, straight. According to reports in the newspapers today, Smid claims that music by British songstress Adele is very popular with the gay community and encourages homosexuality - asking Jessen to instead listen to Christian music.

Continue reading: Cure Me I'm Gay: Doctor Warns "Adele Songs Will Make You Homosexual"

A Plush Animal Print Rug For Rihanna? Celebrity Dressing Room Demands


Justin Bieber Kanye West Adele Rihanna

Being a celebrity comes with a lot of perks. The main one being wherever you go you get to send ahead a list of things you want waiting for you in your hotel or dressing room. Most of the celeb requests are fairly straightforward but some of them...well, just take a look at what the Business Insider uncovered.

rihanna requests Rihanna requests a plush animal print rug to walk around barefoot on

Rihanna apparently asks that any brick or lockers be concealed with white drapes, along with mood lighting for her to feel relaxed. Sure, we get that, no one wants to perform in front of thousands of people if you’ve been feeling a bit tense. She also requests a large, plush, animal print rug that must be clean as she plans to walk around on it in her bare feet. Do non-animal print rugs not feel as luxurious?

Continue reading: A Plush Animal Print Rug For Rihanna? Celebrity Dressing Room Demands

Could This Be The Lineup For Glastonbury Festival 2014?


Glastonbury Festival Prince Kasabian Arcade Fire Adele

Some acts may still be rumours and others are yet to be confirmed, but we have a strong suspicion that this is what the Glastonbury Festival Lineup for 2014 will end up looking like! Eek, we can't wait! The three day music festival is the hottest (and most quickly sold out) ticket of the year, and with a (rumoured) lineup like this, who’s surprised?

prince glastonbury Prince is rumoured to be performing at Glastonbury Festival 2014

Indie rock band Arcade Fire have already confirmed their Friday night slot on the Pyramid Stage at the festival. The Canadian band are fortunate to be playing on the Friday night before everybody has had a sleepless few days and energy starts to die down!  Actually, on second thought, Glastonbury Festival goers never really lose any energy.  There must be something in the air which keeps them all going.

Continue reading: Could This Be The Lineup For Glastonbury Festival 2014?

To Spoil Or Not To Spoil? Kim Kardashian And Adele Vs. Other Celebrity Parents


Kim Kardashian Adele Beyonce Knowles

Celeb land is full of spoiled children and the one celebrity we weren’t expecting to dispute this was Kim Kardashian. We were knocked sideways when Kim claimed that her daughter, North, isn’t at all spoiled. Particularly since just two weeks ago the reality TV star and partner of rapper, Kanye West, was posting photos of designer baby clothes from Oscar de la Renta and Roberto Cavalli.

kim kardashian celeb kids Kim claims that North mainly wears hand me downs and onesies

However, Kim has claimed that despite appearances, North doesn’t have a wardrobe that most 30 year old women would kill for, and that the eight month old often wears hand me downs from Kim’s sister, Kourtney’s daughter, Penelope. Kim explained that North “has actually not worn anything designer yet. Kids get dirty. She’ll spit up. She moves around so much. I saw this one cute dress that was $500 and I was like, “Absolutely not!””.

Continue reading: To Spoil Or Not To Spoil? Kim Kardashian And Adele Vs. Other Celebrity Parents

Brit Awards 2014 Is Almost Here: 10 Memorable Moments


Adele

The Brit Awards are known for being one of the most unruly awards ceremonies and hopefully this year will be no exception. With that in mind, from Adele to Michael Jackson,  here's ten of the most memorable Brit Award's moments from past ceremonies.

Adele with her two Brit Awards in 2012Adele with her two Brit Awards in 2012

1. Don’t interrupt Adele

Continue reading: Brit Awards 2014 Is Almost Here: 10 Memorable Moments

'Frozen' Star Idina Menzel To Sing At Oscars: This Can Only Mean One Thing [Video]


Idina Menzel Adele Kristen Bell

Idina Menzel will bring her rendition of the Disney Frozen's hit song 'Let It Go' to the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony in March. The former Broadway singer will sing the song during the live telecast of the Academy Awards, Oscars show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today, via Billboard.

Idina Menzel Frozen
Idina Menzel, Singer Of The 'Frozen' Song 'Let It Go,' Will Perform At The Oscars.

It has been speculated that Idina's key role in the Oscars' entertainment means that 'Let It Go' is practically a dead cert to win the Best Original Song, as evidenced by Adele's performance of the James Bond Skyfall track, 'Skyfall,' last year. If 'Let It Go' wins, the prize will go to the songwriter and the composer, Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.

Continue reading: 'Frozen' Star Idina Menzel To Sing At Oscars: This Can Only Mean One Thing [Video]

Queen Bee: The Top Five Biggest Selling British Albums


Queen Adele

With Queen's 'Greatest Hits' album now reaching the landmark 6 million sales in Britain, the album is now the biggest selling album of all time in the UK. It leads the top five by 900,000 copies, however the rest of the list is also very interesting.

Queen's Brian MayBrian May, the guitarist with Queen.

Queen ‘Greatest Hits’ (1981) 6 million
Now reaching the 6 million sales mark, the 1981 compilation includes the hits, ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. It is now said that one in three British families owns a copy of the album. Upon hearing the news guitarist Brian May thanked fans for their support over the years, The band, whose singer Freddie Mercury died in 1991, have continued to perform usually using different guest singers.

Abba ‘Gold’ (1992) 5.1 million
Released in 1992, this greatest hits compilation has sold over 5 million copies in the UK. The album includes some of the band's best known hits including, ‘Waterloo’, ‘Dancing Queen’ and ‘Money Money Money’. The album now holds the record of the longest time spent in the album charts with 933 weeks in the UK Top 100 as of February 2014.

The Beatles ‘Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) 5.1 million
The fab four's eighth ablum is the biggest selling studio album of all time in the UK. At the time it was nominated for seven Grammys and won four, becoming the first rock album to win Album of the Year. The album includes many classic Beatles hits such as ‘With a Little Help from My Friends’, and ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’, it has now sold over 5 million copies in the UK.

Adele21 (2011) 4.7 million
The most recent entry, Adele’s second album, is the biggest selling album of the 21st century so far and the fourth of all time in the UK. Led by single ‘Rolling in the Deep’ the album won 7 Grammys including album of the year. So far it has sold 4.7 million copies and is also the most downloaded album in UK history

Continue reading: Queen Bee: The Top Five Biggest Selling British Albums

Adele Scoops MBE Awarded By Prince Charles For Services To Music


Adele Prince Charles

Adele's glittering awards cabinet of accolades has grown larger after she was awarded with an MBE for her services to music today. The singer looked the picture of pride and elegance as she stepped up to receive her medal from Prince Charles wearing a festive green dress and a black fascinator.

Adele
Singer Adele Has Been Honoured For Her Services To Music.

