Dizzee Rascal is enjoying a second week at the top of the UK single chart tonight (May 31) with Bonkers.

Dizzee sees off stiff competition from the Black Eyed Peas and Swedish singer Agnes who enters at three with ‘Release Me’.

Meanwhile the Britain’s Got Talent juggernaut casts a shadow across the album countdown as the 2009 finalists Escala, a glammed-up female string quartet, enter at two with their self-titled debut album.

Back on the singles chart, former number 1 ‘Number 1′ from Tichny Stryder falls one place to four while Eminem’s ‘We Made You slips six places to 10.

According to the Official Charts Company the highest climber on the chart this week is Australian duo The Veronicas who rise 146 places to number eight.

On the album chart, Eminem remains on top with ‘Relapse’ and Scots veterans Simple Minds enter at 10 with new album ‘Graffiti Soul’.

The UK top 10 singles are:

1. ‘Bonkers’ - Dizzee Rascal
2. ‘Boom Boom Pow’ - Black Eyed Peas
3. ‘Release Me’ - Agnes
4. ‘Number 1′ - Tichny Stryder
5. ‘Red’ - Daniel Merriweather
6. ‘Kiss Me Thru The Phone’ - Soulja Boy Tellem Ft Sammie
7. ‘In For The Kill’ - La Roux
8. ‘Untouched’ - The Veronicas
9. ‘Not Fair’ - Lily Allen
10. ‘We Made You’ - Eminem

NME.com May 31st 2009

According to several online reports, Jennifer Hudson is several months’ pregnant and held a baby shower in Chicago over the weekend. Rumors of the Oscar-and-Grammy-winning singer/actress’s pregnancy have been circulating for months but have been denied by her reps. The shower was reportedly held on Saturday at a relative’s home.

“It was a baby shower, a quiet gathering of friends and mostly family,” singer/ actress Felicia Fields, a longtime Hudson friend, reportedly told the Chicago Tribune. “They’re really trying to keep it kind of quiet.”

Hudson is engaged to former reality-TV star David Otunga, who is pursuing a pro-wrestling career. The pair have not publicized their wedding date.

“It was a nice time that we had,” Fields said of the shower, but declined to reveal whether Hudson received blue or pink gifts, which would reveal the baby’s sex. “They don’t know [the gender]. More yellow [gifts],” Fields reportedly told the Tribune.

Hudson recently postponed several dates of her tour with Robin Thicke, claiming strained vocal cords.

An “American Idol” veteran, Hudson returned to the show in mid-April, and host Ryan Seacrest asked Hudson about her engagement to Otunga. Inquiring about when the wedding will be, Hudson demurred, “It’s a secret, I can’t tell nobody.” After Seacrest asked her to whisper it in his ear, she leaned in and joked quietly, “Ryan, they’ll hear it if I tell you.”

MTV.com May 31st 2009

Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne is suing the band’s guitarist Tony Iommi over royalty payments.

The 60-year-old has accused Iommi of falsely claiming to have sole rights to the band’s name which has cost him royalties from merchandise sales.

Osbourne is seeking unspecified damages, lost profits and a declaration he is a half-owner of the trademark.

Iommi claims Osbourne legally relinquished rights to the band’s name in the 1980s.

The guitarist registered the Black Sabbath trademark in the US in 2000.

Equal shares

Osbourne issued a statement on Friday asking Iommi to “do the right thing”.

“Tony, I am so sorry it’s had to get to this point by me having to take this action against you,” he said.

“We’ve all worked too hard and long in our careers to allow you to sell merchandise that features all our faces, old Black Sabbath album covers and band logos, and then you tell us that you own the copyright.”

Osbourne said he believed all four original members of the band should share Black Sabbath’s name equally adding: “I hope that by me taking this first step that it will ultimately end up that way.”

The star’s lawyer has disputed he gave up rights to the band’s name, saying that even if the singer did make such an agreement, he took a major role in the band’s direction and success after rejoining it in 1997.

Black Sabbath, who were formed in Birmingham in 1968, have sold more then 100 million albums and are known for hits including Iron Man and Paranoid.

BBC Entertainment May 30th 2009

Katy Perry has revealed that her second album will be more grown-up.

The I Kissed A Girl singer said that she wrote her debut LP One Of The Boys as a “dear diary” recording between the ages of 17 and 23.

The 25-year-old said that she’d like her next project to be a “fun record”, but also for listeners to notice her difference in age.

She said: “I definitely want to make a follow-up pop, fun record. I’m not looking to alienate my fans.”

“But I can’t be that grown-up Shirley Temple girl wearing the stupid strawberry in her hair all the time…because I’d kill myself or someone else would for me.”

Perry added that she looks forward to “evolving and changing” as a musician, and wants her next effort to reflect as much.

She said: “So this record will be a very present record for me. It will be me now. It won’t take five years - hopefully. It will be Katy Perry as a young, 25-year-old woman.”

Music-news.com May 30th 2009

Leona Lewis has turned down the chance to perform for President Barack Obama - because she is too busy working on her second album.

The X Factor winner has been spending all her time at a recording studio in Los Angeles, preparing tracks for the follow-up to her hit debut Spirit.

And she said she is so determined to make the CD her best yet, she turned down the White House invitation to focus on her music.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, a source said: “Leona was thrilled to be invited to dinner by Obama. She really wanted to meet him and his wife Michelle, who is a big fan and has her Spirit album.”

“They both think she is a strong, inspirational and talented young woman who is a fantastic role model for children. They would love her to get involved in some of their charity projects. But it was really unfortunate that it clashed with her tight schedule to get her second album done.”

“Leona has had studio sessions in L.A. booked for months and has been working day and night getting things perfect. So there was no way she could make the trip to the White House.”

