Jul 11, 2024 3 min read

📣 One Liners: Artist News - SAGA Festival drama for Hardwell, Nicki Minaj; Cat Burns short film, Doja Cat hack + more

Cat Burns short film; Hardwell mouths off over SAGA Festival technical problems; Hypersoft label debut will support trans youth organisations; Nicki Minaj cancels SAGA Festival show; crypto hacker hijinx as Doja Cat’s twitter hijacked; plus Empathy for the Devil podcast + release news

📣 One Liners: Artist News - SAGA Festival drama for Hardwell, Nicki Minaj; Cat Burns short film, Doja Cat hack + more
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Cat Burns has announced a short film, ‘early twenties’, to accompany her debut album release on 12 Jul. Directed by Libby Burke Wilde, the film stars emerging British actors including India Amarteifio and BAFTA-nominated Samuel Bottomley. Set for release on 17 Jul, the film explores themes of acceptance, anxiety, friendship and identity. Burns, who also serves as executive producer, stated: “I think I just wanted to convey to anyone who watches it that you aren’t alone in your experiences, and that we’re all in this together”. The multi-BRIT-nominated artist will embark on a UK and European headline tour in October, with several dates already sold out.
😡
Dutch DJ Hardwell abruptly cancelled his set at Romania's SAGA Festival last weekend, citing equipment failures and payment issues. Addressing the crowd, Hardwell stated: “They didn't pay me any fucking money to be here tonight... Nothing is working”. Festival organisers swiftly responded in an Instagram post, saying, “The equipment traveled all the way from the Netherlands, just like you. The same set seems to be working perfectly fine for Will Sparks right now”, and insisting “all requests including agreed payments had been met”, before going on to express regret to his fans who “would have loved to finally watch you perform in Bucharest”.
🚀
Hypersoft, a Berlin-based queer collective, is launching their label with ‘Soft Power Vol. 1 - Protect Trans Youth’, a fifteen track compilation benefiting trans youth organisations. Set for release on 12 Jun, with a launch party at OHM club on 13 Jul, all profits will go to TGEU/Transgender Europe and Mermaids. The collective emphasised the urgency of supporting trans youth, saying that “the situation for young trans people is particularly heartbreaking. The psychological effects of the current climate are devastating lives”. Hypersoft is keeping the party line-up secret to focus attention on the cause, with all artists donating their work and performances.
❌
Nicki Minaj cancelled her performance at Romania’s SAGA Festival just hours before she was due on stage, citing safety concerns over local protests. This follows a controversial Dublin show where fans demanded refunds after Minaj performed for less than an hour, arriving 90 minutes late. Speaking about her decision to cancel the Romanian show, Minaj said, "As a mom, I have to make sure I’m making sound decisions for me to make it home to my son and for my team to make it home to their families”. The back-to-back incidents have sparked fan outrage, with some questioning the legitimacy of the safety concerns in Romania.
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Hackers have taken over Doja Cat’s X account, attempting to promote a cryptocurrency scam and fabricate a feud with Iggy Azalea. The hackers posted about a “$DOJA” token and made disparaging comments about Azalea, who recently launched her own “$MOTHER” cryptocurrency. Azalea quickly dispelled the fake beef, saying “Don’t buy this y’all. She’s hacked. Save your money, the market’s down as it is
” Doja Cat confirmed the hack via Instagram, stating: “My Twitter’s been hacked, these messages are not from me”. The incident follows similar crypto scams targeting other artists, including Metallica in June.

PODCASTS

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Sam Parker, Matt Thomas and Chula Goonewardene have launched ‘Empathy For The Devil’, a new podcast series exploring the lives and legacies of legendary musicians whilst addressing ongoing mental health and addiction issues in the music industry. Produced by Message Heard, the weekly series premieres 11 Jul on major platforms, featuring six episodes in its first season. Matt Thomas, co-founder of Attune, stated: “The issues we discuss remain all too present, and some have even gotten worse due to things like social media and the ability to travel further, quicker, and faster”.

RELEASES

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Michael Kiwanuka has released his new single ‘Floating Parade’.
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Toro y Moi has released his new single ‘Heaven’ featuring Kevin Abstract and Lev. His new album ‘Hole Erth’ is out 6 Sep.
🙏
Bashy has released his new single ‘Blessed’ featuring Skrapz & Haile. His new album ‘Being Poor Is Expensive’ is out tonight.
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Maxïmo Park have released their new single ‘The End Can Be As Good As The Start’. Their new album ‘Stream Of Life’ is out 27 Sep.
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Or:la has released her new EP ‘Trusting Theta’. Her debut album is out 20 Sep.
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Field Music have released their new single ‘Six Weeks, Nine Wells’. Their new album ‘Limits of Language’ is out 11 Oct.
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