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Empire of the sun tour 2024.

Now that the tickets for the latest Empire Of The Sun tour are available, you can secure the best spots almost instantly.

Everybody can now experience an incredible show from their favorite performer. Our online platform is the best place for finding the best tickets. On our website you will find exclusive ticket offers.

The music event that is going to shook everybody this year is definitely the new Empire Of The Sun tour. The evidence for that is very clear. After all, a music event of such proportions cannot be missed. Thousands of people are coming to huge concert halls and arenas just to see their favorite performer and listen to memorable hits. Getting VIP tickets is not an easy task but it is not a problem if you decide to purchase Empire Of The Sun VIP packages with us.

Every Empire Of The Sun concert gives a unique experience that cannot be replicated anywhere else. The quality and energy of such events cannot be translated through a TV screen. They are aware of the fact that a mere computer screen won’t be able to convey all the beauty of a live concert. You can check the details of every concert right here and decide whether that’s exactly what you’ve been looking for.

We are confident that here you will find the best tickets for a complete experience. In addition, you can choose tickets based on your seat preference. Just follow the Empire Of The Sun schedule carefully and make sure to book your tickets in advance. The most amazing experience is guaranteed!

With us, you won’t miss the performance of your favorite band at your hometown. We provide tickets at very competitive rates. All the information regarding the Empire Of The Sun tour 2024 can be found right here, on our website.

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About Empire Of The Sun

Empire of the Sun is a 1984 novel by English writer J. G. Ballard; it was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Like Ballard's earlier short story "The Dead Time" (published in the anthology Myths of the Near Future ), it is essentially fiction but draws extensively on Ballard's experiences in World War II. The name of the novel is derived from the etymology of the name for Japan.

Ballard later wrote of his experiences in China as a boy and the making of the film of the same name in his autobiography Miracles of Life .

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Empire Of The Sun: 'This Is The Perfect Time To Come Back'

"I had so many calls, emails, messages and requests from people yearning for the songs and the music. This is the new era of Empire Of The Sun."

It’s been 23 years since singer and multi-instrumentalist, Luke Steele , and musician and record producer, Nick Littlemore , first met at an A&R meeting.

Both artists were already signed to EMI, albeit as part of separate projects before the two would collaborate on The Sleepy Jackson’s debut album, Lovers , released in 2003 – Steele’s alternative rock band, and in 2006 with Littlemore’s art-punk band, Teenager. A year later, the two worked together again on the self-titled Pnau record, the third album by Littlemore, Peter Mayes and Nick’s little brother, Sam.

In August 2008, Nick Littlemore and Luke Steele united as Empire Of The Sun and released Walking On A Dream , the lead single from the album of the same name. The song – which is now iconic in Australia – peaked at #10 on the ARIA Singles Chart, reached #4 on the 2008 triple j Hottest 100, and is certified double platinum. In 2009, Walking On A Dream won that year’s ARIA award for Single Of The Year and the APRA for Dance Work Of The Year in 2010.

Funnily enough, in 2016, almost eight years after its original release, the song was featured in a Honda Civic commercial in the US, leading to Empire Of The Sun experiencing their first Alternative Songs hit and eventually topping Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart.

In 2013, Empire Of The Sun released their second album, Ice On The Dune . “Self-assurance and conviction guided the knife when the duo were removing the fat from Ice On The Dune . As a result, the album continues to throb forwards and holds a consistency cover-to-cover that – for all the acclaim and sales – their debut somewhat lacked,” The Music writer Benny Doyle wrote in an interview with Nick Littlemore.

Late 2016 saw the release of Two Vines , Empire Of The Sun’s most recent album which featured the hit, High And Low . The single also featured on the EA Sports game, FIFA 17 . The band struggled to write music during 2020 and 2021, not getting much out of Zoom collaborations.

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Last year, Luke Steele released his debut solo album, Listen To The Water , and this weekend, Empire Of The Sun will headline Now & Again festival in Werribee, Victoria, before playing a handful of shows in Sydney and Brisbane . It’s their first show in Victoria in almost a decade.

“I think there’s always been tremendous love for this band,” Steele continues, recalling the moments during lockdowns, “I had so many calls, emails, messages and requests from people yearning for the songs and the music. There were a lot of testimonies about what they’d been through, you know, from people getting over cancer to getting married to giving them hope during moments of deep depression. It became quite evident that we had become conduits or ambassadors and we have to honour that. This is the new era of Empire Of The Sun.”

Steele doesn’t seem at all nervous about headlining Now & Again festival alongside Gang Of Youths, and featuring Michael Bibi, Tones And I, Crooked Colours, German DJ Sven Väth, Peach PRC, Becca Hatch, and more excellent acts. “It’s gonna be so great. Festivals are one of the greatest experiences of music,” he proclaims. Performing at Werribee Racecourse, or “Being in a field or a dock or wherever with this huge amount of people all there for the same reason, the pulse and energy is undeniable.

“Everyone in the world of music felt that pull and those emotions in the two years when it was all taken away from us.” Empire Of The Sun couldn’t take the stage, and they struggled to write music while apart. Life really did shut down for Steele. “We work extremely well in the same room on a really fast, stream-of-consciousness kind of way of writing.

“It's quite strange how we write. I remember working with Lindsey Buckingham in Henson Studios in Hollywood, and we were writing and he was jamming along and he's just sort of stopped and said, God, this is so enjoyable,” he says with a bit of shock in his voice. “We’re like painters, throwing down 300 different melodies and lyrics. I love how Empire songs are formed because they become unique ways of talking about big issues, like hope and love and freedom and imagination.”

Those issues do indeed soundtrack Empire Of The Sun’s music. Visuals are also essential for the group and have always been intertwined with the music itself. “A lot of people take in art with their eyes, you know?” Steele asks – “It’s so, so important to make your videos and other art look beautiful. We’ve been given these precious eyes to see the magical things in this world. We want to make use of every sense a person has.”

“We caught up last summer in LA – I really love the relationship,” he says. “Nick says, ‘How's your wife?’ I say, ‘Good, how's your wife?’ He goes, ‘Good. All right, should we get into it?’ It’s hilarious like that. We know the job at hand and we know what's at stake here and what our position is, so we work pretty hard and we work so well together.” There’s no small talk for Empire Of The Sun, Steele confirms, “Our small talk is literally four words: ‘Studio? Yes. Sounds good.’” It might sound weird, but it’s perfect for one of Australia’s most loved bands.

While Steele has collaborated with Littlemore, members of his musical family, and other artists, he went about his solo album, Listen To The Water , as a self-proclaimed Lone Ranger. “I mixed it myself and produced it all myself,” he shares. “When you're so entrenched in that path, you only really have yourself to blame or answer to when things go wrong.”

Steele admits that it wasn’t easy making the album, “I went through a couple of deep depressions,” he states, recalling the points when he’d listen to the mixes 600 times at different sound frequencies. He laughs at his inner perfectionist, “I had some real Brian Wilson moments.

“It was quite incredible, the way the songs were delivered to me. I would have a melody for a song, put down a guitar pattern, write the lyric, and cut the vocal immediately. And I'd finish the song the next day. So, every song was two days each, which was quite a beautiful process as I was laying these breadcrumbs along the path. I just had to keep journeying down that path to get to the next song.”

Steele is lucky because songwriting doesn’t always work like that. “Songwriters will tell you that,” he continues, even if you’re with the best songwriters or in the most beautiful place in the world. “Even then, your spirit might not be moving. You just have to be ready, and it just happened to be the perfect time.”

Perfect timing and overall, good for Steele as an artist. “[Making the album] did something for my soul. I proved that I was capable of writing, recording, mixing and producing a record.” Which will hopefully come in handy for the new era of Empire Of The Sun Steele has talked about.

“At the point of writing that record, I was at the crossroads,” Steele begins. He wasn’t sure if continuing in music could be a possibility. “I think I had like, $35 to my name. I was living in a caravan in front of my parents’ house. I borrowed money from a lot of people [to make music]. It was at that point where maybe I would have had to get a real job.