Music-news.com May 30th 2009

Paolo Nutini has insisted that he is unfazed by comparisons to his fellow singer-songwriters James Blunt and James Morrison.

The Scottish star admitted that he used to feel frustrated when he was likened to his rivals in the press - but now prefers to focus solely on his own music.

Speaking to the Daily Record, he said: “We are three different folk with three different images. At first, these comparisons were a bit frustrating. It’s not a competition.”

“James Morrison is a nice guy, and I’ve never met James Blunt. But he probably gets bored with being tarred with that singer-songwriter brush as well.”

“If that’s why I’m making music, to separate myself from James Blunt and James Morrison, I might as well give up.”

“I’ve got no relevance to be here if my drive for making a record is not being them. I might as well disappear.”

Nutini’s second album Sunny Side Up will be released on Monday.

Music-news.com May 30th 2009

Fresh from their huge No.1 hit with Tinchy Stryder and a critically acclaimed tour, N-Dubz are set to release new single ‘Wouldn’t You’ out June 1st on AATW Records.

Taken from their platinum album ‘Uncle B’ (430,000 units in the UK alone), and written and produced by the band, ‘Wouldn’t You’ mixes street chat with infectious R&B tones. Once again the band combine a variety of musical genres, reinforcing the diversity of their musical talents, producing a song that is set to dominate airwaves throughout the summer. Soft beats produced by Fazer, and soaring vocals by Tulisa are supported by Dappy’s trademark rhymes.

Tulisa from the band says, “‘Wouldn’t You was a real fan’s favourite on our tour so it seemed the perfect choice to release as our next single. It got an amazing reaction at all the gigs and is definitely one of our favourites from the album.”

Without a doubt N-Dubz is the hottest UK breakthrough act from the last twelve months. The band has grown from an underground phenomenon to a commercial force to be reckoned with. Their debut UK tour sold out with extra dates added due to phenomenal demand and their album is an essential buy for all music lovers around the country. The band’s music videos have had over 30 million hits on You Tube and are on heavy rotation on the coolest music channels from MTV, to Channel U.

Now with a No.1 hit under their belt and a brand new album in the works, N-Dubz is finally receiving the critical and chart success it rightly deserves.

Positive reviews for the band include the following:

“Come the next election, the smartest party should snap N-Dubz up as role models” - The Times

“A mix of street chat, rap attack and pop sauce…..the British Black Eyed Peas. Witness a genuine phenomenon” - The Guardian

“Three highly individual characters open, friendly, funny, talkable and thoughtful” - Time Out

Lucid PR May 30th 2009

Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard has revealed the band are working on new material with Kano and Little Boots.

Goddard said that he wants Hot Chip’s new album to take a hip-hop direction, which is why he’s enlisted the help of Kano.

“We’re working with Kano,” he confirmed. “It’s going to be exciting, though I’ve never met him. Hip-hop is close to my heart. When I was 12 or 13 I grew up listening to The Wu-Tang Clan and Souls Of Mischief. I’d love to try to recreate some of the things that made them great,” he told Independent

He added: “I do want to meet with Kano and get to know him. It’s the way of the world. You’re too busy to do anything but answer emails.”

Goddard revealed that he’s also persuaded Little Boots - whose forthcoming debut album ‘Hands’ he helped produce - to contribute to the record.

“We’re also working with Little Boots,” he confirmed. “She’s come round to my studio and I’ve met her after gigs in Brixton and stuff.”

Hot Chip previewed a series of new songs at a London gig for the Crisis charity earlier this month. The follow-up to 2008’s ‘Made In The Dark’ album is expected to be released in early 2010.

NME.com May 29th 2009

Eric Clapton has assured fans his frequent retirement talk is nothing more than the frustration of suffering sleep deprivation on tour.

The legendary guitarist insisted that he won’t quit recording and performing - even though he hates concert tours when he’s in the middle of them.

Speaking to Rolling Stone magazine, Clapton said: “I retire at the end of every tour. When I’m on the road, I’m gritting my teeth and putting up with hotels and sleep deprivation and upset tummy.”

“But when I’m off the road, the road suddenly seems like a magical idea again.”

And he admitted that he still has a lot to achieve as a musician: “I still haven’t made what I consider to be my best album.”

Music-news.com May 28th 2009

The Prodigy returned to Los Angeles for their first non-festival show in approximately 15 years last night (May 27) to the delight of a massive crowd.

The Essex electro dance band got the crowd at the Hollywood Palladium pumping from the very first song of their 75-minute set, which saw them play several tracks from their new album, ‘Invaders Must Die’, as well as crowd-pleasing classics including ‘Firestarter’ and ‘Smack My Bitch Up’.

Frontmen Maxim Reality and Keith Flint expertly worked up the crowd, bounding across the stage with their fists in the air. “Come on West Coast Prodigy warriors! Let me hear you!” Reality shouted, and the crowd roared back in response.

The sound in the newly renovated 4,000 capacity auditorium was muffled and echoey, but this didn’t stop the audience from dancing and crowd-surfing throughout the night. People in the front row held up a Union Jack flag, while others sported Prodigy gear and neon apparel.

The Prodigy decided to forgo an encore, concluding their set with ‘Out Of Space’, which got nearly entire crowd dancing and singing along.

The Prodigy played:

‘Worlds On Fire’
‘Their Law’
‘Breathe’
‘Breathe’ (dubstep version)
‘Omen’
‘Poison’
‘Warrior’s Dance’
‘Firestarter’
‘Run’
‘Voodoo People’
‘Comanche’
‘Invaders Must Die’
‘Smack My Bitch Up’
‘Out Of Space’

NME.com May 28th 2009