NEAR TRUTHS:
CENTERS OF GRAVITY

HIT MODE: Industry eyes are very much on the year’s next important, high-profile release—Hit Me Hard and Soft, the third album from Billie Eilish, due 5/17. Billie’s two Darkroom/Interscope albums have done north of 10m in total U.S. activity, and her award-winning Barbie single remains a giant that has kept her in the foreground as John Janick and team have deftly helped advance an extraordinary career.

It’s clear from the press she’s done thus far that Eilish is entering a powerful new creative chapter—along with trusty brother/collaborator FINNEAS—and her frank declarations about her sexuality and her bouts of depression have made her even more of a voice for the collective consciousness of multiple generations of women. Eilish has said she doesn’t want to be a “spokesperson” about mental illness or other issues, but her down-to-earth vibe and wisdom beyond her years make her a tonic in these bullshit-saturated times. Will she achieve her stated goal of reconnecting with the “2019 me” she felt was lost in the onrush of fame and the disorienting onslaught of the pandemic? Hard to say, but it’s a safe bet that Eilish’s new work will take her to another plateau, commercially and culturally, at the ripe old age of 22.

Eilish will kick off a huge Live Nation-promoted tour in the fall. She’s repped at Wasserman by Tom Windish and Sara Bollwinkel in the U.S. and Mike Malak for Europe.

TALL IN THE SADDLE: Goldenvoice/AEG’s two big desert fests are now done, and this could be remembered as the year that Stagecoach equaled Coachella in impact, reflecting the dominance of country and Americana on the DSPs. Morgan Wallen’s headline spot may have been what pushed Stagecoach over the top, but the event has a cultural momentum all its own, which was observable as much by the throng watching Diplo’s country-accented DJ sets as any of the live shows.

While Beyoncé didn’t show up at the Indio throwdown, there was an airplane banner touting her COWBOY CARTER set, one indicator of how the center of gravity has shifted as regards genre in recent times. Another is Post Malone’s high-profile performance—and cameo during Wallen’s set—and forthcoming album (credited as Mercury/Republic in partnership with Big Loud), which will see the versatile star attempting to conquer country. Thus far, the Nashville community seems to be embracing that idea wholeheartedly. Republic’s relationship with Big Loud appears to be multifaceted, including not only Wallen but fellow headliner Miranda Lambert. Jelly Roll, who was ubiquitous at the fest and destroyed with his own sets, remains the subject of much buzz in the biz as wonderers wonder when his new deal—possibly to involve a JV imprint as well as longtime home Broken Bow and coastal major Republic—will be done. Those close to the situation say it involves a lot of moving parts.

Both Big Loud and Broken Bow are now true giants that have redefined the country landscape. Meanwhile, like Republic, Aaron Bay-Schuck and Tom Corson’s Warner is another coastal major challenging the Nashville supremacy in country and taking huge market share in the genre. As Zach Bryan—a likely headliner for Stagecoach 2025—continues to rule, the label’s newly inked Dasha is already a viral phenom.