Sam Smith Page 6

There’s change at the top of the American albums chart this week as the Zac Brown Band enters at Number 1 with its fourth LP Jekyll + Hyde.

The eight piece ensemble notched up their third consecutive Billboard chart topper by selling 228,000 copies, including track equivalent and streaming equivalent sales, in the week ending May 3rd, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

These are impressive sales figures for the group, which previously had Number 1 albums in 2012 with Uncaged and 2010 with You Get What You Give. Jekyll + Hyde contains two popular singles already, one being the Chris Cornell collaboration ‘Heavy is the Head’ and the other the country-flavoured ‘Homegrown’.

Continue reading: Third Straight Number One Album For The Zac Brown Band

The biggest selling single of the year so far has seen a significant change to its writing credits. Mark Ronson’s record-breaking ‘Uptown Funk!’ now includes the writers of The Gap Band’s 1979 hit ‘Oops Up Side Your Head’.

It’s not clear as to how this alteration came about – there have been no court cases or lawsuits in the offing – but five extra names are now included on Ronson’s hit, according to Music Week. They are The Gap Band’s three members Ronnie Wilson, Charles Wilson and Robert Wilson as well as producers Lonnie Simmons and Rudolph Taylor.

Mark Ronson has altered the writing credits for 'Uptown Funk!'

Continue reading: 'Uptown Funk!'s Writing Credits Changed To Include The Gap Band

Rock group Alabama Shakes scored their first Number One album in America with their second effort Sound & Color, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

In quite a low-selling week, the rockers sold 96,000 copies of their sophomore effort to reach the top spot in the Billboard 200 chart. The reformed system counts track equivalent sales and streaming equivalent sales, though some 91,000 of Sound & Color’s sales total came from traditional physical sales.

Alabama Shakes’ debut album Boys & Girls won the group a lot of plaudits upon its release in 2012 for its classic rock sound. It peaked at Number 6 in the American charts, nearly a year after its release, due to its three Grammy nominations in 2013.

Continue reading: Alabama Shakes Rock To The Top Of The Billboard Albums Chart

Sam Smith has been forced to cancel the remainder of his Australian tour dates, after suffering a vocal chord haemorrhage. The singer had been due to perform shows in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, as well as appearing at the Logie Awards next week.

Smith has been forced to cancel his Australian shows.

“I am deeply, deeply saddened to tell my Australian fans, I have to cancel my Australian tour,” Smith announced in a statement. “I have been vocally exhausted for a while now however last night in Sydney i had a small haemorrhage on my vocal chords.”

Continue reading: Sam Smith Cancels Rest Of Australian Tour Due Vocal Chord Haemorrhage

Internet sensation Shawn Mendes has completed his rise from a cult following on Vine to chart-topping sensation, as his full-length debut album has entered at Number 1 in the Billboard Top 200. Handwritten sold 119,000 units, including track and streaming album equivalent sales, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

16 year old Mendes is the youngest person to top the American album charts since 2010, when Justin Bieber – six months younger then than Mendes is now – spent a month at Number 1 with My World 2.0.

Shawn Mendes has scored his first Number 1 album with his debut 'Handwritten'

Continue reading: Shawn Mendes Scores US Chart Topper With Debut Album 'Handwritten'

Some of the biggest British stars of the last year are in the running for 2015’s Ivor Novello Awards. Sam Smith’s ‘Stay With Me’, George Ezra’s ‘Budapest’ and Clean Bandit’s ‘Rather Be’ are all nominated for the most played song of the past year.

The annual awards, which are now in their 60th year, are exclusively voted for by songwriters, making it a rare example of musicians being recognised by their peers instead of by the public. ‘The Ivors’ is a comparatively short and exclusive list of categories, with only three nominations in each.

Sam Smith's 'Stay With Me' is up for Most Performed Work at the 2015 Ivor Novellos

Continue reading: Ivor Novello Awards 2015: Sam Smith, Clean Bandit And George Ezra All Nominated

It’s all change at the top of the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart this week, as rapper Wale claims the Number 1 spot with his fourth LP The Album About Nothing – his second chart topper following his previous effort, 2013’s The Gifted.

Wale’s album, which he has revealed was inspired by Jerry Seinfeld and features the comedian himself, sold 100,000 copies in the week ending April 5th, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The Billboard chart now measures individual track and streaming equivalent sales as well as conventional physical and digital album sales.

The rapper scored his second American Number 1 album this week

Continue reading: Wale Scores Second U.S. Number 1 With 'The Album About Nothing'

The nominations have been released for the annual Billboard Music Awards, and it’s Taylor Swift and Sam Smith who lead the field, with both artists in the running for five of the six biggest prizes.

Swift and Smith, whose respective albums 1989 and In The Lonely Hour are still in the Top 5 of the Billboard Albums Chart well over four months after their release, are both gunning for the Top Artist, Top 100 Songs, Top Billboard 200 Album, Top Billboard 200 Artist and Top Hot 100 Artists categories, while each is up for the Top Artist in their gender-specific prizes.

