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Lana Del Rey‘s long-overdue release of “Say Yes To Heaven” (via Polydor) could immediately land her a U.K. top 10. The U.S. alternative pop star blasts to No. 8 on the chart update, and is on track for the week’s top debut. Co-written and produced in 2012 with her frequent collaborator Rick Nowels, “Heaven” was […]
The incredible career of the late Australian impresario Michael Gudinski will be retold in a major new documentary.
Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story will roll out at theaters across Australia from Aug. 31, following its premiere Aug. 10 at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) — the music man’s beloved home city.
MIFF pitches the film as “a uniquely Australian tribute to a much-loved industry legend.”
Helmed by Paul Goldman (Such is Life: The Troubled Times of Ben Cousins), Ego will tell MG’s tale with never-before-seen archive footage, and interviews with the likes of Jimmy Barnes, Vika & Linda Bull, Garbage, Dave Grohl, Vance Joy, Paul Kelly, Kylie Minogue, Mark Seymour, Ed Sheeran, Bruce Springsteen and Sting.
“Famed for his eccentricities and boldness,” reads a statement (May 23) unveiling the new project, Ego “dives into the psyche and unorthodox tactics of Michael as he became the frontman of a cultural movement and built a music empire whose artists created the soundtrack for a nation.”
The project is timed to drop as Gudinski’s Mushroom Group celebrates its 50 year anniversary, a party that will include a “major live event.”
Now led by MG’s son, Matt Gudinski, the independent music powerhouse is home to some two-dozen companies, active in every conceivable area of the music industry, including Mushroom Music Publishing, the country’s leading independent publisher; labels I Oh You, Liberation and Bloodlines; and the concert promotion juggernaut Frontier Touring.
The larger than life entrepreneur passed March 2, 2021, aged 68, a shock that triggered a wave of tributes from across the music world. Many of those starry friends and extended “Mushroom family” appear in the film, the trailer for which can be seen below.
“He had the energy of a rock drummer,” recounts Sting. Adds Foo Fighter Grohl, “I imagine being a rock promoter as the biggest fucking nightmare. There has to be a reason why he did it.”
Following his death, Gudinski was feted with the No. 1 spot in Billboard’s International Power Players list, and a statue of the great man was erected outside Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena, depicting MG with his familiar No. 1 hand gesture.
Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story is a Mushroom Studios production, with principal production funding from Screen Australia in association with VicScreen. It’s financed with support from the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA). Local distribution and international sales are handled by Mushroom Studios.
Jaxsta is awarded Master of Metadata honors at the Music Business Association’s Bizzy Awards 2023, Billboard can exclusively reveal.
Based in Sydney, the official music credits database snags a category that recognizes companies that have made a significant impact in the area of data processing, credit clarification, streamlining or otherwise promoting clean data and best practices.
“We are exceptionally proud to be recognized by the Music Business Association for our excellence in metadata,” comments Jaxsta CEO Beth Appleton in a statement. “It is critical that the industry has one verified source of truth and that we continually value and insist on official credits,” she continues. “Only by doing this, can we ensure that creators are paid quickly, accurately and cost-effectively.”
Currently, Jaxsta’s data set includes over 55 million recordings and almost 15 million works which are matched, deep-linked and searchable by multiple industry identifiers, including ISRC, ISWC, Spotify IDs, UPCs and more.
This Music Biz honor, adds Michael Stone, Jaxsta CTO, “is a testament to the trust placed in Jaxsta by our label partners.”
Jaxsta’s victory closely follows the launch of Vinyl.com. A vinyl-hunter’s dream, the new online store is powered by Jaxsta’s official music credits and gives record buyers verified creative contributions metadata on every album, for a deep dive into artists, songwriters, producers, composers, engineers, musicians and any other contributors.
The vision for Vinyl, its creators say, is to offer quickly expand its offer beyond selling vinyl to include merchandise, tickets, digital collectibles and other “experiences that connect fans with creators.”
First announced and held in 2022, the Bizzy Awards also presents the Leading Light Award, the Agent of Change Award, the #NEXTGEN_NOW One To Watch Award and others.
Read more here.
