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24 Jul 2024

Olivia Rodrigo Shows Her Support for Kamala Harris’ 2024 Presidential Run

Turns out your ex isn’t the only person Olivia Rodrigo is “Obsessed” with. The singer showed her support for Kamala Harris on Tuesday (July 23) in an Instagram Story, resharing a TikTok clip from the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee’s first campaign rally as a 2024 contender.

In the clip, the current VP talks about restoring reproductive rights should she win the Oval Office in November. “And we who believe in reproductive freedom will stop Donald Trump’s extreme abortion bans because we trust women to make decisions about their own body, and not have their government tell them what to do!” Harris said emphatically at the Tuesday (July 23) event in Wisconsin. “And when Congress passes a law to restore reproductive freedoms, as president of the United States, I will sign it into law.”

In addition to sharing the clip originally posted by The News Movement, the three-time Grammy winner added four raised-hands emojis to her Story.

Rodrigo, 21, has been an outspoken supporter of reproductive rights, launching her Fund 4 Good — her initiative that supports girls’ education and reproductive rights as well as preventing gender-based violence by helping to fund community-based non-profits — when she kicked off her Guts World Tour in February. A portion of the ticket sales also went to support the initiative, as well as the National Network of Abortion Funds. But she didn’t stop there. At several of her tour stops, local groups were on hand to hand out condoms, morning-after pills and information about how to find abortion care to those who were interested.

The “Drivers License” singer is far from the first musician to show support for the vice president, who is now campaigning to become the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race and immediately endorsed his VP for the job on Sunday (July 21).

“Right person. Right time,” Carole King wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of the two women together, the same day Biden announced he was no longer running.

“I’m so ready to work to help unite the pro-democracy coalition to reject Trump’s authoritarian, oppressive Project 2025 and elect Kamala Harris as our President,” John Legend shared on Instagram after Biden endorsed his VP. “She’s ready for this fight and I’m excited to help her in any way I can.”

Others who have shown support for Harris’ 2024 presidential run include Charli XCX, Barbra Streisand, Cardi B, Ariana Grande, Lil Nas X, Beyonce, Moby, Questlove and more.

Watch the clip from Harris’ first campaign rally below that Olivia Rodrigo shared on Instagram:

24 Jul 2024

Kobalt Names Bob Bruderman Chief Digital Officer

Kobalt has elevated Bob Bruderman to the role of Chief Digital Officer, the company announced today (July 24). In the new role, he will continue to lead overall global digital strategy for Kobalt, including commercial partnerships with companies such as Amazon, Apple, Meta, Pandora, Snap, Soundcloud, Spotify, TikTok and YouTube, among others. He will also be tasked with driving new monetization opportunities for the tech-savvy independent music publisher.

Bruderman joined Kobalt in 2013 and worked his way up at the firm. For many years he oversaw digital business development and licensing for AWAL, Kobalt’s artist services and recorded music distribution company which was sold to Sony in 2021. Most recently, he served as executive vp, global digital business for Kobalt. In addition to his role at Kobalt, Bruderman also serves on the board of directors for ASCAP, The MLC and Digital Data Exchange (DDEX).

The New York-based Bruderman will continue to report to Kobalt CEO Laurent Hubert.

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“Bob has been a key member of the Kobalt executive team for over a decade,” Hubert said in a statement. “He has made innumerable contributions to our business as a strategist, negotiator and leader, and is respected for his ability to both fiercely advocate for songwriters and music publishers’ rights within the larger industry, while strongly supporting our digital partners’ ability to innovate and continue to bring new products, features and services to market, expanding music offerings for fans around the world. I am pleased to be able to elevate him to this important new role.”

“It’s a pivotal time in our business for songwriters and music publishers,” Bruderman added in a statement. “I’m proud of the transformative impact Kobalt has on the industry and look forward to continuing our mission to be the premier destination for songwriters. I look forward to working with our stellar global team to accelerate change across the globe.”

24 Jul 2024

Blue Note Jazz Festival’s Black Radio Experience Unveils Official Sponsors

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Blue Note Jazz Festival: The Black Radio Experience

Next month, Napa Valley, Calif. will play host to the Blue Note Jazz Festival’s Black Radio Experience helmed by artist in residence, famed pianist Robert Glasper. The festival recently unveiled its official sponsors list, featuring Tracee Ellis Ross’ PATTERN Beauty, Black Vines, and other notable brands.

