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Perhaps taking inspiration from fellow English pop star Elton John’s performance of “Pink Pony Club” with Chappell Roan at his Oscars party on Sunday night, Rick Astley has uploaded an acoustic cover of the hit song to YouTube. Watch it below.

While surrounded by his guitar collection, Astley delivered a seated “Pink Pony Club” cover showing off his oft-underrated baritone vocals. The performance built toward Astley donning a cowboy hat, which coincided with him taking the energy levels up a few notches.

“Feeling in the pink today, I love this tune,” Astley wrote in the caption accompanying the video on Facebook. “...

Rick Astley is never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you. Never gonna – Ok, you get the idea, especially since Astley’s 1987 Billboard topper has gone on to have a life of its own, being meme-ified in what became known as Rickrolling, an innocent enough prank where you send a link to someone only for them to open it and be hit right in the face with Astley’s most famous song. So, does Rick Astley send them? Turns out maybe he will let you down.

While Rick Astley has reprised “Never Gonna Give You Up” for commercials for Frito-Lay and Aaa in 2022, he confessed that he has never actually Rickrolled anyone. In fact, he feels far removed from most of it. “I’ve never really appreciated what it is, I think, because I’ve just had to sort of shut...

On Sunday 15 December 2024, ITV broadcasts Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh!

Season 6 Episode 34 Episode Summary

The next episode of “Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh” promises to be an entertaining mix of guests and helpful tips. This week, Alan welcomes the beloved “People’s Poet,” Pam Ayres, who is sure to bring her unique charm and wit to the show. Alongside her, Kelly Brook and her husband, Jeremy Parisi, will join in the fun, sharing insights into their lives and perhaps a few laughs.

Music fans will be excited to see Rick Astley on the episode. Known for his classic hits, Rick is likely to add a lively touch to the conversation. The episode will also feature garden designer Chris Hull, who will share ideas for creating the best winter outdoor living spaces. His tips could inspire viewers to make the most of their gardens during the colder months.

In a festive spirit,...

This week’s episode of “Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh” promises to be a delightful mix of entertainment and inspiration. Airing at 10:30 Am on Sunday, December 15, 2024, on ITV, the show features an exciting lineup of guests.

Joining Alan this time is Pam Ayres, affectionately known as the “People’s Poet.” Her wit and charm are sure to bring a smile to everyone’s face. Also on the show are Kelly Brook and her husband Jeremy Parisi, who will likely share some fun stories and insights into their lives together. Music legend Rick Astley adds to the excitement, bringing his unique energy to the episode.

Garden designer Chris Hull will share tips on creating the best winter outdoor living spaces, perfect for those chilly months ahead. Additionally, Tom Surgery will pop the cork on this season’s festive fizz, offering ideas for holiday celebrations. To top it all off,...

Rick Astley joined Manchester rock band Blossoms for a smooth rock version of Charli Xcx’s hit pop song “360.” The musicians recorded the cover in the BBC’s Radio 1 Live Lounge, which augmented the scene with some lime green video screen in the background.

In the clip, Blossoms singer Tom Ogden carries the majority of the song’s vocals, but later Astley steps in for a verse, giving it a sense of real swagger with an interpolation of Stardust’s 1998 song “Music Sounds Better With You.”

“We’ve...

Like Rick Astley with love, when it comes to horror movies you know the rules and so do we. Scream. Run. Fight for your life. Pretty straightforward, right? But what if you couldn't scream, you couldn't run, and you couldn't fight for your life? What if instead, minute by minute, your entire body was slowly closing down as your would-be killer slowly closes in? That's the hook of Brian Netto and Adam Schindler's inbound Netflix chiller Don't Move, which takes the notion of being frozen with fear quite literally as it follows the nightmare experience of Kelsey Asbille's (Yellowstone) Iris, whose head clearing walk in the woods takes a sinister turn when a murderous stranger (Finn Wittrock) injects her with a paralytic agent. Check out the tense first trailer below:

Cameras whooshing through an eminently unfriendly feeling forest? Sinister unseen forces at work? It may not be directed by Sam Raimi,...

It’s been 12 years since Nick Lowe released a new album, but the venerated 75-year-old rock & roll sophisticate is back on his game with Indoor Safari. It’s an album of clever, lovingly crafted tunes steeped in Fifties rockabilly and the early-Sixties British Invasion greats, sounds he’s been channeling and reinventing since he was a leader of the U.K. pub-rock and punk scene in the mid-1970s. He sets the tone with “Went to a Party,” an image of an older gentleman throwing on his suit and boldly...

