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18 Sep 2023

Sum 41 Singer Deryck Whibley Back Home After Hospitalization For Pneumonia: ‘He Is Able to Breathe Without as Much Pain’

Sum 41 singer Deryck Whibley was rushed to the hospital due to a bout of pneumonia that wife Ariana Cooper Whibley said could have resulted in heart failure. “Deryck and I were suppose to be in Chicago right now, celebrating our eight year wedding anniversary but the universe had a different plan for us,” wrote the model who married the singer in 2015 wrote in an Instagram post on Friday.

“We spent the entire night in the ER and will now be spending the next few days here in the hospital as he fights through pneumonia,” she added alongside a picture of her holding Whibley’s hand in the hospital and one of him being loaded out of an ambulance on a gurney. “The scariest part is that there is a lot of strain on his heart and they are telling us that there is a possibility of heart failure.
This is obviously not our first time in a situation like this but it brings back a lot of really difficult memories seeing him back in a hospital bed connected to wires and IVs.”

Whibley was hospitalized in 2014 after years of alcohol abuse had caused his liver and kidneys to collapse, during which he was placed in a medically induced coma for a week to ward off withdrawal symptoms. Sum 41 announced in May that they were splitting after 27 years together following the release of their double-album swan song, Heaven :x: Hell.”

The post from Whibley concluded with a promise to keep fans informed of the singer’s progress. “I know how strong he is because I have witnessed what he has been able to overcome but that doesn’t make it any easier to see” she wrote. “I’ll do my best to keep everyone updated but if you could keep him in your heart over the next few days, we could really use it.”

On Sunday, Whibley provided that promised update on her husband’s health, writing that, “Deryck was discharged after responding so well to his treatments. He is now under the care of his mother who is a registered nurse and myself. The pressure and strain on his heart and lungs has improved and he is able to breath without as much pain.”

Sum 41 — who have been on the road this summer on what they said would be their final tour — are slated to play the When We Were Young Festival in Las Vegas in late October alongside a packed lineup including Green Day, Rise Against, Thirty Seconds to Mars, The Offspring, Simple Plan and many more. At press time a spokesperson for Sum 41 could not be reached for further comment on Whibley’s health or the status of the band’s upcoming dates.

See Ariana Whibley’s posts below.

18 Sep 2023

A Strong Half-Year for U.S. Recorded Music (Guest Column)

Today we are releasing U.S. recorded music revenue data for the first half of 2023, reflecting 9.3% growth over the first half of 2022 — the ninth straight year of positive growth.

With overall first-half revenues hitting an all-time high of $8.4 billion at retail value and paid streaming subscriptions nearing 96 million, this report makes clear the strength of American recorded music’s fundamentals.

For example, this new data shows broad strength across formats — especially digital streaming, which now comprises some 84% of recorded music revenues and grew at a robust 10.3% rate this period. Looking solely at paid streaming subscriptions, that figure climbs to 11%.

In fact, paid subscription services were responsible for nearly two-thirds of total revenues and more than three-quarters of streaming revenues. And they continued to grow at an even faster rate than ad-supported revenues.

But it’s not only streaming; the new data also show the lasting power of physical formats — which grew by 5% — including growth in the value of sales of CDs and vinyl. Overall, physical revenues reached their highest level since a full decade ago, topping $880 million so far this year.

And digital and customized radio music revenues, which include SoundExchange distributions for revenues from services like SiriusXM and internet radio stations, grew 16% to $657 million for the period.

As we’re fond of saying, “Music doesn’t just happen.” This success reflects the hard work, innovation, and creative genius of the artists, songwriters, labels, publishers, and services that make up the U.S. music community. 

Finally, with annual Latin music revenues in the U.S. exceeding $1 billion for the first time in 2022 and the first half of 2023 showing continued growth faster than overall revenues, Latin music continues to shine — both economically and creatively. We look forward to releasing a full report on the Latin segment during Hispanic Heritage Month and as a capstone to our upcoming RIAA Honors Celebration of Latin music where we will recognize legends Gloria and Emilio Estefan, superstar Sebastián Yatra and other Latin music trailblazers as well as the policymakers who protect it all.

RIAA is proud to develop and release this transparent data which shows the continued power and vitality of U.S. recorded music.

Mitch Glazier is chairman/CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America.

18 Sep 2023

U.S. Recorded Music Revenues Hit All-Time High of $8.4B in First Half of 2023: RIAA

Recorded-music revenues in the United States grew 9.3% in the first half of 2023, reaching an all-time mid-year high of $8.4 billion at retail value, the RIAA said in its mid-year report released today (Sept. 18). That reflects a second year in a row of 9% increases at the mid-year mark, as growth steadies after the upheaval of the pandemic led to market unpredictability.

