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Australian rock band Noiseworks are releasing ‘Evolution’ on November 11th, 2022 – their first studio album in 30 years. The album comes as a long awaited gift to Noiseworks fans who have been thirsting for new music from the iconic rockers.

‘Evolution’ offers all of the cornerstone Noiseworks trademarks with powerful vocals from frontman Jon Stevens, bass from enigmatic rocker Steve Balbi, the prolific Justin Stanley on keyboards, and the mighty Kev Nicol setting the tempo on drums. The guitar sounds and stories of band member Stuart ‘Chet’ Fraser are woven through the fabric of the record and the album is dedicated to his memory.

The ten track album features rock anthems like ‘Amerika’, chart-topping hit ‘Heart & Soul’, paired with melodic bursts of joy in the summer-aligned ‘Sunshine’. In a loving ode to their lost band member, Stuart ‘Chet’ Fraser a one minute instrumental piece ‘Touch (Epitaph)’ concludes the album.

Joining Noiseworks on ‘Heart & Soul’ and subsequent tour is highly acclaimed Australian musician Jack Jones (Irwin Thomas). Jones is honoring original Noiseworks member, the late, great Stuart ‘Chet’ Fraser, by taking up the mantle of lead guitarist in the band.

“Coming back after 30 years with new music and seeing the level of excitement that we have had from our Noiseworks fans has been a really powerful experience for us. “
Jon Stevens – Noiseworks Singer.

About Noiseworks

In the 1980s, Noiseworks roared out of our car radios and were the soundtrack to every big night. Right from the beginning they delivered consecutive rock anthems with ‘No Lies’, ‘Take Me Back’, ‘Hot Chilli Woman’, ‘Touch’ and countless more. Known for their huge stage presence and big sound Noiseworks were a standout Aus rock band in the 80’s and 90’s.

UME/Geffen celebrates Guns N’ Roses’ incredible musical legacy with GUNS N’ ROSES – USE YOUR ILLUSION I & II, the ultimate box set for the band’s 1991 multi-platinum releases Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II. Set for release on November 11, 2022, GUNS N’ ROSES – USE YOUR ILLUSION I & II SUPER DELUXES feature a total of 97 tracks, 63 are previously unreleased. Available in multiple configurations including a Super Deluxe Seven-CD + Blu-ray, a Super Deluxe Twelve-LP + Blu-ray, Two-CD Deluxe Editions of Use Your Illusion I & II separately, standard 1CD and 2LP versions of Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II separately. In all formats, the original studio albums Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II have been fully remastered for the first-time ever, from high-resolution 96kHz 24-bit transfers from the original stereo 1/2-inch analog masters. All versions will be available to stream and as digital downloads, with all configurations available to pre-order and pre-save, HERE .

Guns N’ Roses’ highly anticipated third and fourth studio albums Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II were originally released simultaneously on September 17, 1991. With the massive success of GN’R Lies and Appetite For Destruction, the band had the daunting task of a follow up album. Not only did the band deliver, Guns N’ Roses surprised the world by releasing not one but two new, full length studio albums. Upon release, Use Your Illusion I reached No. 2 and Use Your Illusion II took the No. 1 position on the Billboard 200 chart concurrently, selling over 500k in the first two hours of release, with an estimated sales of over 685k and 770k respectively within the first week of release.

Use Your Illusion I features the band’s bombastic cover of Paul McCartney’s “Live and Let Die,” the Top Ten hit “Don’t Cry,” and what NPR described as “one of the ultimate hard-rock power ballads,” the band’s ’90s anthem and MTV staple “November Rain,” which hit No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot 100, spending a total of 30 weeks on the chart, and holds the title of the first video from the ’90s to hit the 1 billion views mark on YouTube – now nearing 2 billion views. “November Rain” will now include a real 50-piece orchestra for the first-time ever newly recorded, conducted & arranged in 2021 by Grammy® Award winning & Emmy Award nominated composer Christopher Lennertz.

Use Your Illusion II features the band’s Top 50 single “You Could Be Mine,” “Civil War,” which reached No. 4 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, Bob Dylan’s “Knocking On Heaven’s Door,” plus an alternate version of “Don’t Cry” featuring different lyrics.

