Avril Lavigne is back! After taking an extended break due to a mystery illness Avril has premiered the full music video for Give You What You Like, the 5th single from her 2013 self-titled LP. The song makes up part of the soundtrack from the forthcoming Lifetime movie Babysitter’s Black Book which premieres on February 21.
The video is largely made up of highlights from the movie interspersed with footage of Lavigne. It shows a side of Lavigne that most haven’t seen before – chilled, laid-back, less make up, more introspective – generally more mature.
The track will help to raise money for the Avril Foundation – a charity set up by Lavigne to support young people with disabilities and life-threatening illnesses.
The Grammys 2015 – Music’s biggest night of the year took place last night (February 8) in The Staples Centre, Los Angeles. The 57th Grammy Awards ceremony was hosted, for the fourth time, by L.L. Cool J and what a night it was. All the stars flocked to L.A. to celebrate a lot of musical awesomeness and rock out to the biggest names in the business. Some of the highlights were Sam Smith dominated by taking home four awards and Kanye West, Rihanna and Paul McCartney’s stunning performance of “FourFiveSeconds.” Rihanna also stole the show with her enormous pink dress by Giambattista Valli. Read on for more of the juicy gossip, full winners list and dresses that did and didn’t impress.
BIGGEST MOMENTS…
The first moment is always an important one and this year’s opening performance did not disappoint. The ceremony kicked off with a huge bang bringing on veteran rockers ACDC to the stage. They were electric and full of energy getting the crowd roaring and raring to go.
Sam Smith took home four Grammys for Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year (the latter with co-writers James Napier and William Phillips) for Stay With Me (Darkchild Version) as well as Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Album for In The Lonely Hour. “I want to thank the man who this record is about, who I fell in love with last year. Thank you so much for breaking my heart because you got me four Grammys,” Smith said on accepting his fourth award. (Tap here to play this video in Creation 5)
Some interesting and really impressive collaborations took place on stage with Tom Jones and Jesse J taking on You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling, The Voice definitely picked these two for a reason, they had a great rapport and did the song justice. Another blissful team-up came in the form of Ed Sheeran and John Mayer, massive amounts of talent managed to fit on one stage with their performance of Thinking Out Loud; now dubbed every girl’s future wedding song. Mayer even managed to pull off a hot pink guitar! Hozier and Annie Lenox delivered a killer rendition of his Take Me To Church which all the viewers will now be hoping to find on iTunes no doubt.
Speaking of No Doubt; America’s ‘The Voice’ coaches Gwen Stefani and Adam Levine joined forces to perform a duet of the Maroon 5 hit My Heart Is Open, and although these two go head-to-head on the TV show, they’re absolutely perfect together on stage.
As previously mentioned Rihanna, Kanye and Paul took to the stage and blew us away with their performance of FourFiveSeconds, all dressed in black with a white backdrop it wasn’t just the vocals that were a power statement, the crowd got on their feet and rocked out to this one. Jazzing it up were the solid duo of Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett swooning and crooning old school style to Cheek To Cheek.
More big names graced the stage throughout the star-studded evening such as Katy Perry signing By The Grace of God, Usher giving a tribute to Stevie Wonder singing If It’s Magic, Pharrell made us very Happy and even Prince made an appearance. (We’ve put some of the best video performances together towards the end of this post.)
Madonna’s performance was show stopping – any song that finishes with Madonna ascending to the heavens gets our vote. Her performance of the 90’s house-style single Living for Love sounded fantastic and was definitely a major highlight of the evening. She looked absolutely killer in her Wild West burlesque get up and brought her Givenchy-masked minotaurs along as well.
A great big OMG moment was when Saturday Night Live’s Kristen Wiig wore a blonde wig and nude leotard and danced to Sia’s performance of Chandelier creatively depicting the original video of the song. Three words for you In. Cred. Ible. She danced alongside Maddie Ziegler (star of the video) and pulled off some totally mental moves which actually worked somehow! It was gloriously strange and amusing.
