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On Friday (Jan. 5), the band’s fans began expressing concern online upon noticing that its website and socials had been wiped clean. As a source confirms to Billboard, the fresh start follows the expiration of the band’s 20-year contract with Atlantic Records in late December, meaning the Hayley Williams-fronted group is now a free agent. […]
Singer Jason Derulo is being sued by a woman who claims the singer sexually harassed her and then dropped her from a deal with his record label after she rebuffed his advances, according to documents filed in Los Angeles County court Thursday (Oct. 5).
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In the complaint — filed by attorney Ron Zambrano — the woman, Emaza Gibson, accuses Derulo of pressuring her to drink and have sex with him despite her persistent refusals to do so. In one bizarre claim, Gibson says the singer told her that if she wanted success in the music industry, she “would be required to partake in ‘goat skin and fish scales,’ which is a Haitian reference referring to conducting sex rituals, sacrificing a goat, goat blood and doing cocaine.’”
The complaint additionally lists as defendants Derulo’s record label, Future History; Atlantic Records, which has a joint venture with Future History; Derulo’s manager, Frank Harris; and Radio Corporation of America, dba RCA Records. It’s unclear why RCA Records is listed, as the label has never done business with Derulo or Future History.
According to the lawsuit, Derulo contacted Gibson in August 2021 stating he wanted to sign her to Future History, his new joint-venture label with Atlantic. After allegedly signing contracts with Derulo, Future History and Atlantic, Gibson states that work began on her debut album that same November, with Derulo acting “as her mentor, supervisor and agent for Atlantic and Future.”
Gibson goes on to claim that she regularly communicated with Derulo via text message to schedule recording sessions but that the singer instead “repeatedly” invited her to drinks and dinner — meetings she says she declined in an effort to keep the relationship professional. During a meeting in New York with Atlantic executives to discuss her career, Gibson claims she met another female artist who informed her that she was there because Derulo was also trying to have sex with her.
Gibson claims that after that alleged meeting, upon confronting Derulo about what the woman had said, he “immediately lost control and began aggressively hitting his arm rests screaming, ‘What does she have to do with you!? We weren’t going to tell you anything! We don’t have to tell you anything!’” Stating that she was rattled by the outburst, Gibson says she later insisted that her mother, who also served as her manager, be present at any future meetings of recording sessions with Derulo “out of concern for her own safety.” It was at that point, she claims, that Derulo stopped responding to her text messages.
The two allegedly didn’t meet again until June 2, 2022, when Gibson says she asked Derulo about the budget to pay for her recording sessions. She says Derulo snapped at her and ignored her questions but ultimately arranged for a recording session roughly a week later. Gibson says that due to traffic, she and her mother were approximately one hour late to the session, and that when they arrived, Derulo “immediately charged” and “lunged at her, causing her to step back and clutched [sic] her chest to brace herself for DERULO to physically assault her” before running to the bathroom in tears.
Gibson claims that when complaining to Harris about Derulo’s behavior, the manager defended Derulo and told her that the star “had the right to yell” at her. Derulo allegedly never responded to a follow-up text from Gibson about arranging another recording session, and on Sept. 6, 2022, she says she was informed that her “employment” with Atlantic and Future History had been terminated. She claims she then took her complaints about Derulo’s “sexually, emotionally and physically inappropriate behavior” to Atlantic executives and the label’s human resources department but that she was directed to take up her concerns with Future History. “No one has ever reached out to address” her concerns since, she claims.
Since her alleged experiences with Derulo, Gibson says she’s required medical intervention for “breakdowns, weight loss, insomnia, mood swings, hopelessness, loss of motivation…[and] feelings of betrayal and deception” and was subsequently diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Gibson is suing for sexual harassment, failure to prevent and/or remedy harassment, retaliation, intimidation and violence, and breach of contract, among other causes of action. She’s requesting damages for unpaid wages, loss of earnings and deferred compensation; general damages for emotional distress; special damages for medical expenses; and punitive damages.
