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18 Sep 2024

Docuseries About Rise & Fall of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Is in the Works

Sean “Diddy” Combs is the inspiration for a new Investigation Discovery docuseries, which will chronicle the disgraced mogul’s “pattern of depravity,” according to the press release. The news comes on the heels of Combs’ arrest Monday (Sept. 16), with the unsealed indictment revealing the next morning that he is facing charges of sex trafficking and racketeering.

As announced Wednesday (Sept. 18), the multipart doc is slated for a 2025 release on ID and Max, and will trace Combs’ rise to power in the music industry, as well as how the Bad Boy Records founder allegedly abused that power for years. Along with archival footage and in-depth reporting from Rolling Stone — which is one of Billboard‘s sister publications — the project will feature commentary and testimony from people who’ve levied accusations against the hip-hop titan as well as those who have known and worked with him even before he became famous.

The series is being produced by Maxine Productions — the company behind Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV — and IPC in association with Rolling Stone Films.

Combs is currently being held in jail after a New York grand jury indicted him on charges of sexual abuse, racketeering, sex trafficking, kidnapping, arson, bribery and more. Federal prosecutors also accused him of operating a criminal enterprise centered on his “pervasive pattern of abuse toward women.”

At the hearing Tuesday, the rapper pleaded not guilty to all charges, and his attorneys also requested that he be released on a $50 million bond, saying he’d surrender his passport and submit to constant monitoring. However, and the “I’ll Be Missing You” musician was denied bail, meaning he’ll stay behind bars as he awaits trial. If convicted on all the charges, he potentially faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

18 Sep 2024

Jane’s Addiction Release Swooning New Single, ‘True Love,’ Days After On-Stage Fight & Tour Cancellation

Just days after the future of the band was thrown into question following singer Perry Farrell‘s on-stage attack on guitarist Dave Navarro, Jane’s Addiction dropped a swoony new song on Wednesday morning (Sept. 18). The moody, ballad, “True Love,” fits firmly in the briefly reunited group’s signature dreamy ballad mode, with lyrics chronicling the first, exciting shoots of passion.

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“When I first felt true love/ I was very young,” Farrell sings over Navarro’s chiming, hypnotic guitar in the nearly four-minute track that taps into the group’s classic shamanic rock vibe. “I tried to describe it to my friends/ You’re floating over something that’s way over your head/ Wading in the waters of true love/ Basking in glory of true love.”

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The release comes three months after the group issued the charging “Imminent Redemption,” single, which marked the first new song from the original band lineup in nearly 35 years. It also comes in the shadow of an ugly scene last Friday in Boston when Farrell, 65, appeared agitated on stage before shoving Navarro and then punching his longtime bandmate in the chest in a shocking scene that led to the cancellation of the reunited lineup’s first tour in 14 years as well as the announcement of an indefinite hiatus.

At press time a spokesperson for the band had not returned Billboard‘s request for information on whether “True Love” was another one-off from the legendarily quarrelsome alt-rock group — which also features drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Eric Avery — or another preview of a what would be their first new studio album in 34 years.

In the wake of incident in Boston, the band issued an apology to fans, followed by a statement from Navarro, Perkins and Avery citing what they deemed the “mental health difficulties” affecting Farrell, as well as a personal mea culpa from the singer, who called his behavior “inexcusable.” In addition, Navarro apologized to opening acts Love & Rockets and Crawlers on Tuesday, specifically calling out the former band made up of ex members of Bauhaus for the “terrible outcome” of the tour that launched in August and was slated to run through mid-October.

The two new songs appeared to presage a return to form for the 1990s alt-rock group who released two classic studio albums during their short late 1980s-early 1990s run, 1988’s Nothing’s Shocking and 1990’s Ritual de lo Habitual. Jane’s broke up following a farewell tour as part of 1991’s first Lollapalooza festival, with Avery long acting as a hold-out in subsequent reunion tour; he was replaced by Red Hot Chili Pepper’s Flea on a 1997 tour and Martyn LeNoble and Chris Chaney on subsequent outings. The original four members got back together for a 2008 world tour, though Avery split again in 2010 before the release of the band’s fourth studio album, The Great Escape Artist, before returning to the fold again in 2022.

