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Megan Thee Stallion can proceed with a defamation lawsuit accusing social media personality Milagro Gramz of waging a “campaign of harassment” against the star on behalf of Tory Lanez, a federal judge says.
The rapper sued Gramz (Milagro Cooper) last year, claiming the YouTuber had been “churning out falsehoods” about the high-profile criminal case against Lanez, in which he was convicted of shooting Megan in the foot during a 2020 dispute in the Hollywood Hills.
In a 25-page decision on Friday (Feb. 7), Judge Cecilia Altonaga denied a request by Gramz to dismiss the case, saying Megan had made a “compelling case” that the blogger had defamed her by claiming the star lied during Lanez’s trial and that she was “mentally retarded.”
“Plaintiff’s claims extend far beyond mere negligence — they paint a picture of an intentional campaign to destroy her reputation,” the judge wrote. “That is more than enough to [deny the motion to dismiss].”
The judge also refused to dismiss Megan’s other claims against Gramz, including that Gramz had violated a Florida state law by sharing a pornographic “deepfake” of the rapper. Defense attorneys had argued that Gramz had not actually shared the clip merely by “liking” it on X, but Judge Altonaga noted Friday that she’d allegedly done more than that.
“By ‘liking’ an X.com post that featured the deepfake video, the video was exhibited on defendant’s X.com account’s ‘Likes’ page,” the judge wrote. “Defendant also brought the video ‘before the public’ when she allegedly directed viewers of her post to click on her ‘Likes’ page where the video had been archived.”
The judge did dismiss one claim — Megan’s accusation of cyberstalking — but allowed her to refile the case this month to try to fix the error.
In a statement to Billboard, Gramz’s attorney Michael A. Pancier stressed that the decision was an early-stage ruling subject only to a “more lenient legal standard” and that “many of these issues will be revisited at a later stage following the completion of the discovery process.”
“This decision does not reflect a determination on the merits of the case,” Pancier said. “The plaintiff must now substantiate her claims with credible and admissible evidence.”
A rep for Megan declined to comment on the ruling.
Lanez (Daystar Peterson) was convicted in December 2022 on three felony counts over the violent 2020 incident, in which he shot at the feet of Megan during an argument following a pool party at Kylie Jenner’s house in the Hollywood Hills. In August 2023, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He has filed an appeal, which remains pending.
In an October lawsuit, Megan’s attorneys accused Gramz of repeatedly spreading falsehoods about that criminal case, including questioning whether Megan was even shot and claiming she was “caught trying to deceive the courts.” More recently, they said Gramz had pushed the “outlandish claim” that the gun Lanez used in the shooting had gone missing from evidence.
The lawsuit claimed the blogger made those claims because she was serving as a “mouthpiece and puppet” for Lanez as the singer sat behind bars. In an updated version of the lawsuit filed in December, Megan’s attorneys said prison call logs suggested that Lanez and his father had arranged to pay Gramz.
In seeking to dismiss the case, defense attorneys argued that Megan could not meet the difficult requirement of showing that Gramz had acted with “actual malice” — that she had either intentionally lied about Megan or had acted with a reckless disregard for the truth.
But in Friday’s ruling, Judge Altonaga said that the rapper’s claims, if later proven with evidence, would likely be enough to win a defamation case.
“The [lawsuit] makes a compelling case that defendant acted with reckless disregard for the truth,” the judge wrote. “Plaintiff asserts that readily available information contradicted defendant’s statements at the time of publication [and that] defendant knowingly spread these falsehoods at Peterson’s direction, fully aware they were fabricated to harm plaintiff.”
“Finally, defendant seemingly profited from the defamation — gaining a larger social media following, online notoriety, and lucrative sponsorship opportunities,” the judge added.
For two decades, the price of a music streaming service was frozen at $9.99 per month. Prices only began rising in 2022, leading to improved economics for both streaming companies and rights holders. Now, streaming platforms are closer to taking another leap forward in monetization.
The next phase of the music business, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said during the company’s earnings call on Wednesday (Feb. 5), is tailoring experiences to “different subgroups” such as lucrative superfans. In fact, Spotify has already developed something for these subscribers, and Ek is currently testing the unnamed product. “I’m personally super excited about this one, and this is a product I’ve been waiting on for quite some time as a super fan of music,” he said. “And I’m playing around with it now, and it’s really exciting.”
Targeting superfans is part of Spotify’s current focus on launching new products. Ek called 2025 “the year of accelerated execution,” meaning the company “can pick up the pace dramatically when it comes to our product velocity.” Exactly how these new products will be monetized and ultimately impact artists and rights holders is unknown. But Alex Norström, Spotify’s co-president/chief business officer, hinted at both higher price points and an a la carte approach when he told analysts that “future tiering” and “selling add-ons to our existing subscribers” are two of the ways Spotify thinks about increasing average revenue per user.
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Recently updated licensing agreements with Universal Music Group (UMG) and Warner Music Group (WMG) also hint at the pending arrival of superfan products and additional pricing tiers. In announcing renewed deals with Spotify, both UMG and WMG cited their agreements’ ability to enable new paid subscription tiers and exclusive content bundles.
Sony Music and independent distributors and publishers have not announced a similar renewed agreement, however, and new licensing agreements with all of them would be necessary for the kind of product Spotify has described, says Vickie Nauman of digital music advisory and consultancy CrossBorderWorks. “If there is a superfan layer that is built around sound recordings, then it’s going to require licensing with revenue share between platform, publishers, labels and PROs,” she says.
Exactly what Spotify’s superfan product will look like and require from artists remains to be seen. Nauman hopes Spotify will learn from past mistakes. “I’m not sure what the killer features for a superfan might look like, but whether niche apps or DSPs, this cannot require the artist to do much if anything,” she says. “We have a long history of failure of initiatives requiring artists to post on social, port their fans to a new app and deliver custom content, and this simply doesn’t work. Artists want to be artists.”
New licensing deals also open the way for a more expensive, high-resolution audio tier which Spotify first began teasing in 2021. “Of course, the success of launching with a limited content pool depends on what’s on offer with the new service, but there’s not a big downside to launching a new service that has limited hi-res music, where the selection of music is highly likely to increase over time,” says digital music veteran Dick Huey of consultancy Toolshed. “I doubt that adding hi-res music to Spotify will be particularly controversial, in particular because they’ll bring an upsell to labels, that of higher subscription costs. Also, because other services already offer hi-res music.”
Whatever the final product, streaming services’ targeting of superfans — if history is any precedent, competitors will follow Spotify’s lead — will produce incremental revenue for Spotify and more royalties for creators and rights owners. The new additions could also help reduce artists and songwriters’ frustrations about the economics of streaming music that have plagued Spotify. As for subscribers who opt into the new offerings, they’ll get more features and artist access in return for higher fees. In short, these new iterations of Spotify should create a win-win-win for all parties in the equation.
This might have been the year that both The Beatles and The Rolling Stones won Grammy Awards, but older demographics who watched the show are wondering why rock music had such a low profile during the televised ceremony.
Sure, rock music had a token presence during the telecast: The show began with an uplifting performance from Dawes covering Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.,” backed by an all-star band consisting of Brad Paisley, John Legend, Sheryl Crow, Brittany Howard and St. Vincent as a tribute to the people of Los Angeles who are still trying to recover from the devastating wildfires in January. Also, the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Anthony Kiedis and Chad Smith presented the best pop vocal album Grammy to Sabrina Carpenter for Short n’ Sweet, while the alternative band Khruangbin played a very abbreviated segment of their shoe-gazing song “May Ninth”; and Coldplay’s Chris Martin played a ballad during the In Memoriam section.
