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AEG Presents has promoted Andrew Klein to president of global partnerships, where he will oversee all sales and activation efforts for the company. Reporting to executive vice president and COO Shawn Trell, Klein will continue to be based in New York.
Previously serving as senior vp of global partnerships, Klein has been a key figure in sponsorship sales at AEG for over two decades.
Klein has played an instrumental role in developing major sponsorship deals across AEG’s tours, festivals and venues. His work includes securing partnerships for high-profile events such as Stagecoach Festival, Camp Flog Gnaw and the New Orleans Jazz Fest & Heritage Festival. Known for his expertise in integrating brands with music experiences, he has spearheaded successful collaborations, including H&M’s global licensing deal with Coachella and tour sponsorships for Justin Bieber, Xbox, Ubisoft, Motorola and Katy Perry with Staples.
Klein was also ahead of the curve on live streaming, leading early broadcasts for the AT&T Blue Room with New Orleans Jazz Fest, Coachella and the Mile High Music Festival. More recently, he facilitated high-profile streaming deals, including partnerships between YouTube and Coachella and Amazon with Stagecoach, further expanding AEG’s reach in digital entertainment.
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Pre-AEG, Klein served as president of EMCI, a New York-based music sponsorship and activations firm. While there, he managed sponsorship programs for major events such as the original Lilith Fair and helped orchestrate brand collaborations, including partnerships between Tommy Hilfiger and Sheryl Crow, Shania Twain with Gitano Jeans and the Rolling Stones with Sprint.
“The opportunities in our company have never been more exciting or abundant for driving meaningful results for our partners,” said Klein. “I look forward to continuing to develop and implement innovative programs that amplify our world-class brand partners and industry-leading music assets.”
Trell praised Klein’s ability to cultivate relationships and “identifying brands and partners to bring critical value and expanded reach across our entire portfolio.”
This week’s crop of new music features a surging and steamy new video from Riley Green, while Lainey Wilson teams with Myles Smith for a countrified version of his 2024 hit “Nice to Meet You.” This week’s slate of new music also features songs from Dierks Bentley, Muscadine Bloodline, Tigirlily Gold and bluegrass duo Nefesh Mountain.
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Riley Green, “Worst Way”
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Green released “Worst Way” as part of his 2024 album Don’t Mind If I Do, but the song has surged on the strength of his risqué, passionate video for the track. That clip has garnered more than 2.3 million views on YouTube, rising to the top of YouTube’s trending music video list. The video is primarily sensuous, but also adds in some mood-lightening humor — in one scene, couple draws stares as they take their romance to a public restaurant, with one grandmotherly-type older woman looking on in clear amusement and fascination. Elsewhere, the couple recreates the humorous kitchen scene from the 1988 movie Bill Durham. Musically, the song makes it clear he can deliver a sultry country track with aplomb.
Myles Smith and Lainey Wilson, “Nice to Meet You”
Grammy winner and four-time Country Airplay hitmaker Wilson teams with “Stargazing” hitmaker Myles Smith for a country revamp of Smith’s 2024 hit. In this song, he’s nearly ready to head home from a night at the bar, when a chance meeting develops into a chance to spend the night dancing away their worries. Wilson’s signature soul-twang vocal is front and center and meshes well with Smith’s smooth, pop voice, bolstered by stomps, handclaps and laid-back but hooky, folk-pop groove. Given the plethora of pop-country fusions that have proven bona fide hits over the past few years, look for this track to make an impact.
Dierks Bentley, “She Hates Me”
Bentley is known for his trademark humor on hits such as “Drunk on a Plane,” and he puts plenty more of that comedic side on display on his this radio-ready song, the Valentine’s Day-released “She Hates Me.” This polished country track finds Bentley offering a tale of a guy who ruefully realizes that his dreams reviving a former romance have been derailed by one thing — or several things. In fact, she despises nearly everything about him, from his dog and his hair, to his truck and his music. This is classic, comedic Bentley.
Nefesh Mountain, Beacons
Married duo Eric Lindberg and Doni Zasloff highlight the through-lines between bluegrass and Americana on this two-part project, with Zasloff’s pristine, airy vocal leading this 18-song musical tapestry that runs through songs about trusting in the meaning of regrets (“Regrets in the Rearview”), the Rodney Crowell classic “Song for the Life,” and the fleet-fingered, fiddle-fueled “This Is Me.” They take inspiration from not only their personal journey, but current events, on the clear-eyed but optimistic “Better Angels,” fusing traditional bluegrass song constructions with modern lyrical inspirations–and proving both the depth and breadth of their musicianship in the process. Further evincing their musical acumen, they are joined by a top-notch group of collaborators throughout, including pedal steel guitarist Greg Leisz, dobro player Jerry Douglas, mandolinist Sam Bush, banjoist Rob McCoury, guitarist Cody Kilby, fiddle player Stuart Duncan and bassist Mark Schatz, crafting a project that feels wholly progressive and creatively complex.
