The "Summertime Sadness" hitmaker has always looked up to the Hole frontwoman and rock 'n' roll legend, so feels proud to count her among her friends these days:

"Courtney Love's a big inspiration. I like her, I talk to her a lot. I just went her show ... when she was playing in London. I like people who are similar to her, like Joni Mitchell types or Stevie Nicks, who are both strong female characters."

The 27-year-old star was strongly influenced by jazz legends Nina Simone and Billie Holliday on her second album Ultraviolence, and hopes she has done their musical legacy justice. Speaking on France Inter radio station's Laura Leishman Project show, she said, "It has a Pacific coast feel to me, I think it's guitar driven, there are references to Nina Simone. That's why I ended the track listing with a cover of 'The Other Woman.' I am inspired by early jazz culture. It's a West coast jazz fusion with a little bit of East coast fever."

The "Skyfall" singer has been busy in the studio, and fans won't have to wait long for her much-anticipated new record with reports it has been completed and is ready for release.

"The album is written, recorded and finished. Theoretically it could be released tomorrow if she wanted," a source said.

It is said Adele and her label are considering bringing out the album with little fanfare and no "publicity campaign," in a similar way to how Beyonce released her self-titled record earlier this year. "The plan is to release internationally on iTunes as a complete surprise without any previous promotion or build-up publicity campaign. The shock tactics worked amazingly well for Beyonce and the feeling is Adele's new album is so widely anticipated it doesn't need a long promotional build-up," the insider added.

Continue reading Adele Finished Recording Third Album

Prince's new album features a duet with Rita Ora.

The "Purple Rain" hitmaker gave one lucky reporter from the Minneapolis Star Tribune a preview of his as yet untitled upcoming album, which is expected to be released later this year and includes a "rare rap song" he recorded with the British pop sensation. Prince went on to reveal he wants to release the track, described as "aggressive and menacing," as soon as possible for it to stay current because "time is money" for celebrities like Rita who could make cash "walking out of the house wearing a certain kind of makeup or sunglasses."

Continue reading Prince Recorded Rap with Rita Ora

The "Pills N Potions" hitmaker has confirmed there will "definitely" be a track with Drake on the upcoming record because she loves his music: "I'm a massive fan of [Drake], that's my baby. And I hope and pray we'll have [a collaboration] on there. I think that we'll definitely have one on there. We're supposed to meet up this week to get some stuff crack-a-ling in the studio. I think there'll be another feature on the album that will blow people away. I'm super excited about that, too, but it's obviously a secret!"

Nicki has released the track "Pills N Potions" as her lead single from the album, with a stripped back video featuring rapper The Game, who she claims was "dope" to work with:

Continue reading Nicki Minaj Collaborated with Drake for New Album

The former Smiths star, who is midway through his US tour, canceled a date earlier this week and had been forced to postpone another gig at Atlantic City's Revel Casino Hotel last nigt.

The legendary singer, who will release his new album World Peace Is None Of Your Business this month, is adamant he will be back on stage tonight.

"The tour will resume as originally scheduled, without question, at the Boston Opera House on Saturday, June 7," Morrissey posted on Facebook.

Meanwhile, the singer's opening act Kristen Young has rubbished rumors she had caught the same bug which is why she has been removed from the remaining dates. "@CriminalRecords @RivalEnt@solidcolt I do not have a virus. I had an allergy attack yesterday....and I am now great. But, thanks [sic]," she wrote on Twitter.

Continue reading Morrissey Pulls Out of Second Gig Due to Illness

The surviving members of the hip-hop group - Michael "Mike D" Diamond and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz - have been handed the payout after winning their legal case against Monster Beverage Corporation, which they sued for the unauthorized use of their music in a video advert.

The commercial featured five of the "Fight For Your Right" hitmakers' songs in a "Beastie Boys Megamix" and a message which read, "RIP MCA" to promote a show in 2012.

The groups' final member Adam "MCA" Yauch, who passed away in the same year after a three-year battle with salivary gland cancer, stated in his will that his likeness or art - which includes the music he made with Beastie Boys - was not to be used in any promotional material. "In no event may my image or name or any music or artistic property created by me be used for advertising purposes," the document read.

