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Robert’s Smith’s songwriting in The Cure has long focused squarely on melancholy and dark themes. But on the band’s long-awaited upcoming album, Songs of a Lost World (Nov. 1), he takes on a bit of real-life heartache that he said inspired him to pay tribute to his late brother. In a nearly two-hour interview with British journalist Matt Everitt — which can be unlocked by flipping to the album’s release date in Roman numerals here — Smith explains the origins of “I Can Never Say Goodbye.”
“I wrote this song a lot of different ways, until I hit on a very simple narrative of what actually happened on the night he died,” he said of the song dedicated to his late older brother, Richard, while also copping to the Cure’s songs always having an edge of the “fear of morality” in them. “It went all around the houses and I went everywhere with this song to sum up how I felt. In the end, it turned into a reasonably bleak little vignette.”
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The singer said he struggled to balance the “outpouring” of emotion he felt at the time with the need to write a coherent song, admitting that some earlier versions of the tune were “too overwrought” for general consumption. For the record, he loved them, but other people suggested they night be “too much.” In fact, when Smith, 65, performed “Goodbye” live on the Cure’s 2023 tour, he said he had trouble not going over the top and being overcome by emotion in concert.
Smith continued, “I wrote the song about it, and the music itself was what I wanted to breathe. I didn’t want the words to dominate the song, in a way that the music can become a backdrop to what you’re singing. In this, I think the music is more important than what I’m singing in a way. It’s a very difficult song to sing. People say ‘cathartic’ too much, but it was. It allowed me to deal with it, and I think it’s helped me enormously.”
Realizing he hasn’t got “that many more albums” in his future, Smith said he wanted his new songs to “mean something,” as opposed to some older Cure songs he said were not as personal. “On this album they all matter [to me],” he said of songs such as “I Can Never Say Goodbye,” which finds him singing, “Something wicked this way comes/ To steal away my brother’s life/ Something wicked this way comes/ I could never say goodbye.”
“When you’re younger, you romanticize [death], even without knowing it. Then it starts happening to your immediate family and friends and suddenly it’s a different thing. It’s something that I struggled with lyrically: how to put this into the songs? I feel like I am different person than I was when we last made an album. I wanted that to come through.”
Songs of a Lost World is the Cure’s long-awaited follow-up to 2008’s 4:13 Dream; so far the group has previewed the LP with the songs “A Fragile Thing,” as well as “Alone.”
Neil Young has made it clear he’s no fan of Donald Trump. The “Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World” guitar hero has threatened to sue twice impeached convicted felon Trump before for playing his songs at campaign rallies, and over the weekend Young made it clear that he does not want to give the former President a second chance in Washington.
“Kamala Harris — She is an honest forthright truth teller who is experienced in the White House, free from ambiguity or evasiveness, who goes straight to the point,” wrote Young on his Archives site on Friday about the sitting Vice President, who is less than a month away from possibly becoming the nation’s first female President.
“Clear headed, young enough to hold the office for a couple of bright future terms, Kamala Harris is a good person who is unafraid to take on criminals and uphold the law of the USA. She’s my candidate for the future of this country,” he continued.
Toronto-born Young, 78 — who became a naturalized American citizen in 2020 — has been very vocal about his disdain for Trump, who continues to peddle the false narrative that he won the 2020 election over President Joe Biden, while over the weekend hurling his latest insult at his opponent when he referred to former Senator and California Attorney General Harris as “retarded.”
“Kamala Harris will take on the billionaire class and make them pay their fair share of taxes,” Young concluded. “She will not owe them favors. She is a kind, considerate American. Cast your vote for a beautiful future for your family. Kamala Harris for President.”
After years of threatening to sue Trump for using his music at campaign rallies without permission, as well as penning a scathing open letter to the former reality TV star in which he referred to Trump as “a disgrace to my country,” Young’s endorsement is a double-down on his August decision to let Harris’ VP pic, Gov. Tim Walz, officially use his song “Rockin’ in the Free World” during campaign events.
Young joins a growing list of A-list stars who’ve stepped up to support Harris since she unexpectedly jumped into the race in July when President Biden agreed to not seek a second term. Among the artists proudly supporting Harris are: Beyoncé, Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, Barbra Streisand, Taylor Swift, Megan Thee Stallion, P!nk, Bon Iver, Bruce Springsteen, Olivia Rodrigo, Ariana Grande and many more.
