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15 Oct 2024

Selena Gomez, Becky G, Jelly Roll & More Are Finalists for 2024 Anthem Awards

Finalists were announced on Tuesday (Oct. 15) for the fourth Annual Anthem Awards, which celebrate purpose and mission-driven work. Finalists from the music, media and entertainment worlds include Jelly Roll, Foo Fighters, Valerie June, Lainey Wilson and others with “Power to the Patients”; Becky G with NPR’s “Tiny Desk Concerts’ ‘El Tiny’ Takeover”; Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez; Google; Amazon Music; CNN Worldwide; GLAAD; Samsung Electronics America; LinkedIn; ESPN; On Purpose With Jay Shetty; and Comedy Central’s The Daily Show.

Supporters can celebrate this year’s finalists online until Oct. 31. The for-profit and nonprofit entries in each category with the greatest support will win Anthem Community Voice Awards. All finalists are also in the running for Gold, Silver, and Bronze Anthem Awards chosen by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences (IADAS). Finalists can be supported at celebrate.anthemawards.com.

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This year’s Anthem Award finalists were selected from over 2,300 submissions from 34 countries. Winners will be announced on Nov. 19. Fans can watch each winner’s “Call to Action Speech” in the Anthem Winners Gallery that day at anthemawards.com.

The Anthem Awards were launched in 2021 to highlight social impact work happening around the globe. The awards were founded by The Webby Awards in partnership with the Ad Council, Born This Way Foundation, Feeding America, GLAAD, Mozilla, NAACP, NRDC, WWF, and XQ.

The Anthem Awards honors work across seven core causes: diversity; equity & inclusion; education; art & culture; health; human & civil rights; humanitarian action & services; responsible technology; and sustainability, environment & climate.

15 Oct 2024

Cage The Elephant, The Offspring, and More to Rock 2025 iHeartRadio ALTer EGO

iHeartMedia has announced the lineup for the 2025 iHeartRadio ALTer EGO Presented by Capital One, set for Jan. 11 at the Kia Forum in L.A, and will feature performances from some of the biggest names in alternative rock.

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Among the star-studded bill includes Cage The Elephant, Fontaines D.C., Glass Animals, Incubus, St. Vincent, The Lumineers, The Head And The Heart and The Offspring, with a special solo performance from Damiano David of Måneskin.

Hosted by Woody from The Woody Show, the concert is set to be one of the most anticipated alternative rock events of the year.

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“For the 8th year in a row, every other option was exhausted, and with the announcement looming, a decision had to be made,” said Woody. “That’s when we were handed the keys and warned that we had better not screw this up. It’s an honor — one we fully intend to live up to. Here’s hoping Jan. 11 arrives before iHeart realizes their mistake!”

The event will broadcast live for fans on iHeartRadio Alternative and Rock stations across the country and on iHeartRadio.com.

Now in its eighth year, the iHeartRadio ALTer EGO event continues to grow, attracting top-tier alternative acts. The festival is part of iHeartMedia’s lineup of nationally recognized concert events, including the iHeartRadio Music Festival and Jingle Ball, with Capital One as a returning presenting partner.

“We are thrilled to present this incredible lineup of artists representing all genres of Alternative and Rock returning to one of the most iconic Rock venues Los Angeles has to offer, the Kia Forum,” said Lisa Worden, Program Director for ALT 98.7 and Senior Vice President of Rock and Alternative for iHeartMedia.

“It’s our 8th year doing this and each year it keeps getting better.”

Capital One cardholders will have exclusive early access to presale tickets starting on Oct. 22 at 10 a.m. PT, lasting through Oct. 24 or until supplies run out.

The presale tickets come with an option to add a Capital One Access Pass, allowing attendees to experience a private soundcheck performance by Cage The Elephant, along with complimentary food, drinks, and more. General ticket sales will begin on Oct. 25 at 12 p.m. PT through Ticketmaster.