“It's funny talking to my parents now, and my father-in-law and stuff, they all said the same thing,” he explains. “They were ready to have that talk and go, ‘You can't be serious about pursuing this music thing much longer.’ That song was a real blessing from God; the record came out the week my daughter was born.

“So we had this child, and then, literally a week after it came out, it had tremendous influence around the world and started moving at this rapid pace and the rest is history. It was an amazing blessing, but then for it to have been such an influential part of people's lives, that's the mission, for your songs to have an influence and to inspire people.”

Empire Of The Sun are headlining Now & Again festival this weekend. Buy tickets here . Tickets for the Sydney show are available through Frontier Touring – Brisbane has sold out.

EMPIRE OF THE SUN

Saturday, 18 February – Now & Again Festival, Werribee, VIC

Tuesday, 21 February – Enmore Theatre, Sydney, NSW

Wednesday 22 February – Enmore Theatre, Sydney, NSW

Saturday 25 February – The Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane, QLD

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Empire Of The Sun Celebrate 'Walking On A Dream' With Decade Anniversary Tour

The Aussie electro alt-rock duo recently released a 10th anniversary edition vinyl of their debut album, along with a previously-unreleased track, "Crysalis"

Australia's Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore, aka Empire Of The Sun , have been creating futuristic dreamscapes for over a decade now. The release of their debut album, Walking On A Dream , teleported their unique blend of electro-pop and glam-rock—and overall otherworldly aesthetic—to the states in 2009.

Now, a decade later, the duo is celebrating their golden year with a 16-date Decade Anniversary Tour, following the release of a special-edition Walking On A Dream vinyl reissue , which includes a previously-unreleased song, "Crysalis."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Extremely excited to announce our Decade Anniversary Tour - celebrating Walking On A Dream. Hear some of the favorites from the album re-imagined with the Emperor. Tickets on sale Friday. Complete dates: <a href="https://t.co/xxgG5p69ee">https://t.co/xxgG5p69ee</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WalkingOnADream10?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WalkingOnADream10</a> <a href="https://t.co/YL2CoyUr3p">pic.twitter.com/YL2CoyUr3p</a></p>&mdash; Empire of the Sun (@EmpireOfTheSun) <a href="https://twitter.com/EmpireOfTheSun/status/1097875591087321088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2019</a></blockquote>

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As a press release highlights, the tour will bring the duo to "intimate venues across the country, with two-night stands in numerous cities, including Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles." Following a headline spot at the M3F music fest in Phoenix, Ariz. on March 2, the tour will kick off on May 30 with two nights at the Metro Chicago, a 1,100-capacity indie-favorite concert spot.

The duo will also bring their opulent costumes and theater-worthy stage design to Boston and Dallas, as well as Seattle, Wash., and Denver which will have two shows each. The U.S. portion of the tour will close out at the historic 1,200-capacity Fonda Theatre in L.A. on June 30. Two Europe dates have also been announced, in London on July 9 and Paris on July 10.

<iframe width="620" height="349" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eimgRedLkkU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The Aussie's debut single, also titled "Walking On A Dream," was released in their home market in Aug. 2008, with the album following in Oct. 2008. The single and album made its way to the North American market in March and April of 2009. The upbeat, anthem song and cinematic music video were a perfect introduction to Empire Of The Sun.

The reissue of the album features "Crysalis," a previously-unreleased track recorded during the time of the first-album, with a synth-pop beat and empowering lyrics that take you back to the group's beginnings; "And we all rise/From the shadows, from the slumber, sun rise./Each and everyone/It's gonna be alright if we stick together for all time." A special-edition 10th anniversary vinyl of the album is available on the group's merch site , and includes the track.

Tickets for the Decade Anniversary Tour go on sale this Friday, Feb. 22, at 10:00 a.m. local time, find more info on the duo's website .

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GRAMMY Rewind: Kendrick Lamar Honors Hip-Hop's Greats While Accepting Best Rap Album GRAMMY For 'To Pimp a Butterfly' In 2016

Upon winning the GRAMMY for Best Rap Album for 'To Pimp a Butterfly,' Kendrick Lamar thanked those that helped him get to the stage, and the artists that blazed the trail for him.

Updated Friday Oct. 13, 2023 to include info about Kendrick Lamar's most recent GRAMMY wins, as of the 2023 GRAMMYs.

A GRAMMY veteran these days, Kendrick Lamar has won 17 GRAMMYs and has received 47 GRAMMY nominations overall. A sizable chunk of his trophies came from the 58th annual GRAMMY Awards in 2016, when he walked away with five — including his first-ever win in the Best Rap Album category.

This installment of GRAMMY Rewind turns back the clock to 2016, revisiting Lamar's acceptance speech upon winning Best Rap Album for To Pimp A Butterfly . Though Lamar was alone on stage, he made it clear that he wouldn't be at the top of his game without the help of a broad support system. 

"First off, all glory to God, that's for sure," he said, kicking off a speech that went on to thank his parents, who he described as his "those who gave me the responsibility of knowing, of accepting the good with the bad."

Looking for more GRAMMYs news? The 2024 GRAMMY nominations are here!

He also extended his love and gratitude to his fiancée, Whitney Alford, and shouted out his Top Dawg Entertainment labelmates. Lamar specifically praised Top Dawg's CEO, Anthony Tiffith, for finding and developing raw talent that might not otherwise get the chance to pursue their musical dreams.

"We'd never forget that: Taking these kids out of the projects, out of Compton, and putting them right here on this stage, to be the best that they can be," Lamar — a Compton native himself — continued, leading into an impassioned conclusion spotlighting some of the cornerstone rap albums that came before To Pimp a Butterfly .

"Hip-hop. Ice Cube . This is for hip-hop," he said. "This is for Snoop Dogg , Doggystyle . This is for Illmatic , this is for Nas . We will live forever. Believe that."

To Pimp a Butterfly singles "Alright" and "These Walls" earned Lamar three more GRAMMYs that night, the former winning Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song and the latter taking Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (the song features Bilal , Anna Wise and Thundercat ). He also won Best Music Video for the remix of Taylor Swift 's "Bad Blood." 

Lamar has since won Best Rap Album two more times, taking home the golden gramophone in 2018 for his blockbuster LP DAMN ., and in 2023 for his bold fifth album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers .

Watch Lamar's full acceptance speech above, and check back at GRAMMY.com every Friday for more GRAMMY Rewind episodes. 

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A Guide To Modern Funk For The Dance Floor: L'Imperatrice, Shiro Schwarz, Franc Moody, Say She She & Moniquea

James Brown changed the sound of popular music when he found the power of the one and unleashed the funk with "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag." Today, funk lives on in many forms, including these exciting bands from across the world.

It's rare that a genre can be traced back to a single artist or group, but for funk, that was James Brown . The Godfather of Soul coined the phrase and style of playing known as "on the one," where the first downbeat is emphasized, instead of the typical second and fourth beats in pop, soul and other styles. As David Cheal eloquently explains, playing on the one "left space for phrases and riffs, often syncopated around the beat, creating an intricate, interlocking grid which could go on and on." You know a funky bassline when you hear it; its fat chords beg your body to get up and groove.

Brown's 1965 classic, "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," became one of the first funk hits, and has been endlessly sampled and covered over the years, along with his other groovy tracks. Of course, many other funk acts followed in the '60s, and the genre thrived in the '70s and '80s as the disco craze came and went, and the originators of hip-hop and house music created new music from funk and disco's strong, flexible bones built for dancing.

Legendary funk bassist Bootsy Collins learned the power of the one from playing in Brown's band, and brought it to George Clinton , who created P-funk, an expansive, Afrofuturistic , psychedelic exploration of funk with his various bands and projects, including Parliament-Funkadelic . Both Collins and Clinton remain active and funkin', and have offered their timeless grooves to collabs with younger artists, including Kali Uchis , Silk Sonic , and Omar Apollo; and Kendrick Lamar , Flying Lotus , and Thundercat , respectively.

