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Icehouse has canceled its upcoming performance at the Sydney Opera House as band leader Iva Davies battles with the “ongoing aftereffects” of COVID-19.
The ARIA Hall of Fame-inducted act postponed a pair of performances last month, part of the Great Southern Land 2022 – The Concert Series, due to ill health.
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First, a show Nov. 19 at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl was put on ice, when Davies contracted the novel coronavirus.
“We have very strict protocols around our travel and performance schedule but somewhere I contracted COVID-19 despite all my vaccinations,” Davies said at the time.
“I am devastated to have to postpone the concert but the impact of the infection means that I am having difficulty breathing and certainly couldn’t manage to sing a full show.”
A week later, the ‘80s legends scrapped its concert Nov. 26 at Brisbane’s Riverstage.
“Despite getting good care from my doctor since I was diagnosed with COVID-19, my condition hasn’t improved,” Davies explained in a statement, issued Nov. 24. “As with so many other COVID sufferers, the effects of the infection are lasting a lot longer than I hoped. The difficulties I am having with breathing mean that I cannot sing for the duration of an Icehouse performance.”
Question marks lingered on whether Davies would be fit for next Monday’s (Dec. 12) performance at the forecourt of the iconic Sydney venue.
Then, on Wednesday (Dec. 7), Icehouse and promoter Live Nation announced the show would not go on.
“I am so very, very sorry to have had to cancel this show. Any of you who know my history will be aware of how special my relationship with the Opera House is,” Davies writes on a social post.“From the age of 14 I walked past it once a week to attend my oboe lessons at the Conservatorium when it was still a building site, little knowing that at 18 I would be playing in the orchestra in the new Opera Theatre for the first operas performed there.” He continues, “I performed on the Concert Hall stage as an oboist as well. I sang in two ballets that I composed for the Sydney Dance Company that opened in the Opera Theatre. And then, of course, there was the performance on the forecourt of the 25-minute extended piece ‘The Ghost of Time’ based on ‘Great Southern Land’ which led to the countdown into the new Millennium for Sydney.”
The Melbourne (Feb. 11, 2023) and Brisbane (Feb. 18, 2023) shows has been rescheduled. The Sydney show, however, is wiped out due to no alternative date being available, a statement confirms.
Icehouse is one of Australia’s post-punk gifts to the music world. Emerging fully-formed as Flowers, Davies and Co. dropped Icehouse in 1980, an album stacked with gems that haven’t lost any of their lustre, including “We Can Get Together,” “Walls” and “Can’t Help Myself.”
Davies adopted the band Icehouse and had an instant classic with the synth-powered album Primitive Man, which this year celebrates its 40th anniversary. It’s lead track “Great Southern Land” is an unofficial anthem of this country, and “Hey Little Girl” cracked the U.K. top 20, peaking at No. 17 (album track “Street Café” charted at No. 62).
A U.S. breakthrough would come with the 1987 album Man of Colours, which yielded two top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 – “Crazy” (No. 14) and “Electric Blue” (No. 7).
Icehouse was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2006.
LONDON — Less than a year after being appointed chief executive of the Association for Electronic Music, Silvia Montello is exiting the global trade body to become CEO of AIM, the London-based Association of Independent Music.
Montello takes up the new post on Jan. 31. She will succeed Paul Pacifico, who leaves AIM later this month to head up the Saudi Music Commission, where he will be responsible for developing and championing the music sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
In April, the London-based Montello was appointed the first female CEO of the Association for Electronic Music (AFEM). The New York-headquartered non-profit organization, founded in 2013, represents the interests of over 250 electronic music companies across 25 countries.
Montello’s appointment as CEO of AIM — which represents more than 1,000 U.K. indie labels, artists and music companies, including Beggars Group, Domino, Warp and Ninja Tune — comes on the back of another strong year for independent labels and artists in the United Kingdom. According to labels trade body BPI, independently released music made up 29% of the U.K.’s recorded music market in the first 10 months of 2022, up from 27% for the whole of 2021 — when total recorded music sales reached £1.3 billion ($1.6 million) in the U.K. — and an increase of 30% from 2017, when independents claimed a 22% share.
Independently released albums that have topped the U.K. albums chart this year include Arctic Monkeys’ The Car, Wet Leg’s self-titled debut, Fontaines D.C.’s Skinty Fia and rapper Central Cee’s 23.