Tigirlily Gold, “Forever From Here”
This balmy new love song, fueled by jangly, breezy acoustics, serves as both a love song and a love letter to this sister duo’s North Dakota roots. Lyrically, the song brims with imagery of rural living — wide open plains, John Deere tractors and glowing red sunsets — while the song’s protagonist dreams of building a family and a future in those same, slow-rolling rural settings. “Forever From Here” was written by the duo’s Krista and Kendra Slaubaugh, along with co-writers Pete Good and Shane McAnally.
Muscadine Bloodline, “Chickasaw Church of Christ”
This duo returns with this acoustic-driven song from their upcoming album, … And What Was Left Behind, out April 11. Here, the song’s protagonist knows a breakup is unavoidable as his lover is moving away, but he still wants to see if one last meetup will lead to a spark for old time’s sake. Written by Muscadine Bloodline’s Gary Stanton, this tender, yearning track embodies both heartbreak and lingering love — paying tribute to the love the couple had, as Stanton expresses his determination to make the most of the rapidly dwindling time they still have together.
It’s official: Taylor Swift owned the year 2024, we were just living in it.
Swift creates history by being named as the IFPI’s Biggest-Selling Global Recording Artist of the Year for the fifth time, and for the third consecutive year.
With her latest crown, which recognizes the top artist across physical sales, downloads and streaming, Swift is the outright No. 1 recording artist on the planet.
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Announced today, Feb. 18, Swift finished at the top of the podium, ahead of Canadian rapper Drake and K-pop sensation SEVENTEEN, respectively.
This year’s victory follows Swift’s wins in 2014, 2019, 2022 and 2023. No one comes close to her record. Now in its 12th year, just two other acts have led the IFPI’s Global Recording Artist Chart on multiple occasions – Drake (in 2016 and 2018) and BTS (2020, 2021).
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The artist award and chart is the first and only ranking to accurately capture the popularity of artists across streaming channels, doing so alongside digital and physical album and singles sales on a global basis, across the calendar year.
Also, the IFPI reports, TayTay does a Swift Sweep on the Federation’s various year-end tallies.
With her all-conquering release The Tortured Poets Department, the pop superstar leads the IFPI’s Global Album Chart, Global Vinyl Album Chart, Global Streaming Album Chart and Global Album Sales Chart.
“We are immensely proud to award the IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year Award to Taylor Swift for the fifth time, as she continues to redefine the limits of global success,” comments Victoria Oakley, CEO, IFPI.
“This has been a huge year for Taylor, and it has been incredible to see the extent to which fans all over the world are connecting with her superb catalog of music.”
With her record smashing The Eras Tour filling stadiums around the globe in 2024, economists and analysts coined the expression “The Taylor Swift Effect,” which explains the broader cultural and economic impact when her shows come to town.
A product of that phenomenon can be seen in the IFPI’s charts as fans, hyped up by her live performances, boosted her entire catalog on streaming platforms.
Swift was also a juggernaut on wax in 2024. According to the IFPI, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (from 2023), Midnights (2022), folklore (2020), evermore (2020) and Lover (2019) all appeared in the top 20 of the trade body’s 2024 Global Vinyl Album Chart.
In other takeaways from the IFPI’s Global Charts, Zach Bryan and Sabrina Carpenter crack the top 10 of the Global Recording Artist Chart, whilst Noah Kahan, Benson Boone, Chappell Roan and Teddy Swims locked onto the Global Streaming Album Chart for the first time.
On the Global Album Sales Chart, K-Pop once again led the way. Meanwhile, Chinese artist Zhou Shen and Japan’s Snow Man impact the top 20 of the albums tally, which is based on unit sales across physical and download formats.
