Gorillaz speaks on failed movie project with Netflix: ‘It’s not an interesting idea’

Gorillaz speaks on failed movie project with Netflix: ‘It’s not an interesting idea’
Gorillaz speaks on failed movie project with Netflix: ‘It’s not an interesting idea’
Gorillaz performs at the Pulse of Gaia Festival, at the Universidad Autonoma on September 20, 2025, in Madrid, Spain. (A. Perez Meca/Europa Press via Getty Images)

After a planned collaboration with Netflix fell through, Gorillaz is ruling out the possibility for a future movie.

“If we’d done a movie 25 years ago, fine but the idea of doing a movie now … no interest in it whatsoever,” artist Jamie Hewlett, who created the animated band alongside frontman Damon Albarn, tells The Zane Lowe Show on Apple Music. “It’s not an interesting idea, it’s not an original idea.”

“We had this moment with Netflix where we were literally told you can do whatever you want and we’re going to give you as much money, and we’re like, ‘OK, great,'” Hewlett continues. “We had some brilliant ideas but it was just moving so slow and the guy we were working with just left, and they said, ‘Don’t worry we’ll find someone else.’ And it’s like, OK, there’s going to be another year of conversations before this starts again. So we pulled out.”

Albarn says that the experience felt like “hanging around for what seemed an eternity.”

While a movie didn’t materialize, Hewlett said Gorillaz spent that time creating a new album, 2023’s Cracker Island.

Gorillaz has since put out another record, The Mountain, which dropped in February. And while we may never get a full-length Gorillaz movie, they did put out a short film to accompany three songs off The Mountain.

 

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Iron Maiden adds former frontman Blaze Bayley and more to EddFest

Iron Maiden adds former frontman Blaze Bayley and more to EddFest
Iron Maiden adds former frontman Blaze Bayley and more to EddFest
Heavy metal vocalist Blaze Bayley performing live on stage at the 2013 Hard Rock Hell festival in Pwllheli, Wales, on November 30, 2013. (Photo by Kevin Nixon/Metal Hammer Magazine/Future via Getty Images/Future via Getty Images)

Iron Maiden has announced some additions to EddFest, their 50th anniversary celebration, happening July 10-11 at Knebworth Park in Knebworth, England.

The rockers revealed that Blaze Bayley, who replaced frontman Bruce Dickinson in Iron Maiden from 1994 to 1999 and appeared on their albums The X Factor and Virtual XI, will headline the Maidenville stage during the Friday, July 10, festivities.

They’ve also added Maiden bassist Steve Harris’ early band Gypsy’s Kiss to Friday’s bill. Harris formed Gypsy’s Kiss in 1974 with singer/guitarist David Smith. He went on to form Maiden in 1975.

“Having the opportunity to put together our very own festival at Knebworth, and celebrate 50 years of Iron Maiden, has given me a chance to bring together friends past and present and create a really special weekend for the fans,” says Harris. “I’m very pleased that Blaze is able to join us and perform some of the songs we wrote and recorded in the [’90s].” He added, “He has been a big part of Iron Maiden’s career, and I know the fans will be really excited to see him on stage at EddFest.”

Harris notes, “It’s also great to have Gypsy’s Kiss playing with us at Knebworth too. They were a big part of my musical heritage and it’s really exciting to have them play at the Maidenville stage.”

Iron Maiden will headline EddFest at Knebworth Park on July 11. Other artists performing include The Hu, The Darkness, Airbourne and The Almighty. More info can be found at IronMaiden.Knebworth.com.

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Tucker Wetmore, Dasha & more add to the excitement before the 61st ACMs

Tucker Wetmore, Dasha & more add to the excitement before the 61st ACMs
Tucker Wetmore, Dasha & more add to the excitement before the 61st ACMs
Events leading up the 61st ACMS (Academy of Country Music)

The list of stars headed to Vegas for the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards is growing. 

Randy Houser, Lauren Alaina and Rodney Atkins are now set to play ACM Lifting Lives Country on the Green: Riley Green & Friends on Friday, May 15, taking the stage before the “Don’t Mind If I Do” hitmaker at Topgolf Las Vegas.

Tucker Wetmore joins ACM Next Wave: Country’s Beach Bash, playing the Saturday event at Mandalay Bay Beach that will now be hosted by Ashley Cooke and Dasha. Flatland Cavalry and Braxton Keith also join the lineup.

Members of the 2026 Opry NextStage class, namely Hudson Westbrook, Vincent Mason, Tyler Braden, Emily Ann Roberts, Alexandra Kay, Graham Barham and Willow Avalon, are the previously announced talent.

Stay tuned for more info about the 61st ACMs in the days to come. The show will stream live from MGM Grand Garden Arena on Prime Video on Sunday, May 17. 