Rihanna could not be happier to be the mother of two rambunctious young boys. After a video of her son RZA trying to climb out of his playpen went viral last month, the singer/entrepreneur talked to Access Hollywood about what she’s learned from her children with boyfriend rapper A$AP Rocky — they also share year-old […]
Less than 48 hours after RIIZE announced it would welcome back seventh member Seunghan after a controversial 10-month hiatus, the decision has been flipped in a shocking about-face.
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On Sunday (Oct. 13), two directors under Wizard Production — the management division under the K-pop label SM Entertainment that is in charge of RIIZE — shared the news that Seunghan will permanently leave the boy band. According to the letter from Kim Hyeong Guk and Lee Sang Min, the return news was to “give the artist and the fans greater joy” before, “we realized that our decision had actually hurt fans more and caused them greater confusion instead.”
While some fans celebrated the comeback, others protested the decision by surrounding SM Entertainment’s local headquarters in Seoul with funeral wreaths — an increasingly common but concerning move from K-pop fans looking to make a bold statement, which has also recently been employed by the likes of fans of BTS and NewJeans.
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“Seunghan has consistently expressed his desire to leave the group for the sake of the members and the fans,” Wizard Production added. “Out of respect for the artist’s decision, we are announcing Seunghan’s departure from RIIZE, instead of his joining the group.”
The announcement included a promise that “We will support Seunghan in the future so that he can showcase his talents and follow his dreams,” seemingly indicating he will remain signed under SM Entertainment. (At press time, Seunghan is still listed as a member of RIIZE on SM’s official website as he was during his hiatus.)
Seunghan followed up with a handwritten letter posted to RIIZE’s Weverse account, where he still has an active account as a group member, to explain his decision to leave.
“After pondering deeply whether I’ve been thinking only of myself too much, whether I’m causing too much harm to the members and the company, and whether it’s really okay for me to be part of RIIZE, who should be loved, I only felt worried and apologetic,” the 21-year-old wrote. “So I think that my leaving the group is the right path for everyone. I don’t want to cause any more hurt or confusion for the fans, and I don’t want to harm the members any further, and I also don’t want to hurt the company any further.”
Seunghan added that he didn’t want to cause tension or infighting between fans.
Previously, on Oct. 11, RIIZE’s social media accounts announced that Seunghan would “gradually” rejoin the act beginning in November, citing “numerous discussions with the staff and members about the direction of the group’s future activities.” He also greeted fans in a letter, writing, “The members held my hand once again. I am only filled with gratitude and apologetic feelings for giving me another chance.”
Curiously, RIIZE member Wonbin had directly addressed fans about Seunghan’s return just hours before the reversal was announced — until its removal.
Writing on Weverse, Wonbin seemed to sense trepidation from some fans. “I am worried that you guys would struggle more and be confused if the members don’t say a word or react to anything, so, I am writing this after organizing the conversations we’ve had with the members,” the 22-year-old wrote. “I’m sure many of you have wondered if Seunghan was coming back or not a lot, or why there wasn’t a clear answer sooner… us, Seunghan, and the company, really talked about this for a long period of time.”
As Seunghan mentioned in his first letter to fans after his announced return, Wonbin emphasized that the decision came from within RIIZE.
“I hope that you guys realize the members have thought about this together again and again, considering this deeply,” Wonbin wrote. “I had wanted always to make all of our BRIIZE happy, but I’m sorry I am unable to do that… I know this post will not be able to erase all of your worries, but I hope that it can comfort you in your confusion, even just a little bit.”
Wonbin’s post was deleted from RIIZE’s Weverse account after Seunghan’s exit was confirmed. See a screenshot of the removed post, and a translation, from a social media account dedicated to sharing RIIZE’s Weverse activities.
#WONBIN 🌟 WROTE A POST“RIIZE wouldn’t be here without BRIIZE. As I always say, I want to continue making good memories with BRIIZE for a long, long time. So please keep looking at us warmly, like you always have, and keep cheering for us, it would mean so much to us” pic.twitter.com/c61nGQbbNe— RIIZE WEVERSE (@riize_weverse) October 12, 2024
Seunghan’s controversies began before RIIZE’s official debut. Since August 2023, the young singer has dealt with the fallout of leaked pre-debut photos and videos of him that ignited backlash within some of South Korea’s more conservative social climates. Images showed Seunghan in bed with an unidentified woman and smoking a cigarette, which some fans labeled as inappropriate for a K-pop idol, demanding that he exit the group. Last November, SM Entertainment announced that Seunghan would “halt activities indefinitely” with no follow-up news from the label leading fans, media and industry insiders forced to speculate about RIIZE’s future.
