Business
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Shares of YG Entertainment plummeted 16.3% this week amidst speculation the agency has not renewed the contracts of the members of girl group BLACKPINK. Following a spate of reports out of South Korea, the company’s share price dropped 13.3% on Thursday (Sept. 21) and another 4.1% on Friday (Sept. 22).
On Thursday, Korean news outlet Daily Sports Seoul reported that three members of BLACKPINK — Jennie, Jisoo and Lisa — will leave YG Entertainment and spend just six months out of the year as part of the group. In response to that report and the flurry of media attention that followed, YG Entertainment issued a brief statement: “Currently, BLACKPINK’s contract renewal has not been confirmed and is being discussed.”
BLACKPINK became the first K-pop girl group to play Coachella in 2019 and headlined the festival in 2023. The quartet was also the first K-pop girl group — and the third K-pop group overall — to top the Billboard 200, with its 2022 album, Born Pink.
A week ago, YG Entertainment’s share price was up 80.8% year to date and was outpacing its K-pop competitors. Following the BLACKPINK news, shares of YG Entertainment fell to 130,300 KRW ($97.56), dropping its year-to-date gain to 51.4%. That put YG Entertainment below SM Entertainment’s 69.9% year-to-date gain and JYP Entertainment’s 55.6% improvement.
Overall, the 21-stock Billboard Global Music Index fell 1.9% to 1,330.12 this week, lowering its year-to-date gain to 13.9%. Eleven stocks ended the week in negative territory and two were unchanged. Of the eight stocks that finished in positive territory, only Cumulus Media, which gained 7.9% to $4.80, appreciated more than 3%.
Music stocks outperformed some major indexes, though. In the United States, the S&P 500 dropped 2.4% to 4,345.64 and the Nasdaq composite fell 3.6% to 13,211.81. Overseas, the United Kingdom’s FTSE 100 fell 0.4% to 7,683.91 while South Korea’s KOSPI composite index declined 3.6% to 2,508.13.
Led by Cumulus Media’s 7.9% gain, the three radio companies in the index had an average gain of 3.8% — the only segment in positive territory — with SiriusXM gaining 2% to $4.07 and iHeartMedia rising 1.5% to $3.45. Meanwhile, the eight stocks covering record labels and music publishers lost an average of 1.1%, and four live music stocks fell by an average of 1.7%. The six streaming companies in the Billboard Global Music Index lost an average of 6.9%.
Two streaming companies, LiveOne and Anghami, had the sharpest declines of the week. Abu Dhabi-based Anghami dropped 19% to $0.68, bringing its year-to-date loss to 57.4%. U.S. music streamer LiveOne fell 23.4% to $1.05 and has lost 36% of its value since spinning off its PodcastOne division on Sept. 11 and attracting media attention over allegations its Kast Media division did not pay some advertising revenues to podcasters. The spinoff hasn’t helped the company’s combined value: Trading under the name Courtside Group, the podcast company’s share price fell to $2.05 this week, 52% below its opening trading price on Sept. 8. The other streaming stocks almost broke even this week: Spotify, Tencent Music Entertainment, Cloud Music and Deezer had an average share price decline of just 0.2%.
Hipgnosis Songs Fund rose 2.8% to 0.832 pounds ($1.02) a week after dropping 12.8% on news the publicly traded investment trust plans to sell some catalogs for $465 million. The sale proceeds would fund share buybacks and repurchase debt, which Hipgnosis believes will support the beleaguered share price and reset the company’s net asset value.
Shares of Warner Music Group (WMG) dropped 4.7% to $30.76 this week following the announcement on Monday (Sept. 18) that BMG is taking control of its digital distribution and will no longer use WMG’s ADA Distribution (though it will continue to outsource its physical distribution). The news didn’t impact WMG’s share price until Wednesday (Sept. 20), when a report by analysts at Guggenheim stated that BMG’s decision would cause “a staggered reduction in WMG gross revenue” beginning Dec. 31 of roughly $250 million annually. Losing BMG’s digital business won’t be a major hit to WMG’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), however: Guggenheim believes WMG’s revenue from BMG had an EBITDA margin in the low single digits and would have “minimal free cash flow impact.” Guggenheim has a $37 price target on WMG, which implies 20% of upside from Friday’s closing price.
In its first legal response to a SoundExchange lawsuit alleging underpayment of $150 million in artist royalties, SiriusXM claimed in a court filing Friday (Sept. 22) that SoundExchange’s numbers rely on a “so-called audit” that was a “flawed and biased examination” and insists the satellite-radio giant “properly calculated its royalty payments to SoundExchange in all material respects.”
The filing, which demands a change of U.S. court venue from Virginia to New York or Washington, D.C., also bashes the royalty collection and distribution service for trying to “justify its existence, lofty executive salaries and luxurious operating style through repeated litigation against its biggest contributor.”
In a phone interview before the filing, George White, SiriusXM’s senior vp of music licensing and royalties, says the SoundExchange lawsuit, filed in August, caught his company by surprise. “We were discussing settlement with them,” adds White, a former longtime major-label executive. “We really took some time to review it.”
White says the lawsuit comes down to a difference of opinion over SoundExchange’s “method of calculating their deduction.” He argues that SiriusXM has paid SoundExchange $5 billion in performance royalties for sound recordings over the last 10 years, and contributed “the vast majority” of the $805 million the service collected last year. “The rhetoric in the suit itself and the press release around the suit seems really unfair and wholly inappropriate,” White says. “In fact, we want to make every effort to ensure everyone is compensated fairly.”
SoundExchange, which collects royalties from webcasters and non-terrestrial radio services on behalf of artists and labels, argued in its Aug. 16 lawsuit that Sirius XM was bundling its satellite radio and streaming service, mixing the revenue in order to improperly reduce its royalty bill. The U.S. government mandates different royalty rates for satellite-transmitted services (like SiriusXM’s traditional satellite radio) and webcasting under so-called statutory licenses, but SoundExchange’s lawsuit declared that “Sirius XM has unjustly enriched itself to the detriment of recording artists and copyright owners upon whose music Sirius XM has built its business.”
