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30 May 2024

A Bungling Bundle: Spotify Short-Changes Songwriters for Minimal Gain (Guest Column)

You’ve most likely heard by now the news that Spotify, through a surprising bundling maneuver, has unilaterally decided to give songwriters a substantial pay cut. As part of our ongoing efforts to provide the songwriting community with data and details related to this incredibly important income stream — which at this point must feel like a continual moving target — we have reviewed and analyzed Spotify’s reporting for the first month where they instituted this change (March), and compared it with the month prior (February).

What Is Happening?: Spotify has decided to bundle audiobooks in its premium tier offerings (affecting 85% of total Spotify subscribers). By doing so, they are now claiming that nearly half of total subscriber revenue is attributed to audiobooks, reducing reported service revenue to music to 52%. This results in a substantial decrease in payments to songwriters, which we explain below.

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In March, total mechanical revenue paid by Spotify was reduced by 33.9% (from $36.7 million in February to $24.3 million). This is where the reported yearly $150 million reduction comes from — an estimate built on Spotify’s prior-year performance and payment reports to the Mechanical Licensing Collective. The twist here is that Spotify reported that performance royalties increased 18.75% from February to March (from $31.2 million to $37 million).

Spotify’s performance royalties always fluctuate from month to month (by as much as +/- 10%) but the magnitude of this change is unusual (and unexplained). Was March’s unexpected growth in Spotify’s performance royalties an anomaly, or a precursor to a new level of payments for that royalty? Due to the structure of the mechanical royalty payment formula, an increase in performance payments results in a decrease in mechanical payments.

For many songwriters who have agreements with music publishers, performance royalties are beneficial because half are paid directly to the songwriter and not through their publishing agreement, whereas mechanical royalties run through the publisher.

So, while mechanical payments in March were reduced by 33.9%, the total reduction in payments to songwriters was 9.75% ($67.9 million to $61.3 million), which on an annual basis comes out to $80 million.

Historical Performance vs. Mechanical Payments for CRB III: This harkens back to prior reporting (and confusion) a couple of months ago when the streaming services reported an increase in performance revenue over the prior five-year period (2018-2022). While we cannot explain exactly why performance revenue changed in this historic accounting period, we can presume that it had something to do with deals that were being negotiated during that time and were finalized and took retroactive effect by the time the final remanded reporting was provided and required by the final determination of the appeal.

If Spotify Cut Revenue in Half, Why Aren’t We Seeing a 50% Reduction? The payment structure has various protections so that Spotify and other similar digital service providers cannot unilaterally adjust their prices to the detriment of songwriters, as Spotify has done here. One of those protections is an obligation to pay songwriters a portion of what they pay record labels, to the extent that that amount is greater than the service revenue percentage. This is called the “TCC Prong,” or “Total Content Cost Prong.” Because Spotify’s deals with the record labels apparently do not give them the flexibility to choose what they can bundle into offerings and make price reductions, what they pay the labels has not changed. In fact, in March, that percentage increased by 5.86%, or $13.1 million.

So is the Total Yearly Reduction 150M or 80M? This will most likely land somewhere in the middle, as it depends on what Spotify reports paying on performance (i.e., if March’s performance royalty growth was an anomaly) and what it pays to the labels. Over the course of the next several months, if Spotify does not change its position, we will be monitoring and reporting trends in percentage and actual results as part of our ongoing effort to provide the songwriting community with actual and up-to-date information related to their royalties. You can also check the current going rate of publishing revenue yourself at any time with our royalty calculator, updated monthly.

Spotify spent five years litigating against publishers and songwriters to establish rates for 2018-2022. The result was a positive increase but a major delay in payment. In total, the mechanical increase from all digital service providers came out to about $250 million over that period. Of that, Spotify contributed $98.6 million more, and that’s just from its restated 2021-2022 period. Songwriters did not receive the eventual rate increase until earlier this year.

When Spotify, the NMPA and NSAI reached an agreement for 2023-2027, we thought the fight was over. We were wrong.