GUNS N’ ROSES – USE YOUR ILLUSION I & II Super Deluxe Seven-CD + Blu-ray and Super Deluxe Twelve-LP + Blu-ray box sets feature a whopping 97 songs, 63 of which are unreleased audio and video tracks. The original studio albums Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II are both remastered for the first-time from high-resolution 96kHz 24-bit transfers from the original stereo 1/2-inch analog master tapes. The box set features an impressive, anamorphic illusion showcasing each of the two covers at different angles. The Twelve-LP box is pressed on 180-gram heavy weight audiophile black vinyl with six premium tip-on gatefold jackets. Both Super Deluxe Editions also include the complete live audio recording Live In New York, taped at the Ritz Theatre on May 16, 1991, with sound newly mixed from original multi-track tapes. This legendary show is one of three warmup shows for the Use Your Illusion Tour and features Izzy Stradlin on guitar, the original version of “Don’t Cry” and a special performance of “You Ain’t The First” both of which features the late Shannon Hoon of Blind Melon on guest vocals. Also included is the complete audio recording of Live In Las Vegas taped at Thomas & Mack Center on January 25, 1992, newly mixed from the original multi-track tapes and features the band’s new guitarist Gilby Clarke. The bonus disc is a Blu-ray Video of the complete Live In New York concert film, newly transferred from 35mm film prints to 4K UHD and presented in 1080p 24fps HD, in its entirety, along with audio mixed in Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround, and PCM 48kHz 24-bit stereo. The Blu-ray menu features the brand-new live music video “You Could Be Mine.” This is the first-time release of any complete audio and video concerts from the Use Your Illusion era GN’R.

The Super Deluxe box sets are housed with a 100-page hardcover book with unreleased photos, memorabilia & archival documents, Conspiracy Inc. replica fan club folder with membership card, four Conspiracy Inc. 1991/1992 Use Your Illusion era replica fan club newsletters, 10 Double-design lithos that reveals 1 of 2 unique images when inserted into the supplied red & blue reveal sleeves, seven band 8″x10″ photo prints, four Use Your Illusion tour replica cloth sticky backstage passes, a Ritz Theatre 5/16/1991 replica concert ticket (with the original misprinted date of 5/15/1991) and a brand new 24″x36″ band poster.

Use Your Illusion I & II: Limited Edition 4LP Color Vinyl + Zoetrope Turntable Mat

Both Use Your Illusion I & II are packaged together in a limited edition 4LP set, each housed in a premium tip-on gatefold jacket with a 12″x12″ insert and feature both original studio albums fully remastered for the first-time ever from high-resolution 96kHz 24-bit transfers from the original stereo 1/2-inch analog master tapes. Use Your Illusion I includes the debut of the newly recorded “November Rain (2022 Version)” with a first-ever real 50-piece orchestra conducted and arranged by Grammy® Award winner and Emmy Award nominated composer Christopher Lennertz. Both albums are housed in an exclusive foil-art slipcase showcasing both Use Your Illusion I & II covers. Use Your Illusion I LP 1 is pressed on yellow vinyl and LP 2 is pressed on red vinyl, Use Your Illusion II LP 1 is pressed on blue vinyl and LP 2 is pressed on purple vinyl. As an added bonus, exclusive to this set is a zoetrope turntable mat that when combined with a strobing light effect animates the mat’s artwork while spinning on a turntable.

Use Your Illusion I: 2CD Deluxe Edition

Disc one features the original studio album Use Your Illusion I, fully remastered for the first-time ever from high-resolution 96kHz 24-bit transfers from the original stereo 1/2-inch analog master tapes onto 44.1kHz 16-bit CD, and now includes the debut of the newly recorded “November Rain (2022 Version)” featuring a real 50-piece orchestra for the first-time conducted and arranged by Grammy® Award winner and Emmy Award nominated composer Christopher Lennertz.

Disc two features 13 unreleased, newly mixed live tracks from London, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, New York, and Las Vegas recorded during the Use Your Illusion 1991/1992 tour including the track “Always On The Run (Live in Paris – 6/6/92)” featuring Lenny Kravitz, complete with a 24-page booklet with expanded artwork and unreleased photos and images.

Use Your Illusion II: 2CD Deluxe Edition

Disc one is the original studio album Use Your Illusion II fully remastered for the first-time ever from high-resolution 96kHz 24-bit transfers from the original stereo 1/2-inch analog master tapes onto 44.1kHz 16-bit CD. Disc two features 13 newly mixed, unreleased live tracks from London, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, New York & Las Vegas recorded during the Use Your Illusion 1991/1992 tour including special guest appearances by Steven Tyler & Joe Perry of Aerosmith for live renditions of “Mama Kin & Train Kept A Rollin’ (Live in Paris – 6/6/92).” Included is a 24-page booklet with expanded artwork and unreleased photos and images.