“The growth of the indie sector has been fantastic to see and what’s really exciting about it is the rise in grass roots independent artists who are self-releasing and creating their own teams and finding ways of being able to build their own fanbase,” Montello tells Billboard.
Despite the growth, it remains difficult for many DIY and independent artists to make a decent living from streaming alone, she says, echoing well-publicized discontent from the creator community over low returns from music streams.
In her new role as CEO of AIM, Montello — who has been an active member of the U.K. trade body for several years — says she will continue the organization’s push for an “equitable and fair” split of streaming revenues but will also focus on educating and training independent artists and businesses about how they can monetize their art in the fast-changing music ecosystem.
“Looking outside of the reliance on just the major streaming platforms is going to be more of a significant conversation and trend going forward,” she says, citing the metaverse, Web3 and growth of neighboring rights revenues as potential avenues for artists to maximize their future earning potential.
“We always need to be looking forward and making sure that we’re trying to anticipate where there may be new opportunities for our members, but also anticipate where there may be challenges arising and making sure that we’re up to speed with everything,” says Montello.
Prior to heading AFEM, Montello held senior executive roles at the U.K. arm of Universal Music Group, where she worked as director of catalog marketing between 2006 and 2010, and BMG, where, according to her LinkedIn profile, she served as group senior vp of recordings operations and integrations from 2014 to 2016. She was subsequently appointed senior vp of operations at the then-Kobalt-owned artist services company AWAL, a post she held from 2017 to 2020.
More recently, Montello held senior posts at music rights data platform Blokur and Audio Network, a U.K.-based creator and publisher of music for film, television and digital content. Since 2011, she has also acted as CEO of Voicebox Consulting, which has worked with music companies and charities that include BMG, PIAS and the Teenage Cancer Trust.
Montello co-founded and is director of #remarQabl, an electronic music label services and publishing company that champions female, LGBTQ+ and underrepresented artists, and is a trustee for U.K. charity Help Musicians.
In a press release announcing Montello’s appointment, AIM chair Nadia Khan called the executive a “fantastic leader” whose “extensive industry background, contact base, business development skills, passion for diversity and inclusion, and vision for the future bring renewed leadership to AIM.”
Association for Electronic Music co-founders Ben Turner and Kurosh Nasseri congratulated Montello on what they called a “landmark appointment” for both her and the genre of electronic music.
“It is amazing to see an organization as influential as AIM looking to our sector and actually to our own trade body AFEM for their next leader,” Turner and Nasseri say in a statement. They thanked Montello for “her valuable input into AFEM in her short time with us” and said the organization has begun the process of recruiting a new CEO to succeed her.
Montello says she looks forward to “really getting under the skin of AIM” and doing all that she can to make the independent music business flourish, help artists avoid burnout and add to the “richness and diversity” of music coming out of the United Kingdom.
“Because if we don’t have that from the independent sector, where a lot of the creativity comes from the grass roots, the margins and underrepresented groups who have got something to say,” she says, “then all music lovers are going to miss out.”
As the 2022 People’s Choice Awards reached its climax on Tuesday night (Dec. 6), Lizzo was named People’s Champion. With her acceptance speech, she proved just how deserving she is.
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The Detroit singer and rapper snagged a brace of trophies on the night, including song of the year for “About Damn Time,” which led the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks in July and August. But it was her People’s Champion honor, and her inclusive comments that followed, that are resonating on social channels and with those who caught it.
“Imma be honest, when I first heard about this award, I was on the fence about whether I should accept,” she comments. “Because, if I’m the people’s champ, I don’t need a trophy for championing people. You know what I’m saying?”
Speaking without the benefit of notes, Lizzo remarked, “I’m here tonight, because to be an icon isn’t about how long you’ve had your platform. Being an icon is what you do with that platform. And ever since the beginning of my career I’ve used my platform to amplify marginalized voices.”
So, tonight, she continues, “I am sharing this honor. Make some noise for the people, y’all. These are all activists and people that I think deserve the spotlight.”
And with that, Lizzo urged the audience to raise to roof as she introduced to the stage a collection of human rights advocates, freedom fighters, artists, walking inspirations, each of whom she identified.
