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Dua Lipa says she never removed agent over attempt to block Kneecap at Glastonbury

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Dua Lipa has denied reports that she dismissed her agent after he attempted to have Kneecap removed from the Glastonbury line-up because of their pro-Palestine stance.

The Dance the Night star responded to claims that she cut ties with David Levy after he signed a letter addressed to Glastonbury organisers Michael and Emily Eavis, urging them to exclude the Irish rap trio from the festival in June over their pro-Palestine views.

Both Lipa and her talent agency WME rejected the story, stating that Levy stepped away from working with the singer back in 2019.

"I do not condone the actions of David Levy or other music executives toward an artist speaking their truth," Lipa wrote on Instagram Stories. "I also cannot ignore how this has been handled in the press. Not only was the story completely false but the language used by the Daily Mail has been deliberately inflammatory, crafted purely for clickbait, clearly designed to fuel online division."

The Levitating hitmaker, who has openly expressed her support for Palestinians during the ongoing conflict in Gaza, added, "It is always Free Palestine, but exploiting a global tragedy in order to sell newspapers is something I find deeply troubling."

In a separate statement, WME clarified that Levy moved into an advisory role in 2019 and has not managed Lipa’s daily affairs since then. He “fully removed himself from the project among others earlier this year.”

"Reports suggesting that Dua Lipa or her management dismissed one of our agents because of his political views are categorically false," the agency stated.

Despite pressure to cancel Kneecap’s appearance, their Glastonbury set went ahead in June, although the BBC cut the livestream due to concerns about the group’s political remarks. During their performance, they led the audience in chants of "Free Palestine" and "F**k (British Prime Minister) Keir Starmer."

Kneecap member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, also known as Mo Chara, was charged with a terrorism offence in May after allegedly displaying a flag linked to Hezbollah, a banned organisation, during a concert last year.

The artist, who has denied the charge, is scheduled to return to court on Friday.

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Janet Devlin makes her country music dream a reality

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By Newsdesk
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Janet Devlin says that “blending my Irish roots with the Nashville spirit has opened up this whole new world.”

The 30-year-old Irish singer-songwriter, who first rose to fame after placing fifth on The X Factor in 2011, has released Not My First Emotional Rodeo, a deluxe edition of her country debut Emotional Rodeo. The expanded album includes eight brand new tracks, one of which is a stripped-back version of Kenny Rogers’ timeless classic The Gambler.

Devlin is embracing her country music dream, having performed at C2C (Country to Country) Festival in Belfast, London, and Berlin this year, while also celebrating chart success with her record. She admits the experience has been “a bit surreal.”

Speaking to BANG Showbiz, she explained: “It’s honestly a bit surreal but also the realisation of a long term goal of mine. I grew up in very rural Ireland, singing along to country songs at home, and at the back of my mind I always knew that one day I’d be releasing in this genre. But I also somehow manifested me standing on a C2C stage and having my songs played on the radio! To be part of this new wave bringing country into the mainstream is such an honour, but it also feels like home to me. Country has always been about storytelling, and that’s what I’ve been doing since the beginning – raw honesty, writing from the heart and of course some silly goose humour too!”

The country genre has seen a major revival in the mainstream recently, with artists such as Beyoncé, Post Malone, and Lana Del Rey helping to lead the charge.

Devlin added: “What’s exciting is seeing how wide the genre is stretching at the moment – country isn’t one thing and it can live anywhere. I hope it opens up for steadfast artists who’ve been grinding it out in the genre for a while – they deserve to have bigger audiences and a wee bit more income as a result! For me, blending my Irish roots with the Nashville spirit has opened up this whole new world.”

She went on to say: “More than anything, I’m just grateful. To see people connecting with songs that started in my little notebook in the middle of nowhere. If I can help make country feel a little more universal, a little more unexpected, then I’m exactly where I’m meant to be!”

Released in November 2024, Emotional Rodeo reached No.1 on the iTunes Country Chart and climbed to No.4 on the UK Official Country Artists Albums Chart.

Not My First Emotional Rodeo is now available to stream on all major platforms.

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