Listeners will also have access to a limited number of tickets through ALT 98.7’s 24-hour VIP-Sale. Fans can register to become an ALT VIP to access tickets beginning Thursday, Oct. 24 at 10 a.m. PT through Friday, October 25 at 10 a.m.

For more information on presales and tickets, visit iHeartRadio.com.

15 Oct 2024

Jon Bon Jovi Announces His Endorsement of Kamala Harris For President: ‘The Truth Matters’

Jon Bon Jovi announced his endorsement of Democrat Kamala Harris for President in a song on Friday, spotlighting the patriotic Forever album tune “The People’s House” featuring the War and Treaty in a post explaining his decision.

“The People’s House is a song that celebrates this beautiful place that we call home, from sea to shining sea. @thewarandtreaty,” Bon Jovi wrote. “The truth matters. And the truth is on election day I’ll be voting for @KamalaHarris and @TimWalz because I believe in the power of we, not of me. I’ve written a song reminding us that out of many, we are still one.”

Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff thanked the Jersey rocker in a Bon Jovi-quoting post on X, writing, “It’s my wife, and it’s now or never. Election’s coming in November. Thanks for supporting Kamala, @JonBonJovi!” alongside a pic of him posing with the band’s singer.

Bon Jovi has long been a supporter of the Democratic party, lining up behind President Joe Biden at the current commander in chief’s 2021 inauguration day “Celebrating America” concert, where he performed an acoustic take on the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun,” as well as a pre-election “I Will Vote” concert that also featured Jennifer Hudson, Ciara, Ne-Yo, Sara Bareilles, A$AP Ferg, P!nk, John Legend and others.

After replacing Biden following the President’s surprise decision to drop out of the race in July following a disastrous debate performance against three-time candidate former President Donald Trump, Harris has racked up a bumper crop of A-list endorsements. Among the chart-topping musicians lining up behind the Vice President and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are: P!nk, Billie Eilish, Charli XCX, Beyoncé, Neil Young, Stevie Wonder, Megan Thee Stallion, Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift.

Twice impeached convicted felon Trump reacted with his typical disdain when Swift helped cap August’s Democratic National Convention by posting a full-throated endorsement of Harris, announcing on his Truth Social platform, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT.”

Check out Bon Jovi’s post and Emhoff’s response below.

15 Oct 2024

Charli XCX and Kesha Get Down and Dirty on Surprise ‘Spring Breakers’ Remix: ‘We the Party Girl Gods’

Charli XCX is not done bringing the Brat energy. The singer added another song to her new remix album, Brat and It’s Completely Different but Also Still Brat on Monday (Oct. 14), gifting fans with a raunchy, beat crazy collab with Kesha on “Spring Breakers.”

“Ooh, these bitches we tied/ Art is not a competition/ Rating go up when the clothes come off/ But a real b–ch come when the d–k goes up, like/ Ooh these b–ches rip off/ Wish they could be OG, but they not/ We going psycho, we going off/ Yeah, me and Charli, we the party girl gods,” Kesha sing/raps over the song’s insistent, glitchy beat.

The tune was featured on the original version of the expanded version of Brat, though that take did not include Kesha. The revamped song produced by A.G. Cook, EASYFUN and Jon Shave joins the other 35 songs on the Brat remix album — 17 remixes and the original 18 tracks from the expanded Brat album — including collabs with Robyn and Yung Lean, Ariana Grande, Troye Sivan, Lorde, Tinashe, Bon Iver, the Strokes’ Julian Casablancas and Billie Eilish.

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In a recent interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Charli revealed that the iconic blurry artwork on the original Brat cover was both an aesthetic choice, but also a low key (anti) commercial one. “Where the actual first idea of doing a text cover came from was to save money,” Charli said. “I was like, ‘This album is not going to appeal to a lot of people.’” So instead of doing an elaborate cover shoot, Charli opted to make the most basic cover she could, never imagining it would become instantly iconic and influential.