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Perfect Couple

Netflix's The Perfect Couple perfectly contrasts its tense score with a fun soundtrack that shapes the bougie, fun murder mystery. After a body is found the morning of a wedding, the characters in The Perfect Couple get caught up in an investigation where everyone is a suspect. The crime also gains an abundance of attention due to the family being ridiculously wealthy.

In addition to The Perfect Couple's A-list cast, the Netflix miniseries makes good use of the setting, score, and music in order to create the tone and pacing for the murder mystery. Though the number of songs in each episode is small, each selection feels purposeful to the scene and characters. These elements help create a binge-able story that will appeal to fans of beachy settings and pulpy mysteries.

Title

Artist

Episode

"Nantucket Island"

Willie Wright

1

"Young Hearts...

Too often, the most obvious answer to a question turns out to be the one right under your nose as this might occasionally hold true in investigations as well. Netflix’s crime drama The Perfect Couple has put almost all the members of the Winbury family in the crosshairs as possible suspects in Merritt Monaco’s murder investigation, but without strong motives or circumstantial evidence, the cops were merely firing blanks so far. The penultimate episode of the first season of the series ties the narrative threads together to hint at the possible culprit’s identity, which feels too obvious to be true at the moment, but it paves the ground for an interesting finale.

Spoilers Ahead

Tag and Merritt’s Final Conversation

Picking up from where the last episode ended, Tag is brought to the Nantucket police station on suspicion of him having a role in Merritt’s murder,...

Rob Base never thought “It Takes Two” would become a massive hit. He and DJ E-z Rock were just aiming to make a neighborhood party record, straight from the streets of Harlem, to get bodies moving in their local clubs and skating rings.

But “It Takes Two” blew up into a monster hit around the world, forever changing hip-hop. The music business was shocked when this raw rap anthem crashed into the U.S. Top 40, with zero crossover or compromise. “It Takes Two” transformed history, yet it’s also a...

Welcome to our rundown of the most-watched branded YouTube videos of the week.

We’re publishing this snippet of a larger Gospel Stats Weekly Brand Report in order to analyze sponsorship trends in the creator economy. Any video launched in tandem with an official brand partner is eligible for the ranking.

And – as the name up above would imply – all the data comes from Gospel Stats. If you’re interested in learning more about Gospel – and which brands are sponsoring what creators on YouTube – click here.

The majority of the channels near the top of our Weekly Brand Report have blended educational content with learning-focused tie-ins. Some of these channels are making regular appearances among the most-watched sponsored videos on YouTube, but there is room for other categories as well. Here’s the secret to a successful sponsorship: If you can’t teach your viewers about a scientific or mathematical concept,...

Olivia Rodrigo’s upcoming concerts at Manchester, England’s new Co-Op Live arena have been called off. The singer was set to launch her U.K. tour at the venue on May 3 and 4 following a show in Dublin, however Co-Cop Live cited “technical issues” as it canceled multiple shows.

“I’ve been having such a great time in Europe so far and I’m sooooo disappointed that we’re unable to perform in Manchester due to ongoing technical issues,” Rodrigo wrote in an Instagram story. “We’re doing our best to reschedule the show.

It’s been a year — one in which Barbie pink dominated fashion, the box office and the Oscar red carpet, notably on America Ferrera, who glittered in a custom Atelier Versace sheath, courtesy of stylist Karla Welch. Lest we forget, a side effect of the SAG-AFTRA strike was red carpets being rolled up for four months — but not before Cardi B shut down the Met Ball in Chenpeng and Oppenheimer star Emily Blunt hit the London premiere (an hour early, so the cast could attend before the strike began) in Alexander McQueen, as selected by Jessica Paster. Post-strike, stars like Hunter Schafer, decked out in ethereal Prada as styled by Dara, came back shining more brightly than ever at the Golden Globes. And who doesn’t love a Hollywood icon comeback? The fashion world trumpeted Demi Moore, who wore a Balmain swan as procured by Brad Goreski to the Feud: Capote vs.

Rick Astley made a guest appearance on BBC Radio 2’s Piano Room to perform a cover of Olivia Rodrigo’s 2021 hit, “drivers license.”

Accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra, Astley first ran through a mashup rendition of his beloved hit “Never Gonna Give You Up” with Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You.” He then performed the Rodrigo cover, made all the more stirring by Astley’s unmistakeable baritone and the orchestra’s dramatic swells. Watch Astley perform both “drivers license” and “Never Gonna Give You Up” below.

Astley is no stranger to covering his favorite songs. Just last year, Astley performed an entire set of The Smiths’ songs with the band Blossoms at Glastonbury, and they had previously covered The Smiths at a pair of shows in 2021. He also snuck in covers of Harry Styles’ “As It Was” and AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” during his solo performance at Glastonbury 2023. Throughout the pandemic,...