But the awards for best rock album, best metal performance and best alternative music album, among others, were relegated to the non-televised afternoon Grammy Award presentation.
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Why weren’t there any artists from that genre rocking out during the telecast? After all, rock music still dominates the live show marketplace. And while there are many ways that various genres can be measured against one another, Luminate’s audio consumption album units genre report shows rock music is still the second biggest genre at 22.3%, Billboard calculates, when unassigned albums are deducted from the total. That’s almost two and a half times as large as Latin, which has an 8.3% market share; and slightly more than twice as large as country, which has a 10.4% market share.
In album units, rock is 50% larger than pop music, which has a 14.8% market share, but pop was featured prominently during the show. As was R&B/hip-hop, which is still the biggest genre at a 27.8% market share.
But even though rock may have a big presence collectively, it also has some missing ingredients that probably make it difficult to include it in the televised Grammy Awards these days.
Age is a factor — not only the demographics of the Grammy show viewers, which undoubtedly plays a role in what artists and music are featured on the TV broadcast, but the age of the rock music that makes up those market share numbers. Luminate tracks releases in two age brackets: current, which counts all sales and streaming activity in the first 18 months after a song or album is released; and catalog, which counts everything older than 18 months.
That is one of rock’s biggest issues: By the catalog category — again using audio consumption units minus activity from titles unassigned to a genre — its 25.5% of the market is comfortably No. 2 in the industry, still behind R&B/hip-hop. But by current releases, rock slips all the way to fourth, at 11.9%, behind R&B/hip-hop (27.2%), pop (18.7%) and country (14.8%) and barely ahead of Latin (10.6%).
And the Grammy Awards are all about current music; in fact, current music is literally written into the eligibility criteria of which music releases can be considered for its awards. For the 2025 Grammys, the Recording Academy only considered recordings released from Sept. 16, 2023, to Aug. 20, 2024. Mathematically speaking, all the releases that meet that criteria to be eligible for a Grammy Award, and thus to be included in the show, would be current releases.
But there could be another, more significant factor as to why rock music wasn’t front and center during the televised portion: The sales and streams for the nominees in the rock categories paled in comparison to those of other genres. Big sales and streaming activity clearly indicate widespread popularity and TV shows are all about drawing big viewing audiences. And the nominees in the rock categories turned in the weakest collective performance when it came to sales and streaming activity among the genres highlighted on the show.
Of the albums nominated for album of the year, only Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft could be remotely considered rock — and alternative at that, or more accurately dark pop. The other albums, not so much: Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department, Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of A Midwest Princess and Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet got pop covered; Charli XCX’s Brat represents electro-pop; and Andre 3000’s New Blue Sun and Jacob Collier’s Djesse Vol. 4 are R&B and jazz, with smatterings of funk thrown in. In fact, Beyoncé’s country album, Cowboy Carter, has been cited for bringing other genres into the mix.
Collectively, the eight albums nominated for album of the year averaged 2.043 million album consumption units in 2024, even with the Andre 3000 album only hitting 44,000 units and the Collier album lower, at 33,000 units.
Sales and streaming activity was also a likely distinguishing factor in determining if the big awards of the Latin, pop, country and R&B genres were featured on the televised show. Let’s take best pop vocal album, with the Grammy nod going to Carpenter’s Sweet album, which garnered 2.504 million U.S. album consumption units. Collectively, the five nominees in that category averaged 3.01 million album consumption units, with Swift’s Tortured Poets leading the way with 6.962 million.
In best rap album, Doechii’s Alligator Bites Never Heal won the Grammy, despite having the second-lowest sales/activity of the nominees at 133,000 album consumption units. Collectively, the five nominated albums averaged 712,000 units, led by Future & Metro Boomin’s We Don’t Trust You at 2.046 million units and Eminem’s The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grace) at 1.01 million album consumption units.
In best country album, the Grammy nominees collectively averaged 856,000 album consumption units, with a pair of artists new to the genre leading the way in Post Malone’s F-1 Trillion, with 1.598 million units, and winner Cowboy Carter, with 1.42 million album consumption units.
Shakira, who performed and was acknowledged for her historic role in bringing Latin music to the masses, won best Latin pop album with her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran album, which had 306,000 album consumption units. Collectively, her activity combined with the other four nominees for best Latin pop album averaged 171,000 album consumption units.
Even dance/electronic music, which ranks sixth with 3.8% in U.S. market share as calculated by Billboard based on Luminate data, made the cut for the televised portion of the show. While its overall market share is meager compared to rock, its collective current album consumption units were bolstered by Charli XCXs Brat album, which garnered 1.159 million album consumption units. In total, the five nominees in the category earned a collective average of 273,000 units.
Rock, in comparison, is a different story. The Rolling Stones won the best rock album award with 91,000 album consumption units for its Hackney Diamonds, while Green Day, which was the category leader, had 158,000 units. Collectively, the rock category nominees averaged just 81,000 units, by far the smallest of the bigger genres.
There may be plenty of reasons why rock was relegated to the back burner at this year’s Grammy Awards — the Stones and the Beatles, after all, are not the hottest names with kids these days. But the numbers certainly tell at least part of that story.
MTV owner Viacom has filed a lawsuit claiming that Nick Cannon’s new comedy battle rap game show — called Bad vs. Wild — is a “flagrant” copycat of his long-running series Wild ’N Out.
In a case filed Monday (Feb. 7) against the streaming service Zeus Network, the cable giant claimed that the new show “goes far beyond mere imitation” and instead steals “each and every” element of Wild ’N Out, a popular hip-hop comedy show that’s aired for more than 20 seasons on MTV and VH1.
The lawsuit doesn’t name Cannon as a defendant but instead accuses Zeus of essentially poaching him. It says the new show is “cosplaying” as a Wild ‘N Out “successor,” profiting from Viacom’s years-long investment “without having to do the work of creating original content itself.”
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“In an era where original content is at a premium, Zeus has chosen the path of least resistance: stealing the fruits of Viacom’s goodwill and decades of labor and innovation, and pawning it off as its own original idea for its own financial gain,” Viacom’s lawyers wrote.
Worse yet, the lawsuit says, episodes of Bad vs. Wild (which debuted in March) have repeatedly featured “offensive and inappropriate content that glorifies violence, objectifies women, and perpetuates insidious stereotypes,” threatening to tarnish the legacy of Wild ‘N Out.
“The potential damage to Viacom and Wild ‘N Out cannot be overstated,” the company’s lawyers continued. “This blatant copying and association with offensive content threaten to erode two decades of Viacom’s carefully built reputation and goodwill. It is an attack not just on Viacom’s intellectual property, but on its very brand identity.”
The lawsuit accuses Zeus of infringing both Viacom’s copyrights to the show and also its trademarks, saying that consumers have been duped into thinking the two shows are somehow connected. The filing cites a press release that explicitly referred to the show as “Wild ‘N Out on steroids.”
Wild ’N Out, which debuted on MTV in 2005, features teams of comedy and hip-hop stars battling in a series of competitions, capped off by a freestyle battle and then a musical performance. Over the years — the show has run for 21 seasons — it has boasted guests including Snoop Dogg, Kanye West, A$AP Rocky and Lil Wayne.
