interscope
In the middle of August, with precious little warning, two of the biggest artists in the world decided to take hold of the pop-music narrative. On the night of Aug. 15, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars unleashed their collaborative ballad “Die With a Smile,” complete with a Dolly Parton-inspired music video released the same evening, as well as a surprise duet performance at Mars’ show in Los Angeles, blanketing the Friday release day with a full-court press in the first few hours of the song’s release.
As the week went on, a digital campaign began to factor in as well, and the work paid off: “Die With a Smile” debuted at No. 3 on the Hot 100 and No. 2 on both the Global 200 and the Global Excl. U.S. charts in its first week. But since then, the song has only grown, particularly around the world — this week, “Die With a Smile,” which is credited to Gaga’s label Interscope but is receiving a helping hand from Mars’ label Atlantic, spends its second week as the biggest song in the world, topping both of Billboard’s global charts midway through September. And that worldwide success helps earn Interscope Geffen A&M senior vp/head of pop/rock marketing Adrian Amodeo the title of Billboard’s Executive of the week.
Trending on Billboard
Here, Amodeo, discusses the initial rollout of the song, how Interscope and Atlantic worked together and how the Interscope global strategy — which has also seen huge success with Billie Eilish and Karol G, as well as with BTS’ Jimin — has helped the company reach new heights around the world. “We don’t want to just put out records in other territories,” Amodeo says. “We want to build real campaigns that are extensions of our domestic campaigns and also build into local cultures and communities on the ground and online.”
This week, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With A Smile” is No. 1 on both of Billboard’s global songs charts for the second straight week. What key decisions did you make to help make that happen?
First off, it was an enormous team effort across two amazing artist teams. We have two of the most important pop stars on the planet who wrote and recorded an absolutely incredible song and were involved in every detail of the rollout. We knew it was going to be a special moment once the song came out, but also knew we had to build a campaign that honored two superstars and their incredible artistry. We wanted to show the power of these two stars together and show that Gaga and Bruno are at the top of the game, with a ballad, in the midst of what has been an incredible summer of pop music.
When we first heard the song, Kirsten Stubbs, our co-head of digital marketing, flagged that Bruno happened to be opening the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles around the time the song was coming out, so we immediately put the wheels in motion to make a performance be a key moment in our campaign. The genuine connection the world saw between the two of them, and the content we were able to capture and spread, really set the tone for the entire campaign. It was lightning in a bottle with the release of the song, the video and the performance that night. But we knew we had to keep building a runway for the song and eventize the release around the globe, so we treated it like an album rollout, not just as a single.
The song debuted at No. 2 on both charts, before ascending to the top spot a week later. What went into such a huge global impact right out of the gate?
Our international team has been so integral — every territory made it a priority to make this the biggest song in the world. Before the song came out we were fortunate to have all of the label heads from around the globe into our studio where we unveiled our plan for the track. We were able to play the music and explain our global vision, but more importantly we had Gaga and her team in the room to be part of those conversations with us. It really energized everyone to be part of a process like that. The subsequent local campaigns and partner support our teams have put together have been really amazing.
I’m proud of what the team pulled off for the fans around the world, too. The out-of-home campaigns became important fan experiences, anchored by an eight city storefront experience that paid homage to the song, the artwork and the video. Combined with all the billboards around the globe, it just felt huge — and, more importantly, we got it to travel online. A great job by Kevin Rankin and Jessica Staats for driving that with all the teams around the globe. The themes of the song have also helped build an incredible TikTok world for the song, which has been fun to watch and really helped take it to another level globally. Our ability to conceive of and execute such a complex global campaign is really a core strength of Interscope and Universal Music Group.
[embedded content]
This music video also had a big impact, with its throwback theme and Dolly Parton-esque vibe. How important has it been to the song’s success, and what do you see as the role of the traditional music video these days?
