Music News LIVE: 14 October

Madonna is being honoured by Billboard magazine - who've named her  woman of the year for 2016. 

The magazine has written a long list of reasons why they chose her and said it came following a year where she extended her record as the highest-grossing female touring artist of all time,   

Janice Min president and chief creative officer for Billboard had this to say..

Quote Message: Madonna is one of a miniscule number of super-artists whose influence and career transcend music. With her creative vision, relentless innovation, and dedication to philanthropic causes, she is an inspiration to hundreds of millions of people around the world, all while shattering every career record out there. She is an important feminist on top of that, a one-of-a-kind artist who’s used her influence to change the conversation around women, sexuality and equal rights.

Madonna is one of a miniscule number of super-artists whose influence and career transcend music. With her creative vision, relentless innovation, and dedication to philanthropic causes, she is an inspiration to hundreds of millions of people around the world, all while shattering every career record out there. She is an important feminist on top of that, a one-of-a-kind artist who’s used her influence to change the conversation around women, sexuality and equal rights.

The seven-time Grammy winner will receive the honour at the 11th annual Women in Music event, held on 9 December in New York.  

Some more new music for you now and a favourite on the Music News LIVE desk, Daughter have released their new track The End today. 

It's from their latest album Not To Disappear and is "like Florence on mood suppressants", according to our reporter Mark Savage. Enjoy!

Warning: third party content, may contain ads.  

You can catch up with more of the week's new releases in Radio 1's New Music Friday playlist - from The Vamps and Emeli Sande (scroll down for more from both of them) to DNCE, Hardwell featuring Jay Sean, Blossoms and more. 

Decca RecordsCopyright: Decca Records

Andrea Bocelli is celebrating the 20th anniversary of his song Time to Say Goodbye (Con Te Partiro) by re-recording it for a special edition of hit album Romanza.

The song was written for the tenor and pretty much made him a star. 

In the press release announcing the news his record label point out some fascinating facts about the song... 

• It has sold more copies than Hey Jude, Bohemian Rhapsody and Dancing Queen

• TV shows he has appeared in include Sesame Street, Downton Abbey and The Sopranos
• It was played at Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s wedding
• It is one of the world’s most popular funeral songs

That last one is our personal favourite. 

Decca RecordsCopyright: Decca Records

Romanza is released on 18 November and it's been getting Bocelli all nostalgic...  

Quote Message: Twenty years, a generation, the time it takes to conceive a son and raise him to become a man. And yet Romanza seems not to shy away from the passing of time, to the point where in the tracks on the album I recognise, with a thrill and at times deep emotion, the clear reflection of what I was, but also of what I am, the adventure of my life at the time but also at this very moment. It has become the soundtrack of so many lives.

Twenty years, a generation, the time it takes to conceive a son and raise him to become a man. And yet Romanza seems not to shy away from the passing of time, to the point where in the tracks on the album I recognise, with a thrill and at times deep emotion, the clear reflection of what I was, but also of what I am, the adventure of my life at the time but also at this very moment. It has become the soundtrack of so many lives.

The Vamps were up early today to appear on Grimmy's breakfast show. 

Their new very catchy track All Night featuring Matoma is track of the day on Radio 1 and is a bit of a different sound for the band. 

They told Grimmy how they decided to "have a go" at dance music because they love to try new things and have fun... 

Thankfully their warnings from Grimmy worked and they are still doing the Teen Awards.

The band also feature in Radio 1's New Music Frid-eh? interview, answering some pretty random questions inspired by this week's biggest new releases.

The WeekndCopyright: The Weeknd

But we won't be able to share the promo for False Alarm here, as it's more than a bit on the violent side.

The video for The Weeknd's newest track features a bank heist, filmed from the point of view of a gun-toting bank robber, which is like a hyper real version of Grand Theft Auto.

Please beware there's a lot of violence, guns, blood and so on if you plan on watching it on YouTube. 

Here's how some viewers have reacted...

BBC 6 Music are pretending it's 1979 all day today and as part of the experience they have just tweeted a nice bit of 1979 memorabilia. 

It's Joy Division's contract from when they did their session for John Peel on Radio 1... 

You can also check out the ten most iconic album sleeves of that year - from The Clash to Throbbing Gristle.

BBCCopyright: BBC

Will Young's exit from Strictly Come Dancing was "not to do with Len Goodman", Darcey Bussell has said.

Young and the head judge had a minor disagreement on Saturday's show over how many salsa steps there were in his dance before the singer left unexpectedly this week citing "personal reasons".

Speaking at the Blenheim Literary Festival, fellow Strictly judge Bussell said it was "sad" the singer had left the competition...

Quote Message: It's horrifying to think that somebody who could have easily got to the final [has left]. But you know, like in anybody's lives, you have many things that are going on and it is not to do with Len Goodman, just to make that clear.

It's horrifying to think that somebody who could have easily got to the final [has left]. But you know, like in anybody's lives, you have many things that are going on and it is not to do with Len Goodman, just to make that clear.

Will still hasn't said anything more about why he decided to leave, but in an interview he gave just before joining Strictly, which has just aired London Live, he revealed how performing on stage "probably saved my life" after he suffered post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Read more

The New Yorker has tweeted a sneak peak of next week's cover honouring Nobel prize winner Bob Dylan. 