In this week’s lawsuit, Viacom claimed that Zeus had stolen almost all of the show’s core elements when it created Bad v. Wild. The two names are “extremely similar”; the new logo “copies the look, typeface, and arrangement”; the format and stage design of the two shows are “nearly identical”; and, of course, they feature the same host.
“Zeus enlists Mr. Cannon as host of a show that maliciously infringes upon the intellectual property of Wild ‘N Out … and has tainted Mr. Cannon’s image as on-camera talent for Wild ‘N Out,” Viacom’s lawyers wrote.
Though it doesn’t name him as defendant, the lawsuit does accuse Cannon of wrongdoing.
Viacom’s lawyers say he’s currently subject to his contract from Wild, which prohibits him from doing anything that that would “tarnish” his image as the show’s host and bans him from using “any characters or materials” from the show in other projects. By producing and hosting Bad v. Wild, the lawsuit says Cannon has violated that agreement.
But rather than sue Cannon directly for that alleged breach of contract, the lawsuit instead pins the legal blame entirely on Zeus — accusing the network of “intentional interference” with Viacom’s deal with Cannon by “inducing” him to break it. And the company claims it’s not the first time.
“Zeus — having previously violated exclusivity provisions when working with Viacom talent, and having knowledge of industry custom and practice — was aware that Mr. Cannon is under contract,” the company’s lawyers wrote. “The damage caused by Zeus’s interference with Mr. Cannon’s contract is magnified by the wave of negative publicity which emanated from Zeus’s unoriginal content and colorist and sizeist stereotyping.”
Reps for both Zeus and Cannon did not immediately return requests for comment.
Read the entire complaint here:
Canadians loomed large at Sunday’s Grammy Awards — even some who weren’t actually there in person — heading into it with many nominations for songwriting and producing.
The Weeknd’s surprise performance, ending his Grammys boycott, was probably the most notable, though Kendrick Lamar’s multiple wins for “Not Like Us” — accepted in a Canadian tuxedo, no less — made Drake a major talking point.
The most-decorated Grammy-winner of all time finally scored her white whale. Beyoncé, who holds 35 wins and 99 career nominations, had been denied album of the year four times before, losing to Taylor Swift in 2010, Beck in 2015, Adele in 2020 and Harry Styles in 2023. Each of those losses was for a culture-shaking album, from I Am…Sasha Fierce to her self-titled record, to Lemonade and Renaissance.
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This year, Beyoncé took home album of the year for her country record Cowboy Carter, also winning best country album. It was a historic win for Billboard’s greatest pop star of the 21st century, recognizing her for an album that honours the contributions of Black musicians to country as well as blurring the lines between country, pop, dance and R&B. (Not to mention, she seemed genuinely surprised by the country album win, in a reaction that has already been meme’d — a rare moment of fluster from Queen Bey).
Cowboy featured some major Canadian contributions — songwriting team Nate Ferraro, Bulow and Lowell (who also won the inaugural Billboard Canada Non-Performing Songwriter Award) wrote the album’s lead single “Texas Hold ‘Em” while Dave Hamelin of The Stills co-wrote and produced a half-dozen songs. For his work, Hamelin will also receive an album of the year Grammy.
Another Canadian songwriter did well in a different category — Toronto’s Scott Zhang picked up a win in best R&B song for his work on SZA’s “Saturn.” Conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin was the other big Canadian winner of the night, taking home best compilation soundtrack for his work on Bradley Cooper’s Maestro.
Canadian singer and Broadway star Deborah Cox helped kick off the Premiere Ceremony, which takes place before the evening Grammy Awards. That ceremony is where the majority of awards are handed out, and Cox was nominated this year as part of the cast of Broadway musical The Wiz, up for best musical theater album.
Though the cast of Alicia Keys’ Hell’s Kitchen took home the award — Keys was also honoured during the evening ceremony with the Dr. Dre Global Impact Grammy — Cox and her Wiz co-star Wayne Brady opened up the Premiere Ceremony with a heartfelt rendition of “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”
Read all of Canada’s impact on the awards here. – Rosie Long Decter
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Charlotte Cardin Scores A New ‘Feel Good’ Hit On The Billboard Canadian Hot 100
Canadian pop singer Charlotte Cardin can feel good this week.
The Quebec star has a new entry on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100, with her 2023 single “Feel Good” arriving at No. 94 on the chart dated Feb. 8, 2025.
It marks her first new entry on the chart since last year’s “99 Nights” — and like that track, “Feel Good” enters well after it was initially released, making its chart debut a year and a half after it appeared on her 2023 EP Une semaine à Paris.
The song is a mellow dance-pop track in a similar vein to her top ten hit “Confetti,” but where that one was driven by party malaise, “Feel Good” finds thrills in pleasure.
With lyrics in both French and English, the song has taken on a new life throughout her international tours and with a global, especially French-speaking, audience on TikTok and other social media platforms.
The new chart entry gives Cardin some good momentum as 2025 kicks off, and the Canadian singer — and Billboard Canada inaugural Woman of the Year — continues to expand her reach globally.
Read more on this week’s chart here. – RLD
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Executive Turntable: UMG announced a major move at the top of its Canadian office on Friday (Feb. 7), with Julie Adam succeeding longtime CEO Jeffrey Remedios in the top leadership role. Full story from Billboard Canada here.
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Remembering Artist Manager/Musician Jane McGarrigle
(Laury) Jane McGarrigle, a Canadian songwriter, musician, music publisher, artist manager and author who worked extensively with her sisters, folk legends Kate & Anna McGarrigle, died on Jan. 24 of ovarian cancer. She was 84.
Jane McGarrigle managed her younger sisters’ music careers from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s. As well as co-writing some songs with the duo, she performed with them in the studio and on tours of Canada, the United States, Europe and Australia.
In 2015, Anna and Jane McGarrigle co-wrote Mountain City Girls, a book detailing their Quebec upbringing. Commenting on the book (published by Penguin Random House), Emmylou Harris, a longtime friend of the McGarrigle clan, wrote that “From the moment I met The Mountain City Girls, Kate, Anna and Jane, I wanted to be a part of that magical McGarrigle circle — the songs, the suppers, the families and fellow travellers, and they blessed me with it all.”
Jane McGarrigle was long active in music publishing and copyright advocacy. She served as a board member of the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) where she defended publishing rights for musical authors. She also served on the board of the Songwriters Association of Canada for a number of years.
McGarrigle and her family spent long periods of time living in California, and she often performed with local musicians, including s Dick Oxtot’s Golden Age Jazz Band. In recent years in Montreal, she played dobro and piano with her partner Peter Weldon in their band, The What Four. – Kerry Doole
Last Week: Live Industry Faces Venue Shortages Despite $10B Economic Impact
The Fix the Tix coalition is sounding the alarm about the TICKET Act currently making its way through the U.S. Senate, warning that the current bill contains ambiguous language that threatens to undo progress the group has made at cleaning up the event ticket space. Fix the Tix leaders are now urging Congress to work with the group to amend the bill and update language around speculative ticketing, fan clubs and misleading websites.
“While we appreciate the bill’s purpose to protect and inform fans, it contains gaps that, if unaddressed, will undermine both consumer protections and a fair marketplace,” reads the letter addressed to Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who heads the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, which held a markup session for the TICKET Act on Wednesday (Feb. 5).
Reintroduced earlier this year by Senator Eric Schmidt (R-Missouri), the TICKET Act mandates all-in pricing for most ticket sellers, bars speculative ticket listings on sites like StubHub and empowers the Federal Trade Commission to pursue violations of the BOTS Act, which has only been enforced once since passing in 2016, according to songwriter and music industry analyst Chris Castle.