Rick Astley offered a surprisingly poignant cover of Olivia Rodrigo’s hit “Drivers License” for BBC Radio 2’s Piano Room over the weekend. Performing with the BBC Concert Orchestra and a pair of back-up singers, Astley showcased the 2021 single with some serious emotional gravity.

Astley also performed his own 1987 mega-hit “Never Gonna Give You Up,” which he and the orchestra mashed up with Ed Sheeran’s “Shape Of You.” The set was recorded live at the BBC’s Maida Vale Studios in London.

Astley’s most recent LP, Are We There Yet?,...

Mojo Nixon, the cult rockabilly musician best known for his novelty hit “Elvis Is Everywhere,” died on Wednesday, February 7th while aboard the Outlaw Country Cruise. He was 66 years old.

Mojo Nixon suffered a “a cardiac event,” according to a statement provided by his family to Rolling Stone.

“Mojo Nixon was full-tilt, wide-open rock hard, root hog, corner on two wheels + on fire…,” eulogized his family. “Passing after a blazing show, a raging night, closing the bar, taking no prisoners + a good breakfast with bandmates and friends. A cardiac event on the Outlaw Country Cruise is about right… & that’s just how he did it, Mojo has left the building. Since Elvis is everywhere, we know he was waiting for him in the alley out back. Heaven help us all.”

Mojo Nixon was born Neill Kirby McMillan Jr. in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on August 2nd, 1957. Together with his collaborator Skid Roper,...

I was watching a video of a keynote speech at the Consumer Electronics Show for the Rabbit R1, an AI gadget that promises to act as a sort of personal assistant, when a feeling of doom took hold of me.

It wasn’t just that Rabbit’s CEO Jesse Lyu radiates the energy of a Kirkland-brand Steve Jobs. And it wasn’t even Lyu’s awkward demonstration of how the Rabbit’s camera can recognize a photo of Rick Astley and Rickroll the owner — even though that segment was...

“Ooh, jukebox” – the words uttered by the Fourteenth Doctor when invited to nosey around the Fifteenth Doctor’s new Tardis in the closing moments of 60th anniversary special “The Giggle”.

Ooh, jukebox indeed. Specifically, the Doctor’s jukebox is a 1946-designed Wurlitzer 1015 nicknamed “The Bubbler” on account of the bubbles that move through its colourful tubes as it plays tunes. Even more specifically, we’ve seen the same make and model of jukebox twice before on Doctor Who, once on the set of Clara’s 1950s-Diner Tardis, and once five billion years into the future on Platform One, where the great and the good are gathered to watch the imminent destruction of planet Earth.

Whether or not it’s supposed to be the self-same jukebox from those previous appearances, or simply something shiny that caught the Doctor’s eye, the songs it plays are significant. Production designer Phil Sims explained...

Trevor Horn’s Echoes: Ancient & Modern finds the veteran musician and producer attempting to recontextualize some of the biggest pop hits of the past 40 years within the sounds of contemporary pop and electronic music. At best the results are bland, and at worst they exemplify Gen-x nostalgia at its most saccharine.

The album opens, rather unexpectedly, with a cover of Kendrick Lamar’s “Swimming Pools (Drank),” featuring a characteristically impassioned vocal performance by Tori Amos. The arrangement and production, however, are so sanitized, so slick and gussied up with melodramatic strings and synths, that the point of the song—its central irony and message about the dangers of generational alcoholism—is swallowed whole.

Horn imbues the album’s 11 songs with a grandiosity that quickly becomes flatulent, with big orchestral swells and heart-tugging keyboards. By the halfway point, the material all starts to blur together, as the majority of the songs...

Tori Amos and The Buggles’ Trevor Horn have teamed up for a cover of Kendrick Lamar’s 2012 single, “Swimming Pools (Drank),” reimagining it as a moody, modern piano ballad.

Amos and Horn’s take on the song arrives as the opening track on Horn’s new covers album, Echoes: Ancient & Modern. Built around a subdued piano and colored with silky strings, Amos’ multi-layered vocals lead the tune, placing Lamar’s lyricism in a new context. In the liner notes for the new album, Horn explained: “I thought of it as a kind of literate, modern American standard, a rap song open to reinterpretation. I wanted something distinctly 21st-century with original, eloquent lyrics, and my longtime engineer Tim Weidner suggested this.”

Continuing, Horn praised Amos’ creative contributions. “Tori Amos took the idea of adapting Kendrick Lamar’s psyched-up swagger in her stride and made it intensely cinematic,” he said. “I listened...

