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Apple Music is doubling down on classical music with the acquisition of Swedish label BIS Records.
Following the launch earlier this year of its standalone app Apple Music Classical (AMC), the tech giant makes its move for BIS, a classical specialist which has operated since 1973.
The acquisition ticks several boxes for both parties.
For BIS, the timing, and its new teammates, were right. “A few days ago BIS Records turned 50 years old and I am immensely proud of what our small team of people has accomplished during this half-century,” writes BIS founder Robert von Bahr in a blog post.
Its strong suit, “while paying our dues to the core repertoire,” he continues, “has been to nurture young classical artists and interesting living composers and to safeguard the musical treasure that we all represent long into the future. It is to that end that, after much careful consideration, and having just turned 80, I am excited to announce the rather momentous news that we have made the decision to become part of the Apple family.”
For Apple, the hardware colossus with a market cap that’s fast approaching $3 trillion, its latest purchase is a statement of intent. Classical music is hot right now, the newest member of its family comes bearing the goods, with a catalog of contemporary composers and early music. And Apple wants ownership.
Apple made its splash in the classical water with the March launch of AMC, stemming from its August 2021 acquisition of Primephonic.
The new app, Apple boldly declared at the time, was the “ultimate classical experience” with the “largest classical music catalog,” boasting over 5 million tracks and works from new releases to recognized masterpieces.
The game is changing, fast. Last November, Deutsche Grammophon launched a new standalone streaming service, Stage+, catering to its own catalog and that of Decca Classics. And, recently, Universal Music Group bought Hyperion Records, and announced its asset would finally enter into the streaming age.
Following the latest transaction, BIS will become part of Apple Music Classical and its artist services service Platoon. Financial terms of the arrangement were not disclosed. At the time of writing, BIS Recordings were available on Apple’s DSPs and eClassical.
Von Bahr and his staff won’t be going anywhere. “As proud as I am of this milestone,” he writes, “I am even more proud of the fact that the entire personnel of BIS, including me, have been retained. We all look forward to a future, filled with new music and artists in golden sound from this increased force in classical music.”
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Elliot Goldman, the veteran record executive who co-founded Arista Records, led BMG Music as president and CEO, and served in senior roles with Warner and CBS Records across a decorated career in music, has died at the age of 88.
Goldman joined CBS Records in the 1960s, rising to administrative vice president. Later, with Clive Davis, he established Arista Records, serving as executive VP and general manager at the very inception of the storied label.
“Clive and I formed Arista Records in 1973,” he recounted in an interview with Billboard published in 2015. “One of our first releases was from a gentleman you’ve probably heard of: Barry Manilow.”
Later, Goldman took on duties as senior VP at Warner Communications, and, in 1985, was named president and chief executive of RCA/Ariola International. When BMG parent Bertelsmann acquired RCA outright from the General Electric Company, the German media giant restructured the asset into three operating units; BMG Music, BMG Music International and Arista, all part of BMG. Goldman would guide BMG Music as president and CEO, departing in 1987.
”Elliot expertly managed RCA/ Ariola through very difficult corporate transitions and company restructuring,” Michael Dornemann, co-chairman of the Bertelsmann Music Group, remarked on his departure, The New York Times reported.
A graduate of Cornell, where he majored in political science, and of Columbia Law School, Goldman served on the board of directors of the RIAA, and on the board of directors and executive committee of the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Foundation at its inception.
During his lifetime, he also served on the executive council of the T.J. Martell Foundation; was co-chairman of the Home Entertainment Division of UJA/Federation; founding member and president emeritus of the Music for Youth foundation; and a recipient of the AMC Cancer Research Center’s Humanitarian of the Year Award.
Goldman leveraged his considerable major label experience into consultancy work with a string independent and major record company clients throughout the 1990s.
Before entering the music industry, Goldman enjoyed various roles in government, including the position as head of the New York office for the 1964 election campaign of Senator Robert F. Kennedy.
Arista and J Records founder Clive Davis leads tributes to the late executive.
“Elliot Goldman played a substantial role in the history of Arista Records and strongly contributed to its success,” comments Davis in a statement. “He was also a great family man and Jill, Ben and the Goldman children have my deepest sympathy for this irreplaceable loss.”
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Jill, his son Ben (Allysa Lawson Goldman), daughters Elizabeth and Cathy and his four grandchildren, Justin Goldman, Dylan Goldman, Sophie Gibbons and Olivia Gibbons.Ben and Justin have both carved out successful careers in music.
