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Giant Music Taps Nate Albert as President

Nate Albert has been appointed president of Giant Music, the independent record label launched in 2022 by Irving Azoff and his son Jeffrey Azoff.

A recording artist and creative A&R executive with major label experience, Albert joins the team at Giant which includes co-founder Shawn Holiday, Matt LaMotte and Charles Hamilton, Billboard can reveal.

When Giant Music was established as part of the Azoff Company, Holiday ran the venture’s day-to-day operations.

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“Partnering with Nate at Giant is the next step for us in building a world class label,” Holiday explains in a statement, issued Thursday (Jan. 11). “As an artist himself, he understands how to help artists achieve their dreams and that is what we do at Giant.”

Albert is co-founder, guitarist, songwriter and co-producer in ska punk band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, which split in 2022 after more than 30 years, 11 albums and 10 EPs. Six of the band’s LPs cracked the Billboard 200, with 1997’s Let’s Face It peaking at No. 27 and logging 50 weeks total weeks on the chart.

He comes to Giant Music from Warner Records, where he developed and signed best new artist Grammy Award nominee Omar Apollo, Teddy Swims, and others. Before that, Albert was an A&R executive at Capitol Records and Republic Records, where he signed The Weeknd and Maggie Rogers, and worked on projects with Dua Lipa, Marshmello, Roddy Ricch, Troye Sivan and more.

“I am thrilled to help build a new label from an artist’s and manager’s perspective in 2024,” he comments on his new role. “Irving and Jeffrey have a sterling reputation as defenders of artists’ rights and that spirit and point of view will continue to thrive at Giant Music.”

The goal, he continues, “is not just to create another option for the creative community, but to create a place for the creative community to call home.”

Giant Music revives the Giant name for the Azoffs, with the elder Azoff launching Giant Records in 1990 as a joint venture with Warner Bros. Records. The label went on to work with artists including MC Hammer and Color Me Badd.

Based in Los Angeles, The Azoff Company’s portfolio includes Full Stop Management, Global Music Rights, Oak View Group, Iconic Artists Group, and Giant Music, which boasts the motto: “Creativity, transparency, and passion.”

Giant’s roster includes Ayleen Valentine, Cash Cobain and Fendida Rappa.

Busy Phillips Says BFF Michelle Williams ‘Felt a Connection’ With Britney Spears Memoir

Michelle Williams is a five-time Oscar nominee. But for many Britney Spears fans, the Fablemans actress deserves all the awards on the planet for her dramatic work narrating the singer’s best-selling The Woman in Me memoir.

And to hear Williams’ longtime friend Busy Phillips tell it, taking the audiobook gig was a no-brainer. “We lost it,” Mean Girls co-star Philipps said on Tuesday’s episode of Watch What Happens Live. “She was like, ‘I have to do this, right?’ I was like, ‘Yes! Obviously!’ And she’s like, ‘I really do, Biz.’ She really felt a connection.” The two actresses have been close since working together on Dawson’s Creek.

Phillips, 44, further explained that she and Williams, 43, “came up in a very particular time in this industry — that’s what the majority of my memoir [2018’s This Will Only Hurt a Little] is about — as young women, and we were subjected to a lot. I think that there was a lot that was, sadly, very relatable to all women in Britney’s book. But I thought that Michelle doing it was just incredible and really beautiful. Britney deserves our respect.”

When host Andy Cohen vehemently agreed and said the singer deserves some “peace and happiness” as well, Phillips seconded that emotion, adding, “yes, that’s what I wish for her.”

Williams’ narration has earned widespread praise, with one section in particular — her recounting of an allegedly awkward early 2000s interaction between Spears’ then-boyfriend Justin Timberlake and “Pony” singer Ginuwine — gaining a lot of attention.

Watch Phillips on WWHL below.



Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce Are Both Nominated for 2024 People’s Choice Awards: Full List

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have been cheering each other on for months on their respective turfs, but at the 2024 People’s Choice Awards, they’re both nominees. Kelce is nominated for athlete of the year, while Swift is nominated in five categories: female artist of the year, pop artist of the year, concert tour of the year, movie of the year and social celebrity of the year.

This year’s nominations underscore the degree to which women dominated pop culture in 2023. Seven of the eight nominees for pop artist of the year were women, with only Jung Kook keeping it from being a shutout. Likewise, seven of the eight nominees for social celebrity of the year were women, with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson the lone male nominee.

