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SYDNEY, Australia — Josh Simons is the new CEO of Jaxsta.
The Vampr co-founder succeeds Beth Appleton, who steps down as CEO with immediate effect, reads a statement issued Thursday (June 29) to the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX).
Simons takes the reins at Jaxsta Limited, the world’s biggest database of official music credits, following the completion of the acquisition of Vampr on June 1, 2023, when he was named as chief strategy officer.
Going forward, he’ll continue in those duties in addition to his appointment as CEO.
“The board thanks Beth for her significant contribution to Jaxsta during a period of growth and change,” comments Jaxsta chair Linda Jenkinson. “We wish her all the best for her future.”
Appleton departs some 14 months after her own promotion from chief marketing officer to the top job.
Born in Britain and now based in Sydney, Australia, Appleton joined Jaxsta in July 2021 from major label-land, including stints with Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and EMI. During her ten-year run with WMG, she earned a reputation as one of the best in the business, and plaudits in Billboard’s “Women In Music” feature.
“I will relish my time at Jaxsta and the initiatives that I drove,” she comments. “I wish Josh, and the incredible team, all the very best for the future. I’m proud to have been a part of the Jaxsta evolution, and look forward to watching the business continue on its mission.”
Jaxsta is Australia’s only ASX-listed music business.
The incoming chief executive takes the helm at a business that, currently, boasts more than 343 million official, deep-linked music credits across 107 million pages, sourced from over 359 data partners.
Last week, WiseTech founder and CEO Richard White became a substantial shareholder in the company as part of its A$3 million capital raise.
“I’ve been following Josh Simons for a number of years as the founder and CEO of Vampr,” White explains. “I have been impressed by his tenacity, focus, vision and particularly the ability to build a commercial model that grows and retains revenue and customers. Now that Vampr is a part of Jaxsta, Josh will, no doubt, contribute his drive, skills and experience to the larger business. I see his contribution will be able to create a clear path to revenue and profitability for Jaxsta.”
Simons co-founded Vampr in 2015 with Barry Palmer. Today, it’s recognized as the leading social-professional network for musicians, boasting 1.3 million users and facilitating over eight million connections.
“Jaxsta has a clear vision and product roadmap going into FY24, and that’s a credit to the Board, Beth and the team who have done a remarkable job,” Simons comments. “Revenue, cost efficiency and profitability remain the top priorities for Jaxsta and I look forward to building on the current momentum. We have the foundation for a transformational global music product as we continue to integrate Vampr into the business and scale the Vinyl.com platform.”
The changing of the guard closely follows Jaxsta’s Master of Metadata win at the Music Business Association’s Bizzy Awards 2023, and the launch of Vinyl.com, a new online store powered by Jaxsta’s official music credits. In April of this year, Jacqui Louez Schoorl announced her departure from Jaxsta, a decade after she founded the business.
Taylor Swift’s forthcoming tour Down Under is already a record-setter.
On Thursday (June 29), following a “record-breaking pre-sale,” Swift added two more shows to the 2024 Australia leg of her The Eras Tour.
Swift announces a third concert at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, on Feb. 18, 2024, following the previously-announced shows on Feb. 16 and 17. With a third date, she goes one better than her bestie Ed Sheeran, who recently broke the national record on consecutive nights with his two shows at the imposing 100,000-plus capacity MCG.
She’ll be the first artist since Madonna (in 1993) to perform three concerts at the MCG, according to promoter Frontier Touring.
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Also, Swift adds a fourth show for Sydney’s Accor Stadium, for Feb. 26. As it stands, she’ll play four consecutive nights at the venue, on Feb. 23, 24, 25 and now 26. No other artist has played four shows at the 83,000-capacity stadium, also known as Stadium Australia, the host venue for the 2000 Olympic Games.
Pre-sales are at record-breaking levels, notes Ticketek, as the ticketing giant shares news of the expanded itinerary.
The Australia swing for Swift’s The Eras Tour is presented by Crown and Frontier Touring, with special guest artist Sabrina Carpenter.
Swift seems to break records in Australia with monotonous regularity. She became the first artist to simultaneously hold the No. 1 ARIA album, single and national airplay; and she has landed the most debuts in the top 10 of an ARIA Singles Chart with nine of the top 10. Her most recent album, Midnights, was Swift’s 10th No. 1 album in Australia. Following its release last October, Midnight became the most streamed album in a week in ARIA history, while notching the biggest vinyl sales debut ever, selling over 10,000 vinyl units in week one.
The general on-sale for The Eras Tour of Australia starts Friday morning.