Listen to “Spring Breakers” below.

15 Oct 2024

Universal Music Group to Acquire Indie Label Group [PIAS]

The founders of indie label group [PIAS] have announced they are selling the remaining shares they hold in the company to Universal Music Group (UMG), making the music giant the firm’s majority shareholder.

In an announcement on Tuesday (Oct. 15), Kenny Gates said he and his [PIAS] co-founder Michel Lambot were selling their shares to UMG, which acquired a 49% stake in the company in 2022, to “allow us to offer a truly global distribution and services platform to the independent music community.”

Financial terms were not revealed for the deal, which expands upon a strategic global partnership between the two companies that began in 2021. When UMG acquired the 49% stake in [PIAS] for an undisclosed sum the following year, Gates and Lambot retained majority control of the company.

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Ownership of [PIAS] now appears to be fully in the hands of UMG, although representatives of the European indie label group and UMG declined to expand upon the information contained in Tuesday’s press release.

Details that have been confirmed as part of the new arrangement include the merger of Virgin Music Group and [PIAS]’s services division [Integral], which provides physical and digital distribution services to more than 100 indie label partners including ATO, Beggars Group and Secretly Group. 

The newly combined teams will provide “independent entrepreneurs with world class services and access to a bespoke, stand-alone international distribution network,” said [PIAS]. Reps for the firm and UMG declined to comment when asked if the merger would result in any job losses.

The [PIAS] Label Group, which includes the indie labels Play It Again Sam, harmonia mundi, Spinefarm, Source and partner imprints such as ATO, Heavenly, Mute and Transgressive, will remain completely autonomous, said the company. Artists signed to or distributed by those labels include Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Kneecap, Sofiane Pamart, Sleep Token, Arlo Parks and Black Pumas.

“I am selling my shares not my soul,” said Gates, who will remain CEO of [PIAS] and sit on the Virgin Music Group main board and advisory group, in a statement. 

“Since agreeing [to] a strategic alliance with UMG in 2021 we have found them to be supportive and engaged partners who have added real value to our offering,” continued Gates, describing the decision to relinquish the founders’ remaining shareholdings in [PIAS] as a “pragmatic one.”

The company’s existing leadership team will continue to steer day-to-day operations “and nothing will change culturally or commercially for our existing clients and partners,” said Gates, who co-founded [PIAS] with Lambot in Brussels, Belgium, in 1983. 

Lambot said that despite initially having “some concerns” about partnering with UMG in 2021, the experience has surpassed his expectations.

“Our relationship to date has been fruitful, convivial and everything we hoped it would it be,” he said. “This new phase, which will see us working even closer together promises to be an exciting new era for [PIAS], our staff, our partners and the artists we represent.”

“I’ve known Kenny and Michel for decades, beginning in the 80s when we were all signing bands from emerging scenes in Europe,” added Lucian Grainge, chairman/CEO of UMG, in a statement.

“Since that time, Kenny and Michel have built [PIAS] into a company that stands for authenticity and the best in independent music,” Grainge added. “And it is those qualities that are not only important to me personally but that also make [PIAS] a perfect fit for UMG’s entrepreneurial and creative culture.”

“We are delighted by all that’s been accomplished over the past three years together, and we look forward to working with Kenny and Michel and their entire team, including their family of artists and labels, to further build [PIAS]’s legacy,” said UMG executive vp/CFO/president of operations Boyd Muir. “Their experience and insights have significantly helped to grow this dynamic area of our business. Completing the acquisition of [PIAS] Label Group and [Integral] reinforces our best-in-class label services operations and enhances our ability to support the independent artist and label community globally.”

15 Oct 2024

Charli XCX Closes In – Will ‘Sympathy is a Knife’ Slash Through Sabrina’s U.K. Reign?

The latest U.K. Official Singles Chart update sees a thrilling showdown brewing between pop heavyweights Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX, as they battle it out for the top spot.

