BUILDING BLOCKS (UPDATE)

The music publishing/artist development company Back Blocks Music is only a few weeks old, but it’s already seeing some action. The fledgling concern, founded by Nashville-based former BMG and Republic exec Rakiyah Marshall, has been cultivating artists who’ve moved the needle on TikTok, SoundCloud, Instagram and elsewhere.

Now, word from the Row is that at least two majors are circling BBM-signed singer/songwriter Lily Rose, whose single, "Villian," dropped on 12/15 and has since seized the #1 spot on the iTunes singles chart, passing even the mighty Taylor Swift. It earned a strong response on TikTok, with 1m views in its first 24 hours and 5m in a week. DSP and sales response quickly ensued. Meanwhile, streaming, radio and iTunes are in play for another BBM signing, Ashley Cooke.

What’s next on the Blocks? Marshall was too busy unsubscribing from our TikTok page to reply.