Top 20 IFPI Global Recording Artist Chart 2024:
PositionPrior YearArtist11Taylor Swift24Drake32SEVENTEEN4Re-entry (2022)Billie Eilish53Stray Kids616Zach Bryan75The Weeknd814Eminem9Re-entry (2022)Kendrick Lamar10NEWSabrina Carpenter11Re-entry (2021)Ariana Grande1219Post Malone136Morgan Wallen14NEWENHYPEN1517Travis Scott1618Kanye West1710Lana Del Rey18Re-entry (2016)Beyoncé19NEWLinkin Park209Bad Bunny
The CoComelon: Sing-A-Long Live Tour, a fresh production featuring the characters of CoComelon that made its debut in South Africa in late 2024, will make its way across North America beginning in spring 2025, Round Room Live and Moonbug Entertainment announced on Tuesday (Feb. 18).
Tickets for the just-revealed CoComelon tour dates are available via presale starting today, with a general on-sale scheduled for Friday, Feb. 21. Visit the tour’s website, cocomelonontour.com, for date-specific ticket information.
The cast and crew will kick off CoComelon’s musical journey in the U.S. and Canada with an April 24 opening date in Roanoke, Virginia, and by June 29 will end up in Louisville, Kentucky. Along the way, the CoComelon: Sing-A-Long Live Tour will visit a long list of markets, including Atlanta, Providence, Boston, Nashville and more. (See all the tour dates below.)
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CoComelon is a familiar name to many young ones who tune in to children’s programming on YouTube, where the CoComelon channel has 190 million subscribers, and Netflix, which has the original series CoComelon Lane. Spin-off series CoComelon Classroom debuted on YouTube in fall 2024.
Wondering what to expect from the live, kid-friendly production when it arrives in your city? “CoComelon’s favorite teacher Ms. Appleberry welcomes JJ, his friends and you to come along on a Melon Patch Musical field trip! In CoComelon: Sing-A-Long LIVE, dance and sing along with JJ, Nina, Cody, Cece and all of their friends to some of your favorite bops, including ‘If You’re Happy and You Know It,’ ‘Wheels on the Bus,’ ‘Animal Dance,’ ‘Head Shoulders Knees and Toes,’ ‘Freeze Dance,’ and many more,” reads a show description released on Tuesday.
The live production is the latest family entertainment tour to be produced by Round Room Live, the company behind recent live stage shows for children like Sesame Street Live! Say Hello and the Blippi: Join the Band Tour.
“We are thrilled to embark on the North American tour of CoComelon: Sing-A-Long LIVE, bringing this beloved brand to audiences across the U.S. and Canada,” says Stephen Shaw, founder and co-president of Round Room Live. “This tour continues our valued partnership with Moonbug Entertainment and will delight families worldwide by bringing Moonbug’s engaging content to life. As the leading producer of family entertainment, we are proud to create interactive and memorable experiences that families can cherish forever.”
Susan Vargo, head of experiences at Moonbug Entertainment, adds: “Singing and dancing along to CoComelon tunes is a huge part of why families love to watch CoComelon together. It’s exciting to bring this experience to life in a joyful event families won’t want to miss. After its success around the world, we’re delighted to share this experience with families in the U.S. and Canada.”
Here are the current dates for the CoComelon: Sing-A-Long Live Tour:
Thursday, Apr. 24 – Berglund Center – Berglund Performing Arts Theatre – Roanoke, VAFriday, Apr. 25 – Weldon Mills Theatre – Roanoke Rapids, NCSaturday, Apr. 26 – Bon Secours Wellness Arena – Greenville, SCSunday, Apr. 27 – Fox Theatre – Atlanta, GATuesday, Apr. 29 – State Farm Center – Champaign, ILWednesday, Apr. 30 – Oshkosh Arena – Oshkosh, WIThursday, May 1 – The Sonnentag – Eau Claire, WIFriday, May 2 – Sanford Center – Bemidji, MNSaturday, May 3 – State Theatre – Minneapolis, MNSunday, May 4 – Rialto Square Theatre – Joliet, ILThursday, May 8 – Dort Financial Center – Flint, MISaturday, May 10 – Adirondack Bank Center – Utica, NYWednesday, May 14 – Stranahan Theater & Great Hall – Toledo, OHFriday, May 16 – Hanover Theatre & Conservatory – Worcester, MASaturday, May 17 – Providence Performing Arts Center – Providence, RISunday, May 18 – Artpark – Lewiston, NYTuesday, May 20 – Charleston Coliseum – Charleston, WVWednesday, May 21 – Tennessee Theatre – Knoxville, TNWednesday, May 28 – Cross Insurance Center – Bangor, METhursday, May 29 – Merrill Auditorium – Portland, MEFriday, May 30 – Palace Theater – Albany, NYSaturday, May 31 – Toyota Oakdale Theater – Wallingford, CTSunday, Jun. 