In the 1980s, electro-funk was born when artists like Afrika Bambaataa, Man Parrish, and Egyptian Lover began making futuristic beats with the Roland TR-808 drum machine — often with robotic vocals distorted through a talk box. A key distinguishing factor of electro-funk is a de-emphasis on vocals, with more phrases than choruses and verses. The sound influenced contemporaneous hip-hop, funk and electronica, along with acts around the globe, while current acts like Chromeo, DJ Stingray, and even Egyptian Lover himself keep electro-funk alive and well.

Today, funk lives in many places, with its heavy bass and syncopated grooves finding way into many nooks and crannies of music. There's nu-disco and boogie funk, nodding back to disco bands with soaring vocals and dance floor-designed instrumentation. G-funk continues to influence Los Angeles hip-hop, with innovative artists like Dam-Funk and Channel Tres bringing the funk and G-funk, into electro territory. Funk and disco-centered '70s revival is definitely having a moment, with acts like Ghost Funk Orchestra and Parcels , while its sparkly sprinklings can be heard in pop from Dua Lipa , Doja Cat , and, in full "Soul Train" character, Silk Sonic . There are also acts making dreamy, atmospheric music with a solid dose of funk, such as Khruangbin ’s global sonic collage.

There are many bands that play heavily with funk, creating lush grooves designed to get you moving. Read on for a taste of five current modern funk and nu-disco artists making band-led uptempo funk built for the dance floor. Be sure to press play on the Spotify playlist above, and check out GRAMMY.com's playlist on Apple Music , Amazon Music and Pandora .

Say She She

Aptly self-described as "discodelic soul," Brooklyn-based seven-piece Say She She make dreamy, operatic funk, led by singer-songwriters Nya Gazelle Brown, Piya Malik and Sabrina Mileo Cunningham. Their '70s girl group-inspired vocal harmonies echo, sooth and enchant as they cover poignant topics with feminist flair.

While they’ve been active in the New York scene for a few years, they’ve gained wider acclaim for the irresistible music they began releasing this year, including their debut album, Prism . Their 2022 debut single "Forget Me Not" is an ode to ground-breaking New York art collective Guerilla Girls, and " Norma " is their protest anthem in response to the news that Roe vs. Wade could be (and was) overturned. The band name is a nod to funk legend Nile Rodgers , from the "Le freak, c'est chi" exclamation in Chic's legendary tune "Le Freak."

Moniquea 's unique voice oozes confidence, yet invites you in to dance with her to the super funky boogie rhythms. The Pasadena, California artist was raised on funk music; her mom was in a cover band that would play classics like Aretha Franklin’ s "Get It Right" and Gladys Knight ’s "Love Overboard." Moniquea released her first boogie funk track at 20 and, in 2011, met local producer XL Middelton — a bonafide purveyor of funk. She's been a star artist on his MoFunk Records ever since, and they've collabed on countless tracks, channeling West Coast energy with a heavy dose of G-funk, sunny lyrics and upbeat, roller disco-ready rhythms.

Her latest release is an upbeat nod to classic West Coast funk, produced by Middleton, and follows her February 2022 groovy, collab-filled album, On Repeat .

Shiro Schwarz

Shiro Schwarz is a Mexico City-based duo, consisting of Pammela Rojas and Rafael Marfil, who helped establish a modern funk scene in the richly creative Mexican metropolis. On "Electrify" — originally released in 2016 on Fat Beats Records and reissued in 2021 by MoFunk — Shiro Schwarz's vocals playfully contrast each other, floating over an insistent, upbeat bassline and an '80s throwback electro-funk rhythm with synth flourishes.

Their music manages to be both nostalgic and futuristic — and impossible to sit still to. 2021 single "Be Kind" is sweet, mellow and groovy, perfect chic lounge funk. Shiro Schwarz’s latest track, the joyfully nostalgic "Hey DJ," is a collab with funkstress Saucy Lady and U-Key.

L'Impératrice

L'Impératrice (the empress in French) are a six-piece Parisian group serving an infectiously joyful blend of French pop, nu-disco, funk and psychedelia. Flore Benguigui's vocals are light and dreamy, yet commanding of your attention, while lyrics have a feminist touch.

During their energetic live sets, L'Impératrice members Charles de Boisseguin and Hagni Gwon (keys), David Gaugué (bass), Achille Trocellier (guitar), and Tom Daveau (drums) deliver extended instrumental jam sessions to expand and connect their music. Gaugué emphasizes the thick funky bass, and Benguigui jumps around the stage while sounding like an angel. L’Impératrice’s latest album, 2021’s Tako Tsubo , is a sunny, playful French disco journey.

Franc Moody

Franc Moody 's bio fittingly describes their music as "a soul funk and cosmic disco sound." The London outfit was birthed by friends Ned Franc and Jon Moody in the early 2010s, when they were living together and throwing parties in North London's warehouse scene. In 2017, the group grew to six members, including singer and multi-instrumentalist Amber-Simone.

Their music feels at home with other electro-pop bands like fellow Londoners Jungle and Aussie act Parcels. While much of it is upbeat and euphoric, Franc Moody also dips into the more chilled, dreamy realm, such as the vibey, sultry title track from their recently released Into the Ether .

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Photo: Steven Sebring

Living Legends: Billy Idol On Survival, Revival & Breaking Out Of The Cage

"One foot in the past and one foot into the future," Billy Idol says, describing his decade-spanning career in rock. "We’ve got the best of all possible worlds because that has been the modus operandi of Billy Idol."

Living Legends is a series that spotlights icons in music still going strong today. This week, GRAMMY.com spoke with Billy Idol about his latest EP,   Cage , and continuing to rock through decades of changing tastes.

Billy Idol is a true rock 'n' roll survivor who has persevered through cultural shifts and personal struggles. While some may think of Idol solely for "Rebel Yell" and "White Wedding," the singer's musical influences span genres and many of his tunes are less turbo-charged than his '80s hits would belie.  

Idol first made a splash in the latter half of the '70s with the British punk band Generation X. In the '80s, he went on to a solo career combining rock, pop, and punk into a distinct sound that transformed him and his musical partner, guitarist Steve Stevens, into icons. They have racked up multiple GRAMMY nominations, in addition to one gold, one double platinum, and four platinum albums thanks to hits like "Cradle Of Love," "Flesh For Fantasy," and "Eyes Without A Face." 

But, unlike many legacy artists, Idol is anything but a relic. Billy continues to produce vital Idol music by collaborating with producers and songwriters — including Miley Cyrus — who share his forward-thinking vision. He will play a five-show Vegas residency in November, and filmmaker Jonas Akerlund is working on a documentary about Idol’s life. 

His latest release is Cage , the second in a trilogy of annual four-song EPs. The title track is a classic Billy Idol banger expressing the desire to free himself from personal constraints and live a better life. Other tracks on Cage incorporate metallic riffing and funky R&B grooves. 

Idol continues to reckon with his demons — they both grappled with addiction during the '80s — and the singer is open about those struggles on the record and the page. (Idol's 2014 memoir Dancing With Myself , details a 1990 motorcycle accident that nearly claimed a leg, and how becoming a father steered him to reject hard drugs. "Bitter Taste," from his last EP, The Roadside , reflects on surviving the accident.)

Although Idol and Stevens split in the late '80s — the skilled guitarist fronted Steve Stevens & The Atomic Playboys, and collaborated with Michael Jackson, Rick Ocasek, Vince Neil, and Harold Faltermeyer (on the GRAMMY-winning "Top Gun Anthem") —  their common history and shared musical bond has been undeniable. The duo reunited in 2001 for an episode of " VH1 Storytellers " and have been back in the saddle for two decades. Their union remains one of the strongest collaborations in rock 'n roll history.

While there is recognizable personnel and a distinguishable sound throughout a lot of his work, Billy Idol has always pushed himself to try different things. Idol discusses his musical journey, his desire to constantly move forward, and the strong connection that he shares with Stevens. 

Steve has said that you like to mix up a variety of styles, yet everyone assumes you're the "Rebel Yell"/"White Wedding" guy. But if they really listen to your catalog, it's vastly different.

Yeah, that's right. With someone like Steve Stevens, and then back in the day Keith Forsey producing... [Before that] Generation X actually did move around inside punk rock. We didn't stay doing just the Ramones two-minute music. We actually did a seven-minute song. [ Laughs ]. We did always mix things up. 

