State Champ Radio Executive of the Week
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Since its founding in 2010, boutique publishing house Heavy Duty Music has landed its writers and producers credits on songs by the likes of Frank Ocean, Bon Iver and Miley Cyrus, to name a few. But even for a company with such big hits under its belt, 2023 has been a big year: Over the past nearly 12 months, their writers and producers have appeared on releases from Drake, Nicki Minaj, Dominic Fike and The Kid LAROI, as well as Grammy-nominated albums by Cyrus, Travis Scott and Drake & 21 Savage.
This week, Heavy Duty added to that momentum with a string of signings, including Nightfeelings (Kelela, Panda Bear), Anthoine Walters (Drake, Post Malone), Gabe Goodman (Maggie Rogers) and comedian Whitmer Thomas. For a company with just shy of 50 writers and around 7,000 copyrights, it all adds up to a formidable year, one bolstered by a number of awards won by its sister company, the custom-music shop Heavy Duty Projects, which provides opportunities for its writers to work on projects with brands like Gatorade, Apple, Google and film and TV studios. Altogether, the momentum earns Heavy Duty founding partner/CEO Josh Kessler the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
Here, Kessler talks about the success his writers have experienced this year, how he attracts new clients and the opportunities he sees, even amid the challenges of scale faced by the modern music industry. “I am excited about Heavy Duty’s future,” Kessler says. “We have seen some great growth over the last few years and with so much consolidation in our industry it creates opportunities for a boutique creative publisher like us to meet writers’ needs with a more white-glove approach.”
You’ve had your writers and producers featured on recent releases from Nicki Minaj, Drake and The Kid LAROI, and on recently Grammy-nominated albums from Miley Cyrus, Travis Scott and Drake & 21 Savage. What’s your approach when it comes to helping get your clients involved with high-profile records and artists?
It’s spotting the talent first and fostering a creative environment for success. For us, the goal is to identify opportunities for our writers that push boundaries and garner critical acclaim. Those records are always a great springboard to getting into more high-profile rooms.
How important can a Grammy nomination or a No. 1 album placement be for a writer’s career?
We are inspired by forward-thinking, innovative artists and songwriters, and are lucky to be working with so many on our roster. If nominations or commercial success come, it’s a wonderful thing. This kind of acknowledgment can offer a younger writer access to bigger opportunities, and for established writers, it’s verification of their talent. It can of course be great financially too.
You also recently signed Nightfeelings (Kelela, Panda Bear), Anthoine Walters (Drake, Post Malone), Gabe Goodman (Maggie Rogers) and comedian Whitmer Thomas. What’s your pitch to new clients, and how do you position the company separately from other publishers?
Our entire team collaborates across every writer, producer and artist on the roster. So the collective brain trust is always there, individualized for each writer. I’m blessed to run this company with my business partner, Grammy-winning producer Ariel Rechtshaid, and to have our head of A&R Emmy Feldman — they both have incredible instincts and great taste. We have teams in L.A., N.Y. and London who work across all media, with a focus on synch. Collectively these teams are constantly looking at identifying ways to give our writers, artists and songs in the catalog more commercial opportunities. We also have an amazing studio facility for our roster to use. This combination of team, resources and staying focused on an artist’s vision is what draws talent to Heavy Duty.
You also have a sister operation that connects your clients to custom music opportunities. How does that work, and what are the opportunities there for songwriters?
Our music agency, Heavy Duty Projects, is led by industry veteran Kate Urcioli and focuses on bespoke music, music supervision, sound design and final mix for advertising, trailers, film, TV and video games. Because of our roster and the high-profile projects we work on, we can offer these media companies a unique access point to the music industry. Last year we won several Clios and the Guild of Music Supervisors’ video game award for our work on Saints Row. We recently completed projects for Apple, Etsy, Gatorade, Google and the Aquaman trailer. Composer/writer Amanda Yamate scored the Adam Sandler film You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah and is currently scoring the Netflix series The Dream Academy co-produced by Interscope and HYBE. Writers on the publishing roster have the opportunity to write music across all these bespoke projects.
How do you see the music business evolving in the next year when it comes to the publishing business?
So much music is being released these days it’s hard to break through the noise. Writers and artists understand this more than ever and are expecting publishers to be a more involved creative partner. I believe it’s one of the cornerstones which build long and lucrative careers, [and] Heavy Duty is well positioned to take on this challenge.
Since Danny Nozell started managing Dolly Parton in 2005, her already legendary career has soared to new heights. But even Nozell, CEO of CTK Enterprises, couldn’t have predicted that Parton would be inducted into the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and, one year later, that her 30-track set, Rockstar — inspired by the honor — would become the highest-charting album of her nearly 60-year career.
Parton is joined by such artists as Elton John on “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr on “Let It Be,” and John Fogerty on Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Long As I Can See the Light,” among others, on the Nov. 17 release, which also contains six originals. Rockstar debuted at a career-high No. 3 on the all-genre Billboard 200, surpassing Parton’s previous high of No. 6 for 2014’s Blue Smoke. With 128,000 equivalent album units, Rockstar also blasted in at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums, Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums and Top Album Sales charts.
Parton recorded much of the album in secret, not even telling Nozell. “[She] did not tell me until she had finished it and called myself and my staff in to listen to the album,” he says. “I said, ‘What album?’ She said, ‘The rock album.’ She didn’t want to tell me because she was afraid I would start cutting deals before it was done. She knows me well.”
The high numbers are a result of Parton’s inimitable talent, but also, to Nozell’s point, a global marketing plan that began rolling out months before the album’s release and included debuting the first single, “World On Fire,” on the Academy of Country Music Awards, which she hosted with Garth Brooks. The voluminous marketing efforts also included making a music video for Queen‘s “We Are the Champions/We Will Rock You” that tied in with NBC’s promotion of the 2024 Olympics, a London press junket with journalists from all over the world, a SiriusXM interview with Howard Stern, an HSN merchandise drop and a slot on Robin Roberts’ ABC special. The promotional slate was an endurance marathon that the 77-year-old Parton ran like a gold medalist, and devising and executing it helps earn Nozell the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
Here, Nozell talks about the different facets of the campaign and how, even after almost 20 years together, Parton still managed to surprise him in a major way.
There were literally dozens of promotional efforts for Rockstar. Was there one single campaign or interview that you felt pushed the album over the edge?