The 25 year-old's career has reached terrific heights after last year's Oscars and Grammys win for her James Bond soundtrack song, 'Skyfall.' In just a few years, the BRIT school alum has undergone a transformation from teen pop star to soulful starlet, basking in the glow of her tremendous worldwide fame.

Continue reading: Adele Scoops MBE Awarded By Prince Charles For Services To Music

BBC Unveil The 'Sounds Of 2014' Longlist


George Ezra Sam Smith Haim Adele Jessie J FKA Twigs

It's that time of year again, time for the BBC to poll who it thinks we will all be listening to this time next year. You might be familiar with some of the names, others you might not be so knowledgable about, but they are all names that the broadcasting house has earmarked for success over the next twelve months.

Sam Smith
Sam Smith is one of the favourites for the contest

In the past, victors have included Adele, Ellie Goulding, Jessie J and last year's winners, Haim, and once again the list is predominantly pop-based, but there are some notable exceptions. Soloists such as Ella Eyre and Sam Smith appear on the list, having already found notable fame for their guest appearances on other artists' tracks. 21-year-old Smith appeared on Naughty Boy's chart-topper 'La La La' and Disclosure's 'Latch,' whilst Eyre found success as a featured vocalist on Rudimental's hit 'Waiting All Night.'

Continue reading: BBC Unveil The 'Sounds Of 2014' Longlist

One Direction Are Officially The Richest Youngsters In Britain


One Direction Daniel Radcliffe Robert Pattinson Keira Knightley Emma Watson Adele Rupert Grint Calvin Harris Cheryl Cole Leona Lewis

One Direction really do have everything after all. In a recently compiled list by Heat Magazine, the boy were revealed as the highest earning entertainment stars under-30's in the UK, with a combined worth of almost £60 million. Individually, the boys would be placed just outside the top ten, however when their wealth is combined they come out on top by a narrow margin.

One Direction
Young, successful and very rich

Last years top spot holder, Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe, was ousted by the combined earning power of the mega-successful boy band, who have an estimated worth of over £12 million each. The boys were included to the list as a joint entity because most of their earnings have been made as a group, rather than through independent ventures. Narrowly missing out on reclaiming his top spot for a third time, Radcliffe came in second this year with £56.19 million. Something tells us that the Kill Your Darlings actor isn't losing too much sleep over being ousted from the top spot.

Continue reading: One Direction Are Officially The Richest Youngsters In Britain

Sophie Cookson Recruited Into Matthew Vaughn's 'Secret Service' Movie


Matthew Vaughn Colin Firth Samuel L Jackson Michael Caine Adele Taylor Swift David Beckham

Actress Sophie Cookson has landed the female lead role in Matthew Vaughn's adaptation of Mark Millar's comic series The Secret Service where she will join Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, Tamara Egerton and Michael Caine, reports Variety.

Sophie Cookson
Cookson In TV Series, Moonfleet.

Cookson, a relative newcomer to acting, is best known for Sky's adventure TV miniseries Moonfleet alongside Ray Winstone. Kick-Ass director Vaughn decided that he wanted to cast a fresh face who he feel really fit the part, over better known names such as Emma Watson and Bella Heathcote. Whilst potentially risky, this was a choice he opted for in Kick-Ass with Chloe Moretz and Aaron Taylor-Johnson and in Layer Cake with Daniel Craig.

Continue reading: Sophie Cookson Recruited Into Matthew Vaughn's 'Secret Service' Movie

Paul McCartney Drops Surprise 'New' Single Ahead Of 'New' Album [Listen]


Sir Paul McCartney Beatles Mark Ronson Adele

Sir Paul McCartney has launched a fresh single from his forthcoming record, and has announced that his new album will be called just that; New. Thinks could get confusing for music journalists describing "Paul McCartney's new New Album," or his "new album New" but for now we'll focus on the exciting new release that has been sneakily dropped online, also called 'New.'

Paul McCartney
Sir Paul Teased Twitter Fans, Tweeting Words Related To 'New.'

Produced by Mark Ronson, the bouncy new song, 'New,' harks back to The Beatles sound with its marching piano chords, nostalgic harpsichord effect and lovesick lyrics. Of course, because it's had Ronson within 10 feet of it, it has a bulbous horn section but has been thankfully saved from the grating trumpet-plagued ubiquity of the producer's work of yesteryear.

Continue reading: Paul McCartney Drops Surprise 'New' Single Ahead Of 'New' Album [Listen]

Adele To Play Villain In Matthew Vaughn's Drama 'The Secret Service'


Adele Matthew Vaughn Colin Firth Michael Caine

Adele is reportedly being lined up to play the villain in Matthew Vaughn's forthcoming drama The Secret Service, starring Colin Firth and, possibly, Michael Caine, according to the Sun on Sunday.

In a movie stinking of desperation - though don't believe everything the tabloids tell you - Vaughn and the producers are lining up a number of high profile celebrities in a bid to boost the movie's box-office hopes.

One of the guest stars is the Grammy award winner who could be cast in the role of the villain. Vaughn apparently believes the Skyfall singer will prove "great value on the big screen" for the movie, which is an adaptation of Mark Millar's comic book of the same name.

Continue reading: Adele To Play Villain In Matthew Vaughn's Drama 'The Secret Service'

Adele Planning Her Move Into Acting: Singer Signs Up For Villainous Role In New Spy Film


Adele Samuel L Jackson Matthew Vaughn Colin Firth Elton John David Beckham

Adele is apparently set to be the next singer to make the inevitable move in front for the cameras after reportedly being cast in the upcoming action film The Secret Service. The singer has reportedly joined a cast that already includes Samuel L Jackson and Colin Firth and will be flexing her acting chops in a villainous role in the new film.

Adele Oscars
Does Adele have a few more Oscars coming her way?

The 'Skyfall' singer will reportedly be playing the role of one of the villains in The Secret Service, which is being adapted for the screen from Mark Millar's original manuscript by Vaughn and Jane Goldman (Kick-Ass, X Men: First Class). Her participation in the film hasn't been confirmed just yet, so it is still unknown what role she will be playing, however some reports state that she will only be taking on a cameo role. If so, then this will be much like her last on-screen appearance - on the hit show Ugly Betty - where she also played a cameo role.

Continue reading: Adele Planning Her Move Into Acting: Singer Signs Up For Villainous Role In New Spy Film

'Secret Service' To Serve As Adele's Acting Debut


Adele Samuel L Jackson Colin Firth

Adele couldn’t have chosen a much better way to kick off her acting career – the soulful singer will star in a movie, directed by X-Men: First Class and Layer Cake director Matthew Vaughn. Not only that, but the crooner is about to act opposite heavyweights Colin Firth and Samuel L Jackson, Entertainmentwise reports.

Adele, Oscars 2013
This Oscar winner is just starting out her film career.