Trending on Billboard
While groups like the Fix the Tix coalition support the legislation in principle, concerns persist that it “undercuts several strong state consumer protection laws already passed in Maryland, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Arizona,” reads the Tuesday (Feb. 4) letter authored by Stephen Parker, the chairman of the Fix The Tix coalition and the executive director of the National Independent Venues Association. Parker also hints that members of his coalition — which includes The Recording Academy, the National Independent Talent Organization and the Artists Rights Alliance — feel left out and want to play a more active role in the legislative process.
“We encourage the Committee to hold a dedicated hearing or otherwise engage” members of the Fix the Tix coalition, Parker wrote, adding that “their real-life expertise can help craft a stronger, more effective TICKET Act” and noting his dismay with the increasing role the “predatory reseller lobby and the ‘consumer groups’ they fund to do their bidding” have played in drafting the bill.
The legislation’s central weakness comes from what it doesn’t include. In his letter, Parker urges Cruz to “bar predatory resellers from exploiting fan clubs or other restricted presales” and “prohibit listing or reselling tickets before the official public on-sale date” — a practice known as speculative ticketing that has long been criticized by consumer rights groups. In total, Parker offers up a half-dozen prescriptive changes for the bill in order to avoid strengthening the “very abuses it sets out to prevent.”
“We look forward to an open process that prioritizes the views of the artists, fans, and venue community that do all the work and take on all the risk to put on live shows,” Parker concludes.
The letter can be read in its entirety here.
After the holiday period subsided, Atlantic Records kicked the year off with a bang, and are now setting records and breaking barriers because of it. The chief reason: the runaway success of Rosé and Bruno Mars’ “APT.,” which this week spends its second week atop the Pop Airplay chart after becoming the first song by a K-pop artist to top that particular chart.
It’s a remarkable achievement for an artist, and a genre, that has been making waves in the U.S. for years now, first with BLACKPINK and now as a solo artist. And it’s not just on the U.S. pop airwaves that the song has been a massive success — this week, “APT.” spends its 14th week at No. 1 on the Global Excl. U.S. chart, tying the record for the longest-running No. 1 in that chart’s history, while also returning to No. 1 on the Global 200 for a 12th week, making it officially the No. 1 song in the world once again. And it helps Atlantic Music Group executive vp of promotion Brady Bedard earn the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
It’s not just “APT.” fueling this hot streak; Mars, despite not having released an album since the Silk Sonic team up with Anderson .Paak An Evening With in 2021 and without a solo album since 2016, has three songs in the top 20 of the Hot 100: “APT.,” (No. 3), “Die With a Smile” with Lady Gaga (No. 2) and “Fat, Juicy & Wet” with Sexyy Red (No. 17). It’s another big moment for Mars, who just took over as the artist with the most monthly Spotify listeners, passing 150 million in January.
Trending on Billboard
Here, Bedard talks about the success of “APT.,” how the global numbers have boosted domestic radio efforts and why Mars is having such a moment right now. “He’s one of the most talented, important, versatile artists of this century who continues to build one of the best catalogs in music,” Bedard says. “He continuously elevates both popular music and popular culture with hit after hit after hit — and judging by the world’s reaction we can all agree we are all better for it.”
This week, Rosé and Bruno Mars’ “APT.” spends its second week atop the Pop Airplay chart. It’s the first-ever song by a K-pop artist to reach that mark on that chart. What key decision(s) did you make to help make that happen?
It was the sum of all the parts. Rosé was in prime position to finally break out as a solo artist, and with the iconic touch of Bruno Mars it marked for a perfect collaboration. There was, unanimously, an irresistible energy to the song which translated in the immediate huge metrics in the U.S. and globally. Programmers ear-picked it from the start, as did their audience. Starting with our chart debut until reaching No. 1, the weekly airplay growth was textbook. It’s almost never a straight line to get to the top of any airplay chart, but this one was as close as it gets to perfect.
Has K-pop become more accepted at pop radio now, or was there something in particular about this song and campaign that made it particularly effective?
The answer really is both. Now more than ever K-pop is seen as part of the pop pantheon. Beata Murphy at KIIS in Los Angeles created a two-hour specialty show — iHeartKPOP with JoJo — that now runs across every iHeart Pop airplay station on Sunday nights. That didn’t exist a year ago.
In the specific case of Rosé, genres get “labeled” a lot in the pop airplay sphere based on the type of artist — that’s a K-pop artist, or that artist is a country or rock artist, etc — and while “APT.” is by a K-pop artist and that rightfully should be celebrated, when all those labels are stripped away at its core it’s just a really great pop song by an incredible rising pop artist.
At the same time, the song ties the record for the longest reign at No. 1 on the Global Ex-U.S. chart, at 14 weeks. How does that tangible global success help you in the promotions world?
The work the core team at the label provides is essential to what we do in promotion. Of course, starting with the music, Rosé’s Atlantic A&R Gelareh “G” Rouzbehani and then on to [VP of marketing] Jackie Wongso running point on the crucial marketing efforts, [executive vp of streaming and sales] Drew Maniscalo on the commerce side working in tandem with Liz Drummey and the global marketing team. With [Atlantic senior manager of digital] Kyle Viti pushing the massive digital footprint, and [Atlantic senior director of media] Ted Sullivan on the press side rolling out strategic media appearances all with identifiable eye-popping creative integration from [vp of creative] Trevor Newton in partnership with THEBLACKLABEL is nothing short of invaluable. The massive success their teams did here in the US and globally armed us with the information and positioning our promotion team needed to give our radio partners the confidence in this record week after week. We couldn’t have maximized what we did on the airplay charts without their expertise and insight.
Between “APT.,” “Die With a Smile” with Lady Gaga and the Sexyy Red-assisted “Fat Juicy & Wet,” Bruno has three songs in the top 20 of the Hot 100, even without having put out a solo album in almost a decade now. What makes him such an enduring hitmaker, and how do you help boost that on radio?
And look at the sonic array of those three songs! Radio is drawn to him in the same way everyone else is. He’s one of the most talented, important, versatile artists of this century who continues to build one of the best catalogs in music. He continuously elevates both popular music and popular culture with hit after hit after hit — and judging by the world’s reaction we can all agree we are all better for it.
How has the job of promotions at a record label changed over the course of your career?
Having great music and strong relationships remains core to the art of promotion. The shift is really in the strategy. In general, when I started 25 years ago, promotion teams pushed a song on the radio to work toward breaking an artist or song. Radio airplay drove the consumer into the malls and retail record outlets to buy the music — a model that worked for decades. In today’s dominant streaming and social media climate, once an artist or song is identified and verified as a winner inside of the various forms of data and metrics, then we amplify with the radio audience to take it to another level — bigger and with a long-tail effect. How much audience and how many formats can we reach in a campaign? How many songs can we reach with chart topping success? And then, once we get there, how long can we stay there? That makes the promotion work navigating radio and its hundreds of millions of weekly audience impressions as important as it has ever been.
What predictions do you have or trends are you keeping an eye on in the music business for 2025?
I predict we will continue to see a rise in more genre-bending hit songs finding their way across multiple airplay charts.
Music venues come in many different shapes and sizes, but one thing the best have in common is the energy they help create before a show starts. Whether fans were lucky enough to catch rising superstar Chappell Roan at the 1,800-capacity Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Okla., or witness Luis Miguel’s record-breaking tour at Mexico City’s GNP Seguros Stadium, Billboard’s 2025 top music venues were key components of the year’s most magical concert moments.
