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Jason Derulo has spoken out about the lawsuit filed Thursday (Oct. 5) by a woman who claims the superstar sexually harassed her after signing her to his record label.
“I wouldn’t normally comment but these claims are completely false and hurtful,” said Derulo in a video and written statement posted to Instagram Thursday night. “I stand against all forms of harassment and I remain supportive of anybody following their dreams. I’ve always strived to live my life in a positively impactful way, and that’s why I sit here before you deeply offended, by these defamatory claims. God bless.”
In the complaint, the woman, Emaza Gibson, said that she signed with Derulo’s record label, Future History, after Derulo allegedly reached out about working with her in August 2021. But she claimed the relationship quickly soured, with Derulo continually pressuring her to have sex with him despite her persistent refusals to do so. Among other accusations, Gibson said the singer told her that if she wanted success in the music industry, she “would be required to partake in ‘goat skin and fish scales,’ which is a Haitian reference referring to conducting sex rituals, sacrificing a goat, goat blood and doing cocaine.’”
After allegedly rebuffing all of Derulo’s advances, Gibson claimed that the star became increasingly dismissive of and aggressive toward her. She further accused Derulo’s manager, Frank Harris, and human resources executives at Future History’s label partner, Atlantic Records, of defending Derulo or ignoring her complaints. In September 2022, she said she was informed that her “employment” with Future History and Atlantic had been terminated.
Since her alleged experiences with Derulo, Gibson claimed she’s required medical intervention for “breakdowns, weight loss, insomnia, mood swings, hopelessness, loss of motivation…[and] feelings of betrayal and deception” and was subsequently diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Gibson is suing for sexual harassment, failure to prevent and/or remedy harassment, retaliation, intimidation and violence, breach of contract and more. Harris, Atlantic and RCA Records are also named as defendants. It’s unclear why RCA Records is listed, as the label has never done business with Derulo or Future History.
On Friday, Gibson’s attorney, Ron Zambrano, responded to Derulo’s statement by putting out his own. “If Derulo truly remained supportive of anyone following their dreams, he would acknowledge the pain and suffering he caused Emaza and aim to be a better person,” the statement reads. “He should be offended by these allegations, as should everyone, including his fans. Emaza is certainly offended by his dismissive attitude. The entire music industry is due for a #MeToo movement. This sort of conduct is pervasive but it takes brave people like Emaza to come out of the shadows and share their stories to finally bring an end to this shameful behavior.”
This week, EA Sports released the latest installment of its long-running soccer video game series, this year re-branded as EA Sports FC 24 after a long-running licensing deal with FIFA expired last year. And the demand, despite the new title, has been massive: The game debuted at No. 1 in the United Kingdom and sold 6.8 million copies worldwide in its first week, according to the Financial Times — a 25% boost over the early access sales of FIFA ’23.
That’s a big deal for the music business. Gaming and music have always been intertwined, but EA’s soccer series has sparked a closer relationship with its soundtrack songs than most; in a phenomenon called FIFA Songs, gamers form nostalgic attachments to the music they hear while playing. And because soccer is a truly global sport, the soundtracks to the games over the years have often been global affairs, with both established acts and rising artists from around the world included and exposed to audiences — many of them young — for hours each week as they play.
This year’s edition is no different, with a soundtrack that includes more than 100 tracks from artists hailing from 30-plus countries across six continents. Warner Music Group won one of EA Sports FC 24‘s biggest synchs, landing the coveted slot in the game’s official launch trailer with Royal Blood’s “Trouble’s Coming.” The company also received placements for some established hits (Myke Towers’ “LALA” from Warner Music Latin; Ninho and Central Cee’s “EuroStar” from Warner Music France) as well as up-and-coming acts, like Ezekiel’s “there she goes” (Warner Records) and an unreleased track from KING, “We Are the Ones” (Warner Music India). And that helps Warner Music Group’s executive vp of global sync and U.S. visual media licensing Ron Broitman earn the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
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Here, Broitman — whose remit goes beyond just video games to include film and TV and advertising syncs for the label’s global roster — breaks down how the label worked with EA to include songs on the soundtrack, as well as the effect of such a huge placement on an artist’s career. “Being placed in a game like this brings a track to millions of fans worldwide and can lead to meaningful streaming and consumption spikes,” Broitman says. “For developing artists it’s also an opportunity to introduce them to a massive, captive audience that maybe wouldn’t have heard their music otherwise.”
This week, the new EA Sports soccer video game, EA Sports FC 24, was the United Kingdom’s highest-selling video game release, and Warner Music has a significant presence on its influential soundtrack, including in the main trailer. What’s the process for getting a song on the soundtrack, and how did the placements for this one come together?