Ed Sheeran is unmoved at the summit of the U.K. albums survey as – (Subtract) (via Asylum) logs a second week at No. 1. The English singer and songwriter has a perfect six No. 1s, with all of his albums logging multiple weeks at the top. Just one week after scooping the year-best sales tally in the U.K., Subtract is set to chase down another target. It’ll draw level with the three-week reign of Sheeran’s 2011 debut set + (plus) if it holds its position when the next chart is published, Friday, May 26.The highest new entry on the latest chart, published May 19, belongs to English rapper Potter Payper, as his debut full-length LP Real Back in Style (0207) starts at No. 2. That’s a career high for the artist (real name: Jamel Bousbaa), who previously cracked the top 10 with 2020 mixtape Training Day 3 (No. 3) and 2021’s Thanks for Waiting (No. 8). Completing the podium is Jonas Brothers with The Album (Polydor), new at No. 3. It’s the fourth top 10 LP for the brothers Joe, Kevin and Nick Jonas, following 2007 debut Jonas Brothers (No. 8), 2009’s Lines, Vines and Trying Times (No. 9) and 2019’s record Happiness Begins (No. 2).Also new to the top 10 on the fresh Official U.K. Albums Chart is Brighton, England indie-rock act Lovejoy with their third EP Wake Up & It’s Over (Anvil Cat). It’s new at No. 5, for the four-piece’s first-ever top 10 appearance, bettering the No. 12 peak for 2021’s Pebble Brain.And finally, Alison Goldfrapp grabs her first solo top 10 album, as The Love Invention (Skint) starts at No. 6. As the singer for electro-pop duo Goldfrapp, alongside Will Gregory, the British artist boasts a further five U.K. Top 10 albums: 2005’s Supernature (No. 2), 2008’s Seventh Tree (No. 2), 2010’s Head First (No. 6), 2013’s Tales of Us (No. 4) and 2017’s Silver Eye (No. 6).
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Loreen very nearly made it two wins in the space of a week.
Sweden’s representative at the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest won by a landslide with “Tattoo”. And in the U.K., “Tattoo” (via UMG International) has made a big impression with music fans, as it gathered momentum through the chart week.
“Tattoo” debuts at No. 2 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, published last Friday (May 19), in a tight race won by Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding’s “Miracle” (Columbia).
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According to the Official Charts Company, “Miracle” clocked up a market-leading 5.1 million U.K. streams during the latest seven-day stretch, for its sixth non-consecutive week at No. 1.
Meanwhile, Loreen lands a new career high, beating the No. 3 best for “Euphoria,” her winning entry from the 2012 Eurovision.
“Tattoo” leads a “record-breaking” charge for Eurovision songs in the U.K. top 10, the OCC reports, as Finland act Käärijä’s “Cha Cha Cha” (No. 6 via WM Finland), U.K. entry Mae Muller’s “I Wrote A Song” (up 45-9 via Capitol) and Norway singer Alessandra’s “Queen of Kings” (No. 10 via Universal Music AS) all enter the top tier for the first time, following the recent song contest, the final of which took place held at May 13 at Liverpool’s M&S Arena.
Further down the list, Chicago hip-hop artist Lil Durk bags his third U.K. top 40 appearance as “All My Life” (Ministry of Sound) featuring J Cole starts at No. 17, while east coast drill rapper Lil Mabu cracks the top 40 for the first time with “Mathematical Disrespect” (Lil Mabu), new at No. 27.
Finally, two songs are enjoying revivals for totally different reasons. Florence + The Machine’s “Dog Days Are Over” (Island), which appeared on the English act’s 2009 album Lungs, is on the rise following its sync to Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3. It’s up 27-21.
And as the U.K. leg of her Renaissance World Tour gets underway, Beyonce’s “Cuff It” (Columbia/Parkwood Ent) reenters the chart at No. 24.
American Idol has a new champion.
Following months of auditions, solo highs, the goodbyes, duets, trips to California and Hawaii, all of it came to a head on Sunday night (May 21) as America chose its Idol.
For those who’ve been a passenger for this latest, 21st edition, the winner had announced himself months ago. The grand finale was confirmation of what many already knew.
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During the special on ABC, the three finalists – Iam Tongi, Megan Danielle, and Colin Stough – had their last chance to impress the viewers by way of solo performances and duets with the stars.
And, with millions watching on at home, the stars did come out. Keith Urban, Kylie Minogue, Ellie Goulding, Lionel Richie, TLC, REO Speedwagon, Pitbull & Lil Jon, and others filled the screens.
America chose Tongi and Danielle as the final two contestants.
There could be only one, and that was Tongi.
The Hawaii highschooler with the beautiful voice and the tragic story had captured the hearts of Idol obsessives in recent months. With each performance, Tongi’s legend grew.
On the final, he performed Keith Urban’s “Making Memories of Us,” “Cool Down,” got the tears flowing with a tribute to his own, late father, “I’ll Be Seeing You,” and teamed-up with James Blunt for a rendition of “Monsters.”
Tongi can now kick start his career with a recording contract, part of the spoils that come with winning the annual competition.
Get the winning feeling below.
