In Canada
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It was a special Juneteenth for Allison Russell.
Not only did she serve as the special Toronto opener for Sarah McLachlan on the Canadian icon’s Fumbling Towards Ecstasy 30th-anniversary tour, but she earned another big honor: Billboard Canada Women In Music Breakthrough Artist of the Year.
“It’s an honor to be acknowledged for the work that I’m doing and that we’re all doing together,” said the singer-songwriter when she was presented with the award in an interview with iHeartRadio Pure Country host Shannon Ella on Wednesday (June 19).
“There’s still such an imbalance in our industry, and it’s [an important moment] to be here speaking with you on Juneteenth [the holiday commemorating the end of slavery in America], which is a significant date because I’m not just a woman, I’m a queer Black woman,” she says.
Born and raised in Montreal but living and working in Nashville, Allison Russell has been an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and a vital voice for the representation of Black women in country, roots and Americana music. As her platform has gotten bigger, she’s used it to benefit her whole community.
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And it has gotten much bigger. This year, Russell won her first Grammy for best American roots performance for her song “Eve Was Black” and performed at the ceremony, playing clarinet and singing with none other than Joni Mitchell. She also made her Billboard Hot 100 debut with “Wildflower and Barley,” a duet with Hozier, who she’s also been touring with.
On those big stages, she’s usually playing with The Rainbow Coalition Band — a talented ensemble of Black and POC, queer and historically marginalized musicians.
“I make a point of playing with all women and gender-diverse folks on stage,” Russell says. “I do that because there is such an imbalance. It’s still a remarkable, unusual thing. No one says it’s so crazy that it’s just a bunch of dudes up there.”
More winners will be announced over the summer, culminating with the Billboard Canada Women In Music celebration on September 7. – Richard Trapunski
Read more from the interview at ca.billboard.com.
Music Publishers Canada Names 2024 Women in the Studio National Accelerator Class
There’s a gender imbalance behind the scenes in Canadian music, and Music Publishers Canada (MPC)’s Women in the Studio National Accelerator aims to address it.
Recently released statistics have confirmed the major gender gap that exists in multiple facets of the Canadian music industry, and this is especially glaring in the field of music production.
The Women In The Studio program fosters professional growth and advancement of talented producer-songwriters from across Canada. MPC has announced all six participants for this year’s program: Alysha Brilla from Toronto, Cat Hiltz from Vancouver, Charmie from Toronto, Jinting (Jinting Zhao) from Edmonton, JoJo Worthington from Montreal and Samantha Selci from Toronto.
Now in its sixth year, the program offers participants a series of curated workshops, skills training and networking opportunities with music industry leaders. The goal is to equip them with skills and connections crucial for their advancement in the music industry.
The accelerator will run virtually from June to December and include creative collaborations and an in-person residency week in Toronto in August. It focuses on topics including technical skills, financial literacy, music business skills and branding. Participants have also committed to exploring volunteer opportunities within their own communities.
Music Publishers Canada CEO Margaret McGuffin said in a statement that “with the help of our program partners and industry network, we are looking forward to breaking down some of the barriers that exist for this group of talented producers and give them the support they need to enter the next phase of their careers.” – Kerry Doole
Country Singer Bayker Blankenship Debuts on Billboard Canadian Hot 100 With ‘Maxed Out’
A new country artist is making his mark on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 this week.
Bayker Blankenship of Livingston, Tenn., has landed on the chart for the first time with “Maxed Out,” a melancholy tune about being down on your luck and low on available credit. With a relaxed pace and a touch of grit in Blankenship’s voice, the song strikes a poignant tone.
The song has been gaining steam online, appearing on Spotify’s Viral 50 USA playlist as well as charting on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs charts, though it hasn’t hit the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 yet. But that doesn’t mean it won’t soon — another viral artist, Lay Bankz, hit the Canadian Hot 100 earlier this year before she landed on its U.S. counterpart.
The song is only Blankenship’s second single, following 2021’s “Can’t Get Enough,” but the singer has built an impressive following online. He boasts nearly half a million followers on TikTok, where he posts his song clips as well as covers of songs by country stars like Zach Bryan and Dylan Gossett. Blankenship, who is releasing with Santa Anna Label Group, could join their ranks soon if he can keep up the momentum.
Meanwhile, breakout country singer Shaboozey‘s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” retakes the top spot on the Canadian Hot 100 this week. The Beyoncé collaborator has hit No. 1 in Canada, which he has yet to do on the American Hot 100. – Rosie Long Decter
Nine sites that were selling fraudulent streams have been taken offline, according to IFPI and Music Canada.
IFPI, the worldwide recording industry association, and Music Canada, a trade group that represents major Canadian labels, filed a legal complaint with the Canadian Competition Bureau against the sites, accusing them of selling false plays and streams to manipulate streaming service data. The nine connected sites, the most popular of which used the domain name MRINSTA.com, have since gone offline (though you can still see them via the Wayback Machine).
“Streaming manipulation has no place in music,” stated Lauri Rechardt, the IFPI’s chief legal officer. “Perpetrators and enablers of streaming manipulation cannot be allowed to continue to divert revenue away from the artists who create the music.”
As streaming has grown in popularity, so have efforts to game platforms’ royalty models. Vancouver-based fraud detection software company Beatdapp estimates that as many as 10% of music streams are fake. Fake streams are often generated through streaming farms, which use bots to automatically stream particular songs and boost their stats.
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Canada recorded 145.3 billion streams in 2023. – Rosie Long Decter
Warner Music Canada’s Head of A&R Leaves to Start New Management Company, SWING
It was only January of this year that Victoria, B.C. pop-funk act Diamond Cafe announced his signing to Warner Music Canada. Now, George Kalivas, the man who signed him, is breaking off on his own to manage him — and building a whole new company around the artist.
SWING is launching as a Toronto-based management company with Diamond Cafe as its first artist, though Kalivas says the eventual plan is to “evolve into a full-service record label in no time.”