Listen to “True Love” below.

18 Sep 2024

Red Bull SoundClash Makes Its U.S. Return In November, DannyLux & Tornillo To Headline

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Red Bull SoundClash LA X Chicago

Red Bull SoundClash, the live music event that is inspired by the sound system culture of Dancehall, will make its return this coming November but with a fantastic twist. This year, the event will be headlined by DannyLux and Tornillo, taking place in cities known for their rich Mexican culture.

Red Bull SoundClash is an event that pits artists or crews against one another in a friendly environment full of good vibes coupled with the spirit of competition and heavy splashes of entertainment. The battle aspect of Red Bull SoundClash stems from the sound system battles in Jamaica’s Dancehall scene with the crowd deciding the winner via approving applause.

DannyLux, A Chicano singer and songwriter, notched his first big hit while still a teenager via Eslabon Armado’s “Jugaste y Sufrí” track. DannyLux is known for the “sad sierreño” sound — which relies heavily on guitars and lyrics that emanate from an emotional core.

Joining DannyLux onstage is Tornillo and the Mexican native combines the sounds of Latin trap and Cumbia creating a gumbo of styles that has landed him on big stages around the world. Tornillo is also currently on tour and his stops on the SoundClash run are official stops for the line of shows.

The first SoundClash will kick off in Los Angeles on November 2 at the Pico Rivera Sports Arena. The second SoundClash will head to Chicago on November 16 at the Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom.

We’ll list descriptions of the event and where to grab tickets below. Learn more about the SoundClash here.

Los Angeles | November 2: DannyLux vs Tornillo

Venue: Pico Rivera Sports Arena

Purchase tickets HERE

Red Bull SoundClash will kick off in Los Angeles and showcase the evolution of the traditional sounds of Mexican Music and Cumbia. Coinciding with Tornillo’s U.S. tour, the artists will electrify the crowd in Southern California, just outside of where DannyLux was born and raised.

Chicago | November 16: Tornillo vs DannyLux

Venue: Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom

Purchase tickets HERE

The series will conclude in Chicago and deliver an epic showdown featuring special guests and more onstage surprises. Fans from the Windy City will converge at the iconic venue that has hosted artists like El Tri, Ivan Cornejo, Jose Palomar, Omar Apollo, and more.

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Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

18 Sep 2024

JD Souther, Hit Songwriter for the Eagles & Linda Ronstadt, Dead at 78

John David “JD” Souther, known for his work as an artist, songwriter and actor, and his collaborations with artists including the Eagles, Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor, died peacefully at his home in New Mexico, according to a statement posted on his official website on Tuesday (Sept. 17). Souther was 78.

Souther forged a friendship with the Eagles’ Glenn Frey and would collaborate as a writer on many of the Eagles’ biggest hits, including “New Kid in Town,” “James Dean,” “Doolin-Dalton” and “Best of My Love.” Souther also co-wrote the Eagles’ 1979 hit “Heartache Tonight” alongside Frey, Bob Seger and Don Henley, and co-wrote Henley’s 1989 hit song “The Heart of the Matter.” Souther also wrote songs including Bonnie Raitt’s “Run Like a Thief,” and Ronstadt’s “Faithless Love” and “White Rhythm and Blues.” Souther and Ronstadt also collaborated together on songs including “Prisoner in Disguise” and “Hearts Against the Wind,” which was featured in the 1980 film Urban Cowboy starring John Travolta.

In the process, Souther became one of the foremost musical architects in the 1970s country-rock scene. Souther was born in Detroit and raised in Amarillo, Texas. He began recording with a local group in Texas known as The Cinders; the group would release a single on Warner Bros. as John David and the Cinders.