Taylor Swift’s 2024 Australian dates:
Feb. 16 — Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)Feb. 17 — Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)Feb. 18 — Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)Feb. 23 — Accor Stadium, SydneyFeb. 24 — Accor Stadium, SydneyFeb. 25 — Accor Stadium, SydneyFeb. 26 — Accor Stadium, Sydney
The all-star team comprising LIT Killah, Tiago Pzk, Maria Becerra, Duki, Emilia, Rusherking, Big One and FMK rule the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart as “Los Del Espacio” holds steady for a third week on the June 24-dated ranking.
It’s the fifth song to rule the ranking for at least three weeks or more in 2023. Here’s the leaderboard:
Weeks at No. 1, Title, Artists7, “En La Intimidad” Emilia, Big One & Callejero Fino5, “Un Finde: Big One CROSSOVER #2,” Ke Personajes, Big One & FMK4, “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” Bizarrap & Shakira3, “M.A (Mejores Amigos),” BM, Callejero Fino, La Joaqui & Lola Índigo3, “Los Del Espacio,” LIT Killah, Tiago Pzk, Maria Becerra, Duki, Emilia, Rusherking & Big One
Big One and FMK concurrently occupy the No. 2 slot as “Un Finde,” with Ke Personajes, remains at the runner-up slot for a sixth week after its five-week domination starting the April 22-dating ranking.
BM’s “M. A. (Mejores Amigos)” with Callejero Fino, La Joaqui and Lola Indigo holds at No. 3 for a third week, while Maria Becerra and Ráfaga’s “Adiós” rebounds to its No. 4 high. Plus, YNG Lvcas and Peso Pluma’s “La Bebe” advances 6-5.
The Hot Shot Debut of the week goes to Bizarrap and Rauw Alejandro’s “Rauw Alejandro: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 56” at No 54. Meanwhile, Ke Personajes’ “Adios Amor / Oye Mujer” takes home the Greatest Gainer trophy with an 83-70 surge.
Elsewhere, Yandel, Feid and Daddy Yankee each add a career chart entry as “Yankee 150” bows at No. 75.
Three other songs debut this week, starting with Emilia’s “Guerrero.Mp3” at No. 88, following with Rusherking’s “Intensidad” at No. 97, and Miranda! and Andres Calamaro’s pair-up, “Tu Mentiroso Alguien” opens at No. 100.
Barring any unforeseen hurdles, Dave and Central Cee’s “Sprinter” (Live Yours/Neighbourhood) is bolting to a fourth week atop the U.K. chart. The record-breaking British hip-hop collaboration soaked up another 9 million streams last week, for a third consecutive cycle at the top. Based on sales and streaming data for the first half of the latest […]
Maisie Peters’ The Good Witch (Atlantic/Gingerbread Man) is working its magic on the United Kingdom.
The English pop singer and songwriter’s sophomore set leads the midweek chart, ahead of Harry Styles’ Harry’s House (via Columbia up 5-2) and Tom Grennan’s What Ifs & Maybes (down 1-3 via Insanity), respectively.
The Good Witch is the followup to Peters’ 2021 debut You Signed Up For This, which peaked at No. 2 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart. A chart crown would cap a huge half-year for Peters, who supported Ed Sheeran for stadium shows across Australia and New Zealand earlier in 2023.
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Also set for high entries this week are Young Thug’s Business Is Business (300 Entertainment), which could become his second top 10 appearance, at No. 9; and Kelly Clarkson’s Chemistry (Atlantic), which could net the U.S. singing star her sixth U.K. top 10, at No. 10.
The “Glastonbury effect” can be seen up and down the Official Chart Update.
Scottish singer and songwriter Lewis Capaldi is one of the beneficiaries of a high-profile slot at Glastonbury Festival last weekend, which powers his albums Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent (up 16-4 via EMI) and debut Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent (up 34-12) on the midweek tally.
Elton John is winding up his touring career in the coming weeks, and enjoyed a boisterous send-off at Glastonbury. Now, his hits compilation Diamonds (Mercury/UMC) is on track to appear in the top 5 again, up 15-5.
Celebrated British alternative rock act Arctic Monkeys are hanging high on the midweek chart, with AM (No. 6), Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (No. 20) and Favourite Worst Nightmare (No. 38) — all via Domino Recordings — on the bounce following their Friday night performance at the Eavis’ famous fest.