Kalivas started in marketing at Warner Canada seven years ago, handling domestic artists signed to the label and international releases signed to subsidiaries like Atlantic and 300. But he had “one foot in A&R,” he says, which became official two years ago when Kristen Burke became label president.
His first signing was Crash Adams, a Canadian pop duo known for viral TikTok trends. After the joint launch of 91 North Records by Warner Canada and Warner India, Kalivas helped sign the label’s second artist, AR Paisley. A long-simmering Canadian rapper, Paisley hit the top 10 of the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 this year with “Drippy,” a posthumous collaboration with the late Punjabi-Canadian superstar Sidhu Moose Wala.
But it was Diamond Cafe that made Kalivas realize the time was right to strike off on his own “I haven’t seen a triple threat artist like him — writer, performer and producer — in 15 years,” he says. “He’s next level.”
As publishing and song catalogs become a major money-maker in the music industry, artists like Diamond Cafe, who can work both in front of and behind the scenes, are being scouted heavily. For SWING, it’s enough to structure a whole new company around. – Richard Trapunski
Texas Songwriter Livingston Debuts on the Canadian Hot 100 With ‘Shadow’
Texas singer-songwriter Livingston is making a splash on the Canadian charts this week.
The 21-year-old has landed on the Canadian Hot 100 for the first time with his single “Shadow,” which debuted at No. 100. The ominous single, which finds Livingston warning about the dangers we pose to ourselves, shows off his belt and falsetto over keyboard stabs and jittery percussion. “Shadow” is also performing well on the iTunes charts and has gathered over 1 million YouTube views since its Mar. 7 release.
Livingston’s new album, A Hometown Odyssey, also found a spot on the Canadian Albums chart this week, debuting at No. 92. Livingston first gained popularity as a teenager on TikTok during the pandemic and signed shortly thereafter with Elektra Records. His website states that he “reclaimed his independence” from his major label deal a year ago. Hometown Odyssey is independently released.
Independence seems to suit Livingston well. Though he isn’t charting on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 or Billboard 200 yet, sometimes rising American artists — like Benson Boone — perform better in Canada before gaining steam in the United States. – Rosie Long Decter
The Canadian government has made a major announcement about the implementation of the Online Streaming Act, with implications for artists and music companies at home and abroad.
The CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) has revealed that foreign streaming services with significant revenues will have to make base contributions to Canadian content. Streaming companies with no affiliation to Canadian broadcasters and over $25 million in annual contributions revenues will have to pay 5% of those revenues into specified funds.
Those contributions will be used to boost Canadian content in the music, news and film industries, generating an estimated $200 million in increased funding altogether.
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The decision comes after a consultation process that included public hearings last fall, as well as over 360 written submissions.
The government specified that these contributions will go towards “areas of immediate need,” prioritizing already existing funds in order to expedite the delivery process. Those funds include FACTOR and Musicaction, which industry groups like CIMA and the Canadian Live Music Association say are in need of increased funding.
The Beaches Awarded Group of the Year at Billboard Canada Women in Music Launch Announcement
Billboard Canada and iHeartRadio teamed up to present a big award to a major Canadian group this week.
The Beaches received the first-ever Billboard Canada Women in Music Award for Group of the Year on Wednesday (June 5), honoring the Toronto quartet’s breakout year. The band was on hand for the announcement of Billboard Canada‘s Women in Music celebration event, which is officially set for September 7, 2024.
The band was presented with the award by Billboard Canada CEO Amanda Dorenberg and CCO Elizabeth Crisante. At the event, more Canadian artists (including a few legends of the industry) will be recognized and honored for their artistry and blazing trails as women in the industry.
Receiving the award as part of a livestream performance on iHeartRadio’s YouTube, The Beaches played a stripped-back set of three songs from their hit 2023 album, Blame My Ex. The acoustic set saw drummer Eliza Enman McDaniel with just a shaker, leaving space for Jordan Miller’s powerful lead vocal and light harmonies by guitarists Leandra Earl and Kylie Miller.
After the performance, iHeartRadio’s Shannon Burns did a Q&A with the group, joking about playing pool with them and asking them audience-submitted questions. The band talked about their experiences as women in the music industry, providing some advice for up-and-coming female artists.
“Make sure you do it with your friends,” McDaniel said. The group spoke about how isolating it can be to be a woman in a still-male-dominated — though gradually changing — industry. It’s important to be surrounded by women you trust, they emphasized, whether in your band or on your team.
Watch the full performance and announcement here.
Lowell Wins the First Billboard Canada Non-Performing Songwriter Award
Lowell has won the first Billboard Canada Non-Performing Songwriter Award (presented by SOCAN), which honors a Canadian songwriter making a big impact behind the scenes.
The win was announced at Billboard Canada‘s Power Players event on Sunday (June 2) at the CN Tower. The award was presented to Lowell (Elizabeth Lowell Boland) by SOCAN CEO Jennifer Brown and vp of creative and member relations Cameron Kennedy.
“Songwriters have it really tough,” Lowell said while accepting the award. “We make no money, and then we very silently make other people really famous and then just cry about it at night because no one loves us,” she joked.
“So it’s really nice that you guys are giving me a little pat on the back — I’m going to take this on behalf of all of my amazing songwriter friends that have not gotten that pat on the back, yet.”
Lowell, who has also released music under the same name, was one of five finalists for the inaugural edition of the award — the first in Canada recognizing songwriters’ work for other artists. Other shortlisted writers included Tobias Jesso Jr., Jeremy Fedryk, Ali Willa Milner and Aaron Paris — an extremely strong initial shortlist featuring a crop of writers responsible for songs that garnered Grammy nominations, top chart placements and millions of streams.
Lowell has had a major year, including co-writing credits on “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “Bodyguard,” two of the biggest hits on one the year’s biggest albums, Beyoncé‘s Cowboy Carter. The award considered songs from 2023 before Cowboy Carter was released, but beyond Beyoncé, Lowell has shown a unique ability to help artists break through to a new level.