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Sabrina’s infectious hit “Taste” (Island) holds strong at No. 1 for its eighth week, maintaining its grip on the chart. But Charli’s “Sympathy Is a Knife” (Atlantic) coming in as hot as a brat summer, surging to No. 2 after a remix featuring Ariana Grande gave it a major boost. With only 1,000 chart units separating the two, the competition is fierce, and Charli is well-positioned for a possible takeover.

Not only is Charli challenging Sabrina at the top, but she’s also making noise further down the chart. Her track “365” re-enters the Top 40 at No. 22, following the release of the Shygirl remix.

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Gracie Abrams continues her rise as well, with “I Love You, I’m Sorry” (Interscope) poised to vault eight spots to claim No. 3, which would mar her first-ever U.K. Top 3 single. The song’s emotional depth and strong streaming performance have propelled her into new chart territory.

Also climbing is KSI with his collaboration “Thick of It” featuring Trippie Redd (Atlantic), which looks to break into the Top 10 at No. 8, while Teddy Swims could see a new peak at No. 9 with “The Door” (Atlantic), after slowly climbing for 26 weeks. The track’s soulful vibe has clearly resonated with audiences, giving Swims his first Top 10 hit.

In another notable debut, Sabrina Carpenter’s “Bed Chem” enters the Top 10 at No. 10, giving her a second hit in the upper echelon this week.

Meanwhile, Chappell Roan’s infectious track “Pink Pony Club” is on track to reach a new peak at No. 11 on the U.K. Singles Chart according to the latest blast, while Billie Eilish’s ethereal “Birds of a Feather” (Interscope) is expected to rise to No. 13, continuing her strong presence.

BLACKPINK’s JENNIE is making a mark with her latest solo single “Mantra” (Columbia), which is poised to enter the U.K. Top 20 at No. 18, potentially marking her first major solo chart breakthrough in the region.

As the week progresses, the question remains: Will Charli XCX finally knock Sabrina Carpenter from the top spot, or will Sabrina hold on for another week of chart glory?

14 Oct 2024

Paul Heaton’s Solo Surge Faces Off Against Charli XCX’s Remix Rise on U.K. Chart

Paul Heaton is on track to land his first solo No. 1 on the U.K. Official Albums Chart this week with The Mighty Several (EMI).

Known for his work with The Beautiful South and The Housemartins, Heaton has charted three No. 1 albums on the U.K. Official Albums Chart twice with former Beautiful South bandmate Jacqui Abbott, but never reached the top spot on his own—but all that could change come Friday.

With The Mighty Several making its debut, Heaton’s long-established fan base is giving the album strong momentum, positioning him for his first solo chart-topping album, according to the latest Chart blast.

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Standing in Heaton’s way, however, is none other than Charli XCX, who rockets up the charts this week with her remix album Brat, But Not Really Brat (Atlantic), moving from No. 16 to No. 2. The album, which features collaborations with Ariana Grande, The 1975, and Shygirl, is set to give Heaton some serious competition.

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With streaming numbers on the rise, Charli could challenge Heaton for the top spot as the week progresses.

Elsewhere in the chart, Sabrina Carpenter’s Short N’ Sweet (Universal) sits tight at No. 3, while James Blunt’s 2004 debut album Back to Bedlam (Atlantic) returns to the top 10 at No. 4, celebrating its 20th anniversary with a special reissue. Lady Gaga also makes a notable return to the top 10 with Harlequin (Polydor), which re-enters at No. 5 following the release of physical formats. This week’s chart shows Gaga’s continued power in both streaming and physical sales.

In the lower half of the top 10, Skinny Living’s Day By Day makes a strong debut at No. 9. The Wakefield indie-rock trio earns their first top 10 album. Meanwhile, The Highlights by The Weeknd (Republic/XO) climbs back into the top 10, moving from No. 14 to No. 10 after spending an incredible 193 weeks on the chart.