To be fair, Adele isn’t entirely new to the world of acting. In 2009, the Grammy winner made a cameo on the show Ugly Betty. And of course, she is going into it with one Oscar under her belt, which she won earlier this year for the Skyfall theme. Adele returns to the world of secret agents with Secret Service – a British spy flick, not related to 007. Go figure. Oh, and it’s probably worth mentioning that the film in question is based on a graphic novel by Mark Millar, aka the man behind the Kick-Ass comics.

Continue reading: 'Secret Service' To Serve As Adele's Acting Debut

Adele To Take Up Acting? Singer Rumoured For 'Secret Service' Role


Adele David Beckham Samuel L Jackson Matthew Vaughn

Adele has already proved to everyone she can sing; millions of records sold sorts that one out. But now, having provided the sountrack for the world’s most successful spy movie – Skyfall – Adele is set to play the bad guy in Secret Service.

AdeleAdele as a waxwork at Madame Tussauds London

Matthew Vaughn’s The Secret Service, an adaptation of the Mark Millar-Dave Gibbons spy thriller, stars Colin Firth and Sir Michael Caine as super agents fighting a team of villains headed by Samuel L. Jackson.

Continue reading: Adele To Take Up Acting? Singer Rumoured For 'Secret Service' Role

Stiff Records' Hilarious Press Release On Johnny Borrell's Poor Album Sales


Johnny Borrell Razorlight Jahmene Douglas Adele

It's not typical record company procedure, but this is Stiff Records, "where the fun never sets," - apparently.

The label sent out a hilarious press release this week, announcing the first sales figures for Johnny Borrell's - of Razorlight fame - first solo album, Borrell 1. It's actually the first new album that Stiff Records have put out since 2007 - and it sold just 594 copies. Given the Beatles reference in the title, it's probably not too serious.

But anyway, to put that into perspective, that's just less than The Voice winner Leanne Mitchell managed to shift. 

Continue reading: Stiff Records' Hilarious Press Release On Johnny Borrell's Poor Album Sales

Bruce Springsteen Fans Are Crazy! Roads Closed, Camping In Queues & Thousands Spent For Cardiff Show


Bruce Springsteen Adele Pussy Riot Radiohead Madonna Patti Smith

We reckon 1D fans or Justin Bieber fans are rabid because they're mainly hormonal young girls but Bruce Springsteen appeals to a rather different demographic who have been mirroring the obsessive antics of the tweensters. 'The Boss' will perform tonight (23 July) to 29,000 fans at a sold out show, with some making absolutely sure they didn't miss out on a front row position in the standing area of the arena.

Bruce Springsteen
Springsteen: A True Guitar Hero.

BBC News spoke to Warrington fan Tony Tower who admitted he'd been camped outside Millenium Stadium for five days. Mr. Tower explained his need to be at the very front: "It's all about getting under the mic - it's better to be in the pit than out of it. It's the heart of the concert." He also admitted that he'd spent more than £1,300 on tickets to see his idol and that was all OK with his wife, saying "It's not about the cost - it's about the experience. My wife tells me I can afford it." Spoken like a true fan!

Continue reading: Bruce Springsteen Fans Are Crazy! Roads Closed, Camping In Queues & Thousands Spent For Cardiff Show

Lady Gaga Tops Forbes' Biggest Celebrity Earners Under 30: How Much Dollar?


Lady GaGa Justin Bieber Taylor Swift Calvin Harris Rihanna Katy Perry Jennifer Lawrence Adele Kristen Stewart Taylor Lautner

Lady GaGa is once again the top earning celebrity under 30-years-old according to Forbes Magazine's annual compilation of the top earning staring in Hollywood. The 27-year-old topped a mostly female top ten, amassing an estimated $80 million from the period of June 2012 to June 2013, beating her nearest rival by over $20 million. The singer could have made more too, if it wasn't for the unscheduled cancellation of the end of her 'Born This Way Ball' world tour in January after she was forced to undergo hip surgery.

Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga could have made even more, not that she needed to

Her closest competitor was Canadian teen sensation Justin Bieber, the highest place of only three males to make the list. Bieber managed to earn a reported $58m thanks to endorsements, touring, a movie and a string of releases over the past year.

Continue reading: Lady Gaga Tops Forbes' Biggest Celebrity Earners Under 30: How Much Dollar?

Lady Gaga Tops Forbes' '30 Under 30' Celebrity Earners List


Lady GaGa Justin Bieber Taylor Swift Calvin Harris Rihanna Katy Perry Adele Jennifer Lawrence Kristen Stewart Taylor Lautner

Lady GaGa has been a little absent from the music scene and the world of entertainment recently - put that down to her recent hip surgery - but that still hasn't stopped her from becoming the highest earning entertainer aged under thirty in the world. The 'Bad Romance' singer topped a female-dominated list, and Forbes even goes on to mention that the singer could have earned even more if she didn't have to drop out of her recent tour because of her surgery.

Lady Gaga
The Mother Monster topped the Top Earners Under 30 list for a second year

The singer has made an estimated $80 million over the course of the last year, ranging from June 2012 and June 2013. Her 'Born This Way Ball Tour' grossed $168 million before it was abruptly ended in January, with the singer also making a killing from her cosmetics range, album and singles sales and various other business ventures.

Continue reading: Lady Gaga Tops Forbes' '30 Under 30' Celebrity Earners List

Adele's Waxy Lookalike At Madame Tussauds Has Its Big Reveal


Adele Beyonce Knowles Rihanna Lady GaGa

Adele might be one of the liveliest performers out there, so it must have been a challenge even for the pros at Madame Tussauds to get her persona right in wax. And yet, there it is. The eagerly awaited doppelganger was revealed on Wednesday. After comments that the waxwork appears to be a slimmer version, that the pose is unnatural and so on, the general consensus seems to be that the replica is pretty much spot on – or at least as close as possible.

Adele Waxwork, Madame Tussaud's
The figure is almost a perfect likeness.

The Someone Like You singer also reportedly approves of the figure. Madame Tussauds PR manager Nicole Fenner commented in an interview with The Telegraph. “Adele has an extremely busy schedule, especially this year. So whilst we didn’t have a sitting with her, she did actually come into our studios for a sneak peak at the figure, literally a couple of days ago,” Fenner explained. “She was delighted and said that she was so emotional and thought the wax figure was amazing.”

Continue reading: Adele's Waxy Lookalike At Madame Tussauds Has Its Big Reveal

Waxwork Doppelganger Of Adele Unveiled At Madame Tussauds


Adele

If you’ve ever felt the overwhelming urge to give Adele a big hug – most of us have, I mean have you heard Someone Like You – her newly unveiled Madame Tussauds waxwork might just be your best bet. The singer joins the ranks of such pop stars as Rihanna, Beyonce and the late Amy Winehouse as just the latest celebrity doppelganger in the museum’s pop collection.

Adele Waxwork, Madame Tussauds
Completely accurate or buried deep into uncanny valley?