Lowell additionally co-wrote and co-produced Blame My Ex, the breakthrough album from Toronto band The Beaches, including the Lowell-penned hit “Blame Brett,” which held No. 1 at alternative radio for 17 weeks and is rising at U.S. and Canadian Top 40. She’s also a close collaborator of Lu Kala, the Congolese-Canadian artist who made her Hot 100 debut this past year, co-writing Kala’s emotional ballad “Nothing But Love.”
In her acceptance speech, Lowell highlighted the importance of supporting Canadian talent.
“Some people think I live in L.A. but I don’t, I live in Toronto,” she said, addressing the room full of powerful and influential members of the Canadian music industry. “I like to find talent here, I like to see who L.A. is not looking for and what the world needs, and that’s a lot of people that are here either in this room or working with people in this room. […] My goal is to largely not ignore the real talent which is in this f—ing city,” she continued to a round of cheers.
When it comes to music, Canada punches above its weight. Artists like Drake, The Weeknd, Justin Bieber and Alanis Morissette have spent the last few decades among the biggest in the world – a feat for a country that pales in population to its neighbour down south. In boardrooms, too, Canadians are well represented in positions of influence.
That’s evident in Billboard Canada’s 2024 Power Players list, the first expansion of the Power Players and Power 100 to Canada. The list features music executives who are working on the world’s biggest tours, managing the industry’s most valuable song catalogues, and breaking artists from all over the world.
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One of the country’s biggest strengths when it comes to music is cultural fluency and a seemingly innate ability to globalize. As Punjabi music, K-pop, Latin music, Afrobeats and more global genres become ever more popular, Canadians are ready to both export talent across borders and capitalize on trends others might not even know about yet.
This year’s set of submissions and nominations were extremely competitive. The Power Players list recognizes achievements across the board but highly prizes impact in Canada and breakthroughs by Canadians on the international and world stage, especially those that can be clearly measured and substantiated.
The Leaderboard features executives from Live Nation, Warner Music Canada, Reservoir Media and more. Find the whole list here.
Canada’s No. 1 Power Player: Arthur Fogel
The industry icon behind many of the biggest world tours of the last year started out at a punk venue in Toronto.
Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour topped Billboard’s 2023 Boxscore list as the highest-grossing tour of the year and one of the biggest of all time. U2’s opening residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas redefined big-stage sound-and-vision spectacle and became the fastest-grossing residency in Boxscore history. And Madonna culminated her career-spanning Celebration Tour with a massive, record-setting concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, attended by more than 1.6 million people.
Arthur Fogel was instrumental in all of them.
Fogel is the Chairman of Global Music & President of Global Touring CEO of Global Touring at Live Nation. He’s stationed at the company’s Los Angeles headquarters, but he’s one of several high-powered Canadian executives in their boardroom. Michael Rapino, Live Nation’s President and CEO, is also from Canada.
And, Fogel notices, like they are on big stages, Canadians are overrepresented in some of the most important positions in the music industry.
“I don’t think the Canadian industry gets enough credit on any number of levels. If you look at the artists that have come out of Canada over a number of years and generations, it’s pretty incredible how much talent that has come out of a country this size,” Fogel says. “The same holds true for the business side.”
Read a wide-ranging Q&A with Fogel in Billboard Canada’s latest digital cover story.
Shortlist Announced for the Billboard Canada Non-Performing Songwriter Award
Five impressive songwriters have been shortlisted for the inaugural Billboard Canada Non-Performing Songwriter Award, presented by SOCAN.
These songwriters each had a banner year in 2023, penning memorable songs with indelible melodies that garnered Grammy nominations, top chart placements, and millions of streams.
They are recognized for their work as songwriters for other artists, making an impact from behind the scenes – a first for an award of this kind in Canada.
Here are the nominees, with the winner being announced at Billboard Canada’s Power Players event on June 2 at the CN Tower:
Elizabeth Lowell Boland
Lowell is a singer, songwriter and producer known for her collaborations with Madison Beer, Charli XCX, Tate McRae, Charlie Puth, Lennon Stella, Hailee Steinfeld, bülow, Lu Kala and many more. With two songs on Beyoncé’s critically acclaimed new album – the international smash “Texas Hold’em” and upcoming single “Bodyguard” – Lowell has become a trusted collaborator for the legendary artist. She also wrote “Blame Brett,” the breakout hit for Toronto band The Beaches.
Aaron Paris
Aaron Paris is a songwriter, record producer and composer from Toronto. Having worked with artists including Ariana Grande, Kanye West, Drake, DJ Khaled, Russ, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Kali Uchis, NAV, Charlotte Cardin and more, Aaron has built a strong international reputation as a musical composer and collaborator. In 2023, Aaron co-wrote over 70 major artist releases and received five Juno nominations and 2 Grammy nominations for songs he co-wrote.
Tobias Jesso Jr.
Tobias Jesso Jr. is a North Vancouver-born, L.A.-based songwriter and two-time Grammy-winner. In 2023, he earned the first-ever Grammy Award for Songwriter of The Year for his work on releases by Harry Styles, Adele, FKA Twigs, Orville Peck, King Princess, Diplo and Omar Apollo in addition to taking home Album of The Year for his contributions to Harry Styles’ Harry’s House. He was also a major contributor on Dua Lipa’s most recent album Radical Optimism co-writing on multiple tracks including the big single, “Houdini.”
Jeremy Fedryk
Jeremy Fedryk – a.k.a. Sarcastic Sounds – spent much of 2023 immersing himself in the budding folk-pop scene. The year was highlighted by his writing contribution to David Kushner’s international smash “Daylight,” which accumulated over 1 billion Spotify streams and reached multi-platinum status in every major market. His success continued with the release of Chance Pena’s “I am not who I was,” which has amassed over 170 million Spotify streams and reached the top 20 of Billboard’s alternative chart.
Ali Willa Milner
Fresh off a Grammy nomination for her work with The Knocks and Dragonette, Ali Willa Milner found herself part of six Juno nominations for her work in 2023. Her writing led to nominations with Rêve, Katie Tupper, and multiple nominations for Aysanabee who won two, including Songwriter Of The Year.