An appearance from the President is always one to be remembered; Barak Obama delivered a powerful video message against domestic violence followed by a live speech from a survivor. (Tap here to watch this video in Creation 5)
Another heart stopping moment was when Beck went up to accept his award for Album of the Year and Kanye went up too (Taylor Swift barely had a chance to accept her award for Best Female Video at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 13 before Kanye West rushed the stage, grabbed the microphone out of the startled teen’s hands and aired his objections. “I’m sorry, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time!”) leaving Beyonce and Jay-Z cringing in their seats for fear of what he might do this time, but it turns out it was just a joke from the acceptance speech tamperer! (To watch this video in Creation 5, just tap here.)
Another trickster in the form of Shia LaBeouf came on stage to announce that Sia was about to perform and decided to read out a love letter. Standard strangeness by our Shia then.
Beyonce eventually got her moment as Queen of the Grammys and took to the stage in a very snug white dress and belted out Take My Hand, Precious Lord. This was a show-stopper if ever there was one.
And finally…John Legend and Common got together to sing Glory which features in the award-winning movie Selma closing out the show in style.
THE DRESSES…
The crowd-wowers; the best and worst-dressed awards at this year’s Grammys go to…
Nikki Minaj was smoking hot in Tom Ford, if not a little edgy and fierce. Ariana Grandepretty princess looked great in this Versace number and high ponytail. Looking good. Rihanna (?) Can we say much more than that?
And the cleavage awards go to…Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Kim Kardashian.
Charlie XCX, sorry but what were you thinking? Moschino can SO get it wrong. Madonnalooking very scary in Givenchy took to the red carpet and shook her cleavage. Ouch. Taylor Swifttotally nailed elegance, cute, cool, on the money and beauty all in one outfit by Elie Saab. She wins.
Jhene Aikolooked simply stunning in this Alberta Ferretti number, not bad for your first Grammy attendance. Annie Lennoxpulls off a graceful, elegant and sleek look showing her class and maturity in one simple black dress. Ciaralooked pretty ridiculous in her Alexandre Vauthier number. It looks like a bird just flew into a passing train.
Chrissy Teigen looked beautiful as ever in this long white Gucci dress. Impressed. Nick Jonasreally really shouldn’t have worn this Versace suit. OR the shoes. Really. But don’t worry John Legendcan show you how its done in his smoking hot Dolce & Gabbana style.
Ralph & Russo gave Jesse Ja super-sleek and elegant look for the night. We like! Pharrellcan pull off any look and make it awesome. He totally rocked it again in Adidas 3M although we are not quite sure his wifeHelenhas the same skills, not loving the all-in-one jumpsuit sadly. Katy Perry just really isn’t very good at this. Unfortunately even the likes of Zuhair Murad couldn’t manage to make Perry appear glamorous this time. Frumpy and spangly, sorry Katy.
Anna Kendrick, you look amazing in this black tux by Band Of Outsiders. Wow. Gwen Stefanireally got it right this year in this Custom Versace jumpsuit. Aloe Blacclooked super-sharp in Sand Copenhagen.
SOME OF THE TOP PERFORMANCES
AND THE WINNERS ARE…
Full list of this year’s Grammy Award winners.
Record of the Year Sam Smith – Stay With Me (Darkchild Version)
Song of the Year Sam Smith – Stay With Me (Darkchild Version), James Napier, William Phillips & Sam Smith, songwriters.