The wax museum’s PR manager Nicole Fenner explained that the new addition was in response to extremely high demand from museum patrons. The already large number of fans, who wanted to see Adele at Madame Tussauds only increased after the singer’s phenomenal success with Skyfall – part of the soundtrack for the anniversary Bond film, released last year. After being honored at both the Oscars and the Grammys, public interest in the singer piqued. Naturally, the museum had to respond and here she is! Or she will be, anyway, as the replica joins the museum’s permanent collection later this month.

Continue reading: Waxwork Doppelganger Of Adele Unveiled At Madame Tussauds

Adele's Incredible Waxwork Does 'The Robo'


Adele Lady GaGa Beyonce Knowles

Adele has been immortalised in wax by the skilled sculptors at London's Madame Tussaud's as the 25 year-old singer joins their hall of fame. The likeness was revealed to an audience behind a curtain with a pianist playing her emotional hit 'Someone Like You' - how apt. It's almost creepy how perfectly they've captured the glamorous singer's looks and stance, including her billowing starlet hair and black lace gown.

Adele
Waxwork Adele Has Been Unveiled At Madame Tussauds.

In a video released by The Telegraph, Madame Tussaud's production coordinator and colourist, Alex Garnett explains that creating a wax likeness is more than getting a face to fit: "we want to get over the emotion, the presence and the sparkle that she's got and so we really wanted to capture that," adding that the position of her hands and other body language were key aspects of this. Strangely though, the flat hand at a 90 degree angle make it look like the 'Skyfall' Oscar-winning singer is about to bust out some moves and start robo-ing to Daft Punk. No? Maybe it's just us.

Continue reading: Adele's Incredible Waxwork Does 'The Robo'

The Voice Winner Andrea Begley Lobbies For Disabled Peoples' Experience At Gigs


Will.i.am Jessie J Laura Marling Adele Newton Faulkner Ed Sheeran

The partially sighted winner of 2013's singing talent show The Voice, Andrea Begley, has voiced her concerns over disabled fans' experience at gigs. "I have had some frustrating experiences at gigs and festivals," confessed Begley, who apparently celebrated her victory by going to a Laura Marling gig. "Sometimes access can be poor because of lots of steps and poor lighting. But often the problem can lie with a lack of knowledge on the part of staff. I think it is essential for venues to train all their staff in disability awareness so as they are able to deal sensitively with disabled customers."

Andrea Begley
Andrea Begley, Winner Of The Voice 2013.

Hailing from County Tyrone, the singer lost 90% of her vision after a degenerative childhood disease, yet plays guitar and piano and hopes to someday collaborate with the likes of Adele, Newton Faulkner and Ed Sheeran. The 27 year-old from Northern Ireland beat favourite Leah McFall to sign a £100,000 recording contract. McFall was being coached by The Voice judge and former Black Eyed Peas', Will.i.am, who seemed set on knocking the wind out of the ecstatic winner's sails with an odd, unsportsmanly tweet: "You should feel the audiences vibration in the room tonight after the public's vote... its unexplainable... so sad... perplexed." According to Yahoo!'s omg!, Begley was personally congratulated by the American singer and producer after the gig, saying she has "no hard feelings."

Continue reading: The Voice Winner Andrea Begley Lobbies For Disabled Peoples' Experience At Gigs

Adele And PJ Harvey Among Those Honoured In Queen's Birthday Honours List


Adele PJ Harvey Rowan Atkinson

Adele has yet another award to stick on the mantlepiece; this time the singer has been awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II as part of the royal's annual Birthday Honours List. Fellow female singer PJ Harvey has also been recognised with an MBE, with sports broadcaster Clare Balding being handed an OBE, capping off a successful honours list for women, in which 47% of the list were female.

After winning yet another arm-full of Grammys and her first ever Oscar (not to mention giving birth to her first child), Adele has had yet another remarkable year in her career, with 2012 becoming the second year in a row that the singer became the highest-selling artist for the year. Harvey meanwhile has been a darling in alternative circles for most of her career and her last album, Let England Shake, even won the singer the coveted Mercury Music Prize. Thanks to her appearance throughout the Olympics, Balding endured herself to the British public even more and after a triumphant year of British sport she has emerged as one of the main stars of the year, with her royal honour no doubt being the icing on the cake of what has been a glorious twelve months.

There were of course decorations being handed out for the men too, with Welsh comic Rob Brydon being handed a MBE for his services to entertainment. In a rather unusual turn-up for the book, Blackadder star Tony Robinson has been knighted, whilst his co-star Rowan Atkinson - who has achieved worldwide fame for his roles in various movies and for his portrayal as Mr Bean - was only given a CBE. Robinson told the press upon the news that he is to be made a sir that he is "thrilled, flattered and a little gob-smacked" to get the honour, pledging, "that from this day on I'll slaughter all unruly dragons, and rescue any damsels in distress who request my help."

Continue reading: Adele And PJ Harvey Among Those Honoured In Queen's Birthday Honours List

Sam Mendes Returning To Direct New 'James Bond' Movie In 2014


Sam Mendes Daniel Craig Idris Elba Barbara Broccoli Michael Wilson Adele James Bond

Sam Mendes has made a U-turn on his decision to bow out of the James Bond franchise after helming the $1.1 billion Skyfall movie, considered one of the best 007 films in the series. Mendes had initially distanced himself from the idea of directing the follow-up to Skyfall, owing to his work on the West End launch of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and his directing of King Lear. Producers Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli appeared resigned to Mendes' departure and began the hunt for his successor, with Sherlock director Guy Ritchie installed as the early favorite to re-team with Daniel Craig.

Some speculation has suggested Craig would follow Mendes out of the door, with Idris Elba coming in as a replacement, though it now appears the high profile duo are back for a new movie. According to Deadline.com, Mendes and the producers got back in touch recently and agreed that the director could work through his theatre commitments before starting production on the new Bond film next year. 

It will be great news for fans of Daniel Craig as Bond. Since his first outing in Casino Royale, the British star has played a more vulnerable version of the ruthless agent, even appearing physically incapable of the job in some segments of Skyfall. The change of direction for the character has led to the often tongue-in-cheek overly sexualised franchise developing into an intelligent spy story with action, humor and crisp cinematography.

Continue reading: Sam Mendes Returning To Direct New 'James Bond' Movie In 2014

Young, Gifted And In The Black: Adele Tops Young Musicians Rich List


Adele Cheryl Cole Katie Melua Leona Lewis

At 24 years old, Adele could definitely be said to be “doing alright for herself.” With enough awards on the mantelpiece to tumble the sturdiest of fire surrounds, Adele has also been announced as the richest young musician (under 30) in the UK, with an estimated fortune of around £30 million. Whilst you’re no doubt busily pondering what you would do with that much money, if your bank account was £30 million in the black, allow us to share the fortunes of some other UK pop stars.

