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Billboard has two new elevations within company in the Latin and Events departments. On Thursday (Oct. 20), Billboard announced that Leila Cobo has been promoted to the chief content officer of Latin/Español and Mary Rooney to vp, head of events, effective immediately.
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The promotion will see Cobo continue her oversight of Billboard Español and its newly created team, in addition to providing her expertise in all Latin content and programming. Under her leadership — she previously held the role of vice president of Latin and Latin industry lead — Billboard.com’s Latin vertical has earned nearly 2 million unique visits a month, and saw her extend her talents to programming Latin Music Week, the world’s longest running gathering in the Latin music industry. In Cobo’s new role, she will report to Hannah Karp, Billboard‘s editorial director and Mike Van, Billboard president.
“There is no other mainstream media company more committed to covering and celebrating Latin music than Billboard, and with the launch of Billboard Español we’re more committed than ever. It’s an honor to work with this amazing team and keep growing and building!” Cobo said.
Rooney’s promotion will see her continue her oversight of Billboard‘s signature business events and strategizing for the growth and development of the brand’s identity, including consumer-facing programs and event production across the country. Rooney previously led as the executive director of events at Billboard, and had a large hand in conceptualizing Billboard‘s Women in Music and Latin Music Week, as well as creating The Stage at SXSW. In her new role, she will report to Dana Droppo, Billboard‘s chief brand officer.
“I am thrilled to continue working alongside this talented team, and to represent the Billboard brand as we continue to grow the events business producing best-in-class events across the country,” Rooney said in a statement.
Van added of the two promotions: “We could not be more grateful and proud to be elevating two key executives to essential roles that will continue to propel the Billboard brand globally.”
Banda MS‘ new corrido, titled “141,” will become the first regional Mexican song to appear in a Call of Duty video game series. The track is set to be integrated into Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, with “several” versions of the song heard throughout different parts of the game. “141” is inspired by the members of the Task Force 141 and soldier Alejandro Vargas from the Mexican Special Forces, and ties in with the narrative of the newest installment of the first-person shooter game.
While Call of Duty has collaborated with Latin musicians in the past, most recently Ozuna, it’s the first time the video game franchise — developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision — taps a regional Mexican act to collaborate on a new song for one of its series. “It’s a huge step for the game and the community,” says Rodrigo Pérez, Call of Duty‘s senior franchise manager, Latin America. “We wanted to tell the story of Task Force 141 in a unique way, and we believe the song goes to the very essence of the characters and the story we are telling with Modern Warfare II.”
For the chart-topping supergroup, not only does “141” mark the first corrido they’ve released in 10 years, but it becomes an opportunity to showcase their traditional banda music on a global level, while also bringing in a new source of revenue.
“The franchise’s team in Latin America is mainly composed of Mexicans who love and respect our culture so, along with their team, we made sure that the song made sense for the game,” says Oswaldo Silvas, one of Banda MS’ vocalists. “We’re really proud to be part of the game’s DNA, and we would be honored to keep doing more of these collaborations because all eyes are on video games and for us, it’s a great opportunity to capture a new audience.”
The opportunity is for both sides with Call of Duty also strategically tapping and catering to the Hispanic market across Latin America. “Mexico and the Hispanic market have had a very strong passion towards the Call of Duty franchise for a long time, and with Modern Warfare II we had an amazing opportunity to celebrate the rich cultural legacy,” adds Pérez.
For a Mexican music song to be featured on Call of Duty, it only reinforces the genre’s newfound popularity across the U.S. and beyond. Once a niche genre, regional Mexican has gained an international following in recent years thanks to artists such as Banda MS, who have stayed true to their traditional Sinaloan banda roots but has also embraced the fusion of regional with genres from around the world.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II will become available for purchase on Oct. 28 on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X | S, PC and Xbox One.
Pepsi has officially launched Pepsi Music Lab, an annual academy committed to shining a spotlight on the next generation of music superstars, the company announced Thursday (Oct. 20).
The new platform aims to foster talent career growth and provide developing artists with new performance opportunities, mentorship and coaching, brand-building workshops, professional content capture, radio amplification and more.