Then when I got into my solo career, that was the fun of it. With someone like Steve, I knew what he could do. I could see whatever we needed to do, we could nail it. The world was my oyster musically. 

"Cage" is a classic-sounding Billy Idol rocker, then "Running From The Ghost" is almost metal, like what the Devil's Playground album was like back in the mid-2000s. "Miss Nobody" comes out of nowhere with this pop/R&B flavor. What inspired that?

We really hadn't done anything like that since something like "Flesh For Fantasy" [which] had a bit of an R&B thing about it. Back in the early days of Billy Idol, "Hot In The City" and "Mony Mony" had girls [singing] on the backgrounds. 

We always had a bit of R&B really, so it was actually fun to revisit that. We just hadn't done anything really quite like that for a long time. That was one of the reasons to work with someone like Sam Hollander [for the song "Rita Hayworth"] on The Roadside . We knew we could go [with him] into an R&B world, and he's a great songwriter and producer. That's the fun of music really, trying out these things and seeing if you can make them stick. 

I listen to new music by veteran artists and debate that with some people. I'm sure you have those fans that want their nostalgia, and then there are some people who will embrace the newer stuff. Do you find it’s a challenge to reach people with new songs?

Obviously, what we're looking for is, how do we somehow have one foot in the past and one foot into the future? We’ve got the best of all possible worlds because that has been the modus operandi of Billy Idol. 

You want to do things that are true to you, and you don't just want to try and do things that you're seeing there in the charts today. I think that we're achieving it with things like "Running From The Ghost" and "Cage" on this new EP. I think we’re managing to do both in a way. 

** Obviously, "Running From The Ghost" is about addiction, all the stuff that you went through, and in "Cage" you’re talking about  freeing yourself from a lot of personal shackles. Was there any one moment in your life that made you really thought I have to not let this weigh me down anymore ? **

I mean, things like the motorcycle accident I had, that was a bit of a wake up call way back. It was 32 years ago. But there were things like that, years ago, that gradually made me think about what I was doing with my life. I didn't want to ruin it, really. I didn't want to throw it away, and it made [me] be less cavalier. 

I had to say to myself, about the drugs and stuff, that I've been there and I've done it. There’s no point in carrying on doing it. You couldn't get any higher. You didn't want to throw your life away casually, and I was close to doing that. It took me a bit of time, but then gradually I was able to get control of myself to a certain extent [with] drugs and everything. And I think Steve's done the same thing. We're on a similar path really, which has been great because we're in the same boat in terms of lyrics and stuff. 

So a lot of things like that were wake up calls. Even having grandchildren and just watching my daughter enlarging her family and everything; it just makes you really positive about things and want to show a positive side to how you're feeling, about where you're going. We've lived with the demons so long, we've found a way to live with them. We found a way to be at peace with our demons, in a way. Maybe not completely, but certainly to where we’re enjoying what we do and excited about it.

[When writing] "Running From The Ghost" it was easy to go, what was the ghost for us? At one point, we were very drug addicted in the '80s. And Steve in particular is super sober [now]. I mean, I still vape pot and stuff. I don’t know how he’s doing it, but it’s incredible. All I want to be able to do is have a couple of glasses of wine at a restaurant or something. I can do that now.

I think working with people that are super talented, you just feel confident. That is a big reason why you open up and express yourself more because you feel comfortable with what's around you.

Did you watch Danny Boyle's recent Sex Pistols mini-series?

I did, yes.

You had a couple of cameos; well, an actor who portrayed you did. How did you react to it? How accurate do you think it was in portraying that particular time period?

I love Jonesy’s book, I thought his book was incredible. It's probably one of the best bio books really. It was incredible and so open. I was looking forward to that a lot.

It was as if [the show] kind of stayed with Steve [Jones’ memoir] about halfway through, and then departed from it. [John] Lydon, for instance, was never someone I ever saw acting out; he's more like that today. I never saw him do something like jump up in the room and run around going crazy. The only time I saw him ever do that was when they signed the recording deal with Virgin in front of Buckingham Palace. Whereas Sid Vicious was always acting out; he was always doing something in a horrible way or shouting at someone. I don't remember John being like that. I remember him being much more introverted.

But then I watched interviews with some of the actors about coming to grips with the parts they were playing. And they were saying, we knew punk rock happened but just didn't know any of the details. So I thought well, there you go . If ["Pistol" is]  informing a lot of people who wouldn't know anything about punk rock, maybe that's what's good about it.

Maybe down the road John Lydon will get the chance to do John's version of the Pistols story. Maybe someone will go a lot deeper into it and it won't be so surface. But maybe you needed this just to get people back in the flow.

We had punk and metal over here in the States, but it feels like England it was legitimately more dangerous. British society was much more rigid.

It never went [as] mega in America. It went big in England. It exploded when the Pistols did that interview with [TV host Bill] Grundy, that lorry truck driver put his boot through his own TV, and all the national papers had "the filth and the fury" [headlines].

We went from being unknown to being known overnight. We waited a year, Generation X. We even told them [record labels] no for nine months to a year. Every record company wanted their own punk rock group. So it went really mega in England, and it affected the whole country – the style, the fashions, everything. I mean, the Ramones were massive in England. Devo had a No. 1 song [in England] with "Satisfaction" in '77. Actually, Devo was as big as or bigger than the Pistols.

You were ahead of the pop-punk thing that happened in the late '90s, and a lot of it became tongue-in-cheek by then. It didn't have the same sense of rebelliousness as the original movement. It was more pop.

It had become a style. There was a famous book in England called Revolt Into Style — and that's what had happened, a revolt that turned into style which then they were able to duplicate in their own way. Even recently, Billie Joe [Armstrong] did his own version of "Gimme Some Truth," the Lennon song we covered way back in 1977.

When we initially were making [punk] music, it hadn't become accepted yet. It was still dangerous and turned into a style that people were used to. We were still breaking barriers.

You have a band called Generation Sex with Steve Jones and Paul Cook. I assume you all have an easier time playing Pistols and Gen X songs together now and not worrying about getting spit on like back in the '70s?

Yeah, definitely. When I got to America I told the group I was putting it together, "No one spits at the audience."

We had five years of being spat on [in the UK], and it was revolting. And they spat at you if they liked you. If they didn't like it they smashed your gear up. One night, I remember I saw blood on my T-shirt, and I think Joe Strummer got meningitis when spit went in his mouth.

You had to go through a lot to become successful, it wasn't like you just kind of got up there and did a couple of gigs. I don't think some young rock bands really get that today.

With punk going so mega in England, we definitely got a leg up. We still had a lot of work to get where we got to, and rightly so because you find out that you need to do that. A lot of groups in the old days would be together three to five years before they ever made a record, and that time is really important. In a way, what was great about punk rock for me was it was very much a learning period. I really learned a lot [about] recording music and being in a group and even writing songs.

Then when I came to America, it was a flow, really. I also really started to know what I wanted Billy Idol to be. It took me a little bit, but I kind of knew what I wanted Billy Idol to be. And even that took a while to let it marinate.

You and Miley Cyrus have developed a good working relationship in the last several years. How do you think her fans have responded to you, and your fans have responded to her?

I think they're into it. It's more the record company that she had didn't really get "Night Crawling"— it was one of the best songs on Plastic Hearts , and I don't think they understood that. They wanted to go with Dua Lipa, they wanted to go with the modern, young acts, and I don't think they realized that that song was resonating with her fans. Which is a shame really because, with Andrew Watt producing, it's a hit song.

But at the same time, I enjoyed doing it. It came out really good and it's very Billy Idol. In fact, I think it’s more Billy Idol than Miley Cyrus. I think it shows you where Andrew Watt was. He was excited about doing a Billy Idol track. She's fun to work with. She’s a really great person and she works at her singing — I watched her rehearsing for the Super Bowl performance she gave. She rehearsed all Saturday morning, all Saturday afternoon, and Sunday morning and it was that afternoon. I have to admire her fortitude. She really cares.