Cheryl Cole is second, though there’s a significant gap between the two, with a fortune of £14 million, and Leona Lewis. The singer Katie Melua is worth £12 million, apparently, which must mean she’s been really savvy with her investments, surely, because we can’t remember the last time she experienced any serious chart success. Florence Welch seems to be onto a nice little earner, too, with £9 million in the bank. The One Direction lads have a tidy collective fortune of £25 million – that’s around £5 million each. Not bad when you’re still in your teens, eh.

Even Adele would be weeping with joy, however, if she had the fortunes of the UK’s real big guns at her disposal. Sir Paul McCartney and his partner Nancy Shevell have a combined fortune of a staggering £680 million. For the record, we reckon that Paul brought most of that to the relationship with him. Like, £679.9 million of it. 

Continue reading: Young, Gifted And In The Black: Adele Tops Young Musicians Rich List

How Adele Helped Music Industry Pass One BILLION Downloads


Adele

10 years after legal downloads were launched, numbers have reached the billion mark, with Adele’s Someone Like You the most downloaded single of all time, followed by tracks by Maroon 5 and Gotye.

Martin Talbot, Managing Director of the Official Charts Company, said: "The explosion in download sales over the past nine years means we are genuinely now living in the digital music age." Geoff Taylor, Chief Executive of the BPI, added: "As fans increasingly download music on the move, tablets, smartphones and connected cars will drive another phase in digital music's expansion."

AdeleAdele hanging out with film's elite

Continue reading: How Adele Helped Music Industry Pass One BILLION Downloads

Adele Helps The UK Music Industry Reach One Billion Downloads


Adele

Adele has helped the UK recorded music industry to reach its one billionth downloaded single. The multi-million singer – who has carried the UK music industry on her back so much recently, that when she eventually retires there’ll be one of those Atlas-type statues made of her, except she’ll be holding a giant musical note instead of the globe – has the most downloaded track of all time in the new data released; ‘Someone Like You’ top of the pile of the instead of Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera and ‘Moves Like Jagger’.

Digital track sales were the highest ever in 2012, with 188.6 million shifted. That doesn’t include the total for whole albums sold, though does include album tracks downloaded individually. According to The Independent, Chief executive of the BPI Geoff Taylor said: "The digital music revolution has made it easy to buy any song you like, instantly, for half the price of a coffee. As fans increasingly download music on the move, tablets, smartphones and connected cars will drive another phase in digital music's expansion."

Official Charts Company managing director Martin Talbot added: "The explosion in download sales over the past nine years means we are genuinely now living in the digital music age - with Adele as our queen. Over the nine years of legitimate digital music, more than 16 new tracks have sold one million copies, which emphasises just how popular digital music is in the modern age." It was revealed earlier in the year that the UK music industry as a whole had also arrested a 15 year slump to record a minimal growth.

Continue reading: Adele Helps The UK Music Industry Reach One Billion Downloads

Adele Working On 'Edgy' New Album With Arctic Monkeys Producer


Adele Kid Harpoon Florence Welch Arctic Monkeys Jessie Ware

Adele is finally starting work on her third studio album, making every effort to follow her worldwide number 1 hit '21' with a new 'edgy' record.

The 'Rolling in the Deep' singer is certainly rolling in the millions at the moment with her impressive vocals earning her numerous Grammys, BRITS, a Golden Globe and an Oscar and it doesn't look like her career is going downhill anytime soon. She is set to work with two of the best names in the British music business James Ford and Kid Harpoon who have previously worked with some of Britain's favourite modern artists Florence Welch, Arctic Monkeys and Jessie Ware. "Adele wants to move with the times and is trying to make her new record sound as edgy as possible," a source told The Sun. "The team she's assembled is first rate and she's confident they can help match the success of her first two albums."

It wouldn't be overly confident to suggest that her next album will sell millions in its opening sales as it will probably be one of the most highly anticipated albums of the year on its release. We're guessing it won't be a tear-jerker like '21' either, what with Adele achieving some serious milestones in the last year both musically and personally as she is now a mother to a baby boy with her boyfriend, not to mention becoming filthy rich within two albums.

Continue reading: Adele Working On 'Edgy' New Album With Arctic Monkeys Producer

Joan Rivers Blasts Adele Over Her Weight Problems


Joan Rivers Adele

Joan Rivers may be nearing 80 and is probably made predominately of plastic now, but that still hasn't stopped her from regularly speaking her mind in a bid to knock people down a peg or two. Her latest victim is the Grammy-winning Brit singer Adele, who Rivers claimed during a chat with HuffPost Live needs to lay off the fatty food.

Joan Rivers
Joan Rivers has always had a sharp tongue

The 'feud' between the two started back in February when Rivers appeared on The Late Show With David Letterman, during which the comedienne quipped that the singer should rename her hit record 'Rolling In The Deep' to 'Rolling In The Deep Fried Chicken.' Rivers has remained quiet over Adele since then, however the notorious comic was made to readress her comment when speaking on a HuffPost Live chat.

Continue reading: Joan Rivers Blasts Adele Over Her Weight Problems

Adele And Simon Konecki Planning Secret Wedding?


Adele

Adele could be getting set up to be the wedding singer at her own wedding! It’s been reported that she and her boyfriend might well be planning a top secret wedding at home in Brighton, on the south coast of England.

Adele and Simon Konecki her their first child together 5 months ago, son Angelo, and it appears that the Grammy and Oscar award winning singer is now taking steps to make the family fully official, with the couple setting about getting things together for a ceremony. It’s been rumoured before that they’ve married in secret, though those rumours have amounted to nothing, but according to a source for Us Weekly, things are definitely going ahead now. "She's been planning it for a while and is very involved," someone said, claiming that the nuptials between the pair will go down "in the summer or fall" and likely take place at her new home, according to another source.

The pair have been together for over a year, ever since the decorated singer got involved with Konecki’s clean-wells charity, Drop4Drop, and subsequently moved from her native London to Brighton in order for him to be near his daughter who he’d had from his previous marriage. Adele also has a good relationship with her potential step-daughter and it seems they’re living the dream at the moment. "Simon is the perfect partner and Angelo is just her life” said a source.

Continue reading: Adele And Simon Konecki Planning Secret Wedding?

Adele Chosen To Perform At Michelle Obama's 50th Birthday Bash With Beyonce


Adele Beyonce Knowles

Adele’s year has been pretty phenomenal so far; she’s landed a Golden Globe, an Oscar and a number one hit, with her Bond theme, Skyfall. Now, though, this are set to take an even better turn for Adele, it seems, Rumor has it that Adele, along with US star Beyonce, has been asked to perform at Michelle Obama’s 50th birthday party at the White House, the Daily Mail have reported.

Adele looks set to perform at the high profile birthday bash, which will take place on January 17. A source told the Daily Mail “America’s First Lady will be holding a huge celebrity-packed party for her birthday at the White House next year and, as she adores Adele and Beyonce, she has asked them both to sing. Adele has graciously accepted and waived her usual fee for the high-profile private performance. She will sing a selection of her most-loved hits for the First Lady and her friends.”