After unveiling the concept with a pilot program last year, Pepsi Music Lab has evolved into a full scale, multi-service platform with an array of opportunities and services for aspiring artists. The brand enlisted Steve Stoute‘s digital distribution company UnitedMasters to help identify musicians across a variety of genres, styles and regions across the U.S. who will take part in this year’s academy.
The Class of ’22-’23 is comprised of 12 aspiring artists from across the country, including five who were contestants on this year’s music competition series Becoming A Popstar, co-produced by Pepsi, MTV and TikTok. They are: AKINYEMI, Amira Unplugged, Brian V., Cain Lofton, GODBY, Kbthesinger, Lexie Hayden, Lynnea M, NOHEMY, Oompa, SERGIO and Tarik. Pepsi is also bringing Samy Hawk, the winner of Becoming A Popstar, into the Pepsi Music Lab family to continue supporting his career through new performance and brand partnership opportunities.
“Pepsi has a long history of helping great artists break through, reshaping pop culture and leaving an unforgettable impression on all of us,” said Steve Stoute, CEO and founder of UnitedMasters. “Now in partnership with UnitedMasters, Pepsi is empowering the next generation of creators, helping them hone their craft and develop their talent so that they can generate the next big moment. Connecting independent artists to a brand with this rich legacy is the formula for creating a new future of music.”
The yearly program will kick off with the Pepsi Music Lab bootcamp in New York City from Oct. 25–27, where artists will get the opportunity to learn from industry experts including Laurieann Gibson, LaRussell, Lenny S and Director X.
The artists’ partnerships with Pepsi will continue throughout the year with performances, event appearances and strategic programming to help grow their careers. Pepsi will also be hosting a two-day virtual summit with renowned music industry experts targeted at aspiring artists all over the country.
“Pepsi is a brand that has a proven global track record for minting music superstars and shaping some of the most iconic moments in music and pop culture. Now, we are excited to shine a spotlight on the next generation of artists with our new Pepsi Music Lab platform” said Todd Kaplan, CMO of Pepsi. “By removing barriers within the music industry, we can provide these talented artists with the resources, knowledge, exposure, and connections to help accelerate their growth as musicians and further enable their success – it will truly make a positive impact on the futures of the artists we believe will push the industry forward.”
Armani White, Algiers and Balming Tiger are just a few of the artists confirmed for the 37th annual South by Southwest showcase event and conference, set to take place March 13-18, in Austin, Texas.
Organizers today (Oct. 19) announced the first round of artists, a batch totaling 191 up-and-comers and established performers from around the globe.
Other artists confirmed for SXSW 2023 include Beenzino (Seoul, South Korea), Edie Bens (Swansea, U.K.), Great Gable (Perth, Australia), iLe (San Juan, Puerto Rico), Ladaniva (Lille, France), Son Rompe Pera (Naucalpan, Mexico), and Yogetsu Akasaka (Setagaya-Ku, Japan).
In addition to musical performances, the six-day event also typically gives audiences access to panels and Q&A sessions.
Major artists regularly grace the showcase stages. Shawn Mendes this year debuted his song “Wonder”, in addition to performing hit songs “In My Blood” and “Monster.”
Among its partners for the 2023 edition are Anniversary Group, Atomic Music Group, Athens in Austin, British Music Embassy, Don Giovanni Records, Fire Records, FOCUS Wales, Gorilla vs Bear, Jazz re:freshed Outernational, Pop Montreal, M for Montreal, Music From Ireland, New West Records, Space Agency, and Wide Days Scotland.
The music showcase is just one part of the larger South by Southwest festival, an event founded in 1987 and dedicated to celebrating entertainment and culture.
Additional announcements will be made as the 2023 event approaches.
SXSW signed a “lifeline” deal with P-MRC, a joint venture between Penske Media Corporation and MRC, in April 2021, making P-MRC a stakeholder and long-term partner with the Austin festival. P-MRC is the parent company of Billboard.
Visit SXSW.com for more.
Warner Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, BMG and the independents’ digital rights agency Merlin have struck content arrangements with Pinterest, a move that will enable the imaging sharing and social platform’s millions of users to interact with popular music.
Announced Wednesday (Oct. 19), Pinterest’s raft of partnerships which will allow its community to add tracks to their Idea Pins from a global catalog, including works by Ed Sheeran, Silk Sonic, Anitta, and many others.