In both song of the year and R&B artist of the year, women accounted for five of the eight nominees.

There are 45 categories this year representing movies, television, music and pop culture. That includes five new categories: male country artist, female country artist, male Latin artist, female Latin artist and concert tour (just in time for 2023 megatours by Swift, Beyoncé and more).

Country and Latin were the only music genres with separate categories for men and women. In pop, hip-hop and R&B, men and women compete against each other.

Actor and author Simu Liu will host this year’s show. Liu is nominated for a People’s Choice Award in the movie performance category for his role in the blockbuster Barbie. In 2021, he won action movie star for Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and was nominated in the male movie star category for the same role. Liu hosted the Juno Awards in 2022 and 2023 in his home country, Canada.

Kenan Thompson hosted the People’s Choice Awards in 2022 and 2023.

The 2024 People’s Choice Awards will air live on Sunday, Feb. 18, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC, Peacock and E! from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. Live From E!: People’s Choice Awards, a red-carpet pre-show, will kick off the night at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT on E!. Both shows are produced by Den of Thieves. Jesse Ignjatovic, Evan Prager and Barb Bialkowski will executive produce.

Voting for the 2024 People’s Choice Awards runs Thursday (Jan. 11) through Jan. 19 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Fans can vote online at VotePCA.com. Votes cast on Turbo Tuesday, Jan. 16, will count twice, equaling a maximum of two votes per day, per category. The eligibility window for all categories is the 2023 calendar year.

Complete rules can be found at: VotePCA.com/rules.  

Music

Male artist of the year

Bad Bunny

Drake

Jack Harlow

Jung Kook

Luke Combs

Morgan Wallen

Post Malone

The Weeknd

Female artist of the year

Beyoncé

Doja Cat

Karol G

Lainey Wilson

Miley Cyrus

Nicki Minaj

Olivia Rodrigo

Taylor Swift

Male country artist of the year

Chris Stapleton

Cody Johnson

HARDY

Jelly Roll

Kane Brown

Luke Combs

Morgan Wallen

Zach Bryan

Female country artist of the year

Ashley McBryde

Carly Pearce

Carrie Underwood

Gabby Barrett

Kelsea Ballerini

Lainey Wilson

Megan Moroney

Shania Twain

Male Latin artist of the year

Bad Bunny

Bizarrap

Feid

Manuel Turizo

Maluma

Peso Pluma

Rauw Alejandro

Ozuna

Female Latin artist of the year

Ángela Aguilar

Anitta

Becky G

Kali Uchis

Karol G

Rosalía

Shakira

Young Miko

Pop artist of the year

Billie Eilish

Doja Cat

Dua Lipa

Jung Kook

Miley Cyrus

Olivia Rodrigo

Tate McRae

Taylor Swift

Hip-hop artist of the year

Cardi B

Drake

Future

Jack Harlow

Latto

Nicki Minaj

Post Malone

Travis Scott

R&B artist of the year

Beyoncé

Brent Faiyaz

Janelle Monáe

SZA

Tems

The Weeknd

Usher

Victoria Monét

New artist of the year

Coi Leray

Ice Spice

Jelly Roll

Jung Kook

Noah Kahan

Peso Pluma

PinkPantheress

Stephen Sanchez

Group/duo of the year

Dan + Shay

Fuerza Regida

Grupo Frontera

Jonas Brothers

Old Dominion

Paramore

Stray Kids

TOMORROW X TOGETHER

Song of the year

Dua Lipa, “Dance the Night”

Luke Combs, “Fast Car”

Miley Cyrus, “Flowers”

Gunna, “Fukumean”

Tate McRae, “greedy”

Morgan Wallen, “Last Night”

Doja Cat, “Paint the Town Red”

Olivia Rodrigo, “Vampire”

Album of the year

Miley Cyrus, Endless Summer Vacation

Drake, For All the Dogs

Luke Combs, Gettin’ Old

Olivia Rodrigo, Guts

Karol G, Mañana Será Bonito

Bad Bunny, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana

Morgan Wallen, One Thing at a Time

Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday 2

Collaboration song of the year

Lil Durk Feat. J. Cole, “All My Life”

Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice with Aqua, “Barbie World”

Eslabon Armado X Peso Pluma, “Ella Baila Sola”

Drake Feat. J. Cole, “First Person Shooter”