Album of the Year Beck – Morning Phase
Best New Artist Sam Smith
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance A Great Big World With Christina Aguilera – Say Something
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga – Cheek To Cheek
Best Pop Solo Performance Pharrell Williams – Happy
Best Pop Vocal Album Sam Smith – In The Lonely Hour
Best Rock Performance Jack White – Lazaretto
Best Rock Album Beck – Morning Phase
Best Rock Song Paramore – Ain’t It Fun Hayley Williams & Taylor York, songwriters
Best Alternative Rock Album St. Vincent – St. Vincent
Best Metal Performance Tenacious D – The Last In Line
Best Rap Performance Kendrick Lamar – I
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration Eminem Featuring Rihanna – The Monster
Best Rap Song Kendrick Lamar – I K. Duckworth & C. Smith, songwriters
Best Rap Album Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP2
Best R&B Performance Beyoncé Featuring Jay Z – Drunk In Love
Best Traditional R&B Performance Jesus Children Robert Glasper Experiment Featuring Lalah Hathaway & Malcolm-Jamal Warner
Best R&B Song Beyoncé Featuring Jay Z – Drunk In Love
Best Urban Contemporary Album Pharrell Williams – Girl
Best R&B Album Toni Braxton & Babyface – Love, Marriage & Divorce
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album Chris Thile & Edgar Meyer – Bass & Mandolin
Best Dance/Electronic Album Aphex Twin – Syro
Best Dance Recording Clean Bandit Featuring Jess Glynne – Rather Be
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media Frozen Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez, Tom MacDougall & Chris Montan, compilation producers
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media The Grand Budapest Hotel Alexandre Desplat, composer
Best Song Written for Visual Media Let It Go from Frozen Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez, songwriters (Idina Menzel)
Best Country Album Miranda Lambert – Platinum
Best Country Solo Performance Carrie Underwood – Something In The Water
Best Country Duo/Group Performance The Band Perry – Gentle On My Mind
Best Country Song I’m Not Gonna Miss You Glen Campbell & Julian Raymond, songwriters (Glen Campbell)
Best Bluegrass Album The Earls Of Leicester – The Earls Of Leicester
Best American Roots Performance Rosanne Cash – A Feather’s Not A Bird
Best American Roots Song Rosanne Cash – A Feather’s Not A Bird
Best Americana Album Rosanne Cash – The River & The Thread
Best Folk Album Old Crow Medicine Show – Remedy
Best Music Video Pharrell Williams – Happy
Best Music Film 20 Feet From Stardom Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer & Judith Hill Morgan Neville, video director; Gil Friesen & Caitrin Rogers, video producers We Are From LA, video director; Kathleen Heffernan, Solal Micenmacher, Jett Steiger, video producers
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical Max Martin Bang Bang (Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj) Break Free (Ariana Grande Featuring Zedd) Dark Horse (Katy Perry Featuring Juicy J) Problem (Ariana Grande Featuring Iggy Azalea) Shake It Off (Taylor Swift) Unconditionally (Katy Perry)
Best Instrumental Composition John Williams – The Book Thief
Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella Pentatonix – Daft Punk
Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals Billy Childs – New York Tendaberry
Best Recording Package Jeff Ament, Don Pendleton, Joe Spix & Jerome Turner, art directors Pearl Jam – Lightning Bolt
Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package Susan Archie, Dean Blackwood & Jack White, art directors The Rise & Fall Of Paramount Records, Volume One (1917-27)
Best Album Notes Ashley Kahn John Coltrane – Offering: Live At Temple University
Best Historical Album Colin Escott & Cheryl Pawelski, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer Hank Williams – The Garden Spot Programs, 1950
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical Beck – Morning Phase
Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical Tijs Michiel Verwest, remixer John Legend – All Of Me (Tiesto’s Birthday Treatment Remix)
Best Surround Sound Album Beyoncé – Beyoncé
Best Regional Roots Music Album Jo-El Sonnier – The Legacy
Best Reggae Album Ziggy Marley – Fly Rasta
Best World Music Album Angelique Kidjo – Eve
Best Children’s Album Neela Vaswani – I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up For Education And Changed The World (Malala Yousafzai)
Best Musical Theatre Album Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Best Blues Album Johnny Winter – Step Back
Best Spoken Word Album Joan Rivers – Diary Of A Mad Diva
Best Comedy Album “Weird Al” Yankovic – Mandatory Fun
Best New Age Album Ricky Kej & Wouter Kellerman – Winds Of Samsara
Best Improved Jazz Solo Chick Corea – Fingerprints
Best Jazz Vocal Album Dianne Reeves – Beautiful Life
Best Jazz Instrumental Album Chick Corea Trio – Trilogy
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band – Life In The Bubble
Best Latin Jazz Album Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra – The Offense Of The Drum
Don’t have Creation 5? Download it from the App Store!
Bob Marley Day 2015: Happy Birthday to the reggae superstar, Bob Marley, who would have been 70 years old today. One Love. One Heart. Let’s get together and feel alright!
Countries all around the world are hosting events to celebrate the life and work of Robert Nesta Marley. (Well, he was actually called Nesta Robert Marley but a Jamacain passport official swapped the names around when he was very young!)
Starting out in 1963 with the group The Wailers, Marley established a distinctive vocal style that would resonate throughout history. He embarked on his solo career in 1974 after he split from the Wailers and his 1977 album Exodus established his reputation as a global icon. He was to become the world’s best-selling artist of all time.