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Souther made his self-titled debut in 1972, and then teamed with Chris Hillman and Richie Furay to release the album The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band. Souther followed with the 1976 solo album Black Rose, which included a collaboration with Ronstadt, “If You Have Crying Eyes.”

Souther’s most well-known solo hit came in 1979 with “You’re Only Lonely,” which reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1981, Souther nearly notched another top 10 on that chart, as his collaboration with James Taylor, “Her Town Too,” reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 2015, he released his final album, Tenderness, telling Billboard at the time, “I wanted simple melodies and really beautiful arrangements. I wanted a really nice landscape for these stories to play out in. I just wanted to drive a little more gently; Mario Andretti once said the ideal is to win the race at the slowest speed, meaning you protect the equipment. It’s smooth. Winning a race is about power, but it’s also about being smooth…I think I sang this album better than I’ve sung any album before,” he says. “I’m not singing licks and trying to do fancy things. I’m just singing the melody; it seems to tell the story better. I didn’t have to strain. It didn’t tempt me to sing a bunch of licks or to oversing or sing too loud. Linda Ronstadt always tells me to pronounce the words, and she’s right. It makes a big difference. It gives the song more truth.”

As an actor, Souther appeared in movies including My Girl 2, Deadline and Postcards From the Edge, and in television series including Thirtysomething, Purgatory and a recurring role on Nashville.

Souther was honored with one of songwriting’s highest honors, induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, in 2013.

“It’s been said that JD Souther could have been a major artist if he had kept more of those beautiful, introspective songs he wrote for himself,” Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, said in a statement. “He had the aching tenor voice, the good looks that got him TV acting jobs. But he was happy to co-write ‘New Kid in Town’ and ‘Best of My Love’ with his friends the Eagles and give ‘Prisoner in Disguise’ to Linda Ronstadt. He wasn’t a star of country-rock, but he was crucial to its enduring power.”

Souther had been set to launch a new tour with Karla Bonoff on Sept. 24 in Phoenix. Souther is survived by two sisters, his former wife and her daughter, as well as his dogs Layla and Bob, as well as many colleagues within the music community.

Donations in Souther’s honor can be made to the Best Friends Animal Society.

18 Sep 2024

UMG’s Capital Markets Day: Three Things You Need To Know

Universal Music Group opened up about how the company plans to keep growing in amid an evolving streaming landscape on Tuesday at the company’s capital markets day. Held in the storied Abbey Road studios in London, UMG’s c-suite and various executives from Republic, Interscope, Virgin Music Group and more described how they build a world around superstars like Taylor Swift, The Weeknd and Olivia Rodrigo, and how they’ve launched new acts like the Afrobeats star Rema.

The crowd of mostly financial industry analysts and investors also got an overview of the collectibles UMG hopes superfans will open their wallets for, its talks with Spotify about higher-priced premium subscription plans, and it’s new strategy to keep streaming revenues growing by an 8-10% compound average growth rate until fiscal year 2028.

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Streaming 2.0

Despite industry reports that new streaming subscribers are hard to find in developed markets and that streaming growth rates in smaller music markets like Brazil, Italy and Germany are besting major markets like the U.S., UMG Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Lucian Grainge gave an overview of UMG’s new strategy — dubbed Streaming 2.0 — to get more revenue out of streaming.

“The addressable market — in both established markets and fast-growing high potential music markets — is massive,” Grainge said, referring to streaming subscriptions. “We expect more than a billion subscribers by the end of the decade, and we constantly ask ourselves, ‘How long could it take us to get to 2 billion?’”

“While streaming has delivered robust growth to UMG for over a decade, Streaming 2.0 will deliver a new age of innovation, consumer segmentation, geographic expansion and greater value through both subscriber and [average revenue per user] growth,” Grainge said.