And for any one that’s up in arms about state money being spent on Adele’s personal expenses, worry not. The party is a private affair and not a state one, so the Obamas will be coughing up out of their own pockets.

Continue reading: Adele Chosen To Perform At Michelle Obama's 50th Birthday Bash With Beyonce

Adele – From Rags To Riches, But How Has It Changed Her?


Adele

Adele has risen from her humble upbringing to global stardom. She is now a household name, respected in musical circles and adored by her fans. And perhaps best of all, she’s an Oscar-winner. But how has this affected her character? Or has it?

Well according to her aunt, Anita: she hasn’t changed one bit. “She doesn’t get any special treatment — of course not. Why would she?” she told The Sun. “There’s plenty of nieces, nephews and grandchildren in this family so no one gets any special treatment, I can tell you. They’re all treated the same.” And when the British powerhouse singer pops round to visit her relatives, she’s still got to perform the tasks of old. “Adele comes round and she’s still got to go and make her nan a cup of tea, I’m afraid,” confirms Anita. After some time away from the limelight, Adele returned to the fore, claiming a Golden Globe, a Grammy and now an Oscar in the space of two months. “There’s not a lot more for her to top now, is there? She’s worked her way through all the awards,” the singer’s aunt explained.

The 85th Annual Oscars at Hollywood & Highland Center - Press Room - Los Angeles, California, United States

Continue reading: Adele – From Rags To Riches, But How Has It Changed Her?

Thanks Adele! Music Industry Grows For First Time In 13 Years


Adele

The worldwide recorded music industry grew for the first time in thirteen years in 2012, pulling in $16.5 billion, which represents an increase of 0.3 per cent. The rise is essentially down to streaming sites and downloaded music, with Adele's massive selling album '21' and Carly Rae Jepsen's smash hit single 'Call Me Maybe' contributing heavily.

Digital record sales rose a huge 9 per cent to $5.6 billion and now account for some 34 per cent of total revenue, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. It's welcome news for the music business, which has taken a battering from piracy and declining sales of CDs in recent years. "These are hard-won successes for an industry that has innovated, battled and transformed itself over a decade," said Frances Moore, chief executive officer at IFPI. "They show how the music industry has adapted to the Internet world, learned how to meet the needs of consumers and monetized the digital marketplace."

The number of people using illegal music-file sharing dropped by 17 per cent - another encouraging statistic - with the practise thought to have peaked in 2005, when one in five Internet users over the age of 13 were using illegally accessed files. "For the music industry, which has been battling digital piracy for over a decade, last year was a year of progress," said Russ Crupnick, senior vice president of industry analysis at NPD. "Among other factors, the increased use of legal and licensed streaming services has proven to be an alternative for music fans."

Continue reading: Thanks Adele! Music Industry Grows For First Time In 13 Years

Recorded Music Industry Announces Profit; Is That Thanks To Adele?


Adele Carly Rae Jepsen

Great news for the music industry! It’s growing! Like, making money! For the first time in ages! Whilst we’re pretty sure this isn’t trickling down to the musicians too well (Spotify are in talks to reduce their payment of royalties to artists even further, for instance), but for everyone surrounding the musicians it’s a cautious positive step in what’s been a long – really long – battle.

Let’s not go nuts; the figure given by The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry was a rise of 0.3% for global revenue, not exactly earth-shattering. However, given the trials and tribulations the industry has had in battling piracy, the fall in physical music sales – not to mention the larger economic situation as a whole – in recent years, any improvement should be taken with open arms. "It is hard to remember a year for the recording industry that has begun with such a palpable buzz in the air," said IFPI chief executive Frances Moore, according to The Hollywood Report. The improvement was helped by the continuing surge in digital music, with MP3, subscription and advertisement services revenue increasing 9% on the previous year to $5.6 billion, contributing to a total figure of $16.5 billion.

Another load of figures, released by the NPD group, suggested a 26% fall in the illegal downloading of music, although we’re not sure how they’ve managed to arrive at such a definitive figure given the widespread and un-marshaled availability of it. Only 11% of those 13 years old and older were estimated to have downloaded from a P2P service last year too. So is the music industry winning? Perhaps, but it still looks a little top-heavy to us, with Carly Rae Jepsen and Adele the big sellers of 2012, 21 selling another phenomenal 8.3 million units. The issue is that for the last few years the industry has seemingly relied on one or two huge stars to carry the bulk of the sector, if that dries up anytime soon, then the dark days could intensify again.

Continue reading: Recorded Music Industry Announces Profit; Is That Thanks To Adele?

Oscars Glory For British Darling Adele With Skyfall Win


Adele Academy Of Motion Pictures And Sciences

Adele added another award to her already extensive collection last night as she and co-songwriter Paul Epworth took home the gong for Best Original Song at the 2013 Academy Awards show.

Adele and 'Skyfall' co-writer Paul Epworth win Best Original Song at the Oscars 2013

Adele and 'Skyfall' co-writer Paul Epworth win Best Original Song at the Oscars 2013

Continue reading: Oscars Glory For British Darling Adele With Skyfall Win

The Blandest Brits In Years? Ben Howard Provides Only Real Surprise With Double Win (Pictures)


Ben Howard Brit Awards Taylor Swift Rita Ora Jake Bugg Alt-J Emeli Sande Adele James Corden

Last night’s Brits ceremony could well have been the blandest Brits in years. Aside from a frisson of post-breakup tension between Harry Styles and Taylor Swift (who took to the stage wearing a sexy black hot-pant jumpsuit with gold embellishments) there was little in the way of shock, surprises, or backstage gossip (or if there is, it hasn’t made it’s way down to us yet!).

Taylor Swift - Brits

Taylor Swift arrived in a long black dress before changing into her skimpier stage outfit

Continue reading: The Blandest Brits In Years? Ben Howard Provides Only Real Surprise With Double Win (Pictures)

Forget The Gongs, What's In This Year's BRIT Awards Goody Bag?


James Corden Adele Mumford And Sons Emeli Sande Rita Ora

Adele, Mumford & Sons, Emeli Sande, blah, blah, blah: nobody really cares who walks away with the Brit Awards right? Lets face it, we tune in every year in the hope of some clunky presenting, a stiletto heel break, or a wardrobe malfunction. However, something else that appears to be of interest before every Brit Awards ceremony is the shadowy goody bags that each nominee and performer gets to take home. The Academy Awards put the stoppers on their Oscars gift bags years ago, owing totax concerns, but the British don't care about that. The Brit Awards goody bags and back - but what's in them this year?

Well, according to ceremony organizers, the biggest names in pop music will be taking home a Lucky Voice Karaoke Kit, in order to practise at home, we assume. For the girls, there's also a Jack French London Primrose Bag, while for the boys, it's a Twenty8 signature bag from The London Collection. Elsewhere, there's a Paperblanks journal ensuring telephone numbers can by duly scribbled down at the after-party, and there's also some Highland Angel cufflinks and Ti Senti Milani jewellery. Fancy.

