NEAR TRUTHS: ALL THE YOUNG DUDES

As was noted in a previous installment, the worldwide pause in touring hs caused many superstars to delay their new releases, opening up a lane for newer artists. If you're looking for evidence of increased oxygen in the market for developing acts, look no further than developments at Interscope, as Todd Moscowitz, Joie Manda, LVRN and TDE continue to put acts on base with singles and doubles alongside home-run hitters like Kendrick Lamar, DaBaby and Juice WRLD—while Darkroom’s Billie Eilish has fully broken the mold for Team Janick. But what will happen with Gaga and her tour?

Or consider Quality Control’s Coach K and P, as they tee up the next Lil Baby or Lil Yachty for Barnett’s Tower as Halsey reigns on while 10K continues to add its fuel to the mix with Surfaces breaking, and Jeff Vaughn (bred for stardom by Mike Caren) get his shot at the big time. But what will happen with Sam Smith and his tour?

Ron Perry and his Columbia team have been killing with one hit streaming act after another since Lil Nas X exploded on the scene; as Harry Styles achieves new worldwide success, Big Red has shattered the ceiling with the breaking of Arizona Zervas’ “Roxanne” at radio, while Powfu gets ready to go the distance. But what about Adele and Beyoncé?

Monte Lipman’s young turks Adelson, Arnold and Swirsky, meanwhile, have a contender to break into the ferocious batting order of The Weeknd, Post Malone, Drake, Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande, as BENEE shows signs of a major run. But what about Taylor?

RCA seems to have developed Doja Cat into a true act, with H.E.R. (who got a huge TV look on the Grammy Salute to Prince), Lucky Daye and Normani poised for the next level; but what about P!nk? Def Jam’s Jhené Aiko also appears on the verge of bigger things. But what about Rihanna? 21 Savage, Future and Travis Scott make Epic a big streaming factor, with Scott busting out a brand new single with Kid Cudi and a big Fortnite event to seize the narrative.