In the moment, Lizzo blasted the “senseless and despicable gun violence that has become far too common,” and called for organizers and onlookers to give the activists “their flowers.”
Lizzo concludes: “Power will always be to the people. Thank you so much People’s Choice. Follow them, follow them and support them.”
During the show, Taylor Swift won three awards – the female artist of 2022, the music video of 2022 (“Anti-Hero”) and the album of 2022 (Midnights, which has topped the Billboard 200 in five of its first six weeks).
BTS and Selena Gomez were among the multiple honorees at the ceremony, presented at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. Kenan Thompson hosted the show, which aired on NBC and E!
Watch Lizzo’s speech in full below.
Taylor Swift, BTS, Lizzo, Selena Gomez and actress Elizabeth Olsen each won multiple awards at the 2022 People’s Choice Awards, which were presented Tuesday (Dec. 6) at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. Kenan Thompson hosted the show, which aired on both NBC and E!
Swift won three awards – the female artist of 2022, the music video of 2022 (“Anti-Hero”) and the album of 2022 (Midnights, which has topped the Billboard 200 in five of its first six weeks).
BTS won two awards – the group of 2022 and the concert tour of 2022. In addition, BTS’ Jung Kook won the collaboration song of 2022 for his featured role on Charlie Puth’s “Left and Right.” That spunky collab debuted and peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July.
Lizzo won the song of 2022 for “About Damn Time,” as well as a previously announced honorary award, the People’s Champion award. “About Damn Time,” which topped the Hot 100 for two weeks in July and August, is nominated for both record and song of the year at the upcoming Grammy Awards.
Gomez won the comedy TV star of 2022 for her role in Only Murders in the Building and the social celebrity of 2022.
Olsen, the star of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, won the female movie star of 2022 and the action movie star of 2022.
Stranger Things was also a double winner. It was named the [TV] show of 2022 and also the sci-fi/fantasy show of 2022. Despite winning the top movie award – the movie of 2022 – Doctor Strange…, strangely, did not win as the action movie of 2022; that award went to Top Gun: Maverick.
There were some surprises in the music categories. Becky G beat Bad Bunny for the Latin artist of 2022. Carrie Underwood beat both Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen for the country artist of 2022. (That one probably shouldn’t rate as a surprise, given Underwood’s massive popularity.)
The Kelly Clarkson Show won as the daytime talk show of 2022 to the surprise of absolutely no one.
Shania Twain won a special award, the Music Icon award. She also performed a medley of her greatest hits as well as her new single “Waking Up Dreaming.”
Lauren Spencer-Smith, who was nominated as the new artist of 2022, but lost to Latto, performed her hit song “Fingers Crossed.”
Ryan Reynolds received the third previously-announced special award, the People’s Icon award.
Here’s a complete list of 2022 People’s Choice Awards nominees, with winners marked.
The male artist of 2022Bad BunnyCharlie PuthDrakeWINNER: Harry StylesJack HarlowKendrick LamarLuke CombsThe Weeknd
The female artist of 2022BeyoncéCamila CabelloDoja CatLady GagaLizzoMegan Thee StallionNicki MinajWINNER: Taylor Swift
The group of 2022WINNER: BTS5 Seconds of SummerBlackpinkColdplayImagine DragonsMåneskinOneRepublicPanic! At The Disco
The song of 2022WINNER: “About Damn Time” – Lizzo“As It Was” – Harry Styles“Break My Soul” – Beyoncé“First Class” – Jack Harlow“Hold My Hand” – Lady Gaga“Me Porto Bonito” – Bad Bunny & Chencho Corleone“Super Freaky Girl” – Nicki Minaj“Wait For U” – Future Featuring Drake & Tems
The album of 2022Dawn FM – The WeekndGrowin’ Up – Luke CombsHarry’s House – Harry StylesWINNER: Midnights – Taylor SwiftMr. Morale & The Big Steppers – Kendrick LamarRenaissance – BeyoncéSpecial – LizzoUn Verano Sin Ti – Bad Bunny
The country artist of 2022WINNER: Carrie UnderwoodKane BrownKelsea BalleriniLuke CombsMaren MorrisMiranda LambertMorgan WallenThomas Rhett