Doja Cat has another fine chance to capture her first U.K. chart crown with “Paint The Town Red.”
Based on midweek sales and streaming data published by the Official Charts Company, “Paint The Town Red” (via Kemosabe Records/RCA Records) is in pole position.
The U.S. pop singer and rapper will hope for a different result from last week, when “Paint The Town Red” led at the midweek stage, before being outraced in the final straight by Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” (Geffen). Doja Cat’s Scarlet single finished the last chart cycle at No. 2, an equal career high (“Say So” also finished in the runner-up position).
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As it stands, Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” (EMI) lifts 4-2, as “Vampire” dips 1-3.
Meanwhile, Calvin Harris and Sam Smith’s latest collaboration, “Desire” (Columbia), could climb into the top 5 for the first time. It’s up 7-5 on the Official Chart Update.
Fred Again’s “Adore U” (Atlantic) could become the red hot producer’s first Top 10 single as a solo artist. “Adore U” rises 16-10 on the chart blast.
Australia’s pop princess Kylie Minogue is readying the release of her 16th studio album, Tension (due out Sept. 22 via BMG). The title track is set to arrive at No. 19 on the national chart, for what should be Kylie’s 53rd top 40 hit in the U.K. “Tension” is the followup to “Padam Padam,” which crashed the top 10 earlier this year, reaching No. 8.
English singer and songwriter Kenya Grace has never impacted the Official Singles Chart. That could be about to change, as “Strangers” (Major Recordings) blasts to No. 22 on the midweek tally.
Finally, Nicki Minaj’s “Last Time I Saw You” (Republic Records). The Pink Friday 2 cut could bow at No. 25, for what would be the rap star’s 44th U.K. top 40 single. Minaj’s Pink Friday sequel is due out Nov. 17.
The Official U.K. Singles Chart will be presented late Friday, Sept. 8.
Billboard counts down the top five songs that ruled the summer of 2023. Rania Aniftos:It’s here… the official song of the summer. We’re going through the top five songs that you’ve been rocking to all summer long. Two country songs made the list along with some songs of the summer faves. Let’s jump right in […]
It’s a good time to be a country artist.
2023 has been an unusually exceptional year for country music. From Morgan Wallen to Luke Combs, Zach Bryan, Oliver Anthony Music and more, country acts are reaching historic highs across Billboard’s charts – including, most notably, on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.
As of the latest list (dated Sept. 9), four country songs (defined as those that have also appeared on the Hot Country Songs chart) have hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 this year: Wallen’s 16-week juggernaut “Last Night,” Jason Aldean’s one-week leader “Try That in a Small Town,” Oliver Anthony Music’s two-week viral No. 1 “Rich Men North of Richmond,” and, as of this week, Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves. Dating to the Hot 100’s launch in 1958, only one other calendar year has brought four-or-more country No. 1s: 1975, when five reached the summit (listed below in chronological order of when they topped the Hot 100):
“(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song,” B.J. Thomas“Before the Next Teardrop Falls,” Freddy Fender“Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” John Denver“Rhinestone Cowboy,” Glen Campbell“I’m Sorry,” John Denver
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“Last Night” has been particularly historic, as its 16 weeks atop the Hot 100 from March to August mark the most weeks ever at No. 1 for a non-collaboration, and tie it for the second-most overall. It also became the first chart-topper by an unaccompanied solo male country artist in over 42 years, since Eddie Rabbitt’s 1981 hit “I Love a Rainy Night.”
Meanwhile, Luke Combs’ cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” has spent eight weeks at its No. 2 high on the Hot 100, becoming his top-charting song. It has also crowned the all-format Radio Songs chart, Country Airplay and Adult Pop Airplay, and has reached the top 10 on Pop Airplay and Adult Contemporary.
Even further, 11 country songs have hit the Hot 100’s top 10 this year, almost quadruple the three that reached the region in all of 2022 (Combs’ “The Kind of Love We Make” and Wallen’s “You Proof” and “Don’t Think Jesus”). Three country hits also appeared in the top 10 in 2021 (Gabby Barrett’s “I Hope,” featuring Charlie Puth, Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” and Walker Hayes’ “Fancy Like”), after four did in 2020 (“I Hope,” Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber’s “10,000 Hours,” Combs’ “Forever After All” and Wallen’s “7 Summers”). “10,000 Hours” was the only country song to reach the Hot 100’s top 10 in all of 2019.
