RAYE on surviving the music industry: “Keep good people around you”

Coronation Street fans have said they were left 'broken' by a two-word message featured right at the end of the latest episode. It was somewhat of a vintage episode of the ITV soap on Monday night (August 7) as the Weatherfield residents packed out the Rovers Return.

Gemma Atkinson couldn't help but laugh as she explained her daughter's 'nickname' for her baby brother. The Hits Radio host welcomed her second child into the world last month.

Picking a shirt number is always a major decision for any new arrival at Manchester United and a subject that gathers plenty of interest from supporters.

RTL Group, the owner of American Idol outfit Fremantle, has downgraded its full-year financial expectations following a tricky six months during which group profit tumbled by more than 50%, although Fremantle revenues grew slightly.

Strictly Come Dancing fans have reacted with glee as Adam Thomas was revealed as the latest star to be taking part in the upcoming series. The news of the latest casting of the Waterloo Road star comes after the actor joked that he wanted to ‘experience’ the infamous Strictly curse.

Umar Kamani, who co-founded PrettyLittleThing, has bought a stake in fashion giant Boohoo worth around £15m.

TV star Montana Brown penned an inspiring Instagram post to reflect on her post partum body after giving birth to her son Jude six weeks.The 27-year-old appeared on season three of Love Island and said in the post on Monday, 7 August, that she is 'so proud' and 'in awe' of what her body has achieved as she revealed she is trying not to focus on 'getting back into shape'. Montana, who shares Jude with her fiancé Mark O'Connor, said that it's difficult not to think about what her body once looked like, but everything is has done to bring her son into the world including 'pain and burning' has been 'worth it." In the Instagram post, she wrote: "I am so proud of my body. Preggo, an hour after birth, a day after birth, the best gift in the world.

Selena Gomez enjoyed a quiet afternoon with friends on Monday (August 7) in Malibu, Calif.

Selena Gomez enjoyed a night out with producer Fred Again this week, and someone else at the restaurant is opening up about what they saw.

Jessie Ware, Confidence Man and Romy are among the acts lined up for the autumn edition of Homobloc in Manchester.The queer block party is set to return to Depot Mayfield on November 4 and, per a press release, is set to welcome “artists, performers, spectators and clubbers to come together and present one of the greatest dancefloor coalitions of the LGBTQ+ community”.Alongside Ware and Confidence Man, Peaches is also set to headline, with further headline DJ sets coming from The Blessed Madonna, David Morales, Avalon Emerson, Horse Meat Disco, LSDXOXO, salute, Sherelle and I. Jordan.The event is set to take over the full expanse of Depot Mayfield, across three main stages in the venue itself, plus additional stages along the street and in the Star & Garter pub located next door.Meanwhile, for the first time in its history, Homobloc is expanding to the venue’s roof space, which will host an array of programming, including cinema screenings, in-session podcasts and talks, acoustic performances, pop-up shops and more.“It’s with great pleasure we unveil the most adventurous Homobloc line-up to date,” promoter Rod Connolly said in a press release.

Olivia Dean has spoken to NME about her Mercury-shortlisted album ‘Messy’, as well as going to school with fellow nominee RAYE and penning the England Women’s World Cup anthem, ‘Call Me A Lioness’. Watch our interview above.The London singer-songwriter was speaking at the launch of the Mercury Prize 2023, where her 2023 debut was shortlisted alongside albums by the likes of Arctic Monkeys, J Hus, Jessie Ware, Young Fathers and Shygirl.Dean told NME about how she was “overwhelmed” and “shocked” to be shortlisted, but “trying to be present and take it all in”.“Can you believe it? It only came out three weeks ago! I’m like, ‘Guys! Give me a sec!’,” she said.Asked about the character of the album, Dean told NME: “Hopefully, it captures a message of allowing yourself to be imperfect. I really enjoyed that I made an album that feels human and doesn’t feel processed or that it was made by 100 people over email.

Lankum have spoken to NME about the loss of Sinéad O’Connor – as well as trying to capture the “broader spectrum of the human experience” on their Mercury-shortlisted album. Watch our interview above.The Dublin folk band – with Cormac MacDiarmada with Daragh and Ian Lynch from the quartet in attendance – were speaking at the launch of the Mercury Prize 2023, where their highly-acclaimed fourth album ‘False Lankum’ latest was shortlisted alongside albums by the likes of Arctic Monkeys, J Hus, RAYE, Jockstrap, Young Fathers, Shygirl, Fred Again..

