bbnews
Page: 137
Country music duo LOCASH has launched Galaxy Label Group in partnership with Studio2Bee Entertainment, founded by veteran Nashville music executives Skip Bishop and Butch Waugh.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville will distribute the label, Billboard can reveal.
LOCASH’s Preston Brust and Chris Lucas celebrated the newly-announced venture on Wednesday evening (Feb. 28) during an event in downtown Nashville, just as radio programmers descended on Music City for the annual Country Radio Seminar.
“We’re all blessed to be part of this music business and we have a chance to do what our passion is, and to have Skip and Butch back on the team with us, it’s great,” Lucas tells Billboard during a Zoom call with LOCASH and Bishop.
Trending on Billboard
In launching the label, LOCASH, who formed in 2008, draw on nearly two decades of experience as artists and writers. In 2016, they earned a top 5 Country Airplay hit with “I Love This Life,” and followed with the chart-topper “I Know Somebody,” top 20 song “Ring on Every Finger,” and in 2019, earned another top 5 Country Airplay hit with “One Big Country Song.”
“We’ve talked about doing a label for years,” Lucas says. “Some of the best success we’ve had was when were have been more hands-on with it.”
Bishop and Waugh had previously worked on the campaign for “I Love This Life,” and the full-fledged staff that Studio2Bee has with marketing and radio reps, “seemed like a perfect match,” Bishop explains.
A nod to the label’s name, Brust says the ideal artist roster will include genres beyond country, though they haven’t signed additional artists just yet. The hard lessons LOCASH has learned along the way as artists and songwriters influence the business model for the new label.
L-R: PETER STRICKLAND, GENERAL MANAGER, BMG; KATIE KERKHOVER, VICE PRESIDENT, A&R, BMG; SKIP BISHOP, STUDIO2BEE ENTERTAINMENT; PRESTON BRUST, LOCASH;
CHRIS LUCAS, LOCASH; JON LOBA, PRESIDENT, FRONTLINE RECORDINGS, NORTH AMERICA, BMG; QUINN BAUDUCCO, SENIOR MANAGER, BUSINESS & LEGAL AFFAIRS, BMG; JOJAMIE HAHR, EVP, RECORDED MUSIC, BMG NASHVILLE
Courtesy Photo
“The main thing that we’ve seen on some bigger labels is that sometimes some artists would be to the side because another artist was hot at that moment,” Brust says. “We’ve always talked about that and how it’s not fair, because there is so much talent in this city.”
Galaxy Label Group will also serve as home to LOCASH’s new music; BMG Nashville’s Wheelhouse imprint had previously released their albums. The duo has been in the studio working on their upcoming album, with their first single, “Hometown Home,” expected to release in the spring.
“This song just stepped into the roots of what Locash is about,” Lucas says. “It’s about hometown love and being the guy who says, ‘We could go anywhere in the world and start a new life together, but if you want to stay here in our hometown, that’s good with me too, because I just want to be with you.’ It’s one of those messages that is relatable and hits you in the heart.”
Beyond signing artists, Galaxy Label Group aims to aid songwriters. The duo says Galaxy Label Group will give songwriters a percentage of the master royalties (out of the label’s share) on every recording for the label, including Locash’s upcoming album. The commitment could mean a boost for songwriters, whose incomes have seen significant, negative impact in the steaming era. When physical albums sold regularly, songwriters would be paid on each album sold, earning a solid income regardless of whether their song was picked as a radio single. But with streams comprising the bulk of music consumption, songwriters are increasingly dependent on radio hits, losing out on the valuable income avenue physical records once provided.
The commitment follows in the footsteps of some smaller indie labels such as Facet Records and Good Boy Records, as well as individual artists such as Kip Moore, who in 2017 pledged an annual bonus for songwriters.
“We want to be fair,” Lucas says. “It’s one of those things where if we sit down and before the album comes out, we say, ‘This [percentage] seems fair.’ We could get down the road and if the single just goes into another realm, who knows? We could change a percentage at that point.”
Ultimately, Brust says, they hope to “create new revenue streams in this the industry.” He adds, “Nashville is built on the song. The best songwriters in the world—I would put us up against anyone. Nashville has it, period. There’s no one better than that. We want songwriters to have a fair chance. If someone’s getting 700 million streams and the songwriter’s barely seeing a dime, that’s not fair. We want to get a part of this ahead of the game and get a fair percentage for them. That’s what we’re most excited about right now—giving back to the community that has been there for us.”