The Blue Note Jazz Festival’s Black Radio Experience will feature the aforementioned Glasper along with his fellow headliners John Legend, Jill Scott, and André 3000. Longtime music journalist Sway Calloway will be the MC of the festivities. The event will be held at the Meritage Resort & Spa in Napa Valley, with plenty of activations on-site for fans to engage with beyond the entertainers in tow.

The Blue Note Jazz Festival’s Black Radio Experience proudly announced PATTERN Beauty, Volcan de mi Tierra Tequila,

Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Monster Energy, Lexus, and Black Vines® as this year’s sponsors.

As Napa Valley is a premier travel destination for wine lovers, the inclusion of the Black Vines® Wine Garden will showcase several Black-owned wineries, including LVE Wines by John Legend, Pur Noire Urban Wineries, Love Cork Screw, J Moss Winery, Mom Juice, and P. Harrell Wines.

PATTERN Beauty will also host a hairstyling and gifting suite, a must for the stylish and camera-ready attendees of the Black Radio Experience. Further, there will be specialty cocktails from Volcan de mi Tierra Tequila and Tito’s Handmade Vodka, a stop for folks to get their vibe elevated with Monster Energy drinks, and an up-close look at the Lexus GX, a luxury SUV from the fine automaker.

In a recent chat with Robert Glasper that we’ll share in full later this week, the award-winning talent expressed that the Black Radio Experience is more than music but instead is a convergence of Black culture that includes music, food, wine, and style.

Aiding that objective, Black Vines® is a burgeoning community of Black-owned wineries and vintners and hosts frequent events across the Bay Area, Napa Valley, and beyond. Learn more at the Black Vines® website here. The community is also hosting a points-based contest for a chance to win a backstage meet & greet with Robert Glasper for attendees and their friends.

The Blue Note Jazz Festival’s Black Radio Experience takes place from August 30 through September 1. Joining the headliners will be Musiq Soulchild and Marsha Ambrosius, who will both join Glasper for a special vocal performance. Andra Day, Ledisi, Common and Pete Rock, Madlib, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and more are also slated to perform.

The Aldea Mental Health Fund is a partner for the event and a portion of the ticket sales will go towards the Aldea Children and Family Services division.

Hotel and ticket packages are available now with three-day general admission passes beginning at $499 and single-day GA passes starting at $175.

Visit the website for more information, including ticket sales and hotel information.

Blue Note Jazz Festival: The Black Radio Experience

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Photo: Mathieu Bitton / @candytman

24 Jul 2024

Miranda Lambert to Release New Album, ‘Postcards From Texas’ This Fall

ACM Awards triple crown winner Miranda Lambert is set to once again turn her potent songwriting pen, and fierce yet relatable vocal power, toward a new set of keen-eyed songs when she releases her new album, Postcards From Texas, on Sept. 13. The 14-song album marks the Texas native’s first since announcing her signing to Republic Records earlier this year.

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The three-time Grammy winner decamped to Austin’s Arlyn Recording Studios to record the new project, which she produced with Jon Randall. Lambert previously previewed the album with the fiery track “Wranglers” and “Dammit, Randy,” but her latest early look at the album comes with the swaggering dancefloor-ready shuffle of “Alimony,” which she wrote with longtime collaborators Shane McAnally and Natalie Hemby.

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“We were out in my barn; I was showing Shane and Natalie the horses, and I asked if he had any other titles,” Lambert said in a statement. “He said he had one, and I was like, ‘What is it? Because your last one was ‘Looking Back on Luckenbach,’ which I didn’t think you could top. He said, ‘Well, ‘If you’re gonna leave me in San Antone, remember the Alamo-neeeee…’’ Natalie and I were like, ‘Alright, Shane! Stop showing off.’

Lambert continues, “We went back to the house and got the guitars and I specifically was like, ‘I want a shuffle, man.’ I love to shuffle so much, and this record needed a shuffle! I knew I wanted one in my set, because I haven’t done one in a while – and everybody loves a shuffle.”