The strategy relies in part on increasing the number of streaming subscriptions in developing markets where UMG says subscribers meaningfully contribute to monthly trade average revenue per user. Less than half of people in established markets have streaming subscriptions, with less than 25% of the population in Japan holding subscriptions, UMG chief financial officer Boyd Muir said.

UMG said it also expects a new wave of subscribers in these markets to come from a second cohort of older listeners starting up subscriptions and younger, digitally native music fans getting older and spending more on their streaming subscriptions. They also expect to target audiobook listeners and satellite radio subscribers for music streaming subscriptions.

Super premium streaming subscriptions

UMG’s Streaming 2.0 strategy also relies on innovation in streaming, possibly like the development of high definition streaming plans like the one Spotify‘sDanielEk hinted in June is on the horizon. Ek said that “delux” subscription could cost around $17-$18 per month for a single account.

UMG is in advanced talks to partner with Spotify on the development of that higher-priced subscription plan, Muir said Tuesday. During his presentation, UMG chief digital officer Michael Nash compared it to “another exciting” example of higher priced subscription plans — Tencent Music Entertainment’s super VIP tier, which costs five times as much as the standard tier.

Muir said “a double digit percentage” of TME’s subscriber base signed up for the super VIP plan. UMG’s own research tells it that 23% of current streaming subscribers would pay more for a “better music experience.”

Monetizing superfans

UMG execs spoke admiringly of the good old days when superfans lined up outside stores to spend gobs of money on Michael Jackson and Shania Twain CDs. The reason why? Devotees of artists in prior decades spent more per capita on music, merchandise, concert tickets and collectibles than streaming-era fans.

“Superfans, the most avid 20-30% of all music listeners, once drove over 70% of recorded music spending,” Muir said. “Streaming monetizes them, but not nearly as well in the past. This is an enormous opportunity. We are seeing dramatic growth in revenues that are complimentary to spending.”

He was referring to premium music — vinyl, collectible CDs and cassettes — and merchandise collectibles. UMG has seen its revenues from products sold directly to consumers through some 1,300 odd online stores grow at a 33% compound annual growth rate in recent years.

When something like a $55-Olivia Rodrigo Stanley Cup gets sold, UMG collects as much information as it can, and the purchaser becomes one of the 100 million fans in what Muir referred to as “our owned audience.”

18 Sep 2024

Linkin Park Rock ‘Tonight Show’ Debut With New Singer Emily Armstrong With Rip Through ‘The Emptiness Machine’

Linkin Park stormed back onto late-night on Tuesday (Sept. 17) with the TV debut of their intense single “The Emptiness Machine,” marking their first Tonight Show performance with new singer Emily Armstrong. The song from the band’s upcoming first album in seven years, From Zero (Nov. 15), blasted off with singer/guitarist Mike Shinoda on the mic on a set that looked like an ice station on a frozen planet thanks to moodily lit plastic draping surrounding them.

With new drummer Colin Brittain keeping the steady beat, Shinoda urgently sang the song’s pleading chorus, “I let you cut me open/ Just to watch me bleed/ Gave up who I am for who you wanted me to be/ Don’t know why I’m holding what I won’t receive/ Falling for the promise of the emptiness machine.”

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While the performance exploded into a driving dual-guitar grind, Armstrong took center stage and unleashed her howling vocal attack as the stage flickered with colored effects. Trading vocals with Shinoda, Armstrong gripped the mic with both hands, screaming out the chorus amid the strobing lights.

“The Emptiness Machine” debuts at No. 21 on this week’s Hot 100 (dated Sept. 21), marking the nu-metal group’s highest-peaking Hot 100 song in 15 years; their previous highest placement on the chart was the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen soundtrack single “New Divide,” which reached No. 9 in 2009.

