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12 Jul 2023

Sony Masterwork’s Terrapin Station Invests in Black Ink Presents

Jonathan Shank‘s Terrapin Station Entertainment has announced a majority investment in Los Angeles-based production services company, Black Ink Presents. The agreement connects the Sony Music Masterworks-owned Terrapin with Blank Ink CEO John Kinsner‘s production management and design firm known for its work in concerts, immersive events and “live-to-film” shows in which a full orchestra performs a film score live, synced with a screening of the film or other media.

Kinsner will join Black Ink as part of the agreement, along with Black Ink CFO Alek Deva and COO Mike Kasper. The two companies previously collaborated on Deal or No Deal Live and The Bob Marley One Love Experience, which opened earlier this year at Ovation Hollywood. Black Ink Presents’ credits include Danny Elfman’s 2022 performances at Coachella and Hollywood Bowl; Get Happy: A Judy Garland Centennial Celebration and Disney’s Encanto in Concert.

“I’ve collaborated with Black Ink on a wide range of projects, and they are tremendously creative and future focused,” Shank tells Billboard. “They have strong knowledge of the intellectual property space, they’ve worked on a range of innovative projects, and they have a passion for finding new pathways. Their skill set, combined with Terrapin’s growing IP roster, will give us a solid foundation, and further expand our presence in non-traditional entertainment.”

Kirsner said working with Shank and Sony Music Masterworks group “represents an unparalleled opportunity for Black Ink to continue to grow, and to build new live entertainment experiences on the cutting edge of music, media, and technology.”

12 Jul 2023

UMPG Chief Jody Gerson Honored at ICMP Annual Meeting

LONDON — “I still feel like that little girl who started out in music publishing,” said Universal Music Publishing Group chairman and CEO Jody Gerson as she accepted the Ralph Peer II Award for Outstanding Contribution to Global Music Publishing. It was presented by the award’s namesake at the July 10 annual meeting of the International Confederation of Music Publishers, or ICMP, held at Abbey Road Studios in London.  

Gerson was, of course, being modest: She’s one of the most accomplished publishing executives in the world. But in front of dozens of European publishing and collective management executives, she shared the story of how she got started in the business.  

The Pennsylvania native grew up in a music family that owned nightclubs in Philadelphia, and she had always been interested in getting into the music business. But when she first applied for label jobs, she didn’t have much luck. Eventually, she scored an interview with Chappell Music (later Warner Chappell) and her first job there was as the archivist, where she ran the tape library and became interested in the demos submitted by songwriters.  

“I started thinking about marching songs with artists,” she remembered. 

At the time, she pointed out, the music publishing business was much smaller, both in absolute terms and in comparison with recorded music, which dwarfed it in terms of both revenue and, it seemed to many at the time, wow factor. Now publishing is thriving, and a series of big song catalog purchases are generating plenty of excitement and attention. 

The award was presented by Ralph Peer II, executive chair of peermusic and the initial recipient of the ICMP award that’s now named after him. “This wasn’t my idea,” he joked about the name of the prize. “It was foisted on me.” But he praised Gerson’s dedication to the publishing business. “On an everyday level she helps make the industry better,” he said. “She has acumen in business and music that’s very deep.” 

Gerson was introduced by Mumford & Sons singer-songwriter Marcus Mumford, who praised her as well as the publishing business at large. “I don’t think artists are the best at protecting their songs, and managers aren’t always much better,” he joked. “We need publishers!” 

The ICMP meeting itself, held at Abbey Road before the awards dinner, was more about business — royalties, metadata and the other details that make sure publishers and songwriters get paid as fast and accurately as possible. Trombonist Eric Crees, who plays at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden spoke about making film soundtracks, as did composer Stephen Warbeck. 

12 Jul 2023

Morgan Wallen’s ‘One Thing at a Time’ & Miley Cyrus’ ‘Flowers’ Lead Luminate’s 2023 Midyear Charts

In the first six months of 2023, Morgan Wallen’s monster album One Thing at a Time was the most popular album, while Miley Cyrus’ smash single “Flowers” was the most-streamed song (by on-demand streams, audio and video combined), respectively, at the midyear point in the U.S., according to Luminate. “Flowers” was also the most-heard song on radio airwaves, with over 2.4 billion in radio audience impressions.

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Read more about midyear metrics in the 2023 Luminate Midyear Music Report.