This project is an amazing display of collaboration involving WMG’s recorded music repertoire from all over the world. We’re unique in the fact that we don’t operate within traditional synch borders, we’re one cohesive global synch team, so our partners have direct and open access to all of our local experts from around the globe. With EA, we’ve built a very close, trusting relationship with them over many years — a major testament to the top-notch global gaming community we have within our synch and U.S. frontline label teams. From there, it’s really a multi-layered, ongoing process, but there’s a regular dialogue and sharing of relevant new releases from our U.S. teams and our teams around the world including in the U.K., France, Sweden and LatAm, among others. Especially when dealing with a game with as much global popularity as FC 24, it’s key to involve as many teams around the world as possible so that the final soundtrack is representative of all the great, global music in the WMG family.
How do you decide what songs to put forward for the soundtrack?
Our global synch gaming experts focus on many factors, but above all, we make sure every recording is authentic and that there’s a natural connection between the artist, the game, the fans and the musical energy that our partner is looking for. Of course, we also consider artist albums and new release cycles as we know synch placements — especially in gaming — have the potential for incredible exposure. EA particularly has built a reputation for music discovery which creates a huge lane for pitching artists at any stage in their career. That’s why on this soundtrack you’ll see massive tracks like Myke Towers’ “LALA” that everyone already loves, alongside tracks like “there she goes” from newcomer Ezekiel so that we can hopefully introduce fans to what will become their next favorite song.
Soccer, more than sports like baseball or American football, is a truly global game. How does that factor into your thinking when choosing songs or artists for a game like this, vs. something like the Madden franchise?
With a game like FC 24, there’s an opportunity to showcase a diverse group of artists that cross genres and borders because we know there are fans from all over the world playing. We aim to make sure everyone listening hears something that they feel resonates with them, and it’s also a great way to introduce local talent to a global audience. At WMG, we’re lucky to have such a standout group of artists from every corner of the globe, so it makes our jobs easier — or harder, actually. Our representation on this soundtrack speaks to this approach — from India’s KING to France’s Ninho to Sweden’s Baby Mala to Puerto Rico’s Myke Towers to the U.K.’s Sam Gellaitry and many more.
What effect can a placement in a huge game like this have on a song’s success, or on an artist’s career?
The impact is undeniable. Being placed in a game like this brings a track to millions of fans worldwide and can lead to meaningful streaming and consumption spikes. For developing artists it’s also an opportunity to introduce them to a massive, captive audience that maybe wouldn’t have heard their music otherwise. We’re already seeing this happen with Ezekiel, who I’d mentioned, as well as with swim school, and many others. Players aren’t just enjoying the music in-game passively, they’re actively seeking it out and consuming it elsewhere. The ultimate goal of course is that we convert those players into fans, and they follow along on an artist’s journey. That’s one of the many benefits of a music company like ours, there’s a dedicated team exploring these types of opportunities that have the potential to be a game-changer for an artist’s career.
How does the demographic of those who regularly play video games factor into that effect?
FC 24 draws an audience of all ages, but we know there’s a large number of players in the Gen Z demographic. This group, more than any other generational cohort, reports that they discover and actively seek out music that they hear when they’re gaming. So we know we have an incredible opportunity to introduce new music and artists to this young group who may still be developing their musical tastes, and there’s a high likelihood that we can turn these players into fans.
How does a synch in a soundtrack for a game like this compare to a synch for a TV ad or a film trailer?
Music has always had a really close connection with gaming, maybe even more so than any other visual form. With gaming, you have engaged players that will play every single day and be hearing these songs over and over again. It’s an incredible amount of exposure as far as sheer number of listening hours. With this game specifically, there’s also a really interesting phenomenon called “FIFA songs” where avid players say they develop a strong, lifelong connection with the songs that they hear while they’re playing. Even years later, hearing one of these songs can bring back nostalgic, happy memories associated with playing the game. So the impact that these songs can have can really last a lifetime.
If it’s Friday that means another spin around the Executive Turntable, Billboard’s comprehensive(ish) compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across the music industry.
Warner Music Finland‘s front office is getting a new look. Managing director Niko Nordström and head of A&R Asko Kallonen, who arrived at WMF in 2007 after Warner Music acquired their Helsinski Music Company label, are both headed for the ovi. Taking over later this year in the MD role will be current general manager Ramona Forsström, who has clocked 15-plus years at the imprint. In Kallonen’s old office in the A&R department will be veteran producer Jukka Immonen, who starts on New Year’s Day and brings with him the artist roster of his Fried Music label (which WMG has additionally acquired via undisclosed terms). Kallonen, meanwhile, will continue to serve as an A&R consultant for Immonen and his team after he passes the mic. The Warner Music Finland roster includes Antti Tuisku, Arttu Wiskari, BEHM, Ellinoora, Kaija Koo and SANNI, among others. Immonen will report to Forsström, who will report to Warner Music Nordics president Mark Fry. Calling Forsström a “huge talent whose counsel I value and who delivers time and again for our artists and our business,” Fry added that “her fresh leadership perspective will help us grow our roster and our artists’ careers.”