The music video has been so important, if not the most important part of this campaign. It was co-directed by Bruno, which continues to exemplify his artistry and shows the trust that Gaga put in him as a partner in this whole process. Again, that genuine connection can’t be overstated. Beyond being an incredible video, it also inspired every inch of our creative. The single art, the outfits they wore on stage at the Intuit Dome, the global out-of-home; everything has intentionally been cohesive and respectful to the aesthetic world built by Gaga and Bruno. The music video also kicked off a powerful viral moment with the fans recreating Gaga’s dance and inspired fans to recreate the looks online, at shows, and at the clubs — our influencer marketing team was quick to identify this and amplify it globally. It has been so amazing to see and we fully expect Gaga-Bruno to be one of the most seen Halloween costumes this year. We’re already getting ahead of that.
Gaga and Bruno are two of the biggest superstars on the planet, and are signed to different labels. How did this song come together, and how did the marketing plan work across two companies?
The making of the song is Gaga and Bruno’s story to tell, but it’s very well documented that they have wanted to work together for a long time. [Interscope chairman/CEO] John Janick’s relationship with Bruno goes back for many years and the trust that Bruno and Gaga put in John can’t be overstated. [Atlantic Music Group chair/CEO] Julie Greenwald was an absolute force as well. Her energy and passion for the song helped drive both teams to be great. With so many relationships and teams in place we were truly able to hit the ground running. We spent about six weeks planning the song together and the relationship was great with all of our departments working hand in hand, on Zooms, calls, texts, DMs, voice notes and faxes. We’re still going.
Alongside Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” and Karol G’s “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido,” Interscope has three songs in the top 10 of the Global 200, and those three make up three of the top five on the Global Excl. U.S. chart. What is IGA’s overall global strategy and why are these songs working so well around the world right now?
We’re very fortunate to work with incredible artists and incredible partners. It starts with the teams, but the vision is always global from the start. We don’t want to just put out records in other territories. We want to build real campaigns that are extensions of our domestic campaigns and also build into local cultures and communities on the ground and online. Our teams literally stay across all the creative, creator campaigns and local moments to make sure it’s a unified creative marketing rollout with a local touch. The way we’ve also been able to integrate partners like AmEx and Sony into our global rollouts has been a testament to the 360 approach we take globally.
Jimin’s “Who” is also in the top 10, by the way, and I can’t emphasize enough the importance of our relationship with HYBE. We are thrilled with our new HYBE x Geffen global girl group, KATSEYE. Building a global girl group with such an important partner has been an incredible undertaking, but a big part of our vision for the future. It’s been amazing to see them grow exponentially on streaming and socials as PopStar Academy: KATSEYE, the eight-episode series that tracks their journey, keeps growing on Netflix. They’re currently in Korea on a huge promo trip that will take them to Japan and the Philippines, too.
Where do you see the biggest growth opportunities for Interscope around the world right now?
Our relationship with our artists continues to be our biggest opportunity. What we can bring to them in building their global brands is our core strength, so we must continue to emphasize and build what we have, while reinvesting into new strategies. Direct to consumer and [customer relationship management] strategy is so important, and we continue to build those globally with our partners at Bravado and Fame House. We’ve built a company culture where it feels like one team with them, and that’s so important in helping to create global artist brands. Our collective ability to communicate with the fans directly around the globe is critical. We’re really focused on that, while we also continue to strategize emerging markets.
Last Week: How Sabrina Capped Her Rise to Stardom With ‘Short N’ Sweet’
It’s been 25 years since Eminem announced himself on the international stage with his iconic, revered 1999 album The Slim Shady LP. The album — technically his second, but his first on major label Interscope — included huge singles like “Guilty Conscience,” “Role Model” and, most significantly, “My Name Is,” which introduced his alter-ego character Slim Shady to the world. His even bigger followup album, 2000’s The Marshall Mathers LP, doubled down with “The Real Slim Shady,” which hit No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spawned one of the most iconic awards show performances of all time, with the bleach-blonde-haired hip-hop superstar lording over his legion of lookalikes.