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky are starring in a new short film together for Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty. Artists like Beyoncé, Harry Styles and SZA are having their music removed from TikTok after UMG pulled songs featuring their songwriters. After being publicly encouraged to release new music by her ex Offset, Cardi B is teasing fans with a track that features a Missy Elliott sample. Chlöe shared a teaser of her new track ‘FYS’ out this Friday. Charli XCX announces her sixth album ‘Brat.’ And more!
Tetris Kelly:Rihanna and A$AP give us beauty in a new short film. More of your favorite songs get removed from TikTok. New bops are coming from Cardi, Chloe and Charli as we prepare to honor Charli XCX at Women in Music.
We made it to hump day. It’s Wednesday, February 28th, and this is Billboard News. Somehow, February is still happening and the news never stops coming this month. So let’s get into it for today.
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky drop a short film to show off their Fenty collab.
Narrator:She was a classy dame, but she had odd ways of showing her affection from leaving me out cold in the dark to stealing my heart.
Tetris Kelly:Rihanna and her man, A$AP Rocky, are giving old Hollywood glam in ‘Born To Steal: Yours, Mine, Ours.’
Narrator:Although the female’s choices are endless, because she borrows from the male for her camouflage.
Tetris Kelly:This short film highlights the couple’s collaborative products.
A$AP Rocky:She did not steal my blazer. I can’t steal any of her clothes.
Tetris Kelly:They teased their collab earlier with the cutest interview clip when Complex asked RiRi what would be the perfect collab with A$AP.
Rihanna:We did that already, twice. We got two bomb a** little boys at home.
Tetris Kelly:And now we know what the Fenty Skin and Beauty product they were promoting is.
Narrator:So when I finally solved the case of my missing Lux Bomb, I wasn’t surprised when she surfaced. Not so fast, baby. This one’s mine.Watch the full video above!
After an unlikely global smash hit that was 37 years in the making, and a long-overdue induction into the Rock Hall, Kate Bush is named as ambassador for the U.K.’s Record Store Day 2024.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The English singer rarely appears in public, on TV or radio. Though, being asked to serve as ambassador for RSD is “a huge honor,” she writes in a message on her official website. “It really is a great privilege.”
The 65-year-old “Wuthering Heights” singer is a life-long vinyl advocate. Last year, her label Fish People reissued her albums on wax, spanning 10 studio efforts, including U.K. No. 1s Hounds of Love and Never for Ever, The Dreaming, and her debut The Kick Inside, plus the remix album Director’s Cut.
Trending on Billboard
“There’s a special emotional connection that happens between the possessor of an album, the music and the artwork,” she said at the time, “when it exists in the real world. It’s something we can treasure in a unique way.”
Those reissues feature the remastered audio from a 2018 campaign, when Bush’s entire musical output was released on vinyl across four box sets, including songs that had never before been pressed on wax.
Bush’s comeback is the stuff of legend. Powered by the fourth season of Stranger Things, Bush’s 1985 hit “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God”) became a chart phenomenon all over again.
By mid-2022, she was No. 1 on Hot 100 Songwriters Chart, and the song had logged multiple weeks at No. 1 in Australia and the U.K., where she was anointed as the oldest female artist ever to lead the Official U.K. Singles Chart (at 63 years and 11 months).
In the U.S., “Running Up That Hill” topped both Billboard Global Charts, and, climbed to a new peak position of No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Then, in November 2023, Bush was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.
To celebrate her new ambassadorial role, Fish People will issue an exclusive 10″ UV printed disc “Eat the Music” (single version), “Lily” and “Big Stripey Lie,” to coincide with RSD on April 20.
“The added bonus of vinyl is that it encourages people to listen to albums,” Bush continues, “an art form that I’ve always thought can be treasured in a unique way.”
In the U.K., over 260 stores participate in RSD in every corner of the country, reps say, and is one of the biggest new music events on the calendar.
Bush is a national treasure in her homeland, where she has bagged seven top 10 singles, including two No. 1s; and 12 top 10 albums, including three leaders.
Read Kate Bush’s RSD message in full below:
What a huge honour to have been asked to be Ambassador for this year’s Record Store Day. It really is a great privilege.
Isn’t it great to see how the resurgence in vinyl has taken the Music Industry by complete surprise? It had decided to leave vinyl far behind, but it would seem that not everyone agrees! I love that!
I know there are many, many artists who are just as excited to see the audience turning the tide.
