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01 Mar 2024

UMG’s TikTok Standoff Affects Over 60% of the Most Popular Songs

The breakdown in licensing talks between Universal Music Group (UMG) and TikTok affects far more than Universal recording artists and songwriters.  

Every now and then, a music company pulls its recorded music catalog, publishing catalog or both from a digital service provider after licensing talks break down — Warner Music Group did this with YouTube in 2008, for example. It happened again starting Feb. 1 when UMG started pulling its recordings from TikTok after the two companies couldn’t come to an agreement on a new licensing deal.  

The licensing breakdown first affected artists signed to UMG record labels. Take the Q4 Hot 100, a list of the top 100 tracks in the fourth quarter. UMG’s various record labels — including Republic Records and Interscope Records — released 41 of the 100 tracks, among them Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer,” Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red” and Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”  

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On Tuesday (Feb. 27), TikTok began removing compositions part-owned by Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG). On the publishing side, UMG has an interest in 40 of the Q4 2023 Hot 100 tracks, such as SZA’s “Snooze” (a track released by Sony’s RCA Records), Jack Harlow’s “Lovin on Me” (a track released by Warner Music Group’s Atlantic Records) and Usher’s “Good Good” (a track released by gamma, an indie newcomer).  

Since every recording involves two copyrights — one for the master recording, one for the composition — the damage of UMG’s decision to pull its repertoire from TikTok is larger yet. Counting both recorded music and music publishing, UMG has an ownership interest in 61 of the Q4 2023 Hot 100 tracks. Twenty of those 61 tracks have a UMG publishing interest but were not released by a UMG-owned record label. Another 20 of those tracks have a UMG publishing interest and were released by a UMG record label. UMG does not have a publishing interest in the remaining 21 of those tracks that were released by a UMG record label.  

That’s far larger than UMG’s market share in either recorded music or publishing. UMG had a 39.4% share of U.S. recorded music by distribution in 2023 (a 29.4% share by ownership) and a 15.8% publisher’s market share of the Hot 100 in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Ownership interest, not market share, gets to the true impact of the UMG-TikTok impasse. Today’s popular songs have multiple co-writers, each of whom might have a different music publisher. When a track includes a sample or interpolation of another composition, those works’ songwriters get credits on the new work, too. The 41 tracks on the Hot 100 in which UMG has a publishing interest have an average of 5.5 songwriters. Eight of those 41 tracks had 8 or more co-writers; four of them had 10 or more co-writers. Of the 41 tracks with UMG ownership interest, only Irving Berlin’s 83-year-old “White Christmas” was written by one person. 

The more songwriters who are on a single track, the higher the odds that any one music publisher can remove a track during a licensing dispute. An example of this complexity is “What It Is (Block Boy)” by Doechii featuring Kodak Black, released by UMG-owned Capitol Records (the track entered the Hot 100 in May thanks to success on TikTok). The recording includes a sample of TLC’s 1999 hit “No Scrubs” and interpolates a hook from “Some Cut” by Lil Scrappy and Trillville, which reached No. 15 on the Hot 100 in 2005. “What It Is (Block Boy)” has 16 co-writers, including the 4 co-writers of “No Scrubs” and 6 co-writers of “Some Cut.”  

A wide swatch of the music publishing business is represented in “What It Is (Block Boy).” The Music Licensing Collective’s public database lists 7 different publishers attached to the composition: UMPG, Sony/ATV, Warner Chappell Music, Disney, BMG, Concord and Reservoir Media. UMPG’s 3% collection share is the smallest of the seven publishers.  

To be sure, the Hot 100 from the fourth quarter of 2023 isn’t a perfect reflection of what is currently most popular — or would be popular if not for the licensing impasse — at TikTok. The TikTok Billboard 50 shows the platform’s most popular music is a mix of Hot 100 staples (“Lovin On Me”) and indie music that otherwise wouldn’t be seen on a Billboard chart (Aphex Twin’s “QKThr”).  

This headline-grabbing development isn’t a story of one music company against one tech company; labels and publishers that renewed their licensing deals with TikTok have unwillingly joined UMG’s battle with the platform. UMG’s inability to reach a deal with TikTok impacts every major label group and likely touches every music publisher of note.

01 Mar 2024

Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas 2024 Announces Lineup & New Layout: Four Tet & Peggy Gou to Make EDC Debut

The mother of all U.S. dance festivals is coming back with a characteristic bang, as EDC Las Vegas has today (March 1) announced the lineup for its 2024 fest.