In July 1977 he was found to have a malignant melanoma under the nail of his toe, originating from an accident when playing football. His last words to his son Ziggy were: “Money can’t buy life.”
To honor Bob Marley’s vision of peace, love and unity visit 1Love – a global non-profit started by the Marley family. They have completed 27 fundraising and awareness projects that have resulted in over $1.3 million in donations to causes that have changed more than 255,250 lives – and they’ve only just begun. Get involved here.
Some of the biggest names in the business are set to release new albums this year; and we are all crossing our fingers to see Fleetwood Mac, Rihanna, Björk, Bob Dylan and Kanye West back on the “shelves” to make 2015 an epic year for new music. 2014 wasn’t too impressive with only the likes of Taylor Swift managing to sell millions; this year is set to knock the last out of the park. Many acts have announced potential album releases but as yet have not provided a title, we are calling them the TBA’s (to be announced); such as all of the above plus Rita Ora, Demi Lovato, and Britney Spears. So while they keep us teetering on the edges of or seats we have a huge headline of albums that are eagerly awaited or in fact already released, for 2015…so here’s the top pickings of the variety artists who have confirmed releases this year; titles and all! There’s something for everyone.
Tap any video title to open it in Creation 5
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds new album Chasing Yesterday is due to be released on the 2nd March 2015 on Gallagher’s label Sour Mash Records. This is the second album by the band formed in 2011, written and produced by Noel. The style of the album has been compared to his previous work on Definitely Maybe with Oasis. Two singles have already been released, the first being In the Heat of the Moment apparently inspired by an astronauts experiences from going into space. The second features Johnny Marr, the ex Smiths guitarist, on Ballad of the Mighty I which Gallagher claims is one of the best songs he has ever written. They previewed the album by performing four of the tracks at an initimate show in London on February 2nd. One To Another, In The Heat Of The Moment, Lock all The Doors and The Dying of The Light giving the impression that the album was going to include some classic Noel with a new Southern Blues twist. Gallagher claims to have included a mix of psychedelic, jazz, blues and rock and roll on the album, and that one track The Right Stuff is “like a mix of T Rex, The Rolling Stones and Queens of the Stone Age”.
Bob Dylan. The lyrical king strikes again with his thirty-sixth album Shadows In The Night. However this time they are not his words, Dylan has taken ten romantic tunes by some of the greats, including Frank Sinatra, and literally transformed them into his own inventions. He did this twice before in 1992 and ’93 but this time he has reverted back to his voice from the sixties giving these songs the Blues treatment turning them into a “quietly provocative and compelling” album.
Mark Ronson has just released his fourth studio album Uptown Special, and it is pretty special – not only for the reason that he dedicated it to the late Amy Winehouse with whom he collaborated on her most successful album – just take a look at the line up of featured artists (Andrew Wyatt, Mystikal, Bruno Mars, Jeff Bhasker, Keyone Starr, Kevin Parker, Boys Noize and Stevie Wonder). Adding to this part of the tune Uptown’s First Finale was recorded by the marvel that is Stevie Wonder. Robson sent a melody to his agents hoping that on a wing and a prayer he might give him some input – the next thing he knows Wonder has taken it upon himself to just go ahead and record it! “Stevie Wonder actually recorded a piece of music that I wrote. I’ve listened to it a hundred times and it still messes me up when I play it”, Ronson is overwhelmed. The eleven track album has already received much critical acclaim “pop-friendly, and undeniably sexy collection of funk and R&B”, “contagious cool” and “somewhere between a chin-stroking jazz poetry recital and a riotous teenage disco” are just a few of the comments made so far.
Madonna’sRebel Heart album is due to be released in full on March 6th 2015. Online leaks of some demos of the songs were counterattacked by the Madonna team by pre-releasing six of the completed tracks thus diverting the traffic back to her own publicity. Shrewd! So, the teasers are out there to entice us into what we can expect from the raunchy queen of pop this year. Living For Love is a stripped back ballad type effigy with piano (and writing skills) from the talented Miss Alicia Keys. Avicci, Blood Diamonds, DJ Dahi and Carl Falk collaborated on Devil Prey to create a more up-tempo folk-dance track which channels the idea that drug taking doesn’t get you as deep as natural personal experience. The potential radio hit Ghost Town is a power track. Nikki Minaj worked on Unapologetic Bitch and Bitch I’m Madonna however only features on the latter, that’s a lot of bitching! Kanye West wrote Illuminati with our songstress and has come up with something rather different and worth a listen.