In the same way that some people like to read a book on Kindle but also want to have a book as a physical object, a lot of people like vinyl and streaming. Both have different appeals.
The added bonus of vinyl is that it encourages people to listen to albums. An art form that I’ve always thought can be treasured in a unique way.
An album on vinyl is a beautiful thing, given a strong identity by its large-scale artwork. There’s a much more personal connection with the artist and their work.It’s been fun putting designs together for some of the previous RSDs. This year’s design echoes the cancelled release of ‘Eat the Music’ as the first single from the album, ‘The Red Shoes’.
The image was intended to be on the cover of the single bag and is now on the disc as a UV print.
The title, ‘Eat the Music’, is meant to be a playful nod to ‘If music be the food of love, play on,’ from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.
Each year Record Store Day gathers more attention, more momentum, and attracts more people who cram into indie record stores all over the world to see what’s up. What’s new?
This year, I hope you have a fantastic time at this very important event, and that you get to celebrate music that’s been specially released for you.Very best wises,Kate
No one can sing a Journey number quite like the mighty Steve Perry. Or perhaps Gene Taylor.
Hailing from Vernon, New Jersey, now based in Brooklyn, NY, the 33-year-old Taylor has done the rounds of theater and performed for much of his life. Under the bright lights of NBC’s The Voice on Tuesday night (Feb. 27), he showcased his talents for power and glory.
For Taylor’s blind audition, a cover of Journey’s 1978 song “Lights”. Power, glory.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
John Legend turned first, then Dan +Shay, followed by Reb McEntire and, finally, Chance the Rapper, for a four-chair turn and a standing ovation.
“I always love a tenor who can sing those beautiful big notes,” says Legend, “but also you had finesse. It was just so expertly done as a vocalist.” And with that, Legend launched into his sales pitch. Legend would also identify some classic vocal skills in the mix, a fusion of Nat King Cole with rock.
Trending on Billboard
“Your voice is unbelievable,” says Shay Mooney of Dan + Shay. “I was just sitting back and enjoying the music for just a second.” Dan Smyers chimed in, “so much power, so much control. You’re a star. We could tell you’re a seasoned pro.”
“I thought it was awesome,” reckons Chance. The reason he was last to turn? “It was because I was really arrested by the performance. Your tone is so different, and I was just really into it. And then I turn and see you and you, like, kind of got this southern vibe to you.” The Chicago rapper is convinced Taylor will “go really far” in the 2024 competition, thanks to his “distinct tone.”
If the The Voice fans and coaches didn’t already love the contestant, he made certain of it when he brought his mom on stage.
A minor hit following its release, “Lights” has enjoyed a second life as inspiration blast for Bay Area sporting franchises. Now, perhaps an unexpected lift after its exposure on The Voice.
“The way you were working the crowd,” notes McEntire following the audition, “that was perfect to go with your beautiful voice.”
So, with any doubts over his talents utterly erased, and all coaches rolling out the welcome mat, it was time for Taylor to make a decision. He chose Legend.
The 25th and latest season of The Voice began Monday. Watch Taylor’s performance below.
[embedded content]
Fred Again is full of surprises.
The British producer and electronic music artist springboards from his pop-up show at the iconic Sydney Opera House to a six-date arena run of Sydney and Melbourne next month, plus the promise of another surprise show on the Gold Coast, south of Brisbane.
Handsome Tours, part of the TEG Group, parent of Ticketek, TEG Dainty and other businesses, is producing the tour.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The Grammy-and-Brit Award winning musician on Tuesday (Feb. 27) became the first artist to announce, sell out, and perform at the Opera House, all within a 24-hour timeframe.
The announcement of that one-off show at the Concert Hall was made from his Instagram account, and triggered a stampede as more than 145,000 entered a virtual queue to buy tickets, reps says.
Trending on Billboard
That’s the biggest on-sale demand the 2,679-capacity room has ever experienced.
Fred Again (real name Fred Gibson) won’t be going anywhere. Three consecutive concerts await at Melbourne’s 15,000-capacity Rod Laver Arena from March 4, followed by three consecutive nights at Sydney’s 22,000-capacity Qudos Bank Arena. The Gold Coast will host a show between those two runs at a location TBC, reps say.
Support is Joy (Anonymous), and the general on-sale starts Thursday, Feb. 29 — with, surprise, no pre-sale.
