NEAR TRUTHS:
ALL THE RIGHT MOVES

SOFT POWER: Billie Eilish’s stellar new album, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, enjoyed #1 debuts all over the world—though not in the U.S., where Taylor Swift’s D2C onslaught consigned the Darkroom/Interscope release to #2, even as its bow reflected Eilish’s biggest week yet in the marketplace. She remains strong in week two, clocking nearly 150k. Managers Danny Rukasin and Brandon Goodman worked effectively in concert with Team Janick and Wasserman’s Sara Bollwinkel, Tom Windish and Mike Malak to assemble a global plan for the artist.

HIT ME HARD AND SOFT is a tour de force, one that reflects huge creative growth for Eilish (as both writer and singer) and sibling/collaborator FINNEAS. The pair ventures fearlessly into all kinds of new musical territory, and the set’s subject matter is powerful and emotionally vulnerable. The 10-song collection favors the classical notion of an album—a set of songs meant to be listened to together, in that order, as a statement and snapshot of the artist’s outlook at that moment—over the streaming-era conception of ever-expanding “content” and track counts maximized to juke the stats. What’s more, Eilish’s decision to address her sexuality directly, both in her music and in the press, seems to have further liberated her creatively. If this is where she is at 22, we can only wonder what she’ll be doing at 25 or 30. Needless to say, we’re looking forward to it.

SU GENTE: The inking of J Balvin to Interscope Capitol Miami has prompted major buzz throughout the biz as John Janick thoughtfully moves the chess pieces around the board, empowering Miami chief Nir Seroussi to work the same magic he’s exerted with KAROL G, among others, and further setting up Tower topper Tom March for success. Will Balvin, a giant in the Latin world who stunned at Coachella and has embarked on an enormous world tour, now advance to the next level, achieving crossover superstardom?

Preview pic: AnnH