At the end of March, Spotify reported yearly revenue of $15 billion. This audiobook bundling maneuver, which affects 100% of all musical content on its service, reflects less than a 1% cost savings for the tech behemoth. And for a limited time, at that, since the settlement referenced above ends in 2027. This begs the question to Spotify analysts and shareholders alike as to whether it is worth it — and leads to the obvious answer: “It is not.” Spotify should reverse course immediately and find 1% savings somewhere else that doesn’t work to decimate the revenue of millions of American songwriters, the lifeblood of our treasured American music industry.

Jordan Bromley leads Manatt Entertainment, a legal and consulting firm providing services to the entertainment industry for over 45 years. He sits on the Board of Directors for the Music Artists Coalition, an artist first advocacy coalition established in 2019.

Trent Smith is a financial analyst at Manatt Entertainment with extensive experience in the streaming economy.

30 May 2024

Darius Rucker Opens Up About Split From Ex-Wife: ‘She Was Awesome, It Was All Me’

Darius Rucker opens up about the ending of his decades-long marriage to Beth Leonard in an upcoming interview on Tamron Hall.

In an exclusive clip from the interview promoting his new memoir Life’s Too Short, Rucker discussed how Leonard convinced him to halt his hard-partying ways, but also discussed the dissolution of the couple’s marriage. Rucker and Leonard were wed in 2000 and announced their split in 2020.

“She saved my life. I have so much love and respect for her,” Rucker said during the interview. “The night she just said to me, ‘It’s time to quit,’ in her very colorful way, I realized it was time to quit. That day, I called the band, I got my own bus, I said, ‘This is over for me.’ It was over because I respected her and I respected my family. I just wanted to be a better person.”

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He also said that writing about the ending of the couple’s marriage was hard, “because to realize how awful I was as a husband was hard to write. To realize she did everything she could. She’s so wonderful, she’s still an amazing human, amazing person. I love her so much. But I was just, a rockstar, and I lived that life.”

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He went on to add, “I wanted to tell the truth, but sometimes the truth sucks. It sucks for me and in writing about her, I just wanted the world to know that it was all me. She was awesome. It was all me.”

In his memoir, Rucker details his childhood growing up in South Carolina and how he dealt with the deaths of his older brother and his mother early in his life. Elsewhere in the book, he wrote about his estranged relationship with his late father, chronicled the rise of Hootie & the Blowfish and detailed his journey to making country music as a solo artist.

Rucker’s Life’s Too Short: A Memoir released May 28 via Dey Street Books.

Rucker’s full interview airs on Tamron Hall Thursday, June 6, check local listings on the show’s website. Watch the clip of Rucker’s interview below:



30 May 2024

Salt-N-Pepa Are Getting Their Own Action Figures

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Salt N Pepa Action Figures

Source: Super7 / Super7

Regardless of what many people may feel, action figures are still very much popular collectables amongst grown-ass adults. With that in mind, toy manufacturer Super7 is releasing a line of figures featuring one of your favorite Hip-Hop artists from yesteryear.

Salt N Pepa Action Figures

Source: Super7 / Super7

According to Variety, Super7 is set to add to their already illustrious line of Hip-Hop figures and will now honor the likes of Salt-N-Pepa for their latest Hip-Hop drop. The news comes after the brand had already seen success with the release of previous Hip-Hop figures, which featured the likes of The Notorious B.I.G, OutKast, The RZA, Ghostface Killah and DMX amongst a few others.

Now that Salt-N-Pepa are getting their own figures, don’t be surprised if these collectables pop up in the home of your your middle-aged sugar mama (just sayin’).

Variety reports:

On May 29, San Francisco-based pop culture collectible manufacturer Super7 will release a two-pack of plastic figures molded after Salt-N-Pepa’s looks from the music video for “Push It,” their breakthrough song. Released in 1987, “Push It” immediately eclipsed the A-side track “Tramp,” earning a Grammy nomination after selling almost 1.5 million copies worldwide. The eight-ball jackets the figures wear immediately conjure images of both the video and the cover for the group’s 1988 single “Shake Your Thang,” featuring the same outfits. (Unfortunately, Super7will not be recreating the jackets themselves — at least, not yet.)