WMG becomes the first major label to partner with Pinterest, highlighting the music giant’s commitment to bringing music to fans to create and engage with via short-form video content, a rep explains.
“The future of media will be founded on music,” comments Oana Ruxandra, chief digital officer & EVP, business development, WMG, in a statement. “WMG, including our publishing partners at Warner Chappell, is incredibly excited to partner with Pinterest to help inspire their users to engage, design, and imagine. Together, the creative potential for Pinterest audiences will be virtually endless.”
The content drop is powered by 7Digital, the B2B digital music solutions platform, and expands on Pinterest’s existing royalty-free music library. Music micro-licensing expert Rumblefish is providing Pinterest with music metadata and license management services, a statement explains.
“This partnership has been a truly collaborative process to visualize how Pinterest creators can make music a more integral part of their experience on the platform,” add Jeremy Sirota, CEO, Merlin. “We are excited to make independent music part of Pinterest’s exciting feature. Merlin members are excited to see the content that emerges from it.”
As Pinterest introduces a library of licensed major label and independent music, the San Francisco-based business presses the button on a new music feature to make it even easier for Pinners and creators to find and add their favorite tracks to Idea Pins.
“Music plays a vital role in elevating storytelling and empowering storytellers, creators, and Pinners who inspire the world every day on Pinterest,” comments Malik Ducard, chief content officer, Pinterest. “We are thrilled to partner with Warner Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Merlin, and BMG to bring the latest music tracks to our platform and elevate the content and inspiration created on Pinterest.”
Pinterest launched in 2010 and boasts more than 400 million monthly active users who’ve dropped billions of “pins,” bookmarks to save quality content for later. The service is available on iOS and Android, and at pinterest.com.
Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson presented fellow Canadian musician Tom Cochrane with the SOCAN Cultural Impact Award on Monday night (Oct. 17) for his 1991 enduring hit “Life Is A Highway,” which rose to No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1992 and was No. 1 in Canada, winning Juno Awards for single of the year and songwriter.
The anthem, found on Cochrane’s second solo album, Mad Mad World, sold a rare million copies in Canada (a diamond certification), and has, in recent years, racked up more than 1 billion streams, according to SOCAN, the performing rights organization.
Lifeson and Cochrane have been friends for over four decades. “I played with him on occasion and performed ‘Life Is a Highway,’ as well,” Lifeson told some 500 members of the music industry at the private event at Sheridan Centre Toronto Hotel.
“I am a friend, a collaborator, and like many, many others of his millions of fans around the world, I am a huge admirer of his work. Neruda is one of my all-time favorite records,” Lifeson threw in of the 1983 album by Cochrane’s original band Red Rider. “Tom is an amazing artist and songwriter, and with ‘Life Is a Highway,’ he created the perfect analogy of what we all go through. It is a magical blend of music and lyrics with an infectious chorus that sticks with you, and a theme that is inspiring and uplifting. It truly captures our journeys down the highway of life, the high roads, the detours, the dead ends, the U-turns, and especially the fear of running outta gas, the challenges that we all face in order to reach our destinations.”
Lifeson said the song’s “joyous melody” is a hopeful reminder that no matter how many roadblocks life presents, “we will always find a way around them,” adding, “It is the perfect message, especially over the past few years and what we’ve all experienced.”
Among the many covers and adaptations, the song was covered by Rascal Flatts for the 2006 animated movie Cars and by Chris LeDoux for his 1998 album, One Road Man, was used in a now-classic segment of the animated TV series Family Guy, placed in Hollywood films like There Goes The Neighborhood and Cheaper by the Dozen, and more recently in the video game Lego Rock Band (Rascal Flatts’ version).
In 2016, a stretch of highway in Manitoba starting in his hometown of Lynn Lake to the city of Thompson was renamed Tom Cochrane’s Life Is a Highway.
Despite its buoyant, positive vibe, the song was born out of a life-altering humanitarian trip Cochrane took to southeastern Africa with World Vision Canada. Hence the lyric: “From Mozambique to those Memphis nights / The Khyber Pass to Vancouver’s lights / Knock me down and back up again / You’re in my blood, I’m not a lonely man.”
