Connect with us

Entertainment

Why UK music needs ‘the next Zayn’, says Simon Cowell

Published

on

The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent boss reckons “the amount of UK artists breaking globally have fallen”.
Those thoughts have led to him launching a search for the next big UK boyband – and Simon thinks being in a group can help artist’s solo dreams.
Zayn started out as a part of One Direction – a group created on The X Factor in 2010 – and the Pillowtalk singer has since won multiple awards and made global impact as a solo artist, including in the US and among South Asian communities.
“For whatever reason, in the last 10 years or 12 years, there hasn’t been one [boyband] from the UK which is crazy,” Simon told BBC Asian Network’s Haroon Rashid.

“I’ve always said to young people if you can get your mates together and form a band, it will give you a better shot.

“Rather than just posting your own stuff. As a solo artist online, the market is so crowded right now.”

Simon’s search will form part of a Netflix show, with the first set of auditions taking place over the weekend in Liverpool, and more scheduled in Dublin and London.

The queue in Liverpool did not see an overwhelming rush of people, instead a steady number of hopefuls who were optimistic of their chances.

Getty Images Simon Cowell, a man wearing orange sunglasses while smiling.

One of those was Corvin Kelly who came from Scotland to “pursue my dream of being a pop star”.

The 16-year-old told Newsbeat he’s a huge fan of 1D and Harry Styles in particular, and hopes to emulate him.

“I dream of filling arenas. I’d love to do that, make music videos and have fans.”

He wasn’t alone with that thought.

Freddie Sullivan also made his way from Hertfordshire, with his parents.

“I just want to make it,” the 15-year-old said, guitar in tow.

He takes inspiration from the Arctic Monkeys, Oasis and indie band The Royston Club.

“I love when it’s all that raw talent. And it’s not artificial.

“My biggest dream would be to be standing at Wembley, and hear the crowd sing my song back to me.”

Freddie, wearing a black jumper and white tshirt, smiling with a brown guitar case over his shoulder.

Simon also revealed that Zayn initially struggled with nerves, but eventually “conquered” them.

The British Asian artist has broken through and made waves with both Western and South Asian audiences.

And that’s something Savan Kotecha is keen to find in this search too.

The songwriter and producer has been brought on board, and said he has “a personal stake” in finding acts from a South Asian background.

“One of the reasons I got involved in One Direction when I first met them, was the fact that Zayn’s Pakistani,” Savan, who is from a Gujarati background, told Newsbeat.

‘Being a doctor the safest path’

Savan’s songwriting credits include hits such as 1D’s What Makes You Beautiful (about his wife), One Last Time by Ariana Grande, and The Weeknd’s Can’t Feel My Face.

He recalls his journey into the industry – starting with a childhood story of being in a high school band in the US and “secretly” sending out a demo tape to a record label as his family wouldn’t have approved.

“I remember getting a call [from the label] and he said ‘I like your song and everything’,” Savan said.

“[But] he goes ‘No girl in Wisconsin will put an Indian guy on her wall, you should just be a songwriter’.

“So that’s stuck with me for most of my life.”

Having now spent a number of years in the industry and seen it evolve, Savan wants to grow the number of young South Asians in music.

But it comes with challenges, as creative industries are still not as common for them to follow.

“Why do they say be a doctor – because that’s the safest path, right? They see examples of that in our culture,” Savan said.

“We need to encourage parents to allow their kids to express their creativity, because it is possible. I’m an example of that.

“It’s part of my mission at this point in my career to make sure that the 17-year-old me is represented.”

He said that “unless people can start young”, it’s not possible to “get our version of Beyoncé and Michael Jackson”.

“The UK has historically had so much talent, it’s been a great place for boy and girl groups.

“I think it’s an amazing time to do it, and they’re more than just pop music. To me, it’s about building community.”

Entertainment

Austin Butler praises Jodie Comer’s work ethic on The Bikeriders

Published

on

By

Austin Butler has praised Jodie Comer’s work ethic in The Bikeriders, a new Jeff Nichols film inspired by a woman caught up with the culture of a 1960s motorcycle club in Illinois.

The movie follows the story of Kathy (Comer), who is drawn to Benny (Butler) – the newest member of the Vandals led by Johnny (Tom Hardy).

As the club evolves from a gathering place into a dangerous underworld of violence, Benny is forced to choose between Kathy and his club loyalty.

Butler said of his co-star: “I just have such a respect for her…. When you have a kind of a mutual love of what you do and care [about], we felt like we bonded very quickly.”

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Austin Butler reflects on Paul McCartney’s house party with Taylor Swift

Published

on

By

Austin Butler just shared the details of his wild night at Paul McCartney’s house party.

The star-studded affair was not only the most “insane” time Butler’s had in a while, but it was the most glamorous, being surrounded by his childhood icons and legendary music artists like Meryl Streep and Bruce Springsteen.