Once again streaming was the primary driver of both revenue and growth, increasing 10.3% over the first half of 2022 to reach $7 billion, accounting for 84% of all revenue and marking the fourth year in a row that it has accounted for 83%-84% of the overall total.

Paid subscription streaming accounted for the bulk of that number, growing 11% year over year to $5.5 billion, up from $5 billion halfway through 2022 — making up 65.4% of the total revenue figure, and 78.6% of streaming. Notably, the RIAA points out that subscription streaming revenue is growing at a faster rate than the average number of subscriptions — the latter number is up to 95.8 million, from 90 million last year, up 6% — suggesting that some of the price hikes instituted by digital service providers like Apple Music and Amazon Music have begun yielding results. (Increases from YouTube Music Premium and Spotify are too recent to be reflected in the first half of this year.)

Ad-supported streaming, however, is a different story. Total revenue from such services was essentially flat year-over-year, at $870 million, up just 0.6% from 2022. Digital and customized radio revenues were up 16% year over year, reaching $657 million; within that, SoundExchange distributions ticked up 7% to $498 million.

Overall, sales revenue reached $1.1 billion, up slightly from the same period last year, with the growth in physical sales offsetting a decline in digital downloads. Digital sales accounted for just 3% of revenues, and dropped 12% year over year to $225, with digital albums dropped 12% to $107 million and digital tracks declining 14% to $97 million.

Meanwhile, physical revenues of $882 million marked the highest level since the first half of 2013, growing 5% year over year. Vinyl continued to dominate, accounting for 72% ($632 million) of the sector, despite growing just 1.3% year over year, while CD revenue grew 14.3%, to $236 million. Vinyl, for the third year in a row, outsold CDs. But as a window into how prices are changing, unit sales of both vinyl (down 1.8% to 23.4 million) and CDs (down 17.2% to 15.1 million) both declined, despite those increases in the revenue derived from them.

“This report describes a thriving, growing music ecosystem that continues to reach new heights and shape our culture,” RIAA chairman/CEO Mitch Glazier said in a statement accompanying the report. “And it reflects the creative human genius and hard work of all the artists, songwriters, labels, publishers and services who make the music happen and meet fans and audiences where they are in today’s forward looking and innovative music community.”

18 Sep 2023

Bad Bunny Speaks With a Mexican Accent in Exclusive ‘Cassandro’ Clip: Watch

Bad Bunny does a Mexican accent in Cassandro, a biopic starring Gael García Bernal as the queer wrestling icon and the Puerto Rican music superstar as a drug dealer and his love interest.

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In a clip from the biopic shared exclusively with Billboard Español — which you can watch above — Bad Bunny’s Felipe is introduced to García Bernal’s Saúl by the luchador‘s promoter.

“Do you know who he is?” the promoter asks. “No, no, I don’t recognize him,” Felipe replies. “Cassandro, the Exótico!” says the promoter. “The Exotic?” Felipe repeats while shaking Cassandro’s hand. Both exchange flirty glances while the promoter tells Felipe to keep an eye on the fighter and to entertain him: “I want you to show him around, and make sure he has a good time.”

In the film, Saúl Armendáriz, from El Paso, Texas, dreams of becoming a professional luchador after his father introduces him to the sport. In the process, he transforms into Cassandro, an “exótico” who wrestles in drag.

Last week, Entertainment Weekly published a short clip of both characters’ first kiss.

This is not Bad Bunny’s first role on the big screen. Last year, the hitmaker of songs like “Títí Me Preguntó” and “Me Porto Bonito” starred in Bullet Train opposite Brad Pitt. The world of wrestling is also familiar to him. In 2021, Bad Bunny ventured into the wrestling world by jumping off the top rope at the 2021 Royal Rumble. Most recently, the singer defeated Damian Priest in a San Juan Street Fight at WWE’s premium live event Backlash in May.

Cassandro had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival in January. It hit theaters on Sept. 15 and is arriving to Prime Video this Friday (Sept. 22).

18 Sep 2023

Olivia Rodrigo Loves That Your Dad Rocks Out to Her Songs Too: ‘It Just Makes Me Feel Less Alone’

If you’ve been blasting Olivia Rodrigo‘s GUTS album in your room lately and you find your dad singing along a bit too excitedly to “Get Him Back!,” you’re not alone. The 20-year-old singer told People magazine that her angsty pop-punk anthems about teenage drama and the pain of being pure at heart appear to be landing with fans beyond her Gen Z target audience.