I remember when you went on " Viva La Bam "  back in 2005 and decided to give Bam Margera’s Lamborghini a new sunroof by taking a power saw to it. Did he own that car? Was that a rental?

I think it was his car.

Did he get over it later on?

He loved it. [ Laughs ] He’s got a wacky sense of humor. He’s fantastic, actually. I’m really sorry to see what he's been going through just lately. He's going through a lot, and I wish him the best. He's a fantastic person, and it's a shame that he's struggling so much with his addictions. I know what it's like. It's not easy.

Musically, what is the synergy like with you guys during the past 10 years, doing Kings and Queens of the Underground and this new stuff? What is your working relationship like now in this more sober, older, mature version of you two as opposed to what it was like back in the '80s?

In lots of ways it’s not so different because we always wrote the songs together, we always talked about what we're going to do together. It was just that we were getting high at the same time.We're just not getting [that way now] but we're doing all the same things.

We're still talking about things, still [planning] things:What are we going to do next? How are we going to find new people to work with? We want to find new producers. Let's be a little bit more timely about putting stuff out.That part of our relationship is the same, you know what I mean? That never got affected. We just happened to be overloading in the '80s.

The relationship’s… matured and it's carrying on being fruitful, and I think that's pretty amazing. Really, most people don't get to this place. Usually, they hate each other by now. [ Laughs ] We also give each other space. We're not stopping each other doing things outside of what we’re working on together. All of that enables us to carry on working together. I love and admire him. I respect him. He's been fantastic. I mean, just standing there on stage with him is always a treat. And he’s got an immensely great sense of humor. I think that's another reason why we can hang together after all this time because we've got the sense of humor to enable us to go forward.

There's a lot of fan reaction videos online, and I noticed a lot of younger women like "Rebel Yell" because, unlike a lot of other '80s alpha male rock tunes, you're talking about satisfying your lover.

It was about my girlfriend at the time, Perri Lister. It was about how great I thought she was, how much I was in love with her, and how great women are, how powerful they are.

It was a bit of a feminist anthem in a weird way. It was all about how relationships can free you and add a lot to your life. It was a cry of love, nothing to do with the Civil War or anything like that. Perri was a big part of my life, a big part of being Billy Idol. I wanted to write about it. I'm glad that's the effect.

Is there something you hope people get out of the songs you've been doing over the last 10 years? Do you find yourself putting out a message that keeps repeating?

Well, I suppose, if anything, is that you can come to terms with your life, you can keep a hold of it. You can work your dreams into reality in a way and, look, a million years later, still be enjoying it.

The only reason I'm singing about getting out of the cage is because I kicked out of the cage years ago. I joined Generation X when I said to my parents, "I'm leaving university, and I'm joining a punk rock group." And they didn't even know what a punk rock group was. Years ago, I’d write things for myself that put me on this path, so that maybe in 2022 I could sing something like "Cage" and be owning this territory and really having a good time. This is the life I wanted.

The original UK punk movement challenged societal norms. Despite all the craziness going on throughout the world, it seems like a lot of modern rock bands are afraid to do what you guys were doing. Do you think we'll see a shift in that?

Yeah.  Art usually reacts to things, so I would think eventually there will be a massive reaction to the pop music that’s taken over — the middle of the road music, and then this kind of right wing politics. There will be a massive reaction if there's not already one. I don’t know where it will come from exactly. You never know who's gonna do [it].

Living Legends: Nancy Sinatra Reflects On Creating "Power And Magic" In Studio, Developing A Legacy Beyond "Boots" & The Pop Stars She Wants To Work With

Graphic: The Recording Academy

Hear All Of The Best Country Solo Performance Nominees For The 2023 GRAMMY Awards

The 2023 GRAMMY Award nominees for Best Country Solo Performance highlight country music's newcomers and veterans, featuring hits from Kelsea Ballerini, Zach Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris and Willie Nelson.

Country music's evolution is well represented in the 2023 GRAMMY nominees for Best Country Solo Performance. From crossover pop hooks to red-dirt outlaw roots, the genre's most celebrated elements are on full display — thanks to rising stars, leading ladies and country icons.

Longtime hitmaker Miranda Lambert delivered a soulful performance on the rootsy ballad "In His Arms," an arrangement as sparing as the windswept west Texas highlands where she co-wrote the song. Viral newcomer Zach Bryan dug into similar organic territory on the Oklahoma side of the Red River for "Something in the Orange," his voice accompanied with little more than an acoustic guitar.

Two of country's 2010s breakout stars are clearly still shining, too, as Maren Morris and Kelsea Ballerini both received Best Country Solo Performance GRAMMY nods. Morris channeled the determination that drove her leap-of-faith move from Texas to Nashville for the playful clap-along "Circles Around This Town," while Ballerini brought poppy hooks with a country edge on the infectiously upbeat "HEARTFIRST."

Rounding out the category is the one and only Willie Nelson, who paid tribute to his late friend Billy Joe Shaver with a cover of "Live Forever" — a fitting sentiment for the 89-year-old legend, who is approaching his eighth decade in the business. 

As the excitement builds for the 2023 GRAMMYs on Feb. 5, 2023, let's take a closer look at this year's nominees for Best Country Solo Performance.

Kelsea Ballerini — "HEARTFIRST"

In the tradition of Shania Twain , Faith Hill and Carrie Underwood , Kelsea Ballerini represents Nashville's sunnier side — and her single "HEARTFIRST" is a slice of bright, uptempo, confectionary country-pop for the ages.

Ballerini sings about leaning into a carefree crush with her heart on her sleeve, pushing aside her reservations and taking a risk on love at first sight. The scene plays out in a bar room and a back seat, as she sweeps nimbly through the verses and into a shimmering chorus, when the narrator decides she's ready to "wake up in your T-shirt." 

There are enough steel guitar licks to let you know you're listening to a country song, but the story and melody are universal. "HEARTFIRST" is Ballerini's third GRAMMY nod, but first in the Best Country Solo Performance category.

Zach Bryan — "Something In The Orange"

Zach Bryan blew into Music City seemingly from nowhere in 2017, when his original song "Heading South" — recorded on an iPhone — went viral. Then an active officer in the U.S. Navy, the Oklahoma native chased his muse through music during his downtime, striking a chord with country music fans on stark songs led by his acoustic guitar and affecting vocals.

After his honorable discharge in 2021, Bryan began his music career in earnest, and in 2022 released "Something in the Orange," a haunting ballad that stakes a convincing claim to the territory between Tyler Childers and Jason Isbell in both sonics and songwriting. Slashing slide guitar drives home the song's heartbreak, as Bryan pines for a lover whose tail lights have long since vanished over the horizon. 

"Something In The Orange" marks Bryan's first-ever GRAMMY nomination.

Miranda Lambert — "In His Arms"

Miranda Lambert is the rare, chart-topping contemporary country artist who does more than pay lip service to the genre's rural American roots. "In His Arms" originally surfaced on 2021's The Marfa Tapes , a casual recording Lambert made with Jack Ingram and Jon Randall in Marfa, Texas — a tiny arts enclave in the middle of the west Texas high desert.

In this proper studio version — recorded for her 2022 album, Palomino — Lambert retains the structure and organic feel of the mostly acoustic song; light percussion and soothing atmospherics keep her emotive vocals front and center. A native Texan herself, Lambert sounds fully at home on "In His Arms."

Lambert is the only Best Country Solo Performance nominee who is nominated in all four Country Field categories in 2023. To date, Miranda Lambert has won 3 GRAMMYs and received 27 nominations overall. 

Maren Morris — "Circles Around This Town"

When Maren Morris found herself uninspired and dealing with writer's block, she went back to what inspired her to move to Nashville nearly a decade ago — and out came "Circles Around This Town," the lead single from her 2022 album Humble Quest .

Written in one of her first in-person songwriting sessions since the pandemic, Morris has called "Circles Around This Town" her "most autobiographical song" to date; she even recreated her own teenage bedroom for the song's video. As she looks back to her Texas beginnings and the life she left for Nashville, Morris' voice soars over anthemic, yet easygoing production. 