Continue reading Beastie Boys Awarded $1.7 Million

The 17-year-old singer, who achieved global success with her album Pure Heroine, feels she has grown as an artist and writer in the past year and thinks her new material is more mature.

"I think I've learned so much as a songwriter, there's going to be so much of an improvement because of that. I'm working on stuff quite tentatively, it's definitely still at the beginning and yeah, it's totally different," she said.

The star claims she wrote her debut album about her life in New Zealand before she became famous and people who have always been close to her, whereas her new material looks at a time after she found success and how she is now part of the showbiz world: "I wrote the last album about that world which was the suburb where I grew up and populated by my friends and people who were really familiar to me. Now I'm in a different place every day and I'm with new people every day and it's a different vibe."

The former Smiths musician is embarking on a series of live gigs this autumn, starting on October 13 in Lincoln and finishing up in Leeds on October 29. The guitarist is expected to play songs from his 2013 solo debut, The Messenger, as well as from his second album, which is due for release around the time of the tour. He will also no doubt be performing fan favorites from The Smiths' back catalogue of hits.

Tickets go on general sale at 9am this Friday.

Johnny recently told NME he was already back in the studio recording his new album, which boasts a London feel: "I think I've got all the songs written now. It's cool. It's got a real London feel, this album. I'm recording it down there at a studio near the river - I want to capture this busy, loud, very modern place."

The "Fancy" hitmaker, who was bombarded with a stream of negative comments from Nicki Minaj's fans, slammed her haters in a series of angry posts on Twitter yesterday, and also hit back at her own supporters for participating in "disgusting fan wars."

"Just remember while your all at home online cracking jokes about artists etc that Most of you have done NOTHING. NOTHING! With your lives... Don't flex someone else's achievements. So many of you Internet kids quote the feats of others as if they were your own. And just to clarify for anyone who didn't understand that last statement goes out to people who bully others," the 23-year-old Australian star tweeted. "Fan wars back and forth and all that s**t is all bulls**t. Someone who's music you love doing great should never be an excuse to be awful to others. That's my point I suppose. I just find it really disgusting."

Continue reading Iggy Azalea Blasts Her Critics and Fans

Pharrell Williams wants to work with the Prince.

The "Happy" hitmaker insists it would be a dream to team up with the "Purple Rain" hitmaker and get into the studio to work on material: "I'd love to work with Prince. I would love to work with Steely Dan, Donald Fagen, I'd love to work with Elton John ... [Prince] makes us wonder why we all do this."

Continue reading Pharrell Williams: I Want to Work with Prince

The country star's ideal team up would be with the "Single Ladies" star, as she's blown away by her vocal abilities. When asked about her dream duet, she replied, "Beyonce! I've seen her in concert five times."

However, for her new record, Platinum, the "Automatic" singer was very happy to sing with fellow country beauty Carrie Underwood on "Something Bad." She explained, "I sent her a rambling email asking her to do it. I figured she'd think I was crazy, but she wrote straight back saying she was in. I was so nervous the day she ended up coming to the studio. We ended up having a blast."

The 30-year-old singer also sings about putting on weight in the track "Gravity's A B****," but says she wrote the track to stay ahead of the game: "My fans expect me to lay it all out! I've always been happy with myself. But when I hit 30 I thought, it's not getting easier. So I chose to get ahead of it. There's still nothing I love more than a bag of Cheetos though."

Morrissey appears with Pamela Anderson in a spoken word video for his latest song "Earth Is The Loneliest Planet."

The singer, who will release his new album World Peace Is None Of Your Business on July 14, has unveiled the video for his latest single from the LP exclusively on NME.com. The companion film, directed by Natalie Johns, features lyric narration while Morrissey and Pamela admire the Hollywood sunset standing on the roof of the Capitol Tower in Los Angeles.

Continue reading Morrissey and Pamela Anderson in New Video

The "Do What U Want" hitmaker is considering getting help from Scooter Braun, who helped Justin to become a global superstar, after being left disappointed by the sales of her last album Artpop, while her latest track "G.U.Y." didn't even made the American Top 40.

"If anyone can help Gaga now it's Scooter. He's one of the smartest blokes in the music industry and made Bieber into the biggest pop star on the planet. There are a few options for her but Scooter is one of them," a source said.