For “Alimony,” Lambert and Randall also assembled a group of top-shelf musicians, including Jedd Hughes and Ethan Ballinger (electric guitar), Texas icon Bukka Allen (barrelhouse piano), Rachel Loy (bass) and Conrad Choucroun (drums).

From there, the album promises a blend of tender ballads, steel guitar-laden tracks and acoustic renderings, as well as amped-up rock-tinged tunes. The album also features a collaboration with fellow Texan Parker McCollum on the song “Santa Fe,” as well as a solo-penned song from Lambert (“Run”) and a take on David Allan Coe’s “Living on the Run,” which Coe included on his 1976 album Longhaired Redneck.

Though Postcards From Texas was recorded in its namesake state, this isn’t Lambert’s first album to be recorded in the Lone Star State. In 2020, she teamed with Randall and Jack Ingram to write and record the stripped-back, collaborative project The Marfa Tapes, recorded around a campfire in Marfa, Texas (the album released in 2021).

The new songs are just a taste of what is ahead on Lambert’s Postcards From Texas. See the full tracklist below:

  1. “Armadillo” (Aaron Raitiere, Jon Decious, Park Twomey)
  2. “Dammit Randy” (Miranda Lambert, Brendan McLoughlin, Jon Randall)
  3. “Looking Back on Luckenbach” (Miranda Lambert, Shane McAnally, Natalie Hemby)
  4. “Santa Fe” feat. Parker McCollum (Miranda Lambert, Jesse Frasure, Jessie Jo Dillon, Dean Dillon)
  5. “January Heart” (Brent Cobb, Neil Medley)
  6. “Wranglers” (Audra Mae, Evan McKeever, Ryan Carpenter)
  7. “Run” (Miranda Lambert)
  8. “Alimony” (Miranda Lambert, Natalie Hemby, Shane McAnally)
  9. “I Hate Love Songs” (Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram, Jon Randall)
  10. “No Man’s Land” (Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick)
  11. “Bitch On The Sauce” (Miranda Lambert, Jaren Johnston)
  12. “Way Too Good At Breaking My Heart” (Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall, Jesse Frasure, Jenee Fleenor)
  13. “Wildfire” (Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram, Jon Randall)
  14. “Living On The Run” (David Allen Coe, Jimmy L. Howard)

Miranda Lambert

Miranda Lambert

James Macari

24 Jul 2024

Olympics 2024 Theme Composer Victor le Masne Found the Melody in Three Seconds. Then the Real Work Began

The rousing sports-anthem melody that will underpin the opening and closing Olympics 2024 ceremonies came to Victor le Masne in roughly three seconds. “I don’t know how,” says the French pianist and composer, a longtime producer who was in the early-2010s electro-pop duo Housse de Racket. “But what’s important is the realization of this idea. It took me three seconds to find it, but maybe 18 months to finish it.”

The Paris 2024 organizers picked le Masne to compose the new theme, titled “Parade,” after he’d rearranged the French National Anthem, “La Marseillaise,” for the end of the Tokyo Games. An orchestra performed the new piece for the first time May 8, when the Olympic flame arrived in Paris on a yacht — with le Masne on piano and synthesizer. “I just decided a few days before: ‘I think I want to be in the orchestra playing my piece with the flame arriving in France,’” he recalls, by Zoom from Paris. “It was so much, but I said, ‘Let’s be even more too much.’”

In the interview, conducted about two weeks before the games begin on July 26, le Masne, 42, discussed the creative challenges and deadline pressure involved in composing a new piece for the Olympics ceremonies — as well as his work on “La Marseillaise” and his fondness for the American “Dream Team” that won basketball gold at the 1992 Olympics.

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What’s going through your head as you’re in the orchestra, playing your own composition, watching the flame come in on a yacht?

It was a hint of the amazing emotion and the tension that I had in my mind. When the woman in charge of the broadcast was saying, “3, 2, 1,” I was like, “Wow, this is really crazy.” But I loved it, obviously. 

How long did it take you to come up with the “Parade” melody?