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Watch new videos from one-time duet partners Charlie Puth and Meghan Trainor

Watch new videos from one-time duet partners Charlie Puth and Meghan Trainor
Watch new videos from one-time duet partners Charlie Puth and Meghan Trainor
Charlie Puth, ‘Whatever’s Clever!’ (Atlantic); Meghan Trainor, ‘Toy With Me’ (Epic Records)

Back in 2015, Charlie Puth released his debut single, “Marvin Gaye,” featuring Meghan Trainor. On Tuesday, both artists dropped new videos. Charlie’s is another duet with a female artist, while Meghan’s is an all-girl extravaganza.

Charlie’s video is for “Sideways,” his duet with singer/actress Coco Jones from his new album, Whatever’s Clever! Both artists performed during the Super Bowl pregame show earlier this year: Coco sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” while Charlie sang the national anthem.

In the moody visual, Charlie and Coco sit in a room, together and separately, while their positions change from sitting on chairs, to lying on the floor, to sitting and lying on the ceiling. “Even if it goes sideways/ Even if we scream out enough’s enough/ I believe that we’ll always find a way to weather the storm,” Charlie sings.

Meghan’s video is from her upcoming album, Toy With Me; it’s for “Get in Girl,” which also inspired the name of her new tour. It starts with Meghan getting a call from a woman complaining that her man is obsessed with his car. “I’m in a throuple with a Maserati,” she wails. “Bring me that car,” Meghan commands.

When the woman drives up in the Maserati, Meghan and her girls spray-paint it in pink glitter and advise her to dump the guy: “I’ll pack up your bags/ I’ll send him your keys/ I’ll call him myself/ say, ‘Sir, you’re dead to me’/ He’s only a man, it ain’t that deep/ It’s time to leave and I’m on your street/ Get in, girl.”

At the end of the video, Meghan blows up a toy replica of the Maserati, and the guy freaks out when he sees that she and the girls have “bedazzled” the real thing.


 

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Mariah the Scientist to join Kali Uchis on the road

Mariah the Scientist to join Kali Uchis on the road
Mariah the Scientist to join Kali Uchis on the road
Poster for Kali Uchi: For The Girls Tour (Live Nation)

Mariah the Scientist is “Burning Blue” and tour hopping, too.

The rapper was announced as the special guest on all dates of Kali Uchis’ newly announced Kali Uchis: For The Girls Tour, which runs from May 26 to Aug. 8 and features opener Laila! on select dates.

Cities on the trek include Albuquerque, Atlanta, Tampa, Phoenix, Houston and Las Vegas.

An artist presale for the tour is underway and will be followed by additional presales taking place throughout the week. Tickets then go on sale Thursday at 10 a.m. local time to the general public.

Kali last went on tour in 2025 in support her album Sincerely. Mariah is currently on the road bringing to life her 2025 project, Hearts Sold Separately.

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James Taylor, Van Morrison, Sting, Deep Purple set for 2026 Montreux Jazz Festival

James Taylor, Van Morrison, Sting, Deep Purple set for 2026 Montreux Jazz Festival
James Taylor, Van Morrison, Sting, Deep Purple set for 2026 Montreux Jazz Festival
James Taylor at the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony (Disney/Eric McCandless)

James Taylor, Van Morrison, Sting and Deep Purple are among the artists booked to play the 2026 Montreux Jazz Festival, taking place in Montreux, Switzerland, July 3-18.

All four artists are booked to play the festival’s Auditorium Stravinski, with Sting performing on July 4, Deep Purple confirmed for July 13, and Taylor and Morrison set for July 18.

Deep Purple, of course, has quite a connection to Montreux. The band’s iconic tune “Smoke on the Water” was inspired by the 1971 fire that burned down the Montreux Casino; the title’s a reference to smoke from the fire spreading over Lake Geneva. They last played the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2024.

Tickets go on sale Wednesday at noon local time.

This year marks the 60th edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival. The festival is returning after a two-year hiatus.

A complete lineup and more ticket information can be found at MontreuxJazzFestival.com.

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Ambrosia founding member and keyboardist Christopher North dead at 75

Ambrosia founding member and keyboardist Christopher North dead at 75
Ambrosia founding member and keyboardist Christopher North dead at 75
Keyboard player Christopher North of Ambrosia performs onstage on May 23, 2015 in Bakersfield, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)

Christopher North, keyboardist and founding member of the soft rock group Ambrosia, has passed away at the age of 75. The news was confirmed by the band in a post on Facebook.

“Fans of Ambrosia, we honor the legendary life and career of our dearest family member Christopher North, the ‘Hammond B3 King’ whose sonic architecture defined a generation of progressive and soft rock,” they write. “A founding member since 1970, he was a keyboard wizard who brought an unmatched intensity and emotional depth to every performance.”

“We will always remember ‘Northwind’ for his fiery, ‘intense’ stage presence—a legacy that began when he was first discovered playing in a dimly lit room, his organ topped with a bottle of wine,” they continue. “Even as he faced health challenges in recent years, including a brave and successful battle with throat cancer, his spirit remained tied to the music and the fans he loved.”