Avicci’s much anticipated album Stories was due for release in the first quarter of 2015, due to illness he is reportedly setting the date back but it is now said to be out in the first half of this year. He released the first track The Days starring the voice of Robbie Williams in October 2014 from the album, and we have all heard Eliminate feat. Calvin Harris, so it seems he has managed to maintain his penchant for the folk, rock, country, pop, electro-dance style which he has made us grow to love.
50 Cent’sStreet King Immortal. If ever an album were intensely anticipated it has to be this one. His last album release was Before I Self Destruct way back in 2009, since then the fans have been hankering for some more ‘fiddy’ but to no avail. He started working on a rock, dance inspired album in 2010 but as it progressed his influences trailed back to his Hip-Hop roots which led him up the path of Street King Immortal and working with the likes of Alex da Kid, Bangladesh, Cardiak, Dr. Dre, Hit-Boy, Jake One, Jim Jonsin, and Just Blaze among others. Since then it has been due to be released on four different dates spanning four years with some tracks having been drip fed to us over this time frame! This is the year though that we have confirmation from 50 and G-Unit Records, Caroline Records and Capitol Records, 2015 IS the year.
Jose Gonzalez; Vestiges and Claws is his first record since 2007! It is due for release on the 17th February and the fans are literally screaming for it. Gonzalez has not used a producer for the album claiming that he prefers the sound of his homemade music (he literally recorded this in his home in Sweden) to the crisp modern sounds of an over-produced track. The result is an inspired, eccentric, eclectic mix of modern, folk and groovy rhythm that is both confident and yet hints at trepidation. He talks about how he’s found inspiration in sprawling 70’s Brazilian productions, American folk rock and West African desert blues this time. Gonzalez, and this album, have been described as “A deep, artful thinker whose singular approach to song writing and sonics sets him worlds apart, José González is in a class by himself. He has a voice. He has a sound. He has a point of view. Vestiges & Claws — musically gorgeous, strikingly profound in lyric — has a unique and quietly visceral power that is as an outstanding addition to what is now an impressive body of work. The album is, without question, the most highly anticipated of his career”.
More albums to look out for this year; Kid Kudi – Man on The Moon III Limp Bizkit – Stampede of the Disco Elephants Ludacris – Ludaversal Muse – Drones Coldplay – A Head Full Of Dreams Emeli Sandé – Who Needs the World
Don’t have Creation 5? Download it from the App Store!
For Showtime! this weekend we dive into the world of EDM and take a look at the upcoming Ultra Music Festival in Florida – with only 47 days to go, things are hotting up in Miami! Over 100 DJs and live acts have now officially confirmed for the 17th annual edition of Ultra Music Festival during Miami Music Week.
On March 27, 28 and 29 Bayfront Park will come alive with music, dancing and partying as the world’s top DJs and live acts come together for the world’s biggest, annual outdoor electronic music festival that takes place across 12 different stages. If you’re into EDM in any way, this festival has to be on your bucket list.
The festival was founded in 1999 by Russell Faibisch and Alex Omes, and is named after the 1997 Depeche Mode album, Ultra. Even though the same few headliners are showcased each year – Tiesto, Avicii and David Guetta are always there – Ultra remains an enlightening experience on trending genres, the live electronic music experience and club fashions.
Back in 1999 Ultra was just a one day festival and many festival goers have witnessed it grow from a series of tents and shipping container-lined stages to the industry-leading spectacle that it has become today. The festival franchise is now a worldwide phenomenon with Ultra festivals held in Ibiza, Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Santiago, Seoul, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Split (Croatia), Hvar (Croatia) and most recently in Thailand.
It’s not just the young producers that rock the crowds at Ultra. Last year, 51-year old Carl Cox celebrated his 10th anniversary at Ultra and was on stage on Saturday alone for four sweaty hours! 37-year old Eric Prydz was also killing it all weekend with 3 huge sets and a finale on Sunday.