Starting out as a producer, the Brit’s career has been nothing short of explosive. A prolific creator, Fred’s DNA is on at least seven U.K. No. 1 singles, and, along the way, he became the Brit Awards’ youngest ever producer of the year champ, and scooped two Grammy Awards earlier this month for best dance/electronic album (for Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 23, 2022)) and best dance/electronic recording for his work on “Rumble” with Skrillex and Flowdan.
Fred Again (real name: Fred Gibson) has a special bond with Australian audiences. He made his live debut here in January 2023, performing sets at Laneway Festival, selling-out headline shows, and unleashing surprise DJ pop-ups that reportedly sold-out in under 5 seconds, including a set at Sydney’s 5,500-capacity Hordern Pavilion.
To celebrate the new tour dates, Fred Again drops “stayinit,” a collaboration with Lil Yachty and Overmono, the latest in his series of “USB” releases. U.S. fans get a taste of the action when Fred Again headlines Bonnaroo 2024 this June.
[embedded content]
Fred Again Australia Tour 2024:March 4 — Rod Laver Arena Melbourne TicketsMarch 5 — Rod Laver Arena Melbourne TicketsMarch 6 — Rod Laver Arena Melbourne TicketsMarch 9 — Gold Coast pop-up (venue TBC)March 12 — Qudos Bank Arena Sydney TicketsMarch 13 — Qudos Bank Arena Sydney TicketsMarch 14 — Qudos Bank Arena Sydney
Sean “Diddy” Combs is being sued by ‘The Love Album: Off the Grid’ producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones Jr. for sexual assault and harassment, sex trafficking and various other forms of misconduct. Jennifer Lopez opened up about the celebrities who passed on being included in her film “This Is Me… Now: A Love Story.’ BTS’ […]
The new documentary ‘Kids Are Growing Up: A Story About A Kid Named LAROI’ hits Prime Video on Thursday. The Kid LAROI: Maybe I’m just feeling lost. I guess I’m just going through what maybe most people my age are going through, but I guess the difference is this is the time for people to […]
Joe Keery has already solidified himself as a breakthrough actor during his run as heartthrob Steve Harrington in Netflix’s Stranger Things. Now, he’s officially a Billboard Hot 100-charting artist.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Keery debuts on the March 2-dated chart under his musical pseudonym Djo, his synth-pop solo project, with his breakout viral hit “End of Beginning.” The song starts at No. 51 entirely from its official U.S. streaming sum: 8.4 million in the Feb. 16-22 tracking week, according to Luminate. That’s a 194% increase from the week before.
[embedded content]
Keery initially released the song in 2022 on his sophomore solo album Decide, but it recently began surging on TikTok. Billboard reported that over Feb. 16-19, the track earned 5.3 million streams, up more than 200% from Feb. 9-12 (1.7 million). The uptick was sparked by a trend in which TikTok users have taken the chorus lyric, “And when I’m back in Chicago, I feel it / Another version of me, I was in it / I wave goodbye to the end of beginning,” to soundtrack clips of Chicago or their own hometown. “End of Beginning” has been used in over 18,000 TikToks to date.
Trending on Billboard
On Feb. 9, Keery uploaded a video on his TikTok page of him riding the subway, saying he’s been “tokked,” referencing the song’s sudden popularity.
Keery has been releasing music for nearly a decade. He was a member of the Chicago psych-rock band Post Animal from 2015-18 and launched his solo career as Djo in 2019. He has self-released two solo full-lengths under exclusive license to AWAL: Twenty Twenty (in 2019) and Decide (2022). He has also performed at festivals including Boston Calling, BottleRock, Lollapalooza and Shaky Knees.
In a 2022 Billboard feature, Keery explained his philosophy about making music. “I say that [music] is a hobby because it’s a freeing way to think about it,” he said. “The second I start to get too precious with something, I inhibit myself. If you’re less worried about making mistakes, you might make something crazy or exciting. That’s what I’m focused on doing.”
Along with Stranger Things, Keery has starred in the latest season of FX’s Fargo, as well as the films Free Guy and Spree. In December, he made headlines when he crossed paths with Taylor Swift at Electric Lady Studios in New York City.
K-pop reigns over the IFPI’s year-end albums chart, as the genre scoops five of the top 10 spots, led by SEVENTEEN with FML.
Announced today (Feb. 27), FML is the boy band’s first IFPI Global Album Award, tallied by the trade association using worldwide sales across streaming, download and physical music formats during the calendar year 2023.
