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“I wanted to write my ‘Urban Hymns’ or ‘Back To Black’”

Three years ago, in the back room of dingy London pub The Water Rats, NME made the following declaration: “We might have seen the future, and it looks like Yungblud”. It was the first encounter we’d had with then-19-year-old Dominic Harrison, who was still finding his footing under the Yungblud moniker. He stomped on stage in bright pink socks, sported an emo fringe and possessed all the trappings of an angsty teen still trying to find his place in the world. From this electrifying – albeit scattershot – performance, you could tell that he was still unsure what the Yungblud experience was destined to look like.

There’s probably little chance Harrison imagined that, for his second NME cover shoot in little over a year, he’d be painted head-to-toe in sparkling gold body paint. At our shoot in London, he prances around the studio with the same glee as a child in tiger face paint would a village fête. As he readies to nail the cover shoot he turns our way and shouts: “I feel like I’m in fookin’ Goldfinger!”

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Credit: Perou for NME. Blazer, Shirt and Bracelets: Alexander McQueen

But with his theatrical and personal second album ‘Weird!’, Harrison is finally feeling comfortable about what his role in the world is supposed to be… even if he’s ended up as a punk-rock Goldfinger for a day or so.

The Doncaster-born musician painted himself as a lovelorn reject on 2017’s self-titled debut EP, but on the cover for ‘Weird!’ – featuring seven different versions of himself, including two kissing – he embraces his generation’s penchant for complicated and contrasting personalities. He says that he tried to use the cover to reflect the influences that punk fashion hero Vivienne Westwood, Squeeze lyricist Chris Difford and even, er, Aldous Snow – the fictional rockstar played by Russell Brand in 2010 film Get Him To the Greek – have had on him.

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Yungblud on the cover of NME

“I feel like I’m seven different people at once and I wanted to reflect that in this cover,” he tells NME a couple of weeks later on Zoom, sporting yellow-tinged “Elvis Costello glasses” and a messy red-topped mop. Make that eight, then.

Whoever Yungblud strives to be on any given day, he plays each role with serious conviction on the brilliantly bonkers new album. There are My Chemical Romance theatrics on ‘The Freak Show’ and ‘Theresa’, a splash of Beastie Boys braggadocio on mind-bending ‘Superdeadfriends!’ and Lily-Allen-meets-Blur’s-’Parklife’ on the Britpop-nodding romp ‘Charity’. It’s a complete riot, committed to being a mash-up of all of his influences, reflective of his generation’s genreless listening habits.

“I always ask myself three things when I’m writing a song,” he explains. “Firstly, ‘Am I telling the truth in this song?’ Then I ask myself, ‘Could anyone else sing it?’ And does this mean everything to me right now in this moment?’ If those questions get answered, then I’ll record it and release it – and I think every song on this album fits that criteria.”

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AFRIMA President speaks on fostering collaboration within African music community as BridgeAfric launches in Malawi |

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The President/Executive Producer, All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA, Mike Dada, would be sharing his thought at the BridgeAfric’s Southern Africa launch in Malawi on March 23, 2024.

It is in continuation of promoting and showcasing African artistes, providing them with platforms to reach a global audience beyond their home countries,

BridgeAfric is a revolutionary initiative aimed at connecting African artistes and industry professionals across the continent led by the dynamic Victoria Nkong.

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With the theme; importance of fostering collaboration within the African music community, Dada would be speaking on the significance of working together in promoting African music on a global scale.

In his statement, the AFRIMA President noted that there are potential for growth and success that come from uniting artistes, producers, and other stakeholders in the industry.

Dada, who lauded BridgAfric for its efforts in connecting Malawians artistes with industry professionals, helping them to build their careers and reach a wider audience, said he is committed to supporting initiatives like BridgAfric that empower African artists and promote the rich diversity of African music. He believes that by working together, they can create a more vibrant and inclusive music industry that celebrates the talent and creativity of artists from across the continent.

“This is very significant for the growth, development and promotion of the arts and music industry in Africa, especially when you look at it from the point of view of collaborations, the Malawi music industry and connecting to the center of the journey of the ongoing movements and the development of the African industry to the global audience,” Dada submitted.

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South African billionaire commits suicide

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A South African billionaire, Markus Jooste has committed suicide as he was found dead with a gunshot wound near Cape Town.

It was reported that the billionaire shot himself in the head while taking a walk just few minutes from his Stellenbosch home.

The former Steinhoff CEO had been involved in an accounting fraud scandal as he got a hefty fine on Wednesday.

Police are investigating, stating that no foul play is suspected.

“It is alleged that the victim sustained a gunshot wound at around 1520 (local time) at Kwaaiwater and succumbed to death on his way to hospital,” Western Cape police spokesperson Colonel Andre Traut said in a statement.

Jooste’s death comes after a fine from the Financial Sector Conduct Authority for false financial statements linked to Steinhoff’s near-collapse in 2017 due to accounting irregularities. 

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El-Rufai Speaks On Dumping APC For SDP

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A former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has denied rumours of his planned defection of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

El-Rufai made an unexpected appearance at the SDP National Secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday.

The National Chairman of the SDP, Shehu Musa Gabam, and other chieftains of the party received the former Kaduna governor.

Reacting in a statement on Thursday issued by his spokesman, Muyiwa Adekeye, El-Rufai said he only visited the SDP headquarters to return a visit to the party’s chairman.

The former Minister said Gabam was among his friends who took part in the break of the Ramadan fast (Iftar) at his house in Abuja on Tuesday.

El-Rufai said he is known for being open and forthright, adding that his political decisions would not be subjected to speculation.

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