Taylor Swift scored the most BMA nominations with 14

Continue reading: Taylor Swift And Sam Smith Score Multiple Nominations For Billboard Music Awards

In a quiet week on the US Billboard 200, Kendrick Lamar’s new album To Pimp A Butterfly spends a second week in the Number One spot. The rapper’s third album sold more than double the amount of its nearest rival, the soundtrack to TV drama ‘Empire’, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Shifting 123,000 copies in its second week on sale, including track and streaming equivalent sales figures as well as physical copies, To Pimp A Butterfly is the first album to spend its opening fortnight at the top of the chart since Taylor Swift’s behemoth 1989 at the end of last year. The ‘Empire’ soundtrack was a non-mover in second place, selling 61,000 copies.

Kendrick Lamar spends a second week on top of the US Albums chart

Continue reading: Kendrick Lamar Spends Second Week At The Top Of U.S. Albums Chart

Hip hop sensation Kendrick Lamar has stormed to Number 1 in the US Billboard 200 Albums chart with his third album To Pimp A Butterfly. It clocked up over 363,000 equivalent sales (totalling physical, track and streaming data) despite being released one week earlier than planned, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

To Pimp A Butterfly has the second highest first-week sales of 2015, behind fellow rapper Drake’s recent surprise release If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, which sold 495,000 in its debut week back in February.

Kendrick Lamar is Number 1 in the US Billboard 200 albums

Continue reading: Kendrick Lamar Scores First US Number 1 Album With 'To Pimp A Butterfly'

Outside Lands organisers have finally unveiled the spectacular 2015 line-up for their eighth year, featuring headliners Elton John and Mumford And Sons. The event is set to bring its usual combination of music and munchies to San Francisco this August.

Joining Elton and Mumford are a range of equally exciting acts, both of the veteran and the up-and-coming variety. Man of the moment Sam Smith - whose already bagged a total of six awards this year, including four Grammys - will bring his pop genius to the stage, alongside The Black Keys who released their first chart-topping album last year, and Kendrick Lamar whose highly anticipated third album 'To Pimp A Butterfly' sailed to number one in both the US and the UK last week.

Continue reading: Sound And Sustenance: Outside Lands 2015 Brings Another Weekend Of Cultural Delights

The BBC has announced that their long running top 40 chart show is moving from its traditional Sunday afternoon slot to Friday evening, as a global release date for singles and albums comes into effect. As well as the change of days, the show will also be shorter, meaning that not all songs will be played during the run down.

Artist such as Sam Smith will now hear their official UK chart position on a Friday

From June, Friday will become the global release date for singles and albums, as announced by The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), which represents the worldwide record industry, last month.

Continue reading: Radio One's Official Chart Show Moves To Fridays, As UK Falls In Line With Global Music Industry

Locals My Morning Jacket lead the line-up for Forecastle Festival 2015, as the first selection of acts entice more and more towards a sun-soaked weekend in Louisville, Kentucky this July. The band will also be joined by Brit singer Sam Smith.

Hot on the heels of their latest album announcement 'The Waterfall', My Morning Jacket return to their hometown for a jam down by Waterfront Park this summer, alongside British superstar Sam Smith who is looking at his most successful year yet with four Grammy wins, a sell-out tour and a number one already with his re-released debut single 'Lay Me Down' featuring John Legend.

Continue reading: My Morning Jacket Return To Louisville For Forecastle Festival 2015 Alongside Sam Smith

Kendrick Lamar has taken the top spot in this week’s Official Albums Chart in the UK, knocking Sam Smith's In The Lonely Hour off the number one position. To Pimp A Butterfly is the third studio album from the Compton- born rapper, following on from 2012's Good Kid, MAAD City.

Cover art for Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly

The album caught fans off guard after it was made available March 16th on iTunes and Spotify, nearly a week before its original release date of March 23rd. Since becoming available on Spotify the album has broken the service’s global streaming recording, notching up over 9.6 million streams on the service last Monday.

Continue reading: 'To Pimp A Butterfly' Gives Kendrick Lamar His First UK Number 1 Album

Sam Smith has scored a rare ‘double Number 1’ in the UK’s Official Charts this week. His recent single ‘Lay Me Down’ sits atop the UK Singles Chart and his debut LP In The Lonely Hour has returned to the summit of the Official Albums Chart as well.

A re-recording of ‘Lay Me Down’ as a duet with soul singer John Legend was released as the official Comic Relief / Red Nose Day single for 2015, and his live performance of it on Friday night helped it achieve sales of 105,000. The song dislodged last week’s Number One ‘King’, by newcomers Years & Years.

Sam Smith sits atop both the UK Albums and Singles chart

Continue reading: Sam Smith Scores Rare 'Double Number 1' With Album And New Single

Sam Smith has taken the top spot in both the official UK singles and albums chart this week, along with setting a new record as the only male solo artist whose album has achieved six different spells at number one in Official Chart history.