The Latin artist of 2022AnittaBad BunnyWINNER: Becky GShakiraKarol GRauw AlejandroRosalíaSebastián Yatra
The new artist of 2022ChlöeDove CameronGayleWINNER: LattoLauren Spencer-SmithMuni LongSaucy SantanaSteve Lacy
The music video of 2022WINNER: “Anti-Hero” – Taylor Swift“As It Was” – Harry Styles“Left and Right” (feat. Jung Kook of BTS) – Charlie Puth“Let Somebody Go” – Coldplay X Selena Gomez“Oh My God” – Adele“Pink Venom” – Blackpink“Provenza” – Karol G“Yet to Come (The Most Beautiful Moment) Official” – BTS
The collaboration song of 2022WINNER: “Left and Right” – Charlie Puth Featuring Jung Kook“Bam Bam” – Camila Cabello Featuring Ed Sheeran“Do We Have a Problem?” – Nicki Minaj X Lil Baby“Freaky Deaky” – Tyga X Doja Cat“Hold Me Closer” – Elton John & Britney Spears“Jimmy Cooks” – Drake Featuring 21 Savage“Party” – Bad Bunny & Rauw Alejandro“Sweetest Pie” – Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa
The concert tour of 2022WINNER: BTS Permission to Dance on StageBad Bunny: World’s Hottest TourBillie Eilish: Happier Than Ever, The World TourDua Lipa Future Nostalgia TourEd Sheeran TourHarry Styles Love on TourLady Gaga: The Chromatica BallLuke Combs: The Middle of Somewhere Tour
The social celebrity of 2022Bad BunnyCharlie PuthDoja CatLil Nas XLizzoReese WitherspoonWINNER: Selena GomezSnoop Dogg
The movie of 2022Bullet TrainWINNER: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of MadnessElvisJurassic World DominionNopeThe BatmanThor: Love and ThunderTop Gun: Maverick
The comedy movie of 2022Fire IslandHustleHocus Pocus 2Marry MeSenior YearWINNER: The Adam ProjectThe Lost CityTicket to Paradise
The action movie of 2022Black AdamBullet TrainDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of MadnessJurassic World DominionThe BatmanThe Woman KingThor: Love and ThunderWINNER: Top Gun: Maverick
The drama movie of 2022NopeDeath on the NileWINNER: Don’t Worry DarlingElvisHalloween EndsLuckiest Girl AliveScreamWhere the Crawdads Sing
The male movie star of 2022Brad Pitt – Bullet TrainWINNER: Chris Hemsworth – Thor: Love and ThunderChris Pratt – Jurassic World DominionDaniel Kaluuya – NopeDwayne Johnson – Black AdamMiles Teller – Top Gun: MaverickRyan Reynolds – The Adam ProjectTom Cruise – Top Gun: Maverick
The female movie star of 2022WINNER: Elizabeth Olsen – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of MadnessGal Gadot – Death on the NileJennifer Garner – The Adam ProjectJennifer Lopez – Marry MeJoey King – Bullet TrainKeke Palmer – NopeQueen Latifah – HustleViola Davis – The Woman King
The drama movie star of 2022WINNER: Austin Butler – ElvisDaniel Kaluuya – NopeFlorence Pugh – Don’t Worry DarlingGal Gadot – Death on the NileHarry Styles – Don’t Worry DarlingJamie Lee Curtis – Halloween EndsKeke Palmer – NopeMila Kunis – Luckiest Girl Alive
The comedy movie star of 2022WINNER: Adam Sandler – HustleChanning Tatum – The Lost CityJennifer Garner – The Adam ProjectJennifer Lopez – Marry MeJulia Roberts – Ticket to ParadiseQueen Latifah – HustleRyan Reynolds – The Adam ProjectSandra Bullock – The Lost City
The action movie star of 2022Chris Hemsworth – Thor: Love and ThunderChris Pratt – Jurassic World DominionDwayne Johnson – Black AdamWINNER: Elizabeth Olsen – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of MadnessJoey King – Bullet TrainTom Cruise – Top Gun: MaverickViola Davis – The Woman KingZöe Kravitz – The Batman
The show of 2022Abbott ElementaryBetter Call SaulGrey’s AnatomyHouse of the DragonObi-Wan KenobiSaturday Night LiveWINNER: Stranger ThingsThis Is Us
The drama show of 2022Better Call SaulCobra KaiEuphoriaWINNER: Grey’s AnatomyLaw & Order: Special Victims UnitOzarkThe Walking DeadThis Is Us
The comedy show of 2022Abbott ElementaryBlack-ishOnly Murders in the BuildingWINNER: Never Have I EverSaturday Night LiveThe Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the WindowYoung RockYoung Sheldon
The reality show of 202290 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 DaysBelow Deck Sailing YachtJersey Shore: Family VacationLove & Hip Hop: AtlantaWINNER: The KardashiansThe Real Housewives of AtlantaThe Real Housewives of Beverly HillsSelling Sunset