1 – Santander Performing Arts Center – Reading, PAWednesday, Jun. 4 – The F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts – Wilkes-Barre, PAThursday, Jun. 5 – Keswick Theatre – Glenside, PAFriday, Jun. 6 – Tilles Center for the Performing Arts – Brookville, NYSaturday, Jun. 7 – Emerson Colonial Theatre – Boston, MASunday, Jun. 8 – Bergen Performing Arts Center – Englewood, NJTuesday, Jun. 10 – Township Auditorium – Columbia, SCWednesday, Jun. 11 – Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts – Greensboro, NCThursday, Jun. 12 – Wicomico Civic Center – Salisbury, MDFriday, Jun. 13 – Chartway Arena – Norfolk, VASaturday, Jun. 14 – Altria Theater – Richmond, VASunday, Jun. 15 – The Modell Lyric – Baltimore, MDTuesday, Jun. 17 – Akron Civic Theatre – Akron, OHWednesday, Jun. 18 – The Capitol Theatre – Wheeling, WVThursday, Jun. 19 – Appalachian Wireless Arena – Pikeville, KFriday, Jun. 20 – The Palace Theatre – Greensburg, PASaturday, Jun. 21 – Taft Theatre – Cincinnati, OHSunday, Jun. 22 – Morris Performing Arts Center – South Bend, INTuesday, Jun. 24 – Brown County Music Center – Nashville, INWednesday, Jun. 25 – Victory Theatre – Evansville, INThursday, Jun. 26 – Peoria Civic Center – Peoria, ILSaturday, Jun. 28 – The Family Arena – Saint Charles, MOSunday, Jun. 29 – Louisville Palace – Louisville, KY
Charli XCX loves to keep her fans on their toes and in a new Instagram post over the weekend the singer hinted that she might have another hard pivot just around the corner. After headlining the second weekend of Australia’s Laneway Festival — where she shared the bill with Remi Wolf, Beabadoobee and Clairo, among others — the Grammy-winning “Von Dutch” singer said she’s considering swerving into yet another new musical lane.
“I really had fun doing it and it got me thinking, what if we made a record with guitars or strings… or both? Lou Reed era maybe, I dunno just saying,” Charli said in a video re-posted by a fan in which she said the Clairo track “Sofia” is one of her favorite songs. “I heard it before it came out, like, a few years ago, and I always loved it,” she said of the tune the pair collaborated on at Laneway on Friday (Feb. 14) in Melbourne.
Charli adding that she texted Clairo before the show and asked if she wanted to team-up on a live version of the tune that was released as the third single from Clairo’s 2019 debut studio album, Immunity.
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It wouldn’t be out of the question for the singers to team-up, as Clairo was featured on “February 2017” from Charli’s 2019 album, Charli.
One of the co-producers of Charli’s career-defining 2024 Brat album, Finn Keane, recently told Grammy.com that the 32-year-old singer is itching to “do the complete opposite thing again” on her next LP. “Some of the conversations we’re having and music we’ve been playing around with the last couple of months have been completely the opposite [of Brat]. I love that spirit. It’s the iconoclastic impulse to rebuild something completely different, to show that you actually could do this other thing,” said Keane, who noted that a big turn from the club aesthetic of Brat is “very in keeping with her ethos.”
Keane doubled-down, saying that all the musical discussions they’ve had since XCX released her Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat remix album last year have been kind of “anti-Brat. I doubt that’ll stick, but that’s been a really interesting thing to observe and makes me very optimistic and excited about [what’s next],” he said.
Charli ‘s Brat world tour will ramp up again in April with a show in Mexico City at Axe Ceremonia on April 5, followed by headlining sets at the Coachella festival in mid-April and the kick off of her U.S. arena tour on April 22.
On May 8, the Academy of Country Music Awards will return to Texas for its milestone 60th anniversary show, to be held live from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas (home of the Dallas Cowboys), streaming exclusively on Prime Video and hosted by Country Music Hall of Famer Reba McEntire. Starting today (Tuesday, Feb. 18), fans can purchase tickets to attend the milestone 60th anniversary ACM Awards.
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Starting today, pre-sale tickets are available for ACM A-List subscribers. To gain access to presale tickets before they go on sale to the general public, sign up for the ACM A-List free email newsletter to receive a pre-sale code that will grant access to purchase tickets in advance of the public on-sale.