Princess Catherine (aka Kate Middleton) and Prince William were two of the guests of honor at the Royal Variety Performance at the Royal Albert Hall on Thursday (November 30) in London, England.

The Prince and Princess of Wales were all smiles when they hit the red carpet at the big event, and they looked fabulous.

Wearing a midnight blue dress with dramatic sleeves that almost kissed the floor, Princess Catherine accessorized with a diamond necklace. Prince William kept it classic in a black tuxedo with a bowtie.

While there, they got in quality time with some big stars and even a few royals from other countries!

Keep reading to find out more…

Other stars in attendance included Spice Girls member Mel C, Rick Astley, Samantha Barks, Bradley Gibson, Zara Larsson, Paloma Faith, Beverley Knight and Bradley Walsh. We’ve got photos of everyone in attendance in the gallery!

Prince Daniel and...

Venom takes center stage as the ultimate antagonist in Marvel's Spider-Man 2, surpassing even Kraven in importance. The symbiote plays a significant role in the game's narrative, starting as a force for good but becoming a major threat to Peter Parker and the citizens of New York City. Harry Osborn is the primary host of the symbiote before giving it to Peter Parker, resulting in the iconic black and white symbiote suit and causing Peter's behavior to become more aggressive and dangerous. It's ultimately returned to Harry, however, who fully succumbs to its influence and becomes Venom.

Although Kraven was briefly hinted at occupying the role of the ultimate antagonist in Marvel's Spider-Man 2, in reality, that distinction goes to one of the most universally recognized antagonists from the Spider-Man franchise, the amorphous sentient alien symbiote, Venom. While numerous figures have held the unenviable role of playing host to Venom in the franchise's numerous movies,...

Spoiler alert: The following article contains spoilers from American Horror Stories season 3, episode 2.

American Horror Stories season 3, episode 2 explores the dangers of artificial intelligence and loneliness during a lockdown, resonating with viewers in a simplistic yet relatable way. The ambiguous ending leaves viewers questioning whether Daphne or Will is the true villain, with evidence leaning towards Daphne framing Will for the murders. Daphne's obsession with Will leads her to poison and kill his girlfriend, Sarah, as she wants Will all to herself and is willing to go to extreme measures to achieve it.

Hulu released American Horror Stories season 3 just in time for Halloween, and episode 2, "Daphne," centered around the dangers of artificial intelligence and loneliness during a nationwide lockdown. The anthology television series tells a different story with each episode, and "Daphne" is probably one of the show's least horrifying installments. However, the hour highlights the very real terrors of robots taking over.

Rick Astley has released his ninth studio album, Are We There Yet?, via BMG. Stream it via Apple Music or Spotify below.

The English singer wrote, recorded, played, and produced the follow-up to 2018’s Beautiful Life at his home in London. Preceded by the singles “Dippin My Feet” and “Never Gonna Stop,” Are We There Yet? was influenced by the likes of Bill Withers, Al Green, and Marvin Gaye, as well as the live instrumentation of the famed R&b scene in Muscle Shoals. Pick up your physical copy here.

In support of the album, Astley will play a handful of UK shows, including a pair of gigs at London’s Royal Albert Hall. He will return to the road in early 2024 for a UK and Ireland arena tour, featuring Belinda Carlisle, The Lottery Winners, and Scouting for Girls opening on select dates. See the schedule below, and tickets are available here.

Tracy Chapman was one of the most influential artists of the latter 20th century. The folk singer, who first rose to prominence with her self-titled debut album in 1988, has penned generation-defining hits like “Give Me One Reason” and “Fast Car.” The latter recently had a resurgence due to a cover by country singer Luke Combs, which managed to out-peak the original and rise up to number-two on the Billboard Hot 100 for multiple weeks. “Fast Car’s” rediscovery is proof that Chapman has always been one of music’s greats, but the industry has always loved her. Back when she debuted, she earned six Grammy nominations and won three, including the coveted Best New Artist award.

SEEGrammy flashback: Remembering Prince’s greatest triumphs and his most unforgivable snubs

Chapman’s road to Bna glory was relatively smooth. When her debut album came out it got rave reviews, praising her storytelling the most.

Rick Astley’s lawsuit against Yung Gravy has been settled.

According to court documents obtained by People, the suit — which Astley launched back in January — was settled for “an undisclosed sum.”

At the heart of the lawsuit is Yung Gravy’s track “Betty (Get Money)”, which begins with a snippet of Astley’s classic “Never Gonna Give You Up”. However, it’s actually a recreation of the song, sung by a soundalike.