“I actually think that I’m really excited by the way that people are getting behind artists that normally would be deemed for young people,” she told the magazine. “I love interacting with fans who are my age and people who are going through the struggles that I’m going through in real time, but it’s been really fun also to experience those girls’ dads be like, ‘Wow, I remember when I was going through that heartbreak.’”

Specifically, Rodrigo said her Grammy-winning Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 breakthrough single “Drivers License” seemed to cross over to a much wider audience than listeners her age experiencing the highs and lows of first love. “I remember when that came out, people of all walks of life would just come up to me and be like, ‘I remember exactly where I was when I was experiencing that heartbreak for the first time,’” Rodrigo said of the 2021 hit. “It’s just such a cool thing to see that we’re all so much more alike than we are different. It just makes me feel less alone. I’m just like, ‘Wow, my experiences aren’t really that unique. Everyone has experienced some sort of pain or loss and insecurity.’”

The good news for Rodrigo — whose sophomore album, GUTS, just debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 album chart in its first week — was that her songs are making it so that “people are starting to take teenage girl music a little more seriously, which I’m really happy about.”

It’s not just dads, though, according to The Daily Beast (pay-walled). The site spoke to AP reporter Maria Sherman, who said that she’s noticed another recent evolution in the demo obsessing over Rodrigo’s music that further widens the singer’s reach. “We’re seeing that conversation evolve where it’s accepted that people of all ages, particularly older women, are relating to and feeling for Olivia Rodrigo, and now there’s a connection with men, too,” she said. “Not to say that they weren’t listening to it, but I’ve certainly seen this conversation come up quite a bit.”

These millennial men, dubbed “Rodri-Bros” by the Beast, have no problem singing along, and relating to, the singer’s emo tales of romantic wreckage. One of those bros, 35-year-old Brooklynite Jeff, said he was a fan because of the “Gen Z of it all. I think I’m just sort of fascinated by that generation. In the last few years, I’ve started realizing that as a smack-dab-in-the-middle millennial, I’m no longer part of the young, fun, progressive generation, at least comparatively. I really like the openness and maturity and vulnerability in her music that I think is indicative of a lot of Gen Z.”

The allure might also have something to do with an initial attraction to Rodrigo’s signature sound, which mixes pop songcraft with a heavy nod to late ’90s and early 2000’s bands that appealed to these guys in the first place, including My Chemical Romance, Paramore and Dashboard Confessional.

The main reason so many of these wicked sensitive dudes say they aren’t afraid to harmonize along with “Deja Vu,” though, is precisely because Rodrigo taps so directly into the universal feelings of being a teenager. “She captures a lot of the experience of being an insecure teen without compromising a more adult voice to do so,” said married high school teacher Jesse, 34. “Even if you don’t like her music, I don’t know that there are many artists that are able to thread that needle in the same way.”

18 Sep 2023

Leslie Jones Says Chris Rock Attended Counseling After Will Smith Oscars Slap: ‘That S–t Was Humiliating’

Even though Chris Rock was able to make jokes about Will Smith slapping him at last year’s Oscars during his live Netflix special earlier this year, Chris Rock: Selective Outrage, good friend Leslie Jones said the effects of that on-stage assault were much deeper than the public has seen.

“That s–t was humiliating. It really affected him,” Jones told People magazine in an interview promoting her new memoir, Leslie F*cking Jones (featuring a forward from Rock). “People need to understand his daughters, his parents, saw that. He had to go to counseling with his daughters.”

Jones said the incident “infuriated” her when she watched Rock get slapped hard across the face by Smith during the awards ceremony. “You don’t know that I was going to jump in my car and roll up there,” she said. “I was so f–king mad on so many levels.” The former SNL cast member and stand-up comedian said that for a long time she was just mad about the incident in which Smith — who would win a best actor Oscar later in the night for his starring role in the Williams family tennis biopic King Richard — stormed the stage and assaulted Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke about wife Jada Pinkett Smith.

“Chris Rock did a f—ing joke,” Jones said of Rock’s quip. I know Will, too… I was like, you couldn’t handle that s–t afterwards. This is the Oscars. The whole world is watching.”

On the night of the incident, Smith leapt from his seat and slapped Rock hard across the face after the comedian made a joke about Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, which, Rock later said, he was not aware was a result of the singer/actress’ struggle with alopecia, an autoimmune disorder that can cause hair loss and balding.