Consequence of Sound has this to say about the festival “Ultra can be a life-changing experience, and these artists are the catalyst of the change. As celebrity among DJs grows, there is opportunity to truly affect a culture. Armin Van Buuren leads the charge, but new up-and-comers are ready to carry that torch.”
DJ HEADLINERS 2015, in alphabetical order: Adam Beyer, Afrojack, Alesso, Armin Van Buuren, Avicii, Axwell, Carl Cox, David Guetta, Deep Dish, Dixon, Eric Prydz, Hardwell, Jamie Jones, Knife Party, Loco Dice, Maceo Plex, Marco Carola, Martin Garrix, Nicky Romero, Skrillex, Steve Angello, Steve Aoki, Tale of Us, Tiesto.
LIVE HEADLINERS 2015, in alphabetical order: Bassnectar, Clean Bandit, Die Antwoord, Gorgon City, Kiesza, Krewella, Kygo, Netsky Live, Odesza, Porter Robinson, Rac, Röyksopp
(To watch any video using Creation 5, just tap on the title)
2015 is a massive year for all you music lovers out there. There are so many greats taking to the road and playing stages the world over. Some have been touring for decades, some are pretty new to the stage. Here is our list of not to be missed, show-stopping, crowd rocking entertainers that are gracing venues all over the world this year.
The Who – One of the most influential and successful rock bands of all time; these veteran rockers have been doing this for decades. 2015 sees the band, including the original members Roger Daltry and Pete Townshend, take off on their The Who Hits 50 tour as they celebrate their 50th anniversary. The European leg of the tour kicks off in March at the O2 arena in London. They then move on to North America to play twenty-one dates all over the States. Back to Europe for six dates in April and then another huge American leg between September and November. The Who’s concerts are renowned for their energy and serious rock factor. They will be playing all the classics for all their die hard fans out there as only The Who know how. For all the tour dates – http://thewho.com/tour/
U2 – Another absolutely enormous band that have been rocking all over the world for many years, formed in 1976 Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. began one of the most successful bands of all time. The are also one of the most successful touring bands of all time – their U2 360º tour 2009–2011 was the highest-attended and highest grossing concert tour in history. Tickets for their concerts tend to sell out within seconds of them being released (a record setting 118,000 fans queued online to purchase tickets for Madison Square Garden in New York this year). This year they are touring Europe and North America on their iNNOCENCE & eXPERIENCE tour which they have already extended adding extra dates due to rapid sellouts. The tour begins in Canada in May and they are pretty much back to back with 61 confirmed performances until the final date on November 15 in Paris. For all the tour dates – www.u2.com/tour
One Direction – This year sees the lads on their fourth tour entitled On The Road Again which kicks off in Sydney Australia on February 7. This is a huge world tour covering all corners of the globe; Australia, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Philippines, Indonesia, South Africa, UAE, UK, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, USA and Canada. The Irish, English boys have gone from strength to strength since their appearance on The X Factor back in 2010. Their four albums have reached the top of the charts all over the world earning them the first band in the US to have four albums debut at number one! For all the dates – http://www.ontheroadagain1d.com/#tourdates
Taylor Swift – Her latest album 1989, which has sold over 4 million copies since its release in October 2014, has inspired Taylor’s 2015 world tour due to kick off in Japan on May 5. She will be supported by Vance Joy and Shawn Mendes during the 59 dates all around the world, Haim are also set to be making a few appearances during the American leg of the tour. Following Japan, the tour locations include Europe, USA and Canada. Miss Swift has become one of the most successful female artists ever and has a serious drive for the big time. She has made the transition from Country music to Pop seamlessly and is now a fully fledged pop princess selling out wherever she goes. For the dates – http://www.taylorswift.com/news/230983
Maroon 5 – Their world tour begins on February 16 in Dallas, Texas. They follow up the American leg with appearances in France, England, Holland, Morocco, Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal. The Maroon VTour inspired by their latest album of the same name (V) which is their aptly named fifth album to date. Canadian band MAGIC!, American singer Rozzi Crane and Nick Gardner are supporting the Maroon line up – Mickey Madden, Adam Levine, James Valentine, Jesse Carmichael, PJ Morton and Matt Flynn. Check out their official site for tour dates – http://www.maroon5.com/maroonvtour