As to how Super7 goes about choosing the artists they want to immortalize in miniature plastic form, it’s quite simple as far as the company’s spokesperson explained:

Describing their approach to selecting artists or characters for their product lines, a Super7 spokesperson explained, “We aim to celebrate artists who have significantly influenced the music industry, pop culture, and who have also influenced our own lives. We work in collaboration with the artist or their representatives to decide what era to celebrate, such as an album or music video. The conversation also includes what form factor and stylization would be appropriate for the artist.”

Check out the new Salt-N-Pepa figures, and let us know if you’ll be copping in the comments section below.

30 May 2024

Drake and Sexyy Red’s Use of ‘BBL Drizzy’ Sets a New Precedent for AI Sample Clearances

On May 24, Sexyy Red and Drake teamed up on the track “U My Everything.” And in a surprise — Drake’s beef with Kendrick Lamar had seemingly ended — the track samples “BBL Drizzy” (originally created using AI by King Willonius, then remixed by Metro Boomin) during the Toronto rapper’s verse. 

It’s another unexpected twist for what many are calling the first-ever AI-generated hit, “BBL Drizzy.” Though Metro Boomin’s remix went viral, his version never appeared on streaming services. “U My Everything” does, making it  the first time an AI-generated sample has appeared on an official release — and posing new legal questions in the process. Most importantly: Does an artist need to clear a song with an AI-generated sample?

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“This sample is very, very novel,” says Donald Woodard, a partner at the Atlanta-based music law firm Carter Woodard. “There’s nothing like it.” Woodard became the legal representative for Willonius, the comedian and AI enthusiast who generated the original “BBL Drizzy,” after the track went viral and has been helping Willonius navigate the complicated, fast-moving business of viral music. Woodard says music publishers have already expressed interest in signing Willonius for his track, but so far, the comedian/creator is still only exploring the possibility.

Willonius told Billboard that it was “very important” to him to hire the right lawyer as his opportunities mounted. “I wanted a lawyer that understood the landscape and understood how historic this moment is,” he says. “I’ve talked to lawyers who didn’t really understand AI, but I mean, all of us are figuring it out right now.”

Working off recent guidance from the U.S. Copyright Office, Woodard says that the master recording of “BBL Drizzy” is considered “public domain,” meaning anyone can use it royalty-free and it is not protected by copyright, since Willonius created the master using AI music generator Udio. But because Willonius did write the lyrics to “BBL Drizzy,” copyright law says he should be credited and paid for the “U My Everything” sample on the publishing side. “We are focused on the human portion that we can control,” says Woodard. “You only need to clear the human side of it, which is the publishing.”

In hip-hop, it is customary to split the publishing ownership and royalties 50/50: One half is expected to go to the producer, the other is for the lyricists (who are also often the artists, too). “U My Everything” was produced by Tay Keith, Luh Ron, and Jake Fridkis, so it is likely that those three producers split that half of publishing in some fashion. The other half is what Willonius could be eligible for, along with other lyricists Drake and Sexyy Red. Woodard says the splits were solidified “post-release” on Tuesday, May 28, but declined to specify what percentage split Willonius will take home of the publishing. “I will say though,” Woodard says, cracking a smile. “He’s happy.”

Upon the release of “U My Everything,” Willonius was not listed as a songwriter on Spotify or Genius, both of which list detailed credits but can contain errors. It turns out the reason for the omission was simple: the deal wasn’t done yet. “We hammered out this deal in the 24th hour,” jokes Woodard, who adds that he was unaware that “U My Everything” sampled “BBL Drizzy” until the day of its release. “That’s just how it goes sometimes.”

It is relatively common for sample clearance negotiations to drag on long after the release of songs. Some rare cases, like Travis Scott’s epic “Sicko Mode,” which credits about 30 writers due to a myriad of samples, can take years. Willonius tells Billboard when he got the news about the “U My Everything” release, he was “about to enter a meditation retreat” in Chicago and let his lawyer “handle the business.”

