Latest news with #BBCNewsbeat
Perth Now
03-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Tinie Tempah: The music industry has become more competitive
Tinie Tempah thinks the music industry has become "way more of a competitive space" in recent years. The 36-year-old rap star released his debut album, Disc-Overy, back in 2010 - but Tinie thinks the music scene has evolved in dramatic fashion in recent times. He told BBC Newsbeat: "It's way more of a competitive space. "You've got a hundred thousand songs being uploaded to all the different streamers every day - that's your competition. "Me, I love a challenge though, so that really excited me." Tinie has been through his fair share of ups and downs since releasing his debut album, and he now feels ready to cope with whatever setbacks come his way. The chart-topping star explained: "I've seen people be interested, not be interested, be interested again. "It's all part of the process and journey. "The main thing is that I've made music I really love and I'm really excited about and people get to hear it and get to live with it and that's a beautiful thing." Tinie has also bemoaned the closure of hundreds of clubs around the UK since his debut album. The Written in the Stars hitmaker said: "By 2029 we're not going to have virtually any clubs or night-time venues left in the UK. "That puts me on edge a bit." On the other hand, Tinie loves it when fans approach him to discuss memories of his back catalogue. He shared: "It feels amazing that for more than half of my life, I've been giving people music that has been the soundtrack of their life and music they'll associate with certain memories and emotions. "If I've brought joy to this many people just by making music, writing the lyrics I write, why stop now?" Meanwhile, Tinie previously observed that younger artists need to be "multifaceted". He told the Evening Standard newspaper: "This new generation is gonna laugh at us for asking that question. They'll say: 'What do you mean? I do fashion, I have an app, I also do this, and this, and this.' They're not programmed the way we have been. No one's gonna have one speciality, they're all gonna be multifaceted."
Daily Mirror
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Taylor Swift fans had no idea iconic song was originally written for movie
Taylor Swift fans have been left baffled after discovering one of the singer's tracks was actually written to be part of a 2013 film - and it's not one you'd expect Taylor Swift fans are just discovering the origins of one of her lesser-known songs. The singer-songwriter has 11 studio albums to her name and has released hundreds of songs, including tracks that have been written as part of film soundtracks or standalone singles that don't appear on her albums. But one little-known Taylor Swift track has got people talking lately, as some of her fans have only just found out how it came into existence. Following the 2019 dispute over the ownership of Swift's back catalogue, the singer began re-recording some of her earlier albums and often included unreleased tracks that hadn't been on the original release. On the Tangerine Edition of 1989 (Taylor's Version), released in 2023, Swift included a track titled Sweeter Than Fiction. She also performed it live for the first time during her Eras Tour in Amsterdam in 2024. But although the song had never appeared on an album before, it was not a new song - and it was actually released in 2013 as part of the soundtrack for a very unlikely film. In a TikTok clip shared by the podcast Talk of the Townsends, co-hosts Benedict and Hannah Townsend talk about the little-known song and reveal that it was created for the 2013 film, One Chance. One Chance is a biographical film about Britain's Got Talent winner and opera singer Paul Potts. It stars James Corden as the singer and Julie Walters as Paul's mother, Yvonne. In the video, Hannah stated: "I genuinely think a Taylor Swift fact that a lot of people won't know is that she wrote Sweeter Than Fiction for the Paul Potts movie. "At the time, Taylor Swift was out of cycle, meaning she wasn't releasing any more music until the next album. But the Paul Potts story, with James Corden, apparently, she was like, 'I have to be involved in that'. I'm not sure if she was just so enthralled with Paul Potts and his story. "So she wrote Sweeter Than Fiction [for it]. And she sang it on The Eras Tour, I believe it was in Amsterdam. She sang Sweeter Than Fiction. A song from the Paul Potts movie was sung on The Eras Tour." Swift previously spoke about wanting to be involved in the film during an interview with BBC Newsbeat in 2013, where she said her record label didn't want her to take on the project until she begged them to be a part of it. She said: "My management, my label were like, 'No new music until the next album comes out.' Then I saw the movie and I was like, 'I have to be a part of this.' "I think this movie is so incredible, it's funny, it's adorable, it's heart-warming, and I'm lucky to be a part of it." The song even earned Swift a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song, although it lost out to Ordinary Love by U2, which was written for Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. Commenters on the Townsends' video were baffled to learn of the song's origin. Even some who declared it their "favourite Taylor Swift song" had no idea where it came from. One person said: "I do love Taylor, but sometimes I am just flabbergasted by some of the projects she's been involved in." Another added: "This is how I learn there's a whole Paul Potts movie."
