Executive of the Week
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Benson Boone has had a few appearances on the Hot 100, scraping No. 100 with “Ghost Town” in November 2021 and reaching No. 82 with “In the Stars” in May 2022. But nothing has compared with his latest song, “Beautiful Things,” which rocketed onto the chart at No. 15 in its first week. The track garnered 15.7 million on-demand U.S. streams in the week ending Jan. 25, according to Luminate, and debuted at No. 5 on the Streaming Songs chart.
That instant success for the song has been a long time coming. Boone signed to Warner Records alongside Dan Reynolds’ Night Street Records in October 2021 and has emerged more than two years later as a heavy hitter, having spent that time in writing rooms honing his craft and developing as an artist. That’s the exact type of story that many have said is in the past in the current record business.
Now, he’s become just the latest in Warner’s recent run of success stories, which are coalescing in the first part of this year as Zach Bryan, Teddy Swims, Kenya Grace and Boone all occupy spots in the top half of the Hot 100. Meanwhile, another Warner artist, Brandy Clark, is one of the top-nominated acts at this weekend’s Grammy Awards with six nominations. This success with Boone, Clark and other artists such as Billy Strings (three Grammy noms), Rufus du Sol, Nessa Barrett and others earns Warner Records executive vp of A&R Jeff Sosnow the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
Here, Sosnow talks about the rapid rise of Boone’s latest hit, the songwriting and artist success story Clark is enjoying and the evolution of artist development in the modern record business at a time when many deride the major labels as chasing after virality and one-off unicorn hits. “In this moment,” Sosnow says, “the artist development piece at Warner Records is no bulls—.”
This week, Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” debuted at No. 5 on the Streaming Songs chart and No. 15 on the Hot 100. What key decision(s) did you make to help make that happen?
It starts with the music. I had worked with producer Evan Blair over the last few years with another one of my artists, Nessa Barrett. I had a hunch Evan and Benson would hit it off and work well together. “Beautiful Things” was the first song that came together. After that, it really became a collaborative effort between our viral and marketing teams supporting Benson and his manager Jeff Burns’ incredible social campaign and teasing cadence. But certainly, it comes back to the music resonating in such a way with potent visuals that make for a magical moment.
Boone signed to Warner alongside Dan Reynolds’ Night Street Records in October 2021. What work have you done to help develop him as an artist over the past few years?
Dan and his brother, Mac, had signed Benson, and Jon Chen at Warner Chappell turned me on to Benson who at the time had one song, “Ghost Town.” Together with co-publisher Coulter Reynolds we have put Benson with a group of core writers and producers after some trial and error. He found his footing and confidence as a writer and artist. The level of consistency in his writing is reflected over the arc of two years of consistent streaming. And it’s not just one or two big songs. But then you throw in the fact that Benson is a world-class performer and you watch thousands of kids sing every word to every song — not just the bigger ones — and you know the hard work and patience has paid off. Some used to call this artist development.
This is his third Hot 100 entry, but first in the top half of the chart. What is it about this song that has made it resonate so much — and so quickly?
A great vocal can never be underestimated. I think Benson’s passion cuts through. There’s an urgency and a universal lyric. But again, his clever visuals on the social platforms and effective music video helped punctuate the visceral feel the song has.
Brandy Clark is nominated for six Grammys this year, part of a dozen nominations that artists you’ve signed have earned. What made her year so special, and how has she developed and grown as a songwriter and artist?
Brandy is the most prolific songwriter I’ve ever worked with. It’s been an honor to work with Lenny Waronker on Brandy’s last few records. She always amazes us because we literally go through upwards of 100 to 150 demos to get to what comprises the album. Brandy’s openness to collaboration is a key ingredient to her success. It was an amazing moment when I was able to get Michael Pollack in with Brandy for just one day. They came out with “Dear Insecurity,” which is simply one of the most powerful songs of this or any year. Enter Brandi Carlile to produce and feature on the song, and you walk out with a timeless record. As great as the album itself is, “Dear Insecurity” was always the centerpiece for me.
How has the rise of different technologies and social apps changed how the role of A&R functions?
Many A&R people rely heavily on data, and it is such an incredible tool to have. We have always had various iterations of data — watching market-by-market ticket sales, radio spins, etc. But other constants that seem to prevail in the A&R process are a great song and a great voice. So technology hasn’t really affected one’s gut instinct and intellectual ability to speak to artists and producers and make decisions about pulling the trigger on a signing, or whether a song is working or not.
A lot of people bemoan the state of artist development these days, but many of the artists you’ve signed have grown and developed extended careers. What would you say about the perception that labels don’t invest in artist development like they used to?
I don’t think labels as a whole have really, truly been beacons of artist development the last five years. I can say that what Aaron [Bay-Schuck] and Tom [Corson] have done in their time at Warner Records is to trust me with acts like Billy Strings, Rufus Du Sol, Benson, Nessa and Michael Marcagi. Each has a different arc and story, but the common thread is patience and belief in the artists and the A&R person’s ability to have real, honest conversations that will push them while also protecting and supporting them for the long haul. And in this moment, the artist development piece at Warner Records is no bulls—.
Few stories have captivated the past couple of months like that of Tyla, the young South African singer whose single, “Water,” emerged as a sultry blend of Afrobeats and R&B and exploded across the globe. The song first debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in October — her first appearance on the chart — and quickly took off from there. It almost immediately reached the top of the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart — where it has spent 14 weeks at No. 1 — and climbed all the way to No. 7 on the Hot 100, where it has spent the past two weeks. It has also been sitting comfortably at No. 1 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay for eight weeks.
It’s a true breakout story for the artist, who also saw “Water” land a Grammy nomination in the brand-new category of best African music performance at the upcoming awards this February — not to mention a testament to the work of her management and her team at Epic Records, where she signed in 2021. The song began picking up organically, got a lift off a TikTok challenge and catapulted onto radio, picking up remixes from Travis Scott and Marshmello along the way. And the song’s success so far earns Epic Records president Ezekiel Lewis the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
Here, Lewis breaks down how “Water” erupted onto the global stage, the multiple genre influences that went into its final version and how the singer can build on the song’s success leading into her debut album, which is due out in the next few months. “From the beginning of the record-making process, we made it a point to find the best chemistry between creatives from different backgrounds to reflect the worldly influences you hear in the song,” Lewis says. “That is a key factor in enabling it to appeal to audiences not only in the U.S. but across the globe.”
This week, Tyla’s “Water” spent its second week at No. 7 on the Hot 100, its 14th week at No. 1 on U.S. Afrobeats Songs and was certified platinum by the RIAA. What key decision(s) did you make to help make that happen?
The story starts with the creation of the song. I feel like a big part of our job is to curate an environment that creates an opportunity for magic to happen. Consider the fact that the four key writers of the song had never worked together as a collective before Tyla. From the beginning of the record-making process, we made it a point to find the best chemistry between creatives from different backgrounds to reflect the worldly influences you hear in the song. That is a key factor in enabling it to appeal to audiences, not only in the U.S. but across the globe.
“Water” blends an Afrobeats/Amapiano drum pattern with more traditional R&B elements, combining a number of different styles. Why do you think it was able to break through in such a big way?
The song not only has elements of Afrobeats but also more specifically Amapiano which is integral to the music culture of South Africa. While the wider Afrobeats influence is obvious, the use of the log drum by Sammy Soso is key to tying in that specific South African element. Then moving on to the top line, the lyric and melody, R&B and pop dominate in terms of influence there. We really hit a sweet spot in terms of multiple influences coming together seamlessly. There’s something for everyone.
The song has also done very well at radio, with eight straight weeks at No. 1 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay. What was the strategy there and how has it paid off?
Once we accomplished a strong Shazam, digital and streaming story, the stage was set for radio to follow through. The audience talked back loudly and let us know it wanted to hear more and more of the record. The song’s gains at playlists across multiple genres gave us a strong sense that radio would be able to replicate that success, and that we could have a chart topper across multiple formats. Once all of the indicators pointed upward, we went for it, and thankfully we were correct in doing so.
The song was also boosted relatively early on with remixes from Travis Scott and Marshmello. How have remixes fit into your strategy, and what has been the payoff?
When thinking about remixing the song, we did not want to significantly compromise the implicit nature of the track by doing something simply to gain more audience. Authenticity is sometimes hard to articulate, but you know it once you press play and begin to listen. Travis came to the table organically, as a fan of the song, and wanted to join. We knew immediately that it would make sense creatively and would only add to the prominence of the track. Travis is a preeminent curator himself, so the vote of confidence was welcomed. His involvement gave listeners a different take on a song that they had already embraced.
Similarly, and maybe less obvious, was Marshmello, who also was a fan of the song and asked if he could do a remix. Once we heard how he re-imagined the track, we were excited to have him join us. His version has definitely given the track wings in the dance space and helped to take it further with additional streaming in that world. All of this cross-pollination has helped the track ascend the Billboard Hot 100.
So far, music from African artists has mostly broken through singles in the U.S. How do you plan to keep Tyla’s momentum going through to releasing a full album?
We will continue to build on Tyla’s momentum by keeping African culture at the center of what we do musically and creatively overall. There is a sonic consistency that listeners will hear across this first project and we expect this to go over well with the new fan base that she has developed. There is already a nearly completely sold-out tour scheduled in both Europe and the U.S. Also, her new track, “Truth Or Dare,” is showing early signs of greatness as we build daily and sits in the top five of both the U.S. and U.K. Afrobeats charts.
The song also earned a Grammy nomination in the first-ever best African music performance category. What do you see as the future of African music in the U.S. moving forward, both from a musical perspective and an industry perspective?
The sky is the limit for African music in the U.S., as I foresee continued cross-pollination to move it forward. It has proven its potential to top charts in urban, pop, and even in the dance space. It simply cannot be ignored and the Recording Academy has made an intelligent and timely decision. I could not be more excited for the future. Everyone wants a piece of the action.
The first No. 1 of 2024 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart belongs to 19-year-old Mexican-American artist Xavi, whose “La Diabla” (“The She-Devil”) is a romantic tumbado about a bad boy romancing a bad girl to the tune of a crunchy requinto guitar. Out on Interscope, the song, which rose from No. 4 to No. 1 post-Christmas, is Xavi’s first No. 1 on any Billboard chart. It also topped Spotify’s Global Top 50, a first for a solo regional Mexican act.
Xavi (short for Joshua Xavier Gutiérrez) also scored his fourth week atop Billboard’s Latin Songwriters chart on the strength of “La Diabla,” his previous single “La víctima” (which rose from No. 7 to No. 5 on Hot Latin Songs this week), “Poco a Poco” with Dareyes De La Sierra (at No. 18) and “Modo DND” with Tony Aguirre (at No. 21).
It’s quite a performance for the relatively unknown singer-songwriter from Arizona, who was signed to Interscope two years ago when he was still in the early TikTok stage, with no viral hit to his name.
“We have great respect for the indie labels, but it’s not like he was going viral and we signed him,” says Manny Prado, vp of marketing and A&R for Interscope. “I think it’s a big success for a major label that we were able to get an artist from zero to the global charts, and hopefully next he’ll become a global superstar.”
Prado, who spent two decades with Sony U.S. Latin, most recently as head of West Coast operations, moved to Interscope in August and took over a blooming regional Mexican roster that also includes Gabito Ballesteros and Iván Cornejo. While he works with all genres of Latin music in his new position, as a Mexican-American, the rise of regional Mexican music has been particularly gratifying, he says. Regional Mexican music — the broad umbrella term given to dozens of subgenres like banda, norteño, corridos and sierreño — has always been one of the foundations of Latin music’s success, both in the United States and Mexico. But it only entered the global consciousness — and the Hot 100 — in the past two years.
Now, Xavi is part of a new generation of very young Regional Mexican artists whose music is currently the dominant Latin presence on the Hot 100 and the global Latin charts overall. But, unlike most rising stars, who first enter the upper echelons of the charts aided by collaborations and big-name partnerships, Xavi has done so alone. Both “La Diabla” and “La víctima,” his two big hits, are solo efforts by design. Since signing him, Interscope has focused on developing both his style and his songwriting. His more romantic approach — Xavi has yet to enter “bélico,” or drug-related songwriting terrain — coupled with a baby face and a vibrant, acoustic sound, has given him broad appeal. And Interscope’s focus on social amplification has taken his music even further.
In recognition of Xavi’s Hot Latin Songs chart feat, Prado is Billboard’s Executive of the Week. Below, he talks about the rise of Regional Mexican with a younger generation, why they decided not to make “La Diabla” a duet, how they plan to broaden Xavi’s reach beyond the Latin audience and more.
You’re based in Los Angeles but report to Nir Seroussi, who runs Interscope’s Miami office, with a growing Latin roster. How important is Mexican music within that?
Here at Interscope, we don’t have an “Interscope rock” or an “Interscope country,” and we don’t have a division we call Latin or Mexican. What we do is we assemble a specific team depending on the artist, and I’m in charge of all the “Miami” roster, [including] Kali Uchis and Karol G. Regional Mexican has grown exponentially. We already had Xavi when I came in, as well as Iván Cornejo and Marca Registrada [among many others]. And the common theme is they’re all young. The majority are Mexican-American, which I love, born in the United States, just like me. My parents are Mexican immigrants, so for me, it’s an honor to work with these types of artists that I have so much in common with. It’s all about respecting each individual artist, having the deepest respect for their roots and giving them the service they want. Sometimes we work with our general-market company. We don’t have borders.
Regional Mexican music has always been a backbone of Latin music but has never been this global. Why do you think it’s having such a moment right now?
