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12 Oct 2023

Warner Music Latina Names Francisco Granados Senior VP of A&R

Warner Music Latina has named Francisco Granados the label’s new senior vice president of A&R, Billboard has learned. Granados, who previously served as director of A&R at Warner Music México, will be responsible for spearheading Warner Latina’s artistic discovery and nurturing musical talents in the U.S., according to a press release issued Thursday (Oct. 12).

“I am thrilled to join the exceptional team at Warner Music Latina in Miami,” Granados said in a statement. “I want to thank Roberto Andrade and Alejandro Duque and the entire team for giving me the opportunity to continue discovering, developing, and elevating the immense musical talent of the region.”

In his previous roles, Granados was vp of A&R and creative at Sony Music Publishing U.S. Latin where he signed artists such as Saiko, Blessd, Tiago PZK, and Micro TDH. At Warner Music Mexico, he contributed to the development of Danny Ocean, Piso 21, Mike Bahia and Ximena Sariñana.

Granados will report directly to Roberto Andrade, managing director of Warner Music Latina.

“We firmly believe that Francisco, with his exceptional leadership qualities and determined commitment to artists and their well-being, will play a pivotal role in forging new and expansive partnerships and opportunities that will complement our artist roster and enhance our service offerings,” added Andrade. “Francisco’s illustrious career is a testament to his exceptional ability to identify opportunities and his empathetic approach to leadership.”

Granados’ new position was previously held by Héctor Rubén Rivera, who, after six years at Warner Music Latina, will “continue to collaborate with the company in various roles as consultant and executive producer for key projects,” according to the label.

12 Oct 2023

48 Laws Of Oysters: Woman Trends After Highlighting Atlanta Seafood Spot & Slurping Down 4 Dozen Oysters

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Seafood on a table in a restaurant

Oysters are a delicacy enjoyed by many across the world, and a new spot in Atlanta might have to find itself a new haul after a video highlighting the restaurant went viral. What has some on social media flabbergasted is that the young lady threw down four dozen oysters during a date she seemingly didn’t want to go on.

TikTok user EquanaB shared a video to her TikTok account highlighting Fontaine’s Oyster House, a popular seafood restaurant in Atlanta. Opening her video by saying that she was meeting with a man she ignored for weeks simply out of boredom, EquanaB documents her date night and devouring of oysters, complete with slurping sounds and breakdowns of how good the food was.

We’re never going to shame a young woman for getting it how she lives but what folks online are completely shocked by is the fact that EquanaB probably wiped out Fontaine’s inventory in one night. Granted, the oysters with $15 per dozen so her date wouldn’t have had to shell out too much for the one-sided date.

Speaking of, the true plot twist, granted if this is an actual true story, is that her date ditched her at Fontaine’s and left her with the bill. With folks always looking to go viral and the fact folks have been duped before, we caution readers to take all of this information with a grain of salt.

Again, as users on X, formerly Twitter, have shared, 48 oysters are overdoing it to the max. We just hope that EquanaB’s insides are okay after taking down that much seafood on top of lemon drop martinis, potatoes, and crab cakes.

Check out the X reactions and video below.

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Photo: JacquesPALUT / Getty

12 Oct 2023

SESAC Goes Online With Soundreef for Offline Rights in Italy

SESAC Performing Rights has chosen the private company Soundreef to manage its offline performing rights in Italy, withdrawing them from SIAE, the Italian collective management organization. Although the EU rights collections market has been open for a decade – the national societies are no longer national monopolies, especially when it comes to online rights – this is one of the larger moves so far. SIAE was founded in 1882 – Soundreef in 2012.

“It’s very rational,” Alex Wolf, president of international of the SESAC Music Group, tells Billboard. “What made us change is, we were very convinced about their IT, their administration and their management.”

This is the first time one of the ten biggest performing rights organizations (PROs) has withdrawn its repertoire from one of the major European societies in favor of a relatively young, private company. Italy is the sixth largest rights collections market in the world, according to CISAC’s data from 2021, the last year for which information is available.

This shows how competitive the rights market is becoming – especially, but not only, in Europe. SESAC is the third-biggest rights collection entity in the U.S., and it is building an international operation – much of it international. Some of this is through MINT, a joint venture with the Swiss society SUISA that manages Soundreef repertoire online in much of the world. Although that deal is completely separate, Wolf says he respected how Soundreef operated.

