Janet Jackson has shared a new preview of her upcoming two-part Lifetime and A&E documentary – watch below.

In the clip for JANET, which was first announced last year, Jackson addresses why she wanted to do the documentary, commenting: “It’s just something that needs to be done.”

READ MORE: Janet Jackson at Glastonbury: a pop megamix, a stadium production and the making of a new ‘legends slot’

“There were times when I didn’t actually understand where I fit in,” Jackson adds in the trailer. “My father was very strict… He was in charge of my life, my career. My father said: ‘You’re gonna sing.’”

When asked in the trailer if she believed that the allegations against her late brother Michael Jackson had affected her own career, Janet replied: “Yeah, guilty by association. I guess that’s what they call it, right? They build you up and then once you get big, they’re so quick to tear you down.”

Before and after his death in 2009, Michael has been the subject of multiple sexual abuse accusations, which he always denied. The 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland told the story of Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who alleged that they were abused when left alone with the singer at his California home.

Last year, a lawsuit filed by Robson was thrown out by a judge in Los Angeles. Jonathan Steinsapir, the attorney for the Jackson estate, said: “Wade Robson has spent the last eight years pursuing frivolous claims in different lawsuits against Michael Jackson’s estate and companies associated with it.”

Robson’s attorney announced that he plans to appeal the decision, though Jackson’s estate has repeatedly denied all allegations of abuse.

A host of famous faces, including Missy Elliott and Mariah Carey, also feature in the JANET preview clip discussing Jackson’s influence and legacy, which also details how the documentary will look at her personal life via candid interviews.

The film is set to arrive on January 28 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the singer’s self-titled debut album from 1982. Drawing on archival footage, the documentary will explore significant moments throughout Jackson’s life and career.

According to the film’s trailer, JANET has been in production for over five years. The documentary was directed by Ben Hirsch, with Janet Jackson and Randy Jackson serving as executive producers.

“This is my story, told by me. Not through someone else’s eyes,” Jackson has previously said of the film. “This is the truth. Take it or leave it. Love it or hate it. This is me.”

A separate documentary about Janet Jackson’s infamous incident at the 2004 Super Bowl, when Justin Timberlake exposed her breast during their halftime performance, was released late last year and titled Malfunction: The Dressing Down Of Janet Jackson.

In an interview last year, Jackson’s ex-stylist claimed that there was no “wardrobe malfunction” when she was exposed by Timberlake. According to Wayne Scot Lukas, Jackson’s top was supposed to be ripped by Timberlake but production crew failed to cut the lights to blackout in time, leaving her naked breast exposed on camera.

He told Access Hollywood that he “did exactly what I was supposed to do”, adding “Wardrobe malfunction? I don’t malfunction. I was a professional stylist, [charging] $10,000 a day back then. I can’t fail!”

The post Janet Jackson addresses if Michael Jackson allegations have affected her career appeared first on NME.

Gal Gadot has expressed regret over her star-studded cover of John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’, describing it as being “in poor taste”.

READ MORE: The Beatles: every song ranked in order of greatness

Released at the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, the cover video, led by Gadot, featured a bunch of celebrities including Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig, Jamie Dornan, and Natalie Portman each singing a line from the track.

After the clip was widely mocked online at the time for missing the tone of the pandemic, Gadot has reflected on the video, saying it “wasn’t the right timing”.

Speaking to InStyle, Gadot said: “With the whole ‘Imagine’ controversy, it’s funny. I was calling Kristen [Wiig] and I was like, ‘Listen, I want to do this thing.’ The pandemic was in Europe and Israel before it came here [to the US] in the same way. I was seeing where everything was headed. But [the video] was premature.”

She added: “It wasn’t the right timing, and it wasn’t the right thing. It was in poor taste. All pure intentions, but sometimes you don’t hit the bull’s-eye, right?”

Speaking in the cover video after six days of self-quarantine, the Wonder Woman actress said: “These past few days got me feeling a bit philosophical. You know this virus has affected the entire world, everyone. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from. We’re all in this together.”

Other celebrities in the video included Zoe Kravitz, Chris O’Dowd, Sia, Pedro Pascal, Eddie Benjamin, Leslie Odom Jr, Lynda Carter, Ashley Benson, Norah Jones, Jimmy Fallon, Cara Delevingne, Kaia Gerber, Labrinth, Annie Mumolo and Maya Rudolph.

