NEWS
Sam Smith and Alicia Keys have joined forces for a duet of Smith’s ‘I’m Not The Only One’ – watch it below.
Smith was celebrating the 10th anniversary of his debut album ‘In The Lonely Hour’, which went on to make Smith the only artist to sell one million albums in the US and UK.
To commemorate the anniversary, Smith hosted a karaoke party at NYC’s gay bar Julius’, with drag queen Lady Bunny serving as the night’s emcee and DJ. Smith also unveiled a surprise duet with Alicia Keys, which they called “a dream come true.”
In response, Keys said: “This is amazing. Can you believe we never did this before? Except for right now? That’s crazy!”
The pair went on to sing Smith’s smash hit ‘I’m Not The Only One’, which would eventually peak in the UK Charts at number three – take a look at the collaboration below:
NME saw Smith perform live in London last year, rating their performance a full five stars: “Smith has delivered a beautifully designed show that echoes their creative evolution from lovelorn balladeer to something edgier and more transgressive. And the multigenerational crowd stays with them to the finish. Smith’s musical metamorphosis probably isn’t complete yet, but for now, this live triumph feels like a new high watermark.”
Meanwhile, Alicia Keys recently starred as one of Usher’s guest performers for his Super Bowl performance. She began by performing a clip of her own song ‘If I Ain’t Got You’ before Usher joined her to deliver a rendition of their 2004 collaboration ‘My Boo’.
She also surprised London fans last year in December with a 10-minute performance at St. Pancras Station, playing classics such as ‘Empire State of Mind’, ‘If I Ain’t Got You’ and ‘No One’ as well as her latest single, ‘Lifeline’.
Her last full-length album ‘Keys’ garnered three stars from NME: “With some judicious pruning and sharp sequencing, any Keys fan should be able to carve out a pretty satisfying playlist. So, in its own accidental way, it’s a double album that works perfectly for the streaming era.”
In other news, the BBC have promised Sam Smith’s Proms performance will be “entirely appropriate” after past ‘Satanic’ backlash.
NEWS
Sabrina Carpenter has secured a restraining order against a man accused of repeatedly trying to gain access to her home.
William Applegate, 31, has been instructed to stay away from the "Espresso" singer for the next five years after allegedly attempting to enter her property on numerous occasions, reportedly more than a dozen times, according to AP. Carpenter's lawyer, Blair Berk, told the court that the pop star was "in fear for her own personal safety and the safety of members of her family" because of Applegate's repeated efforts to reach her Los Angeles residence.
Court documents filed by Carpenter state that Applegate was taken into custody after allegedly assaulting a security guard while approaching the front entrance of her home. When he returned a few days later, the singer successfully obtained a temporary restraining order on May 29.
Applegate acknowledged the incidents involving the property but insisted that Carpenter had wanted him to come to her house. He claimed that he and the singer were involved in a secret military operation that required them to "be together as soon as possible".
He further argued that their meeting was necessary for "national and global security". However, he said he would be "more than willing" to stay away from Carpenter if she personally asked him to do so, alleging that law enforcement and those representing her were preventing direct communication.
In legal papers challenging the restraining order, Applegate alleged that Carpenter attempted to send him a message during her headlining appearance at Coachella by making eye contact with him from the audience. Carpenter, however, described Applegate as "a complete stranger" in her filing and said she has never had any contact with him and has no desire to do so.
Addressing Applegate during the hearing, Judge David L. Wasserman said: "I understand that it's your belief that in order to save the world, you and the petitioner must be together. I expect you to obey the order, not what you think is right, not what you think the military commands you."
In other news, Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter recently unveiled the polished music video for their collaboration "Bring Your Love". The track is set to feature on Madonna's forthcoming album, "Confessions II", which is scheduled for release on July 3.