Read RIIZE’s full statement below from Wizard Productions (with translation provided via Soompi):
Hello, this is Wizard Production.
First, we sincerely apologize for hurting BRIIZE [RIIZE’s fandom] and causing confusion through our announcement of Seunghan’s return on October 11.
We feel particularly apologetic for prioritizing Wizard Production’s position, instead of making our top priorities the growth achieved by the six RIIZE members while working their hardest; the support of BRIIZE, who have been RIIZE’s greatest source of strength during that journey; and the preciousness of the times that RIIZE and BRIIZE have spent together.
We made this decision after debating it for a long time because we thought that if Seunghan returned after reflecting on his past wrongdoings and RIIZE showed another level of growth as a group, we would be able to give the artist and the fans greater joy.
However, the announcement of his return, we ruminated carefully on each and every one of the opinions and responses sent in by fans, and we realized that our decision had actually hurt fans more and caused them greater confusion instead.
At the same time, Seunghan has consistently expressed his desire to leave the group for the sake of the members and the fans.
Out of respect for the artist’s decision, we are announcing Seunghan’s departure from RIIZE, instead of his joining the group.
We will support Seunghan in the future so that he can showcase his talents and follow his dreams.
Above all else, we also sincerely apologize for creating hardships and confusion for the six members who have, ever since their debut, always given their all while thinking of the fans and who made the RIIZE of today possible by thinking and working harder than anyone else in each and every moment.
We will continue to do our utmost to support the RIIZE members so that they can grow even further in the future as well.
Wizard Production will be careful and cautious in all matters in the future, and we will work hard so that RIIZE and BRIIZE can be happy together for a long time.
– Wizard Production directors Kim Hyeong Guk, Lee Sang Min
Read Seunghan’s full letter below (with translation provided via Soompi):
Hello, this is Seunghan.
I know that many people took the matter of my return to activities seriously, and I too am aware of the seriousness of the current situation.
After pondering deeply whether I’ve been thinking only of myself too much, whether I’m causing too much harm to the members and the company, and whether it’s really okay for me to be part of RIIZE, who should be loved, I only felt worried and apologetic.
So I think that my leaving the group is the right path for everyone.
I don’t want to cause any more hurt or confusion for the fans, and I don’t want to harm the members any further, and I also don’t want to hurt the company any further.
I’d like to thank the company and the members, who made efforts to give me another opportunity, and I’m also both sorry and thankful to the people who have cheered me on all this time despite my many shortcomings.
I truly do not want the relationship between RIIZE and BRIIZE, who were growing together while supporting one another, to be damaged because of me. It also breaks my heart to see the fans, for whom it should be more than enough to just love RIIZE, fighting with each other because of me.
I will sincerely cheer on RIIZE, whom I love, while hoping that they will receive more love in the future.
In recent years, The Cure’s Robert Smith has been vocal about the shifting touring and ticket market. In 2023, the singer convinced Ticketmaster to give partial refunds to fans who had purchased tickets to their Songs Of A Lost World tour, hitting back at “unduly high” fees. For their U.S. run of dates, the band had kept the prices purposefully low to stay affordable, with some priced at $20, but the fees occasionally outstripped the value of the ticket.
In a new, lengthy interview, first published in the The Times, Smith has commented further on Ticketmaster’s practices and specifically their dynamic pricing model.
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“I was shocked by how much profit is made [by ticketing],” Smith said. “I thought, ‘We don’t need to make all this money.’ My fights with the label have all been about how we can price things lower. The only reason you’d charge more for a gig is if you were worried that it was the last time you would be able to sell a T-shirt.”
He continued: “But if you had the self-belief that you’re still going to be here in a year’s time, you’d want the show to be great so people come back. You don’t want to charge as much as the market will let you. If people save on the tickets, they buy beer or merch. There is goodwill, they will come back next time. It is a self-fulfilling good vibe and I don’t understand why more people don’t do it.”
