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12 Apr 2023

The Diwali Riddim: Creator Steven ‘Lenky’ Marsden Explains How a Beat No One Wanted Became the Sound of 2003

This week, Billboard is publishing a series of lists and articles celebrating the music of 20 years ago. Our 2003 Week continues here with the story of the Diwali dancehall riddm — and the Jamaican producer who originally created it — which became as crucial a part of the year’s sonic identity as anything helmed on U.S. shores.

If you were listening to pop radio in the spring or summer of 2003, you’re probably very familiar with Steven Marsden, whether you recognize his name or not. Affectionately known as “Lenky,” the Jamaica-born and bred musician, instrumentalist and producer is best known as the mastermind behind the now-iconic “Diwali Riddim.” 

Named for the annual Festival of Lights in Indian religion and culture, the riddim – easily identified by dancehall fans through energetic synths, a bouncy drum loop and infectious handclaps – can be heard in myriad songs across genres. Three songs featuring Diwali (Sean Paul’s debut single, “Get Busy,” Lumidee’s “Never Leave You (Uh Ooh, Uh Ooh),” and Wayne Wonder’s “No Letting Go”) hit the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 during a three-month span in mid-2003, undeniably making it the defining beat of the year. Thanks to patience, perseverance and an affinity for doing things his way, Lenky’s place in dancehall music history is indelible. 

A self-taught pianist who recognized his “natural knack” for music while in grade school, Lenky worked as a touring keyboardist alongside veteran Jamaican artists like Lloyd Parks, Blood Fire Posse, Rita Marley, and his mentors, Sly & Robbie. Though Lenky prides himself on being a musician above all, by the late ‘90s, he was interested in producing new sounds – and was encouraged by Sly & Robbie to toy with different elements in order to create his own magic. 

“At the time, regular dancehall beats were similar to the ones from the ‘80s,” he explains to Billboard over Zoom. Though dancehall originated in the ‘60s, it found its boom during the ‘80s after digital instrumentation, or “riddims,” became the central focus of the songs. Because of the easy accessibility of digital riddims, many dancehall artists would record songs featuring the same riddim as other artists, which granted them the ability to release a larger volume of tracks, reducing studio time and costs.

“I’m sitting there saying, ‘I’m gonna try to do something different…what would Sly do?’” Lenky continues. 

Enter the Diwali Riddim. Created in 1998 with a Tascam DA-88 multitrack recorder, the riddim was initially called “Ethnic Journey.” This served as an ode to Lenky’s time experiencing new cultures while on the touring circuit, specifically while in Buju Banton’s band, Til Shiloh. The first element developed for the riddim was a kick, followed by a basic synth. But a bassline just wouldn’t cut it if the beat was to stand out. 

“We needed something to get people to dance,” he recalls. “I’m the type of person who needs to get people dancing, so I came up with the clap. I did several different takes of the clap stacked together. I wanted one more thing to make it more ‘dance.’ So in the original cut of Diwali, you hear this Congo drum. And I said, ‘That’s gonna get them on the floor – this sounds like something Sly would do. [Laughs.]”

Despite its hallmark handclaps, the rhythm was deemed “too noisy” and “weird” for many artists. At the turn of the century, more monotonous, bass-heavy dancehall beats like the Filthy Riddim and Bagpipe Riddim were taking over, thanks to tracks like Mr. Vegas’ “Heads High” and Beenie Man’s “Year 4.” Diwali didn’t fit the mold of what was working, making it an extremely hard sell, and leading Lenky to shelve the riddim. Yet, after touring throughout the U.S. came to an abrupt halt as a result of the 2001 terrorist attacks, the musician found himself in a bind. 

“I just had [my] first child, so we needed to make money,” he recalls. “I’m just thinking back and saying ‘…but that beat, there’s still something about that [Diwali] beat.” 

Though he received some of the same iffy reactions to the riddim during his second trial run, Jamaican artists like Zumjay and General Degree did show Diwali some love. (Their respective uses of the riddim can be heard in “Zumjay Is My Name” and “Inna.”) 

“I gave it to artists that I knew, I gave [the beat] to a guy from the radio station [in Jamaica],” Lenky says of Diwali’s early-’00s resurrection. “I was broke and trying to make anything happen. When I came back [from touring again], it was, like, the biggest thing. The riddim is just all over.” 

