Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” (Island) has been named the U.K.’s song of the summer by the Official Charts Company after shifting 800k in sales across the last three months.
The track takes first place on the OCC’s seasonal Top 10 with 92.25m streams. It spent seven non-consecutive weeks at #1 on the singles chart and is also the summer’s biggest seller on physical formats.
Carpenter’s “Please Please Please” takes second place, while “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” (American Dogwood/EMPIRE) by Shaboozey is #3. “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” (Darkroom/Interscope) by Billie Eilish and Hozier’s first U.K. #1 single, “Too Sweet” (Island), round out the Top 5.
With his “Stargazing” (RCA) at #7, Myles Smith joins Hozier as the only two British/Irish talents in the Top 10, with the remaining releases coming from U.S. artists.
UMG has seven of the 10 songs, followed by Sony and Warner with one apiece.
As for HITS, the only thing we did this summer is try not to work.
Official Songs of the Summer 2024 - Top 10:
1. “Espresso” (Island), Sabrina Carpenter
2. “Please Please Please,” Sabrina Carpenter
3. “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” (American Dogwood/EMPIRE), Shaboozey
4. “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” (Darkroom/Interscope), Billie Eilish
5. “Too Sweet” (Island), Hozier
6. “Houdini” (Interscope), Eminem
7. “Stargazing” (RCA), Myles Smith
8. “Beautiful Things” (Warner Records), Benson Boone
9. “Good Luck, Babe!” (Island), Chappell Roan
10. “I Had Some Help” (Republic), Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen
The expensive and lengthy process British musicians face to be able to tour in the EU won't ease anytime soon, according to report in the Financial Times.
Despite much lobbying from the industry to improve the situation caused by Brexit, which has resulted in costly permits and bureaucracy, the EU has reportedly ruled out making any changes.
The process of doing so, according to documents seen by the FT, would require a revision to the EU-U.K. Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which the European Commission has said it’s not prepared to consider.
However, there's still reason to be hopeful. Jon Collins, the CEO of live industry trade body LIVE, said changes could be made without a revision to the agreement and that there is “renewed impetus from both sides to solve this issue,” while recognizing that negotiations are needed to find a solution.
He continued, “It is widely recognised that improvements to these touring rules are needed to bring major economic and cultural benefits to both European member states and the U.K.”
The U.K.’s live music industry contributed more than £6b to the country's economy last year, a tally up 17% from 2022, according to data from trade body LIVE.
The org’s annual Live Music Report also says the sector rose 35% compared to pre-pandemic figures from 2019. Live music in the U.K. supported jobs for nearly 230k people in 2023, up 9.4% from 2019.
Thanks to major tours by artists such as Beyoncé and Coldplay (pictured), the growth is largely attributed to concert revenues, which increased 19% year-on-year to account for 73.5% of the £6b.
In 2023, London accounted for nearly a third (30.6%) of total live music revenue. Manchester took the second highest at 7.4%, while Glasgow took the lead in Scotland with 5.5% of the U.K.’s share.
Despite the positives, LIVE CEO Jon Collins warned of the "significant" challenges that remain for festivals and venues. Last year, 36 festivals were cancelled and 125 grassroots music venues in the U.K. permanently closed.
Collins urged the new Labour Government to reintroduce a lower rate of VAT on tickets in order to “bring the U.K. into line with international competitors.” He continued, “With a lower rate of VAT on tickets, we could see the sector grow further, supporting more jobs, generating more investment and putting on more gigs, festivals and tours for people to enjoy.”
As for HITS, we're still in the online queue for Oasis. Click refresh on our behalf?
U.K.-based digital entertainment and retail association ERA has hired Linda Walker, most recently SVP of Commercial Partnerships and Analytics at Warner Music U.K., as Chair.
Walker begins her new rolw 9/1. She succeeds Ben Drury, CEO of family-orientated audio platform Yoto, who served for 18 months.
Walker began her music industry career working behind the counter of her local East Midlands indie record shop, Shooting Star Records. She joined Warner Music U.K. as a Sales and Radio Promotions Representative covering the South Coast, before becoming its first Digital Account Manager in 2005, responsible for what was then Apple’s iTunes.
After driving commercial partnerships with artists including Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Dua Lipa, Michael Bublé, Liam Gallagher and Stormzy, Walker was appointed SVP of Commercial Partnerships and Analytics, a role she held until November 2023.
ERA CEO Kim Bayley said, “Linda Walker’s experience spans all areas of ERA’s membership from independent stores to some of the world’s largest streaming services, and she brings with her a reputation for clarity of thought and pragmatic commercialism, making her the ideal candidate for ERA Chair.”
“For artists and creators to succeed, they need digital services and retailers to prosper too, and I look forward to playing my part in ensuring we create the conditions which make that possible," Walker said.