Zach Bryan feat. Kasey Musgraves, “I Remember Everything”

Jung Kook feat. Latto, “Seven”

Karol G and Shakira, “TQG”

Grupo Frontera X Bad Bunny, “Un x100to”

Concert tour of the year

Ed Sheeran, +–=÷x Tour

Coldplay, Music of the Spheres World Tour

Harry Styles, Love on Tour

Luke Combs, World Tour

Morgan Wallen, One Night at a Time World Tour

P!nk, Summer Carnival Tour

Beyoncé, Renaissance World Tour

Taylor Swift, The Eras Tour

Movies

Movie of the year

Barbie

Fast X

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Oppenheimer

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour Film

The Little Mermaid

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Action movie of the year

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Fast X

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

John Wick: Chapter 4

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

The Marvels

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

Comedy movie of the year

80 for Brady

Anyone but You

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.

Asteroid City

Barbie

Cocaine Bear

No Hard Feelings

Wonka

Drama movie of the year

Creed III

Five Nights at Freddy’s

Killers of the Flower Moon

Leave the World Behind

M3GAN

Oppenheimer

Scream VI

The Color Purple

Male movie star of the year

Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer

Chris Pratt, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Keanu Reeves, John Wick: Chapter 4

Leonardo DiCaprio, Killers of the Flower Moon

Michael B. Jordan, Creed III

Ryan Gosling, Barbie

Timothée Chalamet, Wonka

Tom Cruise, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

Female movie star of the year

Florence Pugh, Oppenheimer

Halle Bailey, The Little Mermaid

Jenna Ortega, Scream VI

Jennifer Lawrence, No Hard Feelings

Julia Roberts, Leave the World Behind

Margot Robbie, Barbie

Rachel Zegler, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

Viola Davis, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

Action movie star of the year

Brie Larson, The Marvels

Chris Pratt, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Gal Gadot, Heart of Stone

Jason Momoa, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

Keanu Reeves, John Wick: Chapter 4

Rachel Zegler, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

Tom Cruise, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

Viola Davis, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

Comedy movie star of the year

Adam Sandler, You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah

Glen Powell, Anyone but You

Jennifer Lawrence, No Hard Feelings

Margot Robbie, Barbie

Ryan Gosling, Barbie

Scarlett Johansson, Asteroid City

Sydney Sweeney, Anyone but You

Timothée Chalamet, Wonka

Drama movie star of the year

Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer

Julia Roberts, Leave the World Behind

Fantasia Barrino, The Color Purple

Florence Pugh, Oppenheimer

Jacob Elordi, Priscilla

Jenna Ortega, Scream VI

Leonardo DiCaprio, Killers of the Flower Moon

Michael B. Jordan, Creed III

Movie performance of the year

America Ferrera, Barbie

Charles Melton, May December

Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple

Jacob Elordi, Saltburn

Melissa McCarthy, The Little Mermaid

Natalie Portman, May December

Simu Liu, Barbie

Viola Davis, Air

TV

Show of the year

Grey’s Anatomy

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Only Murders in the Building

Saturday Night Live

Ted Lasso

The Bear

The Last of Us

Vanderpump Rules

Comedy show of the year

Abbott Elementary

And Just Like That…

Never Have I Ever

Only Murders in the Building

Saturday Night Live

Ted Lasso

The Bear

Young Sheldon

Drama show of the year

Chicago Fire

Ginny & Georgia

Grey’s Anatomy

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Outer Banks

Succession

The Last of Us

The Morning Show

Sci-fi/fantasy show of the year

Ahsoka

American Horror Story: Delicate

Black Mirror

Ghosts

Loki

Secret Invasion

The Mandalorian

The Witcher

Reality show of the year

90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?