I just sat on my piano like I always do. I was in a group of musicians, a committee with the artistic director of the Olympics, some historians, some athletes, and we were seeing each other every week and discussing, with friends, art, sport and obviously the Olympics. Maybe twice a week. Quite easily, this melody came. … For the first time in modern Olympics, it’s not in a stadium for the opening ceremony, but in the heart of the city. The idea is, we’ll be on boats, country by country, arriving on the Seine River. I was picturing this moment. I wanted my tune, my theme, to be powerful and joyful and speak for everybody. I hope.

Did you play sports? Are you a fan of a particular sport?

I was a big basketball fan, for Barcelona 1992 — I was 10 years old and I saw the Dream Team, with Michael Jordan and all the gang. Also, I’m from the generation of Andre Agassi, with tennis. Being a musician, my professor was really hard with me, like, “You have to play music, you have to practice and practice,” [so] I didn’t have time to do as much sport as I wanted.

You’ve been composing music for the Olympics as a full-time job for the last 18 months. How has it changed your life?

For me, there’s a before and after the Olympics. The task is so huge. I’m a composer of a huge score, almost 12 hours of music. You will have in the ceremony some songs — some French songs — but I had to produce it, arrange it, work with different artists. That’s very difficult, to make everybody happy. Every country will parade on this music, so you can’t do wrong. Everybody needs to be happy with what they’re listening to. But, also, you have to be bold and unusual.

How discerning have the Paris 2024 people been, in terms of accepting your music?

They trust me, and they chose me for my ability to translate what we want into music. I’m not only the composer, I’m like a storyteller. When I present the music to them, it’s not like, “Ah, I don’t like this bass line or drum feel.” It’s more like, “Do you like the story we are telling together?” And if not, okay, I can try something else. That was an ongoing discussion with the committee. But I enjoyed a lot of freedom.

How did you get this job in the first place? Did you have to apply? Do you have a sense of how much competition there was?

In 2021, in the springtime, I had a call and was asked to try to do a new version of “La Marseillaise,” the French national anthem, for Tokyo 2021. It’s the moment when Tokyo stopped and they say, “Okay, next city is Paris.” I didn’t know then, but I know now, there was a competition. There were different composers. I sat on my piano, and I started to play the melody: da, da, da. I thought, “This is actually nice.” In France, we have this feeling with the anthem, a little bit with violence, it’s a military feeling. And thinking of the Olympics, it was also during Covid, so the world was going through a difficult time. I changed all the chord progressions and did a whole realization of the whole thing, like a jazz guy would do. I’m a huge fan of Stevie Wonder, and I was like, “What would Stevie do?” 

Two or three years later, I was working on a musical called Starmania, as musical director and arranger. The director of the musical had been asked to be the artistic director of the Olympics. He was like, “You already did that with the Olympics, do you want to continue with me?” If you are faced with your destiny, some crazy stuff can happen.

Will you participate in the performance of your work, during any of the ceremonies, as you did with the Olympic flame ceremony?

It’s in 15 days, but I still don’t know. I’ve got many options. I think I will not perform as a musician myself. If anything goes wrong, I have to be just checking everything. Also, me and the artistic director are not allowed in those rooms, because we created this show and they don’t want to have us if we are too emotional. I think I will be in a quiet room with a lot of screens and I will be, “Oh, my God!”

What will you do after it’s all over?

I think I will go to sleep for a little moment. I can’t commit to anything. Obviously, I will be back at work as soon as possible. I want to really experience it fully and not say, “In two weeks, I’ll be back at that.”

Do you have a prediction for who takes home the gold in basketball?

I would say … France. [Laughs] France!

24 Jul 2024

Salma Hayek Got Hyped For Her Olympic Torch Relay Run in Paris By Blasting ‘Lose Yourself,’ Naturally

There are plenty of songs you could pick to get pumped up for your one big moment. But if you only have one shot at an opportunity that comes once in a lifetime, there is only one that guarantees that you will own it and never let it go: Eminem‘s iconic Oscar-winning 2002 8 Mile soundtrack Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 “Lose Yourself.”

That explains why House of Gucci star Salma Hayek posted a video on Tuesday (July 23) in which she got hyped for her Olympic torch run by blasting the song in the back of her limo. “Getting ready to participate in the Olympic torch relay in Paris! Feeling the excitement and unity the Olympics brings. Stay tuned for more photos with the torch tomorrow,” Hayek wrote alongside a video in which she bounces and sings along to the song while rocking her official Summer Games white sweatsuit with orange piping and “Paris 2024” and the Olympic rings across the shoulders accessorized by oversized shades.