Representatives for Derulo, Harris, Atlantic and RCA Records did not respond to Billboard‘s request for comment at time of publishing.
In September 1947, Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson founded Atlantic Records with a $10,000 loan from Ertegun’s dentist. In 1948, Atlantic began putting out its first releases. Seventy-five years later, Atlantic remains one of the most storied labels in American history as home through the decades to such artists as Ruth Brown, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Led Zeppelin, Genesis, Stevie Nicks, Matchbox Twenty and Crosby, Stills & Nash; and, more recently, Twenty One Pilots, Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran and Lizzo.
This year, Atlantic is paying homage to its rich heritage with a multi-pronged, year-long campaign that celebrates some of its most iconic titles. Already started is the release of 90 classic titles, many on crystal clear, colored or recycled vinyl, curated by Atlantic Records chairman/CEO and noted audiophile Craig Kallman.
Among the releases in the 75th-anniversary commemoration are John Coltrane’s Olé Coltrane, Yes’ Fragile, Dusty Springfield’s Dusty in Memphis, Phil Collins’ No Jacket Required, Hootie & the Blowfish’s Cracked Rear View and Crosby, Stills & Nash’s self-titled album. More recent titles in the collection include Mars’ 24K Magic, Gucci Mane’s Mr. Davis, Lizzo’s Cuz I Love You, Sheeran’s Divide and Gayle’s A Study in the Human Experience. All titles are for purchase through Atlantic Records’ site and a number are available through various brick-and-mortar retailers.
Kallman began working on the project, which is running in conjunction with Rhino Entertainment, a number of years ago, printing out spreadsheets highlighting every significant title of the past 75 years. “It was stacks of paper making sure we didn’t miss anybody. It was painstakingly done. There was a lot of internal debating,” he says.
His mission was to cover the “breadth and scope of Atlantic’s history by genre,” he says. “We tried to include records that were culturally significant, that were groundbreaking for the company, that were blowout sales successes. It was about records that defined the label and the culture of the company.”
Though painstaking and extremely time-consuming, Kallman says the process “was a lot of fun and brings back a lot of memories because I was here for 32 years of it.” Kallman joined Atlantic in 1991 when the company purchased his dance label, Big Beat Records, and, in many ways, he had unintentionally been preparing for this moment. When he started at Atlantic, “I thought part of my responsibility was to really know and understand the history and legacy of the company so I can’t think of any [release] I didn’t already know about, but we wrestled with making sure that the depths of the early catalog were there,” he says. “My DJ’ing background also came in handy in making the selections.” Kallman’s personal collection numbers more than 2 million LPs.
While titles started rolling out a few months ago, forthcoming releases include Coldplay’s A Head Full of Dreams (including The Chainsmokers and Coldplay’s 2017 hit, “Something Just Like This,” as a bonus track) on Oct. 20 and Led Zeppelin’s Led Zeppelin IV on Oct. 27. The collection includes a number of titles that have been out of print, like Lil Uzi Vert’s Luv is Rage 2, as well as releases that have never come out on vinyl. All releases are tagged with a 75th-anniversary logo.
Kallman tried to keep the releases to 75, but ultimately, he could only whittle it down to 90. “We’re like, ‘Oh my God, this is too tough to narrow down,’ and we figured we could err on the side of going beyond 75 titles,” he says.
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The anniversary has several other components. Atlantic has partnered with high-end audiophile label Acoustic Sounds to release 75 classic titles in 180-gram, 45RPM black vinyl and SACD versions. That offering includes such Genesis albums as Selling England by the Pound and The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Coltrane’s Giant Steps and My Favorite Things, Otis Redding’s The Dock of the Bay and Buffalo Springfield’s self-titled set.