The 28-year-old singer parted ways with her former manager Troy Carter last year citing "creative differences" and she hired Bobby Campbell, who used to work for her original team.

Continue reading Lady Gaga to Call in Bieber’s Manager

The co-founder, who launched the headphones and streaming service with friend Jimmy Lovine, will leave Interscope, which he founded, to work with Apple alongside his business partner.

"I've always known in my heart that Beats belonged with Apple. The idea when we started the company was inspired by Apple's unmatched ability to marry culture and technology. Apple's deep commitment to music fans, artists, songwriters and the music industry is something special," Dre said, according to NME.com.

Dre could be set to become hip-hop's first billionaire after Apple announced they will buy the business for $2.6 billion, as well as spending $400 million "that will vest over time." Talking about the deal, which has been rumored for weeks, Apple's CEO Tim Cook said, "Music is such an important part of all of our lives and holds a special place within our hearts at Apple. That's why we have kept investing in music and are bringing together these extraordinary teams so we can continue to create the most innovative music products and services in the world."

Continue reading Dr. Dre Sells Beats for $3 Billion

The "Magic" singer admits the group - also made up of Johnny Buckland, Guy Berryman and Will Champion - have never been seen as fashionable but after scoring the fastest-selling album of 2014 with Ghost Stories, they have proved they have longevity.

"We have never been the coolest thing or the most fashionable thing. Well, maybe for a period. It just feels like we're able to keep rolling and no-one really notices. I feel like every day we're given is a real blessing. I could not have asked for a more dreamy job," Chris, 37, said.

Although the band have had repeated success and toured the world, they realize that Coldplay may not last forever, according to the Daily Star newspaper. "If we're in that place in 10 years, that's amazing. But if we're not, that's okay," Chris said.

Continue reading Chris Martin: I Don’t Care That Coldplay Isn’t Cool

The legendary actor reached the enviable age yesterday, and to mark the special occasion has brought out Metal Knight, a seven track collection which features two covers from the Man Of La Mancha musical which is based on the fictional character Don Quixote.

Speaking about the inspiration for the LP, Lee revealed, "As far as I am concerned, Don Quixote is the most metal fictional character that I know. Single-handed, he is trying to change the world, regardless of any personal consequences. It is a wonderful character to sing."

Lee - who is famous for his portrayal of Count Dracula in several Hammer Horror films and roles in the Star Wars and Lord of the Rings franchises - has posted a video on YouTube in which he explains the motivation for the tracks with of the featured songs being a metal cover of Frank Sinatra classic "My Way."

Continue reading Christopher Lee Releases Metal Abum to Celebrate 92nd Birthday

The "Sex on Fire" hitmakers were forced to take a year long break due to exhaustion, coupled with rumors frontman Caleb Followill was drinking too much, and the family band believe their time out of the limelight has made them stronger.

During an interview with Fearne Cotton on UK station BBC Radio 1, Caleb said, "We're brothers and that's never going to change. We'll always have moments where we don't see eye-to-eye but I think it made us realize how much we love what we're doing. How blessed we are. I think it made us closer."

Continue reading Kings of Leon Are Closer after Their Meltdown

The legendary "We Will Rock You" band's frontman died in 1991, but drummer Roger Taylor and guitarist Brian May have since carried on with the group and are currently putting together a new album including recordings made with Freddie before he passed away.

"We found a few more tracks with Freddie singing and all of us playing and they are quite beautiful. It is a compilation but will have this material that nobody in the world has ever heard. I think people will really enjoy it," Brian told the BBC.

The musician added the material comes from when they band were at their height and will most likely be called Queen Forever: "Most of it comes from the 80s when we were in full flight. It is quite emotional. It is the big, big ballads and the big, big epic sound. It wouldn't have been if we hadn't have done this restoration job. We had to start from scratch because we only had scraps. But knowing how it would have happened if we had finished it, I can sit there and make it happen with modern technology."

Continue reading Queen Releasing New Songs with Freddie Mercury

The "I Knew You Were Trouble" singer was due to perform in Bangkok on June 9 but has decided to pull the plug on the show now the Far East nation is under military rule following the army's coup last week.

Taylor, 24, took to Twitter to express her regret over the canceled concert, tweeting, "I'm sending my love to the fans in Thailand. I'm so sad about the concert being canceled."