Diwali spread even further after the record label Greensleeves centered it for the compilation project Rhythm Album #27, which features 19 songs with the riddim as the backing track. Artists heard on the project include Buju Banton, Elephant Man, and Wayne Wonder, and the riddim’s appeal – specifically in Wonder’s sweetly melodic love song “No Letting Go” – spread to the United States. A New York Times article highlighting Lenky and Diwali resulted in a phone call between him and the A&R team at VP Records, who hoped the musician would be interested in working with one of their up-and-coming Jamaican-bred solo acts: Sean Paul.

“I did [“Get Busy”] very casually – again, as an experiment,” he affirms. “Sean had some ideas, he came with his song, I came with some melodies. The rest is history.” 

After the widespread, positive response to “Get Busy,” both Lenky and Sean Paul secured their first No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 2003. Shortly after “Get Busy” peaked, Harlem-based teen Lumidee’s “Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)” – also set to the Diwali Riddim – debuted on the chart, eventually peaking in August at No. 3. With “No Letting Go” also peaking at No. 11 that May. Diwali Fever had officially swept through America, bringing Jamaican dancehall and the “Lenky sound” to the masses.

“[Going] from zero to 100 is a rush,” says Lenky of his overnight success. “I was just doing my thing, just living life, [trying to] make ends meet … Sly said, ‘You’re No. 1 on Billboard!’ I’m saying, ‘what is Billboard?’ I didn’t have a computer at the time!” 

While dancehall artists gravitated to the beat first, the selling point for the Diwali Riddim for across genre lines is its versatility, something that Lenky made sure of while crafting it. Different sonic accouterments were added or subtracted from Diwali songs he has had a hand in producing in-studio, based on the needs of the musician and the vibe of the song itself. Though the rhythm itself doesn’t change, “Get Busy” features the addition of keyboard synths and vocal sound effects, while the claps don’t appear until the chorus of “No Letting Go,” providing a strictly R&B vibe until then. This is why Sean Paul’s “toasting” over the beat works just as well as Wayne Wonder’s crooning over it.

“Listening to dancehall in Jamaica, we have 20 artists on the same beat, and it’s boring!” Lenky says. “So for me as a musician, I wanted to make every song special. I wanted to make [Diwali] into a song that was not linear…All of these [versions of the beat] are tailored for [different artists].” 

While super producers like Pharrell and Timbaland were often just as visible as the artists they produced for in the mid-2000s, Lenky never wanted to be a front-facing producer. For him, the music was always – and will always be – the priority.

“If I have to talk about myself, it’s fine, I will talk about myself,” he laughs. “But I wouldn’t try to put myself out there, ‘cause I think that takes away from the [creativity]. I don’t know somebody else in that position would be as focused. They’ll see the parties and the girls, and it’ll throw them off.”

Lenky continued to make beats during Diwali’s growth and subsequent boom: 2002’s Masterpiece Riddim (heard in Sean Paul’s “Ever Blazin’” from 2005’s The Trinity), 2003’s Time Travel Riddim, and 2004’s Dreamweaver Riddim catching on in the Caribbean. While they all caught on in their respective rights, Diwali clearly endures as the producer’s signature riddim.

In fact, music lovers and artists alike have recognized the riddim’s utility throughout the last two decades, which has allowed it to stand the test of time. You can hear the Diwali claps in Rihanna’s “Pon De Replay” and Brick & Lace’s “Love Is Wicked” from 2007, or you may have noticed the beat’s kick within Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” from 2017. At the top of this year, a full-on sample of Lumidee’s Diwali cut set the tone for Nicki Minaj’s latest Hot 100 hit, “Red Ruby da Sleeze.” (Though Lenky admits his favorite versions of his beat are found in “Get Busy” and “No Letting Go” – due to their production overdubs and the fact that both were crafted in Jamaica’s Paddington Terrace Studio “with no budget.”) 

As the beat has taken new shape through the years, so has dancehall. However, Lenky doesn’t have a problem with the ever-changing sound, and subgenres spawned in recent years, like tropical house or reggae fusion.

“I’m just a tiny dot in dancehall,” he notes. “Nothing is ‘killing’ dancehall. You can’t kill reggae, Bob Marley will always be Bob Marley. For me, it’s just different branches from the [reggae/dancehall] tree, bearing different fruit. I think it should grow, and we should just make it happen.”