In its response, SiriusXM accused SoundExchange of “misguided allegations” and argued a “proper audit” would conclude the company “properly calculated its royalty payments to SoundExchange.” The company also criticized SoundExchange for taking advantage of what it called the Virginia court’s “rocket docket,” which, regional lawyers have said, results in fast-moving cases, little time for discovery and quick resolution.
“We’re very hopeful that we can proceed down the lines of having a productive settlement discussion,” White says. “I would far rather that we had a close relationship with SoundExchange that was about working to grow SiriusXM’s contributions to SoundExchange.”
SoundExchange didn’t immediately respond to Billboard‘s request for comment.
If you’re looking for growth in the U.S. recorded music industry, there are two clear bright spots in the maturing streaming market. But they each come with caveats and considerations.
From the looks of the RIAA’s midyear report, released Monday (Sept. 18), music subscription services and synchronization royalties — two of the biggest drivers of U.S. recorded music’s gains in the first half of 2023, according to the RIAA — should continue going strong through the end of the year.
For subscriptions, revenue increased 12.4% to $4.97 billion over the first six months of the year and accounted for 84% of the industry’s $710-million year-over-year improvement. The number of subscribers grew at a slower rate, though — 6.4% to 95.8 million — which suggests a saturated market where new subscribers are becoming harder to find. (The RIAA provides the average number of subscribers during the six-month period, not the number on the final day of the period.) The fact that revenue outgrew subscribers shows that streaming companies are now finding growth through price increases instead. In 2022 and early 2023, Apple Music and Amazon Music raised prices on individual and family plans. Over that same time, the average revenue per subscriber per month increased from $8.19 in the first half of 2022 to $8.65 in the second half of 2023, according to the RIAA’s numbers.
Streaming revenue’s resilience amid price increases “actually underscores the point that music continues to be the most under-monetized form of entertainment,” says Golnar Khosrowshahi, CEO of Reservoir Media, “and can certainly withstand a price increase structure that has some rhythm to it.” Right on cue, Deezer added to a steady drumbeat of pricing updates when it announced on Thursday (Sept. 21) a second price increase in France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands on top of hikes in 2022.
Spotify’s price increase — individual plans up $1 to $10.99 per month and family plans up $2 to $16.99 per month — was announced in July and should give a boost to streaming revenues in the second half of the year. Spotify previously stated that its limited price increases had not created a material amount of customer churn, and Deezer’s decision to again raise prices bolsters Khosrowshahi’s belief that consumers are able to withstand slightly higher prices without canceling their subscriptions.
Revenues from synchronizations — when music is licensed for audio-visual works such as advertisements, movies, TV shows and video games — grew 25.1% to $222.7 million and accounted for 6% of the $710 million of total revenue growth. Synchronizations have been on a roll since the pandemic helped create a boom in licensing opportunities. The latest mid-year improvement follows a 29.9% gain in the first half of 2022 and a 24.8% improvement in calendar year 2022.
The Writers Guild of America strike that began on May 2 hasn’t hurt synchronization revenues — yet. “I’m encouraged right now,” says Tyler Bacon, president/CEO of Position Music. “My team is busy.” So is Jedd Kantrancha, chief commercial officer of Downtown Music Publishing. Kantrancha says August was Downtown’s best month for the number of synchronizations of 2023 and its third-best month ever.
“One of the biggest things that I’m seeing is just more and more partners and people in the space who have a music budget, who want to learn and want to be educated about how to use music,” says Kantrancha. “I’m doing more uses now with people who haven’t licensed music before than I have in years. And I think that that’s definitely something that relates to the lift [in synchronization revenue] that you’re seeing. There are more people out there exploring how to license music.”
This sort of boom, however, will eventually be hampered by the strikes — it’s just a matter of when.
Many believe the lag from the start of the strike — which reduces the number of post-production opportunities to match music to film and TV shows — to a synchronization slowdown won’t be felt until early 2024. Film and TV studios have “a lot of stuff in the pipeline” that will provide synchronization opportunities through the end of the year despite the strike, says Kantrancha.
That won’t decimate the sector, though. Even after a slowdown from the strike is eventually felt, companies can shift their resources to other opportunities. “We’re highly focused on advertising, and the strike doesn’t affect that,” says Bacon. “Video games, we’re very deep in, and the strike doesn’t affect that.”
With her latest string of albums, including her intensely vulnerable and current CMA album of the year-nominated Rolling Up the Welcome Mat EP, singer-songwriter and five-time Billboard Country Airplay chart-topper Kelsea Ballerini has steadily been leveling up, both creatively and professionally.
This week, Ballerini not only made her debut performance on the VMAs, but also appeared on the cover of TIME, and stepped up in the touring space, selling out her very first headlining arena show, set for Nov. 2 in her hometown of Knoxville, Tenn. at the Thompson-Boling Arena. The show will crown a year that has seen Ballerini headline a slate of theaters on her HEARTFIRST Tour, perform songs from Rolling Up the Welcome Mat on Saturday Night Live, offer a powerful, statement-making performance on the CMT Music Awards, release a short film around her EP, and play the inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards, which she is set to perform later this month.
And Ballerini’s latest standout touring moment earns Sandbox Entertainment Group’s head of global touring Leslie Cohea the title of Billboard‘s Executive of the Week.
Here, Cohea discusses Ballerini’s upcoming hometown arena show, how touring has shifted since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and country music’s ascendance in international touring.
This week, Kelsea Ballerini sold out the first headlining arena tour date of her career in Knoxville. What key decisions did you make to help make that happen?