Gadot is set to star in Kenneth Branagh’s upcoming mystery thriller Death On The Nile, alongside Tom Bateman, Annette Bening, Russell Brand, Dawn French and Armie Hammer.

Based on 1937 novel by Agatha Christie, the film is a follow-up to 2017’s Murder On The Orient Express with Branagh returning as Hercule Poirot.

The post Gal Gadot says ‘Imagine’ cover was “in poor taste” appeared first on NME.

MANILA, Philippines—Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Eumir Marcial has thrown his support behind EJ Obiena in the pole vaulter’s ongoing rift with Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (Patafa). In a Facebook post, Marcial called the dispute a “wretched fight” and expressed his displeasure over Patafa’s decision to remove Obiena from the national team. “With the […]

The post Eumir Marcial backs fellow Olympian EJ Obiena in Patafa rift appeared first on Inquirer Sports.

MANILA, Philippines—San Miguel Beer guard Chris Ross is taking on 2022 in stride while mourning the loss of his father who died in November. “Trying to put a smile, tryin to fight these tears from crying but Lord knows I’m dying,” posted Ross on Instagram. “I took time off from basketball to be around family […]

The post Back in Manila, Chris Ross picks up the pieces after loss of dad appeared first on Inquirer Sports.

Singapore indie rock band Subsonic Eye make their love for the great outdoors known on ‘Nature Of Things’, their acclaimed third album. For NME Radar Sessions, they take us to some of their favourite nature spots in the Southeast Asian city-state and explain how they came to embrace the green as inspiration. Watch the full video above.

NME Radar Sessions, a series exploring the relationship between art and place, touches down in Singapore for interviews with four artists and live performances filmed on location. In its inaugural chapter, Subsonic Eye’s chief songwriters Nur Wahidah (vocals) and Daniel Borces (guitar) tell us how in recent years they’ve come to bask in the splendour of the country’s natural environs, making an album that reflects this newfound passion.

READ MORE: Subsonic Eye, THELIONCITYBOY, Khally and Fariz Jabba – watch the NME Radar Sessions trailer now

Subsonic Eye’s past two albums – 2017’s debut ‘Strawberry Feels’ and 2018’s dreamy follow-up ‘Dive Into’ – were the work of a band who enjoyed burying themselves in the dense and murky mixes of their songs. 2021’s ‘Nature Of Things’, though, captures a renewed group of young adults reaching for sunshine – with an ear for a gentler, but no less immersive, sonic impact.

These creative changes all started when Wahidah and Borces started getting out into the green. “We started looking at nature in this perspective about two years ago when we started cycling a lot, and then slowly you realise you’re part of it,” says Borces, who shows NME, Wahidah and other band members Lucas Tee and Jared Lim around his green spot of choice, Yishun Park.

Subsonic Eye and NME also head to Coney Island Park, which directly inspired a song on ‘Nature Of Things’. Wahidah and Borces had gone on an excursion to the green space in the northeast of Singapore, which greeted them with heavy rain. The downpour eventually subsided to reveal the park’s radiant scenery – an experience that Wahidah characterised as the island waking up. “That was a really beautiful feeling,” she said – one she immortalised on the exhilarating song ‘Further’.

Internationally renowned as a city in a garden, Singapore has melded nature and technology in creations such as the Rain Vortex at Jewel Changi Airport and the Supertrees at Gardens By The Bay. But Wahidah has a soft spot for places that are more off the beaten path. To her, nature is a “reflection of everything” and a force that “solves any problems” when she spends time in it. In the song ‘Fruitcake’, she sings compassionately about a misunderstood person who’s “lost her brain and her nerves” – an attempt to exorcise her own demons.

Watch Subsonic Eye perform an acoustic version of ‘Fruitcake’, and other album cut ‘Animinimism’, from nature for NME Radar Sessions here:

In ‘Nature Of Things’, Subsonic Eye have crafted an invigorating indie rock diary that captures the simple yet transformative power nature can have on an individual grasping for balance. Its seemingly endless capacity to inspire self-reflection and renewal has no doubt touched both Borces and Wahidah, who agree that their explorations in nature have made them “a lot less uptight and tense”.