Sam Smith is doing the double in this week's UK chart

Smith’s In the Lonely Hour reclaimed the top spot in the album chart this week, knocking Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds’ Chasing Yesterday down to fourth place. The singer managed to beat off some tough competition to grab the top spot, including the latest offering from Madonna, Rebel Heart, which debut in the number two position.

Continue reading: Sam Smith Tops Both The Official UK Singles And Albums Chart

Sam Smith was arguably the music industry's biggest breakout star of 2014, which is proven by the fact that the British singer won four major awards at this year's Grammys, but his journey to success wasn't as easy as people may assume.

Smith recently opened up about being bullied as a youth

Sam first came out at only aged 11 and he quickly experienced what it was like to be picked on for being a homosexual.

Continue reading: Sam Smith Opens Up About His "Mortifying" Homophobic Bullying Experiences

Sam Smith is set to perform a special re-recording of his debut single, 'Lay Me Down', with Oscar winner John Legend for this year's Comic Relief, which will air on BBC One this week under the title 'Comic Relief: Face the Funny'.

Sam Smith and John Legend re-record 'Lay Me Down' for Comic Relief

It may not be among his Platinum selling singles, but Sam Smith is keen to express his attachment to his moving first single. He has re-recorded a rendition of 'Lay Me Down' with John Legend as the official single for Comic Relief, with all proceeds from the sales going to the charity campaign.

Continue reading: Sam Smith And John Legend Duet For Comic Relief's Version Of 'Lay Me Down'

Rapper Big Sean has claimed his first Billboard chart topper with his new album Dark Sky Paradise. His third album beat Kid Rock’s latest offering First Kiss to the top spot by 27,000 units in the week ending March 1st, according to figures by Nielsen SoundScan.

Dark Sky Paradise moved 173,000 units in its first week on sale, a combination of traditional physical sales and track and streaming equivalents. Both of his previous albums, 2011’s Finally Famous and 2013’s Hall of Fame, both entered at Number 3.

Rapper Big Sean has the U.S. Number 1 selling album this week 

Continue reading: Big Sean Scores First Number 1 With Album 'Dark Sky Paradise'

Calvin Harris and Kasabian have been announced as headliners for this year's V Festival. The Scottish DJ and Leicester rockers were head up the bill at Hylands Park and Weston Park and will be joined by Sam Smith, James Bay, Ellie Goulding, The Script, George Ezra, Stereophonics, Olly Murs, Ella Henderson, Kodaline and Cvhrches.

Kasabian will headline this year's V Festival 

Simon Moran, V Festival director, said: "We wanted to champion British talent at this year's festival and with the likes of Calvin and Kasabian leading the way we don't think it'll disappoint. The eclectic mix of established artists and rising stars, with a few more in the pipeline, means that once again there is something for everyone at V Festival."

Continue reading: Calvin Harris And Kasabian To Headline V Festival 2015

Man of the moment Sam Smith makes UK chart history by topping the first Album Chart to also include streams. The star, with his debut album 'In The Lonely Hour', has already had more roaring success this year at both the Brit Awards and the Grammys.

Sam Smith gets 2015 to a very good start

Since the UK's Official Charts Company announced that they would now be including streams, the nation waited with baited breath to discover who would be the first to top the Album Chart in its new arrangement. And we remain unsurprised. Sam Smith has been awarded that victory as both sales and streams from services such as Spotify, Deezer, Google Play, Napster, O2 Tracks, Xbox Music, Rdio and Rara were totted up yesterday.

Continue reading: Sam Smith Is The First UK Album Chart Topper In New Move To Include Streams

Las Vegas rockers Imagine Dragons have landed straight in at the top spot on the Billboard 200 with their second album Smoke + Mirrors. The group, responsible for the enormous 2012 hit ‘Radioactive’, sold 195,000 units of their sophomore effort in the first week, compiled from physical, track and streaming equivalent sales according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The record is also currenly top of the charts in Britain, and is only new entry inside the Top Ten this week. Despite the impressive figures, Smoke + Mirrors has got a way to go before it tops the sales for their first album Night Visions, which to date has sold 2.5 million copies and has only left the Billboard 100 for two of its 129 weeks on sale. ‘Radioactive’, by itself, has sold in excess of nine million copies in the U.S. But that album only made as high as Number 2 during its run.

Imagine Dragons secure their first US Number 1 album with 'Smoke + Mirrors'

Continue reading: Imagine Dragons Enter Billboard Chart At The Top

Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith were the big winners at the Brit Awards. The annual music industry spectacular rewarded the two biggest-selling artists of last year by bestowing two trophies on each on Wednesday night (February 25th).

Sheeran won the two biggest prizes for which he was nominated – those of British Male Solo Artist and Best British Album for his sophomore record X. He beat four other UK Number 1 albums to do so – rival Smith’s In The Lonely Hour, Royal Blood’s self-titled debut, indie stars Alt-J’s This Is All Yours and George Ezra’s slow-burning debut Wanted On Voyage.