Use Your Illusion I: 2LP 180g Vinyl / Use Your Illusion II: 2LP 180g Vinyl

Each pressed on 180g heavy-weight audiophile black vinyl as a 2LP set, both Use Your Illusion I & II are available separately and each housed in a gatefold jacket with a 12″x12″ insert and feature the original studio album fully remastered for the first-time ever from high-resolution 96kHz 24-bit transfers from the original stereo 1/2-inch analog master tapes. Use Your Illusion I includes the debut of the newly recorded “November Rain (2022 Version)” with a first-ever real 50-piece orchestra conducted and arranged by Grammy® Award winner and Emmy Award nominated composer Christopher Lennertz.

Use Your Illusion I: 1CD & Digital / Use Your Illusion II: 1CD & Digital

For the first-time ever, the 1CD versions of Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II, both available separately, have been remastered from high-resolution 96kHz 24-bit transfers from the original stereo 1/2-inch analog master tapes onto 44.1kHz 16-bit CD. Use Your Illusion I includes the newly recorded “November Rain (2022 Version)” with a first-ever real 50-piece orchestra conducted and arranged by Grammy® Award winner and Emmy Award nominated composer Christopher Lennertz and each housed in a jewel case with 16-page booklet.

The Whitlams’ classic protest song from 1999 – ‘Blow Up the Pokies’ – has been reworked by Tim Freedman with his new alt-country line-up.

This fresh version was born when the Wesley Mission contacted Freedman in May 2022 and asked for a reworking of the song that could be used as the soundtrack to their poignant Gutful of Gambling TV ad (view here).

Re-jigged from the original’s waltz time signature to a propulsive 4/4, sung in a lower key, and driven now by banjo and pedal steel guitar, this reconstruction wrings new emotion out of the story of a musician playing a poker machine on the same spot in a pub where he used to play in his band. A new audience awaits the song, whose message is as relevant today as it was upon release 24 years ago.

The theme is still potent, and just two months ago a community movement in Alice Springs used the track in their successful campaign to stall a proposal to add poker machines to four venues with indigenous and lower socio-economic clientele (see ABC story here).

Freedman’s alt-country project The Whitlams Black Stump Band sees him and long-time drummer Terepai Richmond joined by an A Team of roots musicians, namely two CMAA Producers of the Year, Rod McCormack and Matt Fell, on banjo and bass respectively, and young gun Ollie Thorpe on electric and pedal steel guitar.

Born from a week of recording in mid 2021 with sessions that veered from campfire intimacy to rollicking country rock, the band reconstructed the best of The Whitlams’ repertoire with a smattering of new songs and some classic Americana from Kris Kritstofferson to Neil Young.

The mid 2022 single “The Day John Sattler Broke His Jaw” was a staple on country radio through the winter and reached the Top 30 of the Country Hot 50 radio airplay chart.

The band debuted at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in 2022, then wound its way down the East Coast from Cairns to Queenscliff in a three week tour that cemented their musical connection. The outfit has the ambition to play Australia far and wide, with the Black Stump Duo – their piano and pedal steel configuration – touring Victoria and Tasmania in November and December, and the full five piece line-up reconvening for the Tamworth Country Music Festival in January, and then lapping the country in their “Big City Debut Tour” through March, with the dates on sale next week.

“Blow Up the Pokies” was the second single from The Whitlams’ fourth album Love This City which was released in 1999 and sold double platinum

The album was recently placed No.101 in Rolling Stones’ Greatest 200 Australian Albums of all-time list. The band’s third album Eternal Nightcap was No.27

In 2000 the song was the No.1 researched song on the MMM Network and blared out over building sites across Australia.

Today, five-time GRAMMY® Award-winning legend and the best-selling female artist in country music history Shania Twain has unveiled her first new single since 2017, “Waking Up Dreaming”. The single serves as her first release with her new label partner Republic Nashville, a division of Republic Records. Shania also released a video for the single, which was directed by Isaac Rentz.

Of the release and new partnership Shania commented “I couldn’t think of a better partner than Republic Nashville. I’m honored and excited to be the label’s first artist and lead the charge of this new and exciting chapter. In this respect, it feels like a new beginning all around, and I’m embracing it wholeheartedly.”

Republic Records co-founder and CEO Monte Lipman commented “Shania is one of the most influential and impactful artists of this generation. She’s a rare talent whose legacy continues to resonate throughout the world. We feel a tremendous amount of gratitude to support her new body of work, which is spectacular.”