The series of videos also had Hayek doing an impressive round-off in the glittering Palace of Versailles, getting her official torch rally number alongside dancer Mathieu Forget and French soccer star Presnel Kimpembe and lacing up her white sneakers as she prepared to participate in the final run to bring the flame to Paris for Friday’s (July 26) opening ceremonies.

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Hayek married French billionaire businessman François-Henri Pinault in 2009 and the couple have a daughter.

The actress will have some good company after it was also revealed on Tuesday that Snoop Dogg has been tapped to be the final torchbearer before the kick-off to the opening ceremony. The 2024 Olympic Games will run from Friday through August 11.

Check out Hayek’s video below.

24 Jul 2024

Spotify Is Signaling More Price Increases in the Future

Don’t be surprised if Spotify decides to further raise prices on its premium subscription plans.

Although CEO Daniel Ek and interim CFO Ben Kung didn’t provide a timeline for future price increases, they sent numerous signals during Tuesday’s second-quarter earnings call that additional price increases are possible.

Spotify waited more than a decade to raise prices in the U.S. and many other markets in 2023 — from $9.99 to $10.99 a month for an individual plan. In 2024, the rate was bumped up to $11.99 per month. If those price increases were poorly timed, Spotify would have seen subscribers leave and revenues would suffer. Neither happened.

In the second quarter, the company added 7 million subscribers from the prior the quarter — 1 million more than it told investors it expected — and revenue reached 3.8 billion euros ($4.15 billion), up 20% year over year, the company announced Tuesday. Higher prices, combined with extensive layoffs, helped Spotify turn a 247 million euro ($269 million) operating loss in the second quarter of 2023 into an operating profit of 266 million euro ($290 million) — a swing of 513 million euros ($559 million).

Following widespread price increases in 2023 and additional price hikes this year in the U.S., U.K. and Australia, “We’re seeing less churn in this round of increases than we did in our prior one, which was already very low by any measure,” Ek said. The churn rates following the second round of increases were “better than expected,” added Kung.

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Following the two rounds of price hikes, Spotify is “very encouraged by what we’re seeing in the three major markets where we’ve taken price now, that’s basically about two times in the last 12 months,” said Kung. “And so I think we see that as a great data point for … what might be possible … in the rest of our territories.”

Why are subscribers not leaving? Ek attributes its churn rates to “the tremendous value we’ve added to the service over the last several years.” That includes features such as the year-ending recap Wrapped and Discovery Weekly, a personalized playlist of new releases. More recently, the company invested heavily in podcasts and audiobooks. Spotify is now a well-rounded audio platform, not the music-focused streaming service of its early years. “Access to all of this content would cost a user approximately $26 — significantly more than a Spotify subscription,” said Ek. “Spotify remains a pretty outstanding deal.”

Engagement is important for subscriber retention. As long as Spotify can keep listeners listening, it believes it has an ability to raise prices. “The most important thing in the near term is just making sure that audiobooks are driving incremental engagement for the platform, and we’re seeing this happening in a way that makes us feel good about the path that we’re on here,” said Kung.

The U.S., U.K. and Australia appear to have absorbed two rounds of price increases without missing a beat. Spotify executives didn’t say what to expect in other large, mature markets, but Ek suggested that listeners in developing markets, which currently skew more toward ad-supported listening, could stomach paying more. “The high engagement in [developing] markets gives us tremendous confidence in our ability to raise prices,” he said.

Separately, Spotify believes a subset of its subscribers are willing to pay substantially more for an elevated experience. Spotify first announced a high-quality audio tier, called HiFi, in 2021 but delayed its launch. Now, it appears HiFi is back on. “The plan here is to offer a much better version of Spotify,” said Ek. “So, think something like $5 above the current premium tier, so probably around $17-$18 price point, but sort of a deluxe version of Spotify that has all the benefits that the normal Spotify version has plus more control and quality across the board.”

24 Jul 2024

Brandon Lake Leads Nominees for 2024 GMA Dove Awards

Brandon Lake leads this year’s slate of nominees for the Gospel Music Association’s upcoming 55th annual GMA Dove Awards, picking up 16 nominations, including artist of the year. The nominations were announced Wednesday morning (July 24).