Last year, I put a plan together for Kelsea’s then-upcoming 2023 headlining tour. She had not done a headline tour since before the pandemic and I knew that it had to be thoughtful and impactful for her fans. We decided to play all the right rooms, not skipping any steps, only announcing around 15 shows for the HEARTFIRST tour. Once those sold out, she announced the next 15 shows. With her EP coming out and having the huge success it did, the next shows sold out immediately. Her momentum kept building and building and any show we put on sale sold out. That’s when Kelsea and I talked about having one last massive play to cap off such a successful year. She is absolutely going to play arenas in the future, but I wanted to have one big moment to really show the growth of Kelsea as a touring artist.
The obvious choice was Knoxville since it is her hometown, and she has always wanted to play Thompson-Boling Arena. I had the idea for the show to be over the University of Tennessee homecoming weekend and call it Kelsea’s “homecoming” as well. It’s only right that her first sellout show is in Knoxville. When we announced the show last week, I knew we had a short window to sell tickets being that the show is on Nov. 2. I really wanted this show to stand out as a special event and get people excited. I think everything we did to market the announce really helped drive that. AEG are incredible partners to us, and they helped us build this Knoxville campaign from scratch and continue to bring opportunities that are going to make this show massive for Kelsea and her fans. Amy Buck is a brilliant marketer. It was really special to see it sell out minutes after going on sale. This is by far Kelsea’s biggest show to date, doubling — almost tripling — the capacities she has played this year.
How will this show be different in terms of production, lighting, etc., since this will be scaling up in venue size?
Kelsea has empowered her entire team to up the ante on production for this show. We had a great HEARTFIRST tour production, but it was simply not scaled for arenas. Building out the production for this Homecoming show is where Kelsea, her touring team and I get to have a little fun. We are adding more lights, sound and video while creating a few special surprises along the way. Every fan will leave this show fully understanding why Kelsea Ballerini is a superstar.
Looking ahead to 2024, how do you foresee her touring growing and evolving?
Kelsea continues to grow and evolve in all areas, including writing, recording and touring. The connection she has built with her fans is truly mesmerizing and it’s something that has become so powerful at her live shows. They feel connected to her more than they ever have, especially after the release of Rolling Up The Welcome Mat. And based on what we just witnessed with the sell out at Thompson-Boling Arena, there is absolutely an arena tour in Kelsea’s future.
Daniel Prakopcyk*
Earlier this year, Kelsea also made headlines after she was hit by a bracelet while on stage, part of a strange trend of fans throwing things at artists on stage. Is there anything that the team has changed to help keep things safe on tour?
Every artist and their team want to create the safest environment possible. Since the bracelet incident, tour security works directly with the venue to make sure we have all eyes watching the people closest to the stage. I also think the fans attending are holding other fans accountable. An artist is vulnerable enough on stage, disrupting a show by launching something at the artist ruins the moment for every person on, in front of, and behind the stage.
How has touring changed overall since the pandemic?
The thing I have noticed lately is the volume of shows in every size room in every market. Right now, there are so many tours going back out and making up for the lost time and revenue. This is how we at Sandbox really came up with the “less is more” idea to only announce 15 shows for Kelsea. We want fans to feel the urgency to buy the tickets as soon as they go on sale. We are seeing people waiting to buy closer to the show. They don’t want to make the commitment too soon.
Kelsea just made her debut VMAs performance and was on the cover of TIME. How has the Sandbox team overall worked toward her increased recognition in the mainstream, while still staying very connected within the country music genre?
Two words: Jason Owen. Jason is our fearless leader at Sandbox, but he empowers all of us to lead, to innovate and to push boundaries. Our digital team at Sandbox always has their fingers on the pulse of what’s connecting in the marketplace. Their knowledge and insight into how we communicate with fans is unmatched. And CAA has played a very integral role in helping us elevate Kelsea’s stature across touring and film and television. Rick Roskin and his team are incredibly powerful partners.
Country music is having a moment not only in terms of success on the all-genre Hot 100 chart, but in terms of international touring. To what factors do you attribute this moment?
There are a lot of factors that contribute to this, from streaming to labels pushing more for international exposure and touring becoming a more common experience for country artists all over Europe and the U.K. It was hard to convince an arena-level artist years ago to go play clubs across the U.K. in order to help grow their international fan base. It had to feel like going backwards almost. In the last 10 years, the next generation of country artists really started investing in growing their touring careers abroad. They could do it alongside their touring career in the states as well. C2C and other newer country festivals have also really helped shine a light on country music and have allowed the ability to get exposure in places like London and Dublin.
Last Week’s Top Executive: Sony Latin Iberia COO María Fernández
In July, the National Independent Venue Association elected two new members to its board of directors including longtime independent promoter and venue operator Shahida Mausi of The Right Productions and The Aretha Franklin Ampitheatre in Detroit. Mausi, who has run her promotion company The Right Productions for more than 25 years, says the new position is giving her the opportunity “to bring my unique perspective from backgrounds in cultural affairs, government, non-profit and entrepreneurship” to the organization that is looking to take on unfair ticketing practices on a national level, in addition to continuing to advocate for independent venues from local to federal government.
Mausi’s expertise goes beyond the promotion company she founded in 1996. Prior to her independent business, Mausi worked in the non-profit sector and was the head of the Arts Council for the City of Detroit for 10 years. Her family’s roots in Detroit go back more than a century and Mausi’s commitment to bringing art to her hometown through the family-owned Right Productions (her four sons work throughout the company) and her stewardship of The Aretha since its opening.
“What you can do in Detroit with a vision or as an entrepreneur, you can’t necessarily do as easily in other markets. I’m not saying it’s easy,” says Mausi, adding “it’s because of the factory background and the strength of unions in Detroit and the role unions play in politics. You could be working on the factory floor impacting the union, which impacts who gets elected and therefore it gives you access to people that make things happen.”