“It was easy to set ticket prices, but you need to be pig-headed. We didn’t allow dynamic pricing because it’s a scam that would disappear if every artist said, ‘I don’t want that!’ But most artists hide behind management. “Oh, we didn’t know,” they say. They all know. If they say they do not, they’re either f–king stupid or lying. It’s just driven by greed.”
You can watch the full interview with Smith at The Cure’s website.
The Cure are releasing their first album in 16 years, Songs Of A Lost World, on Nov. 1 and the LP will be accompanied by a string of shows in London on release week. The band have shared two songs from the record so far, brooding opener “Alone” and “A Fragile Thing.”
Smith’s comments arrive not long after the controversial ticket sale for Oasis’ reunion tour in 2025. Dynamic pricing was used in the process for the band’s 19 stadium dates in the U.K. and Ireland, causing ticket prices to rise and fans forced to make quick decisions on prices that were higher than initially advertised.
The fallout and anger from fans prompted the U.K.’s Competition and Market Authority to investigate the use of the sale tactic. Oasis, who will be playing a run of shows next summer across the globe, distanced themselves from the dynamic pricing model and opted against using the method for their North American dates, which went on sale earlier this month.
Ticketmaster introduced the dynamic pricing scale in 2022 in a bid to help combat touts and the secondary ticket market. The company insists that bands and promoters set the ticket prices and that dynamic pricing is only used with approval by the artist’s team.
Sabrina Carpenter does it again, as Short n’ Sweet holds at No. 1 for the sixth non-consecutive week on Australia’s chart. With that feat, Carpenter breaks the tie with Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department and Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard And Soft for the album with the longest reign on the ARIA Chart in […]
Coldplay has once again soared to new heights, securing their 10th consecutive No. 1 album on the U.K. Official Albums Chart with Moon Music.
Not only did Moon Music debut at the top spot, but it also logged 237,000 chart units in its opening week, making it the biggest debut for a British act in three years, since Adele’s 30 in 2021.
This monumental achievement sees Coldplay joining the ranks of British music royalty. With Moon Music, the band ties ABBA, Michael Jackson, and Queen, each boasting 10 No. 1 albums on the U.K. Official Albums Chart.
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Coldplay’s chart-topping streak, which began with their 2000 debut Parachutes, includes A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002), Mylo Xyloto (2011), and their most recent effort, Music of the Spheres (2021). Moon Music isn’t just Coldplay’s latest No. 1—it’s also the fastest-selling album of 2024 in terms of physical and digital sales, with 209,000 of its units coming from pure album purchases.
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It trails only behind Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department, which sold 270,000 units earlier this year, however, Coldplay’s strong numbers have put them leagues ahead of other British acts,.
Meanwhile, Sabrina Carpenter’s Short N’ Sweet continued its steady climb, moving up one spot to No. 2 this week. Public Service Broadcasting landed their third Top 10 album with The Last Flight, debuting at No. 3, while James Bay’s Changes All The Time entered at No. 4, marking his fourth Top 5 album.
Further down the Top 10, The Smile’s Cutouts, featuring Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, debuted at No. 7, while Alison Moyet’s Key entered at No. 8—her highest-charting album in over a decade. Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Works Volume II also made waves, re-entering the Top 40 at No. 21 following its 30th-anniversary reissue.
Coldplay’s consistent chart domination, now spanning over two decades, shows no signs of slowing down. With Moon Music securing their place among legends, the band continues to solidify their lasting impact on the U.K. music scene.
Sabrina Carpenter is on fire! The pop superstar just smashed the record for the most weeks spent at No. 1 in a single year on the U.K. Official Singles Chart, proving that she’s truly in a league of her own.
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Her hit single “Taste” has now spent seven consecutive weeks at the top in the U.K., and when you add that to the No. 1 runs of her previous singles “Espresso” (seven non-consecutive weeks) and “Please Please Please” (five non-consecutive weeks), the pint-sized pop star has officially racked up 19 weeks at No. 1 in 2024.
This makes her the female artist with the most weeks at No. 1 in the U.K. in a single year—ever!
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That’s not just any record—Sabrina has now overtaken the legendary Olivia Newton-John, who held the record with 16 weeks at No. 1 back in 1978.