When she talked to Rock about the incident later, Jones said she asked the fellow stand-up why he didn’t just run away when he saw Smith charging at him. “‘I would’ve been running around that stage like “Will, calm down. Jada, call your man!,’” Jones said, adding that she also wished that Smith had reacted to the moment differently. (It did not appear as if People reached out to Smith or Rock’s camps for comment.)

“He could have still fixed it,” she said of Smith, who was back on stage a short time later to accept his best actor award. If Jones had her way, Smith would have offered an immediate, heartfelt apology to Rock, along the lines of: “‘I shouldn’t have did that. Bring Chris out. I can not accept the Oscar right now because that was f—ing wrong.’”

Instead, during his acceptance speech, Smith issued a mea culpa of sorts for his actions earlier in the night — without mentioning Rock — with the comedian later declining to press charges. Following a more formal apology to Rock, Smith resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which banned him from attending any Academy events for 10 years; Smith is still eligible for future Oscar nominations and will keep the award he won in 2022.

18 Sep 2023

Katy Perry Sells Catalog to Litmus Music for $225 Million

Litmus Music, a catalog rights company backed by private-equity giant Carlyle Group LP, said on Monday (Sept. 18) it acquired the rights to Katy Perry’s five studio albums released for Capitol Records, including her Grammy-nominated Teenage Dream.  

According to sources, Litmus paid $225 million for Perry’s stake in the master recording royalties and music publishing rights to her five albums released between 2008 and 2020—One of the Boys, Teenage Dream, PRISM, Witness and Smile. Litmus declined to comment on the deal terms.

Perry’s catalog sale, finalized earlier this year, follows other 2023 music rights deals like Justin Bieber’s $200-million sale to Hipgnosis Songs Capital, demonstrating that household name artists can still command top dollar even as high interest rates moderate investors’ appetites for song rights.

From her breakout single “I Kissed A Girl” in July 2008 to the five chart-topping songs from 2010’s Teenage Dream, Perry has notched a total of nine No. 1s on the Billboard Hot 100. During a musical era that saw major hits from other female pop stars like Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, and Adele, Perry remains the first woman and only second artist ever (after Michael Jackson) to send five songs from the same album to the summit of the Hot 100. Those songs are “California Gurls,” “Firework,” “E.T.,” “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” and “Teenage Dream.”

In addition to releasing 2017’s Witness and 2020’s Smile, Perry is winding down a blockbuster Las Vegas residency that she started in late 2021.

The “Roar” singer’s professional relationship with Dan McCarroll, Litmus co-founder and chief creative officer, dates back to 2010 when McCarroll was president of Capitol Records, the company said.

“Katy Perry is a creative visionary who has made a major impact across music, TV, film, and philanthropy,” McCarroll said. “I’m so honored to be partnering with her again and to help Litmus manage her incredible repertoire.”

Launched in August 2022 with a $500-million-investment from Carlyle’s Global Credit Platform, Litmus has acquired publishing and recording rights of artists from a range of genres, including Keith Urban‘s master recordings and a package of publishing and performance copyrights from super producer benny blanco.

Hank Forsyth, Litmus co-founder and chief executive officer, called Perry’s “essential” songs “part of the global cultural fabric.”

“We are so grateful to be working together again with such a trusted partner,” said Forsyth, an industry veteran previously of Warner Chappell and Blue Note.

“We believe this is a testament to the team’s ability to partner with the world’s top artists. Katy’s iconic songs have not only achieved outstanding commercial success but have significantly influenced popular culture,” said Matt Settle, managing director at Carlyle.

18 Sep 2023

Kenya Grace Eyes Top 3 Finish on U.K. Chart With ‘Strangers’

Kenya Grace’s viral track “Strangers” is taking the elevator on the U.K. chart.

Based on sales and streaming data gathered from the first 48 hours in the chart week, “Strangers” is set for a podium finish; should it hold its early position when the chart proper is presented, “Strangers” would finish at No. 3.

It’s been a strange month for the British artist as her breakthrough hit opened at No. 20 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, for her first appearance on the national tally. Last Friday, Sept. 15, the single rocketed to No. 12.

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“Strangers” is Grace’s first release through a major music company, issued through FFRR, a dance-focused sub-label of Warner Music.

At the top of the chart blast is Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red” (Ministry of Sound), which is on track for a third week at No. 1, while “Vampire” (Geffen), lifted from Olivia Rodrigo’s current No. 1 album Guts, is set to retain second place.