These days, Lenky (now 52) continues experimenting and growing. He runs Diwali Records, a label based in Kingston. His solo album, Self Taught, was released in 2018. He still works with Sly & Robbie, most recently on their 2021 album Red Hills Road, as well as on a 2019 collaborative instrumental album, Project 1966. He also boasts a writing credit on “Take Me Where Your Heart Is,” the lead single from acclaimed R&B singer-songwriter Q’s major label debut EP, The Shave Experiment. (That wasn’t too hard to secure though, as Q is Lenky’s son.)

Lenky’s values have not only worked in the long haul of his career, but his music-first focus has contributed to his work changing the face of Jamaican dancehall. From the Diwali Riddim’s late-’90s creation, to its early-2000s resurrection, to its 2023 TikTok footwork challenge – it’s clear that the beat no one wanted to use is the sound we still can’t get enough of.

“I’m not into the lights and the cameras and all that – the light is gonna burn out,” Lenky says of his lifelong dedication to his craft. “I’m into the music, the making of the music and getting it out there. Everybody reacting to it wanna know my name, have parties, and that’s fine. But, I’m not gonna join that, you know what I’m saying? I’m creating the music for you guys, and hope you enjoy the music.”

12 Apr 2023

Music Supervisors Brace for Impact of Potential Hollywood Writers Strike

The last time film and TV screenwriters went on strike, for a hundred days in the winter of 2007 and 2008, production on shows and movies abruptly shut down, advertising plunged and pink slips were passed out. Freelance music supervisors like Julie Glaze Houlihan, whose credits include Malcolm in the Middle and Roswell, also felt the pain.

“My husband and I both were independent music supervisors, so the money just fell. We struggled,” she recalls. “We had savings and we dipped into it. We had three small children. It was a difficult time.”

Unlike actors, directors, music editors and other unionized professionals who would still receive contractual benefits in the event of a strike, music supervisors are a largely freelance group of specialists who lack employer-provided healthcare, paid leave and safety protections. So the supervisors are more vulnerable than many of their colleagues if the Writers Guild of America follows through with a walkout when its members’ contract with studios and networks expires May 1.

“We all care about the writers getting a fair deal. We’re all in it together,” says Houlihan, who recently supervised music for Glass Onion and is working on upcoming ESPN and MGM+ docuseries. “But if they strike, it’ll affect all of us. Other people have some type of safety net and we have nothing.”

The Writers Guild unions, east and west, represent 11,000 movie and TV writers and began negotiations March 20 for a three-year contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Few expect a fast resolution over issues like higher compensation, more contributions to health and pension funds and improvements in workplace standards. Anticipating a strike, studios are rushing production schedules for existing shows.

A strike “would definitely be scary,” says Justin Kamps, who works on Grey’s Anatomy and Bridgerton. “If you can’t get the scripts written and the shows brought into post-(production), there’s not much you’re going to be doing as a supervisor. You’re going to be out of luck.”

A prolonged strike could narrow the opportunities for music synchs in shows and movies, which generated $318 million in 2022, or 2% of overall revenue, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. “The most obvious point is that if there is a strike, it’s going to put a hold on shows being put out, which means there’s no music being requested for shows,” says Sara Torres, synch and licensing supervisor for ASAP Clearances, which clears songs for TV.

Uncertainty has kicked in. “I’ve been meeting on a new project and they have been in a holding pattern, waiting to see what happens. They are not able to actually hire anybody until that is sorted out,” says Kier Lehman, a music supervisor whose recent works include Abbott Elementary and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. “Without having new things starting, it definitely would affect us and our income — if it goes on for a long time, I could see it having a big effect.”

Like everybody in Hollywood, music supervisors are scrambling to figure out where the money might come from in the event of a strike. Houlihan doubles as a music editor, an industry with its own unions, so she expects to receive certain benefits no matter what. Torres’ company emphasizes reality shows, which surged in the ratings during the last strike (including, notably, Donald Trump’s The Celebrity Apprentice); she suggests reality shows might temporarily dominate the synch business and indie artists might have more opportunities to place songs.

“People are always looking for music,” she says. “It’s just being able to pivot.”

Music supervisors are not unionized, but last October, a group of Netflix supervisors filed to certify their union with the National Labor Relations Board, seeking representation with the labor union the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, or IATSE. Netflix opposed the move and the NLRB’s decision is pending. (Netflix reps did not respond to inquiries.) If the board rules in the supervisors’ favor, they can negotiate a contract with the streaming giant — “which would make a great precedent,” says Lindsay Wolfington, a music supervisor for shows including Virgin River and The Venery of Samantha Bird and has been active in the Netflix unionization efforts.