Read More: Rick Astley Sues Yung Gravy Over Soundalike Imitating His ‘Signature Voice’

That led Astley to sue for copyright infringement, claiming that the rapper (whose real name is Matthew Hauri) used “a deliberate and nearly indistinguishable imitation” of Astley’s voice in “Betty (Get Money)”.

“The public could not tell the difference. The imitation of Mr. Astley’s voice was so successful the public believed it was actually Mr. Astley singing,” the lawsuit asserted, also alleging that the soundalike — singer Popnick,...

The battle between musicians Rick Astley and Yung Gravy is over as the ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ singer has settled his lawsuit against the rapper for plagiarising his song ‘Betty (Get Money)’. According to legal documents obtained by ‘People’ magazine, the iconic pop singer, 57, and the meme rapper, 27, settled the lawsuit filed by Astley in January against Gravy (born Matthew Hauri) and his collaborators for an undisclosed sum.

Gravy filed a notice of settlement, while Astley filed a notice of dismissal in his copyright infringement suit with an order to show cause hearing set for November 8, which had heated things up.

The new lawsuit was filed by Richard Busch, the music litigator who won the copyright case over ‘Blurred Lines’. The whole case was filed by Astley against Gravy for copying his song ‘Betty (Get Money)’ in one of his tracks, using an exactly ‘indistinguishable’ tune.

The lawsuit read:...

The battle between musicians Rick Astley and Yung Gravy is over as the ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ singer has settled his lawsuit against the rapper for plagiarising his song ‘Betty (Get Money)’. According to legal documents obtained by ‘People’ magazine, the iconic pop singer, 57, and the meme rapper, 27, settled the lawsuit filed by Astley in January against Gravy (born Matthew Hauri) and his collaborators for an undisclosed sum.

Gravy filed a notice of settlement, while Astley filed a notice of dismissal in his copyright infringement suit with an order to show cause hearing set for November 8, which had heated things up.

The new lawsuit was filed by Richard Busch, the music litigator who won the copyright case over ‘Blurred Lines’. The whole case was filed by Astley against Gravy for copying his song ‘Betty (Get Money)’ in one of his tracks, using an exactly ‘indistinguishable’ tune.

The lawsuit read:...

Rick Astley settled his lawsuit filed in January against rapper Yung Gravy and his collaborators for an undisclosed sum on Tuesday, according to Billboard.

Astley, known for his 1987 hit song “Never Gonna Give You Up” sued the rapper for impersonating his voice and claimed Gravy’s 2022 breakout hit, “Betty (Get Money),” imitated his distinct vocals in his Eighties classic.

“In an effort to capitalize off of the immense popularity and goodwill of Mr. Astley, defendants … conspired to include a deliberate and nearly indistinguishable imitation of Mr. Astley’s voice throughout the song,...

Updated, 11:25 Am: Rick Astley has settled his right-of-publicity suit against “Betty (Get Money)” rapper Yung Gravy over a song that the British singer claimed borrowed heavily from his signature 1987 hit “Never Gonna Give You Up.”

The rapper’s attorney filed court papers Tuesday with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elaine Mandel stating that the case was resolved Friday, but no terms were divulged. Read details of the case and check out the “Betty (Get Money)” video below.

Previousy, January 26: Rick Astley, whose 1987 worldwide hit “Never Gonna Give You Up” is an enduring cultural landmark, has sued rapper Yung Gravy. Astley’s multimillion dollar lawsuit claims that use of an imitation of his voice on the single “Betty (Get Money)” was not authorized.

Astley filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles. The suit claims only the instrumentals on the song were licensed, and that Astley’s distinctive voice is a...

Josh Javor has joined agency WME’s London office as partner and co-head of the company’s London music department.

WME said on Wednesday that it hired the industry veteran from U.K. agency X-Ray Touring, where he has guided the careers of such artists as Coldplay, Eminem, Queens of the Stone Age, Phoebe Bridgers, Modest Mouse and Snow Patrol.

“Working with new and emerging artists to stadium and festival headliners, Javor has also worked with artists such as Alice in Chains, Boygenius, Jimmy Eat World, Cigarettes After Sex, Belle & Sebastian, Afghan Whigs, Beth Orton, Foy Vance, The Charlatans, Kodaline, The Hold Steady, Echo & the Bunnymen, Jenny Lewis, Lightning Seeds, Nathaniel Rateliff, The Breeders, Refused, Touche Amore, City and Colour, Bright Eyes, Maximo Park, Alkaline Trio, Seasick Steve, The Amazons, Thrice and Taking Back Sunday,” WME highlighted.

“Josh has not only built a roster of artists that shape music, he...