But it’s been a quarter century since then, and Slim Shady is dead, locked in Eminem’s basement. The final nail came with his latest album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace), which this week became Em’s 11th album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, racking up 281,000 equivalent album units and landing the biggest week for a hip-hop album this year so far. In addition to the star power that Eminem brings with any new release, the album’s big first week was also the result of a meticulous, months-long marketing rollout involving Fortnite activations, a mock true crime video, print newspaper obituaries and big-time singles like “Houdini,” which landed at No. 2 on the Hot 100 upon its release. And it helps earn Interscope Geffen A&M senior vp of marketing Jason Sangerman the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
Trending on Billboard
Here, Sangerman — who has worked on 11 Eminem albums himself over the course of his career — talks about that extended marketing plan, the collaborations with Eminem and his longtime manager and Shady Records CEO Paul Rosenberg to set the record up, and what comes next. “The great thing about an artist like Eminem is he keeps everyone guessing, and that includes us, so it keeps you operating at the highest level,” he says.
This week, Eminem’s latest album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace), debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with the biggest first week for a hip-hop album this year. What key decision did you make to help make that happen?
Everything we do when we begin to engage in discussions around the marketing strategy is led by Eminem and his partner and manager Paul Rosenberg. Once we have our initial plan, the Shady Records team and the larger Interscope team begin building it out. There’s a ton of brainstorming and we all work well bouncing ideas off one another — but when it comes to the execution, precision is non-negotiable.
The key to this rollout was thinking and working comprehensively. It always starts with the music. Marshall delivered yet another amazing album; this time it also came with a high-concept narrative woven throughout. We put a plan together with Paul that gave us plenty of runway to activate all the essential components — social platforms, press, radio, DSPs, D2C, gaming, our Complex relationship, IRL pop-ups, etc. The plan not only enabled us to engage his global fanbase, but we created new entry points for prospective fans, which was key to a successful launch.
The concept of this album — killing off the iconic alter ego of one of the most successful rappers of all time — must have both been a marketer’s dream and nearly overwhelming to contemplate. How did you approach setting it up?
The character of Slim Shady and the world built around him is all Marshall’s creation. It’s always a privilege to help provide a tangible experience for the fans based off his ideas, and so a lot of the marketing plan starts directly from Marshall and Paul. The larger Interscope team then creates a space to augment and build upon those innovative ideas. It’s always critical, but especially so given the nature of this particular album, to get the chronology right for each moment. We couldn’t make a move that would potentially give away something planned for a future payoff.
In what ways were you able to call back to the original Slim Shady character from 25 years ago?
It’s so wild to hear “25 years ago,” because Eminem was the first concert I saw when I was growing up. It was the Slim Shady Tour at the House of Blues on Sunset. I still have the original T-shirt. That colorful crayon style Slim Shady logo was one of the pieces that was brought back into the mix for this album. Once “Houdini” was released, there were elements of nostalgia in everything we did, and they became Easter eggs for the album marketing — the “Rap Boy” costume, the blonde hair, a flash mob of “real” Slim Shadys popping up in Washington Square Park in New York, etc.
The Complex “Face Off” piece is of course an integral part of the campaign, and a key element in explaining the concept around the album. It goes without saying that Marshall has earned the right to be very judicious about the way he puts himself out there to the world. Complex came to us with a really creative idea that builds off the album’s narrative and brings it to life in a way that makes sense for him and his fans.
Another important element to all of this is that many of us at Interscope have been working with Eminem and Paul for years. Some of us, like [vice chairman] Steve Berman, since the very first record. So, there’s an institutional knowledge built in among the team that we bring to each Eminem release, and we definitely tapped into that for this campaign.
How were you able to use the singles and music videos to help promote the album and its themes?
The great thing about an artist like Eminem is he keeps everyone guessing, and that includes us, so it keeps you operating at the highest level. Of course, he’s dropped albums recently with little to no warning as surprise releases, but in this case, we were having conversations with Paul and Marshall in Detroit about the best way to roll out this project last year. Given the album’s theme, they wanted there to be true singles along with videos to set the project up. Paul and the team at Shady led those conversations. They’ve always had an extraordinary vision.
Obviously, Eminem’s songwriting is unparalleled, but he’s also a super visual artist. So the video for “Houdini” was crucial to launching this campaign. It has a similar energy to first singles from earlier albums — so right there you have another benefit of the team’s long-term continuity. We had the ability to tap into a collective knowledge base from past releases. The “Houdini” video allowed fans who have always loved Slim to reconnect while introducing the character to a new generation of fans.