It’s a dizzying array of mostly every big name dance act in the world (minus a few exceptions), with EDC regulars deadmau5, Diplo, David Guetta, Kaskade, Alison Wonderland, Tiesto, FISHER, Alesso, Armin van Buuren, Dillon Francis, Carl Cox, Eric Prydz, John Summit, Valentino Khan, Seven Lions, Steve Aoki, Illenium, Paul van Dyk, Martin Garrix, DJ Snake, Zedd and many more all returning to the fest.

Four Tet, Peggy Gou and hard techno star Sara Landry will all make their EDC Las Vegas debuts this year. The event will also feature Subtronics, Mau P, Hamdi, Four Tet, HAAi, Dabin, Boyz Noize, Heidi Lawden and several hundred more artists spanning house, techno, tech house, EDM, hardstyle, bass and beyond. Get out your magnifying glass and check the complete lineup below.

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EDC Las Vegas 2024 happens at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway this May 17-19. The festival starts each day at dusk and wraps up at sunrise. Ticket for the 18+ event are on sale now.

EDC Las Vegas is the flagship festival from the Los Angeles-based Insomniac Events, a global leader in dance music live shows that celebrated its 30th anniversary last year. The festival hosts artists across nine stages, each typically featuring a different style of electronic music. A few of these stages — bionicJUNGLE, quantumVALLEY, bassPOD, wasteLAND, and neonGARDEN — will all be moved this year in order to create larger dancefloors and better crowd flow.

Organizers note that the festival’s 2024 theme is “#kineticCIRCLE” which a statement says will “celebrate the profound impact circles have on our lives – circles of time, circles of trust, and circles of community.”

2024 EDC Las Vegas

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01 Mar 2024

‘Feels Like the Very Fourth Time’: Jimmy Kimmel’s New Oscars Ad Invokes Foreigner Hit

Foreigner is having a moment. The band, which is currently nominated for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, is also being saluted in an ad promoting the Oscars, which are set for March 10. The ad tweaks the title of Foreigner’s 1977 breakthrough hit “Feels Like the First Time” with the copy line “Feels Like the Very Fourth Time,” since this is comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s fourth time as host. The line has several of Kimmel’s trademarks – clever, a little bit corny and sweetly endearing.

“Feels Like the First Time” entered the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1977 and rose to No. 4, becoming the first of nine top 10 hits for the band.

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Foreigner has been in the news in the past month because Mark Ronson, stepson of Foreigner guitarist and principal writer Mick Jones, has been mounting a campaign to get the band in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Ronson assembled a compilation of videos from famous friends voicing their support for the band.

“We decided to go all out this year and really try and get Foreigner on the ballot for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” Ronson said on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “I called in some favors. So there’s some people I’ve met along the way making music myself that I knew were fans of Foreigner, like Jack Black and Dave Grohl and Slash.”

The prize endorsement came from Paul McCartney, whose pitch was to-the-point and surprisingly off-color. “Foreigner not in the Hall of Fame? What the f—?” the legendary Beatles rocker declared in a video he sent Ronson.

Jones was the sole writer of such Foreigner hits as “Feels Like the First Time,” “Urgent,” “I Want to Know What Love Is” (which brought him a Grammy nod for song of the year) and “I Don’t Want to Live Without You” and teamed with Lou Gramm to co-write “Cold as Ice,” “Hot Blooded,” “Double Vision,” “Waiting for a Girl Like You” and “Say You Will.” All of these songs reached the top 10 on the Hot 100.

The Oscars will air March 10 at a new, earlier time: 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductions are set to be announced in late April.

01 Mar 2024

Katt Williams Trades Half-Truths For Full-Blown Conspiracy Theories & Transphobia During ‘Joe Rogan Experience’ Interview

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Katt Williams Catches Heat Following Transphobic Comments

Source: Johnny Louis / Getty / Katt Williams

Katt Williams flushed away any credibility he had down the toilet following his latest interview.

The comedian/actor had the internet talking for weeks following his thought-provoking appearance on Club Shay Shay. He decided to follow that up with an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience and proceeded to spew a whole bunch of nonsense.

In his interview with the First Take co-host, Shannon Sharpe, Williams had plenty to say, calling out fellow comedians, dissing men’s wives, spewing plenty of half-truths, and dropping some wild claims like he can run a 4.3 40-yard dash or reading eight novels in a day.

For his next act, Williams took his propensity to say outlandish sh*t on Rogan’s podcast. Rogan is no stranger to saying controversial stuff on his show, as he often dabbles in conspiracy theories.