“Christopher North’s work did more than just fill airwaves; it created ‘aural landscapes’ that balanced virtuosity with soulful, radio-friendly hooks,” Ambrosia adds. “We celebrate a true craftsman of the classic rock era whose lush piano lines and soaring organ swells will remain timeless.”

They conclude, “He was truly one of a kind, and loved dearly by his fans and bandmates. RIP, Brother Chris, forever and ever in our hearts.”

Ambrosia formed in Los Angeles in 1970 and had a string of top-40 hits between 1975 and 1980, including “How Much I Feel” and “Biggest Part of Me,” which both hit the top five on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as “You’re The Only Woman (You & I)” and “Holdin’ On To Yesterday.”

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Olivia Rodrigo told Melissa Auf der Maur’s daughter, ‘Without your mother, none of this would have happened’

Olivia Rodrigo told Melissa Auf der Maur’s daughter, ‘Without your mother, none of this would have happened’
Olivia Rodrigo told Melissa Auf der Maur’s daughter, ‘Without your mother, none of this would have happened’
Melissa Auf der Maur discusses her new book ‘Even the Good Girls Will Cry’ at Strand Bookstore on March 17, 2026 in New York City. (Theo Wargo/Getty Images) Olivia Rodrigo performs at 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Disney/Frank Micelotta)

Olivia Rodrigo has performed with The Cure’s Robert Smith and Weezer and covered The White Stripes at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, but in case you need any further proof of her alt cred, Melissa Auf der Maur can vouch for her.

The Hole bassist tells NME that she took her daughter to see Rodrigo live for a 13th birthday present, and the pop star invited them backstage.

“Olivia Rodrigo said to my daughter: ‘Without your mother, none of this would have happened,'” Auf der Maur says. “That’s when it locked in for me that there are direct correlations.”

Auf der Maur adds that she’s noticed a “’90s influence in both the songwriting and production” in Rodrigo’s music. She also points out that the cover of her SOUR Prom concert film is similar to the album artwork for Hole’s Live Through This, which actually drew a response from Courtney Love back in 2021.

“Having that said to my daughter in front of me was one of the proudest moments of my life,” Auf der Maur says.

Auf der Maur released a new memoir, Even the Good Girls Will Cry: A ’90s Rock Memoir, earlier in March.

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The Cranberries announce 33rd anniversary reissue of debut album

The Cranberries announce 33rd anniversary reissue of debut album
The Cranberries announce 33rd anniversary reissue of debut album
‘Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?’ reissue artwork. (Island/UMe)

The Cranberries have announced a new reissue of the band’s 1993 debut album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?, in honor of its 33rd anniversary.

The package, due out May 22, will include a new remaster of the original album as well as an updated stereo mix by producer Stephen Street. It also features various bonus recordings, such as live tracks and a remix of “Linger” by Iain Cook of CHVCRHES.

Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? spawned the singles “Dreams” and “Linger.” It propelled The Cranberries beyond their home country of Ireland into worldwide fame, earning five-times Platinum certification by the RIAA.

“We come from a small town in Ireland where things like that didn’t happen, so it was fairytale material,” says guitarist Noel Hogan in a statement.

The Cranberries released their final album, In the End, in 2019 following the 2018 death of frontwoman Dolores O’Riordan.

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Watch Taylor Swift’s video for ‘Elizabeth Taylor,’ starring Elizabeth Taylor

Watch Taylor Swift’s video for ‘Elizabeth Taylor,’ starring Elizabeth Taylor
Watch Taylor Swift’s video for ‘Elizabeth Taylor,’ starring Elizabeth Taylor
Taylor Swift, ‘Elizabeth Taylor’ (TAS Rights Management)

Taylor Swift’s new music video stars Taylor — Elizabeth Taylor, that is.

The visual for the song from The Life of a Showgirl is made entirely of clips of the late screen icon, with Taylor Swift herself nowhere to be found. It features archival footage of the actress, interspersed with scenes from her movies, both legendary and lesser known. Among them: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Giant, Father of the Bride, Cleopatra, A Place in the Sun, Suddenly, Last Summer and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Many of the scenes are edited to reflect the lyrics. When Taylor sings, “And if your letters ever said goodbye,” we see Elizabeth reading a letter. When she sings, “I’d cry my eyes violet,” we see Elizabeth crying, screaming or looking distressed, or close-ups of her famous violet eyes. When she sings, “All my white diamonds and lovers are forever,” we see Elizabeth wearing a massive diamond ring.

The end of the video, which is currently only available on Spotify and Apple Music, features a list of all the movies, as well as special thanks to “House of Taylor & the Elizabeth Taylor Trust,” as well as the families of two of Elizabeth’s husbands, Mike Todd and Michael Wilding.

“Elizabeth Taylor” is the third single from Taylor’s album, following “Opalite” and “The Fate of Ophelia.”

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