Shinoda also sat down with host Jimmy Fallon to discuss the “euphoric” feeling the band had after the rebooted lineup’s debut performance at the Kia Forum in their native Los Angeles on Sept. 11, which marked the kick-off of their first tour since the death of singer Chester Bennington in 2017. “To be this many years in and to feel, like that genuine adrenaline and excitement and happiness was… there’s nothing like it, man,” said Shinoda of the first date of a six-show arena tune-up for what is expected to be a much larger 2025 tour.

Shinoda also had to laugh at Fallon cueing up an embarrassing video from the comeback L.A. show in which the singer had a major malfunction while performing “Remember the Name” from his side band, Fort Minor. Right after Shinoda sang the line about “50% pain,” he ran into the mic stand and bonked his head.

He also talked about what it’s felt like to put the band back together after the tragic loss of his longtime friend and bandmate Bennington.

“I think the important thing for us is that we never set out to, like, ‘Let’s bring the band back’ or ‘Let’s find a singer,’” Shinoda said of the surprise announcement earlier this month that former Dead Sara vocalist Armstrong would be taking her place on stage next to him for the band’s new iteration. “That was never our intention or our goal… It was almost like this new record… we wrote it, we came up with the music while we were creating the new band. When we started the music we didn’t have a band and it just came together while the music came together.”

Watch Linkin Park on the Tonight Show below.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=siyzPSEnUTo&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

18 Sep 2024

Usher & Tyla Join 2024 Coke Studio Artist Lineup

The already mega-watt Coke Studio 2024 lineup is adding even more star power to its artist roster with the addition of Usher and Tyla.

The R&B icon and South African phenom join a roster that already includes South Korean DJ/producer Peggy Gou, K-pop powerhouse NewJeans and Colombian star Karol G. As part of Coke Studio, Usher and Tyla will each contribute new music and live experiences, with details on both facets forthcoming.

As part of the partnership, Usher will play in The Coca-Cola Company’s home base of Atlanta as part of his current Past Present Future tour, and Tyla will perform in her native Johannesburg, South Africa, with these shows, both in October, featuring the live debut of each artist’s song produced for Coke Studio.

“Being part of this year’s Coke Studio lineup is both an honor and an opportunity to engage with my fans through the power of music,” Usher says in a statement. “Partnering with Coca-Cola to bring these experiences to life is exciting, and I can’t wait for fans to join us in the magic we’re crafting together.”

Trending on Billboard

“I’m excited to perform in my hometown of Johannesburg as part of the Coke Studio platform,” adds Tyla. “It’s a privilege to bring these vibrant moments to life and share the joy and energy with music lovers across the world.”

The 2024 edition of Coca-Cola’s longstanding global Coke Studio program features music created by superstar artists in collaboration with Coke itself. Promoted and distributed by those artists’ labels, the music is supported by label partner Universal Music Group (UMG), which is assisting with promotional and playlist strategy. The project includes the already released “Find the Way” by Peggy Gou and the “How Sweet” videos by NewJeans.

Karol G’s Coke Studio contribution, “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido,” reached the No. 1 global top music video on YouTube, with over 225 million views. Released in June, the song spent nine weeks No. 1 spot on Hot Latin Songs this past summer.

Coke Studio is Coca-Cola’s biggest global music program of 2024, with the songs from each involved artist set to be used in the brand’s marketing in more than 150 countries — roughly 75% of the world.

“We’re thrilled to welcome two of our favorite artists, Usher and Tyla, to our incredible 2024 lineup,” Josh Burke, the Coca-Cola Company’s global head of music and culture marketing, said in a statement. “This year Coke Studio offers unparalleled access to exclusive content and experiences that can’t be found anywhere else. We’ve partnered with both Usher and Tyla to create something special for their fans, and we’re sure that they will love what we have in store for the rest of 2024.”

18 Sep 2024

Jane’s Addiction Guitarist Dave Navarro Posts Apology to Opening Acts After Tour Cancellation

Just days after calling off their reunion tour and going on an indefinite hiatus following Jane’s Addiction singer Perry Farrell‘s on-stage attack of Dave Navarro, the band’s guitarist issued an apology to the tour’s opening acts.