It looks pretty cool to us...

Hacienda ClassicalCopyright: Hacienda Classical

A new Channel 4 documentary will take people behind the scenes of the recent Haçienda Classical events, which saw an orchestra reinterpreting dancefloor classics from the legendary Manchester club at venues around the UK.

Former Hacienda boss Peter Hook teamed up with DJs Mike Pickering and Graeme Park for a string of sell out events with the Manchester Camerata orchestra, which have since spawned an album.

The documentary, Haçienda House Orchestra, takes in first rehearsals and events at Bridgewater Hall, the Royal Albert Hall and the Castlefield Arena, as well as the recording of the album.

The shows featured classic Hacienda tracks from Blue Monday and Voodoo Ray to Good Life and Ride On Time.

And here's an exclusive clip from the doc of former Happy Mondays singer Rowetta performing You Got The Love...

Haçienda House Orchestra airs on Channel 4 on 20 October at midnight and the album's out on 21 October.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Doug E Fresh, Nicole Scherzinger and Morris Day were among the acts paying tribute to Prince at a memorial concert in Minnesota last night.

Marking six months since the star's death, the show was organised by the star's family, and opened with a video message from Barack Obama.

"Thank you, Prince, for all the great works you have done," said the US President, who invited Prince to play at the White House last year. "You will be in our hearts forever."

Stevie and Chaka performed I Feel For You and 1999, while Prince's former backing band, The NPG, played Purple Rain as a recording of the star's vocals rang around the XCel Energy Arena in Minnesota's capital Saint Paul.

Read more about the show here, and watch some fan-shot videos below.

Emeli SandeCopyright: Emeli Sande

Emeli Sande's unveiled a new track called Garden, another taster of her forthcoming album, which features Jay Electronica and newcomer Áine Zion. 

The song shows a new side to Sande, with much more sparse production and some laid back, hip hop vibes, and was Annie Mac's Hottest Record on Radio 1 last night. 

Emeli and Áine stopped by the studio and told Annie they met through a mutual friend in LA and started hanging out on the beach.

"We just really found we were real kindred spirits," she said, "And we would speak about creative ideas and music. And Aine read me some of her poetry and her inspirations and then we just became great friends after that."

Listen to the interview for more details on the rest of the album, and you can also hear the track below...

Garden is out today and the album Long Live the Angels will be out on 11 November. 

All Saints have described the first London date of their Red Flag tour last night as the "perfect homecoming" and "one of the most incredible nights of our career". 

Melanie Blatt, Shaznay Lewis, Nicole and Natalie Appleton haven't done a proper headline tour for more than 15 years. They wasted no time as they took to the stage at Brixton Academy, launching straight into the song that first made them famous - I Know Where It's At.

The audience made it known just how much they'd missed the group as more hits like Rock Steady and Black Coffee followed thick and fast. The set list was a good mixture of greatest hits combined with tracks from their latest album...

The four-piece performed every hit of their career (with the exception of the low-charting All Hooked Up) but opted not to include any other material from their first three albums.

The audience could be split into two camps - those that knew every word to every new album track and those that turned up to hear Never Ever and Pure Shores. But even the less dedicated fans appeared to be won over by some of the new material - a notable highlight being a stonking rendition of the bouncy Ratchet Behaviour, a rare chance for Nicole Appleton to take the lead.

The vocals were stronger, if very different, than during their chart peak in the late 90s. Melanie Blatt's was the most noticeable - deeper and raspier - something that has led Shaznay Lewis to take over the higher notes on new songs.

Blatt, however, was easily the most comfortable on stage - dancing, swearing, and doing the bulk of the chatting between songs. She only needed to say "Boo-tay Call!" to make the crowd go ballistic at one point, as the band launched into one of their best known hits. 

There were a few surprises too - Lady Marmalade was mashed up with Salt-N-Pepa's Push It, giving a fun and refreshing 80s hip-hop vibe to the Patti Labelle classic.

And an acoustic medley of songs from their own solo careers - Blatt's Twenty Four Seven, Lewis's Never Felt Like This Before and Appleton's Don't Worry.

The show drew to its climax with a bumper selection of hits like Under The Bridge and Never Ever, earning the warmest reaction of the night, before an encore of One Strike and Pure Shores.

The question now is whether All Saints will continue with their reunion beyond this tour, which draws to a close on Tuesday. Judging by Thursday night's audience, which included Emma Bunton and Holly Willoughby, there are plenty hoping they will. 

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Coolio has been charged with the unlawful possession of a firearm. 

Prosecutors in America say a handgun was found in the Grammy winner's backpack during baggage screening at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) last month.

The 53-year-old was due to appear in court yesterday but his lawyer told the judge that the rapper was performing outside California and couldn't make it back in time.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said that a warrant for Coolio's arrest would be issued if he failed to appear for the new court date on 26 October. 

Read more

BBCCopyright: BBC

Bassist Craig Logan has confirmed he won't take part in the Bros reunion, telling the BBC the announcement last week took him by surprise.