Butler, 32, reflected on the experience while speaking with Jimmy Kimmel, who was also lucky enough to be at the party. During the June 17 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, the two gushed about having last seen each other at McCartney’s house.

“Last time I saw you was at maybe the craziest party I’ve ever been to in my whole life,” Kimmel, 56, admitted before Butler agreed: “That was insane.”

Kimmel noted: “It was like a party where Tom Hanks is going: ‘Oh my God, can you believe who’s here?!’”

Emblem rockers like Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ringo Starr graced McCartney’s home, leaving Hollywood’s elite to mingle with music royalty, the pair said. Even Taylor Swift was there, according to Butler and Kimmel.

The Elvisstar said the “Anti-Hero” singer wasn’t a normal guest, she was the DJ. “Yeah, she was DJing at one point,” Butler told Kimmel, who then quipped about how Swift isn’t booked and busy enough, she must oversee the music for McCartney’s party, too.

While Swift’s appearance may have been cause for celebration among some of the other guests, Butler confessed a different idol sent him into complete awe. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw Meryl Streep in the same room as him.

“She’s just the greatest. I felt like, you know in high school when you have a crush on somebody and they’re across the room and you don’t really know how to say hello to them?” he said. “That’s how it was. I saw her there and I couldn’t believe I was in the same room.”

Too star-struck to approach the It’s Complicatedlead himself, Butler headed into McCartney’s kitchen to bide his time and eat some vegan pizza. Thankfully, his friend offered to introduce him and Streep.

“I couldn’t believe I was meeting Meryl Streep with Paul McCartney’s vegan pizza in my mouth,” Butler confessed.

He was then pulled into a circle of people he couldn’t pass the opportunity to spend time with. Butler was invited to “have tacos with Snoop Dogg and Robert De Niro.”

“I dropped everything I was doing and I was there in a heartbeat,” he told Kimmel.

Another crazy conversation Butler had was with Bruce Springsteen. The 74-year-old recounted a time when he was fearless, hopping the fence at Graceland to sing Elvis Presley a song.

Butler had heard rumors that Springsteen had done that but wasn’t sure it was true until he confirmed. Of course, Presley wasn’t there when Springsteen approached his front door.

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Austin Butler says Bruce Springsteen once tried and failed to bring a song to Elvis Presley

Published

on

By

Austin Butler has recalled the epic story of Bruce Springsteen hopping the gates at Graceland to try and deliver Elvis Presley a song he had written.

The 32-year-old actor, who starred as Presley in the 2022 Oscar-nominated biopic Elvis, shared the “mythical story” during an appearance on Monday (June 17) night’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

Recounting a recent star-studded party that they had both attended, Kimmel said: “I got to watch Bruce Springsteen tell you a story about Elvis. Do you remember the story?”

“I had heard this sort of mythical story,” Butler responded, “and then to hear from him of him being a huge Elvis fan and then hopping the gates at Graceland to try and get up there and he knocked on the door and he wanted to give Elvis a song to sing.”

“Do you remember what he said to the guy? ‘Is Elvis home?’” Kimmel laughed, with Butler continuing: “And he said, ‘No, he’s in Tahoe,’ or something.”

“And this is when Bruce Springsteen, by the way, had been on the cover of Time magazine, on the cover of Rolling Stone,” Kimmel said incredulously. “I mean, he was not like some unknown kid from New Jersey. He was famous, jumped over the fence…”

“Somehow evaded the dogs,” Butler added. “He’s a fast runner.”

Kimmel remembered: “And he gave the guy a song he had written for Elvis and then Elvis never – I don’t know. Nothing happened. He didn’t record the song.”

“I’m so bummed I never got to hear that song,” Butler said.

Austin Butler retold a story of Bruce Springsteen wanting to give Elvis Presley a song to sing

Austin Butler retold a story of Bruce Springsteen wanting to give Elvis Presley a song to sing (Getty Images)

Butler’s performance as the King of Rock and Roll in the Baz Luhrmann-directed Elvis earned him his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

He’s since been booked and busy, starring in back-to-back projects, including Dune: Part Two, which was released in March, and the Apple TV+ miniseries Masters of the Air.

The latter tells the journey of a group of 10 men who fly an aluminum bomber, called the “Flying Fortress,” to battle German forces in WWII.

“It’s hard to resist the pulse-quickening action of this epic Second World War tale,” Nick Hilton wrote in a four-star review for The Independent.

“The Bloody Hundredth, staffed by men scarcely into adulthood, might be a glamorous bunch, but they are also losing their innocence. Playing out on a canvas in the skies, this is daring, big-budget filmmaking that just about sticks the landing.”

Butler currently stars in Jeff Nichols’s new crime thriller, The Bikeriders, alongside Jodie Comer and Tom Hardy.

The movie follows a Midwestern motorcycle club through the course of a decade as they evolve from a gathering place for local outsiders to a sinister gang.

Continue Reading
September 2024
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
30  

Trending