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“I would like to personally apologize to Love & Rockets and Crawlers and their crews for such a terrible outcome of what started off as an incredibly magical tour,” Navarro said of the two bands that were opening for Jane’s on the alt-rock group’s reunion tour before it melted down into chaos on Friday night in Boston during a show in which Farrell pushed, then punched Navarro near the end of the headliner’s set.

“Love & Rockets are heroes of mine and I am so grateful I had the opportunity to perform on the same stage as them for as long as I did. It has truly been an honor!” Navarro said in a since-expired Instagram Story on Tuesday (Sept. 17) according to Brooklyn Vegan.

Trending on Billboard

Love & Rockets — the beloved indie rock band formed by former Bauhaus members singer/guitarist Daniel Ash, bassist/singer David J and drummer Kevin Haskins in 1985 — who had reunited to hit the road with Jane’s, also issued a statement on the scotched tour. “We would have loved to have completed the rest of the dates on the tour with Jane’s Addiction but unfortunately the matter is out of our hands,” they wrote on Instagram. “Information regarding refunds will follow shortly.”

Following the shocking incident, Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Eric Avery issued a joint statement on Instagram on Monday morning apologizing to fans for the disturbing scene and cancellation of the rest of the band’s U.S. tour. “Due to a continuing pattern of behavior and the mental health difficulties of our singer Perry Farrell, we have come to the conclusion that we have no choice but to discontinue the current US tour,” the trio wrote.

“Our concern for his personal health and safety as well as our own has left us no alternative. We hope that he will find the help he needs,” they added. “We deeply regret that we are not able to come through for all our fans who have already bought tickets. We can see no solution that would either ensure a safe environment on stage or reliably allow us to deliver a great performance on a nightly basis.”

Farrell, 65, apologized to his bandmates on Monday in a statement first shared with Billboard. “This weekend has been incredibly difficult and after having the time and space to reflect, it is only right that I apologize to my bandmates, especially Dave Navarro, fans, family and friends for my actions during Friday’s show,” Farrell said of the punch-up during the show at Boston’s Leader Bank Pavilion near the end of a performance of “Ocean Size.”

“Unfortunately, my breaking point resulted in inexcusable behavior, and I take full accountability for how I chose to handle the situation,” Farrell added. In fan video of the moment, an agitated Farrell is seen lunging at Navarro and throwing a shoulder into his bandmate, then punching the shocked-looking guitarist in the chest before the men are separated and Farrell is dragged off stage.

A day after the onstage meltdown, Farrell’s wife, Etty Lau Farrell, issued a statement in which she tried to provide context and background on what precipitated the incident. “Clearly there had been a lot of tension and animosity between the members.. the magic that made the band so dynamic. Well, the dynamite was lit,” she wrote on Instagram. “Perry’s frustration had been mounting, night after night, he felt that the stage volume had been extremely loud and his voice was being drowned out by the band. Perry had been suffering from tinnitus and a sore throat every night. But when the audience in the first row, started complaining up to Perry cussing at him that the band was planning too loud and that they couldn’t hear him, Perry lost it.”

She also said that after the punch, bassist Avery “put Perry in a headlock and punched him in the stomach three times … Perry was a crazed beast for the next half an hour — he finally did not calm down, but did breakdown and cried and cried. Eric, well he either didn’t understand what descalation meant or took advantage of the situation and got in a few cheap shots on Perry.”

Avery has been an on-and-off presence in the band’s lineup over the past 25 years, re-joining and leaving the band several times before returning in 2022 and taking part in what was slated to be the reunited band’s first North American tour featuring all four original members in 14 years. The outing launched in early August and was scheduled to run through mid-October.