SoundExchange appointed Peter Karafotas as senior vp of government relations and public policy. Based in Washington, D.C., he will report directly to the organization’s president and CEO Michael Huppe. Karafotas arrives from Capitol Hill, where he recently served as chief of staff to Rep. David N. Cicilline (D-RI) until his resignation earlier this year to run a nonprofit. In his new role, Karafotas will lead on global public policy issues affecting music creators. He replaces Linda Bloss-Baum, who left over the summer for a full-time teaching gig at American University. Said Huppe: “I am thrilled to have someone with Peter’s expertise at the helm of our Government Relations & Public Policy department at a time when SoundExchange is amplifying our legislative efforts to ensure creators are paid fairly.”
Evan Bogart‘s music rights, label and publishing company Seeker Music hired Dan Stuart as general counsel. Stuart previously completed a five-year run as senior vp of business affairs at AWAL, during which AWAL’s U.S. clientele enjoyed significant growth and AWAL was acquired by Sony Music. Prior to that, Stuart worked for five years as a partner at King, Holmes, Paterno & Soriano, and worked for 15 years as an attorney at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips. Stuart’s career also includes time well spent as a music journalist, a DJ-in-residence, and in radio. “What I’ve known about Dan since the day I met him” about 20 years ago “is how smart, dedicated, passionate, authentic, and well-respected he is,” said Bogart. “He is one of the best in the business, and in my view it’s because he’s not just a lawyer, he’s an OG music guy who really cares about music and music creators.” –Jessica Nicholson
Kobalt promoted Kat Basolo to senior vp of creative synch. The Los Angeles-based exec was most recently vp of creative synch and in the past year helped score a number synch opportunities for Kobalt artists with several major brands, TV shows and films. Prior to joining Kobalt in 2014, she worked at Sony Music Entertainment for 10 years. Global head of synch Rob Christensen credited Basolo with “procuring thousands of synch opportunities” for clients during her tenure. “But more than any stat,” he added, “she has excellent relationships with so many of the world’s top music supervisors because she works hard to understand their needs and then delivers time and time again.”
Dreamcatcher vp of promotion Jim Dandy announced his departure from the company for a new opportunity at New Revolution Entertainment . Following the recent departures of national director of promotion Kellie LaJack, West Coast regional Rick Young, Midwest regional Charlie Dean and promotion manager Annie Brooks, the label is operating without a promotion staff. Dreamcatcher partner Jim Mazza said the situation is temporary, explaining that the promotion team is independently contracted and was let go with no current singles at radio. The label intends to re-form a promotion staff when its lone artist, Tenille Arts, releases her next single in early 2024. Under the circumstances, Mitch Rosell, who signed with the label in August, asked for — and received — his release from his contract. –Tom Roland
Amanda Rae Kopp is promoted to chief product officer at JKBX, a start-up offering investors fractional shares in hit songs. Kopp will be responsible for refining product strategies and driving innovation at the emerging platform. Prior to JKBX, which officially launched Sept. 12, Kopp was a global product leader at Warner Music Group.
Fantasy Records appointed Lindsay Brandt as vp of marketing and creative. In the newly-created position, Brandt will serve as in-house creative director and head of marketing, focusing on content development and digital strategy. Previously, Brandt served as senior director of creative & digital at Activist Artists Management, working with artists including The Lumineers and Bob Weir. Brandt said in a statement, “My vinyl collection boasts numerous albums with the iconic Fantasy Records logo. I’m humbled to join a team that holds music in such high regard and delighted to tell the story of these profound artists.” –JN
FlyteVu, the full-service marketing agency founded in 2015 by former Warner Music Nashville senior vp Jeremy Holley and ex-CAA agent Laura Hutfless, made several promotions and hires of late. Sina Seger, on staff since 2017, is the firm’s very first general manager — and will oversee day-to-day operations. Elsewhere, Nicole Ranieri has been promoted from account director to head of accounts, and industry veteran Ally Venable joins the team as head of talent. Venable joins from Mandolin Entertainment, a boutique artist and brand management firm. In the past 12 months, FlyteVu has launched two new sister agencies: FV Incubator, handling marketing for start-ups, and FV3, focused on brands and Web3. “Over the past eight years, FlyteVu has built a solid reputation for innovation, excellence, and generosity in the industry,” said Hutfless. “Sina and our Leadership Team have played instrumental roles in our growth and success. We are thrilled to enter FlyteVu’s next chapter as we continue to innovate, disrupt and propel our clients forward.”
Shore Fire Media elevated Haley Griffin and Henry Thomas to junior account executives. Both joined the leading PR firm a mere year ago as interns and were promoted to publicity assistants late in the year. Griffin is a Berklee College of Music graduate, while Thomas is a Skidmore College grad. “In just over a year, Haley and Henry have displayed their talent, commitment, and growth,” said senior vp Rebecca Shapiro. “We’re excited to recognize their contributions and confident that they will shine in their new roles.”