Robbie Williams – The Let Me Entertain You Tour is set to begin in Spain on March 25, followed by dates in France, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Austria, UAE and Israel. For some reason he is not visiting his home land so UK fans will have to travel to see their well-loved superstar perform. Since his split from Take That back in 1995 Robbie has made a massive name for himself as a solo artist, selling millions of records all over the world and becoming one of the biggest selling artists of all time. He also knows how to fill a stadium and is well known for his show man attitude on stage, he is a born entertainer, so why not let him entertain you?! http://www.robbiewilliams.com/news-blogs/let-me-entertain-you-tour-2015-dates-announced
Foo Fighters – The Sonic Highways World Tour starts off in New Zealand on February 18 and will continue until October 7 where the tour will finish in Memphis. They will be covering New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Europe and North America. The Foo Fighters are one of America’s biggest rock bands, They were formed back in 1994 by their front man Dave Grohl, having had to move on from his previous band Nirvana due to the death of Kurt Cobain. Since then they have sold millions of records and sold out all their world wide tours. This one, inspired by their eighth studio album Sonic Highways, also celebrates their 20th anniversary. Sonic Highways came from the band’s travels around America recording a TV series for HBO; they interviewed some music icons such as Willie Nelson and Ian Mackaye, these legends and the history behind the big cities they visited inspired many of the songs on the album. Go to http://www.foofighters.com/#tour for the official dates.
Take That – And then they were three, Robbie is not joining them for this one having re-left the band on good terms, but also Jason Orange is no longer; he announced that he quit at the end of last year. So, it’ll just be Howard, Mark and Gary this time around but this won’t stop the hardcore fans, they have already announced extra dates and now have over 50 confirmed performances throughout Europe, some of which will be joined by Ella Henderson. Get your tickets to see the biggest boy band of all time with the record for the fastest selling tour! For more information go to http://takethat.com/tour/
Katy Perry – The Prismatic World Tour has been going since early last year but for all those European fans 2015 sees Perry performing in Spain, France, Italy, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Slovakia, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Latvia, Finland, Norway and Sweden; and all this within two months! This has, so far, been her third and most successful tour of her career, based on the fourth studio album Prism she released in 2014. Ticket sales have surpassed all other solo female artists in North America proving that Katy is one of the most popular and powerful women in the business. See here for tour dates http://vipnation.eu/katyperry
AC/DC – Rock or Bust World Tour kicks off all over Europe this March. AC/DC have been rocking all over the world since the seventies and are no strangers to the stage having completed 20 previous tours! This Australian rock band (the founders, the Young brothers, were actually born in Scotland but lived in Sydney from a young age) is one of the biggest things ever to come out from Down Under being one of the best selling bands of all time with over 200 million record sales. They are a fast paced, high energy, head banging, hard rock band with massive Angus Young electric guitar solos (in a school boy outfit of course) galore. Tune in here to find out dates – http://www.acdc.com/us/news/rock-or-bust-world-tour-2015
Don’t have Creation 5? Download it from the App Store!
Katy Perry roared louder than a lion at last night’s Super Bowl Halftime Show. Even if you’re not a fan of her music you’ll be impressed by the sheer spectacle she created. Her show really did have it all – spectacular entrance, some amazing costumes changes, a Missy Elliot medley, a duet with Lenny Kravitz and some pretty impressive pyrotechnic’s for the finale. Over the 12 minutes, Perry managed to squeeze in 4 costume changes and nine songs (including three by Missy Elliott).
All of her outfits were designed by Jeremy Scott and they were certainly eye catching. She kicked off the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show perched on top of a huge, moving gold tiger which made it’s way across the field as Perry performed ‘Roar’.
The stage then transformed into a breathing chessboard for ‘Dark Horse’ with acrobats flipping beside Perry as she sang another Nº1 hit from her latest album Prism.
Perry then welcomed her 1st guest, Lenny Kravitz, and they sang “I kissed a Girl” together. Another dramatic stage and outfit change followed for her performance of Teenage Dream and a beach come to life on the stage, complete with bopping palm trees, smiling beach balls and dancing sharks. California Gurls came next before Perry welcomed her 2nd guest Missy Elliot. The veteran rapper sang Get Ur Freak On” and “Work It”. Perry disappeared briefly for a final costume change while Missy performed ‘Lose Control’.