Morris last won a GRAMMY for Best Country Solo Performance in 2017, when her song "My Church" earned the singer her first GRAMMY. To date, Maren Morris has won one GRAMMY and received 17 nominations overall.

Willie Nelson — "Live Forever"

Country music icon Willie Nelson is no stranger to the GRAMMYs, and this year he aims to add to his collection of 10 gramophones. He earned another three nominations for 2023 — bringing his career total to 56 — including a Best Country Solo Performance nod for "Live Forever."

Nelson's performance of "Live Forever," the lead track of the 2022 tribute album Live Forever: A Tribute to Billy Joe Shaver , is a faithful rendition of Shaver's signature song. Still, Nelson puts his own twist on the tune, recruiting Lucinda Williams for backing vocals and echoing the melody with the inimitable tone of his nylon-string Martin guitar. 

Shaver, an outlaw country pioneer who passed in 2020 at 81 years old, never had any hits of his own during his lifetime. But plenty of his songs were still heard, thanks to stars like Elvis Presley , Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings . Nelson was a longtime friend and frequent collaborator of Shaver's — and now has a GRAMMY nom to show for it.

2023 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Complete Nominees List

• 1 Empire Of The Sun Celebrate 'Walking On A Dream' With Decade Anniversary Tour
• 2 GRAMMY Rewind: Kendrick Lamar Honors Hip-Hop's Greats While Accepting Best Rap Album GRAMMY For 'To Pimp a Butterfly' In 2016
• 3 A Guide To Modern Funk For The Dance Floor: L'Imperatrice, Shiro Schwarz, Franc Moody, Say She She & Moniquea
• 4 Living Legends: Billy Idol On Survival, Revival & Breaking Out Of The Cage
• 5 Hear All Of The Best Country Solo Performance Nominees For The 2023 GRAMMY Awards

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Empire Of The Sun add second Sydney date to Australian headline tour

The duo will now perform two shows at Enmore Theatre, expanding their first run of headline Australian shows since 2017 to four dates

Empire Of The Sun have added a second Sydney date to their upcoming run of headline shows, coinciding with their appearance at Melbourne’s Now & Again festival in February.

• READ MORE: Soundtrack Of My Life: Empire Of The Sun’s Luke Steele

Following their appearance at Now & Again on February 18 – where they will share a bill with the likes of Gang Of Youths , Tones And I , Crooked Colours , Running Touch and Peach PRC – Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore will play a headline gig at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre on February 22.

The duo will also perform at the Enmore the day before (February 21), with that show having already been announced. They’ll wrap up the now-expanded four-date run with a show at Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall on February 25.

The upcoming shows will mark Empire Of The Sun’s first time performing in their home country since 2017. The duo’s last performances altogether took place in 2019, with their most recent gig taking place as part of that year’s Mad Cool Festival in Madrid.

Tickets for the upcoming shows go on sale next today (January 10). Find them for Brisbane here , Sydney here and Melbourne here .

Empire of the Sun’s debut album ‘Walking on a Dream’ arrived in 2018, spawning hits like its title track, ‘We Are the People’ and ‘Half Mast’. Follow-up ‘Ice on the Dune’ arrived in 2013, with third album ‘Two Vines’ released in 2016.

Since then, both Steele and Littlemore have released music with other projects. In 2021, Steele teamed up with producer Jarrad Rogers as H3000 , releasing their eponymous debut album . Last year, Steele released his debut solo album, a folktronica record titled ‘Listen to the Water’ .

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Littlemore, meanwhile, has remained a member of dance music trio PNAU . Though their last album together was 2017’s ‘Changa’, they’ve continued to be active. In 2021, they released the hit remix to Elton John and Dua Lipa ‘s ‘Cold Heart’, which was one of Australia’s top-performing singles of 2022 . Last year, they remixed Lizzo ‘s ‘Special’ cut ‘2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)’ and teamed up with Troye Sivan for the collaborative single ‘You Know What I Need’ .

Littlemore also produced Holiday Sidewinder ‘s 2021 album ‘Face of God’, which NME named one of the best Australian albums of the year. Littlemore has worked with Cloud Control’s Alister Wright with the project Vlossom .

In recent years, both Steele and Littlemore have hinted at a return for the band they formed together in Sydney back in 2007. In late 2021, Littlemore teased the duo’s comeback during an appearance on podcast The Plug with Neil Griffiths.

At the time, Littlemore said he hadn’t seen Steele “since COVID or a fair while prior to COVID”, noting that although Steele has “been doing other stuff” for the time being, there was “some really exciting music” in the pipeline for Empire of the Sun.

“I actually just found one of the lyrics the other day which we wrote in Japan,” Littlemore said continued. “It’s such an exciting record – it’s super sad but in that way that Luke makes you feel good about feeling sad; makes you feel good about feeling anything. He’s such an extraordinary artist.”

Empire of the Sun’s 2023 Australian tour dates are:

FEBRUARY Saturday 18 – Melbourne, Now & Again Festival Tuesday 21 — Sydney, Enmore Theatre — NEW SHOW Wednesday 22 – Sydney, Enmore Theatre Saturday 25 – Brisbane, Fortitude Music Hall

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Taylor Swift and Matty Healy's Relationship Timeline

Swift and Healy dated for a few months in 2023, which she recounts on 'The Tortured Poets Department' album

Taylor Swift and Matty Healy 's short-lived relationship sparked a lot of conversation.

The musicians initially met in the fall of 2014 but didn't date until years later.

Shortly after The 1975 frontman was spotted attending Swift's Eras Tour in Nashville in May 2023, the two were photographed holding hands at New York City's Casa Cipriani, where they were out with mutual friend and collaborator Jack Antonoff .

Their relationship came just a month after PEOPLE confirmed Swift's split from longtime boyfriend Joe Alwyn , which a source told PEOPLE was a result of "differences in their personalities ."

Following their whirlwind romance, PEOPLE confirmed the "Karma" singer and 1975 frontman broke up in June, noting their relationship was "always casual."

Most recently, Swift recounted the highs and lows of their relationship on The Tortured Poets Department album.

From the beginnings of their friendship to their short-lived romance, here's a timeline of Swift and Healy's relationship through the years.

November 19, 2014: Taylor Swift and Matty Healy first meet

Swift reportedly first met Healy when she attended a 1975 concert in Los Angeles along with pals Selena Gomez and Ellie Goulding . Swift later shared photos and a video from the concert on Nov. 21, captioning the since-deleted post with lyrics from the band's song "The City": "Yeah you wanna find love, Then you know where the city is."

November 22, 2014: Taylor Swift wears The 1975 merch

A few days after the 1975 concert, Swift was photographed wearing the band's merch during an outing in Los Angeles ahead of her performance at the American Music Awards. Earlier that month, Healy had also rocked a shirt featuring Swift's 1989 album cover on stage, further prompting speculation about their relationship.

November 29, 2014: Matty Healy says he would date Taylor Swift

Following Swift's appearance at the 1975 concert, Healy was asked about the singer during a radio interview with Shazam Top 20, during which he revealed that they exchanged numbers at the Los Angeles show.

When the DJ inquired about them possibly dating, Healy replied, "Let's just see what happens," per E! News . He added, "I mean bloody hell, what am I going to do? Go out with Taylor Swift ? She's a sensation, I wouldn't say no."

Earlier that October, Swift had maintained that she was happily single during an interview with E! News. "It's not that [I've sworn off dating] as much as I'm just very protective of my happiness," Swift told the publication. "I found a place in my life that feels really great and I'm not willing to compromise that for just anyone, and so, you can paraphrase that all you want into something very extreme, but they make what I say extreme no matter what I say."

She added, "So I'm really happy about the fact that being single doesn't feel like being alone. I have love in my life, I just don't have a relationship, and that feels really natural right now."

December 4, 2014: Taylor Swift attends another The 1975 concert with Karlie Kloss

In early December, just a few days before her 25th birthday, Swift attended another 1975 concert in N.Y.C. alongside Karlie Kloss and Lily Aldridge. Following Healy's comments about Swift, the outing sparked even more rumors that the pair were an item .