Another tie-in is with vinyl subscription service Vinyl Me Please (VMP), through which Atlantic will offer several titles through VMP’s record of the month program. Five titles will be available to VMP members as November selections, including Charles’ Ray Charles in Person, Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor and Stone Temple Pilots‘ No. 4. Kallman says the deal could extend beyond the initial five titles depending upon the response.
Another component is a collection of remixes, available exclusively for streaming via DSPs. Among the selections are DJ Nora En Pure’s fresh take on Donna Lewis’ “I Love You Always Forever,” DJ Spinna’s remake of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly” and Italian DJ Luca Olivotto’s version of Yes’ “Owner of a Lonely Heart.”
The anniversary also includes a coffee table book from luxury art book publisher Taschen, which is expected to come out in 2024. “That’s been a labor of love,” Kallman says. “We’re excited to have a fitting chronicle of the history of the company with extraordinary photos and great essays.”
Few things have captured the cultural zeitgeist in 2023 more than Barbie, Greta Gerwig’s film based on the classic Mattel toy that has become a $1 billion-movie since its release in July. But anyone who has seen the movie can attest that it’s more than just a comedic sendup or a feminist film lacing into cultural stereotypes of the past half-century — it’s also a deeply musical film, with songs by Lizzo, Matchbox 20 and others playing central roles in how the story plays out.
So it naturally follows that the soundtrack, with original songs by Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj, and more, would make waves as well — though perhaps few people predicted it would do this well. Three weeks after the soundtrack’s release, the album remains at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, while three of its singles — Dua’s “Dance The Night,” Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” and Ice Spice and Nicki’s “Barbie World” — are in the top 15 of the Hot 100, and the top 10 of the Billboard Global 200. And that sustained success helps earn Atlantic Records West Coast president and Barbie soundtrack album co-producer Kevin Weaver the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
The Barbie soundtrack isn’t Weaver’s first film success — he’s also been heavily involved in the soundtracks for The Greatest Showman, Suicide Squad, Daisy Jones & The Six, Birds Of Prey, Furious 7, The Fault in Our Stars and The Fate of the Furious, among others. But the Barbie film and soundtrack has captured the world’s collective attention in ways that none of those others truly have.
Here, Weaver discusses the impact of the film and its music, how Warner Music Group leveraged an all-hands-on-deck strategy to market it around the world and how the music played such a central role in the film itself. “The fact that Greta saw this film almost as a musical, and was so involved with the soundtrack, was an absolutely critical factor in how and why the music worked so well,” he says.
This week, the Barbie soundtrack spends its third week in the top five of the Billboard 200, with three of its songs in the top 15 of the Hot 100. How did this project come together, and what were the particular difficulties in pulling it off?
We had been tracking the development of the film for a few years and had frequent conversations with Warner Bros. and Mattel about partnering on the soundtrack. Once Greta and Noah [Baumbach] became attached to the project and Margot [Robbie] and Ryan [Gosling] were cast as Barbie and Ken, we aggressively started to put the pieces together. We try to start early on these types of projects, so we can actively contribute to how music shapes the project and vice versa. This was similar to when we worked on The Greatest Showman where we had a deal in place before the film was even officially greenlit by the studio.
The Barbie movie has become a cultural phenomenon. What have you guys done to market the soundtrack alongside that?
The music and our singles really helped fuel the cultural phenomenon months before the film had even opened. We were out with our singles, videos, social content, partnerships and strategy starting in late May. It felt critical to us that the soundtrack was an integral part of the overall campaign’s DNA. Our partners at Warner Bros. and Mattel really leaned into the music by incorporating it into every aspect of Barbie media and marketing in a truly unprecedented manner. The level of collaboration on this project and working with such smash records was the initial driving force behind this success.
The album didn’t just resonate in the U.S. — three of its songs are in the top 10 of the Global 200 chart, including two (Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” and Dua Lipa’s “Dance The Night”) in the top three. What did you do to help market this release beyond the U.S.?