Canadian musicians who worked with Steve Albini are sharing their admiration.
Albini’s phenomenally prolific career included work on an estimated 2,000 albums, including landmark alt-rock records by Nirvana, Pixies and PJ Harvey. A wide range of notable Canadian artists worked with Albini and were quick to respond with effusive tributes to the Chicago-based studio wizard.
Toronto drummer, composer and author Don Pyle worked with Albini as a member of acclaimed Toronto instrumental bands Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet and Phono-Comb. Albini was an admirer of Shadowy Men, even sending them a fan letter that helped prompt the band to hire him for sessions that led to the trio’s second album, 1993’s Sport Fishin’: The Lure of the Bait, The Luck of the Hook.
Albini would later work with Dallas Good and The Sadies on The Sadies’ 2001 album Tremendous Efforts and then its 2006 live album, The Sadies In Concert, Vol. 1, recorded at Lee’s Palace in Toronto (Pyle also assisted on the record). Alongside fellow Shadowy Men member Reid Diamond, Beverly Breckenridge and Good (later of The Sadies fame), Pyle was also in the lineup of Phono-Comb, a Toronto band that recruited Albini to work on its 1996 album, Fresh Gasoline.
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In an interview with Billboard Canada, Pyle confirms that his late friend Dallas “definitely had a warm relationship with Steve. The Sadies recorded with him on two occasions. I know Steve definitely enjoyed the experience around coming up here and doing The Sadies live album. Doing the Phono-Comb album allowed for more social time and friendship to happen with them. Steve definitely respected who Dallas became.”
Acclaimed Guelph post-rock band King Cobb Steelie worked on material with Albini prior to the release of its second album, 1994’s Project Twinkle, which would later be credited to Bill Laswell as producer.
“He stayed at my house for a week and was a very generous and gracious guest,” group frontman Kevan Byrne tells Billboard Canada. “I think we were one of the first sessions he engineered after In Utero. Steve raved about Dave Grohl’s drumming and insisted that our drummer buy new white-coated Ambassador heads. Then he used a heat gun to break them in.”
Toronto hardcore faves Fucked Up offered up a succinct and poignant tribute on X: “rip steve…you hated our band and made fun of us while we were recording at your studio but you stood for something honest and fair in music and tried to make it a better place in everything you did and there will never be another one like you.”
Head to Billboard Canada for more remembrances and Albini tidbits from KEN Mode, Joel Plaskett, Metz and more.
Feist, Allison Russell, Mustafa Shortlisted for 2024 Prism Prize
The Canadian Academy has announced the top 10 Canadian music videos of the year. The videos, selected from a pool of 300 by a jury of music and video production professionals, have been shortlisted for the 2024 Prism Prize. The award comes with a $20,000 prize.
Singer-songwriter Feist, pop-rock group The Beaches, roots artist and Grammy winner Allison Russell, musician and poet Mustafa, and hip-hop duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids (who took home the prize last year, for “Damn Right”) are all amongst the shortlisted nominees.
Since its introduction in 2013, the Prism Prize has been celebrating outstanding work in Canadian music video production. The shortlist is determined by a jury of more than 120 leading figures in Canadian music, film and media arts. In evaluating the music videos, the jury considers elements such as originality, style, creativity, innovation and execution.
Each of the top 10 finalists is also eligible for the fan-voted Audience Award, which comes with a $2,500 CAD prize for the winner.
A celebration of the Class of 2024 will take place in July, featuring a screening of the top 10 videos and the announcement of the winners.
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The 2024 Prism Prize Top 10 (in alphabetical order):
Blame Brett – Artist: The Beaches | Director: Ievy Stamatov
Borrow Trouble – Artist: Feist | Directors: Mary Rozzi, Colby Richardson, Heather Goodchild & Leslie Feist
Demons – Artist: Allison Russell | Director: Ethan Tobman
feral canadian scaredy cat – Artist: young friend | Director: Sterling Larose & Zachary Vague
I’m Good – Artist: Snotty Nose Rez Kids | Director: Sterling Larose
I Wanna Be Your Right Hand – Artist: Nemahsis | Directors: Norman Wong & Amy Gardner
My Mind At Ease – Artist: Dominique Fils-Aimé | Director: Adrian Villagomez
Name of God – Artist & Director: Mustafa
Of Woods And Seas – Artist: Alaskan Tapes | Director: Andrew De Zen
Revenge of the Orchestra (feat. Magugu) – Artist: Apashe | Director: Adrian Villagomez
Billboard Canada and SOCAN will recognize the unsung heroes behind the country’s biggest songs.
The Billboard Canada Non-Performing Songwriter Award will pay tribute to the talented songwriters who create powerful music and exemplify the songwriter’s indispensable role in the music ecosystem.
This is the first award of its kind in Canada, for professional songwriters who make a major impact writing for other artists. Rarely do they get the spotlight, until now. The inaugural Billboard Canada Non-Performing Songwriter Award will be presented at Billboard Canada’s Power Players event in Toronto on Sunday, June 2.
The award is presented by SOCAN, which collects and distributes royalties for musicians and rights-holders in Canada. The crucial rights organization is a champion of music industry professionals, with more than 190,000 members – songwriters, composers and music publishers – ensuring that they are properly recognized and compensated for their work.
“Fierce champions of songwriting, SOCAN is proud to present the Billboard Canada Non-Performing Songwriter Award, shining a light on the architects behind the anthems,” says Jennifer Brown, SOCAN CEO. “A first in Canada, this award celebrates the impact of professional songwriters, who, from behind the scenes, create songs that resonate internationally, and we’re thrilled to partner with Billboard to give them the recognition they so richly deserve.”
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On the nomination form, submit three songs that the nominee wrote for another performer in 2023. Songs must have been released between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023. The three songs should represent and show their creative success during that period. There are also optional fields for number of sales, streams and spins.
Nominations for the award open today, May 7, and will close on May 17 at 11:59 PM EST.
Find more information here.
deadmau5 Will Be Inducted Into Canadian Music Week Hall of Fame in 2024
After 25 years in the music industry, deadmau5 will enter the Canadian Music Week (CMW) Hall of Fame.
He’ll be inducted on Tuesday, June 4 at the Live Music Industry Awards, which takes place at Toronto’s Westin Harbour Castle in the Frontenac Room.
Before that, though, deadmau5 will take part in a Fireside Chat at the CMW Music Summit Conference that will be hosted by Billboard. He’ll speak with Billboard Canada editor Richard Trapunski in a conversation that will delve deep into his colourful two-and-a-half-decade career on some of music’s biggest stages.
“deadmau5 is a legend,” says Andrew Valle, General Manager and Festival Director of CMW. “His unparalleled creativity has not only reshaped the sonic dance landscape but has also inspired countless artists and producers worldwide.”
Born Joel Zimmerman, deadmau5 arose at a time when electronic dance music was becoming one of the most popular genres in North America. One of the defining superstars of the late 2000s and early 2010s EDM boon, he’s headlined the biggest stages and major festivals electronic music has to offer. Recognizable for his signature LED stage helmet, also known as his mau5head, he’s become known for his big-stage spectacle and earth-shattering productions.
He remains one of electronic music’s most bankable stars. As of 2023, his catalogue has clocked more than 1.5 billion streams. In 2022, he teamed with his longtime collaborator Kaskade to form Kx5, a superduo that played a handful of festival dates. Now hitting the road with a rotating slate of famous friends, he’s embarked on his “retro5pective: 25yrs of Deadmau5” tour, which has already seen guest appearances from artists like Lights, Kiesza and Tommy Lee.
Security Guard Shot Outside Drake’s Toronto Mansion, Police Confirm
Toronto Police are investigating a shooting that took place early in the morning on May 7 outside Drake’s mansion.
According to reports from CBC and The Toronto Star, the entrance to the rapper’s house had been taped off after a reported shooting. The Star also reported police going in and out of the house as they investigate.
Toronto Police Operations posted on X that they were investigating the shooting that took place at 2:09 am at Bayview Avenue & Lawrence Avenue East, near the site of Drake’s Park Lane Circle mansion in the Bridle Path neighbourhood — one of the most expensive areas of Toronto.
According to the tweet, a man was transported to hospital with serious injuries and a suspect fled in a vehicle. The Toronto Star reports that it is unclear whether Drake was at home at the time.
Drake has been embroiled in an ongoing rap battle with Kendrick Lamar. The art for Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us features a Google Maps image of Drake’s Toronto house. The location of Drake’s estate is already well known in the city and the rapper filmed his 2020 music video for Toosie Slide inside.
The victim was identified as a “security guard” working at the residence. They were transported to the hospital and have since undergone surgery for injuries sustained during the event.
No suspects have been named, but Inspector Paul Krawczyk of the Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force confirmed the shooting and says the suspect’s vehicle was captured on video by surrounding security cameras.
The following day, on May 8, there was another incident at Drake’s house when a person attempted to gain access to the property.
“The person was apprehended under the mental health act, and they were taken to receive medical attention,” Toronto Police said in a statement.
The person reportedly did not enter the house, but was immediately confronted at the gate by security and arrested by police.
Last Week In Canada: Diljit Dosanjh Makes Punjabi Music History
On Saturday night (April 27), Vancouver witnessed Diljit Dosanjh make history. The artist kicked off his Dil-Luminati tour with a sold-out stadium show at BC Place to a crowd of 54,000 people — making it the largest ever Punjabi music concert outside of India.
The show leaned into its historic accomplishment, with an ominous voice preceding Diljit Dosanjh’s entry, “Remember, firsts are always special and what you witness here will never be repeated.”
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In over two decades in the music and film industry, Dosanjh has solidified himself as a global star. Last year, he was the first Indian-born Punjabi singer to perform at Coachella and has recently made strides for international music amassing hundreds of millions of streams on collaborative tracks with Sia, Saweetie and Camilo respectively. More recently, Dosanjh is fresh off the critical acclaim of his performance of the titular Amar Singh Chamkila, a Bollywood biopic about the life and death of the controversial Punjabi singer who was killed at the height of his fame in 1988.
With anticipation palpable in the air, Dosanjh delivered a high-powered 27-song set with charisma and an undeniable star-power that easily captivated the record-breaking audience. It was an unabashed celebration of Punjabi music and culture.
The artist has a deep connection to Vancouver. Several of his popular Punjabi films that accelerated his career like Jatt and Juliet and Honsla Rakh were filmed across Greater Vancouver, making this moment that much more special for fans who have been longtime supporters far before his recent international successes.
“Now, Punjabis have made it to stadiums,” Dosanjh said. “The next generation won’t be able to say that this has never happened before. Now for generations to come, our kids can dream even bigger.”
During his performance of “Vibe,” the singer scooped up a young fan from the crowd who was dressed in signature Diljit Dosanjh attire, inviting him to dance with him. As the boy, understandably intimidated by the size of the crowd in front him, got more comfortable, he broke into dance himself. It was his hopes for the next generation coming to life right in front of him — a child who can now literally see himself on stage performing for a stadium of fans.
Dosanjh’s tour continues with arena dates in Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Los Angeles and more, and another stadium date at Toronto’s Rogers Centre on July 13. – Jeevan Sangha
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Rising Canadian Stars Chani Nattan and Owen Riegling Make International Moves
Punjabi powerhouse lyricist Chani Nattan is the next signing to Warner Music Canada and Warner Music India’s joint venture, 91 North Records. Nattan will join fellow Punjabi-Canadian artists Karan Aujla, Jonita Gandhi and AR Paisley on the label, which was created to support South Asian artists.
Born and raised in Surrey, B.C., Nattan has already broken through to Punjabi music audiences around the world. In 2021, Nattan teamed up with Inderpal Moga and released “Daku” — a heady Punjabi hip-hop track that has garnered 247 million views on YouTube, and became one of the most streamed songs on Spotify India. With Sukha and Punjabi singer Gurlez Akhtar, Nattan’s “8 Asle” sparked a viral TikTok dance trend and charted on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100.
Nattan marks the signing with the release of his new song “Facetime,” alongside frequent collaborator Inderpal Moga and iconic Punjabi singer Miss Pooja.
Nattan uses a traditional Punjabi duet style, typically consisting of a playful back and forth between a quarreling couple. “Facetime” blends those old-school Punjabi vibes with the hip-hop elements that he is so heavily influenced by, Nattan tells Billboard Canada.
“The beats are different but the heart and soul of it maintains the sound of Punjab and its concepts,” he says. “It’s about honouring our roots while embracing the evolution of our music.”
Meanwhile, Canadian-based management and production company Workshop Music Group has announced a new partnership with talent representation company The Familie to co-manage rising young country singer-songwriter Owen Riegling. The Familie’s client roster includes Machine Gun Kelly and Avril Lavigne and it recently launched a country music division.
Now boasting over 50M global streams for his songs, Riegling won the 2022 Emerging Artists Showcase at the CanCountry mega-fest Boots & Hearts, then signed his record deal with Universal Music Canada. Last year he was selected for Apple Music’s UpNext Program and is now part of Spotify’s Hot Country Artists To Watch and Amazon Canada’s Breakthrough Artists to Watch 2024. – Jeevan Sanha & Kerry Doole
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Toronto Chinese Restaurant Gets a Boost from Kendrick Lamar’s Namedrop
Toronto caught a few strays in Kendrick Lamar’s “Euphoria,” the first of two diss tracks aimed at hometown star Drake. While listing all the things he hates about Drizzy, Kendrick takes a moment to slip into an exaggerated Toronto accent complete with local slang and a surprising reference to a popular late-night Chinatown restaurant: “I be at New Ho King eatin’ fried rice with a dip sauce and a blammy, crodie,” he raps.
CityNews spoke to New Ho King owner Johnny Lu for a TV segment. Playing him the track, they get his live reaction to the nametrack: “I see, Kendrick’s a good guy. Oh my God!” he says.
CityNews also caught up with residents who are fans of Kendrick who made trips just to give the fried rice dish a try. “I came all the way from Markham just to see this fried rice,” one says. “Kendrick Lamar, man. You gotta pay respect to K. Dot, man. Ever since he dropped the diss track I was like, ‘I gotta visit this place.’”
The reference may have had a darker meaning than just fried rice, with some fans believing it was a sly reference to Drake’s 2009 armed robbery. Toronto rapper Sizzlac, who was rumoured to be part of the robbery, once filmed a music video at New Ho King, which may be how the restaurant hit Kendrick’s radar. But New Ho King is reaping the rewards. Since the track dropped, New Ho King has been showered with five-star reviews on Google and Yelp. – Richard Trapunski
Last Week In Canada: Cowboy Junkies Write to U.S. Senators
Major artists are speaking out about the state of concert ticketing.
“The current system is broken,” reads a new letter signed by over 250 artists, including Billie Eilish, Green Day, Fall Out Boy, Cyndi Lauper, Lorde and more. The letter, dubbed “Fix The Tix,” addresses pervasive issues in the ticketing industry, like fake tickets, misleading marketing strategies and unclear pricing.
Addressed to Maria Cantwell and Ted Cruz, the respective Chair and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation, the letter calls on the legislators to support the Fans First Act. The Act would take a series of steps to make ticketing more transparent for consumers, including banning “deceptive marketing tactics,” which lure fans into “paying more for tickets that may never get them into a show.”
“Predatory resellers have gone unregulated while siphoning money from the live entertainment ecosystem for their sole benefit,” the letter reads. “As artists and members of the music community, we rely on touring for our livelihood, and we value music fans above all else. We are joining together to say that the current system is broken.”
Trending on Billboard
Though the letter addresses American lawmakers, ticket resale practices are not limited to the U.S., and several Canadian acts have signed in support of letter’s aims, including Blue Rodeo, The Sadies, Cowboy Junkies, Suzie Ungerleider and Alvvays’ Alec O’Hanley.
“Marking tickets up is indicative of yet another layer in a broken system,” Canadian singer-songwriter Lauren Spear, who releases music as Le Ren and signed on to the letter, tells Billboard Canada. “It’s hard enough making money with streaming services taking revenue away from artists. Markups create an invisible hand that both gatekeeps the audience and pockets money that should be going to the labour of the musicians and crew.”
The Fans First Act would require ticket sellers to display the full price of a ticket from the outset of a purchase, tackling hidden fees that often catch consumers by surprise at the end of a transaction. – Rosie Long Decter
YouTube Aims to Support Canadian Artists In the Age of AI
Like many major labels and streaming companies, YouTube has a major presence in Canada. For artists and content creators, it provides access to an audience that stretches beyond borders.
“When you think about YouTube, the beauty for all artists and Canadian artists is the global reach,” says Vivien Lewit, Global Head of Artists at YouTube, in an interview with Billboard Canada, after a recent trip to Halifax for the Juno Awards. “There are over two billion really logged in viewers that watch music videos each month on YouTube. The exposure is enormous.”
With the Online Streaming Act becoming law, digital distributors and media will soon face updated government regulation and possible new forms of Canadian Content requirements. YouTube and its parent company Google have been critical of the act ever since it was introduced as Bill C-11. But much of the company’s criticism revolved around user-created content, which has since been clarified as immune from certain forms of regulation. YouTube maintains an ongoing partnership with record labels in Canada led by Canadian Head of Music Partnerships, Gabriel Obadia.
YouTube has a number of marketing and support initiatives and programs, and Lewit says they make sure to promote Canadian artists as part of all of them. Those include features like Artist on the Rise and Fifty Deep, a grant program to support Black artists. This year, Francophone Quebec rapper Lost was a participant.
YouTube Shorts has also been a big driver of the Punjabi Wave, including the B.C.-based Karan Aujla his collaborator Ikky. Together, they made YouTube’s list of most-watched music videos in Canada in 2023, and Aujla has 1.66 billion global plays in the last year. Numbers like those are hard to ignore, and those, along with streaming tallies, proved the potential of Punjabi music well before the Canadian music industry started to support it.
“It’s fascinating because I hear about the fast-growing popularity of Punjabi music in Canada from both our teams in India and our teams in Canada,” Lewit says.
In Canada, those YouTube numbers will now be recognized by Music Canada’s Gold/Platinum Singles Program. So, as in the U.S. since 2020, an artist with high stream counts on YouTube (or other Digital Service Providers like Apple Music) could earn a gold or platinum record.
Read more here about how YouTube is working with Canadian labels on another potential thread and opportunity: generative AI. – Richard Trapunski
Last Week In Canada: AP Dhillon’s Early Exit From Coachella
AP Dhillon is leaving the California desert behind. Coachella announced that the Punjabi-Canadian star will not appear at the festival’s second weekend as planned, citing scheduling conflicts. The festival announced it in a follow up tweet to one announcing that rapper Kid Cudi has been added.
During his debut Coachella performance, the Punjabi-Canadian star paid tribute to a fallen icon. As he performed his hit “Brown Munde,” a message took over the screen behind him in all capitals: “JUSTICE FOR SIDHU MOOSEWALA.”
Trending on Billboard
Sidhu Moose Wala, the influential Punjabi artist, actor and politician, was shot to death in India in May 2022, and his murder remains unsolved. Based in Brampton, Moose Wala helped pave the way for Punjabi music in Canada, and continues to chart two years after his death.
While Dhillon’s first-weekend performance was well-received by the Coachella crowd and many of his supporters, he’s also had some backlash due to how he closed his set, which has been widely covered by media in India.
The artist finished his performance by smashing his guitar on stage.
Some fans have invoked India’s cultural reverence for musical instruments, criticizing Dhillon’s rockstar move as a sign of disrespect and arrogance.
“The guitar that has provided you with life, love, peace, success and respect – you end up breaking it!” reads one popular comment on Dhillon’s post featuring footage of the smash.
In a subsequent post, Dhillon shared photos of his tribute to the late Sidhu Moose Wala, with the caption “the media is controlled and I’m out of control.” The last slide of the post features footage of Kurt Cobain smashing his guitar, linking Dhillon’s move to a longstanding rock and roll tradition. – Rosie Long Decter
As Latin Music Grows in Canada, Live Nation Aims to Take It Across The Country
This week, Live Nation announced that Shakira’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran Tour will be coming to Canada in December. It’ll only be the third time in the Colombian superstar’s illustrious 33-year career that two tour dates are scheduled in Canada, and her first time back since 2018.
In the six years since she last played for a Canadian crowd, the country’s Latin music scene has grown bigger than she might have expected. It’s an expanded market that Live Nation has been focusing on in recent years.
In 2022, Live Nation hired Ricky Taco as director of Latin Music in Canada, with a mandate to grow the genre at venues in the country and focus in on one of the fastest-expanding markets in North America.
In an interview with Billboard Canada, Taco gives some numbers. “The Latin genre as a whole, in Canada, is up 48% from last year [in online streams]. When it comes to airplay, Latin music across Canada has increased by 2,100% in the last year. You’re now playing to 37.5 million Canadians as opposed to 2.5 million last year…Over the last five years, it’s been insane. I mean, the growth has been [big].”
Even though they haven’t had the same chart impact in Canada as in the United States, the newest generation of Latin musicians is seeing success on tour. Bad Bunny sold out Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena this April, a far cry from his 2018 stint at the smaller REBEL nightclub. Peso Pluma, a 24-year-old Mexican artist making waves globally, made his first Canadian stops just a year ago at Place Bell in Laval, Québec and Toronto’s Budweiser Stage. In 2024, however, he’ll be playing “LADY GAGA” in front of sold-out crowds at Scotiabank Arena and Montreal’s Bell Centre.
Although Latin music has seen incredible progress in the past years, there’s still much work to be done, as Live Nation Canada plans to bring the genre to more ears, and build an even stronger fanbase. Compared to Punjabi music, which has seen a similar explosion in recent years and a similar focused strategy at Live Nation in Canada, Taco says Latin music has a steeper hill to climb.
“In Toronto, there’s only one Latin FM radio [station],” says Taco. “If we compare it to an English artist, or a Punjabi artist, their communities are bigger, they have more resources to play with. Although we’ve grown a lot in the last three to five years, we’re still very limited, we’re still growing.”
Beyond festivals and radio stations, Live Nation plans to bring Latin music outside the cities Canadian fans have grown accustomed to seeing regular tour announcements.
“At this point, the primary markets definitely are Montreal and Toronto, but our plan is to keep growing. [We want to] bring as many concerts as we can in places like Calgary, Vancouver and even potentially places like Ottawa,” Taco says. – Pablo Gonzalez Legendre
The Guess Who’s Burton Cummings Will Give Up His Royalties to Stop Alleged ‘Cover Band’
Canadian musician Burton Cummings is giving up his royalties to protect his legacy.
The “American Woman” singer and co-founder of classic Winnipeg band The Guess Who has cancelled his performance license agreements in an effort to prevent the current iteration of The Guess Who from performing.
The move is an escalation of a legal battle that’s been ongoing since last fall, when Cummings and fellow Guess Who songwriter Randy Bachman launched a lawsuit against what they’re calling a “cover band” and claiming they’re engaging in false advertising, attempting to juice concert sales by giving the impression that Cummings and Bachman are still part of the band. This iteration of the band owns the Guess Who trademark, and features original drummer Garry Peterson.
While that lawsuit is still ongoing, Cummings is taking a new approach to halting the alleged cover band’s activity. The vast majority of concert venues in the U.S. have licensing agreements with performing rights organizations (PROs) which allow them to host live performances of any music in the catalogue of those PROs. Cummings has spent the last several months cancelling his agreements with those PROs, so that his music is no longer licensed for performance in live venues — a move Cummings can only make because he owns his publishing rights.