Of course he used his “I know what I’m talking about tone of voice,” which usually leads many to believe that he is telling the absolute truth, regardless of how wild his claims are.

So, let us break down what Williams said.

Katt Williams Is An Expert On Fluoridation

For whatever reason, Katt Williams decided to talk about the fluoride levels in the drinking water that the  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Dental Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Academy of Pediatrics all agree is a safe, effective way to reduce tooth decay.

According to Williams, it’s the government’s way of shrinking our pineal glands; keep in mind that the states decided on the fluoride levels in the drinking water.

“There are those of us who know what the pineal gland…what medicine says it’s for, and what that would mean,” Williams confidently said to Rogan.

Katt Williams Knows Who Built The Ancient Pyramids

The conversation then shifted to the ancient pyramids, with Williams blowing Joe Rogan’s mind when he suggested slaves did not build structural marvels, claiming some advanced machinery, suggesting aliens had a hand in their construction.

That’s not a wild conspiracy theory, but Williams could have easily used his smartphone to learn that enslaved people did not build the pyramids. It was paid laborers who were pretty damn good at building. 

His Transphobia Was Very Loud

Where Williams lost a lot of the people who were rocking with him after the Club Shay Shay interview is when he reached the transphobic portion of the conversation.

Williams ignorantly suggested comedians/actors wearing dresses was some form of a demonic ritual.

“Show me a person that ever wore a dress in Hollywood unsuccessfully. That’s how you understand what a ritual is,” Williams said.

He then equated transitioning with Baphomet, the occult deity associated with Satanism, claiming he knew it would be a “thing” 20 years ago, and he saw the word related to “Baphomet, the Transgender.”

The roughly 3-hour conversation full of crazy talk has amassed over 3 million views on YouTube, which is scary.

You can see more reactions to Williams’ nonsense in the gallery below.

1. Unbelievable

2. More headassery

3. Is it though?

6. The accuracy

7. Damn shame

01 Mar 2024

Cody Johnson Canvasses Radio With ‘The Painter,’ His Second Country Airplay No. 1

Cody Johnson earns his second leader on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart as “The Painter” ascends 3-1 on the March 9-dated ranking. During the Feb. 23-29 tracking week, the single increased by 12% to 31.2 million impressions, according to Luminate.

Johnson, from Sebastopol, Texas, previously hit No. 8 on Country Airplay with “Human” in June 2023, and his first No. 1, “‘Til You Can’t,” which ruled for two frames starting in March 2022. Prior to his three top 10s, his first entry, “With You I Am,” reached No. 40 in May 2017. He broke through further with “On My Way to You” (No. 11, June 2019).

Benjy Davis, Kat Higgins and Ryan Larkins co-wrote “The Painter,” which Trent Willmon produced. It’s the lead single from Johnson’s LP Leather, which arrived on Top Country Albums at its No. 5 best last November, becoming his fifth top 10.

Johnson’s additional song, and next proper single, on Country Airplay, “Dirt Cheap,” places at No. 58 (736,000).

‘23’ Is Top 10

Chayce Beckham’s “23” climbs 11-10 on Country Airplay (18.4 million, up 5%), becoming his first top 10. The Apple Valley, Calif., native was crowned the winner of ABC’s American Idol in 2021 and performed “23” live on-air during that season. He had written the song a year before, and became the first champ to win the competition performing an original song.

Beckham is the fourth winner in the Idol franchise to hit the Country Airplay top 10. He joins Carrie Underwood (30 top 10s, including 16 No. 1s, after winning in 2005), Scotty McCreery (eight top 10s, five No. 1s; 2011) and Kelly Clarkson (two top 10s, one No. 1; 2002, Idol’s inaugural season).

Meanwhile, “23” (not the same composition as Sam Hunt’s song of the same name that topped Country Airplay for a week in April 2022) is the chart’s first top 10 written by a single person since Luke Combs’ cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” which led for five weeks beginning last July.

01 Mar 2024

Kanye West Calls Out Adidas While Sharing Alleged Internal Document: ‘It All Comes Down to Human Rights’

Kanye West isn’t letting up on Adidas. The rapper — who now goes by Ye — took to Instagram Thursday night (Feb. 29) to share photo of an alleged corporate document instructing the apparel giant’s employees how to talk to consumers about the company selling the Yeezy line once again.

With a publish date of Feb. 26, the alleged internal doc explains: “Adidas is the sole owner of the product, including the design rights for existing products as well as previous colorways. The products are existing Yeezy designs initiated in 2022. Adidas honored contractual obligations and discussed releasing products prior to the announcement with the former partner.”