From a one-of-a-kind exosphere to $350 million renovations, Blue Ribbon fried chicken to Texas barbecue or sustainable initiatives to expert sightlines, factors large and small contribute to a building’s greatness. Here, Billboard honors 28 of the world’s best venues, classified by region, capacity and other attributes such as food and beverage and “wow factor.” The list was determined by Billboard’s reporting and editorial staff. Gross and attendance figures span from Oct. 1, 2023, to Sept. 30, 2024, as reported by Billboard Boxscore.
Top West Coast Stadium: Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)65,000 capacity
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Opened in 2020 near the Las Vegas Strip, the $1.9 billion Allegiant Stadium is a visual and technological marvel with its sleek black glass facade, retractable lanai doors and translucent UV-resistant roof that offers a first of its kind climate-controlled environment. The home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders has hosted sellout shows by Taylor Swift, BTS and The Rolling Stones — along with WrestleMania and Super Bowl LVIII — and offers premium lounges, 127 luxury suites and a massive, 26,000-square-foot field-level club. Grossing $119.2 million from just 15 shows, Allegiant ranked as the top U.S. stadium on Boxscore’s Year-End Top 25 Stadiums chart.
Top Central U.S. Stadium: Soldier Field (Chicago)61,000 capacity
Nestled along Chicago’s picturesque lakefront, Soldier Field is a widely beloved landmark that celebrated its 100th anniversary last year as the home of the NFL’s Chicago Bears. Accented by its iconic Greek-style colonnades and glass-and-steel upper structure, Soldier Field is known for excellent sightlines and a rich rock’n’roll history. It has hosted concerts by The Rolling Stones, The Who and, in 1977, the famed “Super Bowl of Rock” that featured Ted Nugent, Lynyrd Skynyrd, REO Speedwagon, Journey and .38 Special. In the last year, Soldier Field brought in over $80 million across eight performances, according to Boxscore.
Top East Coast Stadium: MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.)82,000 capacity
There’s nothing bigger in the New York market than MetLife Stadium, home to two NFL teams — the New York Jets and the New York Giants — as well as some of the region’s biggest concerts. Opened in 2010, MetLife is known for its striking exterior facade of aluminum louvers that change colors to represent the home team, as well as the 50,000-square-foot Great Hall pre-event gathering space, cutting-edge video boards and fully immersive audio systems that ensure every performance — including 2023 shows from Bruce Springsteen, and P!nk and The Rolling Stones last year — is top-notch. Last year, the venue grossed more than $66 million from six shows.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band onstage at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., in 2023.
Rob DeMartin
Top International Stadium: GNP Seguros Stadium (Mexico City)65,000 capacity
GNP Seguros Stadium (formerly Foro Sol) crowned Boxscore’s 2024 Top 25 Stadiums chart with 26 shows grossing more than $135 million. Mexico’s biggest stadium has a functional design and open-air structure that blends seamlessly into the sprawling Magdalena Mixhuca Sports City complex surrounding it. GNP Seguros offers unobstructed sightlines for both general admission and premium seating areas, as well as expertly designed acoustics for legendary artists like Paul McCartney, Metallica, Luis Miguel, The Killers and Bruno Mars, who all graced its stage last year after it reopened under the GNP Seguros banner in August. Since its opening in 1993, the venue has also been home to the Formula 1 Mexican Grand Prix and Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit.
Top U.S. Festival Site: Double JJ Resort (Rothbury, Mich.)50,000 capacity
The sprawling landscape and rustic charm of Double JJ Resort are ideal for Electric Forest festival, held annually at the nearly 90-year-old site. The architecture of Double JJ Resort is rooted in its heritage as a working ranch with wooden barns, log cabins and natural beauty seamlessly integrated into the festival experience. The ranch’s layout includes multiple stages where attendees can enjoy intimate sets or dance to electrifying beats — in 2024, provided by the likes of Pretty Lights and John Summit — in expansive open spaces. Guests can also enjoy activities like horseback riding, golfing, water parks or hiking the resort’s lengthy trail system.
Top International Festival Site: De Schorre Park (Boom, Belgium)150,000-plus capacity
The expansive city park dotted with green alcoves, scenic lakes and rolling hills is home to one of the biggest annual EDM festivals, the world-famous Tomorrowland, which in 2024 featured acts including Swedish House Mafia and Dom Dolla. The site is remarkable for its dedication to detail — every installation and accoutrement at De Schorre is integrated with nature, whether it be a small wooden bridge or one of the seven friendly giant troll sculptures hidden among the trees. Thanks to its open layout and strategically positioned stages, fans can enjoy an immersive concert experience from virtually any direction.
Top West Coast Arena: Intuit Dome (Inglewood, Calif.)18,000 capacity
Opened in August with two nights of Bruno Mars, the new home to the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers stands out in the crowded L.A. market with its distinctive diagrid exterior comprising thousands of white composite pieces, snapped together like a puzzle to provide both structural support and aesthetic appeal. Each exterior piece is made of a unique chemical formula, tailored to draw upon Southern California’s year-round climate for natural heating and cooling. The dome hosted 20 concerts before the Clippers even started their 2024-25 season and is already set for performances from Rod Wave, Mary J. Blige, Los Tucanes de Tijuana and Keith Urban this year.
Top Central U.S. Arena: United Center (Chicago)23,500 capacity
Nicknamed “The House That Jordan Built,” United Center is best known for the accomplishments of NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan. Opened in 1993, the arena is a Midwestern powerhouse, famous for its sleek facade and the commanding presence of its massive arches. Still home to the Chicago Bulls, United Center hosted more than 50 non-NBA events in the past year, placing the arena at No. 8 on Boxscore’s 2024 Year-End Top 50 Venues (15,000-plus capacity) chart with $123.8 million grossed.
Top East Coast Arena: Madison Square Garden (New York)19,500 capacity
The world’s most famous arena has long dominated North America as the top-grossing arena on the continent, attracting millions of music and sports fans each year to Midtown Manhattan. While the Garden has been relocated and renovated throughout the decades, its power and allure will always draw from its location at the center of the country’s largest media market. According to Boxscore’s 2024 year-end data, MSG sold 2 million tickets across 145 shows and grossed nearly $300 million, as it welcomed some of the biggest tours of the year, including Madonna, Nicki Minaj, Olivia Rodrigo, Aventura, Pearl Jam, Charli xcx and Troye Sivan, Sabrina Carpenter and Billie Eilish, while Billy Joel concluded his decadelong residency in July.
Top Canadian Arena: Scotiabank Arena (Toronto)19,800 capacity
Located in the heart of Canada’s most populous city, Scotiabank Arena has been an integral part of Toronto’s cityscape since its 1999 opening. Despite having two tenant sports teams (the NBA’s Toronto Raptors and the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs), the arena still held more than 75 shows — drawing over 1 million fans and grossing $120 million in ticket sales — during its 25th-anniversary year, which helped it rank as the highest-grossing Canadian arena on Boxscore’s 2024 Year-End Top 50 Venues (15,000-plus capacity) chart. As it prepares for the next quarter-century, Scotiabank Arena is undergoing a $350 million “reimagination project” that is expected to conclude this summer.