After a video tribute, which touched quite heavily on the inspiration for the song, Cochrane took the stage to accept the award from Lifeson, and dug out his speech, written “old school” on a piece a paper. “Talk about cultural achievement,” he said of Lifeson, calling Rush “one of the top five bands of all time.”
After thanking friends and associates, he said of Rascal Flatts, “What could I say about those guys? Everybody says, ‘That’s horrible, they stole that song from you.’ I said, ‘I wish they’d steal some more songs from me,” he laughs. “And I told [singer] Gary [LeVox] that and they flew us a bunch of writers down to Nashville. I mean such generous guys.”
He then thanked Red Rider and Mad Mad World musician John Webster, who insisted he take “the stupid little poppy demo” called “Love Is a Highway” and develop it into the anthem it is now.
“Indeed, the lyrics in the top line were written in the wee hours of the morning in my little home studio, the shed in Oakville…The lyrics were written in response to a trip to that I had taken to Africa with the humanitarian relief organization, World Vision. They do incredible work and I encourage everybody to support them. In 1989, after witnessing terrible suffering, in particular in war-torn Mozambique, it put deep scars on my psyche and I needed something ‘up’ and positive to pull me out of this funk and this soul searching,” Cochrane explains.
“And so that was what I was going through after that trip. Webby, John Webster, and I had recorded a bed track for ‘Love Is a Highway’ in that shed a few weeks earlier and I couldn’t find the proper words…I woke up that night out of a bit of a dream state and an epiphany occurred to me that we can’t control what happens to us here and there. All we can do is control what’s ahead of us and the people we come in contact with every day… And so, by five in the morning, the song was written, it was done and I felt better for it.
Since Canada removed all COVID-19 restrictions, Cochrane has been back out on the road — 38 shows to date, with more scheduled in November.
“When we play ‘Life Is a Highway,’ the energy that we get back from the crowd, from the audience, is intense. It’s powerful,” he reflects. “And the joy, the positive electricity, is cathartic and it’s immense. We feel elevated. But more than that, we feel privileged to be up there and very lucky to be the vehicle, excuse the pun, to deliver that energy.”
To cap off the three-hour awards, Lifeson jumped onstage to join musicians Bill Bell, Dala, Davide Direnzo, Molly Johnson, Jeff Jones, Sam Roberts and Julian Taylor on a version of the song.
At this point, who would book Kanye West – especially to sit down with an interviewer who doesn’t generally challenge his guests?
On Oct. 7, West, now known as Ye, tweeted that he would go “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.” Days later, Vice reported on unaired footage from the rapper’s Tucker Carlson interview, in which he made a series of bizarre and anti-Semitic comments, on how he wants to create “kinetic energy communities” and would rather his children celebrate Hanukkah, since “at least it will come with some financial engineering.” Then an episode of The Shop was canceled because West used the interview to “reiterate more hate speech and extremely dangerous stereotypes,” according to the CEO of the company behind the show.
After all this, West was booked to appear on the Oct. 15 episode of the podcast Drink Champs, which is shown on Revolt, the cable television and online media company founded by Sean “Diddy” Combs. (It was preceded by a disclaimer saying it does not reflect his views.) And guess what? West ranted about the “Jewish media,” called Planned Parenthood “our Holocaust Museum,” and said Jewish lawyers made so much money because they would divorce people when Catholics wouldn’t. He also falsely blamed George Floyd’s death on fentanyl, rather than on the police officer who murdered him. As West ranted, N.O.R.E., the show’s host — who has since apologized — basically just sat there, murmuring “mmm” and, occasionally, “hmm-mmm.”
Drink Champs is supposed to be informal, but a better interviewer would have at least pointed out that Drake, who West said in the interview was “the greatest rapper ever,” is Jewish himself.’Revolt pulled the show offline yesterday afternoon – the company has not issued any statement or commented to Billboard on why it did so – although it’s easily available on YouTube, which should take it down as well. It’s worth asking why it was shown in the first place. One clue: N.O.R.E. tweeted that “my Ye interview got more views then (sic) football haha!!!” Except this isn’t funny. At a time when media companies are being more careful about hate speech – a good thing in my view – why does there seem to be an exception for anti-Semitism?
It’s easy to dismiss West’s interview — along with his latest, with Chris Cuomo — as the latest chapter in the very public breakdown of an incredibly talented musician, which is upsetting to see. What’s more disturbing is that anyone could have thought it was OK to show this. N.O.R.E. apologized on Breakfast Club, and said there were “four Jewish people in the room” who showed an “understanding where Kanye was coming from.”
The disclaimer that ran before Drink Champs says the show does “not reflect the views or opinions” of Combs or Revolt. Fair enough. Presumably Combs also didn’t agree with the July 4, 2020 speech by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, whom Facebook banned in 2019, along with Alex Jones and some right-wing figures, for engaging in hate speech. (Revolt hasn’t shown any of his speeches since then.) Weeks later, Combs tweeted a job offer to Nick Cannon, who had just lost his deal with ViacomCBS after a podcast interview with former Public Enemy “Minister of Information” Professor Griff that trafficked in anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. Like West, Cannon said he couldn’t be anti-Semitic because Black people are “the true Hebrews.”
Cannon apologized, and good for him. Revolt hasn’t. After Cannon sat down with a rabbi to talk about anti-Semitism, Jay Electronica called the rabbi a “coward” and challenged him to debate Farrakhan. Neither Combs nor Jay Electronica, who sampled Farrakhan on his debut album and got an 8.4 from Pitchfork, seems to have faced any consequences.
Revolt bills itself as “the unapologetic, authoritative voice of Hip Hop culture,” which is important and valuable. But that doesn’t mean guests should be allowed to engage in anti-Semitic or other conspiracy theories without being challenged. One of the frightening things about West’s rants is how much right-wingers with a history of racism seem to love them. This episode of Drink Champs was anti-Semitic and disrespectful to the memory of George Floyd, whose family is said to be considering a lawsuit against West. Revolt needs to apologize, to both Floyd’s family and the Jewish community, and make clear that it has no tolerance for anti-Semitism — and other music and media companies should do the same.
For the Record is a regular column from deputy editorial director Robert Levine analyzing news and trends in the music industry. Find more here.
An inductee of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is protesting one of the Hall’s upcoming inductions. Complicating matters is that the protest comes from Jann S. Wenner, the founder of Rolling Stone and a co-founder and former chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, who was himself inducted into the institution as a non-performer in 2004, when he was a recipient of the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
Wenner says that entertainment attorney Allen Grubman, who is also a founding board member and set to receive the Ertegun award next month, does not meet the Hall’s criteria for the honor. “Allen Grubman has made no contribution of any kind, by any definition, to the creative development or the history of rock & roll,” says Wenner. “He has been chosen because of his clout as entertainment super lawyer. This decision is about money and bending to the ego of a music business power broker.”
Grubman — long one of the most powerful attorneys in the music industry — counts Bruce Springsteen, Lizzo, The Weeknd, Lil Nas X, J Balvin, U2, Mariah Carey, the David Bowie estate, Lady Gaga and Madonna among the clients of his firm, Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks, as well as Spotify, Live Nation, and the major record companies and music publishers. He will be one three recipients of the Ertegun award at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Nov. 5 in Los Angeles along with Interscope Records co-founder/CEO Jimmy Iovine and Sugar Hill Records founder Sylvia Robinson, who will be inducted posthumously.
Grubman was nominated by Jon Landau, who, in addition to being a founding board member of the hall of fame and the head of its nominating committee, is the manager of Springsteen, a client of Grubman’s firm. Landau — who began his career as a rock critic — and Wenner have been friends and allies since the beginnings of Rolling Stone, as Wenner details in his recent memoir, Like a Rolling Stone. Wenner also takes aim at Grubman in his book in passing, saying the lawyer “didn’t know Jerry Lee Lewis from Jerry Lewis.”
“Jon remains one of my oldest and best friends,” Wenner told Billboard. “But we completely disagree about this. We have different agendas. Mine is the integrity of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Jon has got a business relationship to maintain.” And that relationship, he adds, constitutes a “conflict of interest” when it comes to Landau’s endorsement of Grubman.
The Rolling Stone founder decided to go public with his dissatisfaction after Billboard contacted him about a passage in his memoir detailing his decision to retire as chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation at the beginning of 2020 (both Billboard and Rolling Stone are owned by Penske Media Corp.; Wenner no longer has a full-time role with the magazine he founded). “My only worry was the pressure to compromise the integrity of the nominating and voting. I should have known better,” wrote Wenner, who remains a board member. “After I resigned, I was told that music business power-brokers on the board were going to be inducted. These individuals had made not one iota of difference to the history, present or future of the creation of music, which was the explicit criterion. But they had accumulated influence and wealth. It was an inside job.”
Allen Grubman at New World Stages at Worldwide Plaza in New York City.
Michael Kovac/GI for NARAS
Wenner doesn’t name anyone in his book, but in May, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced that Grubman, who is a founder and board member, would receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award, which, according to the organization’s website, is given to “non-performing industry professionals who, through their dedicated belief and support of artists and their music, have had a major influence on the creative development and growth of rock & roll and music that has impacted youth culture.”
When Billboard contacted Wenner about the passage, he confirmed that he was referring to Grubman.
This year’s Ahmet Ertegun Award inductees were chosen for the first time by a committee formed by the hall of fame foundation’s current chairman, iHeartMedia president of entertainment enterprises John Sykes. He is a committee member along with Landau (who also heads the hall’s nominating committee); Jody Gerson, the chairman/CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group; Jon Platt, chairman/CEO, Sony Music Publishing; Rob Light, the head of CAA’s music department; and Joel Peresman, president/CEO of the foundation. A hall of fame insider says that in past years the Ertegun inductees were chosen via a “consensus decision” that included Wenner, Landau, and musicians Paul Shaffer and Robbie Robertson. The source adds that the creation of a formal committee had been Wenner’s suggestion, although Wenner had wanted more people outside of the industry, such as music historians and artists.
According to one source familiar with the situation, “Wenner presented his case against Allen to the full committee” in a “a lively 20-minute debate” during which all of the committee members got to express their views. Multiple sources confirm that the subsequent vote was five-to-one in favor of Grubman’s induction with Wenner casting the sole dissenting vote. (The committee voted unanimously to induct Iovine and Robinson.)
Wenner’s account of the proceedings is significantly different. He says that the discussion and vote regarding Grubman’s induction “was no more than a 45-minute phone call, and prior to that call, I was told by Jon that my dissent would be useless. The issue was already settled,” he says.
In response, the source says, “It is generally routine for committee members to discuss how they would likely vote on different issues before a meeting and how an upcoming vote will likely go.”
Another source familiar with the committee’s voting process says Grubman’s induction is justified because he is “one of the all-time great dealmakers, but his impact and those of the next generation of agents and lawyers who followed him, is not always appreciated.” The source contends that Grubman’s decades of “staunch advocacy and success in negotiating groundbreaking deals for these artists changed the balance of power in the industry,” providing the artists he has represented “the security and stability that allowed them to focus on their craft.”
Wenner says the argument that Grubman “is responsible for historic changes in recording artists’ contractual relationships with record companies is ex-post facto hogwash. This is an artful but disingenuous fig leaf to cover the absence of a valid reason. It is putting lipstick on a pig.”
Wenner says that inducting Grubman into the hall of fame is the equivalent of giving former CAA founder and Disney studios chief Michael Ovitz an Oscar. “The underlying and inescapable truth is that he has not made one iota of difference then, now or for the future of rock & roll,” he says. “He doesn’t make music. He makes money.”
A statement issued by the foundation did not address Wenner’s allegations directly but instead adopts language the hall of fame’s website uses to describe its criteria for the Ahmet Ertegun award: “The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame relies on a diverse group of expert music professionals and artists to select those who are inducted each year. We welcome this year’s group of very well deserving inductees and congratulate them on their significant influence on the music and artists that have moved youth culture.” Grubman, Landau, and spokespersons for Light and Platt declined to comment. Sykes, Peresman and Gerson did not respond to requests for comment.
But one source with ties to the organization says, “This is just Jann being Jann. After all of his great contributions, it’s sad that he’s making these unnecessary personal attacks to bring attention to himself.”
“That is a personal attack,” says Wenner. “Why can’t they defend themselves?”
After dipping her toes in the Los Angeles fashion industry as a merchandiser and “not really feeling it,” veteran music publicist Romina Magorno discovered her passion for public relations when she got her first big break at D Baron Media in 2006.
“I took the gig as an assistant at a 30K pay cut, which was insane, but it was in my gut. Something told me I was made to be in public relations,” says Magorno, who credits D Baron Media founder and CEO Diana Baron as the mentor who taught her how to be a true, traditional publicist.
At the agency, Magorno worked on projects like Los Lonely Boys, JoJo, Leann Rimes and All-American Rejects, to name a few. She relocated to Miami in 2010, where she worked at Nevarez Communications and tackled her first Latin projects, including Daddy Yankee, Chyno y Nacho, Elvis Crespo and Amelia Vega. Two years later, in September 2012, she decided to launch her own public relations agency.
“I realized that in order for me to really solidify myself in this space (Latin at that time), I needed to branch out on my own,” she explains. “I was also about to have a baby and wanted more flexibility with my time.”
Magorno now spearheads her own boutique public relations and marketing firm, Imagine It Media, with a foundation in music, entertainment and communications strategy for the U.S. Latin crossover markets, Mexico and Latin America. The Miami-based agency also specializes in talent wrangling, strategic brand partnerships and event media management.
In the past 10 years, Imagine It helmed major projects for Camila Cabello, The Spongebob Movie soundtrack, Justin Quiles and LMFAO’s Sky Blu, among others. Currently, the company’s roster includes Anitta, Tainy, Farruko, Myke Towers, Piso 21, Jorge Drexler, Steve Aoki, C. Tangana, Yahritza y Su Esencia and newcomer Un León Marinero, to name a few, as well as corporate clients NEON16, Sony Music Latin and NTERTAIN.
Below, learn more about Magorno and her agency.
What were some initial challenges when you first opened?
The credibility. I had shifted markets and did not really have super solid relationships and I found bookers, producers and journalists had their favorites and it was a challenge for sure. But I persevered and eventually, the phone calls and emails were answered. I am a people person, it’s hard to say no to this face. Ha! JK.
In your 16-year career, how do you keep motivated with your business?
Breaking new talent. Giving them my platform to really break into the market. Nowadays with streaming, it’s just so amazing to have an endless jukebox of artists and music to discover. For example, the Latin folk music movement is really making noise and having a revival. We most recently signed an indie artist from Mexico, Un León Marinero, who is in this space. He is an incredible songwriter and musician and I am so excited to show the world his talent. You have to check out his music.
What drives you to want to work with an artist?
There are many components to this question. Talent, of course, but also that I really connect with the person behind the music. It is something that is very important to me. Another component when I started my own thing, what drove me then, was to retain one big client so that I would have leverage on my hands. Having big artists means a lot of the opportunities are incoming, and although that is wonderful, what really drives me is moving things and opening doors for the up and comers. I have artists that have been with me for many years and at the beginning, media would shut the doors over and over again. Eventually, the doors opened and the feeling of accomplishment for me is so rewarding.
Who do you turn to for business advice or who has taught you the most about the business?
It’s always good to have a few people you can go to. My fellow PR colleagues Kary An Diaz and Nini Veras have been solid when it comes to advice on work-related things. But there are two people who have helped me see things clearly and supported me on so many facets, Ivelisse Malave and Lex Borrero. These executives have always been my cheerleaders and I am so thankful to have them in my life and to get to work together on projects.
What’s the most crucial advice you can offer to up-and-coming publicists?
Focus. Stay behind the scenes. Work with integrity and really learn to not only offer PR services but also to know and understand strategy. I see so many of the new schools of publicists who have no real understanding of what it is to sit and build a strategy. This is something I wish I would have learned a lot earlier on in my career, but things were a lot different then too.
For months, South Korean politicians have been scrambling to find a solution to the forced breakup of BTS, the biggest cultural export their country has known over the last several decades.
On Monday (Oct. 17), the boy band’s label Big Hit Music, a subsidiary of HYBE, appeared to put an end to the handwringing, saying that each of the BTS members would, in fact, serve their mandatory military service. That means, before long — Jin turns 30 in December — the group will not be able to perform with its full seven-member lineup until 2025.
While the timing will vary for the members — Jin, RM, J-Hope, Suga, Jimin, V and Jungkook — based on their age, the departures will create yet another challenge for Seoul-based HYBE. The company, which went public on the South Korean Stock Exchange in October of 2020, has been working to diversify its roster and silence financial analysts who said the company had the look of a one-hit wonder with BTS, the act that has landed six No. 1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100.