Where to Watch Powered by "Ted Lasso season 2 introduces Nora, Rebecca's goddaughter, who brings youthful enthusiasm and a sassy attitude to the show." "Nora's debut episode showcases her close relationship with Rebecca and her integration into the everyday life of the AFC Richmond football team." "Despite being a newcomer to acting, Kiki May delivers a hilarious and scene-stealing performance as Nora, leading to future opportunities in other projects like 'The Great'."

The Ted Lasso Nora character debuted in the season 2 episode, "Do the Right-est Thing." That specific episode juggled multiple storylines revolving around AFC Richmond, such as Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) getting the team to accept Jamie Tartt's (Phil Dunster) return as Sam Obisanya (Toheeb Jimoh) protests Dubai Air. But Ted Lasso season 2 featured the debut of a character the show has only teased in the past, introducing the subplot of Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) caring for her goddaughter Nora.

In an amusing twist that left Spider-Man fans in stitches or fuming – depending on their humor levels – Sony Pictures pulled a classic prank on its followers. On what seemed to be a promising Thursday for fans of Amazing Spider-Man 3, Sony, in the spirit of the popular Throwback Thursday trend, released a video with the movie's poster, teasing an "important announcement."

Fans worldwide held their breath, expecting a glimpse of Andrew Garfield's familiar face, or perhaps even some news regarding the third installment of the movie. Surprisingly, what played was Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up, giving a playful tip of the hat to the "Rick Rolling" internet meme. The jest was especially apt since it marked the song's 36th anniversary since its debut on July 27, 1987.

The reactions on TikTok were mixed. While some users expressed their dismay and disappointment, others appreciated the humor, recognizing the brilliance behind a well-executed Rick Roll,...

Rick Astley teamed up with UK indie rock band Blossoms to perform a full set of The Smiths covers at Glastonbury on Saturday.

The 16-song set featured greatest hits like “This Charming Man,” “Big Mouth Strikes Again,” “Girlfriend in a Coma,” “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now,” “How Soon Is Now?” Watch fan captured footage and see the full setlist below.

Astley and Blossoms previously teamed up to cover The Smiths for a pair of shows in 2021. At the time, The Smiths’ Johnny Marr described the tribute shows as “both funny and horrible at the same time.”

In a pre-show interview with NME, Astley said, “If we burn in hell for doing it, then we’ll have to live with that. The audiences that we’ve done it for in the past have always got it, got involved and loved it. You’re either a Smiths fan or you’re not,...

Hollywood is mourning the death of the legendary singer.

The queen of rock’n’roll, Tina Turner, died on Wednesday after a long battle with an illness at the age of 83. The influential singer earned 12 Grammy awards over her illustrious music career, and was influential on the music of the ’60s to ’80s.

Famous friends and fans are reacting to her death as they share their condolences and appreciation for Turner.

Beyoncé left an emotional message on her website, writing: “My beloved queen, I love you endlessly. I’m so grateful for your inspiration, and all the ways you have paved the way.”

She shared the post alongside a photo of the pair holding hands and bowing at the 2008 Grammys, where they belted out Turner’s song “Proud Mary” together.

Bey went on, “You are strength and resilience. You are the epitome of power and passion. We are all so...

Tributes have begun to pour in following the death of Andy Rourke, bassist for the Smiths. Rourke died at 59 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, as confirmed by guitarist Johnny Marr on Twitter this morning. Many fellow musicians and collaborators have praised Rourke’s playing and his work with the Smiths.

“Andy will be remembered as a kind and beautiful soul by those who knew him and as a supremely gifted musician by music fans,” Marr noted on Twitter. He shared a much longer memory of his life with Rourke on Instagram.

Standon Calling 2023 has added Shygirl to its line-up. The Independent partners with the festival this year and will have its own stage at Laundry Meadows.

The London-based musician will headline The Independent’s stage for the all-female line-up on the Sunday night of the festival’s Laundry Meadows stage.

Last year, Kojey Radical, Sleaford Mods and Bimini were among the acts to perform on The Independent’s stage.

London’s closest camping festival has added more names to the bill, with organisers describing it as “the most diverse and exciting line-up” in its 17-year history. In February, Standon Calling announced 40 more acts.

Additional musicians joining the party and Standon Lordship stage include Manchester group Porij, West London vocalist George Riley and avant-punk artist Nuha Ruby Ra. They will perform across the four-day weekend event from 20 - 23 July.

Standon Calling also introduces FutureFlow in 2023. The all-new hip-hop-heavy will close the show...

Sarah Polley won her first Academy Award this year, taking home the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for “Women Talking” — which led to an epic April Fool’s Day prank courtesy of her 11-year-old daughter.

The Canadian actor-turned-director took to social media on Saturday, April 1 to reveal that she received an official-looking letter demanding she return the statue because there had been an error, with the Oscar supposed to have gone to “All Quiet on the Western Front”.