Returning to the band is "not something I've ever wanted," he told the BBC, in his only interview about the comeback.

"I think they know that it's not something that interests me. That part of my world has moved on."

SInce leaving Bros, Craig has become an influential executive in the music industry - helping to launch Robbie Williams' solo career, and looking after acts including Tina Turner, Pink and Alicia Keys.

Read our full interview, in which he recalls Bros's stage outfits and shares his tips for up and coming artists.

Little Mix fans get ready - the girlband are heading out on the road. They've announced an arena tour for October and November 2017...

The tour kicks off on 28 October at Sheffield Arena, with dates in Cardiff, Liverpool, Newcastle, Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow, Leeds, Nottingham, Birmingham, Manchester and London, including some matinee shows.

This weekend the band return to the X Factor to debut new single Shout Out To My Ex live (it will be available to download right afterwards). We wonder if Perrie's ex Zayn will be watching... 

Fans at classic rock festival Desert Trip will be waiting with baited breath to see if Bob Dylan breaks his silence over his Nobel prize for Literature, as he takes to the stage to perform for a second weekend. 

Paul McCartney, The Who, Neil Young and The Rolling Stones are also on the lineup for the festival, held at the same venue as the Coachella festival (hence its nickname #Oldchella) in the California desert.

Mick Jagger seems to be loving the desert skies. He posted a picture, which also shows how they've turned the festival ground into a seated stadium... we're guessing so the slightly more mature audience can take a weight off...

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

But first up congratulations to Beyonce, who has received her first ever Q Award nomination - best video for Formation. 

She's up against PJ Harvey, Wolf Alice, Coldplay and The 1975.

Coldplay and The 1975 lead the nominations with four each, including best album, alongside David Bowie, Bastille and Christina and the Queens. 

They're also both up for best act in the world today - joining Muse, U2 and Biffy Clyro in that category.  

GettyCopyright: Getty

Best live act sees Coldplay battle Savages, Muse, Wolf Alice and U2. 

The 1975 are also up for best track for Somebody Else, alongside Catfish and the Bottlemen for Twice, Biffy Clyro for Howl, Skepta for Man and Bastille for Good Grief.

Skepta is up for best solo artist, against PJ Harvey, Michael Kiwanuka, Noel Gallagher and James Bay. 

And the final category is best breakthrough act which sees Blossoms, Let’s Eat Grandma, Jack Garratt, The Amazons, Nothing but Thieves, Spring King, Lady Leshurr, Christine and the Queens, Rat Boy and Gallant.

The awards are handed out on 2 November - you can have your say by voting online until 31 October.

Read more

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

So there is still no word from Bob Dylan after the news he won the Nobel prize for literature yesterday. 

His representative said he had no immediate comment and he performed a whole 90-minute concert in Las Vegas last night without mentioning it. 

But other writers and musicians have been more effusive. Joan Baez, one of the closest collaborators and a former partner of Dylan posted her congratulations on Facebook.

Quote Message: The Nobel Prize for Literature is yet another step towards immortality for Bob Dylan. The rebellious, reclusive, unpredictable artist/composer is exactly where the Nobel Prize for Literature needs to be. His gift with words is unsurpassable. Out of my repertoire spanning 60 years, no songs have been more moving and worthy in their depth, darkness, fury, mystery, beauty, and humour than Bob’s. None has been more of a pleasure to sing. None will come again.

The Nobel Prize for Literature is yet another step towards immortality for Bob Dylan. The rebellious, reclusive, unpredictable artist/composer is exactly where the Nobel Prize for Literature needs to be. His gift with words is unsurpassable. Out of my repertoire spanning 60 years, no songs have been more moving and worthy in their depth, darkness, fury, mystery, beauty, and humour than Bob’s. None has been more of a pleasure to sing. None will come again.

Bruce Springsteen sent his congratulations and posted an extract from his autobiography where he talks about Dylan being "the father of my country" and that his songs were the first time he can "remember being exposed to a truthful vision of the place I lived".  

Quote Message: I had the opportunity to sing The Times They Are A-Changin for Bob when he received the Kennedy Center Honors. We were alone together for a brief moment walking down a back stairwell when he thanked me for being there and said, 'If there’s anything I can ever do for you...' I thought, 'Are you kidding me?' and answered, 'It’s already been done'.

I had the opportunity to sing The Times They Are A-Changin for Bob when he received the Kennedy Center Honors. We were alone together for a brief moment walking down a back stairwell when he thanked me for being there and said, 'If there’s anything I can ever do for you...' I thought, 'Are you kidding me?' and answered, 'It’s already been done'.

Hell yeah it's Friday. New Music Friday to be exact, and we'll be bringing you new releases from The Vamps, Emeli Sande, Daughter and loads more on today's Music News LIVE.

We'll also tell you who's in the running for this year's Q Awards, what Bob Dylan's reaction (or lack of) has been to winning a Nobel Prize and news of the huge Prince tribute show that featured Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan.

Catch up on yesterday's page for Elton John, Zayn Malik, Depeche Mode, Nicki Minaj and Bastille - plus The Beatles' in Lego and some amusing Dylan reactions from the Twitterverse.