[No.] It was the long setup time, the combination of the entire global marketing plan and the way we executed it like a military operation. We researched everything, we planned everything and we strategized everything. When we felt like we had the right game plan, we executed and followed through. We have been following this protocol for two decades and it has always served us well. There’s no “I” in team. We manifest our own success and my team — CTK Enterprises/Butterfly Records — deserves all the recognition in the world. Kyle McClain, Steve Ross, John Zarling, Kelly Ridgway, Olly Rowland, Marcel Pariseau and my entire staff, as well as Big Machine’s Scott Borchetta, Mike Rittberg and everyone at [the label] deserve enormous credit. Dolly delivered an incredible album that will go down in history as one of her greatest.
Rockstar tops Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart and, at 118,500 physical copies sold, she more than double her previous biggest week 30 years ago with 50,000 for Slow Dancing With the Moon. You did four different CD configurations and 10 vinyl variants. Like Taylor Swift, does she have fans who will collect every version?
Our original goal was to be in the top five of the Billboard 200 and to do 70,000 in the first week. We definitely crushed that. Dolly’s fans are extremely loyal and I’ve gotten to know many of them over the years. They definitely like to collect every single version of the vinyls, CDs and even cassette tapes. In true Dolly form, we defied the norm of the current marketplace and sold a lot of physical product. While we were still focused on streaming, we wanted to give Dolly’s fans and consumers a memorable product that you could see, feel and read, just like I, and many fans, grew up doing. With streaming, you leave out a lot of the artistic element of the product.
You also went into non-traditional retailers, including Cracker Barrel, Dollar General and HSN. Were any of those new for Dolly and how important is it for you to meet Dolly’s audiences where they are, which might not be the traditional music outlets?
Being that we’ve had so much success with Cracker Barrel and HSN [before], but had not tested out Dollar General, we decided to take a chance and [have] Dollar General be an official retailer for chart-eligible sales. I was also the one who did the same for Cracker Barrel when Dolly did her first project with them years ago. This was one of the deal points I made sure was included. We’re not afraid to take chances because Dolly doesn’t go on everyone’s highway, she creates her own path. We wanted to stick to that mentality. We made sure that wherever there was a Dolly fan, we needed to reach them.
The vast majority of her consumption came from sales as opposed to streaming. Were there efforts to up her streaming numbers from the past or was the plan to focus on album sales, given her older audience demographic?
We met with the DSPs early on and played them the entire album. They were just as blown away as we were and wanted to partner. We gave them exclusive content and time with Dolly.
We thought that out of the starting gates we should go for Dolly’s core fan base and deliver them a high-quality product. This is why we offered 10 different vinyl variants and did expensive photoshoots, with top pop photographers like Vijat Mohindra, who Miley Cyrus introduced to Dolly. (Parton is Cyrus’s godmother.) Dolly’s never been a huge streaming artist but we have continually increased her footprint year over year.
Dolly sang “Rocky Top” at the University of Tennessee’s football game the day after Rockstar’s release and then performed during halftime at the Dallas Cowboys’ game on Thanksgiving. You even created special CD packages for each team. How did those appearances bring in a different Dolly audience?
During the week of release, we wanted to create a marketing explosion. At the University of Tennessee, Dolly performed in front of 100,000 people and over 6 million TV viewers. Then the Dallas Cowboys on CBS had over 44 million TV viewers and 100,000 people live at the sold-out stadium. We could not have asked for a bigger look for the week of release. I can’t even put a price on this exposure.
However, there were a couple of caveats that I didn’t expect. The first was Dolly’s huge heart and generosity when she donated $1 million to the Red Kettle campaign with the Salvation Army, [which kicked off at the Cowboys’ halftime]. The second being that Dolly didn’t tell or show anyone that she was going to dress as a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader until it was time to go to the stage. When she came out of the dressing room, myself, the security, and my staff fainted. I couldn’t tell the difference between Dolly and the cheerleaders. That is the genius of Dolly and people are still talking about it.
Rockstar is her highest-charting album ever on the Billboard 200. How do you top this?
Even though we’re really proud of everything, we still fell short of the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 and we have our sights set on this goalpost for the future. We are highly competitive and just want to win for Dolly. She deserves the very best, always. We feel that this global push has raised Dolly’s profile and gained her a lot of new fans. She gained 500,000 new followers on social media in the past seven days alone. We’re excited for the future.
Dolly’s work ethic is second to none. What could younger artists learn from her?
Dolly’s 77 and I’ve been chasing her for the last 20 years. She has no plans of slowing down. A younger artist could definitely look at her work ethic and see that the hard work pays off. They can also look at her huge heart: the more you give, the more you receive, and that’s worked really well for Dolly. Also, she doesn’t judge anyone. She tries to find positivity in everybody. They can also learn that dreams really do come true. Dolly keeps on dreaming and we have to help her execute them.
This past week has been one of the big ones on the music calendar, with the Recording Academy announcing the nominees for the 2024 Grammy Awards, set to take place on Feb. 4. When they were unveiled, one of the year’s biggest honorees was Victoria Monet, whose album JAGUAR II was a critical smash when it debuted in September of this year. Monet, who started her career as an artist in a girl group before seeing success as a songwriter for Ariana Grande, Blackpink, Travis Scott and others, earned seven nominations, the second-most of any artist, including nods in the coveted best new artist and record of the year categories.
The nominations span a variety of areas: in addition to best new artist and record of the year for her song “On My Mama,” she earned nods for R&B album, R&B performance, R&B song, traditional R&B performance and engineered album, non-classical, recognizing her for artistry, songwriting, performance and overall quality. It’s a testament to Monet’s work rate and vision, as well as to the team around her, including manager Rachelle Jean-Louis, who earns the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
Here, Jean-Louis discusses the work and planning that went into setting up and delivering JAGUAR II, how the album campaign extended into every facet of Monet’s career and the dedication and teamwork that it took to pull off a feat that is now being recognized with so many nominations by the academy. “One thing I’ve heard people say is, ‘If the music is great, people will find it,’” Jean-Louis says. “Sure — but they’re more likely to find it if you can give them as many touch points and opportunities as possible.”
This week, Victoria Monet was nominated for seven Grammy Awards, including best new artist and record of the year, the second-most of any artist for the upcoming 2024 awards. What key decisions did you make to help make that happen?
The first important decision was made years ago, on the heels of her writing two No. 1 records. She had an opportunity to open on a tour she was excited about, and I advised she focus on her artistry and developing an identifiable world and sound, specifically as an artist, for fans. That was our first “tough” conversation — convincing someone I’d just started working with to pause and reflect on the big picture. We focused on developing her own sound with longtime collaborator D’Mile. That world became JAGUAR — the first project we released independently in 2020, and now, JAGUAR II. I A&R’d and co-executive produced both projects and worked alongside her and D’Mile to make something we were all proud of.