Kobalt promoted Kat Basolo to senior vp of creative synch. The Los Angeles-based exec was most recently vp of creative synch and in the past year helped score a number synch opportunities for Kobalt artists with several major brands, TV shows and films. Prior to joining Kobalt in 2014, she worked at Sony Music Entertainment for 10 years. Global head of synch Rob Christensen credited Basolo with “procuring thousands of synch opportunities” for clients during her tenure. “But more than any stat,” he added, “she has excellent relationships with so many of the world’s top music supervisors because she works hard to understand their needs and then delivers time and time again.”
ICYMI: Warner Music‘s chief digital officer Oana Ruxandra announced she’s leaving the label … Anthem made it official with Jason Klein and Sal Fazzari … and Kenny MacPherson was placed on leave from his job at Hipgnosis Songs Fund, following the filing of a lawsuit claiming he sexually assaulted a staffer in 2005 while he ran another company.
Melanie Johnson is named chief commercial officer at Audoo, the music tech company looking to shake up the royalty reporting system for musicians. Based in London and reporting to CEO Ryan Edwards, Johnson is tasked with overseeing the continued global expansion of the company’s proprietary platform Audoo Audio Meter. She arrives with a packed CV that includes lengthy tenures at Facebook, Sony Music Publishing and EMI Music Publishing. Most recently, Johnson served as vp of partnerships at Utopia Music. “Mel’s stellar professional and personal reputation precedes her,” Edwards correctly notes. “Adding her expertise to Audoo as we mark a milestone five years in business, we move closer to our goal of being the partner of choice for PROs and CMOs, and continue on the mission of revolutionising the public performance royalties space worldwide.”
Reactional Music, the maker of an interactive music engine for video games, hired Spotify veteran Jacob Deshayes as chief operating officer. In his new role, Deshayes will oversee Reactional’s platform and manage partnerships, technical programs and strategy. “In joining Reactional Music I am thrilled to have the opportunity to apply my experience on three of my foremost passions – music, tech and video games – as we unlock groundbreaking tools for a new innovative form of music creation, as well as ways for the world of gamers to personalize their musical experience,” he said. Additionally, Reactional selected one of its founders, former Take Two Interactive CEO Kelly Sumner, as board chairman.
Croshal Entertainment Group, the artist management and label service firm founded by longtime Sony Music and Maverick executive Fred Croshal, made a pair of key promotions. Jimmy Brunetti, previously vp of label services, has been elevated to executive vp of business development and project management. Kirbie Croshal, most recently director of social media and project management, is now senior vp of marketing and digital strategies. Brunetti and Croshal have logged 15 and 17 years at CEG, respectively.
Last Week’s Turntable: Glass Ceiling Breaker Departed Sony
Mavin Records, the hot Nigerian label that’s home to Rema and Ayra Starr, is seeking investment or eying a potential full sale with bidding coming from the the Universal Music Group, HYBE and strong interest from music asset investors in the financial sector, according to sources.
Mavin’s valuation in the proposed deal is above $125 million and could be worth $150 million to $200 million, according to those sources. (It’s unclear if the label owns music publishing and if that is involved.) Sources further say that Shot Tower Capital is shopping the deal.
The move is expected to raise funding to help position the label for more growth. The African continent is anticipated to be the next geographical repertoire to have a commanding presence on the global stage, similar to how Latin and K-pop have had an impact on the international marketplace in recent years.
Even if the investment comes from a strategic investor like UMG or HYBE, or results in another label or music company taking a stake in Mavin or even buying the African music company outright. The Mavin management team, led by legendary Nigerian music business executive Don Jazzy, is expected to remain in place and retain some form of control over its destiny.
Selena Gomez & Rema
Courtesy of Rema*
Among strategic music industry suitors, sources say HYBE is in pole position with UMG in second place, even though some of Mavin’s bigger artists are distributed in the U.S. through various UMG entities. For instance, Rema’s big hit “Calm Down” — which peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100 and remains in the top 10 on the chart after 56 weeks — was distributed by Virgin, one of UMG’s indie distribution arms; the subsequent remix version by Rema and Selena Gomez is licensed to Interscope; and sources say some other Mavin artist or artists might be going through Republic, as Mavin is listed under that label in Luminate.
Both Rema and Ayra Starr have racked up more than 1.5 billion global on-demand streams, according to Luminate, though Rema’s collaboration with Gomez on “Calm Down” is not counted under his artist page; that song has reached 9.07 billion global streams, with 164.5 million and 165.7 million in just the last two weeks, as of Sep. 28. Several other Rema collaborations are also listed elsewhere in Luminate, which means his overall share of streams is multiple times larger than what he is credited for solely under his own artist page in that system.