Concert promoter BEC-Tero posted a statement on its website confirming that Taylor would not be appearing in Bangkok. The statement revealed that "due to recent events in Thailand" the musician would not be coming to Bangkok but it was "a difficult decision for all parties."

The next stop on Taylor's Red Tour is the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, China, on May 30.

The actor chose to work on the promo for the song "Unstoppable," featuring Eva Simons, which will be included on the Pepsi Max Beats of the Beautiful Game album to celebrate the World Cup this year, because he loved the idea of being unstoppable. Idris, who has also achieved success as a DJ, said, "When I first heard the song I really loved the idea of being unstoppable ... it's self belief, its someone that just says, 'Guess what? I can do anything I want to do.'"

The six-minute video (seen after the jump) is set in the 1970s and features a group of teenagers on a school bus, outlining "the nerd," "the lads" and "the popular girls," who are all in different social circles. The promo tackles bullying and eventually shows the school nerd throwing away his glasses, standing up for himself and showing off his skills in a game of football as the girls watch one.

Continue reading Idris Elba Directs Short Film for New Song

The "Brown Sugar" hitmakers, also made up of Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts, resumed their 14 On Fire Tour after giving Mick time to grieve following fashion designer L'Wren's suicide two months ago. They took to the stage in Norway Monday night playing in front of 23,000 people at Oslo's Telenor Arena, the band's first show in the country since 2007.

Speaking before the gig, former Stones member Mick Taylor told The Sun, "We're all looking forward to it but we're a bit nervous. Mainly nervous for Mick," adding, "We need to get the wheels turning again."

But the legendary rockers had nothing to worry as the crowd went wild when Mick launched into "Jumpin' Jack Flash," and the band powered through hits including "It's Only Rock 'n' Roll," "Honky Tonk Woman," "Paint It Black," "Midnight Rambler," "Miss You" and "Gimme Shelter."

Continue reading Rolling Stones Play First Gig Since L’Wren’s Death

The "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High" rockers had initially intended to make a quick follow-up to 2013's critically-acclaimed LP AM, but now have no definite plans to return to the recording studio in the near future.

"We did have the chat but I don't think it's going to be happening. There are no plans for another record. I think people might want to forget about the Monkeys for a while. But who knows? We'll have a bit of time off and someone will say, 'Fancy doing another one?'" bassist Nick O'Malley told NME.

Continue reading Arctic Monkeys Have Scrapped New Album Plans

The 71-year-old musician was discharged by doctors last night after spending almost a week recovering from a mystery virus at St Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo, Japan.

The Beatles legend, who was forced to cancel the Asian leg of his Out There! world tour, was excited about being reunited with his family as he boarded a private jet heading back home. "Paul has really been through the mill. He was desperately sad he had to cancel those shows but he was really poorly. But he is on the mend which is great news," a source said. Paul's wife Nancy Shevell, 53, was by his bedside throughout the six days he spent in hospital.

The US leg of Paul's tour will go ahead as planned on June 14.

The ex-White Stripes singer, whose band called it a day in 2011, has since forged his own successful solo career and claims hardly anybody he knows speaks to drummer Meg since the band split.

"I don't think anyone talks to Meg. She's always been a hermit. When we lived in Detroit, I'd have to drive over to her house if I wanted to talk to her, so now it's almost never," he told Rolling Stone.

Talking about how Meg's personality came to affect the pair's relationship, Jack explained, "She's one of those people who won't high five me when I get the touchdown. She viewed me that way of, 'Oh, big deal, you did it, so what?' Almost every single moment of the White Stripes was like that. We'd be working in the studio and something amazing would happen, I'm like, 'Damn, we just broke into a new world right there!' And Meg's sitting in silence. I remember hearing Ringo Starr say, 'I always felt sorry for Elvis, because in The Beatles we had each other to talk about what it felt like. Elvis was by himself.' I was like, '####, try being in a two-piece where the other person doesn't talk!'"

Continue reading Jack White: I Almost Never Speak to Meg

The Beatles legend had to cancel two dates of his Out There Japan Tour 2014 in the country's capital and Osaka after falling ill with a virus, which eventually led to him being sent to hospital.