Laura Webb, who frequently works with Wolfington, says the supervisors want more reliable payment deliveries, cost-of-living increases and healthcare and retirement and pension plans — as opposed to relying on the gig economy. “We’re not paid by the studios that would allow us to have the same safety net that most employees get,” adds Joel High, president of the Guild of Music Supervisors. “We don’t have health insurance through anybody. We don’t have a 401(k). We’re basically left to our own devices, working from show to show and studio to studio.”

Supervisors say they’ll keep working on shows after writers have finished their work. “Most of our job is post-production, so hopefully things don’t change that much,” says Webb, who works on Wolf Pack, Monster High the Movie Sequel and others. Adds Lehman: “If there was a show that was already written, and just being finished, that becomes the complicated issue.”

For now, music supervisors remain hopeful the writers and studios will come to an agreement and avoid a strike, even as unionization is gathering momentum in the U.S., with workers from Amazon to YouTube Music filing for certification. “If there’s an atmosphere to strike in, it would be now,” Houlihan says. “Go, writers! I hope they don’t have to strike.”

12 Apr 2023

Brandon Lake Signs With Provident Entertainment

Provident Entertainment has signed five-time Grammy winner Brandon Lake to its artist roster.

Lake’s song “Gratitude” is in its 11th week atop Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart and previously reached No. 1 on the Christian Airplay chart (where it currently resides at No. 3).

“I couldn’t be more excited to partner with Provident and for what’s to come,” Lake said via a statement. “With their team, I feel a genuine friendship and partnership, and know that there is a united goal of wanting to serve. This isn’t just about success, or trying to get the next #1; it’s about people, and serving people well.”

Lake’s most recent album, Help!, draws awareness to mental health and includes the Christian Airplay top 20 hit “Fear Is Not My Future (featuring Chandler Moore) and “Don’t Give Up on Me.” In addition to his solo music, Lake is known for his collaborations with Elevation Worship, Bethel Music and Maverick City Music. He is currently on the road on the 26-city Miracle Nights Tour with guest Benjamin Williams Hastings, and this fall, Lake will co-headline arenas on the Summer Worship Nights Tour with Phil Wickham.

“Very rarely do you get to come alongside an artist like Brandon whose songs, music, and ministry are already having such a significant impact around the world,” said Holly Zabka, president of Provident Entertainment, via a statement. “His passion for the Gospel and desire for teamwork has been evident each time we met about this new partnership. We are thrilled to welcome Brandon, his family, and the entire Brandon Lake team as new members of the Provident Entertainment family.”

“We’re thrilled to announce that Brandon Lake has signed with Provident Entertainment,” added Lake’s manager, Brandon Breitenbach. “Brandon is an exceptional artist whose music has already touched countless lives, offering a message of hope and redemption that have the power to transform hearts and minds. With Provident’s support, I’m confident that Brandon will continue to make a meaningful impact in the world. We’re excited to witness this next chapter in Brandon’s career and look forward to supporting him every step of the way.”

At this year’s Grammy Awards, Lake was honored for his work on a few songs, including “Fear is Not My Future,” which won best contemporary christian music performance/song, while his work with Maverick City Music on the 2022 EP Breathe garnered a best contemporary christian music album Grammy.

Lake previously told Billboard that he is working on a new album.

“I have a ton of songs and we are figuring out which ones will land on the new album and we are getting into pre-production,” he said. “We also have some songs on the next Elevation Worship record that are coming out, so collaboration is not slowing down.”

12 Apr 2023

Paul Simon Releasing 33-Minute Continuous Composition ‘Seven Psalms’

Paul Simon is preparing to follow-up 2018’s rarities collection In the Blue Light with a continuous seven-song musical suite entitled Seven Psalms. Intended to be listened to in its entirety, the 33-minute, seven-movement all-acoustic composition is slated for release on May 19.

According to a release, it is predominantly performed by Simon and it captures the legendary pop singer/songwriter’s “craft at its finest and most captivating, simply with his voice and guitar.”

In a preview trailer, Simon, 81, explains that in Jan. 2019 he had a dream that told him he was working on a piece called Seven Psalms. “The dream was so strong that I got up and I wrote it down, but I had no idea what that meant,” he says over gently picked acoustic guitars. “Gradually, information would come,” he adds, noting that he began waking up between 3:30 and 5 a.m. “and words would come. I’d write ’em down and start to put it together.”