We enlisted our entire global marketing machine at WMG in a way that I have never experienced before. Very early on, Max [Lousada] and Julie [Greenwald] deemed the album a “Superstar Level Release” where each single got our most coveted “track of the week” priority assignment. This means that every track had every possible lever pulled behind it, in every territory throughout the globe. We also had every marketing team throughout the world working hand in hand with their local counterparts at Warner Bros. and Mattel. By doing this, we unlocked every co-op marketing opportunity across all three companies, including digital partnerships, media, physical retail, in-theater and anything else you could imagine.
How have you guys been able to tap into the craze around the various merchandising tie-ins with the movie?
We have some co-op products with Mattel, plus more in the works for later this year. Mattel helped us tremendously with our vinyl and CDs at all major retailers around the world. We were also able to work together on all of their key Barbie promotions, which gave the soundtrack massive additional visibility in the marketplace.
Given how music plays such a central role in the film, how closely did you work with the film team and the movie studio on the soundtrack?
We worked in lockstep with the filmmakers, Mark Ronson, and the music supervisor, George Drakoulias. We were given the opportunity to see scenes from the film very early on while Greta was still in the beginning stages of assembling the director’s cut. This enabled us to come up with creative ideas and strategize with Greta as she was making the film. From that point on, we would all speak and text daily with bi-weekly creative calls. We constantly passed ideas back and forth, showed artists and writers scenes from the film and shared music for review as soon as a new demo or mix came in. Everyone provided feedback in real time. The fact that Greta saw this film almost as a musical, and was so involved with the soundtrack, was an absolutely critical factor in how and why the music worked so well.
You’ve worked on several huge soundtracks in the past several years, including The Greatest Showman and several Fast & Furious films. What did you learn from those that you applied to this, and how was this one different?
First and foremost, I always do what is best for the movie. You have to let the music become a character in the film with its own voice. If you super-serve the creative needs of the movie as the basis for everything, then the songs become a true extension of the film as opposed to an afterthought. With this clear directive, we work with artists who align with the overall aesthetic tone of the movie, and then hone in on hit records.
How have you been able to keep the momentum on this release going?
It’s the gift that keeps on giving. We worked intentionally early on to create our own brand with this music and have continued to market it past the film’s release just like we would with any other superstar artist. Greta made a masterpiece and now we get to continue to grow this music outside of the four walls of the film, which helps both the film and our music brand continue to flourish. We get to come up with new creative ideas every day while having fun building upon what we’ve already been able to accomplish.
Every aspect of this project has been a dream and I couldn’t be more grateful to the entire team at Atlantic, the global teams at WMG, our creative partners, Greta, Mark, George and the filmmakers, as well as our partners at Mattel and Warner Bros. Every single thing we have done here has gone against the grain and we are thankful to have had enormous support in an unprecedented capacity by all involved.
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It’s been just over four years since Mason Ramsey has released new music, but the singer-songwriter is paying homage to his childhood hometown and to the love of his grandparents on his upcoming new single, “Reasons to Come Home,” due out June 30 on Atlantic Records. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See […]
Andrea Ganis, a 43-year veteran of Atlantic Records and the label’s first president of promotion, announced Thursday she is leaving the company. In a memo to staff, the glass ceiling-breaker graciously thanked her staff (“you are all warriors”) and bosses, including former CEO Doug Morris (“my mentor”) and current chiefs Craig Kallman and Julie Greenwald (“they… have the courage to take chances”).
Ganis joined Atlantic in 1980 as a secretary (“yes, we were called that”) and worked her way up to president of national promotion by 1988. Two years later she was named a senior vp and in early 1996 was elevated to executive vp. In 2019, Ganis was promoted to the then-newly created role of president of promotion, overseeing all promotion activities pertaining to Atlantic and its subsidiaries, as well as serving on the company’s leadership team.
“Andrea is a force of nature and a legend in the promo universe,” said Kallman and Greenwald at the time. “She’s been a rock star at Atlantic for nearly four decades and the godmother to countless career-defining records.”