Since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, Mausi and her sons have wielded their expertise and community building into helping found the Black Promoters Collective (which promoted Mary J. Blige’s 23-city Good Morning Gorgeous arena tour in 2022) and joined forces with NIVA, where BPC won the 2023 NIVA Idea award at the association’s annual conference. Mausi sat down with Billboard to discuss surviving economic downturns as an independent promoter and what comes next.
How do you get an independent production company off the ground?
With the cheekiness of youth, I called the general manager of the Nederlander Theater here in Detroit. Detroit is home to the Nederlanders. This is where the family came from. I called the general manager and said, ‘I don’t think you’re doing enough programming to serve the African American population of the city.’ They said, ‘well, I disagree,’ and there started a conversation and a friendship that has lasted 30 years.
[Nederlander’s Alan Lichtenstein] gave me the opportunity to help launch Broadway shows on their Detroit leg of national tours and whatnot. Early in the business, it served me well that I had spoken up and put my shoulder to the wheel when he did do more to serve this community.
When did you get involved with the Aretha Franklin Amphitheater?
When the building was first built, I was the director of the Detroit Council of the Arts. It was built by the city and I was running the department and, in that role, I did the first three years of programming. Between the time that I left, after those first three years, different entities have managed it for brief periods of time. Then there was an RFP [request for proposal] put out in 2004 and we won the bid. We’ve been managing it ever since.
Was that a difficult time to take over operations of the venue in Detroit?
Yeah. It was 2008 when the housing crisis shut down the economy with subprime mortgages, and Lehman Brothers and all those folks were crashing. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac failed that year, so we already had shows contracted and up on sale when the disposable income of people completely dried up and stopped. Nobody was buying anything. Nobody knew what was going to happen next. We had to honor those contracts regardless. General Motors – a mile from us – went bankrupt. [The Right Productions] could not afford to go bankrupt. If we had gone bankrupt, it would have been game over.
We had to negotiate our way through that crisis. We were able to weather that storm because we had a good reputation. If I tell you I’m going to pay you on such and such date or that I don’t know when I am going to be able to pay you but I’m gonna pay you, people took me at my word and I honored my word. I didn’t know if we were going to survive, but we pulled on our strength which was our reputation of honoring our word and our commitment to people.
You operated the amphitheater during another crisis, the pandemic. How did you get through that?
If we could only serve 100 people a night, then that’s what we were going to do. We were all shut ins for a year or more, and if you could give people just that, it was worth doing. It was crazy, but I am glad we were able to serve people. That’s what this is, ultimately. It’s facilitating a means of connecting people with things that lift them. It’s a stewardship of a stage and we’re honored to be able to do it.
Did being a family business help get you through the tough times?
I have four sons. All four of them function in different capacities here at The Right Productions and around the country. They all followed paths that were appropriate for their own personalities. They all went to college and brought back those skills. If it was not for family, we would not have been able to pull it through. Because family works when there’s not a dime on the table. I have grandchildren now and they are pulling and pushing and loading and unloading. In 2021, it was truly a family affair because we couldn’t hire people. I had cousins that flew in from New York, sleeping in my living room to help.
Can you describe how The Right Productions was instrumental in founding the Black Promoters Collective?
The pandemic was a good thing and a horrible thing mostly. When everything stopped, there was time to look and think of what could be planned and what could be better. My son, Sulaiman [Mausi] and the vice president of The Right Productions, reached out to other promoters that have a good reputation across the country and we began meeting on a weekly basis to talk about what we could do differently, what could do better in this industry, as opposed to being in our silos. So, we formed the Black Promoters Collective in 2020. That has been a game changer.
Last year, BPC scored a $60 million quarter on Billboard Boxscore before the Mary J. Blige tour. What has the reception been since those numbers came in?
It demonstrates that we have the chops. We have the skills to manage business on that level and that we can execute what is needed to deliver a major tour and to care of a major artist in the way they should be cared for. Let’s just say the business climate has been impacted by our success.
Are there plans to go beyond the U.S. and Canada?
We’ve had conversations. There are some things under discussion. That’s my goal. I’m always looking for growth. I’m always looking for the next opportunity and international touring is something that I want.
Maryland rapper Joony and his 211 label have entered into a partnership with Red Bull Records and Blxst‘s Evgle imprint, Billboard can exclusively announce today (Sept. 22).
The 22-year-old artist (real name Jonathan Negero) initially started 211 as a collective in 2014 with his best friend Max Free, but he transformed it into a label in 2022 with his managers Jason Zeigler and Darren Xu. The other core members are fellow artist Swegah and photographer Gio Vaun. Joony has released two projects under 211, his 2022 album Pretty in Black and his 2023 album SHITUMISS.
“My team and I spent a lot of time trying to figure out who was the right fit for us, not only for me as an artist, but as a company as well. We ended up loving the synergy between us and the Evgle/Red Bull Records teams, and I’ve always been a fan of Blxst, so it’s huge getting to work with him,” Joony says in an exclusive statement to Billboard. “We arranged a one-of-a-kind deal that empowers the artist with terms that have substantial gain for everyone involved, and we’re excited to launch the partnership today.”
Joony made his Billboard Hot 100 debut last July due to his appearance on Brent Faiyaz‘s “FYTB” off his critically acclaimed sophomore album, Wasteland. The two previously collaborated on “Paper Soldier” from Faiyaz’s surprise three-pack Do Not Listen from 2021.
Prior to the Evgle partnership announcement, Jordan Ward and Joony’s “IDC” track was included on the NBA 2K23 season 7 soundtrack, which Blxst curated.
“At Evgle, we think Joony is a generational artist and songwriter, and he and 211 are building something we truly admire in terms of creativity and business,” says Karl Fowlkes, COO/co-founder of Evgle. “With additional resources of Evgle and Red Bull Records at their disposal, the sky is the limit. We look forward to helping Joony and 211 reach their heights.”