Lake will compete in the artist of the year category against “Strong” hitmaker Anne Wilson, “That’s My King” hitmaker CeCe Winans, “Unsung Hero” singers for King & Country and “Thank God I Do” singer Lauren Daigle. Lake also earned four nods in the song of the year category, as well as nods in the worship recorded song of the year category, while his project Coat of Many Colors is nominated for pop/contemporary album of the year.

Other top nominees this year include writer-producer Jeff Pardo (11 nominations), Chris Brown (10), Chandler Moore (10), writer-producer Jonathan Smith (10), CeCe Winans (five) and Naomi Raine (five).

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Among this year’s slate of nominations is a new category: Spanish language worship recorded song of the year. The inaugural nominees in the category are “Alaba” (Elevation Worship, Elevation Español, Unified Sound), “Hermoso Momento (Sesión Acústica)” (Kairo Worship), “Holy Forever (Español)” (Chris Tomlin, Miel San Marcos), “Tu Amor No Tiene Fin (Correr A Tus Brazos)” (Generación 12, Gateway Worship Español) and “Tu Presencia Es Mi Jardín” (Daniel Calveti, Melody Adorno).

Hosted by Tauren Wells, whose project Joy in the Morning (Horizon Edition) is nominated for pop/contemporary album of the year, the 55th annual GMA Dove Awards will be held Oct. 1 at the Allen Arena at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, and will air exclusively on TBN and TBN+, and simulcast on SiriusXM The Message, on Friday, Oct. 4, at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET.

“I love this moment each year when we get to announce our nominees,” GMA president Jackie Patillo said in a statement. “The Dove Awards are about spreading the message in our music with the world and honoring the work of the amazing artists, songwriters, producers, and film & TV creators in our great community. I’m thrilled for this year’s nominees and can’t wait to celebrate in October.”

The theme for the 55th annual GMA Dove Awards is Unite the Song, with Wells saying via a statement, “Unite the song is a heart cry for God’s people to come together in unity. We get to come together out of our individual corners, from each different stream within the church, to unite around this one song, holy holy holy is the Lord God Almighty.”

This year’s nominees were selected from more than 2,500 submitted entries and voted on by the GMA professional membership. Final-round voting for the GMA Dove Awards will run from Aug. 1 through Aug. 8. The 55th annual GMA Dove Awards are produced by the Gospel Music Association, with Patillo and Justin Fratt serving as showrunners and executive producers, alongside Curtus Stoneberger and Paul Wright as producers. Russell E. Hall returns as director, Michael Nolan as scriptwriter, Scott Moore and Go Live Productions as production manager.

See a list of GMA Dove Awards nominees in top categories below. For the full list of GMA Dove Awards nominees in all categories, visit gospelmusic.org.

Artist of the year

Anne Wilson

Brandon Lake

CeCe Winans

for KING + COUNTRY

Lauren Daigle

Song of the year

“All Things” (Writer) Kirk Franklin

“Firm Foundation (He Won’t)” (Writers) Cody Carnes, Austin Davis, Chandler Moore

“Holy Forever” (Writers) Jason Ingram, Chris Tomlin, Brian Johnson, Jenn Johnson, Phil Wickham 

“I Believe It (The Life Of Jesus)” (Writers) Daniel Carson, David Leonard, Jess Cates, Jon Reddick, Jonathan Smith

“More Than Able” (Writers) Chandler Moore, Ben Fielding, Steven Furtick, Naomi Raine

“Praise” (Writers) Chandler Moore, Brandon Lake, Steven Furtick, Chris Brown, Cody Carnes, Pat Barrett

“Praise You Anywhere” (Writers) Brandon Lake, Ben Fielding, Jacob Sooter, Hank Bentley

“Thank God I Do” (Writers) Lauren Daigle, Jason Ingram, P!nk, Jeffrey Bhasker, Nate Ruess

“This Is Our God” (Writers) Phil Wickham, Steven Furtick, Brandon Lake, Pat Barrett

