Colors: Red Color

 

Next year’s BRIT Awards have been pushed back by three months, to May, for it to have a better chance of staging a full live ceremony featuring some of the world’s biggest pop stars.

The 41st edition of the music awards show was due to take place in February, as usual, at the O2 Arena in London.

But uncertainty around the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has prompted the music industry to delay the event.

Organisers said that they want “outstanding production levels, superstar performances and live excitement”.

Geoff Taylor, chief executive of the BRITS and industry body the BPI, said: “We believe that the best way to achieve this in 2021 is to move the show back a few months to May.

“We are already at work planning a spectacular event that will remind us just how important music has been in getting us all through this very difficult time”.

The eligibility period for the awards will be altered, although music releases have continued during the pandemic.

Multi-platinum international artist Dennis Lloyd shares the animated video for his new single; ‘Alien’ that was released via Arista Records. 

‘Alien’ is the first track off his forthcoming debut album. 
 
Directed by Yoav Aluf at Plonter Animation Studios, the video tells a story about an alien who crashes on earth and meets a young boy who helps him search for his lost dog. Despite the alien initially being reluctant to trust the boy, the two form a strong bond throughout their journey together. The video’s message is that regardless of our backgrounds, we’re all looking for the same things in life: to feel loved, safe and to have a place we can call home.
 
Lloyd stated: “This was the first song I wrote after returning home from tour. At some point on the road you can lose track of where you are, waking up in a new city or country each day, to new people, cultures and foods. In a way I felt like an alien on a spaceship, exploring the world.”
 
Born and raised in Tel Aviv, in Israel, Lloyd released his debut EP, “Exident”, last year. The lead single, ‘Never Go Back’ landed on Spotify’s sought-after playlist, Today’s Top Hits, on day one of its release. 

TIME Magazine praised ‘Never Go Back’ as an “equally alluring follow up” to Lloyd’s global smash, ‘Nevermind.’

In addition, Forbes proclaimed, “Lloyd creatively blends the elements of pop, R&B, rock and reggae, breaking global boundaries in addition to crossing them.” 

Lloyd travelled the world on the sold-out Never Go Back Tour, with highlights including show-stopping sets at Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, New York City’s Governors Ball and Dover, DE’s Firefly Festival. Last autumn, he embarked on the sold-out Never Go Back Tour: Part III, which spanned across 16 European countries.  

UK pop star, Keisha Buchanan, has spoken out about the “trauma” that she experienced as the only Black member of the chart-topping band Sugababes.

The singer, who was a member of the platinum-selling girl group for well over a decade, said that she was often portrayed as a “bully” and who the others were scared of.

The 35-year-old said: “I have never bullied anyone in my life but after a while I felt like no one would believe me”.

She added: that the “scrutiny and judgement” had left her in therapy.

Keisha opened up about her experiences in a 14-minute YouTube video.
"I used to think racism was when someone directly looked at you and called you a racist word. I didn't realise that there are so many different ways that a person or people can be racist or prejudice," she said.

But after she found fame as a teenager, she started to notice that newspaper articles would paint her as "aggressive", "angry" and a "bully".

"My reality is constantly feeling like I have to work 10 times harder and longer to make my case in the group, because my talent alone isn't enough."

Both stars said they hoped that discussing their stories would raise awareness of discrimination, in response to the recent Black Lives Matter protests and George Floyd's death in Minneapolis.

"I'm not doing this video for sympathy," Ms Buchanan said. "I'm not a victim whatsoever, but I have been hurt and I would like there to be a change in how we view others."

Best known as the Forces Sweetheart Dame Vera Lynn, the nation is mourning the passing of the woman whose songs helped to raise morale during World War II.

The singer was best known for performing hits like ‘We’ll Meet Again’ to the troops who were on the front line in countries such as India and Burma.

In a statement, her family confirmed that she died with them (her family) around her.

They said that they were “deeply saddened to make the announcement of the passing of Britain’s best-loved entertainer”.

Ahead of the recent 75th anniversary of VE Day during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Dame Vera said that simple acts of bravery and sacrifice still defines our nation.

Following that, she then became the oldest person to have a top 40 album in the UK charts, beating her own record when her Greatest Hits album re-entered the charts at No.30.

Dame Vera, who sold more than a million records by the age of 22, was also remembered for singing ‘The White Cliffs Of Diver’, ‘There’ll Always Be An England’, ‘I’ll Be Seeing You’, ‘Wishing’ and ‘If Only I Had Wings’.

She was 103.

Live Nation Entertainment, the world’s leading live entertainment company, have announced Utilita Live From The Drive-In – a series of live drive-in concerts situated across 12 venues in the U.K. Live Nation is reimagining the live music experience during a time of social distancing by allowing fans to enjoy concerts in a one-of-a-kind drive-in setting from their own private individual viewing zones next to their cars. Designed to comply with all official guidelines, Utilita Live From The Drive-In will deliver the U.K.’s premier drive-in experience featuring a series of music concerts, theatre performances, comedy shows and family experiences this Summer.
 
Utilita Live From The Drive-In will see some of the biggest names in U.K. music perform live on stage backed by a full concert production that audiences can experience from the comfort of their designated area, with each vehicle appropriately distanced from one another. Utilita Live From The Drive-In will also offer carefully curated family events for kids of all ages from West End theatre extravaganzas to interactive science shows, fun live music and DJs and some very well-known TV stars and characters from children television – more to be announced and added to the schedule.
 
Utilita Live From The Drive-In confirmed live performances with more to be announced already include: Ash, Beverley Knight, Bjorn Again, Brainiac Live, Brand New Heavies, Camp Bestival Live, Cream Classical Ibiza, Dizzee Rascal, Embrace, Gary Numan, Jack Savoretti, Kaiser Chiefs, Lightning Seeds, Nathan Dawe, Reggae Roast Vs Gentleman's Dub Club, Russell Watson, Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason, Sigala, Skindred, The Snuts, The Streets, The Zutons and Tony Hadley. Performance schedules can be found now at LiveNation.co.uk/utilitalivefromthedrivein.
 
Tickets for Utilita Live From The Drive-In events will be available at 10am on Monday 22nd June at LiveNation.co.uk. Visit LiveNation.co.uk for further announcements on performers, entry prices, on-sale dates and further important information. Ensuring the best experience for everyone, Utilita Live From The Drive-In will have a capacity of approximately 300 cars per show and boast concert quality sound from a live stages with a full state of the art sound system, lighting rig and high definition LED screens, creating an arena or stadium concert feel in a safe Drive-In setting adhering to the Government’s current social distancing rules to protect fans, artists, crews and staff at all times.

Singer and actor Barbara Streisand has made George Floyd’s six-year-old daughter a stockholder in Disney.

Gianni Floyd posted a picture of her new shares on Instagram, thanking Streisand in the caption.

“Thank You Barbara Streisand for my package, I am now a Disney Stockholder thanks to you”, she wrote.

Shares in Disney are currently valued at around $115 (£92). Before the coronavirus pandemic, they traded as high as $150 (£120).

It is not clear how many shares Streisand purchased for Gianni, whose father was murdered whilst in police custody, after an officer knelt on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds – his death sparking worldwide protests for an end to racism and demands for police reform.

Hip-Hop mogul Kanye West has also provided financial support for the schoolgirl having launched a college fund to cover the cost of her tuition.

Texas Southern University has also offered her a full scholarship if she chooses to attend there in the future.