Ed Sheeran arriving for Wednesday night's Brit Awards, where he won twice

Continue reading: Ed Sheeran And Sam Smith Win At Brit Awards

Tonight Britain’s finest musical stars (plus a few from across the pond) will gather in London’s O2 for the annual Brit Awards ceremony. With Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Madonna all set to perform, this year’s awards looks to be one of the most star studded in recent years and perhaps even the most memorable.

Can Ed Sheeran expect a big night at the Brits?

The big talking point of the night will probably be the return of the queen of pop Madonna, who will take to the Brits stage to perform ‘Living for Love’ after a 20 year absence from the awards. Always looking for a new way to shock an audience, a source close to the singer told The Mirror last month there was “no better place for a controversy-filled Madonna performance than the Brits.”

Continue reading: So What Can We Expect From Tonight's Brit Awards?

Sam Smith took the music industry by storm in 2014 and garnered a global fan base after the release of his first album, 'In the Lonely Hour' (released May 26th), and after winning four Grammys earlier this month, it seems 2015 is going to be even bigger and better for the British singer.

Sam Smith recently revealed why he is so opne about his personal life

Sam, who is openly gay, recently opened up to the March issue of Vogue magazine about becoming a huge star, what he plans to do in the future and being comfortable about sharing his personal life with the public.

Continue reading: Sam Smith Explains Why Talking About His Personal Life Is “Empowering”

Amazing acts have been announced to perform at this year's T In The Park including Kasabian, Avicii and Fatboy Slim. Despite notorious festivals to match up to, it is looking very likely that this year that T in the Park will blow people away.

T in the Park has moved to it new home in the grounds of Strathallan Castle. Organisers DF Concerts and Tennent's Lager are ecstatic about the festival's first year here, playing host to 85,000 fans this summer. Festival Director Geoff Ellis said: 'This year is going to be a very special one for T in the Park as we make the beautiful grounds of Strathallan Castle our new home, and we're thrilled that some of the biggest artists in the world will be joining us in this historic first year.'

Continue reading: T In The Park 2015 Announces Killer Line-Up For Its New Venue

Has the inspiration behind Sam Smith’s Grammy winning album of heartbreak finally been revealed? Well maybe, as according to reports in UK tabloid The Sun, the unrequited love who inspired many tracks on In The Lonely Hour was none other than the singer’s manager, Elvin Smith.

Has the inspiration behind In the Lonely Hour finally been revealed?

Earlier this month the British singer cleaned up at the Grammys, taking home four awards including Record of the Year, which he dedicated to an unnamed former love. "Thank you so much for breaking my heart because I got four Grammys," the singer said during his acceptance speech.

Continue reading: Was Sam Smith's Manager The Unrequited Love Who Inspired 'In The Lonely Hour'?

Since The Wanted decided to take a lengthy break, the boy band's youngest member Nathan Sykes is currently attempting have a go at being a solo artist and he is in the midst of recording his debut album.

Sykes is currently recording his debut solo album

The 21-year-old singer defiantly wants to make a statement with his first solo venture as he is trying to acquire the help of the recent 4-time Grammy winner, and fellow Brit, Sam Smith for a collaboration.

Continue reading: The Wanted’s Nathan Sykes Hoping To Collaborate With Sam Smith

Sam Smith had a phenomenal year as an artist since bursting on the scene as BBC’s number one Sound of 2014 and it doesn’t look like he’s planning to stop in 2015.

Sam Smith sets out his dreams for gay marriage

His new single, Lay Me Down, a re-release after its first release in 2013, had its video released yesterday which features a funeral and a gay marriage.

Continue reading: Sam Smith Outlines His Dreams For Gay Marriage In Lay Me Down

Sam Smith was arguably the music industry's biggest breakout star of 2014, which is proven by the fact that the British singer has received six nominations for this year's Grammy Awards, but his journey to success wasn't as easy as people may assume.

Smith came out to the world just as his career was taking off last year

Apart from being a very talented performer, Smith was also in the spotlight last year for coming out as a gay man just as his career was beginning to blossom, but when the 22-year-old star recently spoke with Rolling Stone, he revealed that he first referred to himself as a homosexual at 13-years-old.

Continue reading: Sam Smith Recalls Tough Anti-Gay Experience, And Rejection From His First Love

Rockers Fall Out Boy have scored their third US Number 1 album, the latest Billboard 200 chart reveals. The group’s sixth studio album American Beauty / American Psycho shifted 218,000 units across all formats during the week ending January 25th, according to figures given by Nielsen SoundScan.

The new record knocked Meghan Trainor’s debut Title, which sold 86,000, down to Number 3, and fended off non-mover Taylor Swift at Number 2 with 119,000 units. It marks the first time since 2010 that a January sales month, typically a quiet time for major releases, has seen two albums debut at the top with sales of over 150,000.

Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy, who top the US Billboard charts this week

Continue reading: Fall Out Boy Score Third U.S. Number 1 Abum

The 57th Grammy Awards is due to feature a number of high profile collaborations, but the biggest announcement may be still to come. Rumour has it that Rihanna, Kanye West and Sir Paul McCartney will be performing a live rendition of RiRi’s new single ‘FourFiveSeconds’.

The unlikely trio will reportedly take to the stage at the ceremony in Los Angeles next weekend. A source has told ‘The Sun’ newspaper: “Rihanna's seriously pleased to have bagged a big slot at The Grammys and two huge names to kick off her comeback. Paul McCartney's a Grammys regular and it will give Rihanna serious kudos to have a Beatle backing her on stage. It is going to be a huge Grammys moment.”

Rihanna will apparently launch her comeback at the Grammys alongside Kanye and the Beatles legend

Continue reading: Rihanna, Kanye And Macca Rumoured To Perform Together At Grammys

Sam Smith was arguably the music industry's biggest breakout star of 2014, and with becoming a huge success it seems the British singer's confidence is at an all-time high - especially when he talks about his bright future.

Sam wants to be the biggest star in the music industry

After the release of his first album, 'In the Lonely Hour' (released May 26th), which includes the singles 'Stay With Me' and 'I'm Not the Only One,' Sam quickly became a global star. But when the hit maker recently spoke with GQ magazine, he is adamant this is just the beginning.

Continue reading: Sam Smith Opens Up About Career Ambitions: "I Want To Be The Biggest Star In The World"

U.S rocker Tom Petty and ELO's Jeff Lynne have been added as writers of Sam Smith's mega-hit Stay With Me after an out-of-court settlement last October. Both songwriters now hold 12.5 per cent credits each after similarities were discovered between Smith's chart-topping ballad and Petty's chugging rock track I Won't Back Down, co-written with Lynne.

Sam Smith is now listed as a co-writer of Stay With Me, with Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne - who penned I Won't Back Down

"Recently the publishers for the song "I Won't Back Down," written by Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne, contacted the publishers for "Stay With Me," written by Sam Smith, James Napier and William Phillips, about similarities heard in the melodies of the choruses of the two compositions," a representative for Smith told The Independent.

Continue reading: Why Is Sam Smith Paying Tom Petty Royalties For 'Stay With Me'?

The nominees for this year’s GLAAD Media Awards have just been announced, with Sam Smith, 'Transparent' and The Imitation Game all being recognised. The annual awards, which recognises and honours media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, are now in their 26th year.

Sam Smith has been nominated in the outstanding music artist category

ABC leads as the broadcast network with the most nominations at six, while HBO has the most nods of any cable network with five. For the first time in the award's history the outstanding drama series and comedy series categories have been expanded, taking the maximum nominees from five to 10.

Continue reading: Sam Smith, 'Transparent' And 'The Imitation Game' Lead The Way, As The 2015 GLAAD Media Awards Nominees Are Announced

The 2015 Brit Award nominations have finally been announced with, it seems, a few surprises alongside the obvious candidates. There's no prizes for guessing who's come out on top for this year's list of award-winning possibles.

Sam Smith leads nominations

Awards season rears its ominous head for another year, with some major ceremonies - in both film and music - having already taken place. We've seen prizes sent out for 2014's films; I.e. Golden Globes, the Critics' Choice Awards, People's Choice Awards, AFI Honours; and now it's time for music, with the BBC Sound of 2015 having already taken place and now The Brits and the Grammys have unveiled their candidates.

Continue reading: Brit Awards 2015 Nominations Announced: Sam Smith, George Ezra And Royal Blood Are Major Contenders

It’s been a very good year for British music! For the first time ever, the top ten best-selling albums of 2014 in the UK consists exclusively of home-grown artists.

According to figures compiled by the BPI, the British music industry’s trade body, British artists have enjoyed huge dominance in the charts over the last twelve months. The top spot was taken by a clear distance by Ed Sheeran with his second album X, which is currently sitting at the Number 1 spot in the weekly charts for the twelfth non-consecutive week.

Ed Sheeran was the biggest-selling album artist of 2014, with 1.7 million copies of X sold

Continue reading: British Artists Dominate UK's Top 10 Albums Of 2014

Sam Smith, the multi-award winning British singer, says he never considered auditioning for TV shows like The X-Factor because he caused them "damaging" for songwriters. Smith is one of the most successful artists of the past year and is tipped to be singing the theme song for the next Bond movie.

Sam Smith is one of the most successful British artists of the past five years

Speaking to the Mirror, Smith said it "was a very conscious decision for me not to audition. It is for people, and it isn't for people." The "Stay With Me" singer said the show was "perfect for singers who sing, and that's all they want to do," but that ultimately "[y]ou're singing other people's songs. People are judging you on other people's music."