The album is described as, “a stunning, intricately layered work” that establishes “an engaging and meditative, almost hymnal soundscape, with Paul’s lyrics providing the gravitational center for constellations of sound woven from guitar strings and other acoustic instrumentation.” In a nod to the origin of psalms — which the release notes were originally hymns meant to be sung rather than spoken — Seven Psalms represents a call-back to the genesis of folk music in King David’s Psalms.

Among the guests are the British vocal ensemble VOCES8 and Simon’s wife, singer Edie Brickell, who is seen in the video singing alongside the folk icon, holding hands as they harmonize. The album was produced by Simon and Kyle Crusham.

“People say, ‘why is it that you always want to change your sound?,’” Simon says of questions he gets about his restless musical heart. “I’m not thinking that way at all. I’m looking for the edge of what you can hear. I can just about hear it but I can’t quite. That’s the thing I want.”

See the Seven Psalms tracklist and watch the preview trailer below.

Seven Psalms track list:

1. “The Lord”

2. “Love Is Like A Braid”

3. “My Professional Opinion” 

4. “Your Forgiveness”

5. “Trail of Volcanoes”

6. “The Sacred Harp”

7. “Wait”

12 Apr 2023

Omarion To Star in Semi-Autobiographical Series ‘Involved’ for Allblk

HipHopWired Featured Video

Omarion

Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz

Former B2K lead singer Omarion, who has his own successful solo career, is about to take on a new challenge. According to Deadline, the 38-year-old will soon star in “Involved” a dramedy based on his own life coming to the AMC Network-owned streaming service, Allblk (formerly the Urban Movie Channel).

The streaming site is also holding a national casting call for the series co-lead, which will be taking place at the 27th Annual American Black Film Festival, June 14-18 in Miami Beach. 

According to the report, Omarion will play a singer named OB Sharp who has been a boyband superstar since childhood. Now on the verge of a worldwide tour, he secretly wants to leave the group to be a more present dad and have a better co-parenting relationship with his child’s mother, who lives in his guesthouse with her new boyfriend.

Actor Lance Gross (House of Payne) will serve as the celebrity reader for the casting call for the role of 31-year-old Shayla Williams who plays OB’s ex-girlfriend. 

To further complicate matters, OB gets into a romantic entanglement with Maya—one of his best friends and still has to deal with Shayla, mother of his daughter as well as a myriad of business ventures and drama. 

“Just like multi-hyphenated entertainers Jamie Foxx, Martin Lawrence and Will Smith who all have influenced and inspired me and a whole culture, Involved is intended to inspire, shift and impact the culture of American society’s thinking and understanding of special family dynamics. There is no better way for us to learn about and observe these cultural diversities than through the medium of entertainment,” Omarion told Deadline. 

He will exec produce the series alongside co-creators Tommy Morgan Jr., Kevin G. Boyd and Deji LaRay. The pilot is being written by Kevin G. Boyd and directed by Bentley Kyle Evans, who will serve as co-showrunners. Michelle Le Fleur will also exec produce alongside AllBlk’s SVP of Development & Production Nikki Love and the company’s general manager, Brett Dismuke. 

Dismuke told Deadline, “Omarion is an expert storyteller across multiple mediums, and we could not be more excited to further our partnership by helping him bring this story to life on AllBlk. As a leader in programming by and for Black voices, we know our audience will appreciate such an intriguing and compelling story.”

12 Apr 2023

Cardi B Says World Is “Full Of Predators” After Dalai Lama Clip Surfaces

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Hot 97 Summer Jam 2019

Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz

Cardi B is never shy about expressing her opinion. She recently stated the obvious after a very suspect clip of the Dalai Lama surfaced online.

As spotted on TMZ the Bronx, New York native felt in a serious way about a video showing the spiritual leader of Tibet asking a young boy to suck his tongue. While the moment originally took place back in February footage of the very inappropriate video resurfaced this week. As expected folks online were shocked and disgusted that a man of such power would openly engage with an underaged child in such an intimate manner. Include in this group was the “Up” rapper who took to social media to voice her concerns while not directly mentioning the holy man directly.

“This world is full of predators. They prey on the innocent” she wrote. “The ones who are most unknowing, our children. Predators could be our neighbors, our school teachers, even people wit money ,power & our churches. Constantly talk with your kids about boundaries and what they shouldn’t allow people to do to them.”