This sample clearance process poses another question: should Metro Boomin be credited, too? According to Metro’s lawyer, Uwonda Carter, who is also a partner at Carter Woodard, the simple answer is no. She adds that Metro is not pursuing any ownership or royalties for “U My Everything.”

“Somehow people attach Metro to the original version of ‘BBL Drizzy,’ but he didn’t create it,” Carter says. “As long as [Drake and Sexyy Red] are only using the original version [of “BBL Drizzy”], that’s the only thing that needs to be cleared,” she continues, adding that Metro is not the type of creative “who encroaches upon work that someone else does.”

When Metro’s remix dropped on May 5, Carter says she spoke with the producer, his manager and his label, Republic Records, to discuss how they could officially release the song and capitalize on its grassroots success, but then they ultimately decided against doing a proper release. “Interestingly, the label’s position was if [Metro’s] going to exploit this song, put it up on DSPs, it’s going to need to be cleared, but nobody knew what that clearance would look like because it was obviously AI.”

She adds, “Metro decided that he wasn’t going to exploit the record because trying to clear it was going to be the Wild, Wild West.” In the end, however, the release of “U My Everything” still threw Carter Woodard into that copyright wilderness, forcing them to find a solution for their other client, Willonius.

In the future, the two lawyers predict that AI could make their producer clients’ jobs a lot easier, now that there is a precedent for getting AI-generated masters royalty-free. “It’ll be cheaper,” says Carter. “Yes, cleaner and cheaper,” says Woodard.

Carter does acknowledge that while AI sampling could help some producers with licensing woes, it could hurt others, particularly the “relatively new” phenomenon of “loop producers.” “I don’t want to minimize what they do,” she says, “but I think they have the most to be concerned about [with AI].” Carter notes that using a producer’s loops can cost 5% to 10% from the producer’s side of publishing or more. “I think that, at least in the near future, producers will start using AI sampling and AI-generated records so they could potentially bypass the loop producers.”

Songwriter-turned-publishing executive Evan Bogart previously told Billboard he feels AI could never replace “nostalgic” samples (like “First Class” by Jack Harlow’s use of “Glamorous” by Fergie or “Big Energy” by Latto’s “Fantasy” by Mariah Carey), where the old song imbues the new one with greater meaning. But he said he could foresee it being a digital alternative to crate digging for obscure samples to chop up and manipulate beyond recognition.

Though the “U My Everything” complications are over — and set a new precedent for the nascent field of AI sampling in the process — the legal complications with “BBL Drizzy” will continue for Woodard and his client. Now, they are trying to get the original song back on Spotify after it was flagged for takedown. “Some guy in Australia went in and said that he made it, not me,” says Willonius. A representative for Spotify confirms to Billboard that the takedown of “BBL Drizzy” was due to a copyright claim. “He said he made that song and put it on SoundCloud 12 years ago, and I’m like, ‘How was that possible? Nobody was even saying [BBL] 12 years ago,’” Willonius says. (Udio has previously confirmed to Billboard that its backend data shows Willonius made the song on its platform).   

“I’m in conversations with them to try to resolve the matter,” says Woodard, but “unfortunately, the process to deal with these sorts of issues is not easy. Spotify requires the parties to reach a resolution and inform Spotify once this has happened.” 

Though there is precedent for other “public domain” music being disqualified from earning royalties, so far, given how new this all is, there is no Spotify policy that would bar an AI-generated song from earning royalties. These songs are also allowed to stay up on the platform as long as the AI songs do not conflict with Spotify’s platform rules, says a representative from Spotify.

Despite the challenges “BBL Drizzy” has posed, Woodard says it’s remarkable, after 25 years in practice as a music attorney, that he is part of setting a precedent for something so new. “The law is still being developed and the guidelines are still being developed,” Woodard says. “It’s exciting that our firm is involved in the conversation, but we are learning as we go.”