“When I go out and take a ride, it literally feels like a blessing,” Wahidah adds. “When I go out and there’s trees everywhere and there’s birds chirping, it’s a beautiful day.”

Subsonic Eye’s newfound appreciation for nature isn’t fleeting inspiration for an album or mere fodder for a press cycle. For their next album, Borces and Wahidah are turning their attention to the distractions that prevent them from embracing this spiritual side of their lives. “Our experiences with nature [are] always in the back of our heads,” Borces explains. “So all [the] new songs we’re writing [are about] the things that get in the way of that feeling.”

Once you’ve watched Subsonic Eye’s full interview above, stay tuned to NME for more NME Radar Sessions episodes coming up, with interviews with and performances by THELIONCITYBOY, Khally and Fariz Jabba.

This instalment of NME Radar Sessions was produced with the support of the Singapore Tourism Board’s SG Stories Content Fund Season 2

Want more NME Radar Sessions? Find the full series – both interviews and performances – here as new weekly chapters are premiered this month

The post NME Radar Sessions: For Singapore’s Subsonic Eye, nature is both personal balm and creative inspiration appeared first on NME.

Jason Derulo has been filmed getting into an altercation with two men in Las Vegas after they called the singer Usher.

As reported by TMZ, law enforcement officials told the outlet that police officers were called to Derulo’s hotel on Tuesday morning (January 4) after he allegedly attacked two men in the hotel’s bar.

According to eyewitnesses, Derulo and one of the men allegedly passed each other on an escalator when he yelled out: “Hey, Usher! Fuck you, bitch!” Derulo allegedly punched the man in the face, causing him to fall to the floor.

Derulo also then allegedly slapped the second man just moments later, requiring hotel security to step in and break up the fight.

The incident was captured on video, which you can see below:

The two alleged victims didn’t immediately press charges, however, they reportedly have one year to move ahead with charges should they change their minds.

NME has reached out to representatives for Derulo for comment.

In June of last year, Derulo was announced as part of the line-up for this year’s Rock in Rio Lisboa festival, taking place between June 18-19 and 25-26 in Lisbon, Portugal.

He’ll be joined on the bill by the likes of Post Malone, Foo Fighters, The National, Liam Gallagher, Duran Duran, a-ha, Bush and more.

The post Jason Derulo filmed fighting two men who called him Usher appeared first on NME.

The 1975 have shared new footage which appears to show the band back at work in the studio.

The four-piece’s follow-up to May 2020’s ‘Notes On A Conditional Form’ has been the subject of fan speculation for some time, with frontman Matty Healy poking fun at the prospect of “making another ‘classic record’” back in August 2021.

READ MORE: The 1975: “I just hope that my honesty is not seen as self-indulgent”

Healy has now provided the latest update on new music from The 1975 camp, with the frontman sharing video footage of the band in the studio on Instagram yesterday (January 4).

Captioning the clip ‘Part 5 Day 1’, the black-and-white footage shows Healy strumming an acoustic guitar as instruments and recording equipment are set up around him.

Jamie Oborne, The 1975’s manager and boss of their label Dirty Hit, also shared an image from what appears to be the same studio on his Instagram Stories, featuring a whiteboard with the words “To Do: 1.) Make great record” written on it.

Via: @jamieoborne #the1975 pic.twitter.com/Mm3055l5oB

— The 1975 News (@the1975_mfc) January 4, 2022

Back in October, Healy guested as the surprise support act during Phoebe Bridgers’ show in Los Angeles. The 1975 singer performed a special acoustic set during the show which featured two new songs, including one that was titled ‘New York’.

The 1975 also teamed up with the climate change organisation Music Declares Emergency to release a t-shirt during October.

“This November, the fate of the planet will be decided at COP26, The UN Climate Change Conference,” the band said at the time. “We are proud to be supporting Music Declares Emergency and their #NOMUSICONADEADPLANET campaign as they fight to ensure a greener future for all.”

The post The 1975 appear to be back in the studio working on new music appeared first on NME.

Content warning: This story contains discussion of alleged sexual abuse.

A woman accusing Bob Dylan of sexually abusing her as a child has amended the time frame in which the alleged incident took place.