Naturally, her tweet quickly went viral and while she received overwhelming support for speaking out there were plenty of people that accused her of engaging in predatory tactics back in her stripper days. A couple of years back on Instagram Live she admitted that as a dancer she often would go back with men, drug them and rob them. Some folks were quick to call her a hypocrite and she continued to defend her original stance. “How are ya’ll bringing up a situation from my past when GROWN A** DRUNK MEN were trying to take advantage of me and finesse me out of body because I said protect ya kids from predators?” Cardi B asked.

The Dalai Lama’s office has since apologized for his behavior saying he often “teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras.” You can see Cardi B respond to the criticism below.



12 Apr 2023

Latin Music Revenue Passes $1 Billion for All-Time High

Latin music revenues in the United States hit an all-time high last year, exceeding the $1 billion mark on the wings of 24% growth that outpaced the overall market.

According to the RIAA’s year-end Latin music report for 2022, total revenue jumped from $881 million in 2021 to $1.1 billion in 2022, with Latin music’s overall share of the total music market lifting from 5.9% in 2021 to 6.9%.

“Latin music revenues in 2022 exceeded $1 billion for the first time and grew significantly faster than the broader industry. That sustained expansion speaks to an openness to new artists, music and ways of listening,” says RIAA senior VP, state public policy & industry relations Rafael Fernandez Jr.

Months earlier, the RIAA’s mid year report had already suggested that Latin music revenues would reach a new peak, driven by the success not only of Bad Bunny — who ended the year as the most streamed artist in the U.S. and around the world — but also a cadre of other artists who have had major streaming success, including Rosalía, Karol G and Rauw Alejandro.

Streaming makes up a stunning 97% of Latin music revenue, accounting for more than $1 billion. Within that, paid subscriptions were the biggest growth driver, contributing 71% of streaming revenues and posting revenue growth of 29% to $758 million.

Another major contributor to growth was ad-supported on-demand streams (from services like YouTube, Vevo and the free version of Spotify), underscoring how important video is to the Latin fan. Revenue from this space grew 24% to $230 million, a 21% share of total Latin music revenues, over-indexing compared to the 11% average of the overall market.

Conversely, revenue from digital services like Pandora and SiriusXM decreased 5% to $73 million, making up 7% of streaming revenues. Permanent downloads also fell 15% to $11.7 million. They now make up only 1% of revenue.

And while physical sales remain a tiny percentage of revenue – less than 1% – they are growing. CD revenues were up 60% to $3.1 million and vinyl grew 67% to $9.1 million, signaling a fresh area of growth potential for Latin music.

12 Apr 2023

Sabrina Carpenter’s Portland Show Was Cancelled Due to ‘Credible Threat’ at Nearby Venue

Sabrina Carpenter apologized to her fans in Portland on Tuesday (April 11) after the singer said she was forced to cancel Monday night’s show at Keller Auditorium unexpectedly. “Portland – I can’t tell you how much it breaks my heart, this is the last thing I wanted to do but due to unforeseen circumstances we will not be able to perform tonight,” she tweeted.

The “Nonsense” star promised that refunds would be available and then noted that the venue would be closed for the night.

Rolling Stone reported that Carpenter’s fans were asked to leave the Auditorium after a “credible security threat” was made to the venue that the singer was originally slated to perform at in the city, the Crystal Ballroom. “Employees with the Crystal Ballroom called after they received a phone call from an anonymous person claiming they were going to blow up the venue,” Portland Police Bureau Lt. Nathan Sheppard told RS.

Police said Carpenter previously announced she was upgrading to the larger venue, but even though she was no longer scheduled at the Ballroom, promoter AEG Presents and Sabrina’s team opted to scotch the show out of concern for her fans’ safety.

An AEG Presents spokesperson told the magazine that, “While the threat was not directed at Keller Auditorium specifically, Sabrina and event organizers agreed that out of an abundance of caution, the show be called off. Steps were taken to ensure that the audience exited the venue calmly, quickly, and safely.” Portland police said they sent out extra patrols around both venues due to the threat but found on explosive devices.

Before venue officials asked fans to leave the Auditorium an hour after Carpenter was slated to perform, they were reportedly able to attend Sabrina’s VIP soundcheck and watch opening act Spill Tab. Carpenter, who is on the road supporting last year’s Emails I Can’t Send album, performed in Seattle on Tuesday night, where the venue implemented a clear bag policy, seemingly in the wake of Monday’s incident. Her next scheduled show is on Saturday (April 15) at the Warfield in San Francisco

See Carpenter’s tweet below.