As if that weren’t enough, she’s also tied with Ed Sheeran for the most weeks at No. 1 in a single year this century. Sheeran also hit 19 weeks in 2021 with tracks like “Bad Habits,” “Shivers,” and his Christmas collaborations with Elton John and LadBaby.
“Taste” is proving to be irresistible, pulling in over 6 million streams this week alone, making it the most-streamed song in the U.K. for the seventh straight week. It’s tied with Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season” for the longest-running No. 1 of 2024, and with no major competition on the horizon, Sabrina’s reign could stretch even further.
Elsewhere on the charts, things are getting interesting. Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ mid-career hit “Die With A Smile” is surging, climbing to a brand-new peak of No. 3. It’s their highest-charting song in the U.K. in years, proving they’ve still got it.
Meanwhile, Gigi Perez scores her first-ever Top 10 hit with “Sailor Song,” which leaps five spots to No. 6 this week, earning a lot of buzz in the process.
Sonny Fodera, Jazzy, and D.O.D.’s summer anthem “Somedays” is still heating up, jumping two places to land at a new peak of No. 8, while Gracie Abrams is edging closer to her first U.K. Top 10 with “I Love You, I’m Sorry,” which skyrockets eight spots to No. 11.
Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” is also making a move, rising four places to No. 13.
Not to be outdone, KSI and Trippie Redd make a big splash with their latest single “Thick Of It,” which debuts at No. 14, marking KSI’s 19th Top 40 single and Trippie Redd’s second. Meanwhile, Addison Rae is continuing her rise in the pop world, as her track “Diet Pepsi” cruises up seven spots to No. 15, marking her first-ever U.K. Top 20 hit.
Rounding out the Top 20, Coldplay makes a strong return with “FeelsLikeImFallingInLove” re-entering the charts at No. 18 after a 13-week absence, thanks to the release of their new project Moon Music. Their track “We Pray” also hits a new peak at No. 20.
With three massive No. 1 hits and 19 record-breaking weeks at the top, Sabrina Carpenter is officially unstoppable. Her taste for chart domination shows no signs of slowing down, and it’s clear that 2024 is shaping up to be her year.
The question now is, can anyone knock her off the top?
JENNIE‘s “Mantra” tops this week’s new music poll. Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (Oct. 11) on Billboard, choosing the BLACKPINK singer’s new solo single as their favorite new music release of the past week. Despite going up against several hot new releases, JENNIE’s song won the vote by a landslide, coming in […]
Liam Gallagher isn’t amused by Saturday Night Live‘s take on his tumultuous relationship with brother Noel.
The long-feuding Oasis siblings were portrayed by SNL cast members James Austin Johnson (Noel) and Sarah Sherman (Liam) during the “Weekend Update” segment of the long-running NBC sketch comedy show’s episode on Oct. 12.
In the sketch, “Weekend Update” host Colin Jost interviews the brothers about the North American leg of their 2025 Oasis reunion tour and whether they’ll break up before the launch.
“I’m cool if he’s cool,” Johnson’s Noel responds. “I’m cool, I’m cool, I’m cooler than you are,” Sherman’s Liam hits back. Unconvinced, Jost says, “Great. So, that’s a no.”
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The skit continues with Noel and Liam mostly bickering and answering questions with the lyrics of “Wonderwall,” while only agreeing on topics like cartoon characters, their favorite Sex in the City boyfriend, and the best Will Smith film.
Sherman’s Liam also claims their feud began at London’s Wembley Stadium in 1993 when Noel told the Spice Girls that his brother had a “crooked knob — you said me knob bended like Beckham!”
As expected, the real Liam Gallagher didn’t take too kindly to SNL‘s interpretation of his relationship with Noel. “Are they meant to be comedians,” he commented on X (formerly Twitter) early Sunday under a post linked to the skit.
Oasis announced their long-awaited reunion tour in late August. The global trek is scheduled to launch in September 2025 with multiple dates in the United Kingdom, followed by performances in North America, Europe, and Australia.
Oasis split in 2009 after years of massive chart success and tabloid headlines in the U.K. tied to the Gallagher siblings’ fierce rivalry, with main songwriter older brother Noel quitting the band after a backstage fight with Liam at a show near Paris that year. The brothers haven’t performed live since then, though they often play Oasis songs during their solo gigs and with their side bands and, until the reunion announcement, continued to snipe at each other online and in the press.
Watch SNL‘s “Weekend Update” with Oasis sketch below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.