The next important decision at that time was choosing to stay independent and partner with Platoon for the first JAGUAR so she had full creative autonomy and as bulletproof of an identity as possible before going back into a major label system. Back then, she had interest from the majors because of songwriting success, but I wanted loyal core fans there for her, not just anyone she was affiliated with, so if and when she did decide to partner with one, it would be a true partnership to help amplify her vision. JAGUAR II was released via Lovett Music in partnership with RCA Records to help her music reach new heights.
She was a songwriter for years before beginning her recording career, which is not always an easy transition for artists to make. How did you help that process, and what were the challenges involved?
This is actually a common misconception. Victoria did start her music career as an artist; she was signed in a girl group that ended up getting dropped from their label. To provide for herself and keep working while sorting out contracts and having developed further under an incredible songwriter like Lashawn Daniels, who wrote hits like “Say My Name” for Destiny’s Child, she tried to keep her dream of artistry alive by songwriting. It can be incredibly difficult for people who have success as songwriters first to be able to brand themselves and differentiate the songs they write for others from their own work. Victoria has always been great at that. Victoria’s artistic voice really is unique. After the music was made, I wanted to make sure her visual identity was credible and set her apart. I searched Vimeo for hours looking for directors before finding Valentin Petit, an incredible French director, to shoot “Moment” as the first true music video from JAGUAR. It’s important to me that the visual art match the caliber of the music. We have an incredible creative team that is dedicated to that, which you can see by the videos for JAGUAR II. Our creative director Charlotte and art director Jess are both fearless, talented women who work hand in hand with us to push the art and story forward.
This nominated album, JAGUAR II, is the second half of a two-project series. How did you approach the entire rollout differently from perhaps a more traditional release schedule?
Attention spans are so short. One thing I’ve heard people say is, “If the music is great, people will find it.” Sure — but they’re more likely to find it if you can give them as many touch points and opportunities as possible. When we first started talking about the rollout for JAGUAR in 2019, we were going to do three parts to be consistent and give fans more chances to discover Victoria and her music. More singles to focus on one at a time to point back to a cohesive world. We didn’t plan for a pandemic to happen in the middle of that process, but we adapted and released four singles off a nine-song project to keep it going consistently for as long as possible over the course of a year. A lot of the rollout for both JAGUAR and JAGUAR II is sustained by content in between our videos and singles, and great press moments thanks to our longtime indie publicist Dana Meyerson at biz3. We released two singles in 2021 after the birth of her daughter to stay in the conversation, did her first pre-show award show performance at BET Awards that year, then revisited the remaining songs for JAGUAR II.
Coming back to the remaining music years later, Victoria felt something was missing and that she could do better, so I set more sessions for her. Those songs were “Cadillac,” “Party Girls (feat. Buju Banton),” “Alright” produced by Kaytranada, “How Does It Make You Feel,” “Stop (Askin Me 4Shyt)” and “On My Mama.” More than half of the album. She was right.
For JAGUAR II specifically, how did you want to present it, given it was such a long-awaited project and yet, also, her debut album?
Victoria is one of the most dedicated perfectionists I’ve ever met — in the way that I imagine the greats I’ve always respected were when they created some of the most important albums of our time. We wanted to continue the theme of JAGUAR being a representation of Victoria as a complex Black woman, making sure each song showed another side of her so it could speak to women everywhere. We still believe in albums as experiences, not chasing singles, so that was a determining factor of what songs to pick to represent JAGUAR II. The singles were all different enough to keep fans engaged and looking forward to the album.
We started with “Smoke” featuring Lucky Daye since it continued the sound established with D’Mile on the first project. It served the true R&B purists in her fanbase. Victoria felt strongly about “Party Girls” as the next single to get out ahead of the summer given the island influence. Our label supported her vision to deliver a visual that continued to elevate her art, and it accomplished that by raising the bar for her.
“On My Mama” was the easiest entry point for all of the above — there’s enough musicality for the purists, a recognizable sample that isn’t overused, a hip-hop element to bring in new fans, a universal celebratory message and an incredible video with choreo that continues to have its own viral moment. It’s an ode to Black culture and Victoria’s identity on multiple fronts as a Black woman. “On My Mama” is where she arrived, right before we put out the album. Thanks to our passionate radio team led by Sam Selolwane, “On My Mama” has hit No. 1 on urban radio and is making its way across the charts at other formats as well.
In addition to the singles, the key to this rollout was using her live show to propel the music. Victoria is an incredible performer. In March of this year, we kicked off her new era with “Smoke,” and quickly followed with the announcement of her first-ever solo show in partnership with Spotify to bring the experience to Los Angeles. We did this again right after “On My Mama” came out in June, announcing her highly anticipated first solo tour, which sold out in minutes. By the time the album came out, we had a sold-out tour for loyal fans and so much positive feedback on the songs. The tour intentionally brought most of the songs on JAGUAR II to life to keep people going back to the album after its release. Word of mouth, whether via the Internet or real life, is still some of the most valuable advertising, and the tour has accomplished that.
There is a wide breadth to these nominations, which celebrate artistry, songwriting, performance and overall quality. What does that say about Victoria as an artist, and to the work you guys have put in?
It says a lot about Victoria. Her dimensions as an artist are mirrored by her dimensions as a person: she’s already wearing many hats of intersectionality as an openly bisexual Black woman. She’s also a mother, so these nominations are already serving as lessons for her daughter that she can do whatever she chooses to. It’s a beautiful thing to watch Victoria be nominated as an artist for the first time and share that experience with her daughter, who is also making history as the youngest ever to be nominated. Representation matters deeply. The nominations amongst her peers in the Recording Academy speak to seeing the range of her skills, each of which she works hard to hone.
The nominations speak to the years of hard work collectively by Victoria and our largely female team. It’s a largely affirming moment in my own life and career for every time I thought maybe the world would not recognize what I have been working hard to get people to see and sacrificing time with family and loved ones to do. I advocated for a difficult path in favor of creative control for Victoria and she trusted me.
I’m an independent manager that is also an openly queer Black woman. I’m a first-generation American and daughter of Haitian immigrants. This is something I have dreamt of since I was a kid. The majority of superstars have male managers, and most of them are white. While the journey was incredibly difficult and at times isolating, it makes these nominations very rewarding for me personally. It’s a reminder to trust my instincts. This is a moment for our entire team, in which we are being seen. Everyone has been working tirelessly at their crafts before meeting Victoria and came together to make something we are all proud of.
What can all these nominations help you guys further accomplish moving forward — and what is next for you guys?
The nominations have started opening doors to opportunities our team has been pitching and campaigning for Victoria for years, but the work doesn’t stop. There’s certainly a tangible validity to them that is really helping our cause. Things aren’t necessarily automatically easier or not requiring work per se, but they absolutely are helping as another co-sign to the credibility of Victoria as an artist.