Other Glastonbury performers enjoying a post-event albums blitz include Foo Fighters (But Here We Are at No. 16 via Columbia and The Essential Foo Fighters at No. 28 via Sony Music CG), Lana Del Rey (Born To Die at No. 36 via Polydor) and Guns N’ Roses (Greatest Hits at No. 37 via Geffen).
Finally, Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour hasn’t yet reached the U.K., but anticipation is causing her hit albums to spike. According to the Official Charts Company, former leaders Midnights (No. 7), 1989 (No. 11), Lover (No. 14), Reputation (No. 22) and Folklore (No. 31), all via EMI, are on the climb.
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published Friday, June 30.
Today (June 26), Roc Nation Sports branches into the golf world by joining forces with the Ryder Cup ahead of its 44th edition in Rome this September. To help create new audiences for one of golf’s most competitive contests, the partnership between Roc Nation Sports International and the Ryder Cup will include DJ Khaled serving […]
The BET Awards likes to call itself “Culture’s Biggest Night.” The 2023 edition, which aired on BET from the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday (June 25), may also have been Culture’s Longest Night. The show ran nearly four hours, with a well-deserved but overlong tribute to lifetime achievement award winner Busta Rhymes taking […]
Dave and Central Cee‘s supreme chart run can’t be halted as “Sprinter” logs a third successive week at No. 1 in the U.K.
“Sprinter” (via Live Yours/Neighbourhood) is already a record-breaker in the U.K., where, on debut, it accumulated a history-setting volume of streams for a rap track.
For the recently completed chart cycle, “Sprinter” notches over 9 million streams, according to the Official Charts Company, to outrace J Hus and Drake’s “Who Told You” (Black Butter/OVO/Republic) and Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding’s “Miracle” (Columbia), respectively. “Sprinter” also stays on top of Australia’s ARIA Chart.
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Harry Styles’ is feeling the love on the Official U.K. Singles Chart. As the former One Direction star’s Love On Tour show works its way around his homeland, Styles climbs with a trio of Harry’s House numbers, led by former leader “As It Was,” up 7-5. Meanwhile, “Satellite” cracks the top 20 for the first time, up 31-18, and “Late Night Talking” lifts 30-22.
Kylie Minogue‘s comeback gathers pace with “Padam Padam” (BMG). The pop legend’s steamy EDM-infused comeback track improves 9-8 for a new high on the latest tally, published Friday, June 23. “Padam Padam” matches the position of the Australian singer’s last U.K. top 10 appearance, 2011’s “Higher” with Taio Cruz and Travie McCoy, and is her 35th U.K. top 10.
Also on the rise is Scottish DJ Hannah Laing and rising singer RoRo, as their club track “Good Love” (WUGD) rises 13-9. It’s the first-ever U.K. top 10 chart appearance for both artists.
The best-placed new release belongs to former Little Mix singer Leigh-Anne, who gets her solo career away with the U.K. garage number “Don’t Say Love” (Warner Records). It starts its chart journey at No. 11.
Finally, South Korean DJ, singer and producer Peggy Gou bags her first U.K. top 40 single with floor filler “(It Goes Like) Nanana” (XL Recordings), which leaps into the chart at No. 14.
There are no ifs, no buts about it — Tom Grennan has the U.K. chart crown with What Ifs & Maybes (Insanity).
The leader at the midweek point, What Ifs & Maybes holds on to give the British singer and songwriter his second U.K. leader.
It’s the followup to Grennan’s Evering Road, which led the chart in 2021, and debut Lighting Matches, which peaked at No. 5 in 2018.
Grennan outmuscles some heavy rock in the form of Queens of the Stone Age, whose eighth studio set In Times New Roman (Matador) bows at No. 2. In Times New Roman becomes the sixth U.K. top 10 appearance for Josh Jomme and Co., and is the followup to Villains, which led the national chart following its release in 2017. In Times New Roman also starts at No. 2 on Australia’s ARIA Chart, behind homegrown blues-rock outfit The Teskey Brothers’ The Winding Way.
Closing out the U.K. top three is Harry Styles’ Harry’s House (Columbia), up 4-3.
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Meanwhile, London synth-pop veterans Pet Shop Boys check in for an 18th U.K. top 10 with their career retrospect, SMASH: The Singles 1985-2020 (Parlophone). It’s new at No. 4. Close behind, at No. 5, is Far From Saints’ eponymously titled album, via Ignition. Far From Saints is a project featuring Stereophonics singer Kelly Jones, along with the Wind And The Wave’s members Patty Lynn and Dwight Baker.