“Trust In God” (Writers) Brandon Lake, Steven Furtick, Chris Brown, Mitch Wong

New artist of the year

Charity Gayle

Forrest Frank

Josiah Queen

Seph Schlueter

Terrian

Rap/hip hop recorded song of the year

“Hard Work God First” – Zauntee

“IGWT” – Jon Keith, KB

“In The Light” – Wande

“Love Like That” – Hulvey (ft. Torey D’Shaun, Alex Jean)

“Miracles” – KB, Lecrae

Pop/contemporary recorded song of the year

“Any More” – CAIN

“Counting My Blessings” – Seph Schlueter

“GOOD DAY” – Forrest Frank

“Strong” – Anne Wilson

“The Prodigal” – Josiah Queen

Bluegrass/country/roots recorded song of the year

“If I Got Jesus” – Ben Fuller

“Lookin’ For You” Zach Williams ft. Dolly Parton

“Man On The Middle Cross” – Rhett Walker

“Praying Woman” – Anne Wilson (ft. Lainey Wilson)

“tell the devil” – Joseph Habedank

Traditional gospel recorded song of the year

“Burdens Down (Live)” – Tasha Cobbs Leonard

“God Is (Radio Edit)” – Melvin Crispell III

“I Believe God” – Jekalyn Carr

“In My Name” – Smokie Norful

“When I Think (Live)” – Ricky Dillard

Gospel worship recorded song of the year

“All Yours” – Kierra Sheard (ft. Anthony Brown)

“Fill The Room” – Michael Bethany

“Lead Us Again” – DOE

“That’s My King” – CeCe Winans

“The Story I’ll Tell (Live)” – Naomi Raine

Worship recorded song of the year

“Firm Foundation (He Won’t) (Live)” – Cody Carnes

“I Believe” – Phil Wickham

“Praise” – Elevation Worship (ft. Brandon Lake, Chris Brown & Chandler Moore)

“Praise You Anywhere” – Brandon Lake

“Trust In God” – Elevation Worship (ft. Chris Brown)

Pop/contemporary album of the year

COAT OF MANY COLORS – Brandon Lake

Jesus Music – CAIN

Joy In The Morning (Horizon Edition) – Tauren Wells

Lauren Daigle – Lauren Daigle

Unsung Hero: The Inspired By Soundtrack – for KING + COUNTRY

Gospel worship album of the year

Cover The Earth (Live in New York) – Naomi Raine

More Than This – CeCe Winans

Overflow – Michael Bethany

The Journey – Todd Dulaney

The Maverick Way Complete – Maverick City Music

Spanish language recorded song of the year

“Amén” – Nacho (ft. Gilberto Daza, Alex Zurdo)

“Babel” – Un Corazón

“Danza” – KB, Niko Eme & Cardec Drums

“Donante de Sangre” – Daddy Yankee

“Tantas Historias” – Christine D’Clario

Spanish language worship recorded song of the year (New Category)

“Alaba” – Elevation Worship, Elevation Español, Unified Sound

“Hermoso Momento (Sesión Acústica)” – Kairo Worship

“Holy Forever (Español)” – Chris Tomlin, Miel San Marcos

“Tu Amor No Tiene Fin (Correr A Tus Brazos)” – Generación 12, Gateway Worship Español

“Tu Presencia Es Mi Jardín” – Daniel Calveti, Melody Adorno

Southern gospel recorded song of the year

“Here Comes Jesus” – Jeff & Sheri Easter (ft. Mo Pitney)

“Make the Morning Worth the Midnight” – Gaither Vocal Band

“Sheaves (Dedicated to Isabel)” – Karen Peck & New River

“Unstoppable God” – Kingsmen

“Until We Fly Away” – Ernie Haase & Signature Sound

Feature film of the year

Unsung Hero

Sound of Freedom

Journey To Bethlehem

Ordinary Angels

The Blind

Television series of the year

Chasing CAIN

When Calls The Heart

The Wingfeather Saga

Jonathan & Jesus

God. Family. Football.

24 Jul 2024

Influence Media, Rene McLean Launch New Label SLANG, Sign Will Smith

Influence Media has launched a new frontline label, called SLANG, with Will Smith among its initial signings, the company announced today (July 24).