Perry returned in a star-encrusted gown for the truly impressive finale. She rose from the middle of the field on a tiny platform with fireworks exploding around her as she sang Firework.
It was a fitting ending to such an explosive and over-the-top performance. The Guardian called it a “high octane show as notable for its surreal camp as for its tunes”.
The New York Times said she “held her own, navigating a handful of her smashes and three wardrobe changes in a performance that resisted bad mood”.
Perry wanted to remember the accession and had XLIX tattooed on one of the fingers of her right hand. “I thought it would be appropriate to draw blood tonight,” Perry Tweeted.
Watch Katy’s 12 minute show below:
Don’t have Creation 5? Download it from the App Store!
Victoria’s Secret model Irina Shayk might have just split up with Cristiano Ronaldo but she’s landed herself the lead female role in Romeo Santos and Marc Anthony’s latest music video for Yo También. It’s more like a mini movie than a music video and in the 6 minute footage Irina plays a woman who gets caught up in a love triangle between two gorgeous latinos – one is a mobster (Marc Anthony) and the other is an FBI agent who is tracking him down (Romeo Santos). Despite the men being complete opposites Irina falls for both of them. Messy!
The racy footage might be a bit hard for Ronaldo to watch as Irina flirts with both singers and is mostly seen in nothing more than some skimpy underwear or a bikini. There were rumours that their 5-year relationship was in trouble when Irina didn’t support him in Zurich when he was awarded the FIFA Ballon d’Or award. According to reports, Ronaldo has already moved on from the split with a Spanish news reporter called Lucia Villalon.
The video was filmed in the Dominican Republic and directed by Jessy Terreno. Santos, known as The King of Bachata, has once again hit Nº1 on Airplay on the US Billboard charts. Yo También is the 4th chart-topper from his latest album, Formula Vol. 2. Santos has received nine nominations at the upcoming Premio Lo Nuestro 2015 and in May will kick off the second leg of his US tour.
(To watch the video above in Creation 5, just tap here.)
Don’t have Creation 5? Download it from the App Store!
Kanye West is obviously just a big softie at heart as his latest music video shows. Only One features Kanye and his daughter North West in a video shot just like a home movie. In classic Kanye style though this home-style video is still directed by Oscar-winning ‘Her’ director Spike Jonze. It’s very minimalist and simple, showing Kanye strolling around a foggy field hand-in-hand with his daughter. The song is meant to represent his late mother singing to Kanye about his future.
Only One was released on January 1st and features Paul McCartney on keyboards. It’s the first single to be cut from West’s 7th studio album that, as yet, has no title or release date.
The rapper debuted the clip on the Ellen DeGeneres show on Thursday (January 29) and told Ellen how fatherhood has changed him: “I’ve definitely learned how to compromise more … I’ve learned how to shut up more. I think I’m a better human being because of her [Kim Kardashian] and because of my daughter.”
Only One is the second collaboration between West and McCartney, who also got together with Rihanna for the new single FourFiveSeconds, released last week.
Don’t have Creation 5? Download it from the App Store!
#ThrowbackThursday – Today we go back to 1976 with a track that put the funk into funky – Rose Royce’s chart smashing hit Car Wash. It was the vocals of Gwen Dickey and the 7 introductory handclaps that everyone loved and hooked onto. The song is so full of energy and so funky that it’s very difficult to tire of hearing it, no matter how many times it is mixed and mashed.
Written and produced by Norman Whitfield, it was the group’s debut single and one of the most notable successes of the disco era – the lead single from their first album, the Car Wash Soundtrack. It went to Nº1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Nº1 on the R&B charts, it reached Nº9 on the UK charts a year later in 1977. Christina Aguilera and Missy Elliott covered the song in 2004 for the Shark Tale soundtrack.
The film Car Wash introduced comedian Richard Pryor into the mainstream and became a word-of-mouth success, costing $2 million and turning in a gross profit of $20 million.
Creation 5 users: the audio for Car Wash is already in C5’s Throwback playlist, to watch the clip from the movie above with C5, just tap here.
Don’t have Creation 5? Download it from the App Store!