Hey, there's also a scarf (for the cold weather) and some bamboo sunglasses (for the hot weather), as well as JBL headphones and a JBL 'flip' portable wireless stereo system. Should - heaven forbid - any of the celebrities forget to shower themselves in perfume and aftershave, the goody bag contains a Hugo Boss fragrance for the guys, and a Boss Nuit perfume for the ladies.  

Continue reading: Forget The Gongs, What's In This Year's BRIT Awards Goody Bag?

A Former Lover Of Adele Has Revealed Himself


Adele Neil Fox Elvis Presley

A man claiming to be Adele's former boyfriend and inspiration has come forward during a song request on the radio. The man, who identified himself as Giles, talked about how he and Adele engaged in a ''whirlwind romance'', and he still thinks about her from time to time. Giles phoned into British breakfast radio show on 'Magic FM', hosted by Neil Fox, on Tuesday 19th February, 2013. He requested Elvis Presley's hit 'Always on My Mind' to be played, and then explained his reasons. 

Related: Adele Album A No-Go for 2014, Music Industry Does a Little Cry

''Why that one?" asked Giles, before clarifying: "Well it's for an old flame of mine, a very old flame called Michelle Adkins. I'd like to let her know that I'm thinking of her. She's done pretty well these days. She's actually changed her name to Adele Adkins in recent years.'' After being asked for more information about the relationship, Giles described: ''a whirlwind romance many years ago'', and added: ''It was fun and eventful. All I can stay is it's all in the lyrics if you know what I mean."

Continue reading: A Former Lover Of Adele Has Revealed Himself

Adele Brit Awards Acceptance Speech Snub To Be Righted?


Adele

The chairman of the BRIT Awards has revealed that tomorrow evening they will be ‘rewriting the wrong’ they inflicted on Adele, after the multi-million selling artist – who near enough kept the UK music industry afloat in 2011 and 2012 – was cut off during her album of the year acceptance speech at the 2012 ceremony.

Adele was cut off so that Britpop veterans Blur – who’d taken that year’s outstanding contribution award – could play out the show; however the star was understandably furious, giving a gesture as she was cut off. It’s something that BRIT chairman David Joseph recognised was wrong, in an interview given to The Guardian. "How can you take an artist who has made the biggest cultural impact musically this country has seen globally for some time and cut her off in the middle of her speech?" he said. "I very much to this day question what was happening in that control booth. I can hint that something is going to happen this year to rewrite that wrong."

Joseph also said that he had told broadcasting network ITV they should run into a commercial break if a similar situation arose this year. "I think Adele was totally justified expressing how she felt. It was a very big moment for her, but I'd stay tuned to this year's show to see if there is any form of squaring of that circle."

Continue reading: Adele Brit Awards Acceptance Speech Snub To Be Righted?

All Aboard The Skyfall Train! James Bond Fans Could Take Special Journey


Daniel Craig Adele

A special James Bond themed train will arrive in Edinburgh tomorrow; the vessel will then be free for fans of the franchise to travel on, as the train begins service between Waverly and London King’s Cross, Scotsman reports.

Jon Melville predicts that fans would be receptive to the idea. He said: “Skyfall, of course, has such a great Scottish connection with the filming that took place in the Highlands, so anything that we can do to get people travelling to Scotland is a great thing. If we’re talking Scotland, we have such a strong connection to Bond because of Sean Connery and because Bond is half-Scottish. People will be able to soak up the atmosphere of Sean Connery’s city and then maybe head further north and see where they filmed Skyfall.” Passengers will be free to make the four-hour journey on board the train from tomorrow, mirroring Bond and M’s voyage north for the film’s final act.

Skyfall - starring Daniel Craig as Bond - has now earned £708 million worldwide, and will also enjoy special recognition next Sunday (24th) when The Oscars take place. The Academy is set to pay tribute to the Bond franchise on its 50th anniversary. This will include speakers and a performance of Skyfall from British songstress Adele, who’ll also be hoping to win Best Original song for the Bond tune.

Was Adele Telling Chris Brown Off? She Tweets The Truth


Adele Chris Brown Rihanna Beyonce Knowles Katy Perry Jennifer Lopez Grammy Awards

While some bands got some awards and gave some speeches, the real essence of The Grammys could be found elsewhere. What? You might ask; celebrity gossip of course! And what could be better than British powerhouse singer Adele telling Chris Brown off... or did she?

The photo certainly suggest she was giving him an earful for not awarding Frank Ocean with a standing ovation, which everyone else did, or for beating up Rihanna all those years ago. Adele looks like she's shouting, and Brown looks on the defensive, but that's not really the way it panned out. "Chris Brown and I were complimenting each other in that photo actually!" tweeted the Skyfall singer and Oscar nominee, confirming that a war of words didn't, in fact, take place. Adele, bless her, seemed star struck herself. And this is a 9-time Grammy award-winning artist! She was prancing around grabbing pictures with all the A-listers, including Beyonce, Rihanna, Katy Perry, and of course, the controversial Mr. Brown. 

There was one person she didn't get a picture with though, and that was Ukrainian TV prankster Vitalii Sediuk, who climbed up when the Brit singer won Best Pop Solo Performance and said: "It's such an honour to receive this award" Jennifer Lopez sorted him out, and he ended up spending a night in jail. Worth it? Probably. 

Continue reading: Was Adele Telling Chris Brown Off? She Tweets The Truth

Will The Six Spies 'Bond' At The Oscars?


James Bond Sean Connery Daniel Craig Roger Moore Timothy Dalton GEORGE LAZENBY Pierce Brosnan Adele Academy Of Motion Pictures And Sciences IAN FLEMING

It's less than two weeks until the most prestigious movie awards ceremony - the Academy Awards -takes place on February 24th 2013 and rumours are flying around everywhere about alleged appearances. One of the biggest is, in the wake of the 50th anniversary of the first James Bond movie 'Dr No', all six actors who have portrayed the British spy (from Sean Connery to Daniel Craig) will show up for one huge reunion on the Oscars stage. But just how likely is it happen?

Sean Connery has, according to the Daily Record, been invited to attend the so-called reunion, as sources reveal that they've 'not had a no from him'. 'Normally he is quick to turn things down', they said. 'Sean's relationship with the Oscars is good and we're hoping he'll appear.' The paper also went on to claim that Sean's 'issues' with the producers of James Bond may deter him from attending the event, although we've always thought of him as seeming rather proud of being the original 007 star so it would seem odd for him to refuse on that account. On the other hand, according to the Edinburgh Evening News, the Scottish actor didn't even know about the rumours, with his press agent claiming that no-one has yet asked him to get involved.