Joony also announced his upcoming EP MEMENTO today, which will be released this fall as his first project under Evgle/Red Bull Records. The 10-track project includes collaborations with Tony Shhnow, TTM Dawg, Lancey Foux and Lil Candy Paint. Ahead of MEMENTO, he dropped the first single, “Need It,” with an accompanying music video directed by Zaiem.
“This partnership will bring a better look into who I am as an artist and what I want to portray with my art. There are more resources for me to get as creative as possible and give my supporters more to grab onto — bigger and better art, visuals, and most importantly, music,” Joony says. “I’m excited for fans to finally get this new music and see all of the creative endeavors I’ve been working on over the past year and a half. My new EP MEMENTO is definitely one for the books, and I’m happy as hell that y’all get to hear the project soon and take it in with the visuals we worked so hard on, starting with ‘Need It.’”
Adds Kenny “Tick” Salcido, senior vp & head of A&R at Red Bull Records: “Evgle continues to identify culture-moving artists with the newest addition to our partnership in the signing of Joony. Joony has unlimited potential as he brings a different sound with his melodic delivery and unique sonic choices. He represents a career artist at its core and we’re thrilled to welcome him.”
Joony will also accompany Lil Tjay on nine dates of his Beat the Odds Tour’s European leg, which kicks off Nov. 2 at London’s OVO Arena Wembley and wraps on Nov. 11 at Vienna’s Gasometer.
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.
Blue Raincoat Music co-founder Robin Millar will step down as the company’s chairman and take on a new role as creative consultant. Founded in 2014 by Millar and former Chrysalis CEO Jeremy Lascelles, Blue Raincoat Music began life as an artist management company before branching out into publishing in 2016 and, then, recorded music when it acquired Chrysalis. Reservoir purchased BRN and the entire Chrysalis catalog in 2019, but kept Millar and Lascelles on board to run day-to-day operations. In his new role, Millar will advise on creative decisions across the company’s roster and continue to oversee mixing and mastering operations across the company. He’ll also remain a director on the board and a significant shareholder across Blue Raincoat. “The simple fact is that Blue Raincoat would not be the company it is today without Robin’s involvement,” said Lascelles. “He has been an unbelievable partner, bringing relentless positivity, focus, and ambition to our plans. He has a brilliant business brain, is a fiercesome negotiator, and has been an inspiration to me and everyone within the company.”
Experienced music lawyer Lynn Gonzalez joined Granderson Des Rochers as a partner in the firm’s music practice group. Gonzalez is fresh off a decade-long tenure at Def Jam, where she rose to executive vp/head of business affairs and business development at the label. Prior to Def Jam, she worked in legal roles at Razor & Tie Entertainment and then Atlantic Records, where she also was a founding member and then president of the Black Women In Entertainment Law Foundation, providing mentorship and scholarships to women of color in entertainment law. At GDR, whose music-related clients have included J.Cole, H.E.R., J Balvin and Bernie Taupin, among many others, Gonzalez will work on matters including music publishing, licensing and intellectual property. “Joining GDR means joining a team that puts artists first – a mantra that resonates with me from my time working with labels,” Gonzalez said. “With this guiding principle in mind, together, we’ll protect their creativity and ensure they thrive in a music industry that celebrates their unique voices.”
Warner Chappell Music hired Rachel Jacobson to the role of svp, creative sync. In the newly created role Jacobson will oversee an also-new team that’s solely focused on sourcing and developing songwriters for creative opportunities in sync. “We’re reimagining our approach to the creative side of sync at Warner Chappell to better align with the rapidly evolving media and streaming landscape,” says Jacobson. –Kristin Robinson
Sound Talent Group added agent Jason Parent and his roster of bands to its ever-expanding New York office. Parent arrives after a decade at APA/IAG, where he developed acts including Meet Me @ the Altar, Cloud Nothings, Oso Oso, Grayscale and Kuckle Puck, among others — all of whom came with him. He joins Jake Zimmerman, Eric Powell and John Lashnits in the agency’s NYC outpost. STG made its debut in 2018 after Dave Shapiro, Tim Borror and Matt Andersen made for the exits — on good terms — at United Talent Agency. “When we had the chance to bring [Parent] to STG, we jumped on that opportunity,” said Anderson. “Jason is an incredible agent with an amazing roster of bands, and we’re excited to have him join the team.” STG’s current roster includes Black Veil Brides, Built to Spill, Calle 13, Dave Navarro, Eve 6, Gwar, Hanson, Ice Nine Kills, Killswitch Engage, Opeth, Saliva, Story of the Year, Vanessa Carlton, Zakk Wylde and hundreds more.
Downtown Music president Pieter van Rijn joined the board of directors of Downtown Music Holdings. Van Rijn, a regular fixture on Billboard‘s annual list of Indie Power Players, joined Downtown Music a year ago from FUGA, where he’d served as CEO since 2014. He joins Downtown’s existing board of directors, including independent directors Alison Moore and Kelli Turner, who joined in January 2022. “When we first set out to transform Downtown Music, our B2B division, into a fully integrated suite of business service offerings, we were fortunate to have such a strong executive in our organization who could help us execute on that vision,” said Andrew Bergman, CEO of Downtown Music Holdings. “The addition of Pieter to our board further demonstrates Downtown’s commitment and mission to empower creators and the businesses that serve them.”
Did someone say FUGA? The Downtown-owned distributor continues its expansion into Germany, Switzerland and Austria with the appointment of Desiree Vach as general manager of the Deutsch-speaking triad. In her new role, Vach will lead FUGA’s business development, service offering and brand presence in the region, as well as oversee the Berlin office. She reports directly to Liz Northeast, the svp of Europe, Middle East, and Africa. Vach joins FUGA following a nine-year tenure at Ingrooves Music Group, where she oversaw operations in the GSA region.