In the initial lawsuit, filed back in August, an anonymous claimant identified in documents as J.C. alleged that over the course of six weeks between April and May of 1965, Dylan (then in his mid-20s) “befriended and established an emotional connection” with the girl, aged 12 at the time, before abusing her both physically and emotionally.

J.C. alleged that she “sustained physical and psychological injuries, including but not limited to, severe emotion and psychological distress, humiliation, fright, dissociation, anger, depression, anxiety, personal turmoil and loss of faith, a severe shock to her nervous system, physical pain and mental anguish, and emotional and psychological damage”.

A representative for Dylan fired back at the allegations, saying: “The 56-year-old claim is untrue and will be vigorously defended.” Just days after news of the lawsuit broke, British writer Clinton Heylin – who has written extensively about Dylan’s life and work – jumped in to question the allegations’ validity, citing the claimant’s timeline of events.

“Dylan was touring England during that time,” Heylin told The Huffington Post, “and was in Los Angeles for two of those weeks, plus a day or two at Woodstock. The tour was 10 days, but Bob flew into London on April 26 and arrived back in New York on June 3. If Dylan was in New York in mid-April, it was for no more than a day or two. Woodstock was where he spent most of his time when not touring.”

In response, the accuser’s lawyer, Daniel Isaacs, said that he and his client “stand by the pleading”.

Page Six reports that Isaacs has now altered the wording in his client’s lawsuit, amending the allegations to claim that her and Dylan’s encounters spanned “a period of several months in the spring of 1965”.

In response to the updated filing, a representative for Dylan said: “The amended complaint recycles the same fabricated claims as the original complaint filed in August. They were as false then as they are now. We will pursue all legal options, including pursuing sanctions against the attorneys behind this shameful, defamatory and opportunistic case.”

Peter Gleason – a second lawyer working with J.C. – chimed in to opine that “Bob Dylan, the so-called voice of a generation, should not, through his spokesperson, seek to divert attention from the issue at hand. While Dylan will have his opportunity to defend the allegations, allowing his, ‘spokesperson,’ to threaten the victim’s attorneys is deplorable.”

As it stands, J.C. is seeking unspecified damages and a jury trial.

For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.

The post Woman suing Bob Dylan for alleged sexual abuse alters time frame of events appeared first on NME.

Devin Booker scored 33 points and Chris Paul had a double-double as the shorthanded Phoenix Suns defeated the host New Orleans Pelicans 123-110 on Tuesday night. Paul had 11 points and 15 assists, Mikal Bridges scored 23, Cameron Johnson added 18, Bismack Biyombo had 16 and Jalen Smith had 12. Another 30-piece for @DevinBook 🔥 […]

The post Devin Booker scores 33 as shorthanded Suns beat Pelicans appeared first on Inquirer Sports.

MANILA, Philippines—Petro Gazz will be without a huge chunk of its core in the coming Premier Volleyball League conferences after nine of its players did not extend their contracts. The Angels announced the departure of Best Libero Kath Arado, Best Middle Blocker Ria Meneses, and seven others on its social media pages on Wednesday. Through […]

The post Petro Gazz loses Kath Arado, core players appeared first on Inquirer Sports.

Matt Berry and soul singer Emma Noble have shared their cover of ‘Beatmaker’, which featured on the first episode of Toast of Tinseltown last night (January 4).

The comedy series, which stars Berry as the titular Toast, premiered on the BBC yesterday and is the long-awaited sequel to Toast of London, which ran from 2012 to 2015.

READ MORE: Soundtrack Of My Life: Matt Berry

Berry and Noble’s take on ‘Beatmaker’ is a cover of the Swedish pop singer Doris’ original song, which was first released back in 1970 on her ‘Did You Give The World Some Love Today Baby’ album.

The new cover was recorded in London last year, and is now being released via Acid Jazz Records. ‘Beatmaker’, which you can hear below, is out today (January 5) digitally.

A physical release of ‘Beatmaker’, which will be available as a limited picture sleeve 7-inch, is set to arrive in March and include a B-side instrumental version of the track.

Berry’s latest music release follows on from his 2021 solo album ‘The Blue Elephant’, a self-produced psych record that explored themes “surrounding today’s close scrutiny in all its bewildering, objectifying and unnerving experiences”.