Continue reading: Sam Smith: "X-Factor Is Damaging For Songwriters"

Hot on the heels of their recent tour supporting chart sensations Sam Smith and Clean Bandit, UK band Years & Years prepare to embark on their own sell-out headline tour in February 2015, while attempting to finish their highly anticipated debut album.

Years & Years have a very busy year ahead of them

Years & Years first started creating a buzz back in 2012 with their debut single 'I Wish I Knew', and while their unique brand of synthpop is truly a breath of fresh air, so is their attitude towards the music industry, having released a series of free downloads alongside their singles in recent times. 'We're precious about what we make but we're not that precious about the internet and stuff because I think that's just the way it is, and it's kind of cool. 'I kind of enjoy that', says keyboardist Emre Turkmen, about giving away their music for free. 'You want people to hear it', frontman Olly Alexander says in agreement.

Continue reading: Years And Years Aren't 'Precious' About Releasing Free Downloads

He’s been massively successful in 2014 but he’s not letting success prevent him from being down to earth. Ed Sheeran has dismissed the suggestion that he should record the next James Bond theme song, joking that he’d only do it when his “balls drop”.

Ed Sheeran, pictured receiving his BBC Music Award, doesn't think he's right for a Bond theme song

Sheeran was speaking at the BBC Music Awards, during which he edged out Sam Smith, Royal Blood and David Bowie to win the award for British Artist of the Year. He said "I'd love to do a James Bond song, but can you imagine it? I just wasn't born with the James Bond voice," he said. "You never know - I'm not ruling it out. Maybe in ten years time, when my balls drop...".

Continue reading: Ed Sheeran Doesn't Think He'd Be Suited To Bond Theme Song

Although everything else about 2014 seems to winding down ahead of the holiday season, there’s no sign of Taylor Swift’s dominance of the pop world coming to an end any time soon. Swift’s fifth album 1989 is spending a fifth week at the top of the US Billboard charts.

Having had her reign interrupted for a week at the end of November, with British band One Direction hitting the top spot with their new album Four, the 24 year old superstar returned to the top last week. With another 274,000 sales in the week ending December 7th, she has easily been able to retain her crown.

With a fifth non-consecutive week at Number 1, Taylor Swift's dominance shows no sign of abating

Continue reading: Taylor Swift Continues Reign At Number 1

Sam Mendes says the singer for the James Bond Spectre theme song has already been selected. Adele's theme for Skyfall is considered one of the finest 007 songs ever, though Barbara Broccoli clearly had somebody in mind to try and emulate the success of the Oscar-winning track.

According to the New York Post, Sam Smith has signed on to sing the new James Bond song

"When will you find out? You'll have to ask Barbara Broccoli, but I would say - on the basis of the last one - very, very late in the day," Mendes told Entertainment NOW! when pushed on a name for the new song.

Continue reading: James Bond 'Spectre' Singer Already Decided, But Is It Sam Smith?

It’s time to talk about the Grammys – which, of course, would be impossible without talking about Taylor Swift and Sam Smith. The young powerhouses of pop came out on top with two and four nods, respectively. But they had to wait a while to celebrate this year. Instead of the typical primetime concert, the Grammys turned Nomination Day into an actual day-long event this year.

Early on, Sam Smith led the pack with four nods.

Starring Iggy Azalea, Beyonce and Smith himself as presenters and Pharrell Williams and Ed Sheeran as presenters, there was quite a lot of back patting going on. "Very happy for Miley," said Williams, when asked what he thought about the nominations. "Super happy for Beyoncé. A lot of great names. ... Ed. That's big."

Continue reading: Taylor Swift And Sam Smith Lead The Pack In Ultra-Super-Twitterized Grammy Nominations

After a one week interruption, Taylor Swift’s new album 1989 returned to the top spot in the US Billboard 200. Having been dethroned by British band One Direction’s Four last week, the 24 year old’s fifth record, whose sales now stand at over 2.5 million, reclaimed its position at Number One.

Taylor Swift returns to Number 1 for a fourth week after a One Direction-interrupted break

This week’s chart is notable since it’s the first time that Billboard has incorporated on-demand streaming and digital sales data. It is the most significant overhaul of their methodology since 1991, when Nielsen’s ‘point of sale’ data (called SoundScan) was brought in.

Continue reading: Taylor Swift Returns To Number 1 In Albums Chart

British singer Sam Smith has took the music industry by storm in 2014 and garnered a global fan base after the release of his first album, 'In the Lonely Hour' (released May 26th), which included the hit singles, 'Money on My Mind' and 'Stay With Me.'

Sam Smith opened up about being gay in the music industry

But as the 22-year-old star, who is openly gay, tries to bask in all his success, a lot of the attention surrounding the award-winning singer only focuses on his sexuality, and whether or not he will be an influential figure within the gay community.