“You get a good insight into how a company works,” he says.

Soundreef is a Rome-based private company that initially focused on background music, then raised investment money to expand in 2016. It now has 40,000 affiliates, 26,000 of whom are Italian.

“We thought we could create a different system where technology was at the center of the operation,” said Soundreef CEO Davide d’Atri. “That means three things: analytical distribution, where what is played is paid; transparency, and quick payment.”

Analytical distribution essentially means reducing the amount of royalties that are distributed statistically, as opposed to tracked directly. D’Atri says that Soundreef distributes 85% of its payments this way, while some societies pay out as much as 60% based on statistics – extrapolating which songs are played in bars and restaurants by tracking which are played on radio or television, for example.

“Some of the bigger societies are very efficient,” d’Atri says, “but others sit on a lot of money” that can’t be directly attributed to specific rightsholders. Soundreef, he added, is now trying to attract other Anglo-American companies.

12 Oct 2023

Latto and Christina Aguilera Tease a Collab: ‘Did Somebody Say Just Eat?’

Christina Aguilera and Latto are cooking something up. And according to a series of teases over the past few days it sounds delicious. “Y’all ready for something new?” Latto asks in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday in which Aguilera can be heard hitting one of her signature sky-high notes in the background.

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“Did somebody say just eat?” Latto adds over operatic trills and images of the two women modeling billowing Victorian-era ball gowns while sitting on the white steps of a mansion. The words “just eat” are then repeated in dramatic fashion over a logo comprised of a knife and fork inside a white house. The post promises a release today (Oct. 12) along with the hashtag @JustEatUK.

Xtina reposted the tease tagging the Uk food delivery service JustEat, which added, “Y’all ready for our latest track featuring our two new queens @xtina @Latto? [crown, heart eyes emoji].

On Tuesday the pair began setting the stage for the project, with Latto tweeting “Should we tell them? [eyes and mouth covered emoji] @xtina, with the “Genie in a Bottle” singer responding “I think it’s time babe…” At press time no additional information was available on the project.

Earlier this week, Aguilera announced that she has a new series of “seductively cozy” shows set for Voltaire Belle de Nuit at the Venetian Resort Las Vegas beginning New Year’s Eve weekend. Latto, meanwhile, is slated to appear on the song “Fine As Can Be” on Offset’s Set It Off solo album, which is due out on Friday (Oct. 13).

Check out the tease below.

12 Oct 2023

TikTok and Content Creators to Make Their Case Against Montana Ban

A federal judge is scheduled to hear arguments Thursday in a case filed by TikTok and five Montana content creators who want the court to block the state’s ban on the video sharing app before it takes effect Jan. 1.

U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy of Missoula is not expected to rule immediately on the request for a preliminary injunction.

Montana became the first state in the U.S. to pass a complete ban on the app, based on the argument that the Chinese government could gain access to user information from TikTok, whose parent company, ByteDance, is based in Beijing.

Content creators say the ban violates free speech rights and could cause economic harm for their businesses.

TikTok said in court filings that the state passed its law based on “unsubstantiated allegations,” that Montana cannot regulate foreign commerce and that the state could have passed a law requiring TikTok limit the kinds of data it could collect, or require parental controls, rather than trying to enact a complete ban.

Western governments have expressed worries that the popular social media platform could put sensitive data in the hands of the Chinese government or be used as a tool to spread misinformation. Chinese law allows the government to order companies to help it gather intelligence.

TikTok, which is negotiating with the federal government over its future in the U.S., has denied those allegations. But that hasn’t made the issue go away.

In a first-of-its kind report on Chinese disinformation released last month, the U.S. State Department alleged that ByteDance seeks to block potential critics of Beijing, including those outside of China, from using its platforms.

The report said the U.S. government had information as of late 2020 that ByteDance “maintained a regularly updated internal list” identifying people who were blocked or restricted from its platforms — including TikTok — “for reasons such as advocating for Uyghur independence.”

More than half of U.S. states and the federal government have banned TikTok on official devices. The company has called the bans “political theatre” and says further restrictions are unnecessary due to the efforts it is taking to protect U.S. data by storing it on Oracle servers.

The bill was brought to the Montana Legislature after a Chinese spy balloon flew over the state.
It would prohibit downloads of TikTok in the state and fine any “entity” — an app store or TikTok — $10,000 per day for each time someone “is offered the ability” to access or download the app. There would not be penalties for users.

The American Civil Liberties Union, its Montana chapter and Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital privacy rights advocacy group, have submitted an amicus brief in support of the challenge. Meanwhile, 18 attorneys generals from mostly Republican-led states are backing Montana and asking the judge to let the law be implemented. Even if that happens, cybersecurity experts have said it could be challenging to enforce.

In asking for the preliminary injunction, TikTok argued that the app has been in use since 2017 and letting Montanans continue to use it will not harm the state.

Montana did not identify any evidence of actual harm to any resident as a result of using TikTok and even delayed the ban’s effective date until Jan. 1, 2024, the company said.

12 Oct 2023

Madonna’s Celebration Tour Will Feature More Than 40 Songs Comprising a ‘Documentary Through Her Vast Career’

After pushing back the launch of her eagerly anticipated career-spanning Celebration Tour due to a health scare earlier this year, Madonna is set to kick off the outing at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday (Oct. 14).

And according to the tour‘s musical director, Stuart Price, fans can expect more than 40 songs from across her four-decade career, plus some special surprises that will nod to the pop icon’s legendary impact on pop culture. “A greatest hit doesn’t have to be a song,” Price told BBC News. “It can be a wardrobe, it can be a video, or a statement.”

So whether your jam is “Material Girl,” “La Isla Bonita,” “Ray of Light,” “Frozen,” “Live To Tell” or “Into the Groove,” Price said there will be something for everyone, including archival footage and studio recordings that will help tell the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s story in what he described as “a documentary through her vast career.”

The O2 launch will be the first of six shows at the venue, where Price noted fans will not see a band on stage for the first time since the beginning of Madonna’s career. “There are live musicians that perform at different parts of the show,” he explained. “But what we realized is that the original recordings are our stars. Those things can’t be replicated and can’t be recreated, so we decided just to embrace that.”

Price said honing the set list was a “big” challenge given Madonna’s decades of hits — including 50 No. 1s on Billboard‘s Dance Club Songs chart — so many of the big ones will be played in full, while others will be interpolated into other songs and some will be used as “bridges” between acts. Price, who produced Madonna’s 2005 Confessions On a Dance Floor album and has been music director on three of her previous world tours, added that there will be around 25 songs performed in full, with elements of 20 others appearing in “some form.”

The show will also employ Madonna’s original multi-track recordings, including a vocal take Price said includes the sound of a “car going by in the background,” and, cryptically, a “solo from a guitarist who’s no longer with us.”

The long-awaited beginning of the tour comes nearly five months after Madonna was rushed to the hospital in June after being found unconscious in her New York apartment due to a “serious bacterial infection.” The hospitalization resulted in the tour being pushed back from July to October, with the North American dates — which were originally slated to kick off the run on July 15 in Vancouver — delayed until later this year. The North American dates are now slated to kick off on Dec. 13 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn and run through an April 24 gig at Palacio De Los Deportes in Mexico City.

“The person that is going to take the stage looks incredible, sounds incredible, performs incredible,” said Price of the 65-year-old singer he noted has “fully” recovered. In fact, he said the legendarily detail-oriented star used the three-month delay to further tweak and dial-in the show.

“Madonna has very high expectations of how much hard work people will put into something,” Stuart said. “It’s very uncompromising – but she’s equally as hard on herself. So when she took a break, that pause created an opportunity to further enhance the show. And I’m sure the opportunity [for her] to focus on being 100% well was greatly received as well.”

He described the story line as reflecting the arc of Madonna’s career, “from being a young woman in New York and learning the scene, all the way through to motherhood, spiritual awakenings, and all the ups and downs. The storyline was just really, really compelling.” If that sounds similar to a since-shelved biopic that was to star Julia Garner, Price said that’s no coincidence since Madonna is expert at cross-pollinating ideas from different projects.

“In this case there’d been consideration about doing a biopic [which gave] this tour the potential for having a documentary aspect to it as well,” he said, which explains why the show will incorporate news footage, classic costumes and videos.

Check out Madonna’s tease of the tour launch below.

12 Oct 2023

Cardi B Blown Away By Offset’s Over-the-Top Birthday Surprise: ‘You Always Go Beyond For Me’

If there are any rose petals, balloons or candles left in Atlanta it’s not for Offset‘s lack of trying. The Migos rapper went way above and beyond to celebrate wife Cardi B‘s 31st birthday on Wednesday (Oct. 11) by flooding the zone at the couple’s house with a lavish display.

“Thank you soo much babe @offsetyrn …you always go beyond for me,” Cardi wrote on Instagram alongside a video of her freaking out over the surprise, which included rose petal-strewn steps, an entire room covered in petals, giant “Happy Birthday” balloons, an enormous flower heart with the “Bongos” MC’s name on it and a ceiling covered in pink balloons.

“I love your skin,I love your face,I love your body , your ankles,I love your soul,I love your heart,I love your fart ,I love your faith,I love your talent ,I will BITE anybody for you lmaaooooo ❤️❤️❤️❤️,” Cardi added.

In the audio of the clip, Cardi can’t believe the lengths ‘Set went to to honor her, saying, “Ahhh… So this is why you was rushing me to go downstairs and eat?… Wow, oh my God. This n—a, I swear to God! Wow. I love you, thank you. Seems like it’s gonna be his birthday the way i’m gonna [mouth noises]. I love you, I love you, thank you so much. I’ll bite you b–ches for this man!”

Cardi and Offset married in 2017 and they share two children, 5-year-old Kulture Kiari and 2-year-old Wave Set. Bold displays are clearly his thing, as last month Offset celebrated their sixth anniversary by, you guessed it, filling up the foyer of their house with an avalanche of pink and red flowers and white candles. “Thank you for the flowers, the empowerment, the protection and for being a great father to our children… I love so many things about you,” Cardi wrote at the time.

Check out Offset’s lavish gift below.

12 Oct 2023

Jimmy Barnes, Amy Shark, The Temper Trap Lead Mushroom 50 Anniversary Concert

MELBOURNE, Australia — Mushroom Group will celebrate its half-century next month with a special all-star concert, its lineup representing the music company’s indie spirit and broad church roster.

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Jimmy Barnes, Amy Shark, The Temper Trap, Vika & Linda, DMA’S, Paul Kelly, Ross Wilson, Kate Ceberano, Missy Higgins and many others are confirmed for Mushroom 50, set for Sunday, Nov. 26 at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena.

Mushroom 50 will be an “incredible once-in-a-lifetime night,” comments Matt Gudinski, CEO of Mushroom Group, a commemoration of 50 years “of great Mushroom music and Australian talent.”

The independent music juggernaut was launched by the late Michael Gudinski back in 1972 Mushroom Records, when the entrepreneur was just 20.

With MG, the brash, inspirational leader at the helm, Mushroom shaped Australia’s music culture like no other brand. Today, the group is a two-dozen-strong collection of affiliates active in every conceivable area of the music and entertainment industries, from touring to booking agencies, publishing, merch and marketing services, venues, exhibition and events production, neighboring rights, branding, labels, talent management and more.

Matt Gudinski is now the leader, following the passing of his father Michael in 2021.

“The Mushroom family is determined to bring together a special evening for all involved,” he comments. “With more than 20 artists performing as part of the event, this will be a true celebration of Australian music and a showcase our thriving local music scene and its history. I know my late father would be very proud of what we are putting together.”

On the night, performers will hit a mix of originals and classic songs from across the Mushroom catalog, including “Working Class Man,” “Holy Grail,” “Sweet Disposition,” “Riptide,” “Hoops,” “It’s Only the Beginning,” “Before Too Long,” and “Living In The 70s.”

Mushroom 50 is the culmination of a months-long program of releases and activities, which have included limited-edition merchandise and frontline artist covers of classic Mushroom songs.

The milestone anniversary was also celebrated with the release of Ego, the feature length documentary on MG, a larger-than-life character whose death was mourned by many of the giants he worked with, from Paul McCartney to Bruce Springsteen, Dave Grohl and his bestie, Ed Sheeran.

Mushroom Group hasn’t missed a chance to celebrate its big moments. In 1983, Mushroom hosted its 10th birthday bash, with the Mushroom Evolution Concert at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Then, in 1998, the Mushroom 25 Live concert at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, a concert that, at the time, entered the history books as the largest ever ticketed concert in Australian music history, with 73,000 in the stadium. Mushroom Group still holds the record, thanks to Sheeran’s Mathematics Tour earlier in the year, when the Brit played to 105,000 on one evening, then topped it with 109,500. Frontier Touring, a division of Mushroom Group, produced that tour.

From every ticket sold to Mushroom 50, A$2 will go towards Support Act’s Ausmusic T-Shirt Day campaign.

The Telstra Plus presale starts Friday, Oct. 13, ahead of the Frontier Touring members presale on Monday, Oct. 16. The general public on sale begins Wednesday, Oct. 18.

For more visit mushroom50.com. Mushroom 50 Live is in partnership with ALWAYS LIVE and Telstra.

12 Oct 2023

Taylor Swift’s Theater-by-Theater Speech, A Beyoncé Cameo & More From Inside the ‘Eras Tour’ Film Premiere

Just like The Eras Tour itself, Taylor Swift is making her Eras Tour film all about the fans.

At Wednesday’s (Oct. 11) premiere of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour at The Grove in Los Angeles, a host of VIPs were on hand — from Beyoncé (more on her below) to Adam Sandler, Maren Morris and Julia Garner. But when it came time for Swift to rub elbows ahead of the movie, the pop superstar chose to spend her time on the other side of the red carpet, where fans invited to the film’s debut were lined up along a barricade waiting for a glimpse of their idol.

They ended up getting more than just a glimpse, as Swift took selfies with dozens of fans and personally thanked them for supporting her most ambitious tour yet, which now has its own ambitious movie to match.

And the gratitude train was just getting started, because Swift also made her way to each AMC theater at The Grove that was screening her movie on Wednesday night to gave a three-minute speech about why the tour meant so much to her.

“We did this show rain or shine, in sickness and in health, no matter what was going on in our lives,” she said from the stage of each theater. “And we did it with a grin on our face because of what greeted us on the other side.”

Before Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour hits theaters early on Thursday night, see some of the best moments from the film’s Hollywood premiere — and also what was left on the cutting-room floor from the first three nights of Swift’s six-night stint at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.

12 Oct 2023

Reba McEntire Nearly Quit Music When Her Mom Died

Reba McEntire was so grief-stricken by the loss of her mum, she considered turning her back on music. Three years on, the country legend is back in the saddle, back in the swing of things.

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In an interview for Today With Hoda & Jenna, the 68-year-old artist recounted the pain of when her mom, Jacqueline Smith, died from cancer at the age of 93.

As the hosts walked viewers through some old family photos, McEntire recounted a chat with her sister Susie. “I said, ‘I just don’t think I’m going to do this anymore,” she remembers saying. “I always did it for Mama.”

Her sister’s response, “Oh, you’ll get it back.” She did. The pain, however, persists. To this day, McEntire is triggered if she sees photos of her mom. “I can’t talk if I see Mama.”

The matriarch gave music to the family, and always backed a young, admittedly naïve McEntire. “When I got started in the ’70s,” she says, “I thought back then when you got a record on the radio, you were rich.”

McEntire’s mom “was really encouraging for all of us kids,” which includes brother Pake and sister Alice, “in whatever we wanted to do. She taught us harmony. She encouraged us, we were The Singing McEntires when we were in high school, junior high.”

Today, McEntire has a lot on her plate. She’s a high-profile coach on NBC’s The Voice, she’s got a new book and album out (both called Not That Fancy) and she’s an advocate on stretching, an activity she does each day with her partner Rex Linn.

The Country Music Hall of Famer returns with “Seven Minutes in Heaven,” the new song from her new album, a collection of stripped-back, acoustic songs, helmed by Grammy Award-winning producer, Dave Cobb.

Songwriters Olivia Rudeen and Matt Wynn pitched “Seven Minutes” to Reba, and the emotional response was palpable. ”When you find a song that really touches your heart and chokes you up, I’ve gotta sing it, I’ve gotta record it,” she remarks.

Watch a live performance of “Seven Minutes in Heaven” below.