Top Caribbean Arena: Coliseo de Puerto Rico (San Juan)18,500 capacity
The Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot, commonly known as the Coliseo de Puerto Rico, has been bringing music to the U.S. territory since 2004 while also developing the next generation of reggaetón, Latin and salsa stars. In 2024, the arena hosted events with Eladio Carrión, Bad Bunny, Carín León, Feid, Ana Gabriel, Camila, Jerry Rivera and Luis Miguel — whose latest world tour made history as the highest-grossing Latin outing in Boxscore history ($330 million). But the landmark venue also provides a stage for acts beyond Latin genres and welcomed artists including Culture Club, Louis Tomlinson, Evanescence and Travis Scott in 2024.
Luis Miguel at Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan in 2024.
Christian Miranda/Fronthouse Media
Top International Arena: O2 Arena (London)20,000 capacity
The O2 Arena is an annual presence on Boxscore’s Year-End Top Venues (15,000-plus capacity) chart. For 2024, the building hosted more than 200 concerts, grossing $261 million with 2.6 million tickets sold. The government-owned, AEG-managed arena held the No. 3 position in 2024 (behind Sphere and Madison Square Garden) in large part thanks to the United Kingdom’s demand for concerts and London’s own reputation as a hub for European travel. Originally built as the Millennium Dome in 2000, the structure was turned into a multipurpose site, retaining its iconic design while integrating cutting-edge sound and lighting systems to further enhance top-tier live shows.
Top West Coast Amphitheater: The Greek Theatre (Los Angeles)5,900 capacity
Situated inside Los Angeles’ scenic Griffith Park, this storied outdoor venue features a striking blend of classical architecture — including columns inspired by ancient Greek amphitheaters — and abundant greenery. Owned by the city of Los Angeles and managed by Legends Hospitality, the Greek is open to promoters of all backgrounds and offers an iconic stage for acts that have graduated from clubs and are on their way to selling out arenas. The amphitheater offers curated, high-end culinary options, while fans can take in more than 95 years of live-music history that includes performances from Frank Sinatra and Fleetwood Mac and contemporary acts like Billie Eilish and Harry Styles.
Top Central U.S. Amphitheater: Red Rocks (Morrison, Colo.)9,600 capacity
Red Rocks is the ultimate aspirational venue — countless artists hope to play the idyllic amphitheater inside Red Rocks Park, a National Historic Landmark, and every fan wants to watch their favorite act while surrounded by the beautifully lit red sandstone outcrops. Opened in 1941, Red Rocks is uniquely carved into the Rocky Mountain landscape, surrounded by towering sandstone monoliths that frame the stage and provide near-perfect acoustics. Lucky for both artists and fans, the iconic venue — owned and operated by the city of Denver — has continued to extend its season each year, hosting 199 shows in 2024. With 1.6 million tickets sold, Red Rocks was the highest-grossing outdoor venue with a capacity of 5,000 to 10,000 in 2024, according to Boxscore’s year-end chart.
Top East Coast Amphitheater: Forest Hills Stadium (Queens)14,000 capacity
Forest Hills Stadium, an iconic, Tudor-style venue originally built in 1923 as part of the West Side Tennis Club, has hosted legends including Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand and The Beatles (for their very first stadium gigs) after opening up for concerts in the 1960s. Harmonizing with the surrounding neighborhood’s charm, the venue with unparalleled sightlines has an intimate atmosphere that makes concerts feel personal for fans. The stadium sat in disuse for decades before promoter Mike Luba helped reopen it in 2013 and has since had performances from the likes of Mumford & Sons, Ed Sheeran and Hozier, who marked a record four-night run of sellouts last June.
Top West Coast Club Or Theater: YouTube Theater (Los Angeles)6,000 capacity
Opened in 2021 as part of the SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park complex, YouTube Theater is both a physical and symbolic steppingstone into the entertainment campus. Its marquee entrance, illuminated by digital displays, makes an eye-catching first impression on visitors. For the 2024 year-end Boxscore charts, the midsize venue reported over 100 shows with appearances from John Legend, Myke Towers, Ari Lennox, Los Ángeles Azules and Megadeth, as well as the 85th birthday celebration of soul legend Mavis Staples. With over 340,000 tickets sold for a gross of $31.2 million during the 2023-24 chart year, YouTube Theater has managed to thrive in the competitive L.A. market.
Top Central U.S. Club Or Theater: Ryman Auditorium (Nashville)2,300 capacity
Affectionately known as “The Mother Church of Country Music,” the Ryman has been a revered venue since first opening in 1892 as a tabernacle church by Confederate Civil War veterans. Inspired by the Romanesque Revival architectural movement, the Ryman stands out thanks to its unique accents — it features red brick walls, arched windows with stained glass and a distinctive gabled roof. It was formerly the home of the Grand Ole Opry (which moved to a larger venue in 1974) but was left vacant until reopening in 1994 for a new generation of music fans to sit along the restored pews and enjoy performances by artists from Neil Young to Wu-Tang Clan.
Top East Coast Club Or Theater: Brooklyn Paramount (Brooklyn)2,700 capacity
When the Brooklyn Paramount originally opened in 1928, it was called “America’s first movie theater built for sound” and, as it moved through the decades, it welcomed big band jazz, hosted Alan Freed’s rock’n’roll revues and even became a lavish basketball court for Long Island University. Live Nation reopened the renovated theater in March 2024 with inspiration from its 1920s heyday. Stepping into the building is like walking into a time machine, with its intricate stone carvings, Art Deco flair and a marquee that evokes old-school charm. Since March, the venue has welcomed artists from Norah Jones and Jack White to PinkPantheress and Anitta.
Top Residency Venue: The Colosseum At Caesars Palace (Las Vegas)4,100 capacity
Originally built for megastar Céline Dion, The Colosseum at Caesars Palace has become a pinnacle of Las Vegas glamour and a concert residency jewel. The venue’s exterior is an elaborate homage to ancient Roman architecture, while its interior features plush seats, flawless sound and VIP packages that elevate the fan experience. Since its opening in 2003, The Colosseum has hosted residencies by artists including Elton John, Cher, Shania Twain, Mariah Carey, Usher, Garth Brooks and Adele, whose two-year, 100-show Weekends With Adele residency at the venue wrapped in November 2024. The iconic venue boasted nine entries on Billboard’s list of the 25 Biggest Concert Residencies of All Time.
Wow Factor: Sphere (Las Vegas)18,600 capacity
Sphere isn’t just a venue — it’s a jaw-dropping glimpse into the future of live entertainment. Launching in late 2023 with a 40-show U2 residency, which was followed by runs by Phish, Dead & Company and the Eagles, the stars of each show are Sphere’s state-of-the-art 240-foot-tall video screen inside the 366-foot-tall venue and the building-size video “Exosphere” that cloaks the venue and illuminates the desert sky. The one-of-a-kind experience also features haptic seats, sensor controls and a spatial audio system. With just 77 shows, Sphere topped Boxscore’s 2024 Year-End Top 50 Venues chart (15,000-plus capacity) with more than $420 million grossed and 1.3 million tickets sold.
Top Bucket List Venue: Billy Bob’s (Fort Worth, Texas)6,000 capacity
When it comes to live music with a Texas-size dose of character, Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth stands tall as a honky-tonk haven. Located in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards, Billy Bob’s was formerly an open-air barn used to house prize cattle for the Fort Worth Stock Show before they added the tower at its entrance adorned with a giant neon sign depicting the shape of the venue’s home state. The Lone Star site is decorated with hundreds of neon signs and 75 guitars autographed by the artists who have played there, and it features a full-blown rodeo arena with live bull riding. Add killer barbecue and cold beer, and you’ve got the ultimate night out in the heart of Texas.
Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth, Texas.
Robert Gallagher
Best Concept: The Salt Shed (Chicago)5,000 capacity
This industrial-chic venue, housed in a repurposed Morton Salt warehouse along the Chicago River, makes a bold first impression to newcomers. Its iconic rooftop sign — the same as the label from the Morton Salt in your kitchen cabinet — has been preserved, along with the industrial bones of the warehouse updated with expansive glass walls and riverside patios. The Salt Shed complex includes three spaces: the 3,600-capacity indoor shed, the 5,000-capacity outdoor fairgrounds and the Three Top Lounge, which sits at the highest point of the building and offers craft cocktails and specialty food. Since opening in 2022, the Salt Shed has hosted everyone from indie darlings Fleet Foxes to genre-bending stars like André 3000.
Local Favorite, West: Belly Up (Solano Beach, Calif.)600 capacity
At first glance, Belly Up looks like a run-of-the-mill dive bar, which it was for many years before 1976, when owners Dave Hodges and Greg Gilholm made it into the live-music venue it is today. Belly Up focused mainly on rock’n’roll and blues in its early years, welcoming stars like Etta James, Big Mama Thorton and Lightnin’ Hopkins to its tiny stage. Since then, the small concert hall has hosted performances from Jimmy Buffett, George Clinton, Willie Nelson, Mumford & Sons, Mick Fleetwood and Jack Johnson, among many others. What continues to make the venue special after 50 years is the local Southern California talent that has come through, including Maroon 5, No Doubt, Snoop Dogg, Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Black Eyed Peas.
Local Favorite, Southwest: Empire Control Room & Garage (Austin)1,050 capacity
The Empire Control Room & Garage is the embodiment of Austin’s “Live Music Capital of the World” ethos, carefully blending culture and community each night into an unforgettable experience for fans and artists alike. The three-stage venue — the 1,050-capacity Empire Garage, 350-capacity Control Room and 200-capacity, creekside outdoor patio — is situated in Austin’s Red River cultural district, which boasts one of the few remaining contiguous blocks of live-music venues in the United States. Painted predominantly in black, the outside of Empire rocks an edgy aesthetic, setting the tone for what’s inside: a dynamic, distraction-free live-music venue with immersive lighting and a sound system that punches way above its weight.
Keeping It Indie: 9:30 Club (Washington, D.C.)1,200 capacity
The 9:30 Club isn’t just a music venue — it’s a cultural institution. Since opening in 1980, this standing-room-only rock haven exudes cool, beginning with its industrial brick facade and gritty, yet charming interior where every space comes with an incredible view of the stage. Originally located at 930 F St. (hence the name), the venue has thrived since moving in 1996. The iconic club has not only lasted for decades in the D.C. market but also has remained staunchly independent. For the 2024 year-end Boxscore charts, 9:30 Club reported hosting over 260 events with performances from Fontaines D.C., Royel Otis, Shaboozey and Jack White.
Best Food And Music Pairing: Brooklyn Bowl (Brooklyn)600 capacity
The headliners may change each night, but the menu at Brooklyn Bowl has remained consistent for over a decade. The Blue Ribbon fried chicken remains a standout on the elevated food and beverage menu that graces all four Brooklyn Bowl locations across the country (Brooklyn, Las Vegas, Nashville and Philadelphia). Long considered the greatest meal on New York’s rock’n’roll scene, the secret to chef Michael Psilakis’ famed recipe is all about the batter. Each dish includes a specially sourced gluten-free matzo that’s regularly flown in from Israel, giving each bite that perfectly crispy, impossibly savory taste. Paired with an ice-cold Brooklyn Brewery lager and a heap of sauerkraut mashed potatoes, there is no tastier match in music, either front of house or backstage.
Most Unforgettable Experience: Cain’s Ballroom (Tulsa, Okla.)1,800 capacity
On their 2007 track “Easton & Main,” Oklahoma natives Turnpike Troubadours give a shoutout to their local music venue by stating they left their heart “on the Cain’s Ballroom floor soaking up a bourbon stain.” Country and Americana stars have lots of love for the 1920s dance hall that has hosted sets from Hank Williams and “King of Western Swing” Bob Willis, whose regular appearances at the venue helped it earn the moniker “the Carnegie Hall of Western Swing.” The room — which features a spring-loaded dancefloor, a 4-foot neon star and a silver disco ball lighting up the log cabin — still welcomes greats, with recent performances from Charley Crockett, Wilco and Chappell Roan.
Most Environmentally Friendly: Acrisure Arena (Palm Springs, Calif.)11,000 capacity
Acrisure Arena is a climate-friendly oasis in the heart of the California desert. Built with sustainability in mind, the venue is surrounded by drought-resistant plants and sunk 25 feet below grade to limit exposure of its exterior facade to reduce dependence on its HVAC system. It gathers energy from solar panels covering its parking lot, where electric vehicles are prioritized, and sources food and beverage options from local, sustainable vendors to reduce emissions from travel. Located just hours outside of the Los Angeles metro area, Acrisure Arena grossed over $40 million in the last year, attracting top-tier talent including Madonna, Olivia Rodrigo, Stevie Nicks and Fuerza Regida.
This story appears in the Feb. 8, 2025, issue of Billboard.
Drop the needle on the latest Executive Turntable, Billboard’s weekly compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across the music business.
There’s a solid slate of personnel news this week, which in the last 24 hours has been awash with big moves from Universal Music Group (see ICYMI down there, eh). When you’re done picking your jaw up off the floor, peruse our annual list of the industry’s biggest power players, our weekly interview series spotlighting a single c-suiter and our calendar of notable industry events.
Clay Hunnicutt departed his role as executive vp of label operations at Big Machine Label Group. Hunnicutt joined BMLG in 2019 as GM of the Big Machine Records imprint and was promoted to his most recent assignment, focusing on business development, partnerships and catalog initiatives across the BMLG family of labels, in January 2024. Prior to BMLG, he spent four years leading Big Loud Records, where he shepherded a team developing Morgan Wallen. Before joining label life, Hunnicutt spent 27 years in radio, including long stretches at Clear Channel and iHeartMedia, where he rose to executive vp and GM of national programming platforms. Hunnicutt, who made Billboard’s Country Power Players list in 2023, broke the news of his departure with Country Aircheck, telling them that “moving on is always bittersweet.” The industry veteran has not announced where he’ll land next.
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Atlantic Music Group named Alex Figueroa (aka “Figs“) as vice president of creative, where he’ll work alongside president of creative Dave Rocco to expand the label’s artistic reach and vision. Figs will collaborate with artists across Atlantic, 10K Projects and 300 Entertainment, integrating creative, content, and digital strategy to strengthen artist branding. Previously, Figs served as head of content and head of creative at 10K Projects, where he played a key role in the success of Artemas’ global hit “I Like the Way You Kiss Me” and helped secure Teezo Touchdown’s feature on BETWEEN FRIENDS’ “Redlight.” He also signed influential artists like Aminé, who scored a hit on the Hot 100 in 2016, with the No. 11-peaking “Caroline.” Expressing gratitude to his former team at 10K, he emphasized the importance of collaboration, stating, “Nothing great is ever built alone.”