Below Deck

Jersey Shore Family Vacation

Selling Sunset

The Kardashians

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

The Real Housewives of New Jersey

Vanderpump Rules

Competition show of the year

America’s Got Talent

American Idol

Big Brother

Dancing with the Stars

RuPaul’s Drag Race

Survivor

Squid Game: The Challenge

The Voice

Bingeworthy show of the year

Beef

Citadel

Jury Duty

Love Is Blind

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story

The Crown

The Night Agent

The Summer I Turned Pretty

Male TV star of the year

Chase Stokes, Outer Banks

Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso

Jeremy Allen White, The Bear

Kieran Culkin, Succession

Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us

Samuel L. Jackson, Secret Invasion

Steve Martin, Only Murders in the Building

Tom Hiddleston, Loki

Female TV star of the year

Ali Wong, Beef

Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso

Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show

Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary

Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show

Rosario Dawson, Ahsoka

Selena Gomez, Only Murders in the Building

Comedy TV star of the year

Ali Wong, Beef

Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live

Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso

Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso

Jeremy Allen White, The Bear

Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary

Selena Gomez, Only Murders in the Building

Steve Martin, Only Murders in the Building

Drama TV star of the year

Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us

Chase Stokes, Outer Banks

Ice-T, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show

Kieran Culkin, Succession

Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us

Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show

TV performance of the year

Adjoa Andoh, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story

Ayo Edebiri, The Bear

Billie Eilish, Swarm

Jon Hamm, The Morning Show

Matt Bomer, Fellow Travelers

Meryl Streep, Only Murders in the Building

Steven Yeun, Beef

Storm Reid, The Last of Us

Reality TV star of the year

Ariana Madix, Vanderpump Rules

Chrishell Stause, Selling Sunset

Garcelle Beauvais, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Kandi Burruss, The Real Housewives of Atlanta

Khloé Kardashian, The Kardashians

Kim Kardashian, The Kardashians

Kyle Richards, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, Jersey Shore Family Vacation

Competition contestant of the year

Anetra, RuPaul’s Drag Race

Ariana Madix, Dancing with the Stars

Charity Lawson, The Bachelorette

Iam Tongi, American Idol

Keke Palmer, That’s My Jam

Sasha Colby, RuPaul’s Drag Race

Theresa Nist, The Golden Bachelor

Xochitl Gomez, Dancing with the Stars

Daytime talk show of the year

Good Morning America

LIVE with Kelly and Mark

Sherri

The Drew Barrymore Show

The Jennifer Hudson Show

The Kelly Clarkson Show

The View

Today

Nighttime talk show of the year

Hart to Heart

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Late Night with Seth Meyers

The Daily Show

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

Host of the year

Gordon Ramsay, Hell’s Kitchen

Jimmy Fallon, That’s My Jam

Nick Cannon, The Masked Singer

Padma Lakshmi, Top Chef

RuPaul, RuPaul’s Drag

Ryan Seacrest, American Idol

Steve Harvey, Celebrity Family Feud

Terry Crews, America’s Got Talent

Pop Culture

Social celebrity of the year

Britney Spears

Dwayne Johnson

Kim Kardashian

Kylie Jenner

Megan Thee Stallion

Nicki Minaj

Selena Gomez

Taylor Swift

Comedy act of the year

John Mulaney, Baby J

Amy Schumer, Emergency Contact

Marlon Wayans, God Loves Me

Wanda Sykes, I’m an Entertainer

Trevor Noah, Off the Record

Kevin Hart, Reality Check

Chris Rock, Selective Outrage

Sarah Silverman, Someone You Love

Athlete of the year

Coco Gauff

Giannis Antetokounmpo

LeBron James

Lionel Messi

Sabrina Ionescu

Simone Biles

Stephen Curry

Travis Kelce

Google Lays Off Hundreds Amid Cost-Cutting Drive

Google has laid off hundreds of employees working on its hardware, voice assistance and engineering teams as part of cost-cutting measures.

The cuts come as Google looks towards “responsibly investing in our company’s biggest priorities and the significant opportunities ahead,” the company said in a statement.

“Some teams are continuing to make these kinds of organizational changes, which include some role eliminations globally,” it said.

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Google earlier said it was eliminating a few hundred roles, with most of the impact on its augmented reality hardware team.

The cuts follow pledges by executives of Google and its parent company Alphabet to reduce costs. A year ago, Google said it would lay off 12,000 employees or around 6% of its workforce.

In a post on X — previously known as Twitter — the Alphabet Workers Union described the job cuts as “another round of needless layoffs.”

“Our members and teammates work hard every day to build great products for our users, and the company cannot continue to fire our coworkers while making billions every quarter,” the union wrote. “We won’t stop fighting until our jobs are safe!”

Google is not the only technology company cutting back. In the past year, Meta — the parent company of Facebook — has slashed more than 20,000 jobs to reassure investors. Meta’s stock price gained about 178% in 2023.