The company, which has been backed by the Warner Music Group and BlackRock, is launching the new label with its partner and founding advisor Rene McLean at the helm. SLANG, in partnership with TRIBL Records, released Smith’s latest single, the Gospel track “You Can Make It” feat. Fridayy and Sunday Service, on June 28, which has racked up 1.13 million on-demand streams in the U.S. so far, according to Luminate.

Joining Smith on the SLANG roster are producers Camper (Big Sean, Mary J. Blige) and 30 Roc (Cardi B, Roddy Ricch), as well as the Underachievers, Leaf, Truththebull, Isaia Huron and more.

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“I’m proud to lead SLANG’s efforts to partner with quality artists and invest in their growth, regardless of genre or where they are in their respective careers,” McLean said in a statement. “In a quickly-changing music industry, SLANG artists will be surrounded by a team of like-minded strategists who will stop at nothing to further their trajectory and help them meet their goals. Our commitment to culture comes first, and we consider our SLANG roster family.”

Influence Media launched in 2017-2018, initially using bridge financing from Morgan Stanley to acquire assets from artists and producers Jeff Bhasker, Shane McAnally and Ben Rector, before selling those rights to Tempo Music in 2019. Two years after that, it launched its Fund I with $100 million in backing to acquire some copyrights from songwriter Ali Tamposi (Kelly Clarkson, Camila Cabello) and singer/songwriter Julia Michaels (“Issues,” Justin Bieber).

The backing from WMG and BlackRock, announced in February 2022, was intended for purchasing new assets and as an investment in Influence’s platform; at the time, Influence was said to have deployed some $300 million of the $750 million it had raised overall on songwriting catalogs from Tainy, the Stereotypes, Jessie Reyez and Skyler Stonestreet. Since then, it also acquired parts of the publishing catalogs of Future and Harry Styles songwriter Tyler Johnson, and partnered with Enrique Iglesias for a rights management deal and acquired Blake Shelton’s master recordings.

McLean, a 2023 Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Player, led several of those acquisitions; he has served as a manager for the likes of Cam’ron, LMFAO and Kelis over the years, and had a hand in the careers of artists such as Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, Pharrell and Timbaland, according to a press release.

24 Jul 2024

Paramore’s Hayley Williams Thinks It’s ‘So Lame’ That Music Fans Are Caught Up in ‘Stan-War’ Drama

If you’re on the couch with your popcorn just aching for some more drama between pop singers, do not invite Paramore singer Hayley Williams to your party, because she’s not interested. In an Instagram Story recorded after a show in Hamburg on Tuesday (July 23), Williams hopped on camera to give her no-holds-barred take on the attempts by some to pit female pop stars against each other.

Sliding off screen to change, Williams gave a two-minute treatise on why she hates the internet, but also on the irrational focus on competition between artists. “Something I’ve been thinking about a lot, and why I don’t really love it [the internet]… Especially in the music world, like when it comes, to like, music, whether it’s the pop girls or any scene, really. People only give a f–k about numbers now, and stats. And that is so lame. It’s very fun, don’t get me wrong. It’s sick. We’ve had a #1 album and top this and that albums, yes. That s–t is great…,” she said.

After a quick change into sweatshirt, Williams continued, “But I just remember a time when that was not so important, and that also wasn’t like a gotcha for a stan-war type of situation. Anyway, I just think it’s really f–king annoying… My side of the internet, which is basically not really the internet. Where I just get to support all the pop girls. Maybe that’s privilege. because I’m not a pop girl, but I just think everyone should cool it and let people make really great music and s–t… I’m over it.”

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With just the top of her head visible as she hung upside down in the frame to give a view up her nostrils, Williams concluded that she is, “over it.” (Watch the whole video here.) As noted by Stereogum, the Story has since disappeared, but a residual tile remains on which Williams added, “witnessing stan wars makes me so happy pmore is not really in the pop world. i just get to enjoy the good s–t thats come out this year and im sorry some of yall cant thats gotta be tough damn.”

Paramore’s great summer adventure opening for Taylor Swift rolls on tonight (July 24) with the final show in Hamburg, Germany, before the outing moves on to Munich’s Olympiastadion for gigs on Saturday(July 27) and Sunday (July 28). The group will stay touring with Swift through a fifth and final gig at Wembley Stadium in London on August 20.