Change is afoot at German indie distributor Zebralution, with company co-founder Kurt Thielen announcing he’ll step down at the end of the year. Two industry veterans will fill Thielen’s considerable shoes: Konrad von Löhneysen, founder of the Embassy of Music label, will join as co-CEO in October 2023, while current Zebralution COO Tina Jürgens will also be promoted to co-CEO, effective in January. The shakeup portends the company’s international growth ambitions, and follows the expansion into North America earlier this year — led by co-founder Sascha Lazimbat as U.S. director and president. Founded in 2004, Zebralution currently has a portfolio of more than 3,500 labels and audio book publishers from all over the world. “I look back on 38 exciting years as CEO,” says Thielen. “I am immensely proud of what we have achieved with Zebralution as pioneers in the industry. I can’t think of a more opportune moment for this change in responsibility.
Kygo‘s Palm Tree Crew hired Karan Ram as president of its festivals and events unit. Ram arrives from touring festival specialists Breakaway, where as president he more than doubled the company’s events held in 2023. Prior to Breakaway, he founded Moment Entertainment, a producer of concerts and events on college campuses that was later acquired by Pollen. “We’re excited to welcome Karan to Palm Tree Crew and to have him bring his expertise and passion to our team,” said Myles Shear, co-founder of Palm Tree Crew. “As the President of Palm Tree Crew Festivals and Events, he will play a pivotal role in scaling our brand to even greater global heights.”
ICYMI: Warner Music hired 30-year Disney veteran Bryan Castellans as the label group’s next executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective Oct. 16 … Monica Damashek has been named head of label partnerships of North America for Spotify. She succeeds Vic Trubowitch, who has moved to the music product strategy … Warner Chappell Music locked down Guy Moot and Carianne Marshall, CEO and COO, respectively, until late March of 2028 … and Jann Wenner was swiftly excised from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation board of directors after making inflammatory remarks about Black and women artists.
Melissa Maskan joined boutique indie publisher OTM as head of North America and svp of creative. Based in L.A. and reporting directly to OTM founder Alex Sheridan, Maskan will manage the org’s U.S. efforts, namely sync and A&R. She joins after six years as evp of A&R at Third Side Music, where she helped to develop all-cappers SOFI TUKKER and ODESZA, among others. Supporting Maskan at OTM will be Rob Hunt (head of A&R) and Emily Keating (svp of sync). “[Maskan] heading up our US business will add immeasurable value to our offering there and now provides OTM with a platform for further growth,” said Sheridan.
Production music company FreshTracks Music added three new executives to its recently launched UK division. Tayo Kazzim joins as head of sales after stints at PRS for Music, Imagem and Extreme Music; Josie Kiely is the new senior client account manager, following roles at Warner Chappell and PPL; and Charley Dunlop serves as client account manager, having previously worked at Sky, KPM/EMI and BAM.
ESMAA, the Gulf-based music rights organization, appointed Saqer Al Qassimi as head of business development and government relations. The Emirati national is tasked with growing membership and supporting the org’s licensing efforts throughout the UAE and Gulf region. ESMAA claims to be the only music organization of its kind in the Gulf — in that it works with international entities whose disciplines focus on either performing, mechanical and/or neighbouring rights in order to find solutions to simplify music licensing in the region.
Last Week’s Turntable: GoodTalk Takes Shape
On Wednesday (Sept. 21), members of ASCAP turned out for the organization’s 12th annual We Write the Songs concert at the Coolidge Auditorium in Washington, D.C.As in previous years, the concert was held to celebrate gifts from The ASCAP Foundation to the Library of Congress “of the original manuscripts, lead sheets, lyrics sheets, photos and letters of some of America’s greatest creators of words and music,” according to a press release.
Co-hosted by The Library of Congress, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden and The ASCAP Foundation president Paul Williams, the night featured performances by songwriters and producers performing songs they wrote or co-wrote. They included Jermaine Dupri, performing “Confessions/Confessions Part II” (Usher) and “We Belong Together” (Mariah Carey); Madison Love, performing “Kings & Queens” (Ava Max) and “Turbulence” (P!nk)”; Pasek & Paul, performing “Waving Through a Window” (from Dear Evan Hansen) and “This is Me” (The Greatest Showman); Matthew West, performing “My Jesus” (Anne Wilson) and “Truth Be Told”; and closing act Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, performing “Human” (The Human League) and “Miss You Much” (Janet Jackson).
The night’s performers were introduced by members of Congress from both sides of the aisle, including Rep. Mark Green (R-TN), who introduced West; Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA), who introduced Dupri; Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), who introduced Pasek & Paul; and Congressional Songwriters Caucus co-chairs Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), who introduced Love, and Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA), who introduced Jam and Lewis.
“To us music creators, the Library is the Fort Knox of our copyrights — thank you for being our allies in protecting creators’ rights,” said Williams, also ASCAP’s president/chairman as well as a songwriter, at the event. “We have ASCAP members from all 50 states, in each and every district of our great nation. Some of our songwriters and composers may not be household names, but their songs are instantly recognizable and beloved by millions, all thanks to the hard work they put in behind the scenes to soundtrack our lives.”
The concert was held ahead of ASCAP’s annual Stand With Songwriters advocacy day in D.C. on Thursday, during which songwriters and composers were slated to meet with members of Congress. This year, a particular focus was on the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI), with ASCAP members on hand to urge lawmakers to adhere to the six key principles for AI adopted by the ASCAP board of directors earlier this year.
In addition to songwriters and producers who performed at the We Write the Songs concert, those slated to participate in the advocacy day included songwriter-producer Cirkut along with ASCAP songwriter, composer and publisher board members Bob Bruderman, Desmond Child, Marti Cuevas, Sharon Farber, Dan Foliart, Ree Guyer, James M. Kendrick, Evan Lamberg, Michelle Lewis, Alex Shapiro, Jonathan Singer and Jimmy Webb.