18 Sep 2024

Warner Music Japan President and CEO Kaz Kobayashi to Step Down

Kaz Kobayashi is stepping down as president and CEO of Warner Music Japan after a decade in the role, the company announced on Wednesday (Sept. 18). His successor will be announced soon, and he is currently working with Dr. Kenji Kitatani, the newly appointed chairman of Warner Music Japan, on a transition plan.

Kobayashi, who took over in 2014 after a lengthy run at Sony, has played a key role in the success of artists like Aimyon, THE YELLOW MONKEY, TWICE, MISAMO, and ONE OK ROCK. He has long championed an artist-first approach and under his leadership, Warner Music Japan has become a leading digital-first music label in the country, the second largest music market in the world after the U.S.

“Not only did he deliver outstanding results for artists as a business executive, but he also earned great respect for building deep trust and fostering friendships with them,” said Simon Robson, president of international recorded music. “He has led the company’s evolution in Japan, a highly important and distinctive music market.”

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Kobayashi joined Warner from Sony Music Entertainment Japan, where he worked as a corporate executive overseeing music TV assets, live venues and ticketing while also serving as president of Epic Records Japan, DefSTAR Records and Ariola Japan. He began his music industry career at Epic Japan in the A&R department.

“I am truly grateful and feel honored to have been involved in the lives of many great artists, including Tatsuro Yamashita and Mariya Takeuchi,” Kobayashi said. “But all good things come to an end and I’ve decided it’s the right moment for me to move on.”

The leadership transition at WMJ comes amid other high-level changes at Warner, including this week’s announcement that Kevin Liles would be departing as CEO of 300 Entertainment and the recent exits of WMG’s CEO of recorded music Max Lousada and longtime Atlantic leader Julie Greenwald.

18 Sep 2024

Zayn Malik Makes Another Silent ‘Tonight Show’ Walk-On to Announce First-Ever Headlining Tour

Zayn Malik is hitting the road. The former One Direction singer and solo star made another one of his patented silent walk-on appearances on The Tonight Show on Tuesday (Sept. 17), in which he strolled onto the set during host Jimmy Fallon’s post-monologue desk time to make a very special announcement.

In keeping with his previous no words pop-in earlier this year when he strolled onto set in March with a coffee mug in hand and cued up his then-new ballad “What I Am” on Fallon’s laptop before handing him a note announcing his fourth solo album, Room Under the Stairs, last night’s appearance was short on words but big on news.

Wearing a black leather jacket and missing the voluminous beard that has been covering his face lately, Zayn, 31, again with a white coffee mug in hand, casually walked out to screams from the studio audience and handed Fallon a note. “Zayn! Zayn, what are you…,” Fallon said in mock surprise at the unexpected (but clearly planned) visit.

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Malik smiled and waved at the crowd before cueing up his Room Under the Stairs single “Stardust” on Fallon’s computer. He then walked to the front of the desk, swapped out Fallon’s black coffee mug for his own white Z-branded one, waved to the crowd and walked off stage.

“Hey Jimmy, great to see you, mate,” Fallon read the note left behind by the English singer in what sounded like an Australian accent via Liverpool that eventually downshifted into his regular voice. “I’m going on my first-ever tour this autumn. So maybe when you’re done picking apples with your buds, you can come check out my Stairway to the Sky tour across the U.S. and UK.”

While at press time the dates had not yet been revealed, the note said the official announcement was coming Wednesday morning (Sept. 18).

Hours before, the singer also teased the outing with a cryptic 24-second black and white video captioned “Tomorrow” in which he schlepped an old timey antenna to the top of a hill, twirled the dials on a reel-to-reel tape machine and pulled out a walkie talkie as a voice intoned, “I know it took a while, but we’re here.”

When he does hit the road, Zayn will have four solo albums of material to choose from, from his 2016 debut, Mind of Mine, to 2018’s Icarus Falls, 2021’s Nobody Is Listening and this year’s Room Under the Stairs.

This story will be updated when the dates are officially announced.

Check out the Tonight Show walk-on and preview video below.