‘One Thing’ is Tops: For the tracking period of Dec. 30, 2022, through June 29, 2023, Wallen’s One Thing at a Time was the most popular album in the U.S. The country star’s latest studio effort was released on March 3, 2023 via Big Loud/Mercury/Republic Records and earned 3.312 million equivalent album units in the first half of 2023. (See full top 10 chart, below.) One Thing at a Time spent 15 nonconsecutive weeks atop the weekly Billboard 200 chart in March-July – the most weeks at No. 1 for any album since Adele’s 21 racked up 24 nonconsecutive weeks in 2011-12.

Concurrently, the One Thing at a Time single “Last Night” was the most-streamed song by on-demand audio streams in the first half of 2023 in the U.S., with 588.7 million on-demand audio streams (inclusive of user-generated content streams). “Last Night” spent 13 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the weekly all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart from March through July – the singer-songwriter’s first leader on the tally.

The most-streamed song by total on-demand streams (audio and video combined, inclusive of user-generated content streams) was Cyrus’ “Flowers,” with 750.7 million clicks in the first six months of the year. “Flowers” led the Hot 100 eight nonconsecutive weeks from January through early April. It marked Cyrus’ second chart-topper, following 2013’s “Wrecking Ball.”

Equivalent album units – for album titles and chart rankings cited below (but not industry volume numbers) – comprise traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sales, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album, or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official and audio streams generated by songs from an album.

Equivalent album units cited for album titles below, and in the “Midyear Top 10 Albums in U.S.” chart do not include user-generated content (UGC) streams. UGC streams are included in Luminate’s industry volume numbers and its midyear song streaming rankings. (UGC streams are not factored into any of Billboard’s weekly charts.)

For the sake of clarity, equivalent album units do not include listening to music on broadcast radio or digital radio broadcasts. All numbers cited in this story are rounded, and for the U.S. only. Programmed streams are not included in any of the data in this story.

Luminate (formerly MRC Data, Nielsen Music and SoundScan) began tracking music consumption in 1991. Luminate’s sales, streaming and airplay data is used to compile Billboard’s weekly charts.

Of One Thing at a Time’s 3.312 million equivalent album units earned at midyear, SEA units comprise 3.024 million (equaling 4.023 billion on-demand official streams of the set’s 36 songs), album sales comprise 242,000 and TEA units comprise 46,000.

The top five most popular albums at the midyear point in the U.S. are One Thing at a Time, SZA’s December 2022 release SOS (1.982 million equivalent album units), Taylor Swift’s October 2022 release Midnights (1.876 million), Wallen’s January 2021 release Dangerous: The Double Album (1.172 million) and Metro Boomin’s December 2022 release Heroes & Villains (1.038 million). In 2022, Midnights and Dangerous were the Nos. 2 and 3 most popular albums of the year in Luminate’s year-end report.

2023’s Midyear Top 10 Albums in U.S. (by Equivalent Album Units)
1. Morgan Wallen, One Thing at a Time (3.312 million)
2. SZA, SOS (1.982 million)
3. Taylor Swift, Midnights (1.876 million)
4. Morgan Wallen, Dangerous: The Double Album (1.173 million)
5. Metro Boomin’, Heroes & Villains (1.038 million)
6. Bad Bunny, Un Verano Sin Ti (967,000)
7. Drake & 21 Savage, Her Loss (898,000)
8. Zach Bryan, American Heartbreak (769,000)
9. Karol G, Mañana Séra Bonito (716,000)
10. Taylor Swift, Lover (711,000)
Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Dec. 30, 2022, through June 29, 2023. UGC (user-generated content) streams are not included in this chart, but are included in Luminate’s on-demand streaming charts (below). Luminate’s equivalent album unit totals include SEA and TEA for an album’s songs registered before an album’s release, but only during the tracking period.

Total Album Consumption Increases 13.4% at Midyear: Year-to-date, total equivalent album units stand at 538.9 million – up 13.4% compared to the first half of 2022 (475.4 million in the tracking period of Dec. 31, 2021, through June 30, 2022).