Shygirl has spoken to NME about having a friend, fan and collaborator in Björk, her Mercury Prize nod, and how “falling in love” is shaping her next album. Watch our video interview above.The London experimentalist was speaking at the launch of the Mercury Prize 2023, where her acclaimed 2022 debut ‘Nymph‘ was shortlisted alongside albums by the likes of Arctic Monkeys, J Hus, RAYE, Jockstrap, Young Fathers, Jessie Ware, Fred Again.. and more.Asked about how she was feeling to be among the shortlist, she replied: “I’m so torn, because half of me is like, ‘You totally deserve this’ and the other half is like, ‘I’m so grateful!’ That’s why Shygirl is like a juxtaposition in itself.

Young Fathers have spoken to NME about their 2023 Mercury Prize shortlisted album ‘Heavy Heavy‘, playing with Depeche Mode and the “abundance” of ideas they have for their next album. Watch our interview with the band above.Having already won the Mercury Prize back in 2014 for their debut album ‘Dead’, the Scottish trio of Kayus Bankole, Alloysious Massaquoi and Graham G Hastings find themselves nominated again for their 2023 fourth album ‘Heavy Heavy’ – a record they told NME was driven by “sense of togetherness”.“When we were making the songs, we recorded a lot of music, and the thread that held all the songs together was this communal aspect,” said Hastings at the launch of the prize yesterday (Thursday July 27). “Strangely we recorded this in a studio in a basement with no windows, just the three of us.

RELEASESCalvin Harris and Sam Smith have teamed up for new track ‘Desire’.Jessie Ware has released a new version of her song ‘Freak Me Now’, featuring Roisin Murphy. “It is a huge honour to have the queen of disco, Róisín Murphy, on ‘Freak Me Now’”, says Ware. “I messaged her hoping she may be interested in featuring on the song and before I knew it she was in the studio.

Thania Garcia Arctic Monkeys, Fred Again, Raye and numerous other British and Irish acts are behind some of the top albums shortlisted for the U.K.’s esteemed Mercury Prize. The annual ceremony is set to take place on Sept. 7 at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, London and will feature live performances from many of the highlighted artists.

The list of nominees for the 2023 Mercury Prize has been revealed with Shygirl, Arctic Monkeys, Jockstrap, J Hus, and Fred Again.. set to compete for this year's title.

This year’s Mercury Prize shortlist has been announced, with artists including Arctic Monkeys, Jessie Ware and Raye vying for the £25,000 prize for the best British and Irish album of the last year.As ever, twelve albums make up the shortlist, with one overall winner set to be announced during a ceremony at the Hammersmith Apollo in London on 7 Sep.The 2023 judging panel was revealed yesterday.

Mercury Prize have been revealed, with Arctic Monkeys, J Hus and RAYE among the list.The winner of the prize will be announced at a live ceremony at London’s Eventim Apollo on September 7, and were judged by a panel including Anna Calvi, Jamie Cullum, Mistajam and more.Others on the list of nominees include Loyle Carner (for his ‘Hugo’ album), Jockstrap (for debut LP ‘I Love You Jennifer B’), Young Fathers (‘Heavy Heavy’), Fred again.. (‘Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 9 2022’) and Jessie Ware (‘That! Feels Good!’).The list is completed by Olivia Dean‘s debut album ‘Messy’, Shygirl‘s ‘Nymph’, Ezra Collective‘s ‘Where I’m Meant To Be’ and Irish folk band Lankum’s fourth LP ‘False Lankum’.See the full list of nominees below.Arctic Monkeys – ‘The Car’Ezra Collective – ‘Where I’m Meant to Be’Fred again.. – ‘Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 9 2022)’J Hus – ‘Beautiful And Brutal Yard’Jessie Ware – ‘That! Feels Good!’Jockstrap – ‘I Love You Jennifer B’Lankum – ‘False Lankum’Loyle Carner – ‘hugo’ Olivia Dean – ‘Messy’RAYE – ‘My 21st Century Blues’Shygirl – ‘Nymph’Young Fathers – ‘Heavy Heavy’In 2022, Little Simz won the Mercury Prize for her album ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’.

APPOINTMENTSCamden’s Roundhouse venue has announced Rowan Kitching as its new Venue Director. “I am THRILLED to be joining the team at the Roundhouse, at an exciting time for such an iconic music and arts venue”, he says. ”The uniqueness and heritage of the space excites me, but most importantly the support to our vital creative youth programme.

Romy has shared a new single called ‘The Sea’ – you can listen to it below.The song will appear on The xx member’s debut solo album ‘Mid Air’, which is due for release on September 8 via Young (pre-order/pre-save here).Co-produced by Fred Again.. and Stuart Price, the dance-orientated track finds Romy in a romantic mood as she reflects on finding and losing love by the ocean.