12 Apr 2023

Warner Music Mexico Launches Women-Run Label Gorgona

Warner Music México has announced the launch of Gorgona, a label which will be “completely” run and managed by women, and will also be focused on promoting women talent.

According to a statement issued by the company Wednesday (April 12), the “historically low” presence of women in key senior industry roles initially led to the formation of Warner Music México’s Gender Equality Committee, comprised exclusively of women across the organization. Then came the idea of creating a label in which all roles — from songwriting to digital music services — would be executed by women.

The creation of Gorgona — a creature who is a protective deity of women according to Greek mythology is — led to their first songwriter’s camp attended by Ali Stone, Erika Vidrio, Escarlata, Ingratax, Marian Ruzzi, and other artists, producers and songwriters.

“The atmosphere in our first camp was very friendly because everyone felt that their opinions and voices were validated in the studio,” says Andrea Fernández, A&R manager at Warner Music Mexico and the label’s creative leader. “They had practically never attended a camp where the participation of women was greater than that of men. We came out with a network of creative women who were able to get to know themselves and their work and produced spectacular songs.”

“Cypher 1: Ella”, which dropped on International Women’s Day, was the first release under Gorgona. A collaboration between singers and emcees Mabiland, Emjay, Mare Advertencia and Delfina Dib, the alternative, urban-leaning song was produced by Maria Vertiz, mixed by Marcella Araica and mastered by Natalia Schlesinger.

The underrepresentation of women in the industry in Mexico reflects the reality of music in general. A report on inclusion issued by The University of California Annenberg Inclusion Initiative earlier this year found that women have been woefully underrepresented across the recorded music industry.

The number of women with producer credits continues to be low. In 2022, only 3.4% of producers were women across all songs included on the year-end Hot 100 chart, according to the report, which examines the gender of artists, songwriters and producers across all 1,100 songs included on Billboard’s Hot 100 year-end charts spanning from 2012 to 2022. Moreover, women represented only 30% of the 160 artists on the Hot 100 year-end chart, while men made up 69.4% and artists who identified as non-binary made up less than 1%. 

12 Apr 2023

Nickelback Remind You That Lizzo Once Said They Get ‘Way Too Much S–t’

You know Lizzo loves to rock. The “About Damn Time” singer proved it this summer when she covered German metal maniacs Rammstein‘s signature hit “Du Hast” while on tour in Berlin. And on Monday night (April 11) Nickelback reminded us that she once heaped praise on them on Canadian network CBC Music’s “Jam or Not Jam” segment in 2020 in an Instagram post in which they thanked her for the kind words.

“Thank you @lizzobeating for the kind words!,” they wrote alongside of a clip from the show. “Open invite any show any time… maybe see you in Houston this summer?”

The bit’s conceit revolves around the artist listening to a series of songs while wearing headphones and proclaiming the song a “jam” or “not jam.” When the strains of Nickelback’s 2001 Silver Side Up rock anthem “How You Remind Me” bubble up, Lizzo wastes no time singing along to Chad Kroeger’s grunting vocals, proclaiming, “it has a beautiful climax.”

“Why do people not like Nickelback? I feel like Nickelback gets way too much s–t,” she says, alluding to the frequent scorn heaped on the Canadian band. “I think that this is a jam.”

“Here we go, five, six, seven, eight,” the classically trained flutist counts off as the song builds to said climax and she begins banging her head, even as she admits she doesn’t know all the lyrics. “I like you… sorry,” she sings in her best strained Kroeger impression, fumbling the words, but praising the inescapable melody. “The beat drop-out, b—h?”

So, why does Lizzo think Nickelback get so much s–t? “Because he [Kroeger] had a curly blond perm,” she opines. “That’s the only reason they get s–t, because this is an amazing song.”

In the rest of the segment, she freaks out over the slam-dunk jam, Black Eyed Peas’ “My Humps,” gets hyped to hear BTS for the first time on their “ocean jam” collab with Halsey, “Boy With Love” and has to give it up to the Canadian pop queen Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On,” if only for the “whimsical” pan flute opening.

Watch Lizzo rock out to Nickelback below (“How You Remind Me” bit begins at the :30 second mark).