January 20, 2015: Matty Healy shuts down Taylor Swift dating rumors

A month later, Healy publicly shut down rumors he was dating Swift during a radio interview with Australia's 2DayFM. "It's fake," he said, per E! News . "It's all bloody fake. It's a farce!"

"We met each other, we exchanged numbers in the same way that a lot of people in this kind of world do, and we spoke occasionally," he continued. "She's the biggest pop star in the world and I'm in Australia. There's no relationship or anything happening. It's just funny how people really, really buy into that."

February 25, 2015: Taylor Swift and Matty Healy hang out at a Universal Music Brits party

After diffusing dating rumors, the two hung out as friends at a pop-up event held at London's Soho House for Universal Music Brits. The two were seen huddled up at the DJ booth alongside Ellie Goulding and Nick Grimshaw. At the same event, Swift was also pictured with Calvin Harris, whom she would go on to date later that year.

March 2016: Matty Healy clarifies Taylor Swift comments

Speaking with Q magazine, Healy opened up about his rumored romance with Swift, calling the connection a "flirtation."

"I don't do anything else [besides music], right, so it doesn't leave a lot of room for me going out, or shagging someone," he told the publication, per NME . "So the one time I did have a flirtation with a girl it ends up going everywhere…. I mean, I got on E! News and people were like, 'Who's Matt Healy?' so that was cool."

He continued, "If I had gone out with Taylor Swift I would've been, 'F---ing hell! I am NOT being Taylor Swift 's boyfriend.' You know, 'F---. THAT.' That's also a man thing, a de-masculinating, emasculating thing."

Shortly after the interview was published, Healy wrote an open letter saying that his comments were being taken out of context. He also detailed how dating rumors between him and Swift quickly escalated in the media.

"Since she came to my show in December of 2014, I would say that 90 percent of journalists that have interviewed me have asked about either her as a person or what our 'interaction' was like," he wrote, per Elle . "I have said on countless occasions that I found her to be one of the most gracious, hard working, creatively gifted, and beautiful women that I have had the pleasure to meet. I personally have a lot of respect and admiration for her. Why would I not?"

He continued, ​​"I didn't even date Taylor, but the media's incessant and brutal obsession with her has meant that even a guy who DIDN'T DATE HER has been so battered by their never-ending questions that he's inevitably said something that can be lifted and molded into something that resembles 'shade'. It's really sad."

September 2022: Matty Healy shuts down rumors of a Taylor Swift collab on Midnights

Ahead of the release of Swift's Midnights album , Healy found himself connected to the singer once again as rumors circulated that The 1975 would be featured on the album . However, much to fans' dismay, Healy shut down the rumors, writing, "I would love that! But unfortunately FAKE NEWS :("

November 2022: Matty Healy reveals he did work with Taylor Swift for Midnights

A month after the album's official release, Healy revealed that he did in fact work on a collaboration with Swift for Midnights , though it was never released.

"We actually worked a bit on that but then the version of it never came out," the star said in an interview with KROQ's Klein/Ally Show for Audacy's DTS Sound Space.

After the crowd booed Healy's revelation, the "About You" singer was quick to defend Swift, telling them, "It was for reasons that are not to be criticized ... She's amazing."

January 12, 2023: Taylor Swift performs at The 1975's concert in London

In early January 2023, Swift made a surprise appearance at the 1975's concert in London, performing her single "Anti-Hero" for the first time live. She also performed a cover of The 1975's "The City" during the impromptu appearance.

April 8, 2023: PEOPLE confirms Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn have broken up

In April 2023, PEOPLE confirmed that Swift had broken up with her longtime boyfriend Joe Alwyn . A source close to the Grammy winner and the Conversations with Friends actor told PEOPLE their split was largely caused by "differences in their personalities ."

"They've had rough patches before and always worked things out, so friends thought they would take some time apart but eventually come back together," the source said, noting that "ultimately" Swift and Alwyn "weren't the right fit for one another."

The source added that Swift's superstardom was another factor in the split: "Joe has struggled with Taylor's level of fame and the attention from the public."

May 2023: Matty Healy attends Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in Nashville

In May 2023, Swift and Healy found themselves at the center of dating rumors once again as The Sun reported they were seeing each other. Shortly after the dating rumors surfaced, Healy was spotted attending several shows at Swift's Eras Tour in Nashville.

In photos from the Saturday concert, Swift's pal Gigi Hadid could be seen playfully rubbing Healy's shoulders as he smiled and held his hand to his chest during Swift's performance.

Earlier that night, Healy joined opener Phoebe Bridgers for her set, as he wore the Grammy nominee's go-to skeleton onesie and played guitar throughout her time on stage.

May 11, 2023: Taylor Swift and Matty Healy hold hands in N.Y.C.

After hanging out in Nashville, the two were spotted spending time with pal Jack Antonoff at New York City's Casa Cipriani. Photos posted to social media showed Swift and Healy holding hands at the members-only venue.

"Taylor is happy. She's very focused on her tour but is enjoying hanging out with Matty when she is off," a source told PEOPLE following her PDA-filled outing with Healy. Another insider added: "They're hanging out and having a good time. It's not just platonic."

May 13, 2023: Matty Healy attends Eras Tour concert with Taylor Swift's dad

On May 13, Healy was spotted attending Swift's hometown show in Philadelphia. In a video posted to Twitter , the singer was seen jamming along to "22" alongside Swift's dad Scott .

May 15, 2023: Taylor Swift and Matty Healy are spotted leaving an N.Y.C. recording studio together

Robert Kamau/GC Images

On May 15, the duo were photographed leaving the Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village in N.Y.C. Swift was seen wearing a purple NYU sweater, black mini skirt and beige sneakers, while The 1975 star dressed casually in a black sweatshirt and pants as he appeared to place a hand Swift's back.

The musicians were joined at the New York City recording studio gathering by several other stars including Kendrick Lamar , Florence Welch , actress Margaret Qualley and her fiancé Jack Antonoff — one of Swift's longtime collaborators.

June 5, 2023: Taylor Swift and Matty Healy break up

In June, PEOPLE confirmed that Swift and Healy have broken up . "She had fun with him, but it was always casual," a source told PEOPLE. "They are no longer romantically involved."

"They were never boyfriend-girlfriend or exclusive and were always just having fun," another insider tells PEOPLE. "There is no drama, and who knows what could happen again. It was a good time and ran its course."

July 2023: Taylor Swift and Matty Healy reconciliation rumor gets shut down

Just a month after their split, it was reported that the two were back together. However, a source quickly shut down that rumor to PEOPLE . "They are absolutely not together and aren't even in contact anymore," the source close to Swift explained. "She is enjoying being single and has been spending time in the studio and hanging out with friends in New York City. This is all B.S."

April 19, 2024: Taylor Swift sings about Matty Healy on The Tortured Poets Department album

In addition to recounting how her six-year relationship with Alwyn came to an end, Swift also details her short-lived romance with Healy in the spring of 2023. On “Guilty as Sin?” Swift sings about having strong romantic feelings for someone from her past while in a relationship with someone else, seemingly noting that she was already crushing on Healy before her relationship with Alwyn officially ended.

Then on “Fresh Out the Slammer,” Swift sings about feeling ready and able to dive into a new romance after exiting a different relationship that was holding her back. The song also hints that her new love is not American, as she sings that she’s returning “to the one who says I’m the girl of his American dreams.” (Both Healy and  Alwyn are English .)

She also appears to address the intense criticism that surrounded their relationship with the track “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)” (on which she convinces herself that she can change her man's ways in spite of the world thinking he's bad news).

On “loml,” Swift reveals the relationship was not meant to last as sings about rekindling an old flame, only to see the relationship crash and burn.

“It was legendary / It was momentary / It was unnecessary / Should’ve let it stay buried,” she sings. “Oh what a valiant roar / What a bland goodbye / The coward claimed he was a lion / I’m combing through the braids of lies / ‘I’ll never leave’ / ‘Nevermind.’”

Related Articles

Eden Muñoz Announces U.S. Tour – Here Are the Dates

Eden Muñoz is taking his music on tour. On Apr. 22, the Mexican singer-songwriter revealed the U.S. leg of his Como En Los Viejos Tiempos Tour , which starts at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, TX, on Aug. 16 and ends at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, CA, on Nov. 15.