Album Sales Up! Total album sales across all formats (physical CDs, vinyl, cassettes, etc., along with digital album downloads) increased by 7.9% in the first half of 2023 as compared to the same point in 2022. At the 2023 midyear point, 50.6 million albums were sold – up from the 49.6 million sold in the first half of 2022. The top-selling album of 2023 so far is Swift’s Midnights, with 607,000 copies sold

In total, there were 41.6 million physical albums sold (up 13.3% compared to 36.7 million at midyear 2022) and 9.234 million digital albums sold (down 11.2 percent compared to 10.4 million at midyear 2022).

CD album sales grew by 3.8% in the first half of 2023 (17.5 million vs. 16.9 million at midyear 2022), while vinyl album sales jumped by 21.7% (23.6 million vs. 19.4 million at midyear 2022). Even cassette tape album sales perked up. The mostly dormant format sold 212,000 in the first half of 2023 – up 5.8% compared to the 200,500 sold in the first half of 2022.

The top-selling album across all physical formats (CD, vinyl, cassette, etc.) at the midyear point is Swift’s Midnights, with 430,000 sold. It’s also the top-selling digital album (177,000) and vinyl LP (251,000). The biggest-selling CD album in the first half of 2023 was TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION with 395,000 copies sold.

Taylor Swift was the top-selling artist by total album sales in the first half of 2023, with 1.45 million albums sold across her entire catalog across all formats. Swift was also the top-selling in total physical album sales (1.19 million), vinyl album sales (808,000) and digital album sales (256,000). Stray Kids was the top-selling act in CD album sales (509,000).

2023’s Midyear Top 10 Selling Albums in U.S. (Physical & Digital Album Sales Combined)
1. Taylor Swift, Midnights (607,000)
2. TOMORROW X TOGETHER, The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION (399,000)
3. Stray Kids, 5-STAR (327,000)
4. TWICE, Ready to Be (286,000)
5. Morgan Wallen, One Thing at a Time (242,000)
6. SEVENTEEN, SEVENTEEN 10th Mini Album: FML (236,000)
7. Metallica, 72 Seasons (215,000)
8. Agust D, D-Day (200,000)
9. Jimin, FACE (152,000)
10. Melanie Martinez, Portals (194,000)
Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Dec. 30, 2022, through June 29, 2023.

  1. Taylor Swift, Midnights (251,000)
  2. Lana Del Rey, Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd. (132,000)
  3. Taylor Swift, Folklore (107,000)
  4. Tyler, The Creator, Igor (104,000)
  5. Fleetwood Mac, Rumours (103,000)
  6. Boygenius, The Record (100,000)
  7. Melanie Martinez, Portals (93,000)
  8. Michael Jackson, Thriller (85,000)
  9. Pink Floyd, The Dark Side of the Moon (85,000)
  10. Lana Del Rey, Born to Die (84,000)

On-Demand Streaming Up 15%, ‘Flowers’ Most-Streamed Song: “Flowers,” Cyrus’ Hot 100-topping single, was the most-streamed song in the first half of 2023 in the U.S., with 750.7 million on-demand streams (inclusive of UGC). SZA’s “Kill Bill” (701.2 million) and Wallen’s “Last Night” (642.8 million) round out the top three.

Total on-demand streams (audio and video combined) at midyear grew 15% in the U.S. as compared to the same point a year ago (713.5 billion vs. 620.2 billion). On-demand audio streams rose 13.5% (616.5 billion vs. 543.2 billion) while on-demand video streams grew 26% (97 billion vs. 77 billion).

UGC streams are included in Luminate’s industry streaming on-demand volume numbers (above) and its midyear streaming song charts (below). UGC streams are not factored into any of Billboard’s weekly charts.

In general, all songs in the below charts combine the assorted remixes of a song into one overall total. Thus, PinkPantheress’ “Boy’s a Liar” includes activity for its remix with Ice Spice, “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2,” The Weeknd’s “Die for You” includes activity for its remix with Ariana Grande,” and so forth.

2023’s Midyear Top 10 Most Streamed Songs in U.S. (On-Demand Audio & Video Combined)
1. Miley Cyrus, “Flowers” (750.7 million)
2. SZA, “Kill Bill” (701.2 million)
3. Morgan Wallen, “Last Night” (642.8 million)
4. PinkPantheress, “Boy’s a Liar” (580.7 million)
5. Lady Gaga, “Bloody Mary” (531.7 million)
6. Rema & Selena Gomez, “Calm Down” (486.3 million)
7. Twisted featuring Oliver Tree, “Worth Nothing” (462.7 million)
8. J. Cole featuring Amber Coffman & The Cults, “She Knows” (455.6 million)
9. Fifty Fifty, “Cupid” (427.7 million)
10. Lil Uzi Vert, “Just Wanna Rock” (416.1 million)
Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Dec. 30, 2022, through June 29, 2023. Includes UGC streams.