The top end of the latest Official U.K. Albums Chart, published Friday, June 23, is stacked with new releases. Among them, Texas’s compilation The Very Best Of – 1989-2023 (PIAS Recordings). The pop-rock outfit drops in at No. 6, as fans tune-in ahead of the Texas’ performance at Glastonbury’s main Pyramid Stage.
Further down the list is Gunna, who fires away for his third U.K. top 10 spot with A Gift & A Curse (Warner Records), new at No. 9.
There’s a touch of history on the chart as ATEEZ becomes just the second male K-pop band — after BTS – to snag a U.K. top 10 album appearance, with The World Ep.2: Outlaw (KQ Entertainment). It’s new at No. 10. The pop act — Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung and Jongho — recently toured the U.K. with The Fellowship: Break The Wall Tour, an itinerary that included a sold-out concert at London’s The O2.
Finally, Taylor Swift fever is sweeping the U.K. once again as five of the American pop superstar’s albums impact the top 40, led by Midnights (EMI), unchanged at No. 8. The latest outbreak is triggered by the announcement last week of the U.K. leg for her The Eras Tour.
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“Culture’s biggest night” will be a celebration of hip-hop. The 2023 BET Awards return to Los Angeles on Sunday (June 25) at 8 p.m. ET.
The show, held at the Microsoft Theater, will feature a star-studded performance lineup honoring hip-hop’s 50th anniversary.
“We have an incredible lineup of performers who will take us on a musical journey, covering Hip Hop spanning every decade, style, and region. From music to dance and fashion, we are digging through every crate as we celebrate 50 years of Hip Hop and its diversity, evolution, and global impact,” said Connie Orlando, BET EVP, specials, music programming & music strategy. “This wall-to-wall party will reverberate with the amazing energy and passion these artists bring to the stage and the culture. Prepare for an unforgettable night of reunions and surprises as we celebrate hip-hop’s rich history, enduring legacy, and promising future.”
Drake leads this year’s nominees list with seven nominations. Following closely behind the Toronto rapper, GloRilla earned six nominations, while 21 Savage and Lizzo each snagged five nominations.
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Beyoncé, Burna Boy, Chris Brown, Ice Spice and SZA are tied at four nods each. Cardi B, Coco Jones, FLO, Future, Jack Harlow, Kendrick Lamar, Tems, Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin landed three nominations a piece.
See below for ways to watch and stream the 2023 BET Awards online, and other details about the ceremony.
How to Watch the 2023 BET Awards on TV
The BET Awards air on Sunday (June 25) at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on BET and will simulcast on BET Her, Logo, MTV, MTV2, TV Land and VH1.
How to Watch the 2023 BET Awards Online for Free
While there isn’t a direct way to watch the BET Awards for free online, if you don’t have cable, your best bet would be to sign up for a streaming service that offers live TV such as DirectTV Stream, Philo, fuboTV or Sling TV. Hulu + Live TV offers live television as well but no free trial.
What are the best streaming deals? Right now, Sling TV starts at just $15 (regular $40) for the first month. Philo costs $25/month to access 70+ cable channels, and you’ll get a after a free trial for the first week, which means you can stream the BET Awards for free.
Philo
$25/month after 7-day free trial
DirectTV Stream and Fubo offer up to 200+ cable and local channels for an affordable price. Monthly plans for both streamers start at $75/month. And if you’re streaming internationally, ExpressVPN gives you access to BET and several streaming platforms.
Who is Performing at the 2023 BET Awards?
The BET Awards will feature a star-studded performance lineup celebrating hip-hop from coast to coast. Performers include Big Daddy Kane, Eric Sermon, Chief Keef, 69 Boyz, DJ Unk, E-40, Fast Life Yungstaz & Easton (F.L.Y.), Fat Joe, Ja Rule, Kid ‘N Play, MC Lyte, Percy “Master P” Miller, Remy Ma, Soulja Boy, Redman, Jeezy, The Sugarhill Gang, Trick Daddy, Trina, Tyga, Uncle Luke, Warren G, Ying Yang Twins, Yo-Yo and more.
Ice Spice, Latto, Lil Uzi Vert, Coco Jones, GloRilla and Doechii are also scheduled to perform.
Who will be honored at the 2023 BET Awards?
Busta Rhymes will be honored with the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award, which is presented to industry pioneers who have “shifted the culture” and entertainment industry. Bia, Coi Leray, Cutty Ranks, Dexta Daps, M.O.P., Rah Digga, ScarLip, Spice, Supercat, Swizz Beatz and other surprise guests are slated to hit the stage to celebrate the Brooklyn native’s more than 30-year career.