The document also appears to ask employees to not continue extensive conversations with customers surrounding the Yeezy line, and instead points them to a general email to voice their concerns.

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“This is the document that they give employees at adidas when asked questions about Yeezy,” the rapper claimed in the caption of his post. “There is an overlap to adidas and Kim ignoring my opinion … or people ignoring my name change or the entire celebrity culture ostracizing me for my political opinion It all comes down to human rights which you sacrifice when you’re stigmatized with mental issues All these situations are actually far crazier than what I’ve been branded to be.”

Billboard has reached out to reps for Adidas for comment, and has not yet been able to verify the veracity of the document. Billboard has also contacted reps for Ye and Kim Kardashian, who was married to the rapper from 2014 to 2022.

Adidas announced Monday that it would sell some of its remaining Yeezy inventory, after splitting with Ye in 2022 following his string of hate speech and antisemitic comments. Since discontinuing the partnership, Adidas says it has donated some proceeds from such sales to groups that “combat discrimination and hate, including racism and antisemitism.” 

After Adidas’ announcement this week that Yeezys are returning to the market, Ye put the brand on blast for selling “fake Yeezys” and called for his fans to boycott the company altogether.

“Anybody who loves Ye would not buy these fake Yeezys I never made these color ways I’m not getting paid off of them and adidas is suing me,” he wrote at the time. “All the new non-approved 350’s are cooorny and everybody know the 350 been corny.”

He also alleged that Adidas was suing him for $250 million, but as of earlier this week, there’s no evidence that Adidas has filed any kind of new lawsuit against West or his companies.

However, Adidas disclosed that it had filed a private arbitration case against West’s Yeezy LLC in December 2022 on the grounds that the rapper’s “racist, antisemitic, and other offensive public statements and conduct” had violated their partnership agreement and had caused “considerable damage to its brand.”

West may be referring to the arbitration case in claiming that the athletic wear brand was “suing” him. It’s unclear whether $250 million is at stake in that case, or whether that case is still ongoing, since arbitration proceedings are litigated behind closed doors.

The company started to sell Yeezy products again in May 2023 after cutting ties with West in the year prior.

01 Mar 2024

Sexyy Red Gets Tangled Up in a Messy Love Triangle in Her ‘I Might’ Music Video

Sexyy Red juggles her man and her sneaky link in the mischievous “I Might” music video, featuring Summer Walker, released Friday (March 1).

In the Des Grey-directed video, Red’s sneaking around with Atlanta rapper Hunxho (who’s featured on Billboard‘s 2024 R&B and hip-hop artists to watch list) while fighting with her main boo, Lil Scrappy. But don’t tell Sexyy’s baby daddy “’cause he gon’ leavе you leakin’ in a alley,” she taunts in the chorus. When Lil Scrappy comes back to her crib to kiss and make up, he finds Hunxho and his crew ready to square up. And Sexy’s reaction might just be a new internet meme. Meanwhile, Walker sings throughout the clip about how the makeup sex makes all this drama worth it.

“I Might” was featured on the deluxe version of her sophomore mixtape, Hood Hottest Princess, which reached No. 13 on Top Rap Albums, No. 21 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and No. 62 on the Billboard 200. It also marks the second collaboration between Sexyy and Summer since 2022’s “Sense Dat God Gave You.”

The St. Louis rapper welcomed her second child earlier this year — and in a music video for Drake‘s “Rich Baby Daddy,” featuring SZA, she reenacted what it would have looked like if Drake was the father. “What am I supposed to do? My water just broke,” Red asked Drake in the video before requesting he call SZA. “Are you f—ing dumb? Can you stop? We have to go,” SZA scolded him before they piled into the minivan and headed to the hospital.

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Watch the “I Might” music video below.

01 Mar 2024

Billie Eilish Says She Once Broke Up With a Boyfriend After Having a Dream About Christian Bale

Billie Eilish is a Batman fan — so much so, it once led to her ending a relationship.

The 22-year-old “Bad Guy” superstar and her brother, Finneas, joined Amelia Dimoldenberg on the Oscars edition of her popular Chicken Shop Date series, called Amelia’s Oscars Nominees ‘Pre-Luncheon’ Luncheon.

When hilariously discussing whether or not “Ocean Eyes” was written about Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy, Eilish interjected that “Batman is the one” for her. After admitting that she doesn’t “really know much about superheroes,” she is particularly fond of Christian Bale, who played Batman/Bruce Wayne in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy: Batman Begins in 2005, The Dark Knight in 2008 and The Dark Knight Rises in 2012.