“We are giving you one more week to enjoy its presence in your home, but after that period of time you must mail it back to LA, where we will give it to the rightful best adapted screenplay: ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’. We are sorry for your loss, but it is only fair that the play with the real best adapted screenplay gets the Oscar,” reads the letter, which she posted on Twitter.

Ozzy Osbourne has confirmed he will go back out on the road, if his health allows it.

The news comes just one month after the 74-year-old rocker announced his official retirement from touring.

Back in February, the former Black Sabbath frontman cancelled his UK and European tour dates and released a statement saying he was not well enough to perform.

The decision stemmed from an accident Osborne suffered at his home in 2019, during which he injured his spine. The injury caused ongoing health problems.

Osbourne also suffers with Parkinson’s disease, which he revealed in 2020.

But now, the singer has said that if his doctor approved it, he would get back “out there”.

“If I can ever get back to where I can tour again, fine,” Osbourne clarified to Billy Morrisonon his Ozzy’s Boneyard SiriusXM show.

“But right now, if you said to me, ‘Can you go on the road in a month?...

German concert venues have faced calls to cancel events with Roger Waters amid claims of antisemitism.

Last week, Frankfurt city council called off a performance by the Pink Floyd artist scheduled for 28 May, alleging that Waters was “considered one of the most far-reaching antisemites in the world”.

A number of politicians and Jewish organisations have also criticised Waters for his statements about Israel. In 2013, the artist compared the Israeli government’s “oppression” of the Palestinian people with the actions of the Nazis during the Holocaust.

Waters’ This is Not a Drill tour includes five scheduled concerts in Germany this May.

In Frankfurt, Waters had been booked to perform at Festhalle, on the site of a former Jewish detention camp during World War II.

The council noted that the site’s history, as a location where 3,000 Jewish men were detained before being sent to concentration camps in 1938, had made the prospect...

Shakira has spoken about her new life after splitting from her partner of 11 years, former Barcelona footballer Gerard Piqué.

The 46-year-old Colombian singer recently teamed up with Argentinian DJ Bizarrap to release her latest song, titled “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol 53”.

The lyrics of the song quickly made headlines as she appears to pointedly blast both her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend, Clara Chia.

During a recent appearance on the Mexican programme En Punto con Enrique Acevedo, Shakira was asked about the debate surrounding the song, which fans have labelled a “diss track”.

“I bought the story that a woman needs a man to be complete. I had that dream of having a [nuclear] family: mother and a father living with their children living under the same roof. Not every dream in life comes true, but life finds a way to make it up to you,” the “She Wolf” singer responded,...

Standon Calling 2023 has added Rick Astley, The Big Moon, We Are Scientists and 37 other acts to its line-up.

The boutique music and arts festival is returning to the Hertfordshire countryside for its 17th year later this summer. The four-day event will run from 20 to 23 July.

It was announced on Tuesday (28 February) that 40 acts have been added to the previously publicised line-up.

Joining Astley, We Are Scientists, and The Big Moon are fellow new additions Scouting For Girls, The Muder Capital, Bear’s Den, Django Django, Wamduscher, and more.

In December last year, it was announced that Years & Years, Bloc Party, Self Esteem, and pop band The Human League will headline the event.

Anastacia, Confidence Man, Dylan, Squid, Groove Armada, Katy B, KT Tunstall, Melanie C, Sad Night Dynamite and Lynks are also due to perform.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased on Standon Calling’s website.

In addition to live music,...

Rick Astley is widely known for his 1987 hit “Never Gonna Give You Up.” But his career has been much more than just one hit single. He’s an award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer who has gone on to have a long and successful career in the music industry.

The Popularity of ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’

Never Gonna Give You Up’ by Rick Astley is one of the most iconic songs in pop music history. Its catchy rhythm and Astley’s incredible vocal range made it a favorite of fans all around the world. It remains one of the most recognizable songs of the 80s and still garners a lot of attention today. Astley’s other songs were also extremely popular, but none of them quite compared to the success of ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’. Of course, Rick Astley is not the only pop singer to have achieved great...

“Never Gonna Give You Up” singer Rick Astley sued rapper and songwriter Yung Gravy over Gravy’s 2022 song “Becky (Get Money).”

He claims that the song violates Astley’s right to publicity by using mimicry of his voice without his consent.

Lawyers allege that Matthew Hauri (stage name Yung Gravy) “flagrantly impersonated” Astley’s voice and “falsely stated he endorsed them with no request, forewarning, or remorse.”

Lawyers allege that this has caused Astley “immense damage.”