The competition show of 2022America’s Got TalentAmerican IdolDancing with the StarsRuPaul’s Drag RaceThe BacheloretteThe Masked SingerLizzo’s Watch Out for the Big GrrrlsWINNER: The Voice
The male TV star of 2022Dwayne Johnson – Young RockEwan McGregor – Obi-Wan KenobiIce-T – Law & Order: Special Victims UnitJason Bateman – OzarkWINNER: Noah Schnapp – Stranger ThingsNorman Reedus – The Walking DeadOscar Isaac – Moon KnightSterling K. Brown – This Is Us
The female TV star of 2022Millie Bobby Brown – Stranger ThingsWINNER: Ellen Pompeo – Grey’s AnatomyKristen Bell – The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the WindowMaitreyi Ramakrishnan – Never Have I EverMandy Moore – This Is UsMariska Hargitay – Law & Order: Special Victims UnitQuinta Brunson – Abbott ElementarySelena Gomez – Only Murders in the Building
The drama TV star of 2022Ellen Pompeo – Grey’s AnatomyJason Bateman – OzarkMandy Moore – This Is UsWINNER: Mariska Hargitay – Law & Order: Special Victims UnitNorman Reedus – The Walking DeadSterling K. Brown – This Is UsSydney Sweeney – EuphoriaZendaya – Euphoria
The comedy TV star of 2022Bowen Yang – Saturday Night LiveDwayne Johnson – Young RockKenan Thompson – Saturday Night LiveKristen Bell – The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the WindowMaitreyi Ramakrishnan – Never Have I EverQuinta Brunson – Abbott ElementaryWINNER: Selena Gomez – Only Murders in the BuildingTracee Ellis Ross – Black-Ish
The daytime talk show of 2022Good Morning AmericaLive with Kelly and RyanThe Drew Barrymore ShowThe Ellen DeGeneres ShowThe Jennifer Hudson ShowWINNER: The Kelly Clarkson ShowThe ViewToday with Hoda and Jenna
The nighttime talk show of 2022Jimmy Kimmel Live!Last Week Tonight with John OliverLate Night with Seth MeyersThe Daily Show with Trevor NoahThe Late Late Show with James CordenThe Late Show with Stephen ColbertWINNER: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonWatch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
The competition contestant of 2022Charli D’Amelio – Dancing with the StarsBosco – RuPaul’s Drag RaceGabby Windey – The BacheloretteMayyas – America’s Got TalentNoah Thompson – American IdolWINNER: Selma Blair – Dancing with the StarsTeyana Taylor – The Masked SingerWillow Pill – RuPaul’s Drag Race
The reality TV star of 2022Chrishell Stause – Selling SunsetGarcelle Beauvais – The Real Housewives of Beverly HillsKandi Burruss – The Real Housewives of AtlantaKenya Moore – The Real Housewives of AtlantaWINNER: Khloé Kardashian – The KardashiansKim Kardashian – The KardashiansKyle Richards – The Real Housewives of Beverly HillsMike “The Situation” Sorrentino – Jersey Shore: Family Vacation
The bingeworthy show of 2022BridgertonBel-AirWINNER: Dahmer-Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer StoryInventing AnnaSeveranceThe BearThe BoysThe Thing About Pam
The sci-fi/fantasy show of 2022House of The DragonLa BreaMoon KnightObi-Wan KenobiShe-Hulk: Attorney at LawWINNER: Stranger ThingsThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of PowerThe Umbrella Academy
The social star of 2022Addison RaeBrent RiveraCharli D’AmelioJay ShettyKhaby LameMikayla Jane NogueiraWINNER: MrBeastNoah Beck
The comedy act of 2022Amy Schumer: Whore TourChris Rock Ego Death World Tour 2022David Spade: Nothing Personal (Netflix)Jo Koy: Live from the LA ForumWINNER: Kevin Hart: Reality CheckSteve Martin & Martin Short You Won’t Believe What They Look Like TodayWanda Sykes – Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration (Netflix)Whitney Cummings – Jokes (Netflix)
The game changer of 2022Chloe KimLeBron JamesMegan RapinoeNathan ChenRafael NadalRussell WilsonWINNER: Serena WilliamsSteph CurryThe pop podcast of 2022Anything Goes with Emma ChamberlainWINNER: Archetypes: Meghan MarkleArmchair Expert with Dax ShepardCall Her DaddyConan O’Brien Needs a FriendNot Skinny But Not FatSmartLessWhy Won’t You Date Me? with Nicol
Shania Twain proved just what makes her a Music Icon when she accepted that prize and performed a medley of her hits at Tuesday’s (Dec. 6) People’s Choice Awards.