Continue reading: Sam Smith Opens Up About Wanting To Be A "Spokesperson For Everyone," Not Just The Gay Community

The three nominees for this year’s Critics’ Choice award at The Brits have just been announced. Cambridge-educated “urban wordsmith” George The Poet will face off against electropop trio Years And Years and singer songwriter James Bay for the award,  the winner of which will be announced on December 4th.

Sam Smith won the critics choice award last year

Last year the award was won by Sam Smith, whose debut album In The Lonely Hour went on to become 2014's best-selling debut. Previous recipients have also included Adele, Jessie J, Florence and the Machine and Emeli Sande.

Continue reading: Years And Years, George The Poet And James Bay Shortlisted For Brit’s Critics Choice Award

Having already won a string of MOBO Awards and a Brit alongside the buzz of his number one debut album and subsequent hit singles, Sam Smith is somehow avoiding letting this whirlwind of success go to his head.

Sam Smith landed Favourite Male Pop Artist at the AMAs

Sam Smith appeared at the 2014 American Music Awards on November 23rd where he was nominated in two sections: Favorite Male Pop/Rock Artist and Kohl's New Artist Of The Year, spectacularly winning (to no-one's surprise) in the first category. The 22-year-old was waylaid on the red carpet to discuss just how he feels being a multi-Platinum selling popstar.

Continue reading: American Music Award Winner Sam Smith: My Music Is My Diary

Fresh from being named the most successful R&B artist of all time by Billboard magazine, Mary J. Blige has explained why she believes she has stayed relevant over the past 25 years. The singer - who releases her latest album The London Sessions on December 2 - was speaking on the red-carpet at the American Music Awards, where she also performed.

Mary J. Blige at the American Music Awards in 2014

"Being myself, but not being afraid to take risks" she said when asked the key to staying popular in an ever-changing music business, "Staying true to my fans and knowing they are the reason that have gotten me here. And staying rounded and spiritual and prayerful. Knowing that God is first. That's what did it. Not wavering at all."

Continue reading: Mary J. Blige Reveals How She Stayed Relevant For 25 Years

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

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

Meghan Trainor’s latest single, All About That Bass – you know, the one you haven’t been able to get out of your head for a month now – has reached No. 1 in the UK charts. The song’s first week out in full release saw it shoot straight for the top of the UK chart, just like it did in the US a month prior.

Trainor's celebration of curves shot her to chart success in the UK and US charts.

Fun fact: according to Billboard, All About That Bass is the first UK chart topper to get there entirely on streaming plays (well, mostly on streaming plays, anyway). Streams of 1.17 million saw it rise 53-33, and after its full release, raced to No. 1 on the Official Charts Company’s new data Sunday (Oct. 5). Its combined sales in the first week come out to 144,000 with 1,4 million streaming plays accounting for about over 9% of the aggregated tally (that means there’s a bit of math involved, so let’s not get too bogged down.)

Continue reading: Meghan Trainor Tops UK Chart With Catchy Single "All About That Bass"

The British music industry contributed £3.8 billion to the UK economy in 2013, according to an annual trade report. The increase can be traced to individual revenues by musicians, singers, composers, songwriters and lyricists, which rose to £1.7 billion. Live music sales rose almost 20 per cent to £789 million, according to the Measuring Music report.

Ed Sheeran found himself at No.1 in the States

There was also an increase in publishing and studio revenues and a 57 per cent increase in UK music exports, which accounts for £2.2 billion. Recently Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith became the first British artists to occupy the top two spots in the American album charts since Eric Clapton and Sting had Unplugged and Ten Summoner's Tales in the chart over two decades ago. .

Continue reading: Bearded Kids In The Pub (Music Industry) Contributed £3.8 Billion To UK Economy

British singer Sam Smith has took the music industry by storm in 2014 and garnered a global fan base after the release of his first album, 'In the Lonely Hour' (released May 26th), which included the hit singles, 'Money on My Mind' and 'Stay With Me.'

Sam Smith doesn't want his sexuality to be the focus of his career

The 22 year-old star, who is openly gay, achieved all this mainstream success without generating too much attention towards his sexuality, and this may have been a deliberate decision as he recently admitted that he doesn't want to become some sort of "spokesperson."

Continue reading: Sam Smith Is Openly Gay But He Does Not Want To Become "A Spokesperson"

The 2014 MTV Video Music Awards were held at The Forum in California last night (Sunday 24th August). The great and the good from music industry turned out en masse to receive awards and celebrate their achievements over the past year.

Nicki Minaj's dress caused some problems during her performance.

Read More: Nicki Minaj Addresses Wardrobe Malfunction - "Nipple Didn't Come Out To Play"

Continue reading: MTV Video Music Awards 2014 - Check Out The Red Carpet Pics! [Pictures]

The line-up for MTV's VMAs has been announced, and now it's time to take bets as to whether this year will serve as any less controversial than last year, following the infamous 'Miley-gate' incident. The performing artists include Jessie J, Nicki Minaj, Ariana Grande Usher, 5 Seconds of Summer, Maroon 5, Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Sam Smith.