ASCAP additionally invited its songwriter, composer and music publisher members from all 50 states to join in the lobbying effort via social media all week long.
Check out photos from the We Write the Songs event below.
Image Credit: Mariah Miranda/ASCAP
Elizabeth Matthews, ASCAP CEO (center), with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis at ASCAP Foundations “We Write the Songs” Event in Washington, D.C. on September 20, 2023.
Image Credit: Mariah Miranda/ASCAP
Nicole George-Middleton, ASCAP SVP of Membership and Executive Director of The ASCAP Foundation (center); with Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul at ASCAP Foundations “We Write the Songs” Event in Washington, D.C. on September 20, 2023.
Image Credit: Mariah Miranda/ASCAP
Rep. Judy Chu, Jimmy Jam and Elizabeth Matthews, ASCAP CEO, attend ASCAP Foundations “We Write the Songs” Event in Washington, D.C. on September 20, 2023.
Image Credit: Mariah Miranda/ASCAP
Jimmy Jam, Sen. Bill Hagerty, Paul Williams, ASCAP President and Matthew West attend ASCAP Foundations “We Write the Songs” Event in Washington, D.C. on September 20, 2023.
Image Credit: Mariah Miranda/ASCAP
Paul Williams, ASCAP President and Chairman of the Board speaks at ASCAP Foundations “We Write the Songs” Event in Washington, D.C. on September 20, 2023.
Image Credit: Mariah Miranda/ASCAP
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul perform at ASCAP Foundations “We Write the Songs” Event in Washington, D.C. on September 20, 2023.
Image Credit: Mariah Miranda/ASCAP
Matthew West performs at ASCAP Foundations “We Write the Songs” Event in Washington, D.C. on September 20, 2023.
Image Credit: Mariah Miranda/ASCAP
Madison Love performs at ASCAP Foundations “We Write the Songs” Event in Washington, D.C. on September 20, 2023.
Image Credit: Mariah Miranda/ASCAP
Carla Hayden, 14th Librarian of Congress, speaks onstage at ASCAP Foundations “We Write the Songs” Event in Washington, D.C. on September 20, 2023.
Image Credit: Mariah Miranda/ASCAP
Rep. Hank Johnson speaks onstage at ASCAP Foundations “We Write the Songs” Event in Washington, D.C. on September 20, 2023.
Image Credit: Mariah Miranda/ASCAP
Jermaine Dupri performs at ASCAP Foundations “We Write the Songs” Event in Washington, D.C. on September 20, 2023.
Image Credit: Mariah Miranda/ASCAP
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis perform at ASCAP Foundations “We Write the Songs” Event in Washington, D.C. on September 20, 2023.
He is one of the most sought after artists in the agency world and now he finally has major a booking team behind him.
Oliver Anthony has signed with UTA for exclusive worldwide representation in all areas.
“We’re honored to represent such an authentic artist, and excited to put together a global strategy to bring Oliver Anthony and his music to the people,” shared UTA co-head of Nashville Jeffrey Hasson and music agent Curt Motley in a statement to Billboard. Some of UTA’s other clients include Brittney Spencer, Megan Moroney, Parmalee, Elvie Shane, Ian Munsick and Jamey Johnson, who has performed recently with Anthony.
The “Rich Men North of Richmond” singer’s profile skyrocketed in August after a performance video went viral, generating more than 69 million views on Youtube and leading to a historic No. 1 debut on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. With that song, Anthony became the first artist ever to top the chart without having appeared on it previously.
“Rich Men North of Richmond” is also the first song by a solo male to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs charts simultaneously. The Farmville, Virginia, native’s other songs — such as “Ain’t Gotta Dollar,” “90 Some Chevy” and “I Want to Go Home” — have also earned solid streaming numbers.
A quick bidding war followed, with music executives from all around the country to try to sign the hot new phenom. One label head told Billboard at the time, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this before.” Rapper Gucci Mane even posted on Instagram that he wanted to sign Anthony to his label and needed help finding him. Anthony, who sings of populist ideals that have grown him a grassroots following, seemed largely nonplussed by the newfound attention. He told social media followers he was determined not to make any rash decisions and that he had turned down record deals worth upwards of $8 million.
Meanwhile, Anthony has continued to perform for his new fanbase with a number of regional shows that have grown from the Eagle Creek Golf Club and Grill in Moyock, N.C., on Aug. 19, to Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge’s annual block party in Nashville last weekend on Sept. 17, where he notably performed with a full band for the first time. While in Nashville, Anthony apparently made his new agreement with UTA — marking his first major deal since breaking out.
Coming up, Anthony is slated to perform two sets at the upcoming Louder Than Life Festival, which opens Thursday (Sept. 21) and runs through Sept. 24 at the Highland Festival Grounds at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Ky. And then he has a sold out show at Smokies Stadium in Sevier County, Tenn., scheduled for Sept. 28.
Earlier this month, Anthony canceled a Sept. 27 concert at Cotton Eyed Joe in Knoxville, Tenn., due to a disagreement over ticket prices, which were listed at $99 and $199 for a meet and greet. Anthony posted to social media discouraging his fans from buying the tickets, explaining that he didn’t agree to those prices. Anthony explained his friend had been acting as his booking agent and he booked the show without asking what the ticket prices were. (The venue later responded, saying the high prices were the only way it could cover Anthony’s $120,000 booking fee.) Anthony continued to say his shows “never cost more than $40, ideally no more than $25,” pointing out that two of his four recent shows were “completely free.”