One of the highlights of her performance — which included her breakthrough 1995 Billboard Hot 100 hit “Any Man of Mine,” her crossover late-’90s pop smashes “That Don’t Impress Me Much” and “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!,” and her latest single “Waking Up Dreaming” — is when the pink-haired singer swapped the famous spoken-word “Brad Pitt” line from “Impress” for a fellow Canadian star.
“OK, so you’re Ryan Reynolds!” she said sassily as the cameras cut to the surprised Deadpool star, who was on hand to accept the People’s Icon award later in the evening. Reynolds mouthed, “Oh my God, me?!” from the audience.
In addition to the performance, Twain also gave a heartfelt acceptance speech as she accepted the Music Icon award from her friend, actor Billy Porter.
“Am I dreaming? I really am, I think,” she said to start. “Thank you so much for presenting me with this award and for highlighting my work as having a significant impact. I’m not sure if that’s the right thing to say, but that’s always my wish: to inspire people with my music. I always miss my mother right now at these moments in life. She would have loved watching her little girl living this moment right now. But my fans, my friends, my team – you are the ones who really fill that space. Not my mother’s space, but you’re here with me and you’re celebrating, we’re celebrating together, and you’ve made me feel loved and special my whole working life. And I will always be grateful for that, thank you.
“From a very young age, I turned to songwriting as a form of escapism,” she added. “This is my go-to place. It never occurred to me how powerful lyrics can become when you’re able to record them and share them with the whole world. It’s a great honor to be respected as a songwriter. But the biggest honor for me is knowing people have found strength and inspiration in what i have to sing, in my work. So thank you, I love you for that.”
She also highlighted her role as a fashion icon, noting that early in her career, she was just piecing outfits together with what she had. “I just went to my closet and picked out whatever I had, or went to a department store and picked out the budget things, because I didn’t have a big budget. With that, a sharp pair of scissors and a big imagination, i just cut and pulled and chopped … and hoped for the best.”
Twain ended the speech with some words of inspiration for her young fans. “I just want to say: Giddy-up, kids. Embrace your individuality and your crazy ideas. Just be brave. Let’s remember, there is power in numbers, we are in this together, love is love, and when a door slams in your face, take a freaking run and leap at your door and kick it down! You won’t regret it.
“All I have to say is: Be the queen of you,” she concluded, tipping a cowgirl hat to her upcoming sixth studio album, Queen of Me, due Feb. 3, 2023.
The Billboard charts are getting ever more festive in the march to Christmas.
On the Billboard Hot 100 songs and Billboard 200 albums charts (both dated Dec. 10), the lists are looking very merry and bright. On the Hot 100, Mariah Carey’s evergreen chart-topper “All I Want for Christmas Is You” vaults to No. 2 and Michael Bublé’s former No. 1 album Christmas jingles up the Billboard 200 into the top five. Christmas was released in 2011 and spent five weeks atop the list late that year and in early 2012 and has returned to the top 10 in every subsequent holiday season.
Speaking of Bublé, earlier this year on the Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, he joined hosts Katie and Keith to discuss his then-new album Higher (a recent Grammy Award nominee for best traditional pop vocal album). Well, the latest Pop Shop Podcast (listen below) has a special unheard moment from that interview, where Bublé was asked about his Christmas album and what it means to know that the ever-popular set has become a favorite in homes around the world each year, soundtracking family gatherings.