This story is included in Billboard‘s new music technology newsletter, Machine Learnings. To subscribe to this and other Billboard newsletters, click here.

30 May 2024

Treat Your Feet: The 6 Best Platform Sandals to Buy for Summer

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Calling all footwear fashionistas! Sandal season is finally here.

One of the best parts about the summer is ditching your sneakers and boots, slipping into a comfy sandal and letting your toes get some sun. With the official start of summer just a few weeks away, we put together a list of the 6 best platform sandals to shop this season.

From new Crocs sandals to Rothy’s viral wedges and other stylish sandal options, see below for a collection of platform sandals to help you channel summer vibes.

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Crocs

Crocs Brooklyn Low Wedge

The comfort of Classic Crocs transformed into a wear-anywhere sandal. The Brooklyn Wedge sandal features lightweight construction and an elegant silhouette with a 2-inch platform heel, comfortable upper straps, smooth foot straps that won’t dig into your skin and cushiony footbeds featuring LiteRide foam (think: walking on clouds). The Brooklyn Wedge is available in black and black/mushroom and sizes ranging from 4-11, but you’ll want to size up as the sandal runs small.

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Reef

Reef Water Vista Higher Sandal

Reef’s Water Vista Higher sandal is described as a water-friendly, “elevated platform” offering a light-weight feel, courtesy of the compression molded footbed and adjustable back straps. The sandal features a 2.5-inch platform and its available in various colors including black, cloud, black cognac, citron and vintage citron (sizes 5-11).

Ugg

Ugg Women’s Aubrey Ankle Sandal

If you’re already a fan of Ugg boots and slippers, here’s an alternative shoe from the footwear band. The Aubrey Ankle Sandal is made from suede and recycled fibers, with a dash of raffia and a sugarcane EVA outsole and a 2-inch platform heel. The sandal is available in black and tan (sizes 5-12).

Crocs

Crocs Getaway Platform Flip

The Crocs Getaway Collection Platform Flip is a perfect vacation sandal: flexible, functional, packable and most importantly, comfortable. As the top style from Crocs Getaway Collection, this popular sandal features a cushiony, soft cloud-like footbed suitable for all-day wear. The sandal features a 1.6-inch platform and it’s available in nine colors including plaster, sunkissed, stucco, espresso, black, atmosphere, latte, quartz and dreamscape.

The Crocs Getaway Collection features the all-new Free Feel Technology, dubbed as its “most seamless comfort innovation yet.” As one customer noted, “It is very soft, light, and thin. It seems like you don’t have shoes on!”

Other styles in the collection include the Crocs Getaway Platform H-Strap ($44.99).

Nike

Nike Icon Classic Sandal

Strappy meets sporty with Nike’s Icon Classic Sandal. The Icon Classic has a 2-inch platform and plenty of adjustable straps to secure your feet. Interested in a sleeker Nike sandal? Try the Jordan Deja Sandals ($90).

Rothy’s

Rothy’s The Lightweight Wedge Sandal

Rothy’s Lightweight Wedge Sandal is an ultra-versatile shoe that pairs with a range of summery looks such as sundresses, shorts and other wardrobe staples. The LightWeight Wedge Sandal features a cushy footbed and stacked, EVA midsole and a 2.5-inch platform, plus the heel-strap has some stretch to it. The sandal is available in salt, pepper, cardamom and beach sand woven (sizes 5-13).

Now that you’re feet are ready for summer, it’s time to tackle the closet. Check out our selection of must-have jeans shorts, crop tops and summer tops under $20.

30 May 2024

Surf’s Up: Here Are the 10 Best Summer Songs About Going to the Beach

The practices of listening to music and going to the beach both date back centuries. No wonder they work so well together.

And whether you live on a coast or travel miles each year just to dip your toes in the ocean, it goes without saying: Any successful beach outing is non-negotiably accompanied by a perfect waterside playlist, usually packed with vibe-y classics from generations past alongside whichever hits are currently in competition for the title of song of the summer. The hot season has proved to be an abundant source of inspiration for musicians over the years, who’ve penned homages to everything from the warm weather it promises to the opportunities it offers for vacations, outdoor trips, parties and cookouts — but if there’s one summer staple that appears the most fondly in such seasonal tracks, it’s undoubtedly the beach.

That’s why Billboard has rounded up the 10 best songs the past century of music has to offer on the topic, featuring contemporary pop stars such as Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry to visionary groups like The Drifters and, of course, the Beach Boys. Some of them are exactly as fun and free as they seem on the surface, while others were written with deeper metaphors inspired by the ocean’s many mysteries in mind. Whatever floats your boat, as they say. (All puns intended.)

Without further adieu, grab your umbrellas, towels and sunglasses, stake your claim on a spot on the shore and dive into the following songs about sun, sand and surf — ranked in reverse order below.

30 May 2024

The Power Couples of Latin Music: Duki & Emilia, Karol G & Feid and More

Maintaining a long-lasting and loving relationship in the music industry is not an easy task. Just recently, Christian Nodal and Cazzu — one of Latin music’s most beloved couples — called it quits recently after a nearly two-year relationship, and after having their first child in 2023. 

The unexpected split was confirmed on their social media accounts on May 23, in a since-deleted Instagram story that read: “The time has come to share that Julieta and I are going our separate ways. Our love and respect for each other remains strong, especially in our role as parents to our wonderful daughter, Inti.”

Cazzu additionally shared in her stories: “We artists are a screen of what happens in real life. You go through love, heartbreak, successes and mistakes with us. Today, as it was many times and as there are still many, you accompany us, some with hate and others with much love. Thank you, everything heals.”

Meanwhile, Sebastian Yatra and Aitana continue hinting that their relationship goes beyond something professional. 

“This is already the third song I have done with Sebastián,” Aitana told Billboard exclusively about their latest collab “Akureyi.” “We seem to understand each other very well in the studio. We’ve understood each other very well for a long time, so having that complicity with someone inside a studio is hard to find, having that companionship that allows you to go inside the studio and a very beautiful song comes out again and again.”

The song, which came out on April 26, was conceived during a trip that Aitana and Yatra took to Akureyri, a town in Iceland, to celebrate Aitana’s birthday on June 27, 2023 — further showcasing their undeniable chemistry. 

But in the midst of possible relationships and breakups, here’s a list of power couples still going strong in the Latin music realm.

30 May 2024

Patti LaBelle Teases a Potential Collaboration with Her ‘New Best Friend’ Cardi B

Patti LaBelle turned 80 years old last week (May 24) and her close friend Whoopi Goldberg threw the music icon a surprise party attended by the likes of Gayle King, Fat Joe, Tamron Hall and more.

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Entertainment Tonight caught up with LaBelle at the party, where she revealed plans for her next album and a possible collaboration on the horizon with Cardi B.

The “On My Own” singer hailed the Bronx bombshell as her “new best friend” and said she loves the idea of working with the Grammy-winning rapper. “Why not,” she said of teaming up with Cardi B. “[Cardi’s] like one of my new best friends. And to know that she was into Patti LaBelle, she’s like my new buddy.”

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Patti LaBelle added that her upcoming album should arrive in 2024, and the title is inspired by her age combined with the amount of time she’s spent working in the music industry.

“It should be out at the end of this year, and it’s called 8065,” she said. “I’m 80 years young and 65 years in show business.” 

If they do hit the studio, it won’t be the first time Cardi and LaBelle linked up. The pair joined forces last Thanksgiving to combine their products for a delectable holiday side dish. Cardi B brought her pumpkin-flavored Whip Shots Vodka to Patti’s house to mix with her Good Life Pies for a sweet snack.

“Being with Ms Patti and her family was such a honor,” Cardi said of the experience with LaBelle on Instagram. “The way she speaks with such gentleness, calmness, and grace is soooo soothing.. I kept asking her questions just to hear her talk and one hug from her was so warm it makes you just feel welcome and like you knew her forever!”

