On Gear Live: 2024 Nissan Z Nismo Review

Latest Gear Live Videos

Katy PerryKaty Perry's Prism is strongly influenced by Sweden.

The "Unconditional" singer started work on her fourth studio album in her home town of Santa Barbara but Swedish producer, Klas Ahlund says working with her in his home country helped bring a different feel to the record.

"We did most of our stuff actually in Stockholm and I totally think that affected how it came out. When you move around the planet, the vibe of the place you're making the music in definitely makes an imprint on whatever you're writing," Ahlund said.

According to Ahlund, it was the stark difference between American and Swedish folk music that impacted on Katy's work - and he believes the "melancholy and lonely" tones of traditional Swedish melodies combined with Katy's bubbly persona were the lightening force behind the new album; inspiring songs such as "Roar."

Click to continue reading Sweden Inspires Katy Perry


Advertisement

Katy PerryKaty Perry was "humiliated" in "very uncomfortable ways" when she first started in the music industry.

The "Roar" singer had a rough start in music and despite being discovered by super-producer Glen Ballard in 2001, she got a number of knockbacks before finally releasing her major label debut album One of the Boys in 2008, which she says was character building.

"You have to eat dust in the music industry. You'll get humiliated, often in very uncomfortable ways. That period of my life was like a test of my strength. My philosophy is: you get presented with these challenges so you can learn to overcome them," she said.

Katy, 29, has since had the last laugh as her has now become one of the biggest selling pop singers of the last decade with hits including "Teenage Dream" and "California Gurls." The "I Kissed a Girl" star also found her 14-month marriage to British comedian Russell Brand from 2010 to 2011 tough, but put as much effort into making it work as possible. "When I was married I kept taking breaks in between touring so I could dedicate time to my marriage. It was extremely draining, but my marriage was worth it to me," she added.


Taylor SwiftTaylor Swift has already written songs for her next album.

The 23-year-old singer is currently promoting her Red studio album, but she admits she has been penning tracks for her next collection, which she hopes will be different from anything she has done before:

"Now that I've written a lot of songs for the next album, I'm dying for people to hear it. It's so weird to be still promoting Red and I'm so proud of Red and I'm creating something that's so different from Red."

However, the "Everything Has Changed" hitmaker believes the success of Red will encourage her to work harder, but she doesn't want it to follow along the same lines with the same tunes. "It's so cool because I'm so appreciative of the success of Red but I know that if I want to have success with something else I can't make Red 2.0. I have to make something completely new and something that if you were to hear a song from it you'd go 'Oh that's not from Red, that's from the new one.' So that's what I'm doing," she explained.


Lady GagaLady Gaga was pressured to drop a controversial song about Princess Diana from her new album.

The 27-year-old star had wanted "Princess Die" included on her third studio LP ARTPOP - which will released on Monday - but worried record company bosses at her label Streamline and parent firm Interscope urged her to axe the song fearing it may upset fans of the late Diana.

"Lady Gaga was passionate about Princess Diana and, though she admitted it wasn't her best work, she still wanted it on the album. But after the adverse reaction it got from fans in the UK when she sang it at her gigs last year, the record company bosses stepped in. They persuaded her to remove it from the album to keep the peace. There still is a lot of emotion over Princess Di. Her death remains a very sensitive subject," a source said.

Gaga performed the song, written in 2011, at a concert in Twickenham, London, last year and told a somewhat skeptical crowd that it was her way of paying homage to the beloved royal - the mother of Princes William and Harry who tragically died in a car crash in Paris in 1997.

Click to continue reading Lady Gaga Pressured to Drop Princess Diana Song


Mick JaggerMick Jagger wants to tour with the Rolling Stones again next year.

The 70-year-old singer says the group's gigs at Glastonbury in June and London's Hyde Park in July were "perfect" and a "great ending" to their tour of Europe and North America, marking the band's 50th anniversary, and he was so "blown away" by the performances he wants to hit the road again.

"This summer was really good for us. I feel really happy and I had a really fantastic time in the last year. It was a great ending at Glastonbury and Hyde Park. We were blown away. I'd love to do it again," he said.

Mick's bandmate Keith Richards - who completes the group alongside Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts - recently said the "Brown Sugar" hitmakers were keen to do a 60th anniversary tour as well: "I've been hooked on everything once or twice in my life. The one thing I can't kick is playing with the Rolling Stones. All these zeros that keep zooming by ... 30, 40, 50 years. I don't really see any reason why there shouldn't be a 60th. Either that or we croak [die] on the job."


Nicki MinajNicki Minaj has confirmed she will release a new album next year.