Independent entertainment company The Other Songs has signed a publishing pact with Universal Music Publishing Group. British singer and songwriter Bruno Major (pictured) is the first signing under the new arrangement.
In addition, British publishing exec Jacque O’Leary has joined The Other Songs as General Manager. She formerly held roles at [PIAS], Beggars Group, Downtown, Roc Nation and Sony Music Publishing.
UMPG U.K. Head of A&R Pete Simmons called it "a real privilege to be able to team up with The Other Songs," adding that what "their wonderful team have built is inspiring, and us getting to be a part of that moving forward is so exciting—especially with an incredible talent like Bruno.”
Major, an AWAL artist, has garnered 1.8b streams with his three albums. His tracks “Easily” and “Nothing” are Platinum and Gold certified, respectively, and he’s completed sold out tour dates across North America, Europe, Australia and Asia.
The Other Songs co-founders and brothers, Alastair and Billy Webber, said: “After a 13-year wait, it is a dream come true to welcome Bruno Major to The Other Songs Publishing with the support of UMPG.
“Bruno is an extraordinary storyteller. His songs continue to change people’s lives and this partnership is an opportunity for Bruno to expand his reach into theatre, TV and film, whilst continuing to build his remarkable artist journey. Special thanks to his manager, Sam Bailey, and Harbour Artists & Music, and to our publishing partners, Mike McCormack and Pete Simmons.”
The Other Songs, based in New York and London, was founded in 2018. Its roster, made up of artists, songwriters, producers and animators, has garnered 2+b streams, including hits from SUPER-Hi, Endor, Raffa FL, Starsmith, and the 2023 U.K. chart-topping album, Sick Boi, by Ren.
TikTok has revealed the most popular tracks in the U.K. this summer across its platform, with “Nasty” (Nice Life) by Tinashe topping the list with more than 10m video creations.
Blood Orange takes second place with “Champagne Coast” (Domino), followed by "MILLION DOLLAR BABY (VHS)” (ISO Supremacy/PULSE) by Tommy Richman and “Pink Lemonade (Str8 Reload)” (Str8 Reload Ent) by London rapper LeoStayTrill & Mr Reload It.
Sabrina Carpenter’s “Please Please Please” (Island), which spent five weeks at the top of the U.K. Official Singles Chart, takes fifth place. Her other seven-week #1, “Espresso,” lands at #10.
Other songs by British artists on the list include “BAND4BAND” (Columbia) by Central Cee & Lil Baby at #7, “Stargazing” (RCA) Myles Smith at #8 and “KEHLANI” (300) by Jordan Adetunji at #9.
As noted by Record of the Day, four of the songs have yet to even crack the Official U.K. Singles Chart Top 40. We’ll let you make of that what you will.
Meanwhile, the U.S. version of the same list is led by “MILLION DOLLAR BABY,” while the platform’s global Top 10 is headed by FloyyMenor & Cris Mj’s “Gata Only.”
Ten up-and-coming independent British artists have received grants to further their careers from the Featured Artists Coalition and Amazon Music’s Step Up Fund.
The acts will all benefit from grants of up to £8k, alongside mentoring, a one-year PRO membership to the FAC, a one-year subscription to Amazon Music and content creation opportunities. This is the fund's third year in existence.
Singer, songwriter and producer Azekel, who has collaborated with Massive Attack and Gorillaz and supported Erykah Badu, is among those chosen. Musician BEKA, who created the soundtrack for the fourth season of the Apple TV+ series Trying, is also on the list.
Others include Ivor Novello Rising Star nominee Blair Davie, alternative duo Dirty Nice, singer-songwriter Hana Lili and rock band Lime Garden. The remaining acts are singer Olive Jones, rapper ShaSimone, indie artist SOFY and metal act unpeople.
David Martin, CEO of the Featured Artists Coalition, said of this year’s cohort, “Since we launched Step Up in 2022, I've been consistently inspired by the quality and the sheer volume of artists who apply. This year was no exception. The range and diversity has been incredibly strong. The U.K. clearly has no shortage of talent, and there is evidently a real need for more of this kind of targeted funding, that can help independent artists realise their potential and build sustainable careers.”
The U.K. government has launched a voluntary code of good practice regarding transparency in music streaming, with trade orgs BPI and AIM publishing a handy checklist for record labels.
The code has been signed by various U.K. music trade bodies on behalf of their members and offers a framework for minimum standards in their dealings with everyone involved in the streaming industry.
It covers areas such as contracts, royalty accounting, the right of music makers to audit companies they are working with and transparency in DSP licensing agreements.
The U.K.’s Intellectual Property Office has oversight of the code and its implementation. It will convene meetings of signatory organizations every six months to consider modifications, and a formal review will take place every two years.
The full text of the initiative can be read here.