“Waking Up Dreaming” marks her first release in five years since 2017’s critically acclaimed, Now, which bowed at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 and #1 on the Top Country Albums Chart upon arrival. It also arrives on the heels of her blockbuster career-spanning documentary Not Just A Girl-streaming on NETFLIX now. It was notably produced by Mercury Studios and directed by Joss Crowley. To accompany the film, she also presented the compilation album Not Just A Girl (The Highlights).

About Shania Twain:

International superstar Shania Twain is a five-time GRAMMY winner and one of music’s most renowned trailblazers. With five albums released and more than 100 million albums sold worldwide, Twain remains the top-selling female country pop artist of all time. Her hits include “Any Man of Mine,” “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” “You’re Still the One” and “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!”. Shania was the first artist in history to release 3 consecutive diamond certified albums. Twain’s first album in 15 years, NOW, was released in September 2017 and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 albums, making it the first female country release in over 3 years to top the all-genre chart. Additionally, the album landed at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country album charts and went to No. 1 in Canada, Australia and the UK. The release was followed by a year-long sold-out NOW World Tour. Twain is currently performing at her second residency in Vegas called “Let’s Go!”. The residency at the Zappos Theater in Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino kicked off with a sold out run and continues through 2022. On July 26, Netflix released Shania Twain: Not Just a Girl, a brand-new, career-spanning documentary on Twain’s life and career with an accompanying Highlights album. The Queen of Country Pop will return with new music this year.

Australian rock band Noiseworks are releasing ‘Heart & Soul’ on August 15th, 2022 as the lead single from their new studio album (album out October 2022). The single comes as a long awaited gift to Noiseworks fans who have been thirsting for new music from the iconic rockers for 30 years.

‘Heart & Soul’ offers all of the cornerstone Noiseworks trademarks with powerful vocals from frontman Jon Stevens, skillful guitar from enigmatic rocker Steve Balbi on bass, the prolific Justin Stanley on keyboards, and the mighty Kev Nicol setting the tempo on drums.

Joining Noiseworks on this release and subsequent tour is highly acclaimed Australian musician Jack Jones (Irwin Thomas). Jones is honoring original Noiseworks member, the late, great Stuart ‘Chet’ Fraser, by taking up the mantle of lead guitarist in the band.

“Coming back after 30 years with new music and seeing the level of excitement that we have had from our Noiseworks fans has been a really powerful experience for us. Heart & Soul shows where we are now while also giving a nod to the sounds that make us Noiseworks. ” Jon Stevens – Noiseworks Singer.

In conjunction with this highly anticipated new album Noiseworks will join a stellar lineup of local and international acts for One Electric Day 22/23 Festival Season beginning on the 5th of November, 2022 at Victor Harbor, SA.

About Noiseworks

In the 1980s Noiseworks roared out of our car radios and were the soundtrack to every big night. Right from the beginning they delivered consecutive rock anthems with ‘No Lies’, ‘Take Me Back’, ‘Hot Chilli Woman’, ‘Touch’ and countless more. Known for their huge stage presence and big sound Noiseworks were a standout Aus rock band in the 80’s and 90’s.

Paul Kelly has today released his new themed compilation ‘Rivers and Rain’, the latest in a series of albums highlighting the threads running through his vast catalogue of songs.

‘Northern Rivers’ is the album’s new track offering. Brimming with musical and lyrical hooks, it sounds like an instant classic. Written last year and recorded soon after with his band, the timing of its release couldn’t be more apt. As residents of the Northern Rivers cleaned up – twice – after the floods earlier this year, Kelly’s songs could be heard coming out of shops, houses, halls, boats, utes, vans, cars and trucks, lifting spirits. Meanwhile, the long, hard work of picking up the pieces and rebuilding lives goes on.

‘Northern Rivers’ once again shows Kelly’s deep engagement with the natural world. Says Kelly with trademark succinctness, “It is a love song set in contrasting landscapes. I took it to the band and it came out really easily like they’d been playing it forever.”

It’s more than a love song, it’s a hymn of praise to the region and to our harsh and beautiful country, replete with vivid imagery, close observation and irony. Yet at its heart is the mysterious ‘girl from the Northern Rivers’ whom the coloured birds sing out of bed each day.

As Kelly’s philosophical narrator from the song says, “The more I know her the less I do”.