Back in November, Acid Jazz Records released ‘Gather Up’ – a box set highlighting Berry’s solo music over the past decade.

The collection included a 21-track record compiled by the actor and musician, a selection of rare and never-before-heard outtakes, demos and live recordings.

Toast of Tinseltown is streaming on BBC iPlayer now.

The post Listen to Matt Berry and Emma Noble’s ‘Beatmaker’ from ‘Toast of Tinseltown’ appeared first on NME.

Death Cab For Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard has curated a new album that celebrates the work of artist, musician and activist Yoko Ono.

‘Ocean Child: Songs of Yoko Ono’ will be released on February 18 and features 14 new versions of Ono’s tracks performed by a range of artists, including David Byrne and Yo La Tengo who take on a collaborative cover of ‘Who Has Seen The Wind?’. Listen to the track below.

Elsewhere on the album are covers by Deerhoof and The Flaming Lips, who have both previously collaborated with Ono, plus contributions from Sharon Van Etten, Japanese Breakfast, Jay Som and more.

Speaking of the new album, Gibbard said: “Yoko makes art that teaches all of us that peace is possible. [‘Ocean Child: Songs of Yoko Ono’] was born out of both love and frustration.

“The ‘love’ part is pretty obvious; It is the seemingly bottomless well of inspiration and enjoyment Yoko Ono’s music has provided me and I must assume everyone else present here on this compilation. The ‘frustration’ part, on the other hand, goes back decades.”

He continued: “As an advocate, the tallest hurdle to clear has always been the public’s ignorance as to the breadth of Yoko’s work. To put it into context; This is an artist whose output has run the gamut from avant-garde to bubblegum pop, often across a single album.

“Some of her best songs have been covered and compiled here by a generation-spanning group of musicians for whom her work has meant so much. It is my sincere hope that a new crop of Yoko Ono fans fall in love with her songwriting due in some small part to this album we have put together.”

The album will also be accompanied by a podcast hosted by Gibbard and music journalist Jenny Eliscu, which features in-depth discussions of Ono’s music and legacy. Songs of Yoko Ono will premiere via all podcast providers – listen to the official trailer below.

‘Ocean Child: Songs of Yoko Ono’ will be released on February 18 via Canvasback Music / Atlantic Records, and a portion of all proceeds will be donated to WhyHunger. Ono has supported the non-profit organisation and their efforts in fighting hunger and poverty for decades. Pre-order the album from here.

‘Ocean Child: Songs of Yoko Ono’ tracklist:

1. Sharon Van Etten – ‘Toyboat’
2. David Byrne And Yo La Tengo – ‘Who Has Seen The Wind’
3. Sudan Archives – ‘Dogtown’
4. Death Cab For Cutie – ‘Waiting For The Sunrise’
5. Thao – ‘Yellow Girl (Stand For Life)’
6. US Girls – ‘Born In A Prison’
7. Jay Som – ‘Growing Pain’
8. Stephin Merritt (of Magnetic Fields) – ‘Listen, The Snow Is Falling’
9. Deerhoof – ‘No No No’
10. We Are KING – ‘Don’t Be Scared’
11. The Flaming Lips – ‘Mrs Lennon’
12. Japanese Breakfast – ‘No One Sees Me Like You Do’
13. Yo La Tengo – ‘There Is No Goodbye Between Us’
14. Amber Coffman – ‘Run Run Run’

In other Yoko Ono news, her 1971 track ‘Listen, The Snow Is Falling’ was made available on all streaming platforms for the first time last month. The track was originally released as the B-side to John Lennon’s iconic ‘Happy Xmas (War Is Over)’ and features Lennon on guitar.

In November, Ono shared an article titled ‘Beatles Fans Think Get Back Dispels The Idea That Yoko Ono Broke The Band Up’.

Peter Jackson’s Beatles documentary shows Ono apart from The Beatles during the recording sessions for ‘Let It Be’ and busying herself with her own tasks, contrary to reports that she was involved while they were making the album.

The post Ben Gibbard curates Yoko Ono tribute compilation featuring David Byrne, Sharon Van Etten and more appeared first on NME.