HYBE had already been dealing with the stress put on the company by the act’s joint announcement in June that it was taking an undetermined break from group activities to pursue solo projects. But no amount of lobbying by politicians or HYBE itself has helped BTS avoid the responsibilities that all able-bodied South Korean males from 18 to 28 have to serve at least 18 months in the military, though the length of service may vary. In December of 2020, the South Korean National Assembly passed the so-called “BTS law” to allow K-pop entertainers to postpone required service until the age of 30 with a recommendation from the culture minister.
For now, the market seems to have priced in the reality that either through military service or their own desire to work on their solo careers, this version of BTS would not be able to stay together for much longer.
HYBE’s stock, traded on South Korea’s stock exchange, fell 2.54% to 115,000 won ($80.40) on Monday, with other K-pop companies’ stocks staying within 1% of their Friday closing price.
Mandatory military service issue has been a divisive issue in South Korea in recent years as K-pop’s popularity has grown worldwide. While many, including some lawmakers, say the musicians’ contribution to the country’s global recognition should qualify them for an exemption, others that include the defense ministry have opposed the move.
In a country that has superpower neighbors such as China and Russia, as well as a saber-rattling North Korea, many South Koreans believe that the military requirement serves as a social equalizer. And attempts to avoid mandatory service have suspended or derailed the careers of several entertainers and other public figures. Boy bands such as 2 PM and Bigbang have significantly limited their public appearances or paused group activities after its members entered the military.
Jin, the group’s eldest member, turns 30 in December and is expected to start his military service by the end of the year if no sudden amendments are made to the country’s compulsory draft legislation. Jungkook, the youngest member, is 25 years old.
For HYBE, the big question remains: Has the company done enough to diversify its artist roster to account for a potential drop in revenues from a less-active BTS. Since acquiring Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings in April 2021, the share of HYBE’s revenue BTS accounts for, which was 85% in 2020, has fallen to about 60% in 2021, according to one analyst estimate.
Bernie Cho, owner of Seoul-based DFSB Kollective artists and label services agency, says HYBE “has silenced naysayers by rolling out a deep K-pop artists roster that goes beyond BTS,” including new acts Seventeen, TXT and ENHYPEN. Combined, the three groups, which debuted in 2021, accounted for 7.7 million album unit sales — more than half of HYBE’s 2021 total K-pop album sales worldwide, according to company filings. And this year, two girl bands – Le Sserafim and NewJeans – have joined their male labelmates as “some of the best-selling artists of the year,” Cho says.
Nevertheless, earlier this month, NH Investment & Securities, one of South Korea’s largest securities firms, lowered its target stock price for HYBE by 19% to 250,000 won ($177) citing a “delay in growth even after acquiring Ithaca Holdings.”
BTS fuels tremendous merchandise sales in Korea, along with physical CDs and is essentially the flagship act for a growing global K-pop industry. Attention around BTS helps generate some $3.54 billion in visits from foreigners and exports of consumer goods like clothes, makeup and food, according to the Hyundai Research Institute. One Korean politician, Sung-Il-jong of the ruling People Power Party, has estimated that a No. 1 song on the Billboard charts can create a halo effect that generates an economic boom of $1.38 billion for the South Korean economy.
Twelve full months of revenue from HYBE America — which houses artist management and Big Machine Label Group, which manages top international acts like Justin Bieber — are expected to further strengthen HYBE’s income statement.
The company also will try to cobble together BTS-like sales and streams from BTS solo projects. In July, J-Hope was the first to release solo material with the album Jack in the Box, which featured singles “MORE” and “Arson.”
The members, for their part, seem to want to try to stay together as BTS. At a special free concert on Saturday in Busan, South Korea, where 55,000 fans attended, Jin teased a solo project as the members pledged to carry on group activities well into their careers. “We will continue for 30 years,” Jimin said, “and even perform when we are 70 years old.”
But it was J-Hope, the first to open up about the group’s future, who seemed to signal that military service was looming — and that the group could be entering a challenging period. “I think we’re in a phase where we need your trust,” he said.
Additional reporting by Jeyup S. Kwaaak