“Houdini” was the spark that activated everything we had been planning for so long. Every single person on the team did their part to help mobilize and expand fandom around the track. We always try to build an entire world around a release, and the immediate global reaction to “Houdini” allowed us to pour gasoline on the fire.
How was the rollout for this project different from any other in Eminem’s career — and in your career as well?
This plan started well before the album was announced. If you look back at the Eminem and Fortnite activation from the end of last year, you’ll see that some of the aspects in that collaboration included throwback Slim Shady themes — the popcorn trail started all the way back then. There was a long roadmap leading up to the album release that had storytelling components every week, using every medium that made sense. We used advanced AI technology in some of our visuals, but we also ran a fake “true crime” show commercial on TV to announce the album, and then we took out the Slim Shady obituaries as print-only media in physical newspapers. Some of the music critics at those papers didn’t even see them until they got traction from other outlets. Regarding my career, this is the 11th Eminem project I’ve worked — I’m just lucky to be anywhere around something like this.
Slim Shady is dead. Where does Eminem go from here?
Eminem always likes the element of surprise, and since I don’t need him making an album called “The Death of Jason Sangerman,” I’ll leave that up to him to answer.
After nearly a decade at Universal Music Latino, Colombian superstar J Balvin is moving to Interscope Records. Sources tell Billboard that Balvin’s much anticipated new album will be released via Interscope Capitol Miami, the newly-minted division headed by Nir Seroussi in Miami.
Balvin’s album is expected to be released some time this year, with a date still to be announced.
Balvin is the second high profile artist to move from Universal Music Latin to sister label Interscope in the past year. Last year, Karol G, who had also long been signed to Universal Music Latino, signed to Interscope Capitol, which is also home to rising regional Mexican stars Xavi and Iván Cornejo and is run by Seroussi. Now, that division has been renamed Interscope Capitol Miami after Interscope and Capitol merged earlier this year.
Trending on Billboard
Interscope Capitol declined to comment, but sources say Balvin’s project will be worked by the Interscope Capitol Miami team together with Tom March’s Capitol team.
For Balvin, it’s a full circle moment. At the beginning of his career, he was originally signed to Capitol EMI, which was acquired by Universal, triggering his shift to Universal Music Latin, under which he soared to international stardom. In 2017, Balvin’s “Mi Gente” became the first-ever Spanish song to top Spotify’s global charts and rose to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, aided by a remix with Beyonce. In 2018, he hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “I Like It,” his bilingual collaboration with Cardi B and Bad Bunny.
It’s also a big change moment for the Colombian star, who hasn’t released an album since 2021’s José. Now, after a brief management stint as the first Latin act on Scooter Braun’s roster, he signed last year to management with Roc Nation and, after performing an acclaimed set in Coachella this year, is currently touring Europe.
Earlier this month, another Universal Music Latin artist, acclaimed Chilean singer/songwriter Mon Laferte, signed with Sony Music US Latin.
Interscope Geffen A&M chairman/CEO John Janick unveiled the newly restructured ‘West Coast’ label operation for the Universal Music Group today (March 7), under the banner Interscope Capitol Labels Group, with himself retaining the title atop the new configuration. As part of the announcement, longtime IGA vice chairman Steve Berman retains his title atop the new company, overseeing things for Interscope, Geffen, A&M, Capitol, Blue Note, Priority, Verve and Motown; and IGA CFO and longtime finance veteran Annie Lee takes on the title of chief operating officer at the new ICLG.
Under the new configuration, Capitol Music Group chief financial officer Geoff Harris will become the CFO of the new company, which is the result of the major overhaul of the Universal Music Group label structure that UMG chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge first announced on Feb. 1. Under the new structure, UMG’s West Coast labels now fall under Janick’s purview, under the banner of ICLG, while its East Coast labels — consisting mostly of Republic, Def Jam, Island and Mercury — will be overseen by Republic co-founder and CEO Monte Lipman. News of the new East Coast structure is also expected soon.