“I’m very happy, very excited, to share my second US.. tour, in this case, ‘En como los viejos tiempos,’ which is a tour where we are visiting the past, the present, and getting to know a little bit of the future of [my] music,” Muñoz tells Remezcla via email. “We are a little more than 30 [musicians] on the stage, a music stage with certain elements. I hope to see you on my tour!”

After kicking off his highly-anticipate tour in San Antonio, the “Abcdario” singer will continue to the 713 Music Hall in Houston, TX (Aug. 17); the Coca Cola Roxy in Atlanta, GA (Aug. 23); the Fillmore Miami Beach At Jackie Gleason Theatre in Miami Beach, FL (Aug. 30); the Rosemont Theatre in Rosemont, IL (Sept. 6); and the Murat Theatre @ Old National Centre in Indianapolis, IN (Sept. 7).

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Eden (@edenmunoz)

The second half of the tour will start at the Arizona Financial Theatre in Phoenix, AZ (Sept. 20); the San Jose Civic in San Jose, CA (Sept. 27); the Silver Legacy Grande Exposition Hall in Reno, NV (Sept. 28); the Abraham Chavez Theatre in El Paso, TX (Oct. 5); The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving, TX (Oct. 25); and the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, CA (Nov. 15).

With almost 15 years of musical trajectory, Muñoz – the former vocalist of Calibre 50 – is an established performer known for his norteño and banda music in the música mexicana world. His hits include “Chale,” “Consejos Gratis,” and “Como Quieras Quiero.” He recently released his newest single, “¿Cómo Te Fue Sin Mí?” from his upcoming album due this fall.

Fans can purchase tickets starting with a Citi presale on Apr. 23 at 10 a.m. EST until Apr. 24 at 10 a.m. local time. Additional pre-sales will happen during the week before the general on-sale, which starts on Apr. 24 at 10 a.m. local time through Live Nation’s official website .

Shakira surprises at Bizarrap’s set at Coachella, announces world tour: How to get tickets

Shakira made a guest appearance at Argentine producer Bizarrap's set at the Sahara tent Friday night, bringing her world-famous diss song to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and announcing an upcoming world tour.

The crowd, already energized throughout the start of Bizarrap's DJ set, became fully rapturous when the Colombian star emerged to first perform "La Fuerte," a collaboration with the producer.

She followed it with her Vol. 53 of the Bzrp sessions, a scathing diss song aimed at her ex-husband Gerard Piqué, appearing about halfway through the hour-long set.

Shakira's latest scorched-earth song ripping her ex Gerard Piqué, explained

Shakira entered with the words "La Loba Se Viene" (Spanish for "the wolf is coming") sprawled across the large screen behind her. She later announced a world tour for her latest album, "Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran," calling her Coachella appearance the informal kickoff to the tour.

The official kickoff to the tour, on the other hand, will be in Palm Desert at Acrisure Arena.

Bizarrap, whose collaborations include a who’s who list of renowned Latino artists, played a litany of his popular BZRP sessions, including songs with Eladio Carrión, Milo J and Nicky Jam, during his set.

Shakira was the only guest appearance during the lengthy show, which featured plenty of cool visuals and impressive remixes by the Argentine producer.

Bizarrap didn't say much during his set, beyond imploring the crowd to keep dancing and to up the energy, but his stage presence was confident — particularly for a producer making his Coachella debut.

Though neither appeared on stage with him, Bizarrap also played his songs with Young Miko and Peso Pluma , both of whom also had their own Friday performances at the Empire Polo Club.

How to get Shakira tour tickets

Tickets go on general sale on April 22 at 10 a.m. local time, but a special presale begins this Friday with sign-up on the star's website.

Shakira concert dates for Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour

• Nov. 2 | Palm Desert, California | Acrisure Arena at Greater Palm Springs
• Nov. 7 | Phoenix | Footprint Center
• Nov. 9 | Inglewood, California | Kia Forum
• Nov. 16 | San Antonio | Frost Bank Center
• Nov. 17 | Dallas | American Airlines Center
• Nov. 20 | Miami | Kaseya Center
• Nov. 23 | Charlotte, North Carolina | Spectrum Center
• Nov. 25 | Washington | Capital One Arena
• Nov. 30 | Toronto | Scotiabank Arena
• Dec. 5 | Brooklyn, New York | Barclays Center
• Dec. 8 | Boston | TD Garden
• Dec. 10 | Montreal | Centre Bell
• Dec. 14 | Chicago | United Center
• Dec. 15 | Detroit | Little Caesars Arena

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Wednesday 22 February 2023

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118-132 Enmore Road 2042 Newtown, NSW, Australia www.enmoretheatre.com.au/

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2024 RBC Heritage live stream, TV schedule, how to watch online, channel, tee times, radio, golf coverage

There was no rest for the weary with a signature event on tap one week after the masters.

Players have made the short trip from Augusta, Georgia, to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, for the 2024 RBC Heritage. In total, 69 golfers teed it up on Harbour Town Golf Links as yet another signature event on the PGA Tour's playing calendar rolls on.

Unlike the Genesis Invitational or Arnold Palmer Invitational, the RBC Heritage does not feature a 36-hole cut, meaning the entirety of the field will be around for the weekend. That is music to the ears to those who missed out on the weekend action at the Masters, including the likes of Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Wyndham Clark and Brian Harman.

Spieth, the 2022 champion, looks to kickstart his season after a disappointing showing at Augusta National. He is no stranger to bouncing back at the RBC Heritage, following a missed cut at the year's first major championship with a win a week later in Hilton Head. He's not in contention to win this tournament, but he's certainly playing better than he did last week.

This tournament, like the rest on the PGA Tour these days, goes through Scottie Scheffler. The world No. 1 aims to collect his fourth trophy in his last five tournaments, and he holds the 54-hole lead entering the final day of play. Fresh off slipping on his second green jacket, Scheffler has widened the gap between him and the rest of the world and shows no signs of slowing down. Collin Morikawa and Ludvig Åberg -- just as they did at the Masters -- are breathing down Scheffler's neck on Sunday.

All times Eastern; streaming start times approximated   

Round 4 - Sunday

Round starts:  7:15 a.m.

PGA Tour Live:  7:15 a.m. -  6 p.m. --  PGA Tour Live

Early TV coverage:  1-3 p.m. on Golf Channel,  fubo  (Try for free) Live streaming:  1-3 p.m. on Peacock

Live TV coverage:  3-6 p.m. on CBS Live simulcast:  3-6 p.m. on  CBSSports.com  and the  CBS Sports App

Radio:  1-6 p.m. --  PGA Tour Radio  

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Local News | UC Riverside to honor Nobel laureate and…

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Local News | UC Riverside to honor Nobel laureate and physicist Barry Barish

The ucr professor won 2023 national medal of science.

UC Riverside will salute physicist and Nobel laureate Barry Barish for winning the 2023 National Medal of Science in October.

Barish, a distinguished professor of physics and astronomy at UCR, joined the university in 2018. The National Medal of Science is the highest recognition in the nation for scientists and engineers.

The public is invited to the free Tuesday, April 30, celebration, where residents can meet Barish, other UCR faculty members and students.

Barish, while working at Caltech in Pasadena, won the 2017 Nobel Prize in physics for “decisive contributions” to the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory detector and observing gravitational waves, a UCR news release states.

Two keynote speakers and presentations on “the frontiers of physics” are set for 1 p.m. The speakers will be Art McDonald, who won the 2015 Nobel Prize, and Chang Kee Jung, winner of the American Physical Society’s 2022 Julius Edgar Lilienfeld Prize.

Tours of the Physics building laboratories and student presentations are scheduled for 4 p.m. A 5 p.m. reception in the University Theater will include food and light refreshments.

Barish will speak at 6 p.m., also in the theater, to deliver a presentation that is part of the Science Lecture Series. It is titled “Gravitational Waves: Unraveling the Mysteries of our Universe.”

Parking is free, but guests must register online to receive complimentary parking .

For information, click here .

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