Ganis recounted her early days at the historic label in a lengthy message to colleagues, first picked up by Variety.
“I couldn’t believe my good fortune to then get a job at the mighty Atlantic Records led by the legendary Ahmet Ertegun,” she wrote. “I started in January of 1980 and thanks to his and Jerry Wexler’s unparalleled A&R acumen, got to work with many of the greatest artists on the planet and, amazingly, helped them reach even greater heights. Working with baby bands and developing artists brought its own joys, particularly when they too achieved new heights and we helped them realize their own dreams. I found all of it incredibly inspiring and still do — I will always get a rush from the many songs I hear for which I can claim ‘I worked that record.’”
As one of the first women to head a major-label promotion department, Ganis has been a regular honoree in Billboard’s Women In Music issue. In 2011, her “continued focus on teamwork, strategic planning, creativity, innovation and humor in an ever-challenging environment” was credited for big wins that year with Bruno Mars and others. In 2017‘s list, she noted that “artist development is in Atlantic’s DNA” when calling out a roster that included Cardi B, Charlie Puth and Portugal. The Man. In 2020, her 40th year at the label, she and her staff were feted after Atlantic overdelivered across genres from a roster including Lizzo, Jack Harlow and Coldplay.
Read her message to staff below:
With 15,877 days at Atlantic including 2,262 add dates under my belt, Malcolm Gladwell and his 10,000 hours got nothing on me.
So yes, its my time to say to all of you goodbye for now. After 43+years at Atlantic, I can truly say I have had the greatest ride of all time. Every era had its own magic and though the work was hard, it was also incredibly exciting, tremendously rewarding and quite fabulous in every way—an understatement if there ever was one.
I was one of the original glass ceiling girls who started as a secretary (yes, we were called that) and worked my way up to President of Promotion—not bad for a girl who went to college with the largest record collection of anyone, leaving 4 years later with an even larger one!
I started out like all of you—with a great love of music. Ironically, how I was exposed to it became my lifelong career—through the radio…..WNEW, WLIR and WHFS were responsible for my initial musical discoveries—whatever I heard I usually purchased. In junior high and high school I bought my albums at Korvettes—a discount store near where I grew up; they knew me by name and I came in every week like clockwork hungry for music of every genre. BTW, they were 3 for $10.00 then and I continued those purchases throughout my college days in Washington DC negotiating for the same price—ah promotion already in my blood!
I was lucky enough to be brought up in a musical era that was diverse in every way. FM radio was free form and callout research did not exist. Though there was no social media and bands were far more mysterious then, I became totally immersed in the music and culture enhanced by radio, word of mouth, concerts and clubs, Rolling Stone magazine, conversations with record store personnel and anything I could pick up from other members of my musical community. And the best part was the music scene was remarkably prolific populated by bands whose work was not only unique but identifiable by the first note. Like you, I was addicted to all of it.
I couldn’t believe my good fortune to then get a job at the mighty Atlantic Records led by the legendary Ahmet Ertegun. I started in January 1980 and thanks to his and Jerry Wexler’s unparalleled A&R acumen, got to work with many of the greatest artists on the planet and amazingly, helped them reach even higher heights. Working with baby bands and developing artists brought its own joys, particularly when they too achieved new heights and we helped them realize their own dreams. I found all of it incredibly inspiring and still do—I will always get a rush from the many songs I hear for which I can claim “I worked that record”.
And even now, so many years later, the joy of hearing the song on the radio for the first time brings me to tears…this will forever be a constant and knowing how much effort it took to create that moment makes it all the more special. Seeing any act we’ve been a part of perform in any arena for sure will make me cry, particularly when the fans sing every word.
My tremendous thanks to Julie and Craig who continue to guide with intelligence, vision, honesty and heart. They lead by example and continue to have the courage to take chances. Always a shout out to my mentor, Doug Morris, who believed in me and saw the potential to what I could become.