It rained, it poured, but Taylor Swift didn’t let mother nature ruin her Saturday night (May 20).
The pop superstar and her Swifties danced in the rain for her hours-long outdoor set at Gillette Stadium, in at Foxborough, MA, proof of which TayTay has shared on social media.
Judging by the snaps taken from the pit, the weather event didn’t dampen spirits.
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“Last night we all danced together in the rain for THE ENTIRE 3.5 HOUR SHOW in foxy Foxborough MA!!,” she writes.
“We’ve had rain shows at Gillette Stadium before but this was a full on deluge that never let up, I just want to thank that iconic crowd!! Love you so much you have no idea.”
Last night we all danced together in the rain for THE ENTIRE 3.5 HOUR SHOW in foxy Foxborough MA!! We’ve had rain shows at Gillette Stadium before but this was a full on deluge that never let up, I just want to thank that iconic crowd!! Love you so much you have no idea 💕🥰🥲 pic.twitter.com/I4WUjey94o— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) May 21, 2023
Swift hit the stage at 8pm and blazed through a 45-song set that included “Blank Space,” “Wildest Dreams,” “Bad Blood,” and, appropriately, “Midnight Rain” during the later, Midnights end of her set.
The 12-times Grammy winner and Billboard’s woman of the decade award winner has been described as a force of nature. On this current The Eras Tour, however, it’s been Swift and her support team and crew who’ve had to navigate some particularly bad weather.
Swift’s May 7 concert at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium was delayed by several hours due to inclement weather, which meant TayTay didn’t finish until after 1am.
Next stop: Metlife Stadium this Friday (May 28) at East Rutherford, NJ.
Fans won’t have to wait long for some new, old music from Swift. Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), the rerecording of her third album, is set to drop July 7.
NBA superstar Ja Morant continues to be under fire after being caught waving a gun on social media for the second time in three months. The debacle has again entered hip-hop circles, as Lil Wayne recently spoke on Ja’s turbulence in a new interview with Showtime’s All The Smoke podcast. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and […]
Andy Rourke, founding bass player with the Smiths, the iconic ’80s indie band whose reputation seems to grow with each passing year, has died following a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 59. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Bandmate and guitarist Johnny Marr confirmed the sad news: […]
Britpop kings Blur are back.
Damon Albarn and Co. return this summer with a new LP, The Ballad of Darren, set for release July 21 through Parlophone.
But first, the four-piece unleash the first track from it, “The Narcissist.”
Blur’s first fresh cut in eight years is a jangly piece of indie goodness, on which Albarn tells the tale of someone who simple loves themself too much. He sings: “I’m going to shine a light in your eyes/ You’ll probably shine it back on me/ But I won’t fall this time/ With godspeed I’ll heed the signs.”
Produced by James Ford and recorded at Studio 13, London and Devon, The Ballad of Darren is Blur’s ninth studio album.
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Spanning 10 tracks, it’s accompanied with artwork featuring an image by British photographer Martin Parr.
“This is an aftershock record, reflection and comment on where we find ourselves now,” comments Albarn.
Guitarist Graham Coxon adds, “The older and madder we get, it becomes more essential that what we play is loaded with the right emotion and intention. Sometimes just a riff doesn’t do the job.”
The surprises don’t end there. Blur return to their old stomping ground, Colchester, Essex, for a performance at Colchester Arts Centre on Friday (May 19), followed by a handful of warmup performances in the U.K.
Once warmed up, things should get hot when the group performs old stuff and new across the U.K. and Europe over the coming months, including their first ever shows at Wembley Stadium, July 8 and 9.
With a slew of hits including “Song 2,” Parklife,” “Girls & Boys,” Coffee & TV,” “Beetlebum,” “Country House,” and many more, Blur was one of the most successful British bands to emerge in the 1990s. They were head of the Britpop class. But unlike many of their classmates, they stayed together, evolved musically and remain relevant.
In their homeland, Blur landed 26 songs in the top 40, including two No. 1s. Six Blur albums have led the albums chart, including their most recent LP, 2015’s The Magic Whip.
“For any long-term relationship to last with any meaning you have to be able to surprise each other somehow and somehow we all continue to do that,” comments bass player Alex James on the new album.
Drummer Dave Rowntree continues, “It always feels very natural to make music together. With every record we do, the process reveals something new and we develop as a band. We don’t take that for granted.”
Stream “The Narcissist” and check out the album tracklist below.
The Ballad of Darren tracklist.
The Ballad
St Charles Square
Barbaric
Russian Strings
The Everglades (For Leonard)
The Narcissist
Goodbye Albert
Far Away Island
Avalon
The Heights