The Last Dinner Party’s debut Prelude To Ecstasy (Island) could re-enter the Top 40 this week thanks to its deluxe edition, currently sitting at No. 12. Meanwhile, Ben Howard’s I Forget Where We Were (another win for Island), originally released in 2014, is re-entering the chart at No. 19, celebrating its 10th anniversary.

New entries to the Top 40 include Jelly Roll’s Beautifully Broken (EMI) debuting at No. 22, Myles Kennedy’s The Art of Letting Go (Napalm) at No. 26, and The Offspring’s Supercharged (Concord) at No. 30, marking a strong week for rock and indie releases.

This week’s chart is packed with exciting moves and potential shakeups, particularly with Heaton and Charli XCX neck-and-neck for the top spot. Tune in to see if Heaton’s first solo No. 1 will be secured, or if Charli’s Brat remix will steal the crown.

14 Oct 2024

Best Photos from the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week (Updating)

The 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week is in full swing in Miami, where the 35th annual weeklong event is taking place from Oct. 14-18.

The star-studded event kicked off Monday (Oct. 14) at The Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater with panels featuring Eden Muñoz, Feid, Kenia Os and Keityn, among many other Latin stars and industry leaders.

Stars like J Balvin, Peso Pluma, Eslabon Armado, Pepe Aguilar, Gloria Estefan, Thalia, Alejandro Sanz, Grupo Frontera and Young Miko are set to take the stage to speak in panels and/or Q&As this year. You can see the full schedule here.

Over the past 35 years, Latin Music Week has become the one, steady foundation of Latin music in this country, becoming the single most important — and biggest — gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. Initially named Latin Music Seminar, sponsored by Billboard, the event traces back to 1990, where it kicked off as a one-day event in Miami featuring a two-artist showcase and awards show.

Throughout the years, it has taken place in Miami, Las Vegas and Puerto Rico, returning to Miami Beach for a fourth consecutive year in 2024, and has welcomed some of the biggest Latin acts including Celia Cruz, Selena, Ricky Martin, Chayanne, Jenni Rivera, Daddy Yankee, Karol G, Bad Bunny, and Romeo Santos. Latin Music Week coincides with the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards set to air at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 20, on Telemundo. It will simultaneously be available on Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app, and in Latin America and the Caribbean through Telemundo Internacional.

Below, the best photos from the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week (updating).

14 Oct 2024

Hip-Hop Mourns The Loss Of Kaseem “KA” Ryan

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KA AKA Kaseem Ryan

Kaseem “KA” Ryan began his Hip-Hop career in relative obscurity in the 1990s but later emerged as one of the most important writers within the genre. With the news of KA passing away over the weekend going wide, Hip-Hop fans and artists alike are mourning the loss of the talented Brooklyn wordsmith.

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KA was born Kaseem Ryan on August 11, 1972, and was a proud son of the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y. His musical career began as a member of the underground group Natural Elements but he would vacate his role, focusing on other endeavors.

After the Natural Elements stint, Ryan joined forces with his friend Kev to form the Nightbreed crew but, just as he did with his former group, Ryan felt that his abilities were lacking in comparison to his rhyming partners.

Ryan speaks about his background during a stellar 2016 interview with the Red Bull Music Academy, which you can find here.

KA would begin his long transformation as an artist via his debut album, Iron Works, which also was the name of his imprint and further a calling to his signature sound. The project caught the ears of fellow Brooklynite GZA, who invited Ryan to join the Wu-Tang Clan swordsman on the chilling track “Firehouse,” produced by Roc Marciano, another artist who transcended his earlier sound and took his art to a stripped-down but still potent level.

In 2012, KA would release Grief’s Pedigree, leaning further into his minimalist, sparse yet lyrically dense style. Blessed already with a distinct, gravelly voice, Ryan used his tone but also his shockingly vulnerable lyrics to great effect. It was not music designed for the day party. Instead, it was meant to be absorbed, dissected, studied, and overall, respected.