Victoria has been telling me just about every week she’s been doing promo, touring or working that she can’t wait to get back in the studio because she’s inspired, and I can’t wait to dive back into the creative process. There’s still so much to do. We’re looking forward to releasing more music and content and doing more collaborations. We’re excited to bring her live show to more people and continue to build her audience globally. She’s expressed a desire to act as well.
And what do these mean for you as a manager?
I want to be able to continue to open doors for myself and others through these nominations. I have two stellar artist clients — one being Victoria and one being an incredible rising vocalist named Saint Harison that I want to make sure reach as many people as possible with their talent. The journey for Victoria has been an incredible story that people are authentically connecting to. I’ve always been a creative first and foremost, and my heart has been in storytelling. Whether that’s helping to get out the stories of my clients or telling stories of my own, that has been the root of my passion that I’m excited to keep exploring.
Latin superstar Chayanne is a chart machine. The Puerto Rican heartthrob boasts a multi-decade streak of 15 albums that have reached the top 10 on Billboard’s Latin Pop Albums chart since his self-titled debut in 1989. Only one other Latin act (Rocío Dúrcal) has matched that feat.
But Chayanne’s last album was 2014’s En todo estaré, released nine years ago, while his last tour stopped short in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And although he’d had plenty of singles chart activity since then, his last No. 1 was 2007’s “Si nos quedara poco tiempo,” which topped the Hot Latin Songs chart.
Certainly, expectations and pressure were high for Chayanne to deliver, and he’s done just that. His new album, Bailemos, out on his longtime label, Sony Music, opened at No. 3 on Billboard’s Latin Pop Albums chart, while his current single, “Bailando Bachata,” notched its 13th week at No. 1 on Billboard’s Tropical Airplay chart, marking his longest-running single to date on any chart. One of the most successful Latin touring acts in the market, Chayanne is also readying what will be his next mammoth, multi-year tour, which kicks off next year and will include arenas and stadiums in the United States, Latin America and Spain.
Despite the long gap between studio albums, at the core of Chayanne’s success is consistency: He’s a self-described “label artist” who has been signed to Sony since his 1989 debut. He could also be described as a one-manager artist. Patty Vega, director of Chayanne’s Chaf Enterprises, has managed him for the past 27 years with a steely, steady hand. The Colombian-born Vega, known for her no-nonsense, get-it-done style and her ability to position her client in every country in the world, is one of the very few female managers in Latin music, albeit one who prefers to stay behind the scenes. This week, given Chayanne’s success, she earns the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week — and explains why her legacy artist remains in his prime.
It’s been nine years since Chayanne’s last studio album. What did it mean to you as a manager to wait nearly a decade for your artist to release an album?
It was a struggle because the years kept going by. But Chayanne was waiting for his moment, and in between, he did two tours — and remember, each Chayanne tour takes roughly two and a half years to complete. Then we had the pandemic, and that’s when we started to talk about an album. So it’s not like we weren’t on it. Afterward, Sony’s songwriting camp system was magnificent and it’s something Chayanne hadn’t done before. They brought together songwriters, producers and the artist, who in this case had input on everything and was able to pinpoint what he wanted and contribute to the songs. And we see the results: 13 weeks at No. 1 and No. 3 in sales. The experience of making this album was totally different from before.
How so?
Before they would send us songs, the songwriter would chat with Chayanne, Chayanne would give his input, they’d record a demo, but it’s very different from actually being in the studio and working the songs there. This time, we had three studios going on, and in the space of one week, we had 16 songs, which we whittled down to nine.
Chayanne became a superstar at a time when albums were sold, radio and TV were all-important and there were few Latin global stars. How do you explain to an artist like that that the world of music and promotion is very different now?
We had very long, involved conversations, and above everything, we have a very good relationship. We have our big differences in terms of the proposals that we consider. But he is always open to analyze something. Sometimes he’ll get up and say no, but a seed is planted. This was a long process. For example, he was very reticent with social media. He said he didn’t have the time and he didn’t want to do things his fans might not like or want. Convincing him to really work on his social media was intense. But today, he understands it perfectly, and everything he does resonates, which says a lot about his fans and how faithful they are to him. Those millions of followers he has, he’s gained every one of them organically. For example, “La Bachata” — you go on Instagram and there’s thousands of posts of people dancing to it.
That’s Chayanne. How did you change?
Well, I had to learn. You have a formula that’s given you a great response for decades. And suddenly, it’s not the same. So you have to adapt. That’s why convincing Chayanne to open up to other things was so major. He’s remained relevant because, first and foremost, people love him. That’s not something you can buy; that’s genuine and that’s something we’ve built through the years. But also, beyond music, for example, we do a lot of campaigns.
What do you mean by campaigns?
We have many commercial campaigns with brands, and that keeps his image relevant in many countries. Lala in Mexico, for example, is a very well-known milk brand and every year we do a national campaign that includes traditional media like television and banners, and digital. [Department store] Falabella has done a Christmas campaign with Chayanne in Chile, Colombia and Peru for five consecutive years. Chayanne’s image is very present.
While you’re doing a lot with digital and social media, radio has been very central to the promotion of this album. Is it a struggle with the label to attack both avenues of promotion?
Not at all. It may seem old school but it’s essential for us. And Chayanne has spent his entire life with Sony, and this marketing team is the best. We meet constantly, and they understand perfectly that although he now has a younger audience — because the age range of his fans is younger now — he also has a fan base that doesn’t understand social media as well, and still listens to radio and still wants to buy the CD and the poster. Radio is still very important, and radio has embraced Chayanne in every country. Television is also important and continues to sell for us. We have to consider all those elements: the mothers, the aunts, the grandmothers, the daughters. It’s many generations. But, I felt supported one thousand percent [by the label]. I thank my team every day… They’re all on team Chayanne.
What has been the biggest challenge with this album?
The same one as ever: To get people to love it. Having him do something great and being able to say, “We did it.” It’s very hard [to stand out] in such a competitive industry where there are so many young artists making hits, and where artists from other generations aren’t as visible. You have to really strive to do something better than the last album. Make a better tour than the last tour. At the end of the day, word of mouth is what gets people to your shows. But in the end, all the pieces fell into place. This album had to come out now, and Chayanne had to be ready.
I know you’re touring next year. What can you tell me?
It’s throughout all of Iber-America: from Spain to Argentina, going through every single country in Central and South America. For the U.S. I already have a proposal for 40 arena dates. Our last tour was 100 dates, and we had to cut the last five months due to the pandemic. As Alejandro Soberón [CEO of OCESA] once said, with Chayanne, you have to sell subscriptions because female fans go see him again and again when he plays. [He] can play a Movistar arena now, and come back months later and do it again. We repeat in a lot of markets.