Capitol Records hired Brian “Busy” Dackowski as executive vp and head of pop/rock digital marketing for the storied label. Based out of Capitol headquarters in Los Angeles, he will lead digital marketing strategies for the label’s pop and rock releases. Busy joins from Atlantic Records, where he spent over 20 years, most recently as evp of viral marketing and analytics. He played a key role in launching Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran and led successful campaigns for Fred again.., Charlie Puth, Ty Dolla $ign and others. He also oversaw digital marketing for the Barbie and Twisters soundtracks. Tom March, chairman and CEO of Capitol Music Group, praised Busy as one of the best music marketers globally. “Having him lead our digital marketing team is going to be a gamechanger for all the artists on our roster,” he said.
Tiara Hargrave // SLANG
Tiara Hargrave has been appointed general manager of SLANG, the nascent independent label under Influence Media. Hargrave will oversee operations and lead the Blackrock-backed label’s growth following a busy half-year since launching with rapper and Oscar winner Will Smith as its first signee. Since her appointment, SLANG has helped Smith snag his first No. 1 Gospel song, “You Can Make It,” and guided rapper Truththebull’s “Hype Me Up” to viral status. Previously, she was evp and GM at Alamo Records, working with artists like Lil Nas X, Lil Durk and Kid Cudi. The Baltimore native has also held key roles at Columbia Records, Universal Music Group and Red Bull. Based in New York, Hargrave will oversee a diverse roster that also includes multi-platinum producer Camper, GRAMMY-winning producer 30 Roc, rapper/singer Leaf, The Underachievers, Isaia Huron and RY XP.
Sphere Entertainment appointed Glenn Derry as executive vp of MSG Ventures, where he’ll oversee tech-centered initiatives and support Sphere Studios and the overall Sphere platform. Reporting to chief executive Jim Dolan, he will be based at Sphere Studios in Burbank, Calif. Derry joins from AGBO, where he was president of production technology, and previously served as vp of visual effects at 20th Century Fox Studios. Earlier, he founded Technoprops, an R&D firm specializing in motion capture, and developed a groundbreaking head-mounted camera system, earning an Academy Technical Achievement Award. His work includes blockbuster films like Avatar, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and Avengers: Age of Ultron. Derry got his start in practical effects and puppetry before transitioning into visual effects and virtual production. Dolan highlighted Derry’s impact on the entertainment industry as a creative technologist, adding, “his expertise will be an asset to Sphere as we continue to build on this next generation entertainment medium and reinforce our position at the forefront of immersive experiences.”
Wise Music Group elevated Dirk Lange to managing director of UK Rights Companies, overseeing Chester Music, Novello and Co, Campbell Connelly and Sparta Florida. Lange will relocate from Hamburg to London in April, succeeding Wiebke Busch, who’ll transition to a part-time role in Berlin to support the company’s classical rights division. Lange has a strong background in A&R, artist management and synch, having worked with labels and publishers throughout his career. Since 2007, he has been with Wise Music’s Berlin-based Bosworth Music, serving as head of synch and later as European creative director for new talent. He has signed prominent writers like Ólafur Arnalds and David Sylvian. “Dirk has some of the best ears in the business,” said CEO Marcus Wise. “He’s already well known to many of the composers on our roster. I’m confident his move to London will deliver significant success locally in discovering new talent, identifying acquisitions, and managing our core classical and contemporary music activities in all genres.”
AEG Presents promoted four key members of its global touring staff. Jonathan Baden is now senior vp of production and direct support, overseeing touring and festival production teams. Jenny Heifetz has been elevated to senior vp of global touring, expanding her role in operations and select tours. Lindsay Dworman and Elizabeth Pickrel, formerly directors of touring, are now vps of global touring, with Dworman’s focus on booking and managing tours, and Pickrel’s plate now including international touring. “Our global touring team is only as good as the people in it and the artists we work with” said Rich Schaefer, president global touring at AEG Presents.
NASHVILLE NOTES: Reel Muzik Werks launched the Nashville-based publishing division 507 Publishing, which will be home to writers, artist and producers in the fields of country, pop, rock and Contemporary Christian. The 507 Publishing team will include Madison Policastri (who will lead the A&R department) and A&R coordinator/producer Cooper Carr … SOURCE Nashville, the nonprofit supporting professional women across Music City, set its officers: Kari Barnhart (Studio Bank) as president, Mallory Pascal (KBFM) as vice president, Kasey Cleckler (Cape & Anchor) as secretary, and Beth Tyson (FBMM) as treasurer.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Troubadour Advisory Council has announced its 2025 leadership team and new council members. Elizabeth Lombardi from CAA has been named chair, with Zach Farnum (117 Entertainment), Nina Jenkins Fisher (Jody Williams Songs) and Brenden Oliver (Country Music Association) as vice-chairs. The 2025 council members include Scott Adkins, Karli Berman, Christopher Beverly, Kasey Cleckler, Katie Cline Moore, Emily Dryburgh, Taylor Edwards, Alex Hall, Brittney Hitch, Cody Kirby, Nathan Pyle, Carter Robinson, Molly Shehan, Casey Thomas, Josh Tomlinson and Max Vanberg. –Jessica Nicholson
ICYMI:
Jeffrey Remedios
Bell Partners Worldwide acquired Gotee Records and Emack Music Publishing, launching Bell Partners Christian Music with Joey Elwood and Toby McKeehan in leadership roles … Julie Adam is the new CEO of Universal Music Canada, with Jeffrey Remedios shifting to REPUBLIC … After Cindy Mabe‘s sudden departure as CEO and chairman of Universal Music Group Nashville, UMG appointed Mike Harris as CEO and Dave Cobb as chief creative officer … Dina LaPolt launched content producer LaPolt Media. [Keep Reading]
Last Week’s Turntable: BMI Lifer Eyes Retirement
Bell Partners Worldwide has acquired Tennessee-based Christian label Gotee Records’ label operations and Emack Music Publishing arm. The partnership marks the launch of a new division, Bell Partners Christian Music, aimed at expanding the global reach of Christian music artists.
Gotee executives Joey Elwood and Toby McKeehan (tobyMac) will continue in leadership roles at Gotee as well as at Bell Partners Christian Music, with Elwood serving as CEO of the latter.
Producers Todd Collins and Elwood, along with Grammy-winning artist tobyMac, founded Gotee Records in 1992. The label has launched the careers of artists including Christian hip-hop pioneers GRITS, Christian R&B group Out of Eden, Relient K (“Who I Am Hates Who I’ve Been”), Jennifer Knapp, SonicFlood (“I Could Sing of Your Love Forever”) and Jamie Grace. Gotee’s current roster includes Jon Reddick (“God Turn It Around”), Cochren & Co. (“Money Can’t Buy”), Terrian (“In The Arms”), Ryan Stevenson and Joseph O’Brien.
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Bell Partners Worldwide is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, with operations across the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America. The multifaceted music company specializes in rights management, publishing, synchronization, licensing and label services.
“This isn’t an exit strategy — it’s a strategic evolution,” Elwood said in a statement. “After many discussions with Bell Partners, we saw the potential in combining our 30 years of independent label experience with Bell Partners’ global infrastructure. This partnership allows us to elevate Christian music on a worldwide scale, and we’re excited for what’s ahead.”
Hayden Bell, founder/CEO of Bell Partners, added, “We are excited to welcome Gotee Records into the Bell Partners family. Joey and Toby have built an amazing company that has been a cornerstone of the Christian music industry, and I couldn’t wish for better partners as we move forward. This partnership not only strengthens our commitment to nurturing talent but also underscores our dedication to expanding the global influence of Christian music. Together, we will unlock new opportunities for artists, empower their voices, and share their inspirational messages with audiences around the world.”