ThePensmith

Don't know if anyone else has seen this on socials but the team at Heat magazine have bought back Smash Hits - most of whom worked on it originally - for a one off issue to promote the new series that's available this week inside special issues of Heat (or that can be read here: https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/6659...ts-derry-girls) It's giving me all the "Spice Girls in 1996" vibes and I am loving it 🤣

Bittersweet to see the album returning up the midweeks. I saw there was a brief tribute to Tom at the Grammy Awards last night?

Marvin Humes from JLS played "Glad You Came" on his Capital FM show last night in tribute:

Series 3 starts Tuesday 12th April - they've just shared a clip from what I'm assuming is the first episode! P5zn_xoXr3g

Just seen on Instagram, absolutely heartbreaking 😢 My thoughts and prayers are with his family and those who loved him. 33 is no age at all.

Series 3 starts next month on Channel 4. The trailer has landed today for St Patrick's Day: ddA0Vh5v0LM

Even if he does sign a new deal now, I think we can safely assume it won't be until next year we hear new music. He's just posted on Instagram that the same knee he had an operation on in 2019 after the last tour ended has had to have more surgery again this week, he's cancelled all of his summer shows for this year as a result to focus on healing and recovery:

Blimey. If there's ever a bad time to get chicken pox! Poor lamb, hope he feels better soon :( @1496170612938653696

I can't say this is a huge surprise but The Sun are reporting today that Olly has left Sony Music after 12 years and is considering several new deals that are on the table: https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/17698...el-rca-records/ If I'm a betting man I'd say he'll probably go somewhere like BMG. JLS, McFly and Steps have all gone with them for their most recent albums and I'd say it's the best place but I guess we'll wait and see.

Got tickets for Shepherd's Bush Empire this morning! Looking forward to it 😊

I was hoping a tour announcement was coming off the back of this - I'm definitely there! I've been on a binge of her back catalogue on Spotify today. So many great songs, I find it so hard to believe "Left of the Middle" is 25 this year as well!

I've been listening to this album again loads in the last two weeks. I'd been wandering who Panda was for ages and it finally clicked last week! Thrilled for her - hope she announces a tour off the back of this because I am there 100% if she does!

Lengthy interview in The Observer today where he talks a bit more about how the album came together: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/jan/...new-inspiration

Just announced it on her Instagram: I've pre-ordered a signed one from Waterstones - can't wait to read this!

Anyone who was hoping for a respite 11 months hence... Look away now <_<

His official website has now relaunched, and it would appear the new album is going to be called "Gold Rush Kid": https://www.goldrushkid.com He also posted this acapella snippet of what I presume will be the first single, called 'Anyone for You':

My immediate predictions and hopes for this year: - George Ezra's new album will do well as will its first couple of singles. - Lewis Capaldi will (unfortunately) likewise do the same - ITV airs a 20th anniversary reunion show for Pop Idol a la the ones they've done for Friends and Harry Potter recently. Will Young's greatest hits in May will do stupendously well off the back of it, Gareth Gates will release some sort of commemorative greatest hits with new material off the back of it likewise - Jade Thirlwall will launch a major solo career and be successful - Rihanna will release a new album or single - Olly Murs will return with a new album in the summer - JLS will repack 2.0 with a few new songs towards the end of this year - New definitive collection album from Steps for their 25th anniversary - Girls Aloud to release an albums vinyl boxset for their 20th anniversary. Proceeds from the sales of these going to the Christie's Charity that helped care for Sarah in her treatment.

The album is Album of the Week at Radio 2 all this week: @1475439317443129348

The boys' old performances of "Beat Again" and "Everybody In Love" from the TOTP Christmas specials in 2009 are now on their YouTube channel: 5azYBWq2d3c fwvm9IV_DDU So too is their Tour Diary: wb__aSCI5OE i6Z1C2_SusE

Some very lovely news this evening - Oritsé has just got engaged to his girlfriend Kazz:

Full set from tonight's Capital FM Jingle Bell Ball: Eternal Love: OMvzjl0mHJA The Club Is Alive: lGKuQu0swV4 She Makes Me Wanna: BZCjbbOFWTM Everybody In Love: b1ziEcXScuU Backstage with Roman Kemp and the breakfast crew and Ed Sheeran:

Official video's out: iiYMIVVusfM

Nice to see the album go top 5 at #4. I did expect Ed and ABBA to overtake them later in the week, but just lovely to see that they can still get a top 10 album after all this time. Their Lorraine interview from yesterday: rwFwmC2T2Ic

Looks like another year I'm not bothering with this year's edition then looking at that lineup. Where's the acts that aren't Radio 1 approved that have done well this year also in that lineup? And why on earth have they shoved it off from the 2pm slot it used to occupy? Anyone would think the BBC wanted to get rid of it or something. Oh... Wait... :rolleyes:

There's a couple of articles I've come across. Now OK, one is from 2018 and the other from 2019, but they are recent enough that they touch on a lot of what we've been discussing: This from The Fader titled "Serious question: where are all the girl groups?" https://www.thefader.com/2018/06/26/where-a...hild-little-mix And this, an interview with Peter Loraine in The Guardian (the man responsible for bringing us many Buzzjack favourites) about key facets for a good girl group (but which could also apply to boybands just as equally): https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/jan/...ake-a-girl-band Both make some very valid points that I want to draw focus to. This first from The Fader article: And this that Peter says in The Guardian is also a valid point: I agree Rooney that everything is cyclical. I think with Olivia Rodrigo's success, we'll probably now get a glut of acts signed and launched trying to emulate her success which will reach saturation point, as these things always do. It could well be that people are looking at Little Mix right now, and (I hope) seeing past all the upheaval they've undergone in the last two years and are seeing the genuine sisterhood between the remaining three ladies even with this break announcement and are thinking "I want to be part of something like that".