Moreover, both Rema’s and Starr’s emergence on the global stage is far bigger than their impact in the U.S. where Rema has 287 million streams and Starr has 203 million streams. Put another way, Rema’s collaboration with Gomez in the U.S., at 861.2 million streams, accounts for less than one tenth of the song’s total activity of over 9 billion streams.
In addition to hot artists like Rema and Starr, Mavin’s roster features more up-and-coming artists like Ladipoe, Crayon, Boy Spyce and Magixx, while its catalog includes music from Tiwa Savage, Wande Coal, Iyanya and Reekado Banks.
For a strategic suitor, the deal comes with other promising benefits besides landing a strong artist roster in a leading music company on the African continent. Winning the Mavin auction would catapult that bidder into a key player in the Nigerian Afrobeats scene — the umbrella genre that encompasses Afropop, Afro fusion, high life and others continues to explode around the globe. In the past several years, artists such as Wizkid, Davido and Burna Boy have blossomed into global superstars, while the likes of Rema, Starr, Tems, Ckay, Asake and Fireboy DML have led a wave of young, emerging talent coming from the African continent. The movement has gained momentum to the point that the Recording Academy has introduced a new Grammy Awards category for best African music performance, which will be awarded for the first time at the forthcoming awards in February.
Beyond that, the buyer would also land the executive talent of Don Jazzy, born Michael Ajerehwho, who has already established Mavin as one of the leading record labels on the continent. Don Jazzy has become a leading figure in the development of the music business in Nigeria, having established Mo’ Hit Records alongside iconic recording artist D’Banj in 2004, before launching Mavin in 2012.
All companies mentioned in this story either declined to comment or didn’t respond to a request for comment by press time.
Singer Jason Derulo is being sued by a woman who claims the singer sexually harassed her and then dropped her from a deal with his record label after she rebuffed his advances, according to documents filed in Los Angeles County court Thursday (Oct. 5).
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In the complaint — filed by attorney Ron Zambrano — the woman, Emaza Gibson, accuses Derulo of pressuring her to drink and have sex with him despite her persistent refusals to do so. In one bizarre claim, Gibson says the singer told her that if she wanted success in the music industry, she “would be required to partake in ‘goat skin and fish scales,’ which is a Haitian reference referring to conducting sex rituals, sacrificing a goat, goat blood and doing cocaine.’”
The complaint additionally lists as defendants Derulo’s record label, Future History; Atlantic Records, which has a joint venture with Future History; Derulo’s manager, Frank Harris; and Radio Corporation of America, dba RCA Records. It’s unclear why RCA Records is listed, as the label has never done business with Derulo or Future History.
According to the lawsuit, Derulo contacted Gibson in August 2021 stating he wanted to sign her to Future History, his new joint-venture label with Atlantic. After allegedly signing contracts with Derulo, Future History and Atlantic, Gibson states that work began on her debut album that same November, with Derulo acting “as her mentor, supervisor and agent for Atlantic and Future.”
Gibson goes on to claim that she regularly communicated with Derulo via text message to schedule recording sessions but that the singer instead “repeatedly” invited her to drinks and dinner — meetings she says she declined in an effort to keep the relationship professional. During a meeting in New York with Atlantic executives to discuss her career, Gibson claims she met another female artist who informed her that she was there because Derulo was also trying to have sex with her.
Gibson claims that after that alleged meeting, upon confronting Derulo about what the woman had said, he “immediately lost control and began aggressively hitting his arm rests screaming, ‘What does she have to do with you!? We weren’t going to tell you anything! We don’t have to tell you anything!’” Stating that she was rattled by the outburst, Gibson says she later insisted that her mother, who also served as her manager, be present at any future meetings of recording sessions with Derulo “out of concern for her own safety.” It was at that point, she claims, that Derulo stopped responding to her text messages.
The two allegedly didn’t meet again until June 2, 2022, when Gibson says she asked Derulo about the budget to pay for her recording sessions. She says Derulo snapped at her and ignored her questions but ultimately arranged for a recording session roughly a week later. Gibson says that due to traffic, she and her mother were approximately one hour late to the session, and that when they arrived, Derulo “immediately charged” and “lunged at her, causing her to step back and clutched [sic] her chest to brace herself for DERULO to physically assault her” before running to the bathroom in tears.
Gibson claims that when complaining to Harris about Derulo’s behavior, the manager defended Derulo and told her that the star “had the right to yell” at her. Derulo allegedly never responded to a follow-up text from Gibson about arranging another recording session, and on Sept. 6, 2022, she says she was informed that her “employment” with Atlantic and Future History had been terminated. She claims she then took her complaints about Derulo’s “sexually, emotionally and physically inappropriate behavior” to Atlantic executives and the label’s human resources department but that she was directed to take up her concerns with Future History. “No one has ever reached out to address” her concerns since, she claims.