Which brings me to promotion….a land that I love. I was a solid athlete in my formative years and it taught me the importance of teamwork, a lesson I swear is one of the great keys to success….yes, a village indeed. So to be given the opportunity to grow from a young team member to leading the greatest squad there is for as long as I have has been a dream come true.
Throughout all these years I’ve worked with so many wonderful, smart, talented people on the record, radio and management sides and I thank each of you for helping me learn and grow—I hope I’ve done the same for you.
To my current team—my colleagues but better still, close wonderful lifelong friends, I can’t begin to express the love and respect I have for each of you—we have changed culture one spin at a time! You are all warriors and the best there is at getting the job done.
It has been an honor and a privilege to carry the promotion torch for Atlantic Records. We are a skillful, smart, strategic, creative, word-is-our-bond kind of crew, who always took the time to laugh, even at our own expense. Continue to turn no’s into yesses, stay passionate and in the toughest of times, know you’ve got this.
Long may we all run—
Andrea
Atlantic Records has signed country singer-songwriter Tanner Usrey to its artist roster, with Usrey’s label debut single, “Give It Some Time,” releasing Friday (April 14).
Texas native Usrey was belting out Alan Jackson songs by age five, and counts artists including George Strait, the Rolling Stones and Tom Petty among his influences. Usrey quit his job as a skip tracer in 2019 and released his independent EP Medicine Man, with songs including “Beautiful Lies” earning millions of Spotify streams. In 2021, he followed with SÕL Sessions EP; a song from the project, “The Light,” soundtracked the finale of Yellowstone‘s fourth season.
“Give It Some Time,” was written by Usrey and producer Beau Bedford (Jonathan Tyler, The Texas Gentlemen).
“I started writing this song about a year and a half ago,” Usrey said via a statement. “It wasn’t one that came easy, by any means. I had the hook and a verse down when I went to start the record with Beau Bedford. And we finished the song in an hour and recorded it later that day. It’s an anthem about change, holding on to the person you love, and riding out the storm, because things will get better with time. This song means a lot to me, it’s one that I had to work at for a long time to write, and it’s our first single release with Atlantic, so I’m super excited about working together with this awesome team and seeing what we can accomplish together.”
“Tanner’s innate talent as a storyteller is evident in all of his music and we are incredibly excited to welcome him to the Atlantic family,” Ian Cripps, senior vp, A&R for Atlantic Records, added via a statement.
Last year, Usrey performed over 180 shows; in 2023, he is opening shows for artists including Elle King, Charles Wesley Godwin, and The Steel Woods.
Lloyd Starr has been appointed COO at Discogs, the recorded music database, marketplace and community, effective May 1. He joins the company from vinyl subscription service Vinyl Me, Please; prior to that, he served as president/COO at digital electronic music marketplace Beatport.
In his new role, Starr will oversee Discogs’ day-to-day operations, with a focus on driving growth and innovation. He will work closely with CEO Kevin Lewandowski and the rest of the executive team to develop and implement Discogs’ strategic direction.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Lloyd Starr to the Discogs team as our new COO,” said Lewandowski. “Lloyd’s extensive experience in the music industry and his track record of success in building and scaling companies make him an ideal addition to our leadership team. We’re confident that his expertise will help us continue to grow and innovate as we serve our community of music fans, record collectors, and sellers around the world.”
Starr added, “I’ve long admired the Discogs mission and its passionate community. I am thrilled to join such a talented and creative team to help realize our vision and continue to add value for vinyl and music lovers worldwide.”
Jon Kurland was named executive vp of business affairs and chief entertainment counsel at iHeartMedia. In his new role, Kurland will lead the company’s business affairs team and focus on deals and relationships with iHeart’s podcast, music, entertainment and new media partners. He will additionally oversee the company’s entertainment legal functions across podcasts, live events and new media initiatives as well as its music licensing strategy. Based in New York City, he will report to executive vp and general counsel Jordan Fasbender. Kurland joins iHeartMedia from Amazon, where he was senior corporate counsel in the global media and entertainment group.