Discussing the ‘Rivers and Rain’ compilation, Paul Kelly shares some thoughts, “Water appears very often in my songs. I live on Port Philip Bay and when I’m home I go down to the sea several times a week if I can. When I’m traveling and visiting new cities, I always look for the water, be it a river, a lake, a canal, the sea or a swimming pool. If I were to make a compilation of all my ‘water’ songs the track list would be overflowing! So, for the second instalment in this series, I’ve decided to narrow the channel to Rivers and Rain. Songs to do with oceans and shores I’ll save for another time.”

“Rivers run through cities, run through wildernesses, and run through history. You can dream by a river. Court and picnic by a river. Swim or fish in a river. Sail or row or float down a river. Drown in a river.”

“In Australia, some rivers are dry or low for long periods then roar to life, sometimes dangerously, after certain storms. Rivers need rain. We all do. One of the great pleasures in life is lying in bed listening to the rain. Or reading a book in a nook inside as rain falls outside. I even like playing footy in the rain!”

“The first three songs of this compilation feature both rivers and rain, including new track Northern Rivers, recorded last year and previously unreleased. Letter In The Rain follows a lone wanderer and wonderer, haunted by memory. The River Song was written in a hotel room by The Seine in Paris at the time of the 2016 floods, the biggest in a hundred years. The twenty-one song set ends with the radioactive rain from the fallout of the Maralinga atomic bomb tests in South Australia during the fifties.”

“Along the way we have storms, floods, carved canyons, petrichor, reveries, hard scrabble, crossed lovers, blessed lovers, joy, hope and danger. Jump in!”

Champion is the official Commonwealth Games song and celebrates the games coming to England for the first time in 20 years. It’s also a celebration of Birmingham. It is the first single from UB40’s new album UB45 which will be released early 2023.

The song is both aspirational and inspirational. Everyone is good at something and it’s about competing in what you’re best at, excelling and achieving your goals.

While “Champion” could refer to almost any form of competition, there is accompanying rap from ‘Gilly G’ that specifically references and champions our city of Birmingham and it’s proud hosting of the 2022 Commonwealth Games and another from ‘Dapz On The Maps’ which talks about the mind set and approach needed to be the No 1 Champion.

Multi-platinum-selling and ARIA award-winning electronic act PNAU today releases a floor-filling remix of Diana Ross ft. Tame Impala’s smash collaboration ‘Turn Up The Sunshine’ from the recently released original motion picture soundtrack for Illumination’s Minions: The Rise of Gru, the #1 global blockbuster from the biggest animated franchise in history. The soundtrack is out now and available here.

Set in the 1970s, Minions: The Rise of Gru tells the origin story of how Gru (Oscar nominee Steve Carell), the world’s greatest supervillain, first met his iconic Minions, forged cinema’s most despicable crew and faced off against the most unstoppable criminal force ever assembled. Illumination’s Minions: The Rise of Gru is out now and showing in cinemas across the UK.

The funk-fuelled soundtrack, produced by 2022 Grammy Producer of the Year Jack Antonoff, features a star-studded line-up. Following the release of her 2021 hit album Thank You, Diana Ross ft. Tame Impala launched the soundtrack with their hit collaboration ‘Turn Up The Sunshine’ described by Rolling Stone as a “party-ready jam.”

PNAU is the multi-platinum-selling, award-winning electronic act of Nick Littlemore (Empire of the Sun, Vlossom, Teenager), Peter Mayes and Sam Littlemore, famed for their extensive career born out of the underground clubs and festival dancefloors of Australia. With a catalogue of their own hits and multiple albums behind them, PNAU have enjoyed a powerful renaissance over the past few years. PNAU found massive global success with their Elton John and Dua Lipa recording ‘Cold Heart’, with the single being nominated for Song of the Year at the Brit Awards, picking up a Billboard Award for Top Dance/Electronic Song and delivering Elton John his first UK number one single in 16 years.

Illumination’s Minions: The Rise of Gru soundtrack celebrates a range of dazzling funk, disco and soul classics with brand-new versions of some of the biggest hits of the 1970s from some of today’s hottest talent. From St. Vincent’s new take on Lipps Inc’s 1979 hit Funkytown and H.E.R.’s rendition of Sly and The Family Stone’s 1967 smash Dance to the Music, to Bleachers version of John Lennon’s 1970 track Instant Karma! and Phoebe Bridgers’ interpretation of The Carpenters’ 1972 single Goodbye To Love, every track has been reimagined by each artist with ingenious results. And of course, Illumination’s Minions themselves star on the album, with their distinctive performance of the classic Simon & Garfunkel 1970s favourite, Cecilia.