Spotify said in December that it was axing 17% of its global workforce, the music streaming service’s third round of layoffs in 2023 as it moved to slash costs and improve its profitability.

Earlier this week, Amazon laid off hundreds of employees in its Prime Video and studios units. It also will lay off about 500 employees who work on its livestreaming platform Twitch.

Amazon has cut thousands of jobs after a hiring surge during the pandemic. In March, Amazon announced that it planned to lay off 9,000 employees, on top of 18,000 employees it said that it would lay off in January 2023.

Google is currently locked in a fierce rivalry with Microsoft as both firms strive to lead in the artificial intelligence domain.

Microsoft has stepped up its artificial intelligence offerings to rival Google’s. In September, Microsoft introduced a Copilot feature that incorporates artificial intelligence into products like search engine Bing, browser Edge as well as Windows for its corporate customers.

Marisa Abela Mesmerizes in First Amy Winehouse ‘Back to Black’ Biopic Trailer

The first trailer for director Sam Taylor-Johnson’s upcoming Amy Winehouse biopic, Back to Black, dropped on Thursday morning (Jan. 11), in which Industry co-star Marisa Abela fully embodies the brightly burning, troubled British R&B singer who died in 2011 at 27 of an accidental alcohol overdose after years of substance use struggles.

The 70-second trailer is cued to the title track from Winehouse’s second, and final, studio album, playing out over the beloved song co-written by the singer and album producer Mark Ronson. “I don’t write songs to be famous, I wrote songs because I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t,” Abela says in an interview as Winehouse in the opening shot of the preview in which the up-and-coming actress perfectly captures the Grammy-winning star’s distinctive London accent.

As a crowd shouts “Amy, Amy, Amy!,” the camera focuses in on a shot of Winehouse from backstage — with the singer’s distinctive, towering beehive hairdo, glittering short dress and cat-eye makeup on full display — before cutting to a shot of a pre-fame Winehouse strutting confidently down a Camden street smoking a cigarette and listening to music.

The clip then turns to Winehouse beginning to assemble her iconic stage look — including her many tattoos — and spotting future ex-husband and partner in debauchery Blake Fielder-Civil (Jack O’Connell) in an audience as the singer begins her ascent. “You gotta remember, I ain’t no Spice Girl,” Winehouse says as the chronicle of her meteoric rise to fame becomes increasingly hectic.

The Studio Canal film written by Matt Greenhalgh (Nowhere Boy) was made with the support of the Winehouse estate, Universal Music Group and Sony Music Publishing and will feature a number of the singer’s most beloved hits.

The trailer’s description promises that the movie will be a “celebration of the most iconic – and much missed – homegrown star of the 21st century… painting a vivid, vibrant picture of the Camden streets she called home and capturing the struggles of global fame… [and honoring] Amy’s artistry, wit, and honesty, as well as trying to understand her demons. An unflinching look at the modern celebrity machine and a powerful tribute to a once-in-a-generation talent.”

Back to Black will open in the U.S. on May 10.

Watch the Back to Black trailer below.



Stephen Colbert Tells Donald Trump to Move, Get Out the Way After Ex-Prez Bashes ‘Ludacris’ N.Y. Fraud Case

Donald Trump tried to lash out at N.Y. Attorney General Letitia James’ fraud case against him in a post on his social media platform on Tuesday, but the often spelling-challenged one-term former president accidentally shouted out a famous rapper instead.

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“Even my Political Opponents Have Spoken Against the Ludacris Demands of NYS AG Tish James,” the four-times indicted former reality TV star wrote in a comment about the civil fraud case in which Trump is accused of wildly inflating his net worth to fraudulently obtain favorable financing for his properties.

Of course the internet had plenty of jokes, as did the crack music parody team at The Late Show, who rolled out a hilarious spoof in Wednesday night’s (Jan. 10) cold open about the adjectively hilarious mix-up. The spoof response set to Luda’s beloved 2002 hit “Move B–ch,” went a little like this: “Oh no!/ Incorrect!/ Somebody turned off spell check!/ Your cranium is a hollow dome/ Need to brush up on homophones/ Doofus!/ Mixed up the way/ To call one cray/ With my sobriquet/ Stupid!/ My friend José/ Would probably say ‘no hablas inglés’.”