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“Well, can you imagine how lucky I feel to be invited into all of that?” Bublé tells the Pop Shop Podcast. “I mean, I knew what I was doing when I made the record. I had high hopes. I was quite ambitious. Because I really genuinely love the songs. I never had any idea that it would be like this ever, ever.”
“And it’s funny, years ago, I would complain about it [the album’s success], and I would say [exasperated] ‘Well, you know, they keep talking about the Christmas album,’” he recalled. “But it was when my son got sick, I remember sitting in the hospital, and I just remember thinking how lucky I was. I just remember thinking so clearly, you know, how wonderful this is, that this is a part of your legacy. …
“What’s interesting, too, is it’s become less about what religion you are and it’s become about just a time when us human beings might need a bit of a break. And there’s a little more empathy and kindness. And I thought, man, to be connected to something so beautiful, there are much worse things in life.”
Also on the latest Pop Shop Podcast, Katie and Keith discuss the death of singer-songwriter Christine McVie and the pop sensibility she brought to her work with Fleetwood Mac. Plus, the Pop Shop team chats about Amber Riley (spoiler alert!) winning The Masked Singer and what it could mean for her career in the future. They also talk about her Dec. 5 guest appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show, where Riley and Hudson duetted on “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” from Dreamgirls.
The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s senior director of charts Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)
TikTok has proven its success at renewing widespread interest around old songs countless times over the past several years. 2022 was no exception, as the short-form video platform announced Swedish Sadboy rapper Yung Lean’s 2013 track “Ginseng Strip 2002” was its most popular track of the year thanks to a trend of users singing along for about 10 seconds and then kissing at the end.
The nearly decade-old track was used in almost 11 million videos across the app in 2022, and while TikTok royalties are notoriously low to music rights holders, the upside proposition has been established that a viral hit there will drive streaming elsewhere. With “Ginseng Strip 2002,” that was most certainly true.
Since the “Ginseng Strip 2002” TikTok trend started to take off around the turn of the new year, its impact is relatively easy to compare year-over-year. And it’s considerable. As of Dec. 1, the track had been streamed more than 71 million times on-demand in 2022 in the U.S. That’s a 780% increase from the full year prior, and up over 1,070% when compared to the same 48-week period (Jan. 1-Dec. 1). To date, the track has over 206 million global streams on Spotify.
The viral success has undoubtedly been a pleasant surprise payday for Lean as well as his label, Swedish indie YEAR0001, and publisher Sony Publishing. Based off U.S. streams alone, the different rights holders have earned about $350,000 so far in 2022. Split up, that’s about $260,000 for the master recording to the label and artist, and $62,900 to the publisher and co-writers Yung Lean and Yung Gud, based on Billboard‘s estimates.
This is actually the second time “Ginseng Strip 2002” has gone viral. The casually hedonistic track that came together by accident during a microphone sound check, according to producer Yung Gud, first took off on YouTube in 2013. That quick success on YouTube caused Yung Lean some anxiety, as he told Beats 1 Radio in 2017. “I was kinda scared at one point that it was just gonna be a couple million views and some viral hit, and there wasn’t going to be anything else,” he said. “I was just trying to figure out my place and everything. I didn’t want to be a one-hit wonder.”
Yung Lean and YEAR0001 had not responded to a request for comment for this story at the time of publishing.
MSG Sphere, the long-awaited, globe-shaped venue under construction in Las Vegas, has been promised to revolutionize the concert-going experience. Before it even opens, however, MSG Sphere is transforming the corporate structure of its creator.
On Monday, MSG Entertainment announced new plans for an upcoming spin-off that will separate MSG Sphere, the next-generation music venue being built in Las Vegas, from the rest of its live music business.
The latest version of the proposed transaction results is a pure-play music company under the corporate name MSG Entertainment that includes venues such as Madison Madison Square Garden, Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the Beacon Theatre and The Chicago Theatre. MSG Entertainment would also include the entertainment and sports booking business, the Radio City Rockettes and the Christmas Spectacular production, and long-term arena license agreements with New York Knicks and New York Rangers, which play their home games at Madison Square Garden.