Since her alleged experiences with Derulo, Gibson says she’s required medical intervention for “breakdowns, weight loss, insomnia, mood swings, hopelessness, loss of motivation…[and] feelings of betrayal and deception” and was subsequently diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Gibson is suing for sexual harassment, failure to prevent and/or remedy harassment, retaliation, intimidation and violence, and breach of contract, among other causes of action. She’s requesting damages for unpaid wages, loss of earnings and deferred compensation; general damages for emotional distress; special damages for medical expenses; and punitive damages.
Representatives for Derulo, Harris, Atlantic and RCA Records did not respond to Billboard‘s request for comment at time of publishing.
Kenny MacPherson, a long-time music publishing executive, has been placed on a leave of absence from his job at Hipgnosis Songs Fund, the company tells Billboard, following the filing of a lawsuit that claims he sexually assaulted a staffer in 2005 while he ran another company.
In a complaint filed Wednesday in Los Angeles court, Sara Lewis alleges that she “endured an onslaught of unwanted sexual advances” from MacPherson while she worked as an A&R at Chrysalis Music during the mid-2000s, when he served as the company’s president.
Lewis claims the harassment eventually escalated into “a traumatic sexual assault” during a 2005 business trip, and that she was then “blacklisted” when she reported the abuse.
“The entertainment industry is rife with tales of the abuse of aspiring entrepreneurial women at the hands of older, powerful executives,” Lewis’ lawyers write. “Women have been historically punished for standing up for themselves, refuting sexual advances, or speaking out against their perpetrators. Sara is unwilling to perpetuate that stigma. This lawsuit is about reclaiming agency for survivors of sexual violence and bringing to justice those high powered perpetrators who have historically avoided culpability.”
In a statement to Billboard on Thursday (Oct. 5), Hipgnosis — which was not named in the lawsuit nor accused of any wrongdoing — said it had placed MacPherson from his role as the CEO of the company’s publishing unit pending an investigation.
“Hipgnosis Songs Fund has a policy of zero-tolerance to harassment or abuse,” a spokesperson for the company said. “While the company is not a defendant to these historic allegations which relate to a period 15 years before Hipgnosis was founded, Kenny MacPherson was placed on leave of absence from Hipgnosis Songs Group as soon as it became aware of the allegations. Our rigorous procedures for dealing with such matters have commenced.”
MacPherson did not immediately return a request for comment on Thursday.
In addition to MacPherson, the lawsuit also named as a defendant BMG Rights Management, which acquired Chrysalis in 2010. Lewis claims that BMG, as the legal successor to her employer, is “directly liable” for the company’s failure to stop abuse by its president. In a statement to Billboard on Thursday, BMG stressed that it did not acquire Chrysalis until “years after the alleged events had taken place.”
“BMG stands solidly against all forms of discrimination, harassment, and abuse and we are shocked and dismayed by the allegations made by Sara Lewis,” the company said.
In her complaint — which contains graphic details of alleged harassment and assault — Lewis claims she was hired by Chrysalis in 2002 to “what she thought was her dream job,” eventually moving into a role as an A&R by 2003. But she says the dream “became a literal nightmare” as she was subjected to “relentless” harassment and “grooming” by MacPherson, who then served as the president of Chrysalis.
“Each of the repeated advances were unwanted and unwelcome,” her lawyers write. “But Sara had nowhere to turn. As president of Chrysalis, MacPherson knew all and controlled all. As a professional and aspiring executive, Sara put her head down, endured the harassment, and continued to pursue her dream career in the music industry.”
Lewis claims the harassment escalated into outright assault during a 2005 trip to Chicago to visit a newly-signed artist. After “plying her with alcohol” during a concert, she says he then “insisted that he and Sara have another drink in Sara’s hotel room” and eventually “professed his love” to her. When she says she “reiterated that she did not share these feelings,” he then “forced himself” on her.
“MacPherson attempted to penetrate Sara, but was unable to maintain an erection,” her lawyers wrote in Wednesday’s complaint. “MacPherson then forcibly performed oral sex on Sara as she laid motionless, repeatedly crying and saying ‘no,’ and pleading for MacPherson to stop. Eventually, apparently frustrated with Sara’s lack of participation and his own inability to perform, MacPherson relented and stopped his sexual assault.”
Lewis says she eventually “mustered the courage to report MacPherson’s abuse,” but her efforts were met only with silence and retaliation. Her direct supervisor did nothing, she says, and MacPherson began to shut her out of important portions of her job. When she tried to look for other jobs, she says she learned she had been “blacklisted” by MacPherson and Chrysalis. Eventually, she says she was “forced to leave the music industry entirely.”
“MacPherson and Chrysalis created an environment wherein Sara was without recourse,” her lawyers wrote. “She either acquiesced to MacPherson’s relentless and unwanted sexual advances, or faced a career-ending fate. Sara will no longer remain silent and now brings this action to seek redress for the years of sexual harassment and abuse she suffered at the hands of MacPherson, which was enabled and covered up by Chrysalis.”
In technical terms, Lewis is accusing BMG and/or MacPherson of 12 different counts of civil wrongdoing, including sexual battery, gender violence, and a slew of violations of California labor and employment laws covering sexual harassment and wrongful termination.
Stories about sexual assault allegations can be traumatizing for survivors of sexual assault. If you or anyone you know needs support, you can reach out to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN). The organization provides free, confidential support to sexual assault victims. Call RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE) or visit the anti-sexual violence organization’s website for more information.
Read the full legal documents here:
Beatport has announced the recipients of its second annual diversity and parity grants. Awards totaling $150,000 will be given to the organizations Change the Beat, Last Night a DJ Saved My Life, ONE OFF TRAKS, Other Village People, Saffron and We Are Moving the Needle.
Last Night a DJ Saved My Life works to empower young people from around the world via fundraising initiatives for grassroots projects. The organization will use the money to teach DJing and production to 32 young women over eight weeks in Leeds, U.K.
ONE OFF TRAKS, an Australian writing camp collaboration and platform for women, trans and non-binary artists, will use its grant to host and expand the writing camp in 2024.
Based in South Africa, Other Village People powers three queer-centered platforms. The organization will use its grant for its newest initiative Queertopia, a three-day festival celebrating South African contemporary queer nightlife culture and movements.
The U.K.’s Saffron works to foster equality in music tech by creating safe and inclusive spaces for people underrepresented in the space. The organization will use its grant to work with 20 Black creatives in the U.K. in endeavors such as community building, knowledge sharing and other educational opportunities.
We Are Moving the Need, based in the States, works to evolve the recording industry with the focus of gender equity and inclusivity. The platform will use its grant on its touring CTRL symposium, which aims to build community and evolve the recording industry via events in Los Angeles, Nashville and New York.
The fund, now in its second year, is awarding two kinds of grants: one that awards amounts between $3,000 to $15,000 to smaller organizations consisting of one to three staff members, and one awarding amounts between $15,001 and $30,000 to organizations with more than four staff members.
“The electronic music community is filled with vibrant groups of creative people who want to make our industry and world better,” Sofia Ilyas, Chief Community Officer of The Beatport Group, says in a statement. “The recipients of our second annual Diversity + Parity Fund exemplify the spirit of positive change, and it is our hope that their endeavors will resonate in powerful ways across our industry.”
This year has been defined by consistency at the top of the charts, and one record label has led in current market share in each of the first three quarters: Republic Records, which has 12.28% of the market through Sept. 28, according to Luminate. That’s a negligible drop from last quarter’s 12.46% and more than four percentage points higher than the 8.77% share the label had for the same period last year.
Republic’s market share — much like the year overall — has been headlined by the massive Morgan Wallen album One Thing at a Time, which has racked up more than 4.5 million equivalent album units since its March debut, and Taylor Swift’s prolific release schedule, which not only includes her latest collection of new tracks, Midnights, but also the release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version). Both are among the top 10 albums of the year so far. (Republic’s share also includes Island, Big Loud, Mercury, Cash Money and indie distributor Imperial.)
Wallen’s dominance is such that his label, Big Loud, would rank eighth among all labels on its own, with a 2.69% current market share if it were broken out from Republic, with both One Thing at a Time and his last release, Dangerous: The Double Album, both counting toward current share. (Current is defined as albums released within the past 18 months or that have remained in the top half of the Billboard 200.)
Coming in at a comfortable second place, with big third-quarter releases from Olivia Rodrigo and NewJeans, was Interscope Geffen A&M, which hit a high mark for the year so far with an 8.55% current share, a half-point increase over its midyear mark. That’s down from the 9.23% current share IGA posted at the third-quarter mark of 2022, but is a strong showing in a year in which Republic has vacuumed up so much market share. (IGA’s share also includes Verve Label Group.)
In third place, Atlantic — which encompasses 300 Elektra Entertainment — has also moved to a high mark for the year, with a 7.39% share, up from 7.34% at midyear. The music group’s performance was boosted by releases by Gunna, Lil Uzi Vert and, most significantly, the Barbie soundtrack, which is among the top five albums of the third quarter with over 650,000 equivalent album units.
However, factoring in back catalog to look at overall market share shakes up the top two. Interscope takes the top spot with 9.57%, besting Republic’s 9.49% by a shade over 500,000 units through the first three quarters, with Atlantic in third at 8.31%. That’s due to the deeper catalog of IGA and Atlantic: They are Nos. 1 and 2 in catalog-only share, with 9.91% and 8.62%, respectively. Republic finished third at 8.54%. Coming into the final quarter of the year, that’s a race to watch.
Capitol, which includes Motown/Quality Control, Blue Note, Astralwerks, Capitol Christian and indie distributor Virgin Music, remained steady in fourth place at 6.01% (from 6.0% at midyear) through three quarters. (Although HYBE acquired Quality Control earlier this year, Universal Music Group [UMG] continued to distribute the label.)