The jokes kept coming, including one from democratic U.S. Rep Jared Moscowitz, who tweeted “@ludacris he forgot to tag you,” as well as another X user who posted a long list of the twice-impeached Trump’s other potential demands, including “move b–tch,” “get out the way,” “get out his bizness his biznass” and, naturally, “get back get back you don’t know him like that.”

The Trump video also had the current front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination thanking his supporters for speaking out against what he deemed the “radical-left, Soros-backed” James, a phrase referencing a popular right-wing antisemitic conspiracy theory tied to Jewish billionaire philanthropist George Soros’ prolific support for Democratic candidates and causes.

At press time it did not appear as if Luda himself had responded to Trump’s verbal gaffe.

Check out the Late Show video and Luda memes below.



Beatport Announces Two Key Promotions, Claims More Than $100M in 2023 Revenue

Beatport is launching the new year with a pair of key promotions. The company’s CFO Matt Gralen will now also serve as president, while Helen Sartory will serve as chief revenue officer for all of the company’s revenue drivers, including the electronic music digital download store Beatport and the open format music download platform Beatsource, along with Plugin Boutique, Loopcloud, LabelRadar and Beatport Amp.

Both Gralen and Sartory will continue reporting to Beatport CEO Robb McDaniels, with Gralen and McDaniels to collaborate on company-wide strategy and Sartory overseeing the next phase of The Beatport Group’s growth strategy. Both are based in the company’s London office.

The company reports that Beatport’s annual revenue has more than tripled since McDaniels took over as CEO in 2017. A representative for Beatport tells Billboard that the company’s annual revenue for 2023 was “well over” $100 million. In 2022, the digital service claimed to have sold 25,519,770 song downloads — making up nearly 12% of all tracks downloaded globally.

“Matt and Helen have proven themselves as trusted leaders through building out our product portfolio, supporting our diverse team and culture, and delivering profitable growth,” said McDaniels in a statement. “We believe that, just as streaming revolutionized the music industry in the previous decade, a significant shift to more engaged and interactive experiences is coming. DJs are the originators of this movement and all types of creators and fans are joining. I am pleased to have Matt and Helen take on expanded roles as we continue to invest in this future.”

Before starting at Beatport, Gralen served as executive vp of corporate development at UnitedMasters, a distribution platform for independent artists. He also previously held positions at Mass Appeal, Raine Group and Goldman Sachs.

“Our team at Beatport cares deeply about the future of music for creators and fans, and we believe that strong businesses can help drive positive change,” added Gralen. “I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity ahead and the team I work alongside. We all look forward to delivering for Beatport’s global community.”

Sartory has been with Beatport for a year and a half, and most recently served as senior vp of creator services. She previously held positions at The Rattle, Greenhill & Co. and Lazard.

“The last year and a half at Beatport has been incredibly rewarding,” Sartory said. “We’ve built innovative tools and technology for artists, producers and labels, and have increased incremental revenue opportunities along the way. I am looking forward to working with the entire Beatport team in this expanded role to continue to transform our business.”

Meta Quest & Music Valley Announces New Doja Cat: The Scarlet Tour in VR

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Doja Cat Kicks Off The Scarlet Tour In San Francisco, CA

Doja Cat isn’t slated to hit the road until this summer in support of her latest studio album, Scarlet, but that doesn’t mean fans won’t have an opportunity to see her live. Meta Quest, the leading VR headset out, and Music Valley announced a new event, Doja Cat: The Scarlet Tour in VR

Doja Cat hit the road last year and rocked out for her legion of fans and now via Meta Quest, those who missed the shows will get a chance of a lifetime to see Doja up close and personal via Music Valley and Meta Horizon Worlds.

Meta Quest X Music Valley x Doja Cat: The Scarlet Tour In VR

The upcoming event features footage from Doja’s sold-out stop in Detroit in 2023 and if you’ve checked out the Scarlet star’s live performances previously, you already know to expect eye-popping visuals and breathtaking vocals from one of music’s best performers.

“Bringing The Scarlet Tour to life was an amazing experience for me. Taking it from an idea to real life and sharing that with my fans at arenas was surreal and rewarding. To now be able to share the live show through VR with Meta and The Diamond Bros for ‘Doja Cat: The Scarlet Tour in VR’ is a perfect way for fans who did not get to come to a show to feel like they did,” Doja shared in a statement. “I can’t wait for everyone to see what we have created.”