They’re Gen Z-ers, and I think that’s the difference. For example, I was at Amoeba Music, and never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I’d see Natanael Cano and Gabito Ballesteros t-shirts. That’s the beauty of today that has never happened: The younger generation is growing up with these artists. When I was growing up it was all traditional music, there was nothing really young. Now it’s cool to like Mexican; the way they dress, the way they talk, they’re very relatable. And you can be an artist from Mexico and have the same things.
Within this big crop of acts, what makes Xavi stand out?
When Nir and the team first met Xavi, they immediately recognized a genuine artist in the traditional sense: a phenomenal songwriter who can sing and is also relatable. In a sea of artists lacking these qualities, Xavi stood out. People are growing weary of the superficial, and they crave authenticity — the real deal. And Xavi is the real deal. We have a daily sentiment report that we’re very much obsessed with.
A sentiment report? Can you explain?
We go into social media and look at every little comment. For example, if there’s a post on TikTok, we’ll see what the general sentiment is. This team is amazing. What sets Xavi apart by just looking at that report and talking to people is his mannerisms, his style, he’s being compared to the biggest artists on the planet. People like him. Tiene angel.
You said that social media has played a huge role in Xavi’s rise. Can you point to some examples in which Interscope mined that?
Our digital marketing team prioritized reaching out to genre-specific music reviewers to encourage them to discuss Xavi. We presented them with the project, and they consistently came back with extremely positive comments. Additionally, we organically documented special moments in the studio, video shoots and interviews, keeping Xavi’s audience captivated and well-informed. It wasn’t easy. A lot of people said, “Who is that kid?” The music also changed and he found his direction.
How did the music change?
He just found his style. It became like tumbadito romántico. Before it was a lot more romantic, a little poppier. Now he has more of a Mexican edge in the music. Another thing is, “La Diabla” talks about women in a very positive light. We’re seeing the female population really embrace it. In the genre, it’s not a thing to write about women in a positive light.
I’m also struck by the fact that his two biggest hits are solo tracks instead of collabs. Was this a deliberate decision?
Yes, and we’re very proud of it. He actually made history as the only solo Mexican artist to hit No. 1 on the Spotify chart. We wanted to be different and we felt that Xavi really had the talent, that distinctive voice to accomplish that goal. When we saw “La víctima” take off like it did, and then we had “La Diabla,” we said, “Let’s keep going.” We did think about making it a duet and we’ve had various artists approach [us], but ultimately the decision was, we’re going alone. We felt we had so much momentum that we thought we shouldn’t wait, even though the holidays were coming.
How did you promote the track?
We had a Posada at Interscope studios before the holidays, around December 14. It’s for sure the first regional Mexican event done at the historic Interscope studios in L.A., and we invited DSPs, influencers, traditional media, and that’s how we kicked off the single. And we amplified everything through that event. The goal was to surpass “La víctima.” Honestly, the goal was not a global No. 1.
I know Xavi was signed two years ago, and shortly after, he was in a big car accident that required hospitalization, extensive plastic surgery and which sidelined him for a bit. How did that affect his development? Was there a tipping point?
I don’t think this happened overnight. And we’ve always been working on music since he got signed, and that’s what it’s all about: A&R and creating awareness. He really wasn’t doing media because he was going through a moment there with the accident. But he came out of it and he wanted to give it his all. Everything clicked all at once, even though it was two years in the making. But I want to stress: It wasn’t overnight. We have four songs now on the global charts. And that’s rare nowadays. We have great respect for the indie labels but it’s not like he was going viral and we signed him. Interscope came across a video, they shared it with Nir, Nir decided to sign him. I think it’s a big success for a major label that we were able to get an artist from zero to getting on the global charts, and hopefully, next he’ll become a global superstar. Really rare nowadays.
Are there any specific examples of how the Latin team collaborated with Interscope’s general-market departments on “La Diabla”?
Once the record gained traction, we collaborated with Gary Kelly‘s team (Interscope’s GM/chief revenue officer) to expand its reach beyond Latin playlisting, successfully securing a spot on Spotify’s Today’s Top Hits. All the DSPs have been very supportive, but it hasn’t been automatic. We are also closely working with Cara Donatto (executive vp/head of media) and Xavier Ramos (executive vp of pop & rock marketing) and their respective teams on general-market media outreach and marketing initiatives.
What’s next for Xavi?
He recently signed with WME and we’re working hand in hand with them and working on a tour. He recently signed a publishing deal with Universal Latin. We don’t have plans for an album yet, so we will keep releasing singles. And we’re releasing the video for “Sin Pagar la Renta,” which never had a video when it was originally released last year. That’s also unusual.
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.