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Jay ZJay Z leads the way in the 2014 Grammy Awards shortlist with nine nominations.

The star has picked up several nods ahead of the ceremony next year including two in both the Best Music Video and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration categories. He was also nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, Best Rap Album and Best Recording Package.

Nominations were revealing during a special live concert last night and Jay Z's collaborator Justin Timberlake is also in the running to dominate the ceremony in January. As well as being nominated alongside his friend in four categories, the "Mirrors" hitmaker is on the shortlist for Best Pop Solo Performance, Best Pop Vocal Album and Best R&B Song.

The 56th Annual Grammy Awards will take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on January 26, and the duo face stiff competition across all categories.


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John Mayer has parted ways with his long-time manager Michael McDonald.

The "Who You Love" singer has split from his manager after the pair worked together for 13 years and it's not yet known why they have decided to end their professional relationship.

"After 13 years, John and I are parting ways. It's been a magnificent journey, which began before his debut album, and along the way has included seven Grammy awards, years of massively successful tours around the world, and over 20 million albums sold. I hold John's talent in the highest regard and wish him nothing but the best," Michael said in a statement.

Michael formed Mick Management in 2001 with Mayer as a founding client. Most recently, he helped the 36-year-old musician return to touring after a he underwent surgery on his vocal cords after suffering a severe tissue inflammation.

Click to continue reading John Mayer Splits from Manager


Noel GallagherNoel Gallagher thinks that Arcade Fire are "arrogant" for releasing a double album.

The "Everybody's On The Run" singer says he hasn't heard the band's new record Reflektor and he doesn't have time to listen to so many tracks. "I haven't heard it. Anybody that comes back with a double album, to me, needs to pry themselves out of their own a**hole. This is not the Seventies, okay? Go and ask Billy Corgan [The Smashing Pumpkins] about a double album. Who has the ####### time, in 2013, to sit through 45 minutes of a single album? How arrogant are these people to think that you've got an hour and a half to listen to a f**king record?" he told Rolling Stone.

The former Oasis guitarist, 45, said it was a "shame" David Bowie chose to work with the band on the record but hailed his comeback album The Next Day as a "masterpiece." He's also become a fan of Kanye West after hearing "Black Skinhead" at a party, but the musician thinks Robin Thicke is a "one-hit wonder" and his song "Blurred Lines" irritates him: "I don't mind it. It sounded good on the radio. Got a bit annoying after the five millionth time you've heard it. I think he's going to be a one-hit wonder, surely. It'll be like that guy who's done 'Gangnam Style' - we'll never hear from him again."


Nelson Mandela and BonoU2 frontman Bono has paid tribute to Nelson Mandela by writing an essay on the late anti-apartheid revolutionary.

The 53-year-old singer, who along with his bandmates contributed the song "Ordinary Love" to the biopic Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom - based on the former South African President's autobiography of the same name - penned an extended piece on the anti-apartheid leader, who died last night aged 95, after hearing of his passing.

In 1051-word essay for Time magazine entitled "The Man Who Could Not Cry," Bono - who has helped try to end global poverty for a number of years - described Mandela as a "forceful presence" in his life since 1979. "As an activist I have pretty much been doing what Nelson Mandela tells me since I was a teenager. He has been a forceful presence in my life going back to 1979, when U2 made its first anti-apartheid effort. Over the years we became friends. I, like everyone else, was mesmerized by his deft maneuvering as leader of South Africa. It certainly fell to Mandela to be great. His role in the movement against extreme poverty was critical. He worked for a deeper debt cancellation, for a doubling of international assistance across sub-Saharan Africa, for trade and private investment and transparency to fight corruption. Without his leadership, would the world over the past decade have increased the number of people on AIDS medication to 9.7 million and decreased child deaths by 2.7 million a year? Without Mandela, would Africa be experiencing its best decade of growth and poverty reduction? His indispensability can't be proved with math and metrics, but I know what I believe..." he wrote.

Click to continue reading Bono Pens Essay Tribute to Nelson Mandela


Britney SpearsBritney Spears is thinking about retiring after she completes her Las Vegas residency.

The "Work B***h" hitmaker, who has just released her eighth studio album Britney Jean, has revealed she might give up music after her two-year stint at Planet Hollywood and wants to expand her brood.

"I might [retire], who knows... I may have two more kids and get married... I'd like to have more kids," she said in an interview with Mario Lopez for Extra.