You’ve worked with Chayanne for 33 years, 27 of them as his manager. That’s very unusual, especially now, when artists change managers at a very fast clip. To what do you attribute the longevity?
I think honesty. And loyalty. The most important thing for me is to look someone in the eyes and know that I’m telling them the truth and they can trust me. That’s the way it’s always been. We’ve disagreed, of course; we have our tempers. But we’ve worked with respect: He respects my work and I respect his.
In a year that’s been dominated by familiar albums and re-releases at the top of the Billboard 200 chart, this week served up a refreshing new No. 1: veteran punk rock band blink-182, which returned with the album One More Time and scored its first placement atop the tally with its original lineup — Tom DeLonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker — since 2001.
The album’s coronation was not a flash-in-the-pan, news cycle nostalgia play. Instead, it was the result of a year-long reunion and rollout plan that included a massive world tour, a string of singles and a behind-the-scenes video series with hundreds of thousands of views that both allowed the band’s original fans to get a glimpse inside the lives of their longtime heroes and brought in new fans drawn to the group’s irreverent humor and oddball visuals. For a group that came of age in the heyday of MTV — and was well-known for its provocative and hilarious music videos — the visual element was a key part of re-engaging that fan base, helping earn Columbia Records senior vp of video production Saul Levitz the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
Here, Levitz breaks down the content plan behind the group’s big comeback, the nostalgia factor of a beloved band’s reunion, how the visuals reflected the music and more. “We wanted to bring context and emotion to every visual,” Levitz says. “Whether it be the album trailers or music videos, we needed to bring the audience into the cathartic moment that the band was going through.”
This week, blink-182’s One More Time debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, the group’s first No. 1 with its original lineup since 2001. What key decisions did you make to help make that happen?
We wanted to bring context and emotion to every visual. Whether it be the album trailers or music videos, we needed to bring the audience into the cathartic moment that the band was going through. When Ron [Perry, Columbia chairman/CEO] first sent across the song “One More Time” I cried every time I listened to it and felt the visuals needed to match this place it was taking the listener. Both because the band was processing their own lives with a directness they hadn’t before and also because it’s a universal message that can be applied to any relationship that has gone silent due to ego, mismanagement, or just time letting it slip away.
blink obviously has been around a long time, but it had been years since they released an album. How did you approach the content given that history?
There’s always a pull between nostalgia and making things feel fresh and modern. The modern approach usually wins out because no artist wants to rest on their laurels when rolling out new music. But this time it felt more appropriate because the band was acknowledging their past in a way that confirmed a lot of what the fan base had been thinking in their heads but never heard them say to each other. Never had I seen the fan base live vicariously through each member’s journey. They saw a piece of themselves in Tom, Mark or Travis’s personal journey, so we had to acknowledge that and not make it seem like it didn’t mean anything.
blink’s original incarnation was also at the height of the music-video era, and many of their videos are iconic. How did you balance that track record with bringing in new elements for this project?
Oh man, this is the best part of the job — living up to expectations and a visual history. We literally went inside so many of these iconic music videos for the “One More Time” video so this process was less about living up to those videos and more about celebrating them. There is so much expectation for their videos to be funny and self-aware. The band wanted to push beyond this expectation, though. Their personalities have also evolved so much that as soon as something felt too much like something the old blink-182 would do it stopped feeling fresh. But trust that Tom kept things OG on set with the humor and personality that people remember the band for.
This album also had an extended rollout, with the first single being released a full year before the album. How did that help you develop and roll out the content for it?
Being on the “EDGING” set was a revelation. The band hadn’t played together in forever, and even though they were playing to track there was something so clear about how they all locked in musically together and how their personalities melded together to create this nexus of what the band was. I remember being on set and thinking, “How could these guys ever have not been together?” It seemed so effortless and perfect the way they complemented each other through friendship and music. And Cole Bennett did a tremendous job with the video having the POV of a younger fan who has embraced the band’s legacy and sees their influence on a ton of new artists in genres you wouldn’t expect. It’s rare that you have a gap this long between a first single and then the album, but it certainly made us realize early the power the band had in this trinity coming together.
In a way, this entire project could be seen as a throwback: an extended rollout strategy, big radio singles, a major tour around the world and a beloved rock band topping the charts. What’s the significance of that in this era of the music industry, when things are often on much tighter timelines and rock rarely reaches No. 1?
I attribute the success as much to the music just being f—ing great and everyone seeing a part of themselves in the journey of these three individuals that come together and put aside their differences and find that spark again that made them special and unique and beloved. It was amazing to have the amount of time needed to get everything right, and that is rare nowadays, but without those other elements being in place the time is irrelevant. This album is less about the story of rock returning and more about how the audience can see themselves within artists that share so much of themselves and their journey. If you can make them cry, you’ve got something.
As the Recording Academy’s chief advocacy & public policy officer, Washington, D.C.-based Todd Dupler oversees the organization’s efforts to champion creators’ rights and advance pro-music legislation from Washington, D.C.
His efforts include the annual District Advocate Day when Recording Academy members come to the nation capital to meet with their local Congressional representatives. On Oct. 5 — less than a week after a government shutdown was narrowly averted — nearly 1,800 Recording Academy members participated in more than 100 meetings with their Congressional representatives via virtual and in person-meetings in D.C. and in their home states. Key among the academy members’ concerns were the evolution of artificial intelligence and protecting the human creator’s rights and ticketing reform. They also advocated for passage of the Restoring Artistic Protections (RAP) Act, which limits the use of songwriters’ lyrics as evidence in criminal and civil proceedings, the Help Independent Tracks Succeed (HITS) Act, which amends the tax code to allow independent artists to fully deduct the cost of new recordings and the American Music Fairness (AMFA) Act, which calls for performers to be compensated when their work is broadcast on AM/FM radio in the U.S.
Dupler, who received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., joined the Recording Academy in 2012 and relaunched the District Advocate program as well as Grammys on the Hill. Under his leadership, Dupler has guided the academy’s efforts to support the passing of legislation including the PEACE Through Music Diplomacy Act, which was signed into law at the end of 2022, as well as the Music Modernization Act and the Better Online Tickets Sales Act. He also launched the Grammy Fund for Music Creators, the academy’s political action committee. His efforts have earned Dupler the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
Here, Dupler breaks down how the Recording Academy prepared for District Advocate Day and how he and his team work 365 days a year to fight for creators.
In terms of scope, how did this year compare with past years and how many years has the Recording Academy held District Advocate Day?
We first launched the initiative in 2014 with just a few hundred participants. This year we saw nearly 1,800 academy members participate across 46 states and the District of Columbia. As we prepared for District Advocate Day this year, we faced the threat of a government shutdown and a historic level of instability in Washington. This impacted the number of congressional offices who were able to schedule meetings with us last week — but we didn’t let these challenges stop us from being music advocates. Even with these obstacles, over 1,000 members met with nearly a hundred congressional offices from Orlando to Seattle, New York to Los Angeles, and in dozens of congressional districts in between. Beyond these meetings, hundreds more participated in the academy’s first-ever virtual GRAMMY Advocacy Conference, a reimagined way to use District Advocate as a day for collective action in music.
How do you prepare the 1,800 participating members on the complex issues they are discussing with their representatives?
We provide a variety of resources to members to help prepare them, including a training webinar and talking points about the issues, but the most important thing we emphasize is that our members do not need to be policy experts. Every member comes in with different expertise and passion — one may be particularly familiar with the reforms needed for live event ticketing, while another may be passionate about the Restoring Artistic Protection Act and freedom of creative expression overall. The most important thing that they can do to make an impact is to tell their own story and build a connection with the lawmaker or staff member. The conversations we have on District Advocate Day provide the space for our members to speak to their own experiences, giving a personal voice to these issues.
AI is such a major topic right now. The Recording Academy’s focus is on protecting the human creator. How was that message received from the Congressional members you met with?
Members of Congress are very interested in all aspects of AI, but they haven’t necessarily thought about how AI impacts the creative industries and individual creators. We’ve found that lawmakers are extremely receptive and sympathetic to the unique concerns of music makers and the music community.
During your tenure, what do you consider the biggest victory that has come out of District Advocate Day?
District Advocate has led to a number of notable successes, from building support for the Music Modernization Act to advancing the CASE Act and the PEACE Through Music Diplomacy Act, which were all signed into law. But I’m especially proud that during the first year of the pandemic we were able to adapt and create a virtual program that allowed our members to advocate for much needed relief and support for the music community.
How do you gauge the success of District Advocate Day beyond getting legislation passed?
Promoting our policy priorities is just one aspect of District Advocate Day. The program also provides a unique and powerful way for academy members to actively participate in our advocacy work. Many of our members consider District Advocate Day the most important thing they do as part of the academy.
How does District Advocate Day differ from Grammys on the Hill, which takes place in spring and includes performances and awards, in representing the Recording Academy’s agenda?
Grammys on the Hill is a chance to bring a little bit of the excitement and fun of the Grammy Awards to Washington, D.C., and connect current Grammy winners and nominees with lawmakers. But District Advocate is our opportunity to demonstrate just how broad and diverse the music community really is. We have thousands of academy members across the country in almost every congressional district. Many members of Congress have no idea that there are people making music in their own backyard, so District Advocate is our way to make the issues relevant and relatable to them.
How do you coordinate advocacy across the academy’s 12 chapters and state legislation year-round?
Our chapters are enthusiastic about advocacy both because of the potential for member engagement and because of the positive impact on the community when we are successful. Increasing our state-level advocacy has been an important priority for me. Last year in California, for example, we secured the enactment of the Decriminalizing Artistic Expression Act, which limits the use of song lyrics as evidence in court. That led to the passage of a similar law in Louisiana this year and is fueling ongoing work in New York, Maryland, and even at the national level in Congress. We rely on our members to use their voices and support our state-level advocacy efforts in a number of ways, from writing letters to their congressional representatives, obtaining ballot signatures, and so much more.
In September, the Recording Academy launched the Global Music Diplomacy Initiative, alongside U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Given Hamas’s attack last week on Israel and the ongoing conflict, how does the Initiative plan to direct its efforts to use music as a diplomatic tool in the Middle East?
We know that music not only provides comfort and hope during tragedy, but also builds bridges and promotes understanding between peoples and cultures around the world. Our hope is that through the new mentorship program we are developing with the State Department we will be able to support the growth of music economies in emerging markets around the world like in the Middle East and facilitate new relationships and connections that cross borders. With these goals in mind, the academy will be welcoming international mid-career music professionals to the U.S. through the American Music Mentorship Program starting in fall 2024.
You joined the Recording Academy in 2012. In what ways has its legislative strategy legislation changed over the years and through regime changes?
Throughout my tenure, advocacy has been a constant at the Recording Academy and at the forefront of our mission. Under [CEO] Harvey [Mason jr’s] leadership, I’ve worked to expand and increase that work to better serve our members and the music community. We’ve used the platform provided by the new Songwriters & Composers Wing, for example, to increase our advocacy for songwriters. The new partnership with the State Department has created new opportunities globally. And the expansion of our state advocacy work provides another avenue to assert our leadership on issues that matter to music. Serving music and the people who make it will always be our lodestar.
This week, EA Sports released the latest installment of its long-running soccer video game series, this year re-branded as EA Sports FC 24 after a long-running licensing deal with FIFA expired last year. And the demand, despite the new title, has been massive: The game debuted at No. 1 in the United Kingdom and sold 6.8 million copies worldwide in its first week, according to the Financial Times — a 25% boost over the early access sales of FIFA ’23.
That’s a big deal for the music business. Gaming and music have always been intertwined, but EA’s soccer series has sparked a closer relationship with its soundtrack songs than most; in a phenomenon called FIFA Songs, gamers form nostalgic attachments to the music they hear while playing. And because soccer is a truly global sport, the soundtracks to the games over the years have often been global affairs, with both established acts and rising artists from around the world included and exposed to audiences — many of them young — for hours each week as they play.
This year’s edition is no different, with a soundtrack that includes more than 100 tracks from artists hailing from 30-plus countries across six continents. Warner Music Group won one of EA Sports FC 24‘s biggest synchs, landing the coveted slot in the game’s official launch trailer with Royal Blood’s “Trouble’s Coming.” The company also received placements for some established hits (Myke Towers’ “LALA” from Warner Music Latin; Ninho and Central Cee’s “EuroStar” from Warner Music France) as well as up-and-coming acts, like Ezekiel’s “there she goes” (Warner Records) and an unreleased track from KING, “We Are the Ones” (Warner Music India). And that helps Warner Music Group’s executive vp of global sync and U.S. visual media licensing Ron Broitman earn the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
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Here, Broitman — whose remit goes beyond just video games to include film and TV and advertising syncs for the label’s global roster — breaks down how the label worked with EA to include songs on the soundtrack, as well as the effect of such a huge placement on an artist’s career. “Being placed in a game like this brings a track to millions of fans worldwide and can lead to meaningful streaming and consumption spikes,” Broitman says. “For developing artists it’s also an opportunity to introduce them to a massive, captive audience that maybe wouldn’t have heard their music otherwise.”
This week, the new EA Sports soccer video game, EA Sports FC 24, was the United Kingdom’s highest-selling video game release, and Warner Music has a significant presence on its influential soundtrack, including in the main trailer. What’s the process for getting a song on the soundtrack, and how did the placements for this one come together?
This project is an amazing display of collaboration involving WMG’s recorded music repertoire from all over the world. We’re unique in the fact that we don’t operate within traditional synch borders, we’re one cohesive global synch team, so our partners have direct and open access to all of our local experts from around the globe. With EA, we’ve built a very close, trusting relationship with them over many years — a major testament to the top-notch global gaming community we have within our synch and U.S. frontline label teams. From there, it’s really a multi-layered, ongoing process, but there’s a regular dialogue and sharing of relevant new releases from our U.S. teams and our teams around the world including in the U.K., France, Sweden and LatAm, among others. Especially when dealing with a game with as much global popularity as FC 24, it’s key to involve as many teams around the world as possible so that the final soundtrack is representative of all the great, global music in the WMG family.
How do you decide what songs to put forward for the soundtrack?
Our global synch gaming experts focus on many factors, but above all, we make sure every recording is authentic and that there’s a natural connection between the artist, the game, the fans and the musical energy that our partner is looking for. Of course, we also consider artist albums and new release cycles as we know synch placements — especially in gaming — have the potential for incredible exposure. EA particularly has built a reputation for music discovery which creates a huge lane for pitching artists at any stage in their career. That’s why on this soundtrack you’ll see massive tracks like Myke Towers’ “LALA” that everyone already loves, alongside tracks like “there she goes” from newcomer Ezekiel so that we can hopefully introduce fans to what will become their next favorite song.
Soccer, more than sports like baseball or American football, is a truly global game. How does that factor into your thinking when choosing songs or artists for a game like this, vs. something like the Madden franchise?
With a game like FC 24, there’s an opportunity to showcase a diverse group of artists that cross genres and borders because we know there are fans from all over the world playing. We aim to make sure everyone listening hears something that they feel resonates with them, and it’s also a great way to introduce local talent to a global audience. At WMG, we’re lucky to have such a standout group of artists from every corner of the globe, so it makes our jobs easier — or harder, actually. Our representation on this soundtrack speaks to this approach — from India’s KING to France’s Ninho to Sweden’s Baby Mala to Puerto Rico’s Myke Towers to the U.K.’s Sam Gellaitry and many more.
What effect can a placement in a huge game like this have on a song’s success, or on an artist’s career?
The impact is undeniable. Being placed in a game like this brings a track to millions of fans worldwide and can lead to meaningful streaming and consumption spikes. For developing artists it’s also an opportunity to introduce them to a massive, captive audience that maybe wouldn’t have heard their music otherwise. We’re already seeing this happen with Ezekiel, who I’d mentioned, as well as with swim school, and many others. Players aren’t just enjoying the music in-game passively, they’re actively seeking it out and consuming it elsewhere. The ultimate goal of course is that we convert those players into fans, and they follow along on an artist’s journey. That’s one of the many benefits of a music company like ours, there’s a dedicated team exploring these types of opportunities that have the potential to be a game-changer for an artist’s career.
How does the demographic of those who regularly play video games factor into that effect?
FC 24 draws an audience of all ages, but we know there’s a large number of players in the Gen Z demographic. This group, more than any other generational cohort, reports that they discover and actively seek out music that they hear when they’re gaming. So we know we have an incredible opportunity to introduce new music and artists to this young group who may still be developing their musical tastes, and there’s a high likelihood that we can turn these players into fans.
How does a synch in a soundtrack for a game like this compare to a synch for a TV ad or a film trailer?
Music has always had a really close connection with gaming, maybe even more so than any other visual form. With gaming, you have engaged players that will play every single day and be hearing these songs over and over again. It’s an incredible amount of exposure as far as sheer number of listening hours. With this game specifically, there’s also a really interesting phenomenon called “FIFA songs” where avid players say they develop a strong, lifelong connection with the songs that they hear while they’re playing. Even years later, hearing one of these songs can bring back nostalgic, happy memories associated with playing the game. So the impact that these songs can have can really last a lifetime.
There is consistency in an ever-changing industry — and there is what Rod Wave has been doing over the past three years. This week, his latest album, Nostalgia, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making the Florida-based rapper and singer just the second artist to land three new albums at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in the past three years, joining Taylor Swift. And it wasn’t a near thing — Nostalgia’s debut was Wave’s biggest first week of his career, with 137,000 equivalent album units, according to Luminate.
Being in the company of Swift is an achievement for anyone. But Rod Wave has always done things his way, with minimal press and minimal features on each release and, while he placed all 18 songs off Nostalgia on the Hot 100 this week, he’s had success largely with his complete bodies of work, as none of his Hot 100 chart entries have cracked the top 10 of the chart. It’s a relatively unconventional way to navigate today’s increasingly singles-driven music industry — and it helps earn his manager, co-head of Hit House Entertainment Dereck Lane, the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
Here, Lane talks about the consistency of execution that has helped get them to this point. “Yes, Nostalgia is our standout album,” he says, “But we didn’t change the approach that we take when it comes to the music.”
This week, Rod Wave’s Nostalgia debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. What key decision did you make to help make that happen?
The key to Rod’s success is his team. We’re grass rooted. Yes, Nostalgia is our standout album, but we didn’t change the approach that we take when it comes to the music.
This album also came in with his biggest week yet. How did you approach the rollout of this differently than other projects?
You’re in the industry so I’m sure you know that Rod doesn’t do a lot of album promo. The whole team felt that this album was definitely a special one. With that being said, I pushed him to do as much promo as possible to make sure we got the word out while also continuing to maintain and stay true to himself.
This is his third No. 1 album in the last three years, making him one of just two artists to have a new No. 1 album in each of the past three years, alongside Taylor Swift. How have you worked to build his career over that period to achieve something like that?
I’ve always told Rod from the beginning to maintain his integrity as an artist. As long as you stay true to yourself you’ll build genuine, long-lasting core fans. I feel when artists try to go with the new wave or fad they lose who they really are and, in return, lose fans. This business is all about the fans.
In a music business that’s often very singles-driven, Rod Wave has succeeded most through his albums, which is increasingly rare these days. Why do his albums work so well, and how do you make sure that you maximize their impact?
The key word is substance. Rod writes about life experiences. The good, the bad and the ugly. We aim to make real, timeless music that everyone can resonate with.