The move is drastic and relatively unheard of, as it will cause Cummings to forfeit potential royalties. He’ll lose out on payments not just for live performances, but for radio spins, TV placements, shopping mall playlists, and more. The loss applies not just to recordings Cummings played on, but recordings of any songs he wrote, which includes Lenny Kravitz‘s popular cover of The Guess Who’s “American Woman.”
Cummings says it’s a sacrifice worth making. “I’m willing to do anything to stop the fake band,” he told Rolling Stone. “They’re not the people who made these records and they shouldn’t act like they did.”
Since Cummings terminated his licenses, The Guess Who have already cancelled five concert dates in Florida and Alabama.
“This is about way more than just money, I wouldn’t have pulled the catalog if it wasn’t,” Cummings explains. “This is about the legacy of the songs and the fact that the cover band is doing anything they can to erase me and Bachman from the history of the group. I see advertisements for their shows, and it’s me singing ‘American Woman.’” – Rosie Long Decter
Last Week In Canada: ‘Houdini’ Co-Writer Wins Major Award
Country music is having a major moment in Canada, and the CCMA Awards is getting one of the genre’s biggest stars. Thomas Rhett will host the Canadian Country Music Association’s annual award ceremony on Sept. 14, 2024 at Rogers Place in Edmonton. And the American star will be joined by a homegrown star in the making, Alberta singer and actor MacKenzie Porter.
This year’s awards take place during a big time in Canadian country, with major festivals popping up across the country and new bridges being made with Nashville.
In addition to topping the Billboard Country Airplay chart 20 times, Rhett also has 16 No. 1 hits on Canadian country radio, so he’s a natural choice to cross the border to host Canada’s biggest country music awards.
Trending on Billboard
“The way Canadian fans have embraced me throughout my career is something I never take for granted,” Rhett tells Billboard Canada. “Every time we come there, we are blown away by the energy they bring and the love they have for country music.”
Travelling between Canada and Nashville, Porter is also making a big splash on both sides of the border. With 900 million streams already, she’s got a new album, Nobody’s Born With a Broken Heart, coming out on April 26 on Big Loud Records.
“I personally think this year is going to be the best show yet,” she continues. “Canadian country music has never been better, and having the show in Alberta, home of country music, feels very fitting!”
CCMA president Amy Jeninga says they carefully selected the hosts “based on their significant contributions to the Canadian country music community,” with Rhett’s major Canadian fanbase playing “a crucial role in our country music ecosystem.” Plus, two of his band members are Canadian musicians, she notes.
Porter, meanwhile, is a great representative of Alberta’s country music scene, she says. She’s also a woman making waves in a genre that is typically overrepresented by male artists.
Nominations and programming have yet to be announced, but the CCMAs will get a lead-in from Country Music Week 2024, which kicks off in Edmonton on Wednesday, September 11.
The CCMAs will air on Saturday, September 14 at 8 p.m. ET on CTV, CTV.ca and the CTV app. – Richard Trapunski
Canadian Songwriter Tobias Jesso Jr. Earns SOCAN Award for Dua Lipa Hit
Tobias Jesso Jr. made a small splash as a solo recording artist, including a spot on the 2015 Polaris Music Prize shortlist for his album Goon, but he’s spent close to the last decade focused on writing for others. He’s seen major international success, including winning the first ever Grammy for Songwriter of the Year.
Jesso Jr. now has a huge repertoire of hits, contributed to songs by Adele, Miley Cyrus, Harry Styles, XXXTENTACION and more. Last year, he sold his goldmine catalog to Hipgnosis Song Management.
Now, he’s getting some recognition in his home country again, specifically from Canadian performance rights and royalty-collecting organization SOCAN. On April 5 in L.A., Jesso received a SOCAN No. 1 Song Award, for co-writing Dua Lipa’s “Houdini.” This smash hit topped the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart for 14 weeks, starting in Nov. 2023, and it has earned more than 380 million plays on Spotify, and more than 104 million views on YouTube. – David Farrell & Richard Trapunski
More Than 10% of the Most-Streamed Songs in Canada are by Canadian Artists
According to a new report, of the 1,000 most-streamed artists in Canada, 113 are Canadian. Laying a Foundation for Success, published by Music Canada — the association representing major music labels in Canada — takes a look at Canadian streaming data to determine whether Canadian artists are getting heard. Studying the 10,000 most popular artists in Canada in 2022, economist Will Page finds that 889 were Canadian. Of the 10,000 most popular songs, 1,013 were Canadian.
At the upper echelons of popularity, the trend holds: roughly 10% of the thousand most-streamed artists and songs were Canadian. Canadian artists like Tate McRae and Charlotte Cardin outranked popular American stars like Selena Gomez on that list. Other Canadians amongst the 1,000 most-streamed artists include country singer Josh Ross, Punjabi-Canadian artist Karan Aujla, pianist Alexandra Stréliski and singer Lauren Spencer Smith.
“In a world where fans can listen to any artist, from any country in the world, and with nearly every recorded song at their fingertips, listeners are choosing Canadian music,” says Music Canada CEO Patrick Rogers.
Of the 889 Canadian artists amongst the top 10,000, roughly 75% perform in English, while 20% perform in French. Page notes that the third most-popular language segment is Punjabi music, which is also the fastest-growing music language in the country, and accounts for 3% of the 889 musicians.
Recorded music revenues in Canada have doubled since 2014, when Spotify launched, and are now as high as they were before the launch of iTunes in 2004. Page notes that according to consultancy MIDIA, Canadian recorded music revenues could soon hit a billion dollars for the first time.
The government is preparing to implement Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act, which became law last year, and Page’s report recommends some policy changes. One is the “Mandate, Don’t Dictate” approach, which would entail moderate government interventions such as requirements that Canadian artists be indexed highly on playlists, or that streaming services pay into the Canadian music industry in the same way as radio broadcasters.
Ultimately, for every one stream within Canada, Page writes, Canadian artists are getting roughly 10 abroad. Any government music strategy should focus on helping Canadian music thrive on the international stage, he says. – Rosie Long Decter
Last Week In Canada: Tegan and Sara Lead Campaign Against Anti-Trans Policies