Released in April 2023, FML was the most pre-ordered LP in K-pop history, landing at No. 1 in South Korea and Japan, and debuting at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Following its hot start in the U.S. (the album also led the World Albums list), SEVENTEEN reentered the Billboard Artist 100 chart (dated May 13, 2023) at No. 1 – becoming the seventh K-pop group to rule the ranking.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
SEVENTEEN’s followup, the October release SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN, finishes at No. 8 on the IFPI Global Album Chart 2023.
Meanwhile, Stray Kids make it a K-pop one-two as 5-STAR appears at No. 2 on the IFPI list, and ROCK–STAR rocks in at No. 9. NCT DREAM land their first appearance in an IFPI Global Charts with ISTJ at No. 6, while, further down the chart, K-pop acts ZEROBASEONE (YOUTH IN THE SHADE at No. 18) and IVE (I’ve IVE at No. 20) make their presences felt.
Trending on Billboard
Also, BTS star Jung Kook earns his first solo appearance on the IFPI Global Album Chart with GOLDEN, appearing at No. 14.
The global appeal of K-pop “continues to extend and S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, DK, Migyu, The8, Seungkwan, Vernon and Dino continue to push the boundaries with their concepts, performances and talent,” comments Lewis Morrison, director of global charts & certifications at IFPI. “FML and SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN were both huge hits across continents and our congratulations go to the group, their team and of course CARATs all over the world.”The rankings provide an insight into the “dynamic nature” of recorded music today, Morrison continues, “with artists – and their record labels – finding success across genres and geographies, and by leveraging both streaming and physical formats to delight their fans.”Taylor Swift was crowned last week as IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year, scooping the top honor for a record fourth time. Though she doesn’t own the global albums chart, the U.S. pop superstar does score two of the top 10 best-sellers, with Midnights (No. 4) logging a second consecutive year in the top five and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) appearing at No. 5 following its release in October 2023.Earlier this week, IFPI separately named Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” as the biggest single of 2023.
The IFPI’s charts capture streaming, downloads and physical formats in every country directly from the participating record labels. That data is then converted using the association’s “unique” methodology to a single, global chart figure.
Top 20 IFPI Global Album Chart 2023:
PositionArtistAlbum1.SEVENTEENFML2.Stray Kids5-STAR3.Morgan WallenOne Thing At A Time4.Taylor SwiftMidnights5.Taylor Swift1989 (Taylor’s Version)6.NCT DreamISTJ7.SZASOS8.SEVENTEENSEVENTEENTH HEAVEN9.Stray KidsROCK-STAR10.Travis ScottUTOPIA11.Taylor SwiftLover12.Taylor SwiftSpeak Now (Taylor’s Version)13.Taylor Swiftfolklore14.Jung KookGOLDEN15.The WeekndStarboy16.Metro BoominHEROES & VILLAINS17.Bad BunnyUn Verano Sin Ti18.ZEROBASEONEYOUTH IN THE SHADE19.Miley CyrusEndless Summer Vacation20.IVEI’ve IVE
Christian Nodal is taking his mariacheño to Europe.
The Mexican singer-songwriter is set to kick off a eight-date European stint, as part of his Pa’l Cora Tour, that will begin June 28 in Zurich and visit other major cities including London, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona and Milan. Nodal’s trek in Europe is a significant moment for regional Mexican music in general, and a nod to the globalization of the genre.
“When we performed our first concert in Madrid last May, at the WiZink Center, more than a goal a European tour was a dream and you, my fans, with that SOLD OUT ended up making it come true,” the 25-year-old artist said in a statement. “Thank you for loving my music as much or more than I do … I love you guys so much, see you soon, I will be visiting you in your city so we can dance, fall in love and also have a shot of Don Julio tequila in the name of heartbreak.”
Nodal’s Pa’l Cora Tour in Europe — a mix of theater, arena and festival shows — will follow his Foraji2 Tour, which he wrapped in December 2023. The 31-date arena run in the United States followed his 22-date 2022 Forajido Tour, which grossed $14.5 million and sold 147,000 tickets across 22 shows, according to Billboard Boxscore. In 2023, he grossed $21.6 million and sold 259,000 tickets.
Trending on Billboard
Most recently, Nodal won his sixth Latin Grammy taking home best ranchero/mariachi album for Forajido EP2. To date, Nodal is the soloist with the most No. 1 songs on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart, with 15 champs since the list launched in 1994.
The Pa’l Cora Tour in Europe is a JG Music production, Nodal’s father’s management, label and promotions company, in partnership with Spanish concert promoter Iglesias Entertainment. See the dates below for Nodal’s Pa’l Cora Tour dates in Europe: