THEGAYUK

Category: Entertainment

  • SINGLE REVIEW | Shakira Ft. Rihanna I Can’t Remember To Forget You

    What do you get when you mix one of Latin music’s biggest female stars with one of the hottest stars on the planet at the moment? Well, the answer is, ‘I can’t remember to forget you’ the new collaboration from Shakira and Rihanna! On Monday the 13th of January, after Rihanna hinting only a week before on her Twitter page that it might be happening, something extremely exiting happened. Fans didn’t have long to wait.
    This up-tempo song is a blend of Latin, Reggae and Pop-Rock. The verse begins sounding Latin pop with Reggae induced RnB beats and soon morphs into a guitar heavy chorus that sounds more signature Shakira. I was a little worried with both gals having a bit of an accent of how it would sound but it works perfectly. Shakira’s odd but brilliant vocals deliver the lyrics “But when you look at me, the only memory, is us kissing in the moonlight”. Rihanna then pipes up, in the second verse, singing “I go back again, fall off the train, land in his bed, repeat yesterday’s mistakes” in her cool, edgy and fun voice with her accent sounding more Bajan than ever.

    The song is about a woman who knows she should forget all about her undeserving man but can’t help but fall back into his arms. You could be forgiven for thinking Rihanna was referring to her turbulent relationship with Chris Brown but I doubt the songs intention is to dig that deep. This is a fun, pop anthem with two of music’s hottest babes.

    The artwork for single is equally as exciting. Shakira with her blonde locks tousled over one shoulder and minimalistic make up looks simply stunning! Rihanna, her dark, bouncy curls lying over Shakira’s lap looks smouldering with her blood red lipstick and cleavage aplenty!

    This will be the debut single from Shakira’s long awaited, untitled album and is already storming the charts. It’s her first single since ‘Waka Waka’ the song she wrote for the 2010 World Cup. The Columbian goddess is no stranger to a savvy collaboration. Since her 2001’s triple platinum album ‘Laundry Service’, she has teamed up with Beyoncé, Pittbull, Dizzee Rascal and who can forget the fabulous, belly-dancing, bum shaking ‘Hips don’t Lie’ with Wyclef Jean. The judge from The Voice is back again and she aint messing around. “It was utopia. She’s the sexiest woman on the planet.” Shakira tells Glamour magazine on working with Rihanna. She’s a crafty one is our Shakira. RiRi can do no wrong at the moment, she is music royalty, at the top of her game and manages to add a little sprinkle of Bajan magic to anything she touches.

    This song certainly does what it set out to do and that is to tell the world Shakira is back!
    Is it as good as her 2007 collaboration ‘Beautiful Liar’ with the bootylicious Beyoncé? I will let you decide!

  • Your new popsession is Bel Heir

    Boys & Girls, let me introduce you to amazingly named Bel Heir
    A 4 piece outfit from sunny Philadelphia in the US of A. Over the past year they have been releasing 2 singles a month, slowly building up an impressive collection of music, even more impressive when you hear them and then realise they are still unsigned.

    So this music then, If you can imagine a bit of Lana Del Rey’s glamorous gloom-pop throw in a touch of London Grammar, a dash of the Twin Peaks theme and pile on some sexy brooding synths and you have the makings of a very special band indeed.

    The sound is fresh, thrilling, hypnotic but at the same time, it sounds like you have been listening to them for years, like a hot cup of tea on a cold but sunny winter day, basically.

    “Fault Lines” really is like the offspring of the Twin Peaks theme and Lana Del Reys’ retro Americana at its finest. “Kiss The Devil” for me is their standout track, a glossy, dramatic, huge chorused anthem about liking bad girls or boys, and lets face it, we have all been there at some point in our lives.

    If you love discovering new music then it would be rude to not to have a listen to “Bel Heir”
    Like the aforementioned bad boys/girls one taste and you will be hooked!

    Check them out here at these various internet places.

    Facebook / Twitter / Soundcloud

  • Autopsy show about Whitney Houston on Channel 5 tonight

    Channel 5 will broadcast a programme tonight on the autopsy of Gay Icon Whitney Houston to discover the reasons for the diva’s death.

    This episode features Whitney Houston, a singer and actress with a once-in-a-generation voice that propelled her into the pop stratosphere. No amount of talent, however, could protect her from the demons that brought about her death in a Hollywood hotel bathroom at the age of just 48.

    The evidence revealed by Houston’s autopsy tells an astonishing story of excess. It reveals in detail the damage done by years of abuse, from liver and heart disease caused by alcohol and smoking to the perforated septum ravaged by repeatedly snorting cocaine. The programme also uncovers the cocktail of drugs that contributed to the star’s death, from prescription medications to marijuana and freebase cocaine.

    Most importantly, the evidence offers a unique insight into the final minutes of Houston’s life alone in a bathroom, finally revealing the causes of her death, how she died, and the desperate battle to save her life.

  • Perez says “Pretend Lesbianism Will Get You Very Far”

    Oppps, Perez has been upsetting housemates again after suggesting that Cami Li should go lesbian for ratings.

    During a conversation with Cami Li (we’re still not sure who she is…) openly gay celebrity blogger Perez Hilton suggested that Cami could go lesbian to improve her durability in the house saying, “Pretend lesbianism will get you very far with the British public.”

    Cami Li is outraged by this suggestions and shouts, “I have self-respect and my family are watching!”

    Cami then goes to tell Michelle and Patsy what Perez has suggested and says, “I’m not about to degrade myself, I’m a college graduate.”

    Later, Calum talks to Perez in the garden about what he has said to Cami Li and tells him that is might not have been in the best of taste, considering what happened with Jeremy.

    As Nadia wasn’t in the room, she asks Perez exactly what he said. He tells her and she says: “That’s disgusting, go and apologise!”

    Perez starts to cry and goes to find Cami Li.

    Cami Li accepts his apology.

  • New single announced for Kylie

    Fans of Kylie, stand ye to attention, as pop’s most purty princess reveals the title of her new single.

    “Into The Blue” will be the first track taken from Kylie’s highly anticipated new album to be released later this year.

    The song, a euphoric return to the dance-floor after 2012’s, “Abbey Road Sessions”, was written by Kelly Sheehan (Mary J Blige, Rita Ora, Beyonce).
    Kylie spent 2013 recording her new album in both the U.S. and the UK with a host of producers including, Pharrell, Greg Kurstin, Metrophonic, Cutfather, MNEK and Ariel Rechtshaid. The new album will be Kylie’s 12th studio record and the first album of new material since 2010’s “Aphrodite”.

    Kylie said: “2013 was a year of big change, planning and preparation for me and I’m so excited that 2014 is finally here so I can share this new music . Into The Blue is really special to me as it encapsulates a lot of what I’ve been feeling – I can’t wait for it to be out there.”

    Kylie has also recently joined The Voice as a coach; the first episode airs this Saturday (11th January).
    “Into The Blue” will be released on 16th March 2014 on Parlophone Music.

  • MOVIE REVIEW: Having You

    ★★★ | Having You

    The two DVDs that came through my letterbox just after Christmas could not be more different, though both come from our friends over at Matchbox Films.

    The first of the two I watched was Having You, written and directed by Sam Hoare.

    There are some great performances here, from Andrew Buchan as recovering alcoholic Jack, from Philip Davis as his thoroughly nasty and unlikeable father, from Romola Garai, as Jack’s beautiful girlfriend, from the gorgeous Steven Cree as Jack’s business partner and sponsor, and from the ever watchable Anna Friel as Anna, a blast from the past who drops a bombshell on Jack that he finds difficult to come to terms with. It’s a gentle, watchable movie, which draws you in, but I confess to finding it somewhat manipulative with an ending that is just a little too pat to be convincing. None the less, worth catching if you have a couple of hours to spare one evening.

    BUY FROM AMAZON

  • FILM REVIEW | Exposed: Beyond Burlesque

    Director Beth B brings us Exposed: Beyond Burlesque, an expose of the ‘new’ burlesque scene, which seeks to challenge traditional ideas of body, gender and sexuality.

    A mixture of interviews, glimpses backstage and filmed performances, we are introduced to an engaging group of individuals, who might also, in other circumstances, be called misfits.