The 32-year-old has been dating lawyer David Lucado for eight months after splitting from then fiance Jason Trawick and has two sons with ex-husband Kevin Federline, Sean Preston, eight, and seven-year-old Jayden James. The Saved By The Bell star wanted to know if Britney wants girls or more boys, but the singer said "as long as they're healthy," she doesn't mind: "I think it does kind of help with dating someone not in the business, I could kinda understand if you're dating someone in the business they'd understand what you're going through every day and stuff. I feel like the chemistry kinda [sic] speaks for itself when you date someone out of the industry."


John Mayer and Katy PerryJohn Mayer and Katy Perry have unveiled the artwork for their duet "Who You Love."

The couple - who are rumored to be engaged - teamed up for the third single to be taken from John's sixth studio album Paradise Valley, which was released in August. "Who You Love is here. Proud of this song, proud of this artwork, proud of this girl," the "Half Of My Heart" musician tweeted, attaching the cover art for the track.

The black-and-white shot, taken by photographer Mario Sorrentil, shows John strumming a guitar while Katy's strikes a sultry pose and rests her hand on his shoulder. "I wouldn't have brought her a song if I didn't think it was good. I think the power of the song protected me, certainly, I don't know about her, from it being a little too cute," John previously said about the track.

Click to continue reading Katy Perry and John Mayer Collaborate


Lana Del ReyLana Del Rey has announced the title of her second album.

The "Video Games" star has quashed rumors she is set to retire from music by revealing details for her new record Ultraviolence, the follow-up to last year's debut Born To Die.

The 27-year-old singer discussed her plans for the album at the Hollywood premiere of her new movie Tropico last night, although there is no release date confirmed: "I really just wanted us all to be together so I could close the chapter before I release my new album, Ultraviolence."

Earlier this year, the star refused to confirm or deny whether she was retiring from music after a cryptic tweet saying Tropico would be her "farewell project." Fans at the premiere cheered as she announced plans for her new album and later tweeted their support. "So Lana Del Rey has a new album dropping at some point so I might cry tears of joy," one posted.

Click to continue reading Lana Del Rey Announces New Album


MuseMuse will "strip back" the tracks on their next album.

Frontman Matt Bellamy said he wants to "reconnect" with the oldest elements of the band and that he is keen to experiment less on the new songs: "I've got a pretty good picture of what I'd like the next album to be like. It's the comedown and the sort of waking up the next day being like, 'What the f**k? What the f**k?' That was crazy.' I kind of feel like it will be nice to reconnect and remind ourselves of just the basics of who we are."

Speaking about the sound of the album, the 35-year-old musician continued, "I have this strong feeling that the next album should be something that really does strip away the additional things that we've experimented with on the last two albums, which is electronics, symphonics and orchestral work and all that kind of stuff."

Next year marks the 20th anniversary of Muse and Matt, along with band mates Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard, say they've come a long way. "In some ways, the band has gone on this pretty insane journey since we formed as teenagers. Back then, we weren't very outgoing on stage. We were very sort of off to ourselves, hiding behind the music," Matt added.


Britney SpearsBritney Spears is facing embarrassment over sales of her new album.

According to early figures, Britney Jean, the singer's eighth studio album shifted just 6,400 copies on its first day of release, including pre-orders. The record, which features her single "Work B*tch," is currently at number 14 in the UK Album Chart and was released on Monday after being streamed on iTunes for a week for fans.

Critics have described the songs as "disappointing," but the 32-year-old singer said she is proud of the effort. In an open letter on her website, she said, "I poured my heart and soul into this album. I know I keep telling you it is my most personal record yet, but it's true and I'm really proud of that. I have been through a lot in the past few years and it has really inspired me to dig deeper and write songs that I think everyone can relate to."

The pop star, who will start her Las Vegas residency at Planet Hollywood this month, sold more than 30 million copies worldwide of her debut record Baby One More Time, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time.


Miley Cyrus and Pharrell WilliamsPharrell Williams has defended Miley Cyrus' transformation.

The "Get Lucky" hitmaker, who worked with the former Disney star on her new album Bangerz, has praised the 21-year-old's music and new controversial look:

"It's tough to be that age, and to have to make all those decisions yourself. And it's the people you're surrounded by, too. I'm not worried about Miley. I've seen her soul in action. I know her voice, her voice is crazy. I keep saying it to everybody: You gotta remember, she's [21] years old and enjoying her life. She's enjoying her freedom."

Miley hit the headlines after her raunchy performance with Robin Thicke at the MTV Video Music Awards but Pharrell thinks people should also focus on her talent. "When you see her, when you read her words and you listen to her musical choices, and you look at what she's wearing - I'm not talking about when she goes on stage, I'm talking about her everyday dressing - she shuts it the f**k down," the 40-year-old singer continued.

Click to continue reading Pharrell Williams Defends Miley


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