2023’s Midyear Top 10 Most Streamed Songs in U.S. (On-Demand Audio)
1. Morgan Wallen, “Last Night” (588.7 million)
2. SZA, “Kill Bill” (567.6 million)
3. Miley Cyrus, “Flowers” (464.6 million)
4. PinkPantheress, “Boy’s a Liar” (370.4 million)
5. The Weeknd, “Die for You” (349.8 million)
6. Zach Bryan, “Something in the Orange” (331.2 million)
7. Metro Boomin, The Weeknd & 21 Savage, “Creepin’” (308.3 million)
8. Eslabon Armado x Peso Pluma, “Ella Baila Sola” (307.4 million)
9. Morgan Wallen, “You Proof” (303.3 million)
10. Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero” (302.8 million)
Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Dec. 30, 2022, through June 29, 2023. Includes UGC streams.

Digital Song Sales Drop 13%: Digital song sales fell 13% in the first six months of 2023, dipping to 69.57 million, as compared to 79.98 million sold in the first half of 2022. The top-selling digital song at the midyear point is Cyrus’ “Flowers” with 380,000 sold. Six songs sold more than 100,000 downloads in the first half of 2023. At midyear 2022, there were eight songs that sold in excess of 100,000.

2023’s Midyear Top 10 Selling Digital Songs in U.S.
1. Miley Cyrus, “Flowers” (380,000)
2. Jimin, “Like Crazy” (289,000)
3. Morgan Wallen, “Last Night” (217,000)
4. Luke Combs, “Fast Car” (126,000)
5. Beyoncé, “Cuff It” (119,000)
6. Rema & Selena Gomez, “Calm Down” (110,000)
7. Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero” (97,000)
8. Lainey Wilson, “Heart Like a Truck” (89,000)
9. Ice Spice, “Princess Diana” (87,000)
10. Jelly Roll, “Need a Favor” (86,000)
Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Dec. 30, 2022, through June 29, 2023.

‘Heat Waves’ Hottest on Radio: The most-heard song on U.S. radio in the first half of 2023 was Cyrus’ “Flowers,” with a cumulative 2.409 billion audience impressions across all formats monitored by Luminate. The single was released in early January and became one of the biggest radio hits in the modern era. It spent 18 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s all-format Radio Songs chart, tying Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” for the second-most weeks at No. 1 since the chart began in 1990. The song with the most weeks at No. 1 on Radio Songs is The Weeknd’s enduring “Blinding Lights,” which ruled for 26 weeks in 2020.

2023’s Midyear Top 10 Radio Songs in U.S. (Based on Audience Impressions)
1. Miley Cyrus, “Flowers” (2.409 billion)
2. Metro Boomin, The Weeknd & 21 Savage, “Creepin’” (2.359 billion)
3. SZA, “Kill Bill” (1.909 billion)
4. The Weeknd, “Die for You” (1.877 billion)
5. Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero” (1.730 billion)
6. David Guetta & Bebe Rexha, “I’m Good (Blue)” (1.691 billion)
7. Rema & Selena Gomez, “Calm Down” (1.580 billion)
8. Harry Styles, “As It Was” (1.362 billion)
9. Sam Smith & Kim Petras, “Unholy” (1.275 billion)
10. Chris Brown, “Under the Influence” (1.142 billion)
Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Dec. 30, 2022, through June 29, 2023.

12 Jul 2023

LL Cool J Announces Rescheduled Dates For All-Star F.O.R.C.E. Tour

After announcing last month that he was rescheduling some dates on the first leg of his all-star F.O.R.C.E. North American tour to ensure that he gives fans a truly “unforgettable” experience, LL Cool J revealed the revamped routing for the trek on Tuesday (July 11).