Perth Now
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Stormzy felt 'challenged' by Big Man role
Stormzy found it difficult to "totally separate" himself from his Big Man character. The 31-year-old star plays a rapper in his first lead role, and Stormzy admits that he struggled to distance himself from his movie character. The award-wining star - who plays Tenzman in the new film - told BBC Newsbeat: "It was really tough if I'm honest. "It felt like I'm playing a rapper but I am a rapper, it's tough to totally separate." Big Man is the first release from Stormzy's #MerkyFilm production company, and the rapper has revealed his long-term ambition for the enterprise. He shared: "What we've tried to do at Merky, whether it's music, sports, whatever, we do we just want to stand in our truth, tell our stories, but also not from the same perspective that it's always been told from. "Even being black British, it's such a nuanced experience – you've got the black experience, you've got the British experience, and then you've got the black British experience. "We want to tell it from our perspective which is nuanced, it's brilliant, it's different, it's not always the same, it's not a monolith." Stormzy felt "challenged" while making the movie, but he still enjoyed the creative process. The Vossi Bop hitmaker said: "It was really tough but it was a challenge I was so honoured to be a part of. "I like to be challenged, I like to be a bit uncomfortable so I love it." Stormzy previously explained that his acting debut was "all about the joy, spirit and fearless energy of youth". The rapper also hopes that the 24-minute short film will serve as a source of inspiration for aspiring stars. He said: "I hope you love our first project, Big Man, as much as we loved making it. 'For me, it's all about the joy, spirit and fearless energy of youth – that feeling like life is one big adventure and the world's your playground. "I hope it inspires you to dream bigger, live louder, and hold on to that unapologetic energy that comes with being young."
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
World-first gonorrhoea vaccine launched by NHS England as infections soar
England will be the first country in the world to start vaccinating people against the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhoea. It will not be available for everyone. The focus will mainly be on gay and bisexual men with a history of multiple sexual partners or an STI. The vaccine is 30-40% effective, but NHS England hopes it will reverse soaring numbers of infections. There were more than 85,000 cases in 2023 – the highest since records began in 1918. Gonorrhoea does not always have symptoms, but they can include pain, unusual discharge, inflammation of the genitals and infertility. How many people will chose to be immunised is uncertain. But projections by Imperial College London show that if the jab proves popular then it could prevent 100,000 cases and save the NHS nearly £8m over the next decade. Max, a sexual health campaigner, told BBC Newsbeat he would "100%" take the vaccine after being diagnosed with gonorrhoea twice within a year. "I think this is great that it's been announced", he says, adding: "It's going to take the pressure off the clinics, it's just a big win all round." Vaccination will start in August and will be offered through sexual health services. Public Health Scotland said it was also working on plans to launch its own programme for high-risk individuals. BBC Newsbeat has asked health bodies in Wales and Northern Ireland whether they intend to do the same. This vaccine wasn't designed for gonorrhoea. It's the meningitis B vaccine currently given to babies. But the bacteria that cause the two diseases are so closely related that the MenB jab appears to cut gonorrhoea cases by around a third. That will require a delicate conversation in sexual health clinics as the vaccine will not eliminate the risk of catching gonorrhoea. It is normally caught while having sex without a condom. But Prof Andrew Pollard, the chair of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which recommended the vaccine, said despite it only being 30% effective, it was "worth having" and could have "a huge impact" overall. The decision is not just about the record numbers of cases. Gonorrhoea is becoming increasingly difficult to treat. Most cases are treated with a single dose of antibiotics, but there is an 80-year history of the bacterium which causes gonorrhoea repeatedly evolving resistance to our antibiotics. It's happening to the current treatments too and is why some doctors are concerned gonorrhoea could one-day become untreatable. The best way to deal with a drug-resistant infection is to never catch it in the first place. Dr Amanda Doyle, from NHS England, said: "The launch of a world-first routine vaccination for gonorrhoea is a huge step forward for sexual health and will be crucial in protecting individuals, helping to prevent the spread of infection and reduce the rising rates of antibiotic resistant strains of the bacteria." The people most affected by gonorrhoea in the UK are those aged 16-to-25, gay and bisexual men, and those of black and Caribbean ancestry. The vaccine – which costs around £8 per dose – is value for money when primarily offered to gay and bisexual men, rather than all teenagers. However, clinicians do have the freedom to use their own judgement and offer the vaccine to people using sexual health services they think are of equally high risk. People will be offered mpox (formerly known as monkeypox), HPV and hepatitis vaccines at the same time. Potential new antibiotic for treating gonorrhoea Don't ditch condoms, sexual health experts say Prof Matt Phillips, president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, said: "This is excellent news and a landmark moment for sexual health in England. "Gonorrhoea diagnoses are at their highest since records began and this has the potential to help us to turn that around." It is not known how long the protection provided by the vaccine will last or how often booster jabs might be required. The decision comes almost a year and a half after a vaccination programme was recommended by the UK's JCVI. Sexual health campaigners had criticised that long wait, but have welcomed this decision. Katie Clark, head of policy and advocacy at the Terrance Higgins Trust, called it a "huge win". Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
World-first gonorrhoea vaccine launched by NHS England as infections soar
England will be the first country in the world to start vaccinating people against the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhoea. It will not be available for everyone. The focus will mainly be on gay and bisexual men with a history of multiple sexual partners or an STI. The vaccine is 30-40% effective, but NHS England hopes it will reverse soaring numbers of infections. There were more than 85,000 cases in 2023 – the highest since records began in 1918. Gonorrhoea does not always have symptoms, but they can include pain, unusual discharge, inflammation of the genitals and infertility. How many people will chose to be immunised is uncertain. But projections by Imperial College London show that if the jab proves popular then it could prevent 100,000 cases and save the NHS nearly £8m over the next decade. Max, a sexual health campaigner, told BBC Newsbeat he would "100%" take the vaccine after being diagnosed with gonorrhoea twice within a year. "I think this is great that it's been announced", he says, adding: "It's going to take the pressure off the clinics, it's just a big win all round." Vaccination will start in August and will be offered through sexual health services. Public Health Scotland said it was also working on plans to launch its own programme for high-risk individuals. BBC Newsbeat has asked health bodies in Wales and Northern Ireland whether they intend to do the same. This vaccine wasn't designed for gonorrhoea. It's the meningitis B vaccine currently given to babies. But the bacteria that cause the two diseases are so closely related that the MenB jab appears to cut gonorrhoea cases by around a third. That will require a delicate conversation in sexual health clinics as the vaccine will not eliminate the risk of catching gonorrhoea. It is normally caught while having sex without a condom. But Prof Andrew Pollard, the chair of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which recommended the vaccine, said despite it only being 30% effective, it was "worth having" and could have "a huge impact" overall. The decision is not just about the record numbers of cases. Gonorrhoea is becoming increasingly difficult to treat. Most cases are treated with a single dose of antibiotics, but there is an 80-year history of the bacterium which causes gonorrhoea repeatedly evolving resistance to our antibiotics. It's happening to the current treatments too and is why some doctors are concerned gonorrhoea could one-day become untreatable. The best way to deal with a drug-resistant infection is to never catch it in the first place. Dr Amanda Doyle, from NHS England, said: "The launch of a world-first routine vaccination for gonorrhoea is a huge step forward for sexual health and will be crucial in protecting individuals, helping to prevent the spread of infection and reduce the rising rates of antibiotic resistant strains of the bacteria." The people most affected by gonorrhoea in the UK are those aged 16-to-25, gay and bisexual men, and those of black and Caribbean ancestry. The vaccine – which costs around £8 per dose – is value for money when primarily offered to gay and bisexual men, rather than all teenagers. However, clinicians do have the freedom to use their own judgement and offer the vaccine to people using sexual health services they think are of equally high risk. People will be offered mpox (formerly known as monkeypox), HPV and hepatitis vaccines at the same time. Potential new antibiotic for treating gonorrhoea Don't ditch condoms, sexual health experts say Prof Matt Phillips, president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, said: "This is excellent news and a landmark moment for sexual health in England. "Gonorrhoea diagnoses are at their highest since records began and this has the potential to help us to turn that around." It is not known how long the protection provided by the vaccine will last or how often booster jabs might be required. The decision comes almost a year and a half after a vaccination programme was recommended by the UK's JCVI. Sexual health campaigners had criticised that long wait, but have welcomed this decision. Katie Clark, head of policy and advocacy at the Terrance Higgins Trust, called it a "huge win". Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.