Trending on Billboard
More details of the ICLG configuration are still to come, but Capitol Music Group’s new executive structure has come into focus this past month, with former Geffen boss Tom March as chairman/CEO and UMPG veteran Lilia Parsa as president, following the departures of prior CMG chair/CEO Michelle Jubelirer and president Arjun Pulijal. The company has been going through extensive layoffs in the past week, as IGA and Capitol formally merge together.
In a press release, Janick said that, in addition to Berman’s continued role overseeing the labels and the ICLG brand, Lee will work with Harris to “integrat[e] finance, operations and culture” and make sure that “ICLG runs efficiently and sustains a positive experience for its artists and teams.”
“Steve and Annie are both highly accomplished executives who have been critical to our company’s growth and success for more than two decades,” Janick said in a statement. “They have worked closely with me in redesigning ICLG to benefit and enhance each individual label under our umbrella and foster an entrepreneurial spirit that will set the standard for what a modern music company should be. I congratulate Steve and Annie on their well-deserved promotions, and look forward to sharing enormous success with them in the coming years.”
Berman is an Interscope legend, having joined the company in 1991 just after its founding and risen through the marketing and sales ranks to president by 2005, then vice chairman of the expanded IGA in 2010 alongside label co-founder and CEO Jimmy Iovine. Berman retained the title after Janick took over in 2014, and now takes on additional oversight of the Capitol labels under ICGL.
“Every aspect of our redesign will enable us to provide optimal support for our artists and their creativity, while securing the best and most innovative opportunities that will help expand their global brands,” Berman said in a statement. “I’ve devoted nearly my entire career to this company and its artists, and I am excited to continue working with John, Annie and the entire ICLG team on this next phase of our journey.”
Lee joined Universal in a finance role in 2005, and moved to Interscope the following year, rising through the finance ranks at the company to become CFO in 2019. In her new role, she takes on operational responsibilities for the broader label group.
“I am looking forward to working with John, Berm and our entire team as we continue to build ICLG into a modern music company that is both a powerful partner to artists and their teams and a fulfilling and creative environment in which to work,” Lee said in a statement. “We are well positioned for the future and I’m excited for what’s to come.”
Interscope has a signed a partnership with Los CT, the record label launched by new regional Mexican music star Natanael Cano, a pioneer of the corrido tumbado movement. The deal will bring in Los CT artists Gabito Ballesteros, Alejandro Buelna, Tyan G, Amillkar Galaviz, Luis Castillo, Nueva Era, Cocho, Herencia LP and Delilah under the […]
Ivan Cornejo has signed a record deal with Interscope Records, the Universal Music Group-owned label announced today (Aug. 10). The música mexicana singer-songwriter had been signed to indie label Manzana Records since 2021.
The 19-year-old artist went from social media phenomenon to chart-topping artist when he topped Billboard‘s Latin Songwriters chart dated Oct. 30, 2021 thanks to his hit sierreño anthem “Está Dañada,” which then became only the second regional Mexican song to enter the Hot 100 tally. The track later got a remix featuring Jhayco. Last year, he scored his first No. 1 on the Regional Mexican Albums with his sophomore album, Dañado, and he won new artist of the year the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards.
“I am really excited to begin this new chapter of my career,” Cornejo said in a statement. “It’s been a long road even though my career is young and we have built a really strong foundation up until now. I am looking forward to working with John and Nir and the entire team at Interscope to continue to build and take my project to the next level.”
Cornejo made his Lollapalooza debut on Aug. 5, where he officially kicked off his Terapia Tour, which will make stops in major cities such as New York, Atlanta, Dallas and Houston before wrapping up with two back-to-back shows in Chicago on Nov. 16-17.
“At Interscope we have always been attracted to artists who move culture, and Ivan has already proven he is on that path,” said John Janick, chairman and chief executive officer of Interscope Geffen A&M Records. “He is absolutely one of the most exciting new artists in music and we are looking forward to working with him and his team on the next chapter of his incredible career.”