"Since contracting a virus last week that led to the postponement of tour dates, Paul received successful medical treatment at a hospital in Tokyo. He will make a complete recovery and has been ordered to take a few days rest. Paul has been extremely moved by all the messages and well wishes he has received from fans all over the world," his rep said.

The 71-year-old rocker has also postponed a show in Seoul, South Korea, but is still set to continue with his tour of the US next month.

The "Electric Lady" singer, who was set to perform a number of dates on her Australian and New Zealand leg of her Golden Electric Tour, had been advised by doctors to scrap the gigs and rest.

According to Billboard, a statement issued by promoters, Live Nation Australasia, said, "It has been confirmed that the remainder of the Golden Electric tour has been canceled and there will be no rescheduled performances. Ms. Monae is devastated at not being able to perform for her fans and has vowed to return to our shores in the not-too-distant future. Ticket holders will be contacted by the relevant ticketing outlet to advise of the process for obtaining a refund."

On Saturday, Janelle canceled her Melbourne show after support act Kimbra's opening performance, even though her band was already set up. The singer then canceled Monday night's show in Sydney and has now pulled the plug on the remaining dates.

The legendary producer - who masterminded some of the late singer's biggest hits - thinks the posthumous recording was only released to "make money."

"It's about money. They're trying to make money. And I understand it. Everybody's after money, the estate, the lawyers. It's about money," he said.

Quincy admitted it "bothers" him to see so much of the 'Thriller' star's previously-unreleased music being made public but has learned to accept it has nothing to do with him. When asked if he was bothered by the recordings, he told Jian Ghomeshi's Q talk show on CBC Radio, "Yeah, but it's not my business anymore. They're not our business."

Quincy's comments come months after he launched a $10 million breach-of-contract lawsuit in relation to the recordings released after the "Billie Jean" star's death in June 2009. He alleged master recordings he had worked on were wrongfully edited and remixed so as to deprive him of back-end profit participation. He also claimed he had been denied credit for his work and that MJJ Productions and Sony Music have entered into deals taking profits that should have been included in the calculation of royalties.

The "You & I" heartthrobs - who are currently on their Where We Are stadium world tour - are set to visit South Africa and the United Arab Emirates for the first time next year as part of their On the Road Again tour. The jaunt marks the group's second stadium tour and will kick off in Australia in February 2015 for their first shows in the country in two years.

The boys - Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson - will perform in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, before jetting off to Asia at the end of February for gigs in Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong and Indonesia. March will see the "Best Song Ever" hitmakers visit South Africa for the first time to perform two gigs at Johannesburg's FNB Stadium, followed by a concert at the Cape Town Stadium in Cape Town. On April 4, 2015, the boy band will head to Dubai for their first gig in the country.

The busy stars recently kicked off their third world tour in South America and are due to begin the UK and Ireland leg this week. The latest tour will travel across Europe and North America over the summer, culminating in Atlanta, Georgia, on October 1.

The "Comfortably Numb" hitmakers have teased them by posting a countdown to a big announcement today on a website marking the 20th anniversary of their final record, The Division Bell.

Divisionbell20.com features a continuous clip of satellite images of the moon and urban landscapes to a soundtrack of Pink Floyd's music. The site has also teased the hashtag #TBD20, referencing the fact the band's last record was released two decades ago in March.

Members Roger Waters, David Gilmour and Nick Mason - who haven't performed together publicly since the Live 8 benefit show in 2005 - briefly reunited during Waters' The Wall tour stop at London's O2 Arena but they have previously hinted at the possibility of a reunion.

Continue reading Pink Floyd Hint at Reunion Tour

The "Moves Like Jagger" hitmakers have spent the last year recording material for their fifth album in Los Angeles, California and they've now announced that it will be available later this year. The Grammy award-winning band has also confirmed that they will be releasing a new single this summer before the album's release in the autumn.

Keyboardist Jesse Carmichael has been reunited with band members Adam Levine, Mickey Madden, James Valentine and Matt Flynn following his hiatus from the group while they recorded their fourth album Overexposed.

The band - who have also signed a worldwide tour deal with Live Nation and are expected to announce tour dates in the coming weeks - worked with producers Max Martin, One Republic's Ryan Tedder, Benny Blanco, Shellback and Sam Martin on V.

Continue reading Maroon 5 Announces New Album and Tour