NEIL'S ARTIST OF THE WEEK
The first nominee for Artist of the Week is Zayn Malik
Whatsapp is quickly becoming the favourite messaging app for smartphone users around the world.
It seems as though the superstar elite are using it too. Not for chatting, but for songwriting.
UK star MIA has revealed this week that her new upcoming album will feature Zayn Malik.
The former boyband star collaborated with the English MC and producer, real name Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam, on a track titled ‘Freedun’ which will appear on her fifth album ‘AIM’.
According to MIA, they wrote the song together via Whatsapp. She said:
“We just basically did it while I was here, because I’ve been here for a week-and-a-half. We’ve just been going back and forth on, you know, WhatsApp.”
According to the Paper Planes singer, she also considered writing for Zayn’s debut album:
“We have the same publishers and they wanted me to demo some songs for Zayn,” she said. “Before I started writing properly my own stuff [for AIM], I was thinking maybe I’ll write for other people instead. I really wanted to write a song for Zayn….We had a couple people in common. And that’s how it came about. I didn’t really approach him for my own record until later on. First, I thought I wanted to try writing a song for him.”
The next nominee for Artist of the Week is New Order
New Order are making the move from music to brewing and they will launch their own beer later this month.
The band have teamed up with with Moorhouse's Brewery of Burnley in the UK on the drink, which is named Stray Dog after a track from their 2015 album 'Music Complete'.
Stray Dog is 4.2% alcohol and is described as a "refreshing and clean tasting golden ale with hints of citrus fruit and lychee, all balanced by a subtle bitterness".
"It's been a pleasure to work on our first foray into the brewing business with Moorhouse's of Burnley with such a rich heritage in the north west and coming hard on the heels of their milestone 150th year," the band said in a statement.
A spokesperson for the brewery, Mark Boardman said:
"We expect it to play well in cask with our own loyal followers, New Order fans, and in today's fast moving craft ale marketplace, which increasingly appeals to a younger audience."
The final nominee for Artist of the Week is The Smiths
The Smiths have partnered with with animal rights group PETA for a brand new online game inspired by their song 'Meat Is Murder'.
The game, called The Beautiful Creature Must Die, has been made in collaboration with This Is Pop.
It allows players to save animals from slaughter, all set to an 8-bit soundtrack of the band's iconic 1985 track.
Have a go at the game here:
In a press release, Morrissey says:
"This game is the biggest social crusade of all, as we safeguard the weak and helpless from violent human aggression. You don’t get that from Pokémon Go."
Who will be Neil's Artist of the Week? Tune in this Sunday at 11am - 1pm to find out.