The first iteration of the spin-off paired the live music business with MSG Networks, a regional sports network that carries live games of the Knicks, Rangers, New York Giants, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres. That would have put the company’s two most mature divisions under one roof, separate from MSG Sphere and Tao Group Hospitality, the operator of restaurant and nightlife properties. MSG Entertainment would, however, combine the financially risky Sphere project with the more stable revenues of MSG Networks, which generated $608.2 million of revenue and $131 million of operating profit in the year ended June 30, 2022. The new plan “is optimal for maximizing shareholder value, while providing both companies with enhanced strategic and financial flexibility to drive long-term growth,” the company said in a statement.
The new spin-off plan puts MSG Networks with MSG Sphere and Tao Group Hospitality. The spin-off company will take the name MSG Sphere Corp and “would have enhanced flexibility to execute its business strategy and pursue global growth opportunities,” executive chairman and CEO James L. Dolan said in a statement.
The proposed transaction would be structured as a tax-free spin-off to all MSGE shareholders. Owners of MSGE Class A and Class B shares would receive a pro-rata distribution expected to amount to about a two-thirds economic interest in MSG Entertainment, the live entertainment company. The parent company, MSG Sphere, would retain approximately a one-third interest in MSG Entertainment.
The $1.8 billion MSG Sphere at The Venetian is slated to open in 2023 with a U2 residency. The spherical venue will provide a multi-sensory experience of audio and visuals for 20,000 standing spectators or 17,500 seated guests. It includes 160,000 square feet of video viewing space and an exterior exosphere with programmable LED technology.
Apple Music users will soon be able to sing along to their favorite hits right inside the app.
On Tuesday (Dec. 6), Apple announced the launch of a built-in karaoke function on the streaming service, which will be available to all Apple Music subscribers worldwide later this month. Dubbed Apple Music Sing, the feature will be accessible on iPhone, iPad and the newest model of the Apple TV 4K, with tens of millions of songs available at launch.
Apple Music Sing is similar to a typical karaoke player, highlighting the streamer’s onscreen lyrics beat by beat. Additional functionality includes the option to adjust a song’s vocal levels; the separation of background vocals from main vocals to make the lyrics easier to follow; and a “duet view” that places lyrics from multiple vocalists on opposite sides of the screen to make multi-singer tracks easier to navigate.
Along with the new feature, Apple Music will additionally be launching a suite of more than 50 thematic Apple Music Sing playlists grouping songs together by genre, decade and more.
“Apple Music’s lyrics experience is consistently one of the most popular features on our service,” said Oliver Schusser, vp of Apple Music and Beats, in a statement on the launch. “We already know our users all over the world love to follow along to their favorite songs, so we wanted to evolve this offering even further to enable even more engagement around music through singing. It’s really a lot of fun, our customers are going to love it.”
Madame Tussauds Dubai has a new “Mastermind” added to their gallery. The company revealed on Tuesday (Dec. 6) that its wax figure of Taylor Swift is the latest celebrity to join its star-studded lineup.
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According to Time Out Dubai, the figure marks the first international addition to Madame Tussauds Dubai since it opened in October 2021. The handcrafted statue featured Swift in a Folklore-style low chignon bun, holding an acoustic guitar. The wax figure is dressed in a red sequined turtleneck top tucked into a pair of high waisted khaki pants.
The new Swift wax figure comes a little more than a month after the Grammy-winning superstar unveiled her 10th studio album, Midnights. The album logs a fifth week atop the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated Dec. 10). The last Swift album with more weeks at No. 1 is Folklore, which notched eight nonconsecutive weeks atop the list in 2020. Since then, she’s claimed four more chart-topping albums: Evermore (four weeks at No. 1 in 2020-21), Fearless (Taylor’s Version) (two weeks, 2021), Red (Taylor’s Version) (one week in 2021) and Midnights (five weeks so far).
And while the wax figure comes at a celebratory time in Swift’s career, fans had mixed feelings about the new installation at Madame Tussauds, unsure if the new piece bears a proper resemblance to the “Anti-Hero” singer. See some reactions below.
Why is it so difficult to get Taylor’s wax figures to actually look like her? I mean this one’s not bad compared to others but still.— Conny | Midnight sharp 🕰 (@connychiwa_) December 6, 2022
somebody stop please them from making wax figures😭— Ananya (TV) (@ANANYAPANDEY151) December 6, 2022