The lawsuit reads as follows: “In an effort to capitalize off of the immense popularity and goodwill of Mr. Astley, Defendants recorded and released the song ‘Betty (Get Money)’ which interpolates ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ and conspired to include a deliberate and nearly indistinguishable imitation of Mr. Astley’s voice throughout the song. The imitation of Mr. Astley’s voice was so successful the public believed it was actually Mr. Astley singing and...

Rick Astley is taking Yung Gravy to court.

Billboard reports that Astley is suing the rapper over his song “Betty (Get Money), which incorporates Astley’s signature song “Never Gonna Give You Up”.

In the lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles on Thursday, Astley alleges that Yung Gravy’s song doesn’t sample the track, but instead uses a new recording featuring a singer who impersonates Astley’s voice so well that listeners believed it was Astley singing on the track, not a soundalike.

Read More: Rick Astley Puts A New Spin On ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ Video 35 Years Later

“In an effort to capitalize off of the immense popularity and goodwill of Mr. Astley, defendants … conspired to include a deliberate and nearly indistinguishable imitation of Mr. Astley’s voice throughout the song,” Astley’s suit declares. “The public could not tell the difference. The imitation of Mr. Astley’s...

Rick Astley is suing rapper Yung Gravy for impersonating his voice.

In a lawsuit filed on Thursday (26 January) in a Los Angeles court, Astley, 56, claimed that Gravy’s track “Betty (Get Money)” violated his right to publicity by mimicking the distinctive voice he used in his 1987 song “Never Gonna Give You Up”.

“In an effort to capitalise off of the immense popularity and goodwill of Mr Astley, defendants … conspired to include a deliberate and nearly indistinguishable imitation of Mr Astley’s voice throughout the song,” Astley’s lawyers said, per Deadline.

“The public could not tell the difference. The imitation of Mr Astley’s voice was so successful the public believed it was actually Mr Astley singing.”

The lawyers also added that Astley is “extremely protective over his name, image, and likeness,” meaning the unauthorised use of the soundalike voice had caused him “immense damage”.

“A license to use the...

Rick Astley, whose 1987 hit song “Never Gonna Give You Up” is embedded in Americana and meme history, is suing rapper Yung Gravy for impersonating his voice, Billboard reports. Astley alleges that Gravy’s 2022 breakout hit, “Betty (Get Money),” imitated his voice without legal authorization.

The lawsuit was filed Thursday in Los Angeles, and claims that “Betty (Get Money)” imitated Astley’s distinct voice in his eighties classic.

“In an effort to capitalize off of the immense popularity and goodwill of Mr. Astley, defendants … conspired to include a deliberate and nearly indistinguishable imitation of Mr.

The police department of La Vergne, Tennessee, found itself at the center of a social media maelstrom with the news this month that a female officer, 26-year-old Maegan Hall, had been fired over allegedly having sexual encounters with six male colleagues, sometimes “while on duty and inside city owned property.”

Though four of Hall’s co-workers were also terminated for misconduct, and three more suspended, Hall made tabloid headlines as the lone woman at the center of the apparently hedonistic group — and a married woman, at that. The department’s...

Andrew Tate was arrested in Romania on Thursday in connection to a human trafficking case, as confirmed by officials to multiple outlets.

The controversial social media influencer, 36, appeared to be handcuffed as he was taken away from his villa in Bucharest, Romania, according to a report by Reuters. Tate is one of four suspects who was initially detained for 24 hours after authorities raided five homes; however, on Friday, Romanian prosecutors asked a Bucharest court to extend his arrest for 30 days. The suspects and homes are connected to a longstanding investigation regarding human trafficking, rape and an organized crime group, as per a press release from the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism.

Although the press release does not identify the suspects, a lawyer for Tate confirmed to Sky News that he and his younger brother, Tristan Tate, 34, were detained alongside two Romanian suspects.

While it’s unclear who is representing the British-American brothers,...

The Kardashians fans have turned the famous family into a viral TikTok trend once again. Earlier this year, momager Kris Jenner became a TikTok sensation when fans took an old clip of her from a “Lady Marmalade” music video the family made and turned it into a viral prank. Fans would use clickbait headlines and images to claim that something jaw-dropping had happened to a celebrity, then the screen would switch to the video of Kris singing and dancing, informing the viewer they had just been “Krissed.” The trend resembled an early internet meme called Rick Roll, which utilized Rick Astley’s 1987 hit, “Never Gonna Give You Up.”

TikTok users are back to flooding people’s for you pages with Kardashian content. A popular sound posted initially over three years ago has been making rounds all year. However, Kourtney Kardashian’s kids Penelope and Reign Disick recently used it, growing its popularity again.