The piece, bearing the headline “Will Universal Music's New Boss Keep the Hits Coming?,” opens with a flourish. “Lucian Grainge's management style is not short on theatrical flourish,” writes Dan Sabbagh. “Four years ago, the Briton who is about to become the world's most powerful music industry executive, arrived late to the boardroom of Universal Music Group's international head office in
What follows is a quote that will cause hearts to pump and hands to tremble throughout UMG, as Grainge succinctly and unequivocally lays out the sole criterion regarding the life expectancy of the UMG executives under his command: "It will depend if they have any hits or not."
Sabbag places the 49-year-old executive in an interesting context, pointing out that Grainge “is one of a trio of talented British music executives—all born within six months of each other—who have landed at the heart of the industry, even though none had any college education.” The other are Simon Cowell, “the elder of the group and the only one who has turned 50,” and Simon Fuller.
“Grainge, though, describes himself as ‘the powerful one,’” Sabbagh writes. “He may not appear on television, but the turn-off-the-lights story is typical of a man who is both fiercely competitive and entertainingly playful. He chases artists signed to other music companies with fervor, personally persuading the Rolling Stones to switch over from…EMI two years ago. And once he's wooed acts, he can keep them on board—no small achievement in an industry not short of ego.”
Said U2 manager Paul McGuinness of Grainge: "Making it in the
The reporter notes that Grainge wants to transform UMG “into a ‘content-owning rights company,’ which means developing television and film formats to vie with the two Simons' TV franchises: Fuller's American Idol and Cowell's soon-to-be-arriving X Factor, which is already a big hit in Britain. Among Universal's television projects in
Sabbag closes the piece as he opened it: “Whether either format produces the next Susan Boyle remains to be seen. But if anybody is going to keep the lights on in the
THE COUNT: COLDPLAY IS HOT, COUNTRY'S COOKIN' IN THE U.K.
The latest tidbits from the bustling live sector (3/28a)
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THE NEW UMG
Gosh, we hope there are more press releases.
TIKTOK BANNED!
Unless the Senate manages to make this whole thing go away, that is.
THE NEW HUGE COUNTRY ACT
No, not that one.
TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN PLAYLIST
Now 100% unlicensed!
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