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13 Nov 2023

Follow-Ups to Grammy Album of the Year Winners That Were Also Nominated in That Category (Full List)

Jon Batiste got some very good news on Friday (Nov. 10). World Music Radio, his follow-up to We Are, which won album of the year at the Grammy Awards two years ago, was nominated in that same category.

The victory for We Are two years ago surprised most observers, as did the nomination this year for World Music Radio. The album has so far peaked at No. 104 on the Billboard 200.

In the Grammys’ 66-year history, 20 follow-ups to album of the year winners have been nominated for that same award. Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder and Adele each did it multiple times.

The follow-ups to several other recent album of the year winners have been nominated in their own right, including Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever, her follow-up to When We All Asleep, Where Do We Go?, and Taylor Swift’s evermore, her follow-up to Folklore. (The fact that the number of nominees in each of the Big Four categories expanded from five to eight in 2018, and went as high as 10 before dropping back to eight again this year, is one of the reasons for this, along with Grammy voters’ longtime tendency to stick with a familiar favorite.)

Note: Before 1970, artists often released multiple albums in the same Grammy eligibility year. In some cases, the albums we show were not the artists’ direct follow-up albums, but they were released in the following eligibility year. For example, Barbra Streisand‘s follow-up to the Grammy-winning The Barbra Streisand Album was The Second Barbra Streisand Album, which was released in the same eligibility year (1963). In the following eligibility year, she released The Third Album, followed by People. The latter got an album of the year nod. Since it was the very next year after she won, we’re counting it. It doesn’t seem fair to leave artists out of the conversation just because at that time, albums were released at what we would now consider a torrid pace.

Meanwhile, we’re still waiting for the follow-up albums to three album of the year winners – Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Bruno Mars’ 24K Magic and Harry Styles’ Harry’s House.

Here are all the follow-ups (or following year releases) to album of the year Grammy winners that were nominated in that same category. We show the title of the follow-up that was nominated in this category, mention the Grammy winner for album of the year that it followed, and reveal how this follow-up did in the category.

13 Nov 2023

Warner Music Opts In to Deezer’s New UMG-Supported Royalty Plan in France

The Warner Music Group has signed on to Deezer’s new royalty payment structure in France, which was developed in partnership with Universal Music Group and announced in September, the president of the major label’s French operations confirmed today (Nov. 13). The move, which was first confirmed in a story with French outlet Les Echos, has been in place since Oct. 1, and only covers streams in France, where Deezer is based.

In September, Deezer and UMG announced their new model, which they referred to as an “artist-centric” royalty model aimed at combatting fraud, reducing the royalty pool for so-called “non-artist noise” like white noise and nature sounds, and boosting payouts for what the companies referred to as “professional artists,” or artists who were accumulating 1,000 streams per month from 500 unique listeners. The model replaces the existing pro-rata model, in which rights holders were paid by share of streams, regardless of their stature or content, which is still in place globally.

“We are delighted to partner with Deezer on this artist-centric model which rewards engaging music and demonetizes non-artist noise,” Warner Music France president Alain Veille told the outlet. “Our new deal will benefit creative talent at all stages of their careers and support our ability to invest in the next generation.”

In opting in to Deezer’s new structure, WMG joins UMG and a handful of small indies, while the third major, Sony Music, has so far not signed on. The move comes amid a year’s worth of conversation in the music industry about how to tweak the streaming royalty structure as the amount of tracks being uploaded each day to major services surpasses 100,000, and fraud on services is becoming an increasingly big topic. Universal also announced a royalty review with SoundCloud and TIDAL, while Spotify released its own tweaked model, which has far lower thresholds for artists than Deezer’s and is more narrowly aimed at fraud, rather than at determining the level of streams that constitutes an artist’s professional status.

When Deezer and UMG first announced the new model, it was met with pushback from several corners of the music business, particularly the indie sector, which was concerned about those seemingly-arbitrary levels to qualify as a “professional” and about the one-label study that led to its adoption. And while there is broad consensus in the industry that the model needs to change — including public statements from UMG chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge and WMG CEO Robert Kyncl — there is not universal agreement in how to do so, and there is a possibility that each digital service provider could adopt its own model moving forward.

In initially announcing the model in September, Deezer CEO Jeronimo Folgueira told Billboard that he expected more rights holders than UMG to sign on, and planned on rolling out the new structure globally in the coming year. For now, the model is limited to France.

13 Nov 2023

Warner Records Launches Underscore Works Recordings With Charly Salvatore

Warner Records has launched underscore works recordings, a joint venture with Charly Salvatore’s Nashville-based management company underscore works.

The new label will focus on discovering and developing fresh country music talent, and launches with two new signings: Dipper and Wesko.

Salvatore launched underscore works in 2022; the company works with artists including Warren Zeiders, Priscilla Block and Dalton Dover. Zeiders, who is signed directly to Warner Records, debuted on Billboard’s Hot 100 with “Pretty Little Poison,” which is currently in the top 20 on the Country Airplay chart.

Texas native Dipper recently released his debut EP Evergreen, including his first single, “She’s Got Wings.” Dipper also signed a global publishing deal with Bailey Zimmerman, The Core Entertainment and Warner Chappell Music.

North Carolina native Wesko spent the past four years performing with his band and writing songs, while working as a foreman for an erosion control company and balancing a full college course load. He continued building his audience in North Carolina, as well as building his social media following before signing with underscore works recordings.

Warner Records’ Co-Chairman & CEO Aaron Bay-Schuck and Co-Chairman & COO Tom Corson said in a statement, “Together with Charly, we’ve already seen incredible success with Warren Zeiders – a newcomer to the scene who has quickly made a big impact. The underscore team shares the same dedication we have when it comes to artist development and building meaningful and lasting careers, making it a no brainer to expand our partnership so we can support even more special artists. Dipper and Wesko are two genuinely talented, hard-working musicians with bright futures ahead, and we look forward to collaborating with underscore to bring even more great music to fans around the world.”

Salvatore added, “Aaron, Tom, and the entire world-class Warner Records team have an amazing track record when it comes to breaking new acts and, more importantly, sustaining that momentum. They’ve been incredible partners with Warren, and there’s no one else I’d want to be running alongside as we take this exciting next step in the underscore works journey. With a deep passion for developing emerging artists, I’m thrilled to embark on this new chapter with remarkable talents like Dipper and Wesko, who are destined to captivate the world’s stage.”

13 Nov 2023

Drake Announces ‘It’s All A Blur Tour’ With J. Cole, How To Get Tickets

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It's All A Blur Tour - Big As The What?

Source: Live Nation / Live Nation

So much for the 6 God taking a long break. On Monday (Nov. 13), Drake announced that he’s going on tour with Dreamville head honcho J. Cole called It’s All A Blur Tour – Big As The What?

That should sound familiar considering the Toronto rapper’s 2023 tour with 21 Savage was also named It’s All A Blur. But this series of concerts kicks off in 2024. The tour will start on January 18 with a pair of dates in Denver, CO at Ball Arena and hit cities like San Antonio, New Orleans (twice), Cleveland and Buffalo before wrapping up on March 27 in in Birmingham, AL at The Legacy Arena at BJCC. However, Cole’s final date will be March 10 in Lexington, KY at Rupp Arena.

The tour is sponsored by Cash App and Visa and is produced by Live Nation. Tickets will go on sale with the Cash App Card presale starting Wednesday, November 15 through Thursday, November 16, while the general sale kickinv off Friday, November 17 at 11am on drakerelated.com. To access the presale you’ll use the first 9 digits of your Cash App Card and complete your purchase with said card. More info is here: cash.app/exclusives/drake-presale.

J. Cole gotta be dropping a new project to perform, right? Also, get your coins up. Check out the full schedule of It’s All A Blur Tour – Big As The What? below as well as reactions in the gallery.

DRAKE ‘IT’S ALL A BLUR TOUR – BIG AS THE WHAT?’ 2024 TOUR DATES:

Thu Jan 18 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena +

Fri Jan 19 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena

Mon Jan 22 – San Antonio, TX – Frost Bank Center

Thu Jan 25 – Oklahoma City, OK – Paycom Center

Mon Jan 29 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center +

Tue Jan 30 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center

Fri Feb 02 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena

Wed Feb 07 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena +

Thu Feb 08 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena +

Mon Feb 12 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center

Fri Feb 16 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena

Tue Feb 20 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center +

Wed Feb 21 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center

Sat Feb 24 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse

Tue Feb 27 – Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center

Sat Mar 02 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center

Tue Mar 05 – Memphis, TN – FedExForum

Sun Mar 10 – Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena

Thu Mar 14 – Belmont Park, NY – UBS Arena ~

Mon Mar 18 – State College, PA – Bryce Jordan Center ~

Sat Mar 23 – Sunrise, FL – Amerant Bank Arena ~

Wed Mar 27 – Birmingham, AL – The Legacy Arena at BJCC ~

+ Rescheduled dates

~ Without J. Cole

13 Nov 2023

Which Song Should Win Record of the Year at the 2023 Latin Grammys? Vote!

A total of 11 songs are in the running for record of the year at the 2023 Latin Grammy Awards. The nominated tracks up for one of the most coveted awards of the night are Christina Aguilera‘s “No Es Que Te Extrañe”; Pablo Alborán‘s “Carretera y Manta”; Paula Arenas “Déjame Llorarte” featuring Jesús Navarro; Bizarrap‘s “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” featuring Shakira; Fonseca and Juan Luis Guerra’s “Si Tú Me Quieres”; Karol G‘s “Mientras Me Curo Del Cora”; Natalia Lafourcade‘s “De Todas Las Flores”; Lasso’s “Ojos Marrones”; Maluma and Marc Anthony‘s “La Fórmula”; Rosalía‘s “Despechá”; and Alejandro Sanz‘s “Correcaminos” featuring Danny Ocean.

Unlike the song of the year category, which recognizes songwriters, the recording of the year is awarded on the basis of the quality of the recording versus the composition itself regardless of whether the song is new or previously recorded. The award is presented to the artist, as well as the producer and recording engineer.

This year, Mexican songwriter-producer Edgar Barrera leads the list of nominees for the 2023 Latin Grammy Awards with 13 nods. He is followed by Camilo, Karol G, Shakira and Keityn with seven nominations each; Bizarrap with six nods; and receiving five nominations each are Pablo Alborán, Bad Bunny, Maria Becerra, Feid, Dave Cutch and Natalia Lafourcade.

The 2023 Latin Grammys — taking place for the first time internationally from the Conference and Exhibition Centre (FIBES) in Sevilla, Spain — will air at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 16, on Univision, UniMás and Galavisión in the U.S. and at 10:30 p.m. CET on Radiotelevisión Española (RTVE) in Spain.

Which song should win the record of the year at the 2023 Latin Grammys? Vote in the poll below.

13 Nov 2023

HYBE Enters Latin Market With Exile Music Acquisition

South Korean music company HYBE, home of K-pop giants BTS and Seventeen, has made its first entry into the Latin music sector with the acquisition of Exile Music, the music division of Spanish-language studio Exile Content.

HYBE said HYBE Latin America will incorporate K-pop business methods and focus on artist management and talent discovery across the Latin genre. The new unit will be led by Kah Jong-Hyun, a former executive at YG Entertainment, who joins as CEO. Exile Content founder Isaac Lee will become chairman of HLA’s board. Financial details of the deal between HYBE and Exile Content — a unit of Blackstone-backed media company Candle Media — have not been disclosed.

Since launching in 2022, Exile Music has produced an original series for HBO Max called Vgly, and co-executive-produced, licensed and marketed the show’s soundtrack. Exile’s agency division also had three of its clients — Quevedo, Monsieur Periné and KHEA — appear on Billboard’s 23 Best Latin Albums of 2023 list.

HYBE Latin America will serve as “a move to accelerate our presence in the Latin music market,” the company said.

U.S. Latin music revenue increased 15% to a record high of $627 million in the first half of 2023, according to the RIAA. Streaming drives a dominant portion of the genre’s growth, accounting for 98% of revenue, and Latin music’s share of all U.S. recorded music revenue stands hit 7.5% in the first six months of the year.

In a disclosure earlier this month, HYBE said third-quarter revenues grew 20.7% year-over-year to 537.9 billion won. Out of that total, 264.1 billion won ($201 million) was from music sales and 86.9 billion won ($66 million) from concert revenue. Two of its most recent U.S.-based acquisitions, hip-hop label Quality Control and country powerhouse Big Machine Label Group, contributed 19% and 27% of HYBE’s streaming revenue for the quarter, respectively.

13 Nov 2023

Richard Bravo Talks Bittersweet Latin Grammy Bid Without Friend & Co-Nominee Camilo Valencia

When Richard Bravo attends the Latin Grammy Awards in Seville, Spain on Thursday (Nov. 16), the ceremony will be a somewhat bittersweet moment. Nominated for the first time for his own work with his dear friend Camilo Valencia, for their instrumental album Made In Miami, the Venezuelan drummer and percussionist — a three-time-Latin Grammy winner — couldn’t be more proud. But he will have to travel without the composer and main architect of the album: After undergoing a third heart transplant, Valencia died on Sept. 6, just a few days before the nominations were announced.

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“It made me very happy” to receive the nomination, Bravo tells Billboard Español, saying that he found out from friends who sent him screenshots in which his and Valencia’s names appeared. “I was in Europe and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe this!’

“The first person I thought of was Camilo,” adds the artist, who is currently on tour with Juanes and will also perform with the Latin Grammys band at the awards show. “I said, ‘Wow, all the effort on this record and all the sacrifice, the time, the energy, the money, everything, and it happened.’”

Valencia, an award-winning Miami-based multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer born in Cuba, worked throughout his career with stars like Carlos Santana, Ricky Martin, Shakira, José Feliciano and many others. He was also the musical director of TV shows such as La Voz Kids, A Oscuras Pero Encendidos and Viva El Sueño, and created countless jingles for commercials with Bravo and Carlos Oliva.

“Here in Miami, not a day goes by that I turn on the radio or the TV and something that he did doesn’t come out,” says his brother, bassist Rafael Valencia, also an experienced musician who worked on the album and received a nomination for best arrangement for “Songo Bop,” his only song on Made In Miami.

He says that, before he was hospitalized, Camilo went to his house for lunch and told him that they had submitted Made In Miami for the Latin Grammy nomination for best instrumental album, and that they also sent his song for the best arrangement category. “I thought, ‘Why!?’ I liked his arrangements better,” he recalls with a laugh, before adding with emotion: “That was a gift that Camilo gave me before he left.”

Nominations were announced on Sept. 19, 13 days after his death due to unexpected complications. He was about to turn 64.

Camilo Valencia and Richard Bravo.

Camilo Valencia and Richard Bravo.

Made In Miami is the only album of his own that Camilo Valencia got to record. Comprised of 11 songs, the project pays tribute to the cultural diversity of his adoptive Miami, fusing elements of pop, jazz, funk, R&B, bebop, songo, salsa, samba and Afro-Cuban. Renowned musicians from Arturo Sandoval and Ed Calle, to Milton Salcedo, Philip Lassiter and Luis Enrique, participated in the album. All of the songs, except for “Songo Bop,” were written by Valencia over the course of two decades.

It all started with the first heart transplant, says Bravo, his friend for over 30 years: “I told him, ‘Camilo — because he always had music in his head — why don’t you make use of your time in the hospital, while you recover, and start writing songs?’ The first one he wrote was called ‘CCU,’ which is the hospital’s cardio unit, and that’s how it started. Little by little he wrote the songs, and in recent years we started recording the entire album.”

In addition to “CCU (Coronary Care Unit),” which opens Made In Miami, there are songs like “Hurricane Jiménez,” dedicated to his cardiologist, and “One Heart at a Time,” dedicated to his second donor, “a teenager from Puerto Rico who was murdered by robbers to steal his car,” says his brother Rafael. But there are also titles that pay tribute to the family, such as “Café Union,” which is named after the restaurant his father owned in Cuba, and “Papadin,” a song in honor of Bravo’s father, with whom Valencia was also close.

Family is an important element that’s also very present musically on the album. “It’s very special, because not only are all the Valencias, but all the Bravos here,” explains Bravo. “There’s my brother, my son and my nephew, who recorded the same song [‘Papadin’],” as well as Rafael and his son Ralfy.

When talking about his feelings the day of the nomination, Bravo recalls that he always thought that he and Valencia would travel to Seville together. “I thought he was going to leave the hospital,” he says. “He did it three times [before], and I thought it was going to happen.”

Valencia is survived by his son Eric, his brother Rafael, his sisters Barbara and Maria, and a large extended family. In his honor, many of them will attend the Latin Grammy Awards ceremony.

Stream Made In Miami below:

13 Nov 2023

Radiohead Side Project The Smile Announce ‘Wall of Eyes’ Album, Drop Paul Thomas Anderson-Directed Video

The Smile announced the release date for its upcoming second full-length album, Wall of Eyes, on Monday (Nov. 13), revealing that the follow-up to 2022’s debut LP, A Light for Attracting Attention, will drop on Jan. 26 via XL Recordings. The latest from the Radiohead spin-off group fronted by that group’s singer Thom Yorke and guitarist Jonny Greenwood as featuring Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner will coincide with a series of UK and European headlining dates in March.

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The 8-song album was produced by Sam Petts-Davies (Warpaint, Frank Ocean) and recorded at Abbey Road Studios and in Oxford, UK, with string arrangements by the London Contemporary Orchestra. A video for the brooding five-minute title track directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (Licorice Pizza, Phantom Thread) also dropped on Monday and it finds singer Yorke contemplating connection in a hectic world.

The black and white clip opens with Yorke sitting alone in a room staring at the projected image of a giant eyeball as a wild wind suddenly whips him, forcing the morose vocalist out into the crowded, buzzing city streets and packed bars, where he appears to float unaffected through the swirling chaos.

Pre-sale tickets for the European tour will go on sale on Wednesday (Nov. 15) at 9 a.m. UK time, with a general onsale following on Friday (Nov. 17) here.

Watch the “Wall of Eyes” video, see the album’s track list and The Smile’s European tour dates below.

Wall of Eyes track list:

  1. “Wall of Eyes”
  2. “Teleharmonic”
  3. “Read the Room”
  4. “Under Our Pillows”
  5. “Friend of a Friend”
  6. “I Quit”
  7. “Bending Hectic”
  8. “You Know Me!”

The Smile March 2024 tour dates:

March 13 — Copenhagen @ K.B. Hallen
March 15 — Brussels @ Forest National
March 16 — Amsterdam @ AFAS Live
March 18 — Brighton @ Brighton Centre
March 19 — Manchester @ O2 Apollo
March 20 — Glasgow @ SEC Armadillo
March 22 — Birmingham @ O2 Academy
March 23 — London @ Alexandra Palace

13 Nov 2023

Drake Announces Dates For 2024 It’s All A Blur Tour – Big As The What?’ With J. Cole

Drake is headed back out on the road next year. On Monday morning (Nov. 13), the 6 God revealed the dates for his upcoming 2024 U.S. run titled It’s All A Blur Tour – Big As the What?, which will feature support from J. Cole on most dates.

The 22-date run of show presented by Cash App and Visa and produced by Live Nation will feature a number of back-to-back arena dates, kicking off with two gigs at Ball Arena in Denver, CO on Jan. 18 and 19. The run will then double-up in New Orleans, Nashville and Columbus before winding down with a show at The Legacy Arena at BJCC in Birmingham, AL.

The 2024 dates will follow on the heels of Drake’s recently completed It’s All A Blur tour, which found the rapper playing 50 sold-out arena dates across North American in the summer and fall in support of his eighth studio album, For All the Dogs. Tickets for the tour will be available starting with the Cash App card presale beginning on Wednesday (Nov. 15), followed by a general onsale beginning Friday (Nov. 17) starting at 11 a.m. local time here.

Check out the dates for Drake’s It’s All a blur Tour – Big As The What? below.

Jan. 18 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena + 

Jan. 19 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena 

Jan. 22 – San Antonio, TX @ Frost Bank Center – San Antonio

Jan. 25 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Paycom Center 

Jan. 29 – New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center +

Jan. 30 – New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center 

Feb. 2 – Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena 

Feb. 7 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena +

Feb. 8 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena +

Feb. 12 – St. Louis, MO @ Enterprise Arena 

Feb. 16 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena 

Feb. 20 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center +

Feb. 21 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center 

Feb. 24 – Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse 

Feb. 27 – Buffalo, NY @ KeyBank Center 

March 2 – Kansas City, MO @ T-Mobile Center 

March 5 – Memphis, TN @ FedEx Forum

March 10 – Lexington, KY @ Rupp Arena 

March 14 – Belmont Park, NY @ UBS Arena ~

March 18 – State College, PA @ Bryce Jordan Center ~

March 23 – Sunrise, FL @ Amerant Bank Arena ~

March 27 – Birmingham, AL @ The Legacy Arena at BJCC ~

+ Rescheduled dates

~ Without J. Cole

13 Nov 2023

Culture Kings Drops Fresh Collection Of Fits For The Music Fans

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Culture Kings x Music Fans x Gift Guide

Culture Kings, a one-stop-shop for streetwear aficionados, is always a step ahead when it comes to bringing the masses the freshest styles for every season. The famed brand has banded with musicians and entertainers over the years, and the brand has a fresh collection of fits for the music fans out there.

With the holidays looming in the distance, it’s about time to snag a great gift for your family and friends. Culture Kings takes a lot of guesswork out of gift-giving, especially if they’re into music.

Culture Kings x Music Fans x Gift Guide

Below, we’re featuring just a handful of offerings from Culture King’s vast collection of styles. J. Cole’s Dreamville Records gets shine via a new line of shirts, hoodies, and shorts, just in time for the North Carolina rapper’s annual Dreamville Festival happening next year. Nas, who is still very much a problem on the microphone, has his 2002 studio album God’s Son and its tracklist emblazoned on a classic white t-shirt.

Culture Kings x Music Fans x Gift Guide

The relaxed, baggy look of the ’90s is back in effect and boy band faves N’Sync and pop princess Britney Spears find themselves stylishly placed on the front of some high-quality t-shirts. N’Sync’s third studio album, No Strings Attached, is featured while the photo from Spears’ 1999 debut album …Baby One More Time adorns the shirt.

Culture Kings x Music Fans x Gift Guide

The Rolling Stones are legends of the game, and the band’s iconic logo as seen on this tour shirt will continue to turn heads for decades to come. On the other side, The Grateful Dead are also legendary and they too have a tour shirt that’ll play well in anyone’s ensemble.

Culture Kings x Music Fans x Gift Guide

Rounding out the handful of styles we’re focusing on in this roundup are Green Day and Korn, making sure the brooding but brilliant are also well represented.

Culture Kings x Music Fans x Gift Guide

We invite you to take a look at the entire lineup Culture Kings has on deck if the above aren’t your fancy. Click here for more.

Culture Kings x Music Fans x Gift Guide

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Photo: Culture Kings