The concert was produced and directed by The Diamond Bros and Josh Diamond shared in the following statement, “Doja Cat’s dynamic performance and stage design seemed almost purpose-built for VR. Between the immersive show direction and unique triangular stage, we couldn’t wait to capture it. We are beyond excited to have collaborated with Doja Cat and Meta on creating this unforgettable experience.”

Music Valley is a virtual desert concert venue with a mainstage screen that has featured the likes of Victoria Monèt, Jung Kook, Jack Harlow, and more. Meta Quest 2 and 3 owners can enter Meta Horizon Worlds and take a trip to Music Valley for free.

Meta Quest X Music Valley x Doja Cat: The Scarlet Tour In VR

Doja Cat: The Scarlet Tour in VR makes its debut via Meta Horizon Worlds on Saturday, January 20 at 5 PM.  RSVP here to get reminders leading up to this special event.

Check out a teaser trailer below.



Photo: Meta Quest

Natalie Bassingthwaighte Sets Exclusive Mardi Gras Performance

Natalie Bassingthwaighte will deliver an exclusive performance at the 2024 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras — her first since coming out.

The Rogue Traders singer and Australian TV celebrity is locked in for the first-ever Mardi Gras Debutante Ball for First Timers, hosted at Kinsela’s in Darlinghurst.

In addition to being guest of honor at the deb ball, Nat Bass, as she’s affectionately known in these parts, will perform some of her “all-time favorite hits” while “sharing her story,” reps say.

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As singer with Rogue Traders, Bassingthwaighte has landed silverware and international hits. In 2006, two of those Rogue Traders numbers cracked the U.K. top 40, including the club track “Voodoo Child,” which peaked at No. 3 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart.

Also, the dance act won an ARIA Award in 2003 for “One of My Kind” (best dance release) and two APRA Music Awards, for “Way to Go!” in 2006 (most performed dance work) and “In Love Again” in 2008 (dance work of the year).

“Being able to attend my first Mardi Gras as a new member of the queer community, surrounded with so much love, joy and acceptance is so special to me,” Bassingthwaighte says in a statement, “and what’s even more special is knowing that I get to share this memorable experience with other First Timers of diverse queer identities.”

LGBTQIA+ community trailblazers and Mardi Gras custodians will also be watching on, including LGBTQIA+ advocate Robyn Kennedy, who is an original first-timer having attended the first ever Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in 1978, plus Making It Australia judge Benja Harney, and trans couture designer couple, Katie Louise Nicol-Ford and Lilian Nicol-Ford.

Johnnie Walker is a sponsor of the 2024 Mardi Gras, and is sponsoring the inaugural Mardi Gras Debutante Ball, which celebrates “those who have, up until now, been unable to attend.” The whisky brand is getting into the spirit of Mardi Gras with a competition, which invites first timers to enter for a chance at an all-expenses paid experience.

The colorful LGBTQI party, march and festival is typically attended by hundreds of thousands of people from around Australia and abroad, and is set for Feb. 16 to March 3.

Bassingthwaighte reunited with her Rogue Traders bandmates last year for “To The Disco,” the first release from Rogue Traders in over a decade. The dance act supported the release with a slate of performances.

Kelly Clarkson Reflects on Being ‘Young’ With Miley Cyrus Cover

Kelly Clarkson got nostalgic on her talk show on Wednesday (Jan. 10), taking on Miley Cyrus’ reflective power ballad, “Used to Be Young,” during her popular Kellyoke segment.

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“You tell me time has done changed me / That’s fine, I’ve had a good run / I know I used to be crazy / That’s ’cause I used to be young,” Clarkson belts in the chorus of the track.

“Used To Be Young,” released in 2023, marks Cyrus’ first piece of new music since the release of Endless Summer Vacation back in March. The album, her eighth studio effort, debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, and also arrived alongside its own Backyard Sessions via Disney+. 

“These lyrics were written almost 2 years ago at the beginning of my ESV. It was at a time I felt misunderstood,” Cyrus wrote about the song over the summer. “I have spent the last 18 months painting a sonic picture of my perspective to share with you. The time has arrived to release a song that I could perfect forever. Although my work is done, this song will continue to write itself everyday. The fact it remains unfinished is a part of its beauty. That is my life at this moment ….. unfinished yet complete.”

Watch Kelly Clarkson’s Kellyoke cover of “Used to Be Young” below.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=0ri5Tl7k-SY&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent