Management
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At the top of 2020, Nick Mueller found himself in the throes of his first Grammy week. “I was lucky enough to be at a lot of the events because of what was happening in my business at that time – but there were a lot of people that weren’t,” he recalls, speaking of his peers, many of whom were also in their early twenties. “That week specifically is very power driven; You’re not invited to certain things unless you’re of certain stature and you’re doing things at a certain level. And I wanted to create something that didn’t feel like that.”
Growing up in Dallas, Mueller (now 25) started unofficially managing local high school acts his junior year. After graduating in 2016, he worked for Austin-based production, promotion and management company Scoremore. Two years later, he moved to Los Angeles to ultimately pursue management full time.
By 2019, Mueller was enjoying his first major win as his client Ant Saunders scored a viral hit with the melodic pop song “Yellow Hearts.” Less than a year later, Mueller founded Golden Kids Group alongside his business partner Lil Fogarty and in 2021 he not only launched the company’s label arm but decided to make good on his promise of creating an event that felt more aligned with his position in the industry – and Golden Hour was born.
“Lil and I discussed, ‘How can we create an atmosphere for young people?’ And by young, there’s no age restriction, it was more the energy that people brought to the environment,” says Mueller. “How can we create an event where people feel like they’re equal to each other and build relationships and friendships, whether or not it translates to business…It’s more about connecting people with similar interests on the same journey in L.A. and watching what comes of it.”
The first Golden Hour – hosted at the picturesque Harbor Studios in Malibu – was held in fall 2021 for about 120 people. “The feedback was immense,” says Mueller. “People would come back to us and say, ‘I got a job from this.’” In its second year, Golden Hour doubled in size. And this year, Mueller estimates the event hosted over 300 attendees.
“The music industry can be so fiercely competitive but from the beginning, Nick and I have seen how powerful it is to choose to be collaborative instead,” says Fogarty, 26. “The business is a tricky world to navigate – especially as a young exec dealing with a lot of industry firsts – but it’s a lot less tricky when you have a community of people to lean on for guidance. Not only is it empowering to share knowledge, but by collaborating we get to put our artists in better situations too.”
Golden Kids is a small but mighty team of three, with Zoe Burbridge assisting with administrative work. The company’s size is something Mueller says he and Fogarty discuss often, considering how much the roster has grown. To date, the management side alone boasts 347aidan, Ant Saunders, Sky McCreery and TELYKAST. (SEB and Anees round out the recording roster.)
“We have such a system in place that allows us to operate at a high level without feeling overwhelmed, but still being able to bring the utmost value to everyone that we touch,” says Mueller, “which is kind of the MO of the company.”
Below, he explains what drove him to launch his own firm and why creating space for young executives to connect remains as much of a priority as helping an artist catch their big break.
How do you perceive the role of a young manager in this business?
We have to always be of the mindset of, ‘How can we help people win?’ It doesn’t matter what they can bring to us or provide for us. If we can do that, opportunities are going to present themselves. And maybe it’s cliche, but life is short and this business is small, and at the end of the day, yes, we’re impacting people and we’re building careers and changing fans’ lives through the music, but it’s not that deep. One day when it’s all gone, if you didn’t have fun and you didn’t help people along the way, then it’s pointless in my eyes.
How does that approach and hosting an event like Golden Hour help you and your company’s visibility?
When we’re in meetings, people will bring it up and say, ‘Oh, my friend that lives in New York has never even been, but that’s how they know about Golden Kids.’ We’ve seen that where the company is recognized not because of the artist, but because of the event, which is spectacular and at the end of the day when you bring people together and you have the intentions that we have, naturally, it’s going to help the brand build. I think that goes for anything. And I think it’s important to us that we’re providing an atmosphere to grow and to win. When you do that, things work out.
How would you describe where Golden Kids is at right now?
We’re in a very pivotal point of the company and a lot of the artists are at that cusp where they could either break or they don’t. And so for us, the focus has to be 10x what it was when we were just starting with them and that’s why we can’t take on everyone that we would love to. But we still find ways to advise or consult. Artists call me all the time and say, ‘Hey, what do you think about this? Should I do this deal? What do you think about this manager? What do you think about this agent?’ And I’m always open to that. And there’s no strings attached.
For other young managers whose artists are on the cusp of breaking, what’s your advice for navigating that window of time?
I think the most important thing is the relationship that you have with the artists, because as artists grow and get bigger, there’s a lot of people and a lot of voices that come into the mix, whether it’s a label, a publisher, bigger managers that want to partner with you… you have to be extremely tight with the artists and with the crew around the artists in those moments, because the easiest place to derail a team is at that moment when they’re breaking. Because it’s exciting, there’s a lot of things happening, there’s a lot of people that want to talk, there’s a lot of people that want your attention. And that’s the nature of the business that we work in. But you have to trust the decisions that you and the artist want to make, and go with those.
Looking back on the past year, what are you most proud of?
I’m extremely proud of how we operate and how we’re building the company, the artists and each other up. As a manager and as an executive it is so important to make sure [our artists are] happy and that they’re constantly excited and feeling like [their break is] just around the corner, because the second that they lose hope is a very dangerous thing. So for me, the biggest achievement in the last 12 months is just where all of our artists’ heads are at.
These managers on the rise have guided their artists through breakout years, navigating such firsts as topping the charts, opening stadium shows (for none other than Taylor Swift) and even selling out arenas on their own.
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Drew Simmons
Age: 41Company: Foundations MusicKey Clients: Noah Kahan, Dayglow, COIN
“There is no off-cycle anymore,” says Simmons, who has had a front-row seat to Noah Kahan’s nonstop year, “and that is taxing on the infrastructure around the artist but also on the artist themselves.” From Kahan’s success with Stick Season and its deluxe edition (the latter debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200) to selling out arenas to raising nearly $2 million for mental health resources through The Busyhead Project, Simmons is “excited about opportunities ahead for artists as the paradigm shifts, placing more and more leverage in [their] hands.”
Noah Kahan and Drew Simmons
Patrick McCormack
James Rosemond Jr.
Age: 31Company: Mastermind ArtistsKey Clients: Ice Spice, RIOTUSA
Ice Spice became a chart staple this year, notching four top 10 hits on the Hot 100 including collaborations with superstars like Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj. For Rosemond, being able to pair Ice and producer RIOTUSA with Minaj on two of those tracks (“Princess Diana,” “Barbie World”) was particularly gratifying: “I get high on helping creatives achieve their dreams and positively change their socioeconomic status.”
Ice Spice, RIOTUSA and James Rosemond Jr.
Dowan “StarTheStar” Wilson
Jesse Gassongo-Alexander, Phoebe Gold
Ages: 30, 29Company: UpCloseKey Clients: PinkPantheress, Tommy Gold
Gassongo-Alexander never planned to become a manager, but he says working with “a generational artist” like PinkPantheress has been an “incredible experience.” This year, the British artist-producer made her Hot 100 debut with the Ice Spice collaboration “Boy’s a liar Pt. 2” and was featured on the Barbie soundtrack. “By continually building trust with each other, we’ve navigated from the early days to now,” he says. Adds Gold: “Our flow has come from treating each other like human beings.”
Alistair Raymond
Age: 37Company: Beatnik Creative/Blue Raincoat ArtistsKey Clients: Arlo Parks, Lana Lubany, Miso Extra
Last year, Raymond’s independent management company partnered with Blue Raincoat Artists. And while he cites “financial support in the early stages of a new artist’s career” as a major challenge for managers, his entire roster leveled up in 2023. Parks’ second album, My Soft Machine, reached No. 9 on the U.K. Albums Chart, while Lana Lubany and Miso Extra both signed long-term record deals. “It takes at least one to two years to get a new artist off the ground with little monetary return,” he says. “It’s an all-or-nothing investment, but the best job in music.”
Aton Ben-Horin, Ethan Curtis
Ages: 43, 36Company: Plush ManagementKey Clients: JVKE, Coi Leray, Faouzia
Ben-Horin, who is also executive vp of A&R at Warner Music Group, describes this year as “incredible,” citing Hot 100 top 10 hits like Coi Leray’s “Players” (produced by Plush client Johnny Goldstein) and JVKE’s “Golden Hour.” The latter also sold out his first tour without a major label or marketing budget beyond radio. “While understanding the short-form content world is important for management,” Curtis says, “even more important is finding talent that is social media native.”
Sean Okeke
Company: Jonzing World EntertainmentKey Clients: Rema, Ruger
“The past 12 months have seen the biggest moments in the Afrobeats genre, which I am super happy I played a strong part in,” Okeke says. Thanks in part to a remix featuring Selena Gomez, Rema’s “Calm Down” became a global hit, reaching No. 3 on the Hot 100 and topping the Global Excl. U.S. chart, making Rema the first artist from Africa to reach No. 1. “The hunger and the joy to see a talent excel at the highest level brought me into this field,” Okeke says, “and has continuously influenced my stay here.”
Mandelyn Monchick
Age: 29Company: Red Light ManagemenKey Clients: Lainey Wilson, Meg McRee, Ben Chapman
Monchick met Lainey Wilson in 2015 and became fast friends with the country artist. “She didn’t have anyone championing her, and I thought she was a great songwriter, so I started talking about her every chance I had.” This year, Wilson added three more entries on the Hot 100, sold out her first headlining tour, won multiple country music awards and made her acting debut on Yellowstone. “We did everything we could for a long time,” Monchick says, “and it built a damn good foundation.”
Lainey Wilson and Mandelyn Monchick
Aubrey Wise
James Vitalo
Age: 35Company: Gold Theory ArtistsKey Clients: Turnstile, Knocked Loose, Beach Fossils
The past 12 months have been of growth for both Vitalo — who expanded his boutique firm one year after its launch — and Turnstile, which scored its first Grammy nominations (three total) and opened on blink-182’s arena tour. Vitalo, who first worked with the hardcore band as its booking agent before becoming its manager, says, “The biggest challenge has always been setting a realistic pace that will allow for longevity.”
Kristina Russo
Age: 34Company: KR ExperimentsKey Client: GAYLE
Russo describes the past year as “a wild time,” during which GAYLE received her first Grammy nomination (for song of the year with breakout hit “abcdefu”) and opened for P!nk overseas and for Taylor Swift on The Eras Tour. But her biggest priority is guiding GAYLE through the whirlwind: “We are adamant she, as a person, comes first,” Russo says. “Mental, physical and emotional health are imperative in order to do her job. Shout out to our therapists.”
Kristina Russo and GAYLE
Acacia Evans
Tom Skoglund
Age: 35Company: Full Stop ManagementKey Clients: Tate McRae, Harry Styles
Tate McRae scored two Hot 100 hits this year, including her fast-rising new single, “Greedy,” which arrived during her sold-out North American tour. Working on the pop artist’s next era has been “incredibly fulfilling,” Skoglund says, as was completing Harry Styles’ two-and-a-half-year Love on Tour trek. “Watching the meteoric success of Harry’s House being played to sold-out stadiums day in and day out will forever be a highlight of my career,” he says.
Heather Kolker
Age: 51Company: Dreamshop ManagementKey Clients: MUNA, Nanna, Of Monsters and Men
This year, Kolker (who started as an agent before switching to management) launched her own company while MUNA hit a high, touring with Taylor Swift and boygenius, selling out headlining shows and more. “You must believe that your artist can achieve the future they envision — and that you’re the right team to help get them there,” she says.
Danny Kang, Stefan Max
Key Client: Zach Bryan
Kang and Max have managed Zach Bryan through a breakout year, during which the country-rocker scored his first No. 1 album and Hot 100 chart-topper with “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves. (This year alone, he has racked up 25 entries on the latter list.) His 2024 headlining tour will take him to arenas and, in some cases, stadiums.
Luis Villamizar
Age: 34Key Client: Feid
This year, Feid charted a pair of top 10 hits on Hot Latin Songs while MOR, No le Temas a la Oscuridad became his highest-charting entry on Top Latin Albums at No. 4. “Forming such a valuable team was one of the greatest successes,” says Villamizar. “It’s not just one person.”
Sam Schulman
Age: 33 Company: Best Friends MusicKey Clients: Bishop Briggs, Blake Rose, FINNEAS
Schulman credits her musician father and live music for inspiring her to become a manager. “The older I got, the more obsessed I became with the industry and wanting to be a part of it,” she says. That energy led to a major year: She co-founded Club Kassiani, a networking event for women in music, while her artists Blake Rose made his U.S. late-night TV debut and Bishop Briggs won the latest season of The Masked Singer. Schulman says her approach is all about “eliminating the ‘noise’ of what other artists are doing.”
Dani Russin
Age: 38Company: Good World ManagementKey Clients: Troye Sivan, Jake Wesley Rogers, Orville Peck
Russin met veteran manager Brandon Creed over a decade ago and “highly admired his ability for decision-making and diplomatic nature,” she says. She has worked with him ever since, this year joining his newly launched venture, Good World, where she enjoyed a “career highlight” working on Troye Sivan’s latest album campaign. Her history with Creed is her career’s only constant: “Management has always been a 24/7 job, but it’s also now this rapidly changing and ever-evolving ecosystem,” she says. “It’s what keeps things exciting. No two days are alike.”
Colette Patnaude Nelson, Eddie Wintle
Ages: 34, 36Company: Expand EntertainmentKey Clients: Conan Gray, J. Maya, Rowan Drake
Patnaude Nelson and Wintle, who together discovered Conan Gray as a high schooler on YouTube, agree that the biggest challenge for managers and artists today is cutting through the noise. “Building a fan base and getting people to care about your music is harder than ever,” Wintle says. It’s why watching 100,000 fans at Lollapalooza Argentina sing every word of Gray’s hourlong set in March was, as he recalls, “one of the craziest moments” of his career so far.
Colette Patnaude Nelson and Conan Gray
Dillon Matthews
Jayne Andrew, Ty Baisden
Ages: 36, 39Company: COLTUREKey Clients: Brent Faiyaz, Hamzaa, N3WYRKLA
In 2022, Brent Faiyaz scored a chart breakthrough with his independently released Wasteland, which summited the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. It was a moment his partners and COLTURE co-founders Andrew (head of management, partnerships and creative development) and Baisden (head of ventures) had been working toward for years. In May, Faiyaz inked an unprecedented partnership (estimated at close to $50 million) to form a creative agency with UnitedMasters. But the biggest success, Baisden says, is that they built their infrastructure “outside of the major-label system.”
Josh Marshall
Age: 32Company: Mogul VisionKey Clients: d4vd, Rubi Rose
Though Marshall says he “fell into” management, the past year has solidified his path — and that of his company, Mogul Vision, with help from GM Robert Morgenroth. And while breakout star d4vd has scored a pair of Hot 100 hits and an opening slot on tour with SZA, Marshall has set his sights even higher: “The biggest challenge,” he says, “is creating infrastructure around an artist to grow their business long term beyond music.”
Josh Marshall and d4vd
Raheem Powell
Holly Cartwright, Shira Knishkowy
Ages: 31, 35Company: Another Management CompanyKey Clients: Blondshell, Alvvays, Waxahatchee
Knishkowy worked in label publicity and communications at Spotify before pivoting to management — and almost immediately, she and Cartwright helped discover and sign indie rock newcomer Blondshell. This year, the artist and alt-pop act Alvvays made their respective late-night TV debuts and grew their audiences globally. “Breaking new artists alongside Holly and finding new ways to elevate artists who have already achieved a level of success alongside [fellow managers] Rennie Jaffe and Mike Sneeringer is something I’m really proud of,” says Knishkowy.
Bello
Key Client: Central Cee
“It’s all a blur,” Bello says of his last 12 months, during which fast-rising British rapper Central Cee broke U.K. chart history as “Sprinter” (with Dave) became the longest-reigning rap single, while in the United States, he debuted on the Hot 100 with his Drake collaboration, “On the Radar Freestyle.” For “90% of the time,” Bello says, milestones were met without a team in place. This year, however, Central Cee signed a multimillion-dollar deal with Columbia Records in partnership with Sony Music U.K. and with Wasserman Music for worldwide agency representation. Says Bello: “I take pride in being someone my artists can trust blindly and make sure they get what they deserve.”
Central Cee and Bello
Danny Wonders
This story will appear in the Oct. 21, 2023, issue of Billboard.
Round Table Management has hired Steve Ford as artist manager/head of artist development, the company announced on Tuesday (Oct. 17). Round Table represents We The Kingdom, Cody Carnes, Kari Jobe and more. With the hiring of Ford, artists Britt Nicole, Ivan Theva, One Common and Jillian Warman will join the firm’s roster of clients. In […]
The escalating legal battle between Coldplay and its former manager Dave Holmes significantly stepped up this month when the band filed a counterclaim lawsuit in the U.K. courts seeking £14 million ($17 million) in damages.
The court filing comes two months after Holmes announced he was suing the four members of Coldplay — Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion and Chris Martin — for more than £10 million ($12 million) in damages and unpaid commission relating to the band’s yet-to-be-released 10th and 11th studio albums.
Having examined legal papers filed in the U.K. courts on behalf of both parties, here’s Billboard’s rundown of everything we know so far about the acrimonious dispute between Holmes and his former star clients.
Why Holmes and Coldplay fell out after more than 20 years of success together
Although the precise cause of the fallout between Holmes and Coldplay is not detailed in either lawsuit, legal papers filed by the group’s attorneys on Oct. 5 state that the band made the decision to dismiss the manager last summer following “a period of increasing concern” about his conduct. (Holmes’ position as the group’s manager officially came to an end Dec. 31, 2022).
In particular, the four band members allege that Holmes breached his contractual obligations by “failing” to adequately manage costs for the group’s 2022-2023 Music of the Spheres World Tour leading them to suffer “significant financial losses.”
“Unjustified” touring costs
Examples of financial mismanagement cited in the countersuit include spending 10.5 million euros ($11 million) on the construction of 16 bespoke stage pylons and commissioning the manufacture of a bespoke audio-visual “Jet Screen” at a total cost of $9.7 million that was only used for 10 shows in 2022. Another third-party supplier, listed in legal papers as TAIT, was paid $8.8 million to construct staging for the tour.
Coldplay’s attorneys say that those costs were “disproportionate and unjustified” and, as a result of Holmes’ “failing adequately to supervise and control” the tour budget, the band incurred at least £17.5 million ($21.5 million) in costs “which would otherwise have been avoided.”
That version of events is disputed by sources close to Holmes who deny that the former manager was responsible for tour costs overrunning. Instead, people familiar with the situation tell Billboard that many production decisions relating to the Music of the Spheres were made under the guidance of the band’s long-term creative director Phil Harvey, who has co-managed the band since last summer (following Holmes’ exit) alongside Mandi Frost and Arlene Moon.
Live Nation loans
Coldplay’s lawsuit claims that Holmes breached his fiduciary duties by using his association with the act to borrow a total of $30 million in low interest loans from Live Nation to fund a personal property development venture in Canada. The loans were not fully disclosed to the group and, as such, were secured without its informed consent, claim the four members.
Coldplay’s attorneys argue that these loans – set at a fixed annual interest rate of 2.72% – placed Holmes in a potential conflict of interest when it came to securing the best possible deal for his clients from Live Nation.
At the time when Holmes was negotiating a deal with Live Nation in 2021 and 2022 to exclusively promote Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres tour outside of the United Kingdom, the manager owed the touring giant approximately $27 million, the court filing alleges.
In response, the band is asking the courts to grant it access to Holmes’ financial accounts detailing any profits resulting from the low interest loans and the payment of any monies due to them.
The so-called “Albums 10/11 Agreement”
Holmes’ lawsuit against his former clients’ centers around a proposed contract extension (the so-called “Albums 10/11 Agreement”) that he claims Coldplay entered into in 2021 with his California-based management company, DHMC, relating to its yet-to-be-released tenth and eleventh studio albums.
Attorneys for Holmes claim he is owed outstanding commission from record company advances the manager negotiated on the band’s behalf with its label, Warner Music Group-owned Parlophone Records. Those advances totaled £35 million ($44 million) for Coldplay’s 10th album and £15 million ($19 million) each for the group’s subsequent two studio albums.
In return, Holmes received two payments in 2021 of £1.5 ($1.9 million), each equivalent to a 10% commission fee, state the court documents. However, his attorneys claim he is still due outstanding payment from the remainder of the record company advances paid to Coldplay.
Clearing samples, arranging recording sessions and recruiting Max Martin as producer
Holmes’ lawsuit additionally claims he is due payment for “extensive services” his company carried out for the 10th and 11th albums (and related tours) prior to his termination as manager.
These services include arranging writing and recording sessions in Jamaica and London, clearing an instrumental sample from musician Hal Walker, arranging a recording session on a film set in Boston, and liaising with producer Max Martin’s manager to arrange recording and production sessions.
Holmes says his team also worked on planning promotional campaigns, as well as scheduling, marketing, budgeting, sponsorship and ticket pricing for the United States, Asia and Australia legs of the Music of the Spheres World Tour.
Attorneys for Coldplay’s four founding members dispute their former manager’s claim and say that negotiations between the two parties broke down before “any such agreement might have been signed.”
In its defense and counterclaim filing, the band is seeking repayment of £3 million ($3.7 million) paid to DHMC in 2021 as advances for the band’s 10th album.
What Holmes and Coldplay are saying outside of court
On Coldplay’s part, very little. When Holmes’ lawsuit was filed in August a representative for the band confirmed with Billboard that Holmes’ management contract with the four-piece expired at the end of 2022 “at which point they decided not to start a new one. The matter is now in the hands of Coldplay’s lawyers and the claims are being vigorously disputed.” Representatives of the group declined to comment when contacted by Billboard this week about Coldplay counterclaim lawsuit.
Responding to Coldplay’s legal action, which is dated Oct. 5, a spokesperson for their former manager said, “Accusing Dave Holmes of non-existent ethical lapses and other made-up misconduct will not deflect from the real issue at hand: Coldplay had a contract with Dave, they are refusing to honor it and they need to pay Dave what they owe him.”
The matter will now proceed through the U.K. courts unless a settlement can be reached.
Yng Lvcas has signed an alliance with OCESA Seitrack, in partnership with Laele Records, to manage his career worldwide, Billboard can exclusively announce on Monday (Oct. 9). The rising Mexican artist, known for his breakthrough track “La Bebe (Remix)” in collaboration with Peso Pluma, was a six-time finalist at the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards. […]
The Core Entertainment, known for its work with artists including Billboard’s 2023 country rookie of the year winner Bailey Zimmerman, as well as Nickelback and Nate Smith, has launched a new producers management division, with a focus on guiding the careers of emerging writer/producers.
Founded by The Core Entertainment’s Kevin “Chief” Zaruk and Simon Tikhman, the new producer management division will be led by Tim Crane.
The new venture launches with Zimmerman’s producer Austin Shawn, as well as writer-producer Marty James and Josh Ross’s producer Matt Geroux.
Shawn, a writer/producer/mixer/engineer who worked on Zimmerman’s Religiously: The Album, has spent 11 weeks atop Billboard’s Hot Country Producers chart, for his work on Zimmerman’s three No. 1 Country Airplay singles “Fall in Love,” “Rock and a Hard Place” and “Religiously.” His credits also include Chase Matthew’s breakthrough song “County Line.”
Geroux produced Ross’s single “Trouble,” which topped the Canadian Country Radio Chart, and debuted at No. 43 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart earlier this year. Another Geroux-produced song from Ross, “On a Different Night,” was nominated for single of the year at the 2023 Canadian Country Music Awards.
Meanwhile, James is credited as a co-writer on the Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee (feat. Justin Bieber) song “Despacito,” which spent 16 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2017. James also co-wrote Zimmerman’s “Religiously,” with other credits including songs from Enrique Iglesias, Wiz Khalifa and Christina Aguilera.
“The idea behind creating this division is to work with the most talented writers and producers that are not afraid to push the boundaries of music,” the company’s co-founders/CEOs Tikhman and Zaruk said in a joint statement. “With Austin, Marty and Matt, they have all shown exactly that. They challenge artists to be the best they can be, while maintaining their visions and the integrity of the songs. The goal here is to work with producers around the globe that touch every genre of music and continue to disrupt the industry with their unique artistry.” The Core Entertainment launched in 2019 as an artist management company in partnership with Live Nation, with a roster including Zimmerman, Nickelback, Smith, Ross, Dillon James and Valley. In July, Zaruk and Tikhman launched The Core Records, via a separate partnership with Universal Music Group; The Core’s producer management division operates as a third standalone team.
There is consistency in an ever-changing industry — and there is what Rod Wave has been doing over the past three years. This week, his latest album, Nostalgia, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making the Florida-based rapper and singer just the second artist to land three new albums at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in the past three years, joining Taylor Swift. And it wasn’t a near thing — Nostalgia’s debut was Wave’s biggest first week of his career, with 137,000 equivalent album units, according to Luminate.
Being in the company of Swift is an achievement for anyone. But Rod Wave has always done things his way, with minimal press and minimal features on each release and, while he placed all 18 songs off Nostalgia on the Hot 100 this week, he’s had success largely with his complete bodies of work, as none of his Hot 100 chart entries have cracked the top 10 of the chart. It’s a relatively unconventional way to navigate today’s increasingly singles-driven music industry — and it helps earn his manager, co-head of Hit House Entertainment Dereck Lane, the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
Here, Lane talks about the consistency of execution that has helped get them to this point. “Yes, Nostalgia is our standout album,” he says, “But we didn’t change the approach that we take when it comes to the music.”
This week, Rod Wave’s Nostalgia debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. What key decision did you make to help make that happen?
The key to Rod’s success is his team. We’re grass rooted. Yes, Nostalgia is our standout album, but we didn’t change the approach that we take when it comes to the music.
This album also came in with his biggest week yet. How did you approach the rollout of this differently than other projects?
You’re in the industry so I’m sure you know that Rod doesn’t do a lot of album promo. The whole team felt that this album was definitely a special one. With that being said, I pushed him to do as much promo as possible to make sure we got the word out while also continuing to maintain and stay true to himself.
This is his third No. 1 album in the last three years, making him one of just two artists to have a new No. 1 album in each of the past three years, alongside Taylor Swift. How have you worked to build his career over that period to achieve something like that?
I’ve always told Rod from the beginning to maintain his integrity as an artist. As long as you stay true to yourself you’ll build genuine, long-lasting core fans. I feel when artists try to go with the new wave or fad they lose who they really are and, in return, lose fans. This business is all about the fans.
In a music business that’s often very singles-driven, Rod Wave has succeeded most through his albums, which is increasingly rare these days. Why do his albums work so well, and how do you make sure that you maximize their impact?
The key word is substance. Rod writes about life experiences. The good, the bad and the ugly. We aim to make real, timeless music that everyone can resonate with.
How has the music industry changed over the course of your time in the business?
I could take up the next couple hours answering this question. But let me say this: I have people in high places in the industry calling asking me for favors. But like Rod said on “Long Journey”: “Dear God, I thank you for everything you gave to us.”
Last Week’s Top Executive: Sandbox Entertainment’s Leslie Cohea
For 2023, Billboard introduces the Latin Power Players Choice Award, a peer-voted accolade chosen by Billboard Pro members to honor the executive they believe has made the most impact across the Latin music business over the past year. After three rounds of voting, Billboard Pro members have chosen Walter Kolm, founder and CEO of WK […]
Magnus Talent Agency, the agency division of Marc Anthony and Michel Vega’s company Magnus, has acquired the booking and management division of Tomas Cookman’s Industria Works.
Moving forward, Spain-based Industria Works’ staff and global roster will join MTA’s Miami-based team at Magnus, with five new staff members joining MTA, and for a total of 25 artists on its roster.
MTA’s original roster includes Marc Anthony, Fonseca, Gente de Zona, Il Volo, Micro TDH, Mau y Ricky and Bacilos, among others. Now, it will incorporate artists such as Trueno, Love of Lesbian, Paula Cendejas, Villano Antillano, YSY A, Maikel Delacalle, Nicola Cruz and YADAM, which Industria Works currently books for shows and tours in Europe and Latin America.
Industria Works founder Tomas Cookman, who also owns Nacional Records and founded the Latin Alternative Music Conference, will continue to play a leadership role within the new partnership.
“I’ve known and admired Tomas for over twenty years and we share the same passion for excellence in talent representation,” said Michel Vega, CEO of Magnus, and who originally founded the company with Marc Anthony. “This new partnership is an important step in our international expansion and will provide a crucial local presence and expertise in the European market and beyond, all in the name of continuing to provide top of class service to the careers of iconic and soon-to-be iconic artists.”
Cookman says he opted not to have a title in the new venture, “but I am involved in building this with Michel on a day-to-day basis (along with my other ventures) as always. I have always considered Michel Vega a friend – and am now proud to call him a partner. We are excited for the opportunity to join forces with a solid team to maximize opportunities and bring a truly global booking and management experience to our combined artist roster. I am a believer in the power of teamwork and Michel and Marc have created a solid foundation to continue building upon.”
Industria Works’ current head of Spain, Agustin Lopez, will lead the Madrid-based office and overall Spain team. Other Spain-based team members, Ulia Moreno, Patricia Zavala and Alicia Toboso, have also joined MTA and will continue to work out of Madrid and Barcelona.
The acquisition will give MTA added presence in Europe and it will also diversify its roster. At the same time, Industria Works will benefit from MTA’s infrastructure and its presence in Miami, the epicenter of Latin music.
“Tomas is coming on board to help us grow the agency in the future by leveraging his extensive network of contacts, vast experience in artist representation, independent thinking and entrepreneurial spirit,” added Vega.
Cookman will continue to oversee both Nacional Records and the LAMC, which are not part of the deal.
Loud and Live founder and CEO Nelson Albareda has always carried tropical music in general and salsa in particular, deep inside him. A die-hard fan of Cuban salsero Willy Chirino, he also worked closely with salsa queen Celia Cruz and, through Loud and Live, represents the Celia Cruz estate today.
Now, Albareda is on a quest to elevate and grow the music with which he started his career. As he’s been saying for months, tropical music is having a moment. This week, via his powerhouse promotion and entertainment company, Albareda put his money where his mouth is and signed an exclusive booking agreement with developing salsa star Christian Alicea.
Loud and Live already books major tropical music names like Carlos Vives and Juan Luis Guerra. But the Alicea deal is different in that in addition to booking Alicea’s concerts, Loud and Live will also work in partnership with his management team to support marketing and promotional endeavors surrounding the artist and his music.
Although Alicea has just one album under his belt — Yo, released this past May — he has already placed two tracks in the Top 25 of Billboard’s Tropical Airplay chart. This week, a third single, “Aroma,” is at No. 15 on the list.
“Christian is an exceptionally talented young man who, because of his humility, charisma and spectacular and unique voice, we are confident that he will conquer and lead the tropical genre worldwide for many years to come,” said Albareda in a statement.
The partnership, says Alicea’s producer, Urales ‘Dj Buddha’ Vargas, is “the icing on the cake. For us, having someone like Nelson see the vision and the potential of Christian means a lot.”
As Latin music’s focus has slowly shifted from solely reggaetón in the past year, other genres are beginning to rise on the charts. While regional Mexican music undoubtedly leads the fray, pop is also seeing a resurgence, and tropical music — long focused on legacy acts — is finally seeing a smattering of new names, including Luis Figueroa, teenager Luis Vazquez, and, of course, Alicea.