In fifth, Warner Records has made large gains throughout the year, largely due to the successes within Warner Nashville. (Its market share also includes catalog label Rhino, as well as Warner Music Latina.) Zach Bryan’s self-titled album has been a standout success in the quarter, while Bailey Zimmerman’s Religiously. The Album continues to perform well. Notably, both Capitol and Warner made big leaps in current market share year over year: Capitol jumped from sixth place to fourth, growing from 4.50% in 2022 to 6.01% in 2023; Warner grew from 4.77% in 2022 to 5.89% in 2023.
Slipping down the rankings year over year was Columbia, which dropped in current share from fourth through three quarters in 2022 (6.93%) to sixth in 2023 (4.93%). Columbia scored big this year with Miley Cyrus’ Endless Summer Vacation, though 2022’s slate with releases from Harry Styles, Beyoncé and Adele represents a tough act to follow. RCA, in seventh, remains on a hot streak led by the huge success of SZA’s SOS — still the No. 2 album of the year — with the label coming in at a 4.64% share, up from 4.47% this time last year.
Epic has roared back after a relatively quiet 2023 on the strength of Travis Scott’s mammoth Utopia, which boosted the label from 1.82% in current share at midyear to 2.39% at the three-quarters mark — its highest quarterly showing for the year. Sony Nashville (eighth, 2.50%) and Sony Latin (10th, 1.96%) round out the top 10, with each growing more than half a percentage point year over year.
Among the label groups, both UMG (up from 32.54% to 34.61%) and Sony Music Entertainment (up from 27.09% to 27.50%) made big year-over-year strides, while Warner Music Group (down from 18.64% to 17.46%) and, collectively, independent labels (down from 21.73% to 20.43%) lost share compared with the same period in 2022.
After successfully defeating a lawsuit that claimed they ripped off their 2019 hit “Dancing With a Stranger” from an earlier song, Sam Smith and Normani are now demanding that their accuser reimburse their legal bills – a whopping total of $732,202.
In a ruling last month, a federal judge rejected allegations that Smith and Normani had copied a little-known 2015 song of the same name when they released “Dancing,” one of Smith’s top-charting hits that peaked at No. 7 on the Hot 100 chart.
Now, Smith and Normani say they shouldn’t be forced to foot the bill for a “frivolous and unreasonable” lawsuit.
“Defective copyright infringement claims, like Plaintiff’s claims here, burden the court, cause potentially damaging negative publicity for recording artists … and others, and force needless attorney’s fees on them,” wrote attorney Peter Anderson, who reps the two stars in a Sept 22 court filing. “Awarding attorney’s fees here will deter plaintiff and others from filing and blindly prosecuting such claims without anything close to the required factual and legal basis.”
The case against Smith and Normani was filed last year by songwriters Jordan Vincent, Christopher Miranda and Rosco Banlaoi, who claimed that “Dancing” was “strikingly similar” to their 2015 same-named track. In their complaint, they said it was “beyond any real doubt” that the song had been copied.
But last month, U.S. District Judge Wesley L. Hsu said it was, in fact, very much in doubt. Granting Smith and Normani’s motion for an immediate ruling ending the lawsuit, the judge said the songs simply were not similar – and he criticized the plaintiffs for manipulating them to make them appear more alike.
“Permitting copyright plaintiffs to prevail … by rotating chords, recalibrating the tempo, and altering the pitch of a defendant’s song so that it sounds more similar to the plaintiffs’ would lead courts to deem substantially similar two vastly dissimilar musical compositions,” Judge Hsu wrote at the time.
Unlike most forms of litigation, winners in copyright lawsuits are often able to legally recover the money they spent on lawyers fighting the case. Judges grant such requests in cases where a lawsuit shouldn’t have been filed, and they can serve as a powerful deterrent against future questionable lawsuits.
In their filing asking Hsu to order Vincent, Miranda and Banlaoi to reimburse them, Smith and Normani said the songwriters’ case had been exactly the kind of pointless lawsuit that needs to be deterred.
“Plaintiff sought to monopolize unprotectable elements that are common property to all,” Anderson wrote. “Claims like Plaintiff’s here threaten to cheat the public domain and curtail the creation of new works.”
As for the total, the pair of stars said they had incurred a whopping $732,202 bill for the services of Anderson and other lawyers from the top firm Davis Wright Tremaine who defended them. That figure was “below the median hourly rates” of similar elite copyright lawyers, they said, and they were “perfectly justified” in racking up big bills on a case that was demanding all of the profits from a a multi-platinum hit song.
Two groups of artist managers have come together to form The Circuit Group, a new entity that will create business opportunities around artists’ intellectual property. Founded by Dean and Jessica Wilson of Seven20 — whose clients include deadmau5 — along with Brett Fischer, David Gray and Harvey Tadman of AYITA — clients include Chris Lake […]