NEAR TRUTHS: SPRING BLOOMS The coming weeks bring an array of superstar releases, most of which are likely to figure in the chart picture throughout 2024. Beyoncé’s Country Carter album, due 3/29, is the most-discussed and widely anticipated—which is saying something, considering that… …Read moreCITY OF HOPE TAPS MARCIANO FOR TOP HONOR City of Hope will present its Spirit of Life Award to AEG Presents Chairman/CEO Jay Marciano at a gala this fall in Los Angeles. …Read moreUMG BROADENS SPOTIFY OFFERINGS Universal Music Group and Spotify are expanding their strategic relationship to further amplify music discovery and social interaction and enhance fan experiences on the platform for UMG artists and songwriters. …Read moreTHE COUNT: COLDPLAY IS HOT, COUNTRY'S COOKIN' IN THE U.K. Coldplay is eyeing a $1b box-office milestone, Morgan Wallen and Chris Stapleton are leading a gold rush for live American country in the U.K. and big paydays await some reunited faves. …Read moreTRUST IN THE TOP 20 Future and Metro Boomin’s We Don’t Trust You will score the year’s biggest opening, and Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS (spilled) heads for the #2 spot. Meanwhile, Rubyworks/ Columbia's Hozier and Sony Music Latin’s Shakira... …Read moreSONG REVENUE: A STYLISTIC STEW Kanye West & Ty Dolla Sign’s “CARNIVAL” leapfrogs Ariana Grande’s “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” to reclaim #1 on the Song Revenue Chart. Cardi B notches the week’s top-earning debut with “Enough (Miami).” And Warner bros Benson Boone, Teddy Swims and Zach Bryan stay rock-solid at 4, 5 and 6, respectively. YTD MARKET SHARE If we organized the market-share standings in brackets, employing the setup of the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments, the #1 seeds would belong to a pair of loaded squads coached by frequent champs Monte and Avery Lipman and John Janick. …Read more BRYAN AND THE BOSS SURPRISE IN BROOKLYN On a day off from his North American arena tour, Bruce Springsteen flew across the country and then right back to California to make a surprise appearance with Zach Bryan in Brooklyn. …Read moreNIPPER FETCHES RED CLAY STRAYS RCA has inked hot roots-rock band the Red Clay Strays, which has been avidly pursued by multiple majors. Big ups to Peter Edge, John Fleckenstein and A&R hitter Dan Chertoff. …Read moreNOISEMAKERS: FAB FEMALES In observance of Women's History Month, our latest roundup features eight women from various parts of the biz whose dedication and effort make their superiors look good. …Read more |
THE COUNT: COLDPLAY IS HOT, COUNTRY'S COOKIN' IN THE U.K.
The latest tidbits from the bustling live sector (3/28a)
SONG REVENUE:
A STYLISTIC STEW MC, divas and singer-songwriters rub elbows. (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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Top 5 Picks to Break! | ||||||||||||||
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THE COUNT: COLDPLAY IS HOT, COUNTRY'S COOKIN' IN THE U.K.
The latest tidbits from the bustling live sector (3/28a)
SONG REVENUE:
A STYLISTIC STEW MC, divas and singer-songwriters rub elbows. (3/28a)
| ||
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!
|
Nottingham hip-hop act Young T & Bugsey hit #25 on the U.K. album chart with their mixtape Plead the 5th in March. Released on Sony label Black Butter, it accumulated more than 100m streams. The pair also have two Top 20 singles in their portfolio, “Strike a Pose” featuring Aitch and “Don’t Rush” with Headie One, both of which have achieved platinum status. “Don’t Rush” peaked at #56 on the Billboard Hot 100—a significant accomplishment for the British rap scene, which historically hasn’t translated fully overseas.
Young T & Bugsey joined Sony/ATV in early 2020 and have been in the studio with a host of big-name producers ever since.
Sony/ATV U.K. Head of A&R Sarah Lockhart, who signed them, says: “I love their ability to create subtle but hypnotic melodies. Their style is familiar and relatable but somehow fresh and their own. I believe they will create a legacy that’s not just of the moment; their influences and melodies have timeless appeal.”
A statement from 2K Management noted Young T & Bugsey’s “amazing chemistry,” further stating: “When it comes to writing hooks, especially, they are almost unmatched—they have a knack for knowing exactly what to say to get the crowd jumping. As individuals, they understand not just what they themselves are good at but also what the other person is good at. When they go into the booth, they’re always on the same page and know what to deliver to create magic.”
The plan is to continue working on a new album project and, according to Lockhart, “connecting with the global artist community and refining their distinct sound.”•
Singer-songwriter Rina Sawayama joined UMPG U.K. while under quarantine via Zoom. She’d signed to Dirty Hit in 2019, having self-released her debut EP, Rina, in 2017. Her critically acclaimed album bow, Sawayama, appeared in April. Pitchfork called it “a Y2K flashback as reverent of Evanescence and Korn as it is of Britney and Christina.”
Tom Cater, A&R Manager for UMPG U.K., notes: “Rina is capable of speaking about global topics in her songwriting while maintaining a sense of personal experience at the same time.” She is an outspoken supporter of LGBTQ+ causes, points out House of Us management’s Caspar Harvey, and has also demanded revised eligibility criteria for the BRIT and Mercury Music Prize awards to accommodate artists with indefinite-leave-to-remain status—despite having lived in the U.K. for 25 years, Sawayama isn’t eligible because she was born in Japan and doesn’t hold a British passport. “Her passion for these issues is echoed in her lyrics,” Harvey affirms.
Since hopping aboard UMPG, Sawayama has participated in sessions with Bastille, MNEK and Glass Animals and been submitted for sync placements with Toyota, Fifa, Netflix and Apple. She plans to write for the remainder of 2020. In the offing for 2021 are U.S. and U.K. tours and a number of international festivals.•
Raye has successfully established herself as a songwriter as well as an artist, with credits on songs by a host of big names, including Beyoncé, Charli XCX, Ellie Goulding and Madison Beer. As an artist, she recently hit #6 on the U.K. singles chart with “Secrets” alongside Regard.
Raye was signed to Warner Chappell Music U.K. by Head of A&R Amber Davis in 2015, later joining Polydor Records as an artist. Says Davis: “It was really refreshing to hear her say she wanted to write for other people and genuinely mean it. And she got results so quickly after signing a publishing deal, a testament to her work ethic. Plus, Raye’s amazing versatility means she can go from working with David Guetta to Young Adz from D Block Europe to top Ghanaian producers and artists like Mr Eazi.”
Raye’s first cuts were with Charli XCX and Snakehips. Then came Jax Jones’ “You Don’t Know Me,” to which she contributed vocals, which hit #3 on the U.K. charts in 2017, closely followed by collaborations with Mabel and Stefflon Don. On her own, Raye took third in the BBC’s Sound of 2017 poll. Last year she became the first recipient of the BMI Awards Impact Prize.
Her next objectives are to build on the success of “Secrets” with solo outing “Natalie Don’t” and begin to infiltrate the U.S. market.•
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