How has the music industry changed over the course of your time in the business?
I could take up the next couple hours answering this question. But let me say this: I have people in high places in the industry calling asking me for favors. But like Rod said on “Long Journey”: “Dear God, I thank you for everything you gave to us.”
Last Week’s Top Executive: Sandbox Entertainment’s Leslie Cohea
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
As the COO/executive vp of Sony Latin Iberia, María Fernández is one of the most powerful people in Latin music. She not only runs the operational and financial aspects of the largest Latin music company but is also an artist and management-forward executive who oversees her multiple divisions with a famously empathetic style.
This week, Fernández’s work is at the forefront, as the RIAA Honors, which is celebrating Latin music this year, announced it was recognizing her as industry executive of the year for 2023. Fernandez will be feted during a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday (Sept. 19) alongside Gloria Estefan (Icon), Emilio Estefan (industry trailblazer), Sebastian Yatra (artist of the year) and representatives Veronica Escobar and María Elvira Salazar (policymakers of the year).
A native of Venezuela who started her career in media, Fernández is a finance whiz who joined Sony as CFO and rose to the rank of COO five years ago. Her role expanded during the pandemic when she made mentoring and training young executives a central part of her job and a personal mission. She now oversees the strategic approach of the company and all of its different operations, including finance, people experience, technology and acquisitions, and is regularly involved in big artist deals. And ahead of the RIAA Honors, Fernández is Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
Here, Fernández discusses her finance background, her role as a mentor within her community and the state of Latin music around the globe. “It’s a moment in history when you can show that Latin music is not only one genre, and the fact that we have amazing artists representing each one of those genres and seeing that on global charts is extremely fulfilling.”
You have a background in finance. How do you apply that to your job at a music company?
I think I bring to the more strategic, financial and operational areas the understanding of artists’ needs and therefore how we can organize ourselves to incorporate those needs in everything that we do. For instance, an artist will want to do a more expensive video because they have a creative vision. From a purely financial standpoint, you won’t see a return from that investment because the streaming of the video won’t compensate for the level of investment. But when you understand why that is important for the artist and how it fits into the whole strategy, not only do you understand the logic of what you want to do, but you can sell it.
That’s interesting because “Let me talk to finance” is among the more dreaded words one can hear.
Historically, the financial group is the team that says no to everything. And there’s a struggle between the creative and financial groups. One thing we’re trying to do more and more is make sure both sides understand each other’s needs. By the way, you can say exactly the same thing when we’re talking about employees because the base of the values in our region is that we have two rosters: artists and employees, and we need to take care of both of them. You need superstar employees and executives to manage superstar artists.
I think you’re unusual in that you work often and directly with managers. I cannot tell you how many times a manager has told me, “I’m meeting with Maria Fernández today.” What happens when your mutual needs don’t align?
I work with a lot of managers and maybe there’s a logic as to why a manager needs something for their artist, but that need doesn’t necessarily align with our needs in that moment. But it’s always [about] how to make sure we understand each other even if we’re not always going to be on the same page. To me, it’s the messaging. The way I see it, we are here to serve. We’re here to make things easier, [even] with all the limitations we have in a corporation and making sure we follow procedure.
What are you proud of in the last year?
The presence of our artists on the charts and the variety of genres on the charts. Right now, you have urban songs, but you have Shakira on the top of the charts with a song like “Acróstico.” Then you have regional Mexican artists like Fuerza Regida and an artist like Luísa Sonza from Brazil at the top of Spotify Brazil with a bossa nova song called “Chico.” It’s a moment in history when you can show that Latin music is not only one genre, and the fact that we have amazing artists representing each one of those genres and seeing that on global charts is extremely fulfilling. And to be honest, what I’m doing in terms of helping the next generation of executives, especially women, to make sure they’re prepared continues to be the highlight of my career at this point. I’ve dedicated a lot of time to that and I feel very proud of the accomplishments in terms of getting them ready to be promoted, changing jobs, doing new things in the organization.
What did you specifically do in terms of your mentorship work?
What I’m doing personally is I am dedicating a significant amount of time to take care of the career development of employees in the U.S. and also in the region, in order to allow them to take over executive leadership positions in the future. We do mentoring, talk to them, we develop career plans, if they have an issue we discuss the issues, if they need training in a particular area, through conversations we figure out what they’re missing to get to the next level. We follow up on plans to make sure they have everything they need.
That sounds very time-consuming for a busy executive. How do you manage?
You’d be surprised. Sometimes you don’t need to do too much. Sometimes someone simply has a blind spot and the second you tell them about it, they can go in and fix it. We’re always busy. And we’re not always taking the time to analyze where you’re at, what do you like, what makes you happy. My policy is very simple. Anyone who wants to talk to me can get on my agenda. If they need to talk to me every week, I’ll be there every week.
Is this mandatory?
No. But anyone that asks me to mentor them, I do. At this point, it’s 80% women and 20% men. And the fact that I can do it, shows that others can do it too. If we can have that ripple effect that we can make a little bit of time in our very busy schedules to help someone else when they need it, I think by default this will make us a better company. Formally I started during the pandemic, around 2020. And I’m proud to say that some of the people I started mentoring at that time are now in senior positions in the organization.
I still see very few women in really senior leadership positions in our industry. How can this change?
I am very happy to report that I’m seeing it happening. I personally don’t like the idea of a woman getting the position because she’s a woman, but because she’s the best candidate. And what I’m proud of is, we’ve been able to have many more women in senior positions applying and making sure they’re the best of the best. In Sony Music, we have such talented women in the structure that I don’t think it’s going to be challenging to find very compelling female candidates when you’re trying to fill a position.
What do you see happening with Latin music now?
A big difference is people [who are not Latin] are used to equating “Latin music is urban music,” and that’s not the case. Latin music is very rich, it has a lot of genres, it has a lot of history. “Latino” is not reggaetón. Latino is 100 genres per country. And that to me means more and more artists are open to collaborating with artists from different places. Camilo collaborated with an artist from India; Luísa Sonza is on a song that features Demi Lovato, singing in Portuguese. Soon we will see what will happen with Korean music being more present in the U.S. I think it’s a new era in terms of music.
What is your biggest challenge?
The challenge for a region like ours is, how do we make sure we collaborate with everything that is happening and make sure people understand the music, the artist and what they want to accomplish? How do you create global artists when their presence in some charts is limited? For example, in Brazil, over 90% of the chart is local music, and in general, most of the countries are going back to local music. So, as a global company, how do you balance those things? The importance of the local artist, [and then] the local artist wants to be global. How do we fulfill those dreams?