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“I gotta be real,” she said. “A couple of years ago, I had a dream about Christian Bale and it was in a little café in the sunlight and it made me realize I had to break up with my boyfriend at the time. Genuinely, I woke up and I was like, [gasp], and I came to my senses.”

The sibling duo’s “What Was I Made For?” from the Barbie soundtrack is up for a 2024 Oscar for best original song. “We are so incredibly honored to receive a nomination for ‘What Was I Made For?,’” they said in a statement shared to their social media accounts shortly after the nominations were announced. “As lifelong fans of film, music in film and the Academy Awards, this means everything to us. We are so grateful to the Academy, its members, and to be recognized alongside so many songwriters that we respect and admire.”

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See the full video with Dimoldenberg below.

01 Mar 2024

The Ultimate Guide to Festivals Celebrating Latin Music and More Worldwide in 2024

As música mexicana and música urbana have emerged as global powerhouses within the music industry, they’ve not only captured the ears of international audiences but have also carved out significant spaces at some of the world’s most prestigious music festivals.

With reggaetón pop sensation Rauw Alejandro and corridos hitmaker Peso Pluma taking center stage at Governors Ball in New York, Sueños in Chicago, and Baja Beach Fest in Mexico — the latter two festivals placing substantial bets on these genres — it’s clear that Latin music’s influence continues to expand rapidly.

Reggaetón, in particular, has achieved this status years ago, as evinced with Bad Bunny headlining Coachella 2023 as the opening night’s main act, becoming the first Latin music superstar to do so in this top-tier event. This milestone underscores the genre’s historic ascent.

As Latin-focused festivals continue to cement their place in the international live-event arena, American fest giants are also welcoming the trend. The nostalgia-driven Bésame Mucho, originating in Los Angeles, has broadened its reach with editions in Austin, Texas.

Even in places historically less associated with Latin music, such as the U.K., the embrace is evident. Yet, La Línea, the London Latin Music Festival, returns with its 24th edition promising a diverse lineup with Lila Downs, Los Tigres del Norte, Ana Tijoux, La Yegros and more.

While this may not be an exhaustive list, it serves as a comprehensive guide to some of the genre’s most significant events. See our list below, arranged in sequential order.

01 Mar 2024

‘The Regime’: How to Watch Kate Winslet’s New Show for Free Without Cable

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Kate Winslet returns to HBO in The Regime, a six-episode, dark comedy about “life within the walls of a modern authoritarian regime as it begins to unravel,” per Warner Bros Discovery.

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Winslet stars as Chancellor Elena Vernham in the limited series, premiering on HBO on Sunday (March 3). The cast includes Matthias Schoenaerts, Guillaume Gallienne, Andrea Riseborough, Martha Plimpton, and Hugh Grants.

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The Regime is executive produced by Will Tracy, who also serves as showrunner and writer, Frank Rich, Tracey Seaward, Winslet, Stephen Frears and Jessica Hobbs. Seth Reiss, Sarah DeLappe, Gary Shteyngart, Jen Spyra, and Juli Weiner are writers on the series.

Keep reading for ways to watch and stream the series online.

How to Watch

HBO will premiere The Regime on Sunday, March 3, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Viewers that have access to HBO through cable or streaming can check your local listings for channel information.

No cable? There are plenty of ways to watch HBO without cable. For starters, you can stream The Regime and more on Max. Plans start at $9.99/month for ad-supported streaming on two devices at once in Full HD.

Max has an ad-free plan for $15.99/month and an Ultimate Ad-Free plans for $19.99. The Ultimate Ad-Free plan includes 4K Ultra HD streaming on up to four devices, Dolby Atmos immersive audio and 100 downloads so you can watch on the go with or without Wifi. Max also lets you stream NBA, NHL, MLB and more with the B/R Sports Add-On package.

Looking for a free trial to HBO Max? You can score one through DirecTV, Prime Video and Hulu. DirecTV’s Premier plan includes free HBO, Max, Starz and over 150 other channels, plus a free trial for the first five days. Prime Video and Hulu offer free trials for up to a week (use ExpressVPN to stream internationally). Click here for more ways to land a free trial to Max.

Some of the TV shows and movies streaming on Max include Curb Your Enthusiasm, True Detective Night Country, Succession, Euphoria, Barry, Hacks, The White Lotus, And Just Like That, Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon, The Color Purple, Wonka and Priscilla.

Watch the trailer for The Regime below.