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Zach Bryan has also achieved historic heights. This week, he becomes just the second country artist to chart at least 18 songs on the Hot 100 in a single week, after Wallen. “I Remember Everything” also becomes the first song to ever to top the Hot 100, Hot Country Songs and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs charts. Before this week, his breakout song “Something in the Orange” climbed to No. 10 on the Hot 100 in January, later becoming the longest-charting country song by a male artist, spending 66 total weeks on the survey.
The genre’s 2023 success doesn’t end with Wallen, Combs and Bryan, though. Multiple other country artists have also scored their first Hot 100 entries this year, including Tyler Childers (“In Your Love”), Hailey Whitters (“Everything She Ain’t”) and Warren Zeiders (“Pretty Little Poison”).
As Billboard reported in July, country music consumption in the United States increased by 20.3% year-over-year in the first 26 weeks of 2023, according to Luminate. That’s a significant improvement from the 2.5% growth that it experienced over the same period in 2022. Only K-pop (up 46.2%) and Latin (up 20.6%) saw sharper growths. While that surge is driven mostly by Wallen, a whole new crop of country artists is also contributing, including Bailey Zimmerman, Jelly Roll, and Nate Smith.
As country music continues its chart domination into 2023’s fourth quarter, here’s a look at every country music milestone and record that’s been broken on the Hot 100 in 2023, recapped in chronological order.
Most Country Songs in the Top 50 of the Hot 100 in a Single Week
Nicki Minaj’s s long-awaited fifth album Pink Friday 2 is coming soon, and pink is definitely the mood.
The Grammy Award-nominated rap star rides the sky train for the album’s cover art, which she shared on her social channels.
In the image doing the rounds, Minaj holds on tight in an all-white combo, traveling on a roofless carriage that’s floating above the (pink) clouds. A gleaming city is visible in the distance.
Destination: Pink Friday 2.
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Curiously, there’s more to come. “Album cover #1 of 2,” she writes on her Instagram post.
Pink Friday 2 is scheduled to arrive Nov. 17, though Minaj has released a few cuts from it, “Super Freaky Girl,” “Red Ruby Da Sleeze,” and “Last Time I Saw You”.
Minaj already got her pink on for “Barbie World,” her hit collaboration with Ice Spice and Aqua, which appeared on the Barbie soundtrack.
Pink Friday 2 is the sequel to Minaj’s Billboard 200-topping debut studio album from 2010, and will serve as her first LP since 2018’s Queen, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and spawned singles including “Chun-Li” and “Good Form.”
She’s not lacking any confidence ahead of release date. “Just know that ‘Pink Friday 2’ is going to be the best album that’s been released in years,” she recently announced.
Earlier in the year, the Trinidadian artist expressing gratitude toward her fans and teased plans for a new tour slated for 2024. “I love you guys so much,” she said. “I am so grateful for the years of support & love you guys have given me. At times maybe I didn’t even deserve all that you have poured into me. Nonetheless, you. will. love. this. album. I will give tour deets closer to that time, but obviously the tour will start around the first quarter of 2024.”
Initially, she revealed the new LP would arrive in October, before the release date was pushed back to mid-November.
See the Pink Friday 2 artwork below.
Royal Blood is flowing in the U.K., where the British rock duo is favorite for the chart crown with Back to the Water Below (via Warner Records).
Comprising Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher, Royal Blood takes a solid advantage into the second half of the week. According to the Official Charts Company, Back to the Water Below is currently outselling its nearest rival, The 1975’s self-titled LP, by a ratio of more than 2 to 1.
If it stays on course, Back to the Water Below will mark Royal Blood’s fourth consecutive leader, a streak that dates back to, and includes, their eponymously titled debut from 2014.
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The 1975 (Dirty Hit/Polydor) blasts to No. 2 on the midweek tally thanks to a multi-format reissue, timing to celebrate its 10th anniversary. The album originally debuted at No. 1 following its release in 2013, triggering the British band’s own streak of five consecutive No. 1 studio albums.
A midweek podium place is snagged by Everything Is Alive (Dead Oceans), the fifth album from veteran British shoegaze exponents Slowdive. It’s new at No. 3 on the Official Chart Update, and is set to give the Reading-raised band their first appearance in the U.K. top 10. Slowdive has cracked the top 40 on two occasions, with 1991’s Just for a Day (No. 32) and their 2017 comeback effort, Slowdive (No. 17).
Meanwhile, Sigur Rós’s latest release Atta (BMG) is on track for a No. 4 debut, for what would be the Icelandic act’s fourth top 10 appearance on the national tally.
Further down the chart blast, Jethro Tull’s 14th studio album The Broadsword and the Beast (Parlophone) is poised for a return at No. 6, thanks to its 40th anniversary reissue. The album peaked at No. 27 after its original release back in 1982.
Also eyeing a top 10 berth is Rivers of Heresy (Roadrunner), the first album from Empire State Bastard, a collaboration of Biffy Clyro vocalist Simon Neal and former Oceansize frontman Mike Vennart. It’s new at No. 7 on the midweek chart.
Finally, veteran Scottish pop band Deacon Blue could bag a seventh top 10 album with All The 45s: The Very Best of Deacon Blue (Cooking Vinyl). The career retrospective is set to drop in at No. 8, just in time for Deacon Blue’s new U.K. tour.
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published late Friday, Sept. 8.
Timothy Xu is the new chairman and CEO of Universal Music Greater China (UMGC).
With effect from Monday, Sept. 4, the veteran executive takes the reins of Universal Music Group’s Greater China division, which covers Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
As head of the biggest music company’s business in the world’s most populous market, Xu wields a resume stacked with major label and indie experience.
He joins UMGC from Taihe Music Group, the leading independent music company in China, where he served for the past five years as president and CEO.
Before that, he led Sony Music’ Greater China activities as chairman and CEO, from 2012-16. And earlier, he had roles with EMI Music, EMI Music Publishing China, and Warner Music China, having kicked off his career in 1992 with China National Publications Import & Export Corporation (CNPIEC).
Xu’s appointment follows the retirement of longstanding chairman Sunny Chang earlier in 2023.
“I am thrilled to welcome Timothy to lead our operations in Greater China,” comments Lucian Grainge, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group in a statement.
“He’s a real music exec, given his deep experience generating creative and commercial success in the region. I’m confident Timothy be instrumental as we continue to drive growth in the exciting and vibrant Chinese music market.”
Adds Adam Granite, UMG’s executive VP, market development, “Having worked together in the past, Timothy’s unique and versatile experience across the sector will bring new opportunities to expand all areas of our business operations within Greater China, whilst also accelerating our focus on introducing Chinese music, culture, and artist talent to new markets and audiences around the world.”
In 2021, UMGC became the first major music company to establish multiple frontline label operations across China with the launch of Republic Records China, and re-launch of historical Chinese labels Polygram Records China and EMI China alongside Universal Music China.
Those moves would reinforce Universal Music’s “commitment to accelerating and introducing the next wave of Chinese music talent to the world across a variety of genres,” the company said in a press release at the time.
For her next project, Vanessa Amorosi will unleash some Hall of Fame vibes.
The Australian artist’s new full-length studio album Memphis Love is slated for release Nov. 17, her first through Bay Street Records, Dave Stewart’s independent music label.
With Memphis Love, the powerhouse singer goes eight albums deep into a recording career that exploded out the gates in the late 1990s with “Absolutely Everybody.” Amorosi was just a teen at the time. The world opened up all at once, as the song crashed the U.K. top 10, and she was invited to perform on the biggest stages of them all, including the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
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Amorosi has called Los Angeles home for the past 13 years. Now she calls Bay Street Records her label home, joining such artists as Joss Stone.
During her time Stateside, she has immersed herself in gospel music, soul, funk and blues, sounds that influence this forthcoming collection. “It’s very, very different to what people are used to hearing me do in Australia,” she tells Billboard. “I’m really excited for this chapter to begin.”
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Memphis Love is co-produced with Stewart, was recorded at Willie Mitchell’s Royal Studios in Memphis, TN, and features the gorgeous tones of Tennessee Mass Choir.
Lead single “Wolf,” which Amorosi co-wrote with Stewart one afternoon in downtown L.A., is a confident, blues number. It rolls with the punches and gives out a few of its own. At the top, Amorosi flexes with a howl, the kind of swagger that comes with having been there, done it. That animal instinct “kind of lightened the mood in the studio,” she recounts.
Stewart is a good guy to have your corner. As one half of the Eurythmics, the legendary British synth pop act elevated last year into Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, Stewart is a creative force. He’s a real-deal multi-hyphenate, whose resume includes production across TV, stage, feature films, operating venues, and a thirst for technology. The Brit also owns Dave Stewart Entertainment (DSE), a full-service production and management company, involved in music, commercials, film, music videos, documentaries, independent productions and more.
“He is fearless,” she explains. “He understands technology. He’s always looking for ways for artists to be able to generate income to make more art. And he’s always very proactive on trying to keep an artist making art. I learned so much from him, and he’s just the most incredible human being.”
Stewart feels the same way. “I’ve stood on stage next to Vanessa Amorosi on several occasions and I’m always immediately taken aback by the intensity and the power of her vocal delivery,” he says in a statement announcing the new LP. “In getting to know her as a friend and as a true artist, I’ve found that her vocal capabilities are just the tip of the iceberg.”
Memphis Love is the followup to Amorosi’s City Of Angels, which debuted at No. 7 on the ARIA Albums Chart in March 2022, for her fourth career top 10 appearance. Prior to that, her last top tier appearance on the national survey was with 2009’s Hazardous, also peaking at No. 7.
European dates are on the slate, and Amorosi is looking forward to a homecoming jaunt that includes the Grapevine Gathering festival tour, and a performance at the 2023 AWMA in Brisbane, on Sept. 27. Expect her to share some of that Memphis Love.
“It has all the soul and the feel and the groove,” she enthuses. “I’m really, really proud of this record. And I feel like it’s gonna make people feel good.”
Memphis Love tracklistWolfHow LongLift Us UpDon’t Judge MeOnly So MuchMemphis LoveShakeToo Much of a HeartacheSeriousWhat Do I Get
The Weeknd upscales his four-city tour of Australia and New Zealand following “unprecedented demand” for tickets.
Last month, the Canadian R&B star announced four shows in total, visiting each of Australia’s big three east coast cities — Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane — and including a single date in Auckland, NZ.
On Monday (Sept. 4), that itinerary ballooned to 10 shows across those four sites.
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Produced by Live Nation, the Weeknd’s After Hours Til Dawn Tour will now include three concerts at Sydney’s Accor Stadium (the first two are sellouts) and Melbourne’s Marvel Arena, with two for Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium. As previously reported, special guests on all dates are Mike Dean and Chxrry22.
On completion of the Australia run, he’ll head to New Zealand where he’ll now play two December dates at Auckland’s Eden Park.
Since the Aug. 22 tour announcement, appetite for the Weeknd’s music has doubled across streaming music platforms, sending a string of his recordings up the ARIA Charts. According to the charts compiler ARIA, The Highlights this week holds at No. 3; former leaders Starboy lifts 18-4, After Hours is up 27-17, Dawn FM climbs 65-25 and Beauty Behind The Madness bounces 93-38 (all via Universal).
Ticketing giants Ticketek and Ticketmaster have reported impressive traffic on their respective platforms. Ticketmaster queue for the Melbourne dates was at 122,000 when the first presale started, reps say. When the first allocation was exhausted, more than 100,000 Melbourne fans remained in the queue.On the other side of the ditch, Ticketmaster NZ reports the highest number of unique users and page views for any announce this year, including 165,000 users, 647,000 page views. Also, presale demand from both Vodafone Australia and One NZ customers was unprecedented in their history.Though impressive, the Weeknd’s 10-date stadium jaunt across both markets is dwarfed by Ed Sheeran’s Divide tour of 2018, during which he played 18 stadium concerts across Australia and New Zealand, selling more than a one million tickets, a new record, and beating AC/DC’s old mark for stadium dates on a single tour (14).
The Weeknd’s ‘After Hours Til Dawn Tour 2023’ Australia and New Zealand:Nov. 20 — Suncorp Stadium, BrisbaneNov. 21 — Suncorp Stadium, BrisbaneNov. 24 — Accor Stadium, Sydney (*sold out)Nov. 25 — Accor Stadium, Sydney (*sold out)Nov. 27 — Accor Stadium, SydneyDec. 1 — Marvel Stadium, MelbourneDec. 2 — Marvel Stadium, MelbourneDec. 4 — Marvel Stadium, MelbourneDec. 7 – Eden Park, AucklandDec. 8 — Eden Park, Auckland