    According to Mat Fraser, an English performer with phocomelia of both arms due to his mother being prescribed thalidomide during her pregnancy, burlesque is an honest and sometimes brutal art form. It can also be extremely vulgar, which is I suppose the point.

    There is a lot of naked flesh on show, though very little in the way of titillation. Maybe, to fully experience the power of these acts, one has to be in the audience, but most of the interest really comes from the interviews, and the performers’ often quirky view of life; at its heart a touching little love story between Mat Fraser and Julie Atlas Muz.

    Truth to tell, it is a little long and could have done with some judicious pruning. I found my mind wandering quite a bit after the first hour.

    Available to buy / view on: Amazon | Amazon Prime | iTunes

  • CBB: Evander Holyfield Evicted From Big Brother House

    CBB: Evander Holyfield Evicted From Big Brother House

    Evander Holyfield who caused outrage with his anti-gay views has been evicted from the Celebrity Big Brother house.

    (more…)

  • FILM REVIEW | Unbroken

    ★★★★ | Unbroken

    For the third time in the last couple of months, THEGAYUK reviews another film starring the remarkably talented young British actor JACK O’CONNELL. We can tell you now that Hollywood now agrees with us; Mr O’CONNELL is going to be a MAJOR STAR. Remember you read it here first.

    For her third time behind the camera actress/ superstar, UN Special Ambassador, Honorary Dame of the British Empire, and mother of countless children, Angelina Jolie plumped for a rather old-fashioned WW2 drama. With a script from Oscar winners Ethan and Joel Cohen (who rarely write for other directors) adapted from Laura Hillenbrand’s best-selling biography, ‘Unbroken’ is the inspiring story of the Italian/American Olympic Athlete Louis Zamperini who became a War Hero.

    Jolie starts her overly long movie with an exciting aerial gun battle somewhere in the Far East with Zamperini as the Bombardier helping to get his crew’s partially destroyed plane safely back to base after they have successfully bombed their target.The next time they are flying on a mission, they are not so lucky and end up floating in the middle of the ocean after their plane totally disintegrates.

    In a series of flashbacks Jolie fills in Zamperini’s young life up to that point, where as a troubled teenager constantly picked on for being an immigrant in small town California, and so his older brother persuades him to join him in his school’s track team. Zamperini shows such real talent at running that he is soon winning enough races to actually qualify to represent the USA in the 1936 Olympics in Munich. The next Olympics however in 1940 were due to be held in Tokyo, but little did Zamperini know at the time he would end up being in that city then, but for entirely different reasons.

    Zamperini and two other men, include Phil the pilot, survive the crash and floating aimlessly on a life raft have to deal with hunger, the relentless heat, dehydration, sharks and the occasional storm for 47 days adrift in the middle of the ocean. Zamperini who never stops praying, vows that if he ever gets home again he will devote his life to God.

    He and Phil are the only two survivors who are eventually picked up by the Japanese and held prisoner in the most horrific conditions and forced into hard labour. When they are transferred to a larger camp the two of them get separated and Zamperini gets singled out regularly for unprovoked and merciless beatings by a young sadistic Japanese guard nicknamed ‘The Bird’ who appears to have some fixation with breaking this American soldier who he obviously somehow feels threatened by.

    When the war looks like it is ending, the Japanese retreat taking all the Allied prisoners with them to an even more remote island, and the men fear that they will all be killed before they can rescued. The impending defeat encourages ‘The Bird’ to even increase his brutality of Zamperini to the point where he has the beaten young soldier holding up a heavy railway sleeper over his head which eerily looks like a cross at a crucifixion.

    The movie ends with the war and with Zamperoni being hailed as a hero as he finally arrives back home to his family in California. In real life he evidently became a Born Again Christian and tutored by the evangelist Billy Graham, he went back to Japan to spread the Gospel and forgive his captors. He died at the age of 91 years old earlier in 2014.