She continued: “So charming and so sweet but at the same time you can tell she can get real Philly on ya ass if she needs to! Thank you so much @mspattilabelle you are everything and I’m coming over for dinner every chance I get!!!

While Cardi’s sophomore album is still in limbo, she remains in-demand when it comes to her features. She’s dropping another guest verse as part of the “Wanna Be” remix with Megan Thee Stallion and GloRilla on Friday (May 31).

As for Patti LaBelle, her last project to make the Billboard 200 came in 2007 with her holiday-themed Miss Patti’s Christmas, which reached No. 174.

Watch Patti LaBelle talk about Cardi B and her new album below.

30 May 2024

American Airlines Slapped With Racial Discrimination Lawsuit By 3 Black Men Asked To Leave A Flight Following Body Odor Complaint

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American Airlines Accused of Racial Discrimination In Lawsuit

Source: AaronP/Bauer-Griffin / Getty / American Airlines

American Airlines’ current motto is “Let good take flight,” but that wasn’t true for three Black male passengers.

The airline company is now the subject of a racial discrimination lawsuit after three Black men, who say they don’t know each other, were ordered off their flight back in January.

The three men filed their lawsuit in a New York federal court on Wednesday, May 29, claiming they, along with five other Black men, were asked to get off a Phoenix flight before it departed.

The Grio reports the men were sitting in different sections of the plane and said an airline employee informed them that they were removed because a flight attendant complained about a passenger’s body odor.

The men feel their removal from the flight was solely due to their race.

The lawsuit filed by Public Citizen, a consumer-advocacy group founded by Ralph Nader, says American Airlines offered to rebook their flights but allowed the men back on the plane after it was clear there were no other flights to New York.

American Airlines Is Investigating The Incident

Susan Huhta, an employment law attorney in Washington, D.C., who is representing the three men, said, “If American Airlines received a complaint about a Black male passenger with offensive body odor but could not verify the complaint, the solution should not have been to eject eight separate Black men from the plane.”

“We take all claims of discrimination very seriously and want our customers to have a positive experience when they choose to fly with us,” American Airlines said in a statement. “Our teams are currently investigating the matter, as the claims do not reflect our core values or our purpose of caring for people.”

This latest incident comes after American Airlines said they would make changes after the NAACP issued a warning in 2017 to Black travelers about booking flights with the airline due to several African American passengers saying they experienced racial discrimination.

30 May 2024

Kate Spade’s Surprise Leather Satchel Is on Sale for $95 – Save Up 75% Off While Supplies Last 

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

If you are in search of a stylish purse but are having a hard time finding one at an affordable price, you are in the right place. Kate Spade’s chic and versatile Madison Saffiano Leather Satchel is on sale now for $119, but you can save an extra 20% off with the code EXTRA20 auto-applied in cart, making it an affordable $95.20.

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This leather satchel comes in a five different colors: Conch Pink, Black, Blossom Pink, Butter and Blue Glow. According to the brand, this purse includes an exterior front slip pocket and an interior back zip and front slip pocket. It also features a top zip closure and the iconic Kate Spade New York metal pinmount logo.

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Kate Spade's Surprise Leather Satchel Is on Sale for $95: Where to Buy

Kate Spade Outlet

Kate Spade Outlet: Madison Saffiano Leather Small Satchel

$95.20

$379

75% off

With its crossbody strap, you’ll be able to keep your hands free by carrying all your essentials in style wherever you go anytime, anywhere.

If you are still unsure about making this purchase, take a look at the reviews. A Kate Spade Outlet customer stated, “I absolutely love KS bags and this one is no exception. The color and size are perfect.”

Another shared, “This is the cutest bag for Spring. I love small purses and this one is the perfect size! I love the Saffiano leather texture-it’s so unique and adds an extra layer of style! The quality of this bag is impeccable which is what makes Kate Spade products so worth it!”

Level up your spring and summer fashion with this one essential accessory. Plus, you can get it in all your favorite colors to match with your outfits.

For more product recommendations, check out this Steve Madden crossbody bag, crossbody phone bags, and viral Lululemon purse.