The Night’s Gambit. Honor Killed The Samurai. Descendants Of Cain. A Martyr’s Reward. Languish Arts. Woeful Studies. The Thief Next To Jesus. Each of these albums carries its own sonic identity and there is no recommended starting point. Each release is so dense that one will be unpacking the meanings over several dozen listens and still not catch everything.

One of Ryan’s greatest gifts was his commitment to a concept. His will to use every bit of his ability and how he managed to refine his writing on each outing became his calling card but it didn’t capture every measure of the man.

Outside of Hip-Hop, KA was a husband, homeowner, and a New York City firefighter. While he didn’t speak at great lengths about his job in his music, he would share some details of that part of his life in profiles and interviews. Another striking aspect of Ryan is that he didn’t define himself by measuring his success in music. He treated it as a natural extension of himself and perhaps a way to process the things he saw growing up and doing his part to add to the legacy of the culture by willing himself to greatness.

Throughout nine solo projects that he largely produced and two collaborative projects, he also oversaw shooting videos, managing merchandise, and conducting meet-and-greet events with his adoring fans, KA remained humble and grateful.

A quick scan of his social media accounts showcased his everpresent humility, and he engaged his fans when he found the time to do so. Every story that will surely emerge in the coming days was how gracious he was and made himself tangible despite his legendary status in Hip-Hop.

If you ever cared about the quality of songwriting in Hip-Hop and want to discover a shining example of the heights it can reach in the genre, we suggest giving KA a bit of your ear.

As Hip-Hop fans the world over mourn one of the mighty titans of the culture, the jewels KA left us will live on forever.

May he rest powerfully in peace.

—

Photo: @brownsvilleka/Instagram

14 Oct 2024

Gonzo Lübel, Manager for The Marías & Peach Tree Rascals, Dies at 34

Gonzo Lübel, an L.A.-based artist manager who represented acts including The Marías and Peach Tree Rascals, tragically died in a plane crash Tuesday (Oct. 8) on Catalina Island. He was 34.

“The entire Red Light family is devastated by this loss and our hearts go out to Gonzo’s family, friends and all those who knew and worked with him,” said Red Light in an Instagram post. “Gonzo truly had the biggest of hearts and was a beloved member of our team. A kind individual, he was a friend to all whom he encountered. His positive impact on all of us will be remembered forever.”

Lübel, who had worked at Red Light Management for roughly three years, also represented several other artists at the firm, including Inner Wave and Cash Bently. Outside of his work in the music industry, friends say he was a lover of animals — especially his foster dog Virgil — and enjoyed flying planes.

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In a tribute on Instagram, The Marías said of Lübel’s passing: “rest in peace gonzi. thank you for always being undeniably you. the animals in heaven are so lucky they get to spend their days with you.”

In a subsequent post, the bilingual alt-pop band added: “our manager, friend and family for six years, but a part of us forever. you were there for all of our firsts. our first project, our first tour, our first headline show, our first sold out show, our first million streams, our first coachella, our first album, our first grammy nomination. thank you.”

Joseph Barros, a member of Peach Tree Rascals, also shared a tribute to Lübel via an Instagram story, saying, “It’s hard to accept you’re not here with us anymore, but I’m grateful to have met such a genuine soul I could call my brother your spirit lives on in me from all the beautiful memories we made. You always told me you believed in me & I promise I’ll make you proud. love you Gonzito. rest in peace.”

This Trip Travel, a company that hosts retreats for music industry professionals, also shared a carousel of photos of Lübel at last year’s manager summit in Mexico with the caption: “Gonzo was a true one of a kind. A brilliant manager, a caring friend and a heart of gold… We love you Gonzo, we’ll hold you in our hearts forever.”

Lübel is survived by his mother Mariana Garcia, his brother Federico Lübel, nieces Mila and Lucia Lübel, wife Cristina Pillajo and best friend Sandy Kanphantha.