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General on-sale tickets will become available to the public at 11 a.m. ET on Friday, Feb. 21 through SeatGeek.
“This year’s ACM Awards is a celebration sixty years in the making, and we plan to make it one of the biggest and best shows yet!” ACM CEO Damon Whiteside said in a statement. “The 60th ACM Awards will mark our third consecutive year at Ford Center in The Star District, home of the Dallas Cowboys in Frisco, Texas, and we can’t wait to bring the ACM Awards back to the loyal Country Music fan base in Texas, and to those watching all around the globe on Amazon Prime Video. With Reba at the helm as our host, we’ll be commemorating the legends of Country Music while honoring the biggest and brightest stars of today.”
“The bar has been set very high during the first two years of hosting Country Music’s Party of the Year,” added Dallas Cowboys owner, president and general manager Jerry Jones. “I think we all agree, though, that the upcoming Academy of Country Music Awards’ 60th show is going to exceed that bar. Having an amazing icon of music and entertainment in Reba back for another year as host just sets this up to be one of the best ever and the Ford Center will be home to Country Music’s biggest and brightest stars once again.”
The ACM Awards have been held at the Ford Center since 2023. Last year’s show, which McEntire also hosted, featured 18 performances from 19 artists, including Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani, Chris Stapleton and Dua Lipa, Cody Johnson, Jason Aldean, Jelly Roll, Kane Brown, Kelsea Ballerini and Noah Kahan, Lainey Wilson, Miranda Lambert, Nate Smith and Avril Lavigne, Parker McCollum, Post Malone, Reba McEntire, Thomas Rhett and Tigirlily Gold.
Last year, Wilson and Stapleton earned some of the evening’s top honors, as Wilson was named entertainer of the year and female artist of the year (and also took home the music event of the year honor for “Save Me” with Jelly Roll), while Stapleton picked up male artist of the year, album of the year (for Higher) and artist-songwriter of the year wins.
More details surrounding this year’s nominees, performances and additional ACM events will be announced in the coming months.
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BE@RBRICK, a music-driven, CG-animated comedy series based on the collectible figures from Medicom Toy, is premiering globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, March 21. Timbaland, the Billboard chart-topping and Grammy Award-winning producer, is executive music producer on the show, which is produced and animated by DreamWorks Animation and Dentsu Inc. Featuring original songs, the series […]
Chappell Roan is teasing her single “The Giver” again. After surprising fans in November by playing the country-spiked song during her Saturday Night Live debut, over the weekend Chappell was at it again, though this time she made them work a bit to hear it.
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The tune was hidden in a dial-up stunt Roan posted on her Instagram Story (check out a repost of it here), reachable by dialing the number (629) 468-8646 (aka “Hot To Go”), at which point a voice menu offered a series of options to reach a dentist, attorney, plumber or construction services.
Hitting the options took you to a trio of low-fi snippets of the song, on which she confidently notes her ability to “get the job done” and satisfy a female partner better than any man ever could. During a spoken word portion of the fiddle-flecked tune on SNL, Roan noted, “All you country boys think you know how to treat a woman right. Well, only a woman knows how to treat a woman right. She gets the job done.”
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The song, which has not yet been officially released, is Roan’s first new music since the release of the singer’s Grammy-winning 2023 debut LP, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. In a New York Times interview last fall, Roan producer Dan Nigo teased that the twangy tune would be a “fun, uptempo country song” featuring some fiddle that would show a new side of the singer.
At the time, Nigro said he and Roan were already five songs into recording her sophomore effort, which he said would also include a “couple of ballads” and a “mid-tempo rock song.” Without saying too much, Nigro said that the untitled second LP would spotlight “a new version of Chappell.”
After Roan’s best new artist acceptance speech at last month’s Grammy Awards, a number of powerful figures in the music business have stepped forward to help heed the singer’s call to support up-and-coming artist’s need for health care. Among those who’ve donated to the cause so far are labelmate Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX and Noah Kahan, with Live Nation, AEG Global Touring, Wasserman Foundation and Hinterland Music Festival also joining the We Got You campaign.
Madonna seems to be in a nostalgic mood lately. Look no further than a post on Monday (Feb. 17) in which the singer hinted that she is gearing up to re-visit one of her most underrated eras. The one-minute video cued to the title track of the title track from her 1994 album Bedtime Stories, […]
Massive Attack have been announced as the latest headliners for LIDO 2025 in London this summer. The show will be their first show in the English capital for nine years. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The British band is scheduled to play a bill-topping set at […]