    Just like in the current ‘The Imitation Game’ Ms. Jolie and Roger Deakins her multi Oscar nominated her cinematographer makes her wartime setting a tad too picturesque a la Hollywood (Australia was used for locations). Despite the very detailed graphic scenes of the horrific violence that we expect these days, it was hard not to escape the notion that I expected Clark Gable or Errol Flynn or any other 40’s heartthrob to burst onto the screen at any moment. If I could pinpoint a particular reason why this very entertaining movie was not nearly as good as the hype, it would be the fact that Ms. Jolie allowed the Coen Brothers to spend too much time on the historical facts of Zamperini’s true story than focusing more on the characters that are a vital part of it.

    However there is one element that raises this movie to a much higher level, and it is the presence of its leading man Jack O’Connell. The camera simply loves this exceptionally talented young English actor who, with his matinee idol looks, is proving to be the most exciting new actor that the movies … and now Hollywood… have discovered this year. In ‘Unbroken’ we feel every moment of his pain in this raw and very natural performance that is nothing less than a sheer joy to watch. Having seen him in action three times in as many months (his second movie ’71 is still to be released in the US) I can only keep repeating my earlier claims that O’Connell is deservedly destined for major stardom.

    The movie itself may have been a tad disappointing, but O’Connell is anything but that.

  • Holyfield’s homophobic remarks attract 126 complaints to Ofcom

    The UK’s broadcast and communications regulator Ofcom has received 126 complaints for the programme in which Evander Holyfield said gay people weren’t normal.

    On Sunday night viewers were shocked when former boxer Evander Holyfield said that being gay was not ‘normal’ and that it could be fixed during a conversation with Luisa Zissman.

    Today Ofcom announced that it had received 126 complaints about the programme broadcast on Sunday the 5th January.

    The 2013 Celebrity Big Brother Series received a total of 956 complaints, in 2012 the programme garnered over 2000.

    It is unclear at this stage whether the broadcaster will be investigated by Ofcom.

  • Phil Marriot joins Gaydio

    London house music DJ, Phil Marriott has taken up residency on Gaydio, Sunday – Thursday nights from 6pm.

    2013 has seen Gaydio’s audience soar to 850,000 listeners a month following the acquisition of DAB Digital Radio licences formerly operated by GaydarRadio. The station is available on DAB Digital Radio in London and the Sussex Coast, on 88.4fm in Manchester, on mobile apps and online.

    Phil has been working as a DJ and radio presenter for over sixteen years, and continues to play at numerous clubs across London and the South, as well as internationally. For the last six years, Phil was previously the evening show presenter and Head of Music at GaydarRadio. Phil’s DJ work has seen him play for XXL (London), SupermartXe (London), The Dragon (Dublin), Onyx (London), Poptronik (Sitges) & RVT (London).

    Phil says ‘I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to getting on air at Gaydio. I’m really excited about bringing my love of London and experience of playing dance floors across the UK to the station.’

    Toby Whitehouse, Station Director, added ‘Phil is a great addition to the lineup at Gaydio. He’s already a familiar voice to our listeners in the South, and his passion for the very best dance music is a totally infectious listen.’

    Phil claims to have been well and truly bitten by the radio bug, and it’s largely down to having a lifelong lust for music and interviewing some of the biggest and most interesting celebrities.

    ‘Without wanting to namedrop, I can honestly say that in all the time I’ve worked in radio, I’ve probably met hundreds of famous people and most of them have been lovely,” says Phil. “Beth Ditto, Boy George, Annie Lennox, all absolutely charming.’

    ‘And it’s always comforting when someone (in this case, George Michael) says that your photographs don’t do you justice. I think I’d be lying to admit that it isn’t quite a nice feeling to temporarily disbelieve the ‘face for radio’ rule.’

    Phil was christened ‘Double R Double T’ by house diva Katherine Ellis after his grievance at peo-ple constantly spelling his surname wrong tickled her fancy. She even once made him a jingle which resembled the Bodyform advert.

    Phil has played quite a few dancefloors in his time. His highlights include supporting Tiesto at Victoria Park in London (2010), Freemasons (at their Shakedown 2 album launch), and playing at the ‘Our Friends Acoustic’ Mencap fundraiser with Erasure’s Andy Bell.

    His new show starts in-the-mix at 6pm during the week, and his Sunday show will feature the Gaydio Upfront Chart.

    Listen to gaydio at http://www.gaydio.co.uk