The soundtrack’s executive producer, Jack Antonoff, is a globally celebrated singer, songwriter and record producer and is the lead vocalist of rock band Bleachers. Kicking off 2022, Bleachers made their debut performance on NBC’s Saturday Night Live, marking the seminal show’s first episode of the year. As a songwriter and producer, Antonoff, who in 2021 was credited by the BBC for having “redefined pop music” has collaborated with the likes of Diana Ross, Taylor Swift, Lorde, St. Vincent, Florence + The Machine, Lana Del Rey, Kevin Abstract and many more. This work has seen Antonoff collect numerous accolades, including six Grammy Awards, most recently winning the 2022 Grammy Award for Producer of the Year.

Whether in or out of the cinema, this sun-soaked 70s-inspired soundtrack is guaranteed to have you Gru-ving all summer long.

Missy Higgins will feature in the ABC’s 90th Birthday Telecast this Thursday evening at 8pm with a special performance from the breathtaking Rungutjirpa (Simpson’s Gap). Her appearance alongside an Australian Arts and Culture ‘who’s who’, extends a long association with the national public broadcaster, stretching back to winning Triple J Unearthed 20 years ago while she was still at high school.

More recently Missy composed and sang for both series of the ABC’s award winning political drama, “Total Control”. The program has attracted worldwide acclaim with The Wall Street Journal applauding “…its biting vision of the prevailing codes, and what passes for right and wrong in political society.” Stuff NZ said: “Total Control offers a scathing examination of Australian politics [and] a clarion call for social justice” and said the music was “a magnificent showcase for the songwriting and singing skills of Missy Higgins”.

This week Missy will release the final track from that celebrated collaboration – a song of empowerment called “I Take It Back” drawn from her “Total Control” mini-album. That ARIA Top 3 hit was inspired by musical fragments Missy initially pieced together to fit certain scenes in the TV show. What started as brief instrumentals gradually grew lyrics and some expanded into full songs across 2020 and 2021 as the show’s themes reverberated publicly in the Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins cases. Missy’s unusually deep association with the show included her fierce lead single “Edge Of Something” which featured as the main promo for Season Two and was premiered live as part of the ABC’s 2022 New Year’s Eve telecast from the Sydney Opera House.

Diana Ross ft. Tame Impala today release the joyous, dance-inducing new single ‘Turn Up The Sunshine’, from Illumination’s Minions: The Rise of Gru, produced by 2022 Grammy Producer of the Year Jack Antonoff. This unique collaboration for ‘Turn Up The Sunshine’ makes for a winning combination, delighting music fans across the globe. It follows the release of Ms. Ross’ brand-new album ‘Thank You,’ out last year.

This is the first single from the recently announced original motion picture soundtrack for Illumination’s Minions: The Rise of Gru, the new action-comedy from the biggest animated franchise in history, set for release on Friday 1st July.

Set in the 1970s, Minions: The Rise of Gru tells the origin story of how Gru (Oscar nominee Steve Carell), the world’s greatest supervillain, first met his iconic Minions, forged cinema’s most despicable crew and faced off against the most unstoppable criminal force ever assembled.

The funk-fuelled soundtrack features a star-studded line-up, celebrating a range of dazzling funk, disco and soul classics with brand-new versions of some of the biggest hits of the 1970s from some of today’s hottest talent. From St. Vincent’s new take on Lipps Inc’s 1979 hit Funkytown and H.E.R.’s rendition of Sly and The Family Stone’s 1967 smash Dance to the Music, to Bleachers version of John Lennon’s 1970 track Instant Karma! and Phoebe Bridgers’ interpretation of The Carpenters’ 1972 single Goodbye To Love, every track has been reimagined by each artist with ingenious results.

And of course, Illumination’s Minions themselves star on the album, with their distinctive performance of the classic Simon & Garfunkel 1970s favourite, Cecilia.

The soundtrack’s executive producer, Jack Antonoff, is a globally celebrated singer, songwriter and record producer as well as the lead vocalist of rock band Bleachers. As a songwriter and producer, Antonoff, who, in 2021, was credited by the BBC for having “redefined pop music,” has collaborated with the likes of Diana Ross, Taylor Swift, Lorde, St. Vincent , Florence + The Machine, Lana Del Rey, Kevin Abstract and many more. This work has seen Antonoff collect numerous accolades, including six Grammy Awards, most recently winning the 2022 Grammy Award for Producer of the Year.

Both in and out of the cinema, this sun-soaked 70’s inspired soundtrack is guaranteed to have you Gru-ving all summer long.