LL’s first headlining tour in 30 years is now slated to kick off on August 11 in Baltimore and keep him on the road through a November 19 date in Boston. The tour, whose acronym means “Frequencies of Real Creative Energy,” will feature LL joined by The Roots, DJ Z-Trip and DJ Jazzy Jeff, along with a long roster of special guests in select cities, including: Queen Latifah, Salt-N-Pepa, Big Boi, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Common, De La Soul, Doug E. Fresh & Slick Rick, Goodie Mob, Ice-T, Jadakiss, Juvenile, MC Lyte, Method Man & Redman, Rakim, Rick Ross and more.

In the since-removed video from last month (via Hip Hop DX), LL explained the reason for the tour launch pushback, writing, “I have to give my fans an experience that is unforgettable. I want to make sure everything is done right, and in order to do that, I had to change some things up. The updated tour dates are now live.” The tour was originally slated to launch on June 25 at Boston’s TD Garden and wrap up in Los Angeles on Sept. 3.

At press time the venues for the tour had not yet been revealed.

Check out the routing for the F.O.R.C.E. tour below.

August 11 – Baltimore, MD

August 12 – Cleveland, OH

August 13 – Chicago, IL

August 18 – Detroit, MI

August 19 – Toronto, ON

August 21 – Atlanta, GA

August 22 – Memphis, TN

August 24 – Forth Worth, TX

August 25 – Houston, TX

August 27 – Albuquerque, NM

August 29 – Denver, CO

Sept. 1 – San Francisco, CA

Sept. 2 – Las Vegas, NV

Sept. 3 – Los Angeles, CA

Sept. 9 – Charlotte, NC

Sept. 10 – Raleigh, NC

Oct. 15 – Washington, D.C.

Nov. 19 – Boston, MA

Check out the tour poster below:

12 Jul 2023

‘Rap Sh!t’ Gets Season 2 Premiere Date

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Rap Sh!t assets

Source: Alicia Vera/HBO Max / Alicia Vera/HBO Max

Issa Rae’s hit series Rap Sh!t is returning to MAX.

The Hip-Hop show inspired by the lives of City Girls rappers Yung Miami and JT is coming back for a second season, according to Deadline. 

The eight-episode second season will debut with two episodes on August 10, followed by one episode weekly, leading up to the season finale on Thursday, September 21.

The series which made a big splash last year, tells the story of two friends, Shawna (Aida Osman) and Mia (KaMillion), who were estranged after high school but reconnect to form a rap group. 

Throughout the series, the girls have been forced to decide if they will stay true to themselves or conform to the demands of the music industry.

Yung Miami and JT are co-executive producers of the series, along with Kevin “Coach K” Lee and Pierre “P” Thomas for Quality Control Films, and Sara Rastogi and Jax Clark for Hoorae Rae’s Audio Everywhere Company, Raedio, handles music supervision for the series.

“We’re so excited to be back this summer!” showrunner Syreeta Singleton told Complex about the second season. “Everything is heightened. The girls are on tour, tensions are high, and they’re quickly finding out how much they’re willing to compromise for success.”

Sarah Aubrey, Max’s Head of Original Content added, “We are so excited to continue this journey with Shawna and Mia and the incredibly fun world of Rap Sh!t.” 

Check out the teaser trailer: 


https://youtube.com/watch?v=tqR76mqILkU&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

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12 Jul 2023

UPS IS Striking: Takeaways From The Potential UPS Strike

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Source: TIMOTHY A. CLARY / Getty

A strike by UPS workers could be happening as negotiations have collapsed, and there are five things for the public to be aware of as the deadline approaches.

Last week, negotiations between the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and United Parcel Service (UPS) broke down. The situation means that when the workers’ current contract winds up at the end of this month, chances are high that the 340,000 represented workers could walk out and strike. Their union authorized the move in a vote last month. 

For many who rely on the global company for shipping needs in today’s enlarged market including e-commerce giants like Amazon, a strike could be highly damaging. The last time UPS workers went on strike was in 1997, lasting 15 days and costing the brand $850 million at the time. But there are five things to understand as the situation develops.

First, the divide between the union and UPS lies in wages and benefits. The two sides had agreed on ending the dual-wage system and “forced overtime on drivers’ days off,” as well as giving employees Martin Luther King Jr. Day off permanently as a holiday. Another major victory for workers came when the shipping company agreed to equip all its delivery vehicles with cooling gear and training for heat safety.

Second, representatives for the workers said that they will keep working until the 31st. “Our administration has made it clear. We will not be working beyond the expiration date without the contract our members have demanded” Teamsters president Sean O’Brien said in a statement. If no deal is fully agreed upon, August 1st would be the beginning of the strike.