Nicky Minaj is to sing with Ariana Grande and Jessie J for the opeing act of the VMAs

Last year's MTV Video Music Awards sparked off some controversy due to Miley Cyrus' 'seductive' twerking on the then married Robin Thicke while wearing only her underwear and making provocative gestures with a giant foam finger. Then again, controversy is big money these days so if anything, the draw of this year's VMAs is seeing if they will top last year's antics. 

Continue reading: The MTV Video Music Awards Line-Up Has Been Announced

British singer Sam Smith will soon be heading to the biggest gig of his life as he has been confirmed as one of the performers who will take to the stage at the MTV Video Music Awards in California on Sunday night (Aug 24th).

Smith will be making is US awards show debut next Sunday (Aug 24th)

The television network announced on Tuesday (Aug 19th) that the British singer, who will be making his US awards ceremony debut, will be the final performer of the night, alongside Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, 5 Seconds of Summer, Maroon 5, Beyoncé, Iggy Azalea, Usher and Nicki Minaj.

Continue reading: Sam Smith Announced As Performer At The 2014 MTV VMAs

Besides a promising musician, Sam Smith’s debut record has also shown him to be a savvy businessman – but not enough. In an effort to boost US sales and get the album to Number 1 on the Billboard 200, Smith’s management kept In The Lonely Hour off Spotify. The album did well, selling 166,000 copies in its first week, but ultimately fell short of Lana Del Rey’s sophomore effort Ultraviolence. The sultry pop record sold 182,000 units for Capitol Records, making it the biggest (bigger) debut of Lana’s career.

Despite Smith's Spotify gamble, this round went to Lana.

Still, it wasn’t a bad week for Smith. Besides the respectable debut of In The Lonely Hour,  the singer-songwriter also discovered a lost connection recently. The saga of Smith’s relation to Lily Allen and her brother, Game of Thrones actor Alfie Allen unfolded over Twitter, when Smith tweeted at the Sheezus hitmaker that, according to his parents, they were third cousins. To his surprise, Lily quickly responded, confirming his suspicion.

Continue reading: Sam Smith Beaten By Lana Del Rey To Billboard No.1

Apple’s iTunes Festival 2014 isn’t until September, but there are already some awesome performers lined up. Pharrell Williams, Kylie Minogue and Maroon 5 are all a part of  this year’s lineup, which was announced Monday, July 21.

Pharrell will cap off a successful year with a headlining gig at iTunes Festival.

Other big names to grace the Roundhouse stage in Camden include old-school favorites, as well as a bunch of newcomers - David Guetta, Sam Smith, Blondie, Beck and Kasabian are all on the list of performers. The full lineup this year includes over 60 acts, set to perform at Roundhouse over a full month. As usual, the tech-centric event will be filmed and streamed live by Apple, with fans able to watch on their computers, iPhones, iPads and iPod touch devices, or on their televisions via the company's Apple TV set-top box. Looking after its international customers, the company has promised to make the livestream available in over 100 countries. This year, the festivities will be broadcast through the iTunes store on iOS devices, rather than through a dedicated app.

Continue reading: Pharrell, Kylie, Maroon 5 And A Bunch Of Newcommers Announced For ITunes Festival 2014

The BBC’s 1Xtra chart for black and urban music, the 1XtraPower List, turns out to be remarkably, embarrassingly white. The list of the “most influential artists” has been referred to as “the saddest list in history” after Ed Sheeran took the top spot, followed by Disclosure in second. The first Black artist to make the bizarre list was Tinie Tempah, followed by white, middle class singer Sam Smith (who grew up I a small town in East Herthfordshire) in fourth place. The list, which was allegedly compiled by “industry experts” continues in the same vein, with Katie B and Jessie J also making an appearance, the former in the Top 10.

Ed Sheeran topped the bizarre list.

The BBC told The Independent the list was chosen on the artists' 'quality of music' and 'impact across the wider industry', and was 'not about the colour of someone's skin'.

Continue reading: BBC Faces Backlash After Whitewashed 1XtraPowerList Names Ed Sheeran Most Influential In Black And Urban Music

Sam Smith has made his many fans tear up with a cover of Whitney Houston's timeless hit, 'How Will I Know.' The 22 year-old British soul singer performed his take on the '80s disco classic at Sirius XM's studio and then shared the video with the world. "Me covering 'How Will I know' by Whitney Houston. I hope you like it x" he tweeted as he linked to the clip.

Smith's cover naturally goes down the slow and sad route and is accompanied by downbeat piano and guitar. The 'Stay With Me' singer keeps his eyes closed throughout his passionate performance - all that's missing is the headphone grab.

The Houston cover has attracted a great deal of praise online from Sam Smith and Whitney fans alike who feel that the version has done the original justice but has added some interesting new nuances.

Continue reading: Is Sam Smith's Whitney Houston Cover Tear-Jerking Or Tedious?