Jen Ashworth was promoted to senior vp of commercial marketing & streaming at Capitol Music Group (CMG), up from her previous role as vp of global commercial marketing. In her new role, Ashworth will oversee the company’s streaming strategies across its portfolio of labels, with a focus on editorial and partner activations with Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, YouTube and Pandora. She will continue managing CMG’s relationship with Spotify as the company’s account lead. Based in Hollywood, she reports to CMG executive vp of global commercial marketing strategy Mike Sherwood.
Manager Jared Rosenberg joined Red Light Management, bringing clients Aly & AJ and Disney star Kylie Cantrall to the firm. Rosenberg has been in management for over 20 years, working with artists including Backstreet Boys, Janet Jackson and Thirty Seconds to Mars.
Mateo Dorado joined Atlantic Records as senior director of A&R. The New York-based executive will work closely with emerging artists including Luh Tyler and Alicia Creti while reporting to Atlantic co-president of Black music Lanre Gaba. He arrives at Atlantic from Alamo Records, where he signed Rod Wave.
Jonathan McHugh joined independent music publishing, rights management and catalog marketing company AMR Songs as senior advisor of creative and synch. McHugh will also sit on the company’s board. Over a decades-long career, the industry veteran has served in roles at New Line Cinema (as vp of soundtrack music), Jive/BMG and Island Def Jam/Def Jam Films; he has produced 40 music-focused films and TV series and music-supervised 85 feature films and TV shows. In addition to his new role at AMR Songs, he will continue working as an independent producer/director and music supervisor while teaching a music industry studies class at Loyola University in New Orleans.
Amanda Tumulty was named vp of global marketing at Cinq Music Group. She joins the company from Universal Music Group, where she spent over five years on the global consumer marketing team, specializing in marketing strategy and operations. At Cinq, she will oversee all marketing strategies for the label/distributor’s roster and the Cinq Music brand. Tumulty can be reached at atumulty@cinqmusic.com.
Nashville-based record label Melody Place restructured and rebranded while elevating Sanborn McGraw to president/general manager and Tony Gottlieb to COO. Under the new leadership, the company will refocus its efforts on artist development, original material and international promotion. The first signing following the restructure is Nashville singer-songwriter Makena Hartlin, who signed a recording and publishing deal with Melody Place and its affiliate, Melody Place Publications. She will release her single, “LA,” on the label April 21. Melody Place is also working on a new project from singer Jackie Evancho. McGraw can be reached at sandy@melodyplace.com and Gottlieb can be reached at tony@melodyplace.com.
Global creative audio network Squeak E. Clean Studios hired music producer Jennie Armon as executive creative producer out of New York. She joins the company following seven years at Brooklyn-based music and sound company Found Objects, where she served as executive producer and music supervisor. Armon can be reached at jennie@squeakeclean.com.
Financing and investment company Cutting Edge Media Music acquired the full music catalog of United Kingdom-based media company First Score Music. The acquisition gives Cutting Edge complete master and publishing rights to over 75 film scores, including original music rights to films from Andy Serkis and Jonathan Cavendish‘s Imaginarium Productions. This includes Imaginarium’s upcoming animated version of George Orwell’s Animal Farm as well as its Taika Waititi-directed film Next Goal Wins with a score by Michael Giacchino. The catalog also includes scores by composers such as Carter Burwell, Christophe Beck, Hildur Guðnadóttir, David Newman and Rachel Portman for films including Sicario: Day of the Soldado, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, Midway and Greenland.
Atlantic Records formed a joint venture with TAG Music, a new record label founded by artist-turned-executive Gabe Saporta (Cobra Starship, Midtown). The first releases under the deal include the singles “Nosebleed” from Los Angeles-based singer Sophie Powers (released March 31) and “Red Is My Favorite Color” from emo alt-rock artist Jules Is Dead in April.