UPS has publicly said they’ve begun putting “contingency plans” and schedules in place for products to be delivered and to account for those on strike, noting that they’re responsible for six percent of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). They have also made repeated requests to the union to return to the negotiating table since the talks collapsed.

Lastly, competitors are lining up to take advantage. The United States Postal Service on Monday (July 10th) said it was “ready to compete for an increased share of the growing package business,” offering a new coast-to-coast shipping option called Ground Advantage. FedEx released a statement as well touting their services after news of the breakdown in talks. “In the spirit of business and service continuity, we encourage them to take action now,” it said.

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12 Jul 2023

Lil Yachty Checks Akademiks Over Playboi Carti Style Claims

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Wireless Festival 2023 - Day 2

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DJ Akademiks has to explain to himself yet again. Lil Yachty is calling him out for saying Playboi Carti got him to change his style.

As spotted on HipHopDX, the Quality Control Music talent is feeling a ways about the media personality. During a recent Twitch stream, the podcaster made some wild claims about Big Boat. “Lil Yachty in my studio told me, this is before he dropped ‘Poland’ and ‘Strike’ and all this other sh*t. N****a, he said he’s in the studio with Carti, and Carti made him change his entire style. Facts,” he stated. AK went on to add “Once I heard that, I was like, ‘Damn! Carti’s like that?!’ Sorry, I have nothing more to say. Carti’s that n***a.”

Naturally, the claims quickly landed on Lil Yachty’s radar. On Sunday, July 9, the “One Night” rapper took to Twitter to refute the allegations. “@Akademiks u r so insane, I didn’t tell u this at all. Stop drinking bro. I said tyler encouraged me to take that route. Wtf,” he wrote.

Earlier this year, Lil Yachty spoke to Billboard magazineduring his promotional run for Let’s Start Here. In the interview, he credited Tyler, The Creator as one of his biggest supporters to change his musical approach up. “I would love to do a project with Tyler [The Creator],” he said. “He’s the reason I made this album. He’s the one who told me to do it, just go for it. He’s so confident and I have so much respect for him because he takes me seriously, and he always has.”

You can see Lil Yachty’s response below. DJ Akademiks has yet to respond.

Photo: Reebok

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12 Jul 2023

Britney Spears Says She Worked Really Hard on Her ‘Woman in Me’ Memoir: ‘So You Guys Better Like It’

The title of Britney Spears‘ hit 2013 single “Work Bitch” isn’t just a provocative call-to-arms. For the pop superstar it is also a personal mantra that could serve as the subtitle to her upcoming memoir, The Woman in Me.

“My book is coming out very, very soon. I worked my ass off for this book,” she told fans in a video posted on Tuesday night (July 11), just hours after the memoir was announced. “I had a lot of therapy to get this book done, so you guys better like it. If you don’t like it, that’s fine too.” Either way, she added cheekily, “I’m going to Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama, Miyago, Machigo, baby why don’t we go,” she said before running out of sight after, kind of, singing the refrain from the Beach Boys’ beloved 1988 late-period hit single “Kokomo.”

Sliding back into frame wearing a pair of white sunglasses and continuing with the gibberish lyrics, she sang, “Koko, koko, masasees,” before a voice off camera said, “too much, too much.”

Fans are likely hoping for much more after Simon & Schuster imprint Gallery Books announced an Oct. 24 release date for the anticipated tell-all, which was described as a “brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith and hope.” The cover features a picture of a topless Spears, 41, wearing silver pants, with her arms covering her breasts.

“Britney’s compelling testimony in open court shook the world, changed laws, and showed her inspiring strength and bravery,” Gallery Books senior VP and publisher Jennifer Bergstrom said in a statement shared with Billboard. “I have no doubt her memoir will have a similar impact — and will be the publishing event of the year. We couldn’t be more proud to help her share her story at last.”

In a second, close-up video, Spears again relayed that she just finished writing the book and repeated her playful warning about liking it, as well as some more made-up “Kokomo” lyrics. She also posted the official book teaser trailer, which reads, “It’s coming… My story… On my terms… At last… Are you ready?”