One who would be likely to attend is Sir Roger Moore; a man who was loved by so many that he played the role of Bond for 12 years, completing 7 movies between 1973 and 1985. He celebrated the 50th anniversary of the franchise last year by releasing his book 'Bond on Bond: The Ultimate Book On 50 Years Of Bond Movies' so it certainly seems like it's a part of his life he holds dear. He mentioned in an interview on the 'Today' show that it was like 'working with a family every 18 months' but regrets that he finished his book before he saw the latest 007 movie 'Skyfall'. 'I would write another chapter', he said. 'I think it is just the best Bond ever made.' However, as happy as he seems to be constantly associated with the fictional secret agent, he wasn't spotted at the 2013 BAFTAS on February 10th 2013 where 'Skyfall' won 'Best British Film'.

Continue reading: Will The Six Spies 'Bond' At The Oscars?

Chris Brown Gets Almighty Telling Off From Adele Over Frank Ocean Snub


Chris Brown Frank Ocean Adele

Chris Brown certainly met his match at the Grammys on Sunday evening after making the rather ill-thought-out decision to remain firmly in his seat during a standing ovation for Frank Ocean, who won the award for Best Urban Contemporary Album. Adele, 24, looked on as Chris failed to rise from his seat, shaking her head and appearing to give Brown, 23, a piece of her mind.

In fairness, Brown was always going to look silly (especially wearing a white suit) - he fought Ocean in a Los Angeles parking lot around three weeks ago, leaving the Odd Future singer with an injured hand. Though Rihanna's boyfriend applauded the Channel Orange singer, he remained in his seat, much to Adele's chagrin. Once Ocean's acceptance speech was compete, new mother Adele made her way over to Brown to discuss his behaviour, with the R&B star looking rather sheepish and attempting to explain himself. According to the Daily Mail, the pair were later seen hugging and posing - albeit stiffly - for a photograph. The Rolling In The Deep singer did manage to get a picture with two time Grammy award-winner Frank, who rounded off his successful night by making the first televised performance of his track Forrest Gump. 

Other winners at the biggest event on the music calendar included The Black Keys, Kelly Clarkson, Jay-Z and Kanye West.

Continue reading: Chris Brown Gets Almighty Telling Off From Adele Over Frank Ocean Snub

Oscars 2013: Will Shirley Bassey Belt Out Those James Bond Classics?


Shirley Bassey Adele Barbra Streisand James Bond

One thing popped into our heads when we learnt that Shirley Bassey would be performing at The Oscars 2013: Bond tunes. 

She just has to give us one of Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, or Moonraker, otherwise we'll be deeply disappointed. Let's look at the facts, and there aren't many: it's Shirley Bassey; it's The Oscars, and it's the 50th anniversary of James Bond, 007. Nailed on, it has to be! "We are thrilled to welcome the legendary Dame Shirley Bassey to our Oscar show," producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron said in a statement. "Her association with film music is world-renowned and we are proud that she will be making her first Oscar appearance on our telecast." She'll be joined - not on stage we don't think - by Adele and Barbara Streisand in a show that comprises three of the best singers around today. Oh and some film stars will be there too, we reckon.

Bond will be hoping for more than just a 50th anniversary celebration, which, for most film frachises would be a honour, but, given 007's paltry return from the Academy. Adele's Skyfall has been nominated for best original song at the 2013 Academy Awards; the first awards for the Bond franchise in more than 30 years, which, given the hugely popular response to Skyfall, is a disappointment in itself. 

Continue reading: Oscars 2013: Will Shirley Bassey Belt Out Those James Bond Classics?

Adele Undergoes Hypnotherapy To Combat Stage Fright


Adele Barbra Streisand

Given her overwhelming success across the globe and regular appearances on stage, you wouldn't expect Adele to be the type of person to suffer from stage fright. With her upcoming Oscar performance though, this is exactly the case for the songstress.

Adele is set to perform her Oscar-nominated James Bond theme tune 'Skyfall' at the ceremony on February 24, but according to The Sun the singer is so weary and anxious about her upcoming gig that she’s suffering from panic attacks and insomnia. To help her get over this prevailing problem with her nerves, she is now believed to be seeking all the help see can get, including undertaking hypnotherapy sessions.

If this wasn't bad enough for the singer, according to some of her friends things took a turn for the worse when she discovered that her idol Barbara Streisand will also be performing there. A source told the paper: “A friend in LA recommended the hypnotherapist because Adele was getting so nervous about the gig." The source added, “She has been rehearsing for the show with an orchestra, but all the preparation in the world isn’t enough to keep her calm.

Continue reading: Adele Undergoes Hypnotherapy To Combat Stage Fright

That Funny Girl's Back: Barbra Streisand Returns To Oscars Stage After 36 Years


Barbra Streisand Adele Daniel Craig

This year’s Oscars ceremony will see the return of Barbra Streisand for the first time since 1977. Streisand will be making a special appearance, performing live onstage. The last time she graced the Academy stage, she was performing ‘Evergreen’ from A Star Is Born – for which she won herself a Best Original Song Oscar.

The awards show’s producers, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron revealed “In an evening that celebrates the artistry of movies and music, how could the telecast be complete without Barbra Streisand? We are honored that she has agreed to do a very special performance on this year's Oscars, her first time singing on the show in 36 years.” Streisand also won the Best Actress Oscar in 1969, for her role in Funny Girl.

Next month’s 85th Academy Awards ceremony is also scheduled to include a tribute to movie musicals, with Oscar-nominated Les Miserables featuring in the tribute as well as songs from Dreamgirls and Chicago. The ceremony is also due to feature a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the James Bond franchise, including a live performance from Adele, who is nominated for her song ‘Skyfall,’ the eponymous track from the latest Bond movie, starring Daniel Craig as James Bond. 

Continue reading: That Funny Girl's Back: Barbra Streisand Returns To Oscars Stage After 36 Years

Barbra Streisand To Join Adele On The Bill For Oscars Night Performers


Barbra Streisand Adele Norah Jones

Adele isn’t the only one getting her lungs dusted off for the Oscars next month, veteran singer and two-time Academy Award winner Barbra Streisand is also going to be making an appearance!

Streisand hasn’t performed at the prestigious movie awards for nearly four decades, but she will do on the evening of February 24, with the show’s producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron revealing the news in a statement. “In an evening that celebrates the artistry of movies and music, how could the telecast be complete without Barbra Streisand?” they said, as reported by Entertainment Weekly. “We are honored that she has agreed to do a very special performance on this year’s Oscars, her first time singing on the show in 36 years.”

Adele is there as part of the James Bond 50th anniversary segment and also because she’s been nominated this year for her Skyfall theme song. Norah Jones will also be performing on the night, her song ‘Everybody Needs A Best Friend’, from Ted, is up against Adele’s. The last time Streisand took to the stage at the Oscars was 1977 she performed ‘Evergreen’, the love theme from A Star Is Born, going on to win an original song award the same night.

Continue reading: Barbra Streisand To Join Adele On The Bill For Oscars Night Performers

Adele


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