The 30-year-old rapper hasn't dropped any music for the last 18 months, but she admits she's beginning to plan her third LP and is expecting it to be ready by the end of 2014.

"I'm definitely working. I'm very excited at what I've been coming up with. I already started, I didn't tell anybody because I didn't want to jinx it and stuff but I already started and I'm going home tomorrow to really start," she told MTV.

The "Super Bass" hitmaker is remaining tight-lipped about with whom she is working, but she's confident the people she has selected for her new studio album will put a different spin on her music: "I'm really excited and the people that have been working with me now, have been people that I haven't worked with before so it's like they're bringing a new sound to the album that I've never experimented with and plus, I got so much to talk about."

Click to continue reading Nicki Minaj to Release Next Album in 2014


Taylor SwiftTaylor Swift feels "honored" to have been asked to perform for Prince William and Duchess Catherine next month.

The superstar is one of several acts - along with Bon Jovi, James Blunt and Eliza Doolittle - set to play at the royal couple's Winter Whites Gala in London's Royal Albert Hall on December 8, in aid of homeless charity Centerpoint, and she is thrilled to have been asked.

"I'm really excited, I'm going to be playing the Winter Whites Gala, I'm really stoked, it's the first royal engagement I've done and I feel very honored," she said in an interview.

And the "I Knew You Were Trouble" hitmaker is already thinking about what to say and do if she gets the opportunity to meet the royal couple at the event, but she isn't getting her hopes up: "I've been asking about that [etiquette], I think I'm safe if I just shake hands and be polite. I think it's presumptuous to assume I'll meet them, so first I'm going to be polite enough to not assume I'll meet them."

Click to continue reading Taylor Swift Excited About Royal Performance


Lady GagaMonsters, mark your calendars for 2015: Lady Gaga will be singing in space!

The "Applause" hitmaker will embark on a space mission with Virgin Galactic flights and is reportedly planning to have vocal training to ensure she can still hit the correct notes in a gravity-free environment. "She has to do a month of vocal training because of the atmosphere," a source said.

Gaga is set to make history by becoming the first celebrity to perform in space. "[This will be] like nothing the world has seen before," the source added.

The 27-year-old star will perform on the third day of the Zero G Colony festival which takes place at Spaceport America in New Mexico approximately six months after the first Virgin Galactic commercial flight, and has taken the necessary precautions to ensure she is protected against the worst possible outcome. "Gaga has taken out a ridiculous life insurance policy!" the insider said.

Click to continue reading Lady Gaga to Sing in Space


EminemEminem was crowned Artist of the Year at the YouTube awards.

The 41-year-old rapper walked away with the gong at the ceremony held in New York City Sunday night, while Taylor Swift's "I Knew You Were Trouble" won the YouTube Phenomenon award. The Video of the Year award went to the South Korean girl band Girls' Generation for their song, "I Got A Boy," while DeStorm Power received the Innovation of the Year prize. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis received the Breakthrough of the Year gong for their new anthem "Same Love."

Jason Schwartzman and musician Reggie Watts were presiding the first ever YouTube ceremony, which featured artists such as Lady Gaga and M.I.A making live music videos directed by the awards' creator Spike Jonze. The event, which was streamed live on the video sharing website, saw Lady Gaga perform her new single "Dope" for the first time.

Nominees were selected by the amount of YouTube views, likes, comments and subscription figures for different artists.

Click to continue reading Eminem Wins Artist of the Year at YouTube Awards


Lady GagaLady Gaga is being sued over her 2009 song "Teeth."

Music producer and singer Teddy Riley - who was a member of 1990s hip-hop group Blackstreet - has filed a lawsuit against the 27-year-old pop star, claiming he hasn't received any of the payments he is owed after the song was included on her smash hit The Fame Monster EP. Teddy, 46, says he was promised 25 per cent of the writing fees for the song but hasn't been paid at all, and he is now seeking $500,000 as well as punitive damages, reports TMZ.

Gaga's Fame Monster EP, which was released after her debut album The Fame and before her second album Born This Way, is credited with establishing her as one of the most popular music artists today and it also features hit songs such as "Telephone," "Bad Romance" and "Alejandro."

In January, Teddy hit the headlines after he sued his own daughter, aspiring songwriter Taja Riley, after she allegedly claimed she co-wrote "Teeth." Taja landed a music publishing deal as a result of her supposed involvement, however, Teddy insists his daughter's claims about her "participation in the creation of the composition, authorship, and ownership [of 'Teeth'] are all false and untrue."


Advertisement

{solspace:toolbar}