When Anthony’s co-manager Draven Riffe spoke with Billboard in August, he said the artist is “very passionate about bringing other unknown, unheard musicians up and helping them get their music out as well” — and that help also means providing jobs for those in Anthony’s community where he can. “We’re doing all the booking ourselves,” Riffe said, adding the Anthony is booked through the end of the year. “We’re trying to keep everything in-house as much as we can… If we could have a hand in helping get a person a job they’ll love then we want to do that rather than contracting it out to something that we don’t even know where the money is going.”
Additional reporting by Jessica Nicholson.
Lizzo is facing another explosive lawsuit filed by a former employee.
On Thursday (Sept. 21), Asha Daniels — a clothing designer who worked on Lizzo’s Special Tour earlier this year — filed a complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court alleging sexual and racial harassment, disability discrimination, assault, illegal retaliatory termination and more. In addition to Lizzo, the lawsuit names wardrobe manager Amanda Nomura, tour manager Carlina Gugliotta and Lizzo’s Big Grrrl Big Touring company as defendants.
In the lawsuit, Daniels claims that after being hired to join the superstar’s world tour in February 2023 to alter and repair the wardrobe she’d previously designed for Lizzo’s dancers, she was “almost immediately…introduced to [a] culture of racism and bullying” and that she “suffered constant anxiety and panic attacks” as a result. In one allegation, she claims that Lizzo’s dancers were forced to change in “small, tight changing areas…with little to no privacy” and that the stage crew, “primarily white males, would lewdly gawk, sneer, and giggle” while watching them dress. She alleges that after expressing concern to Nomura about the lack of privacy, the wardrobe manager “laughed” and “advised” her not to tell anyone else about the issue or try to fix it.
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The complaint contextualizes these incidents as part of “a set up to humiliate, degrade, alienate, and, in some cases, fire, the Black female performers.” Notably, three of these dancers — Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez — made similar allegations after filing suit against Lizzo and Big Grrrl Big Touring in August. Their attorney, Ron Zambrano of West Coast Employment Lawyers, is also representing Daniels in her case.
While Lizzo isn’t directly implicated in any of the incidents outlined in Daniels’ complaint, the “About Damn Time” singer is effectively accused of turning a blind eye to the toxic behavior of her employees, including Daniels’ direct boss Nomura, who bears the brunt of the allegations.
“Throughout the entirety of her employment,” the lawsuit alleges, Daniels — a Black woman — witnessed Nomura making “racist and fatphobic comments,” including by mocking Lizzo and her background dancers, “doing an offensive stereotypical impression of a Black woman” and referring to Black women on the tour as “‘dumb,’ ‘useless’ and ‘fat.’” After allegedly confronting Nomura over her behavior, Daniels claims Nomura “ignored” her and proceeded to directly target her with harassment.
In one particularly inflammatory allegation, Daniels claims that Nomura rolled “a heavy rack of clothing” over Daniels’ foot. When Daniels allegedly told Nomura she needed to sit down “as her foot was in serious pain,” she says Nomura “shoved” her into the clothing rack “while asserting Plaintiff should not make excuses about her foot.” Claiming that the shove from Nomura caused her to “roll her ankle,” Daniels says that when she showed up for work the following day wearing Crocs to “minimize the pain,” Nomura demanded that she change into tennis shoes even after Daniels told her they were painful to walk in.
The suit accuses Nomura of a litany of other offenses, including making threatening statements against Daniels and the rest of the crew “on several occasions,” shoving a crew member after the crew member threatened to quit and saying that she would “kill a bitch if it came down to it” if anyone threatened her job. She also claims that Nomura discouraged her from interacting directly with Lizzo or Lizzo’s boyfriend — and that if she ever did, she should avoid dressing “attractively” to avoid the singer becoming “jealous.”
More broadly, Daniels claims she experienced frequent sexual harassment by the Big Grrrl Big Touring team. Among other offenses, she alleges that a backstage manager “sent a photo graphically depicting male genitalia” on a group chat that included her and more than 30 other tour employees. In another accusation that distinctly echoes the lawsuit filed by Lizzo’s former dancers, Daniels says she witnessed Nomura, crew members and Lizzo’s management “openly discussing hiring sex workers for lewd sex acts, attending sex shows, and buying hard drugs” and that she felt pressured to join those activities.
Daniels further claims that after informing Gugliotta of the behavior she’d witnessed — and after being “informed” that her complaints were relayed to Lizzo — she was fired by Lizzo’s team roughly a month after she began work on the tour. On the day she was fired but before she was informed of her termination, she also alleges she was “denied medical care” after suffering “an allergic reaction” and “pressured” to continue working after informing Nomura and Lizzo’s management about it.
In the aftermath of her experiences, Daniels claims she “continues to suffer ongoing anxiety and PTSD,” “migraines,” “brain fog, and “fatigue” from the experience.
Gugliotta and a representative for Lizzo did not immediately respond to Billboard‘s request for comment. A contact for Nomura could not immediately be located.
Daniels is asking for damages including unpaid wages, loss of earnings and deferred compensation; general damages “including but not limited to” emotional distress; other special damages including for medical expenses; punitive damages; and more.
Two days after the August lawsuit was filed, Lizzo refuted the allegations on social media, stating the dancers’ claims were as “unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous to not be addressed.”
“These sensationalized stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional,” she added. Later that day, the dancers appeared on CNN This Morning to rehash their allegations and called Lizzo’s statement “disheartening” and “incredibly frustrating.”
Two weeks later, Lizzo’s Big Grrrls dance team released a statement in support of the singer, saying they “had the time of our lives” on the tour and continuing, “The commitment to character and culture taking precedence over every movement and moment has been one of the Greatest lessons and Blessings that we could possibly could ask for.”
Following the initial lawsuit, lawyers for the dancers stated that six more people had approached them with similar stories about Lizzo, though Daniels’ lawsuit is the first to emerge in the nearly two months since.
Lizzo is due to be honored with the Black Music Action Coalition’s Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award at the organization’s 2023 gala on Thursday.