NEAR TRUTHS:
BOSS STATS
SONY'S STRONG FINISH: Sony Music's remarkable year was marked by a .5 bump in current marketshare and big streams, spins and/or Grammy noms for its top acts. The icing on the cake came with news of the company's gigundo deal for Bruce Springsteen's recording and publishing catalog.
Ron Perry’s Columbia (7.1 overall) had a stellar year, with the biggest album debut (by megadiva Adele); two of the most formidable acts at both DSPs and radio in Lil Nas X and The Kid LAROI (the latter with the #5 album, north of 1.4m YTD), both of whom also enjoy big Grammy noms; and a big breakout for Polo G, who has a Top 20 album (976k+ YTD, with a deluxe edition having just bowed in the Top 5). With strong, research-bolstered instincts and a nimble structure, Perry—with able assistance from EVP/GM Jen Mallory and promo chief Peter Gray and team (who’ve controlled the Top 3 at Pop radio for five weeks)—is redefining the very model of a modern record label.
Peter Edge’s RCA (4.4 current, a .8 gain) has cultivated one of the biggest breakouts in recent memory with Doja Cat, whose Planet Her is #7 for the year with nearly 1.4m YTD and who has also earned a raft of Grammy noms. Doja has demonstrated a pop-cultural influence well beyond music, dominating the socials and proving she has considerable chops as a TV host. H.E.R. is also nominated in top categories. Nipper’s latest success is a DSP rocket from TDE’s R&B innovator SZA, which flew to #1 on the streaming charts almost immediately. Edge and President John Fleckenstein have modernized their team (most notably by upping Mark Pitts to President and placing Keith Rothschild and Sam Selolwane atop their promo department) and their roster. Ahead of their big relocation to the creative center that is L.A., Team Nipper has been constructing an impressive studio complex as an artist-friendly HQ.
Epic’s Sylvia Rhone, Rick Sackheim, Ezekiel Lewis and team are enjoying the Grammy glow surrounding GIVĒON, who scored one of the year’s biggest singles. New releases from Future and 21 Savage are said to be coming in the new year. The ongoing Travis Scott drama, understandably, has put his next release date in question.
David Massey’s Arista team hosted one of the surprise breakouts of 2021, Italian rockers Måneskin, whose single “Beggin’” (2m+ ATD) proved a stone smash and whose recent U.S. live appearances confirmed that they are the real deal, as well as newcomer Tai Verdes, who has flourished at radio and garnered impressive streams.
THE LEVITATING BUNNY: Aaron Bay-Schuck and Tom Corson’s Warner is in rebuilding mode as they mark a Top 10 album for indefatigable superstar Dua Lipa (enjoying the year’s #1 song, “Levitating,” with 5.6m activity YTD, and #8 album, 1.3m+) and hail hip-hop breakout Saweetie, not to mention the season’s biggest holiday record, Michael Bublé’s perennial Christmas (Reprise). Mike Chester and his promotion team did a simply remarkable job with Dua. The Bunny expanded its A&R capabilities considerably by adding strong players Karen Kwak and Steve “Steve-O” Carless.
WHISKEY, BEER AND TROPHIES: The biggest story in country music also happens to be the #1 album of the year as the aforementioned Wallen transcends controversy to become Nashville’s biggest breakout. That story is balanced by true diversity on the new-artist front; acts like Capitol Nashville’s Mickey Guyton, BBR/Stoney Creek’s Jimmie Allen (both Grammy nominees) Warner Music Nashville’s Gabby Barrett and BMLG’s Carly Pearce have achieved ever-greater prominence. River House/Columbia Nashville’s Luke Combs, who had a stellar year, has moved up to the next level, as have RCA Nashville/Zone 4’s Kane Brown and WMN’s Dan+Shay. They’re all selling out arenas. Mercury Nashville’s Chris Stapleton, meanwhile, is in a category of his own, with Grammy noms, CMA domination, big ticket sales and now a diamond plaque. And then there’s “indie” Walker Hayes, whose Monument single “Fancy Like” is a DSP unicorn that has crossed to Pop.
SPILLING THE TEA: As the U.K. debated vaxx passports and streaming-royalty legislation, the Blighty biz saw some decided bright spots. Adele’s massive moment led the way, but there was also action on new artists like Transgressive’s Arlo Parks—the BRITs’ Best New Artist, a Mercury Prize album winner and a Grammy BNA nominee who bowed at #3 with her debut—and Dave, who hit #1 and was nominated for five MOBOs (Music of Black Origin Awards) and won one. Meanwhile, icon Sir Elton John topped the chart with his collaborations set, which spawned two #1 singles and introduced a new generation to his incredible body of work.