China-based streaming service NetEase Cloud Music renewed its deal with independent Asian “Mandopop” label Rock Records to distribute both its back catalog and upcoming releases in China. Under the agreement, NetEase and Rock Records will continue collaborating to promote Rock Records artists and content; the new deal also “extends the strategic cooperation towards more in-depth initiatives on copyright cooperation between the two parties,” according to a press release, including the rights to sublicense Rock Records music for various uses including third-party applications, website background music and smart devices. Founded in 1980, Rock Records is home to popular artists including Tayu Lo, Jonathan Lee and Wakin Chau.
Symphonic announced a partnership with Boston-based music technology company Formless that will see Symphonic integrate Formless’ SHARE Protocol for blockchain technology. The protocol will roll out to a select group of Symphonic clients who express an interest in Web3. Artists using the technology will be able to control access terms to their music, including streaming price, and receive payments instantly while splitting royalties with collaborators and fans.
PayPal and Live Nation unveiled a multi-year partnership naming PayPal as the “preferred payments partner” of Ticketmaster, according to a press release. Under the deal, fans will be able to pay with PayPal, PayPal Pay Later products and Venmo across the Ticketmaster platform. PayPal Braintree will also become Ticketmaster’s primary global payment processor, speeding up the checkout process while giving fans access to event add-ons like merchandise and parking for purchase. The partnership also entails an “expanded global marketing program to drive broad engagement and fan loyalty through experiences and offers,” including by rewarding a limited number of fans who use PayPal and Venmo to pay for festivals like Bonnaroo, BottleRock and Lollapalooza with ticket discounts and “Cashless credits” to those events.
Self-styled “outsider” label Bad Habit has re-upped its joint venture deal with Atlantic Records as it expands its management activities and prepares an entry into the live music space.
The growing business has signed Bay Area rapper G-Eazy to its management arm, Billboard has learned, joining a Bad Habit roster that includes The Neighbourhood, Bakar and Dora Jar.
Additionally, Bad Habit is helming The Vigil, a two-day event taking place April 4-5 in Los Angeles at Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, and featuring headline performances from Jesse of The Neighbourhood (night one) and G-Eazy (night two). The Vigil bill also includes Yeek, EKKSTACY, Goody Grace, Fade Em All, Sam Austins and DJ Quinn.
Bad Habit was co-founded in 2015 by New Zealand-born industry veteran Kirk Harding and Nigerian-American producer and creative director Matthew “Baus” Adesuyan. “Following two back-to-back sold-out shows at the Hollywood Bowl in 2021,” with The Neighbourhood and Burna Boy, notes Adesuyan, “we felt inspired to create a platform for our artists to showcase their live sets and to kick-off festival season. We’ve started this year setting up some amazing projects on our management side with G-Eazy, Jesse, and Bakar, and we want to celebrate what’s to come.”
The Atlantic Records alliance is an extension of an arrangement initially struck in 2018. Soon after, the label’s frontline artist Burna Boy went on a tear.
The Nigeria-born Afrobeats artist (real name Damini Ogulu) is a superstar in the U.K., where he’s set to become the first African artist to headline a stadium concert, with a June 3 date at the 60,000-capacity London Stadium. He’s bagged nine top 40 hits in the U.K., including a No. 1 for 2019’s “Own It,” with Stormzy and Ed Sheeran. His sixth and latest studio album, Love, Damini, peaked at No. 2 on the Official U.K. Chart in July.
Career highlights include a Grammy Award for 2020’s Twice as Tall (best global music album), a headline show at New York’s Madison Square Garden in April, and sold-out dates at London’s Wembley Arena in November 2019 and at The O2 Arena in August 2021.
“Julie [Greenwald], Craig [Kallman], and the entire Atlantic team have been incredible partners in helping us bring artists to global stages,” comments Harding. “We greatly admire their shared passion for nurturing amazing talent and developing new voices. We look forward to continuing to grow our label roster with Atlantic”.