“Ivan is truly a special artist, a songwriter of depth and a masterful live performer,” said Nir Seroussi, Interscope executive vice president, who oversees Interscope’s efforts in Latin music. “In a very short time he built a passionate and loyal fanbase which has propelled him up the charts. We’re so proud that he’s chosen Interscope as his new creative home.”
Ivan Cornejo’s move from an indie Latin label to a mainstream label comes just two months after Interscope signed Karol G, joining a roster of Latin acts that include Kali Uchis, Cuco and Bad Gyal, among others.
Interscope Geffen A&M has elevated four of its top-level executives into new roles, the company announced Thursday (July 20). The promotions include Michelle An, who has been named president of creative strategy; Gary Kelly, who is now general manager of Interscope and executive vp/chief revenue officer for IGA; and Sam Riback and Nicole Wyskoarko, who […]
Karol G’s just-announced signing with Interscope Records had been rumored for months in Miami music circles, as far back as the release of her record-making album Mañana Será Bonito last February.
So when Interscope finally announced the signing on Monday, after what sources describe as a “lengthy” and complex negotiation, it wasn’t entirely surprising. However, new information indicates this is no ordinary record deal.
According to a source with knowledge of the negotiations, Karol G, whose real name is Carolina Giraldo Navarro, will actually be releasing music under her own imprint, Bichota Records, and will be distributed by Interscope and worked by the label. Moving forward, she will own her masters as well.
“It is one of the most ambitious deals signed by a Latin artist in recent memory,” says the source, who also said the deal is “valued at almost $100 million.”
The arrangement marks a departure from Karol G’s previous recording deal with Universal Music Latino, and seems to be more aligned with her manager Noah Assad‘s independent mentality. Assad’s other superstar client, Bad Bunny, records under indie Rimas and is distributed by The Orchard.
Karol G’s move from Latin label to mainstream label is still fairly uncommon, even at a time when Latin music’s success is growing to unprecedented levels both globally and in the United States. It follows news from April that Brazilian star Anitta signed with Republic Records, but also work with Universal Music Latin Entertainment. While stars who are signed to major labels have historically released their music jointly between Latin and mainstream labels, according to language — Shakira long released her English albums on Epic and her Spanish language albums on via Sony Music Latin, for example, and Enrique Iglesias released both on Interscope and Universal Music Latin — Karol G’s recordings will fall entirely under Interscope’s purview, with the label promoting and marketing her to both English and Spanish-language markets.
Even though Interscope doesn’t have a Latin division per se, it has a Miami office run by Latin music veteran executive Nir Seroussi and it works Interscope’s Latin projects, which also include Kali Uchis and Cuco.
Karol G’s signing to Interscope — much as with Anitta’s Republic signing — signals the Latin superstar’s intent to break into a mainstream U.S. audience and expand her brand globally even more than she has already. And although she has recorded in English in the past (in the track “Don’t Be Shy” with Tiësto) there are no immediate plans to release English language music right now, sources say.
“I’m continuously amazed at the support my fans give me, which motivates me to deliver the best of me, and I’m certain that this partnership with Interscope and their incredible team will help us continue building and making history,” said Karol G in a statement announcing the deal. “I’m thrilled to see what’s to come.”
Ben Platt signs with Interscope Records, both for his own recordings and a deeper relationship that will enable the award-winning entertainer to operate an imprint, Billboard can exclusively reveal.
Currently, Platt is working on new music which will be released through Interscope at an unconfirmed future date.
“Ben is an extraordinary artist in every way,” comments John Janick, chairman and CEO of Interscope Geffen A&M, in a statement. “He’s as comfortable on a Broadway stage as he is headlining Madison Square Garden. We’re so excited to have him on the label and are looking forward to working with him and his team on his future releases.”
The Grammy, Tony and Emmy Award-winning singer and actor has two full-length solo albums to his name, 2019’s Sing To Me, which peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard 200; and 2021’s Reverie, which reached No. 84 on the chart.
Set to be announced Thursday (May 11), the new arrangement is an extension to an alliance which has included the Dear Evan Hansen OST, released in 2021 via Interscope. Platt won the Tony Award for best actor in a musical for his performance in the titular role and went on to reprise his role in the Universal film adaptation.
In a joint-statement, Platt pays tribute to Interscope’s Janick, Steve Berman, Sam Riback, Michele An and the entire team as “wonderful, deeply creative collaborators on our Parade and Theater Camp albums, and I so look forward to teaming up on my next solo record and on many projects of all kinds to come.”
Details remain sketchy on Platt’s imprint, for which the artist will have the opportunity to sign and develop talent.
“I’m thrilled for Ben’s future recorded music to be coming out on Interscope, a label known for its roster of culture moving iconic artists,” enthuses Platt’s manager, Adam Mersel. “We’re looking forward to working alongside John, Steve Berman and the entire IGA team on the next phase of Ben’s career.”
Amid a wave of Afrobeats artists making inroads on the U.S. charts and American radio in the past few years — headlined by the likes of Wizkid, Burna Boy and Tems, among others — came Rema, the young Nigerian singer signed to Jonzing World and Mavin Records based out of Lagos. Having built a following locally, Rema — who refers to his music as Afrowave — began putting out a series of EPs in 2019 and 2020, landed a spot on the FIFA ’21 soundtrack and nabbed some fashion and branding partnerships as well as higher-profile collaborations with some of Nigeria’s up and coming artists.
But when he finally released his debut album, Rave & Roses, in March 2022, Rema’s star began exploding not just in Africa but around the globe. His album, which was critically well-received, became the launching pad for a tour that stretched into Europe and North America, while his single “Calm Down” began making inroads at DSPs and across the internet. But in August 2022, that buzz erupted after Selena Gomez hopped on the remix to “Calm Down.” Rema’s star then began an inexorable rise: The song debuted at No. 91 on the Hot 100 after its release and it has continued growing ever since, topping the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart for 19 straight weeks, reaching a current high of No. 46 on the Hot 100 and, most impressively, reaching No. 1 on the Global Ex-U.S. chart this week. That success helps Mavin Records COO Tega Oghenejobo earn the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
Here, Oghenejobo breaks down how he and Mavin helped Rema grow from local Nigerian singer into one of the most in-demand Afrobeats artists around, how the Gomez collaboration came together and how his team has helped the song continue building, nearly a full year since its initial release — particularly impressive at a time when songs move so quickly in the modern music industry. “We stayed focused, paid attention to the details, got down and did the hard things needed to give the song a more viable shelf-life,” he says. “We connected with the music industry in every city we’ve been to, and religiously attended to the media rounds. It’s a lot of effort and hard work from everyone involved. We are proud, we are happy for the fans who are having a good time with the song, and we keep going.“
This week, Rema’s “Calm Down” remix feat. Selena Gomez topped Billboard’s U.S. Afrobeats Chart for the 19th straight week, and just reached No. 1 on the Global Ex. U.S. chart. What key decisions did you make to help make that happen?
As a label, one of our most important ideals is critical artist development with long-term success in mind. This is the foundation of our earliest work with Rema. After the first year together with him, the world saw his potential just as we did, and his debut project was one of last year’s most anticipated Afrobeats projects. The remix came at the perfect time. We wanted to consolidate on the earlier traction the song had in territories like France and the Netherlands and give the song more life globally. Some of the key decisions that enhanced that success is our aggressive response to the early rollout efforts, and in how we worked with our amazing distribution partners at Virgin Music. They rolled out innovative campaigns in a timely manner and simultaneously with our own marketing efforts as well. The process was made even more seamless by Selena Gomez and her brilliant team at Interscope. Also, it is one thing to have a great song, it is another thing to be able to make it connect with a live audience. Rema’s Rave and Roses Tour of Europe and North America was a great success. Our agency partners WME and CAA were phenomenal in aiding the smart routing of Rema’s performances. The artist’s connection with the creator community on social media, engaging with UGCs, were also key to the song’s success.
The song was originally from Rema’s album Rave & Roses, out last March. How did the remix come together, and what kind of effect has it had?
Let me start by saying, incredible album by the way. So many gems in that project, and we are really excited about people discovering them. On the remix, shout out to our team, to Rema, the good people at Virgin Music, and of course, Selena Gomez and Interscope. The process of creating the song was seamless — as it often is when both artists love the song. Shooting the video and putting it out was our collective work and I am very proud we could make it work despite the complexity in the teams’ schedules. Strategically, Selena Gomez is one of music’s biggest stars and a collaboration with her is sure to expand the song’s reach even more. As expected the song has added new feats for both artists. It’s the No. 1 song on the Billboard Global Ex. U.S. chart — first time for both artists. Same with its place as the No. 1 song on Billboard’s U.S. Afrobeats Chart. This is stunning for us, for Rema and for the culture.
How have you kept the song not just relevant, but continuing to grow for so long, particularly in an era when songs move so quickly?
Honestly, It took a village to keep the momentum going. There is the critical role Rema played with his tour of Europe, North America and Africa. Taking the music across new territories, connecting with new cultures. There is also the creator community — influencers and dancers using the song on TikTok, Reels and on Snapchat. The DJs who keep spinning it, radio, TV and the DSPs who love the song and just keep showing support. All the teams involved — Mavin Records, Jonzing World, Virgin Music and Interscope — have been amazing too. We stayed focused, paid attention to the details, got down and did the hard things needed to give the song a more viable shelf-life. We connected with the music industry in every city we’ve been to, and religiously attended to the media rounds. It’s a lot of effort and hard work from everyone involved. We are proud, we are happy for the fans who are having a good time with the song, and we keep going.
Rave & Roses was technically Rema’s debut, but he’s been building steadily over the years, including with some collaborations and inclusion on a FIFA soundtrack. How have you helped guide his growth to the point where the album was critically embraced when it was released, and the song has become a massive global hit?
Developing and activating new artists is always an exciting challenge for us at Mavin. There was no doubt about Rema’s talent from the start. But as they say, talent without hard work is nothing. There were a lot of things we still had to get right. His branding was important, his sound, his stage presence and a host of other things that needed attention. Rema is an interesting act to work with because he has a vision of how he sees himself. We at Mavin consider ourselves architects who can collaborate and execute this shared vision, and we were able to properly position him and his brand leading up to the project.
In his first year, we established his sonic versatility. We let the world understand that this is an artist with the ability to create new sounds and penetrate new markets. We had a phenomenal first year. We had three EPs in his debut year, and we kept working, recording and creating music. Brands like FIFA saw the potential and we had a great partnership. Rave & Roses was one of the most anticipated debut albums on the continent. We were patient in our approach and so was Rema. When the time came to put it out, we came on strong. “Calm Down” was the project’s lead single — and what a lead single that is!
How have you helped build Rema’s profile globally? And what deals have you made to help facilitate that?
From the onset, we were working on making a global superstar. His branding was made to be relatable with global audiences while retaining the fundamentals of what made him African. His sound is the same. He juxtaposes elements of western music with Afrobeats, interpolates languages and creates an experience that is enjoyable for both local and global fans. Everyone can enjoy a bit of Rema — and that is the charm. As we mentioned earlier, the collaboration with FIFA was great. We also had Beats on board, then Meta, Snapchat, Pepsi, HP. In fashion, we worked with Bohooman, Places+Faces, Jumpman and many others. These are brands that appeal to a young global audience and to Rema himself. They were a perfect fit for his profile and his trajectory.
With Wizkid, Burna Boy and now Rema breaking into the Hot 100, why do you think African artists are starting to see significant levels of success in the U.S.? And where do you see this going moving forward?
It takes tenacity, hard work and innovation. The sound has always been good, and we got even better. The industry is bigger. More competition, more investment, more collaboration, more access. It was only a matter of time and I am glad we are here. The U.S. audience is perhaps the most dynamic and experimental in the world. We can see how big K-pop and Latino music is here. The ambition is to have that level of success. To make more people fall in love with African music. The potential is immense. We will grow even bigger. As I often say, we are just scratching the surface. We used to dream of this, but now it’s time to put in work to properly represent the culture and connect with more listeners in the U.S.
-
Pages