The announcement got a thumbs-up from the Black Eyed Peas’ Will.i.am, who tweeted, “Congrats @britneyspears… I can’t wait to read your book… i know it’s going to inspire so many people… I’m #inspired already…”

The writing in The Woman in Me is described as having “remarkable candor and humor” in a “groundbreaking book” that “illuminates the enduring power of music and love — and the importance of a woman telling her own story, on her own terms, at last.”

Watch Spears’ book promo below.

12 Jul 2023

Gayle Says Taylor Swift Gave Everyone on the Eras Tour a Very Sweet Keepsake Gift: ‘She is Like a Big Sister To Me’

Taylor Swift has tried very hard to make every night of her Eras Tour memorable for fans. From the surprise song sections of each show to special guests and video premieres, the massive stadium outing has often had the feel of a much more intimate gathering.

That warm feeling has also extended to backstage where, according to opening act Gayle, Swift has been handing out a one-of-a-kind keepsake to the whole Eras team. The “abcdefu” singer told People that Swift has gifted everyone on the tour gold necklaces with the words “The Eras Tour” engraved on them.

The glittering souvenir is extra special for the 19-year-old singer since Swift has been such a huge influence on her life and career. “She is like a big sister to me,” Gayle told the magazine. “When you’re in music, there’s so many unknowns and there’s so many stresses. I’m a perfectionist, and not everything is going to be perfect all the time. There’s definitely been times where I’ve been able to talk about my insecurities and my fears and she’s been a very comforting person. She’s been such a light in my life.”

Swift has been such an inspiration for her that Gayle moved to Nashville when she was 10 to pursue music, much as Swift did when she was 13. “She has such an incredible work ethic. Ever since I was a little kid, I just aspired to be as good of a writer as her and work as hard as she does,” Gayle said. “I’ve just tried my best to do those things and she’s always been such an inspiration to me.”

The best part is that after sitting in the very “last row” of a stadium watching Swift’s 2018 Reputation Tour and dreaming about being up there, Gayle is now on the stage opening for Swift. “I never ever ever, ever, ever thought I’d be doing that, and so it’s amazing,” she said, noting that Swift also got her flowers and wrote a sweet letter welcoming her to the Eras outing.

Gayle is planning her own headlining tour later this year and is planning to release an as-yet-untitled full-length album to follow-up her trio of 2022 A Study of the Human Experience EPs. The Eras Tour will pull into Empower Field at Mile High in Denver on Friday (July 13) and Saturday (July 15) for a two-night stand with openers MUNA and Gracie Abrams.

12 Jul 2023

Australian Indie Band The Rions Sign Global Deal With Sony Music Publishing: Exclusive

SYDNEY, Australia — Indie rockers the Rions have struck a global publishing deal with Sony Music Publishing Australia, Billboard can exclusively reveal.

It’s full steam ahead for the Sydney band, whose debut EP Minivan is due out Aug. 11. Featuring fan fave “Scary Movies” and the title track, Minivan was recorded with producer Chris Collins (Matt Corby, Skeggs, Middle Kids) in the Byron Bay hinterlands.

“They’re a brilliant young band with a lot of heart and soul, writing great songs and we have no doubt they will be captivating audiences for a long time,” comments Sony Music Publishing managing director Damian Trotter, the publishing veteran who signed Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker.

Hailing from the Northern Beaches, the Rions was formed in 2016 by schoolmates Noah Blockley (lead vocals, bass guitar), Harley Wilson (guitar), Asher McLean (guitar) and Tom Partington (drums).

The lads got their break with first prize in Triple J’s 2021 Unearthed High competition, for their song “Night Light”. The track would land at No. 51 on triple j’s Hottest 100 countdown for 2021, and they’d follow it up with “Anakin,” which appeared at No. 64 in the national youth network’s annual countdown for 2022.

Support slots came with Lime Cordiale and Boy & Bear, then festival spots at Grapevine Gathering, Party In the Paddock and Festival of the Sun, and, more recently, a sold-out 10-date national tour in support of “Scary Movies.”

Coming up, a spot on the bill for the two-day Yours & Owls Festival 2023 this October, headlined by Bakar, Broods and Chet Faker.

The Rions are managed by Steve de Wilde at UNIFIED Artist Management. “We’re really excited to partner with Sony Publishing in the next phase of this incredible band’s career,” he enthuses. “Damian and the team have such an impressive track record, and I can’t wait to see what this pairing of creative minds can unlock on a global scale.”