Meanwhile, Casso, RAYE and D-Block Europe’s “Prada” (Ministry of Sound) is poised to lift 5-4, for a new high, while Tate McRae’s viral number “Greedy” (RCA) could land the Canadian singer-songwriter a third U.K. top 10 appearance. It’s expected to start its chart journey at No. 9, for what would be the week’s highest debut. McRae previously impacted the top tier with “You Broke Me First” (No. 3 peak in 2020) and with her Tiesto collaboration “10:35” (No. 8 in 2022).

Finally, Issey Cross’s drum ‘n’ bass number “Bittersweet Goodbye,” which interpolates the Verve’s 1997 hit “Bitter Sweet Symphony” (Atlantic), which in turn is based on the strings sample from the Rolling Stones’ 1960s release “The Last Time,” could bounce into the top 20 for the first time. It’s up 22-19 on the chart blast. “Bittersweet Goodbye” is the British artist’s third U.K. top 40 appearance, and her highest charting record to-date.

All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Singles Chart is published late Friday, Sept. 22.

18 Sep 2023

Doja Cat Nabs Another U.K. Chart Title With ‘Paint The Town Red’

Doja Cat holds off a hattrick of hot Olivia Rodrigo numbers for a second week at No. 1 in the U.K. with “Paint The Town Red” (via Ministry of Sound).

The leader at the midweek stage, “Paint The Town Red” completes the cycle as the most-streamed track in the country for a second consecutive week, the Official Charts Company reports.

As Rodrigo scores her second albums chart title, with Guts (via Geffen), three songs from it spill on up the U.K. singles chart.

Former chart-topper “Vampire” is up 3-2, while “Bad Idea Right” soars 12-3, for a new peak position. Also, Rodrigo owns the highest new entry on the latest Official U.K. Singles Chart, published Sept. 15, as “Get Him Back” bows at No. 7, for her seventh U.K. top 10.

Also heading north on the weekly tally is Fred Again and Obongjayar’s “Adore U” (Atlantic) up 9-4; Cassö, RAYE & D-Block Europe’s “Prada” (Ministry of Sound) up 7-5; newcomer Kenya Grace’s viral number “Strangers” (FFRR), up 20-12 in its second week; and Troye Sivan’s “Rush” (Polydor) up 22-21.

BTS member V bags his first solo singles chart top 40 entry with “Slow Dancing” (BigHit Entertainment), from his solo debut LP Layover. It’s new at No. 24. As a member of BTS, V has an additional nine top 40 appearances, with three of those songs reaching No. 3.

Leigh-Anne enjoys a top 40 debut with “My Love” (Warner Records) featuring Ayra Starr. It’s new at No. 28 for both artist’s second top 40 appearance.

Meanwhile, the Rolling Stones’ roll into the chart once more. “Angry,” lifted from the legendary rock band’s forthcoming album Hackney Diamonds, is new at No. 34. The Rock And Roll Hall of Famers now boast 44 top 40 hits in their homeland, across a career spanning more than 60 years.

Finally, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion crack the top 40 with their latest collaboration “Bongos” (Atlantic), new at No. 35. It’s the followup to the U.S. rappers’ controversial hit from 2020 “WAP,” which spent three weeks at No. 1. “Bongos” is Cardi’s 14th and Megan’s fifth U.K. top 40.

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17 Sep 2023

Olivia Rodrigo Roars to U.K. No. 1 With ‘Guts’

Olivia Rodrigo is crowned on the U.K. albums chart as Guts (Geffen) flies to No. 1.

At the midweek point, Guts had what appeared to be an unassailable lead, capturing 33,000 combined sales. That proved to be the case when the Official U.K. Albums Chart was published late Friday, Sept. 15, with Guts cruising to the top with 60,300 chart units, the Official Charts Company reports.

Not only was Guts the best-selling and most-streamed album of the latest chart cycle, it outsold the rest of the top 10 combined for the biggest first-week tally for any LP in 2023.

Rodrigo is now a perfect two-from-two. Her debut from 2021, Sour, spent five weeks at the summit and racked up a handful of U.K. chart records.

When Sour and “Good 4 U” reached No. 1 in the same week in May 2021, Rodrigo became the youngest solo artist in history to nab the chart double, aged 18 years and 3 months.

Also, Sour set a benchmark for the most first-week streams for a debut album in the U.K. Then, in June 2021, the U.S. pop singer became the first female solo artist to claim three simultaneous U.K. top 5 singles with “Good 4 U,” “Déjà vu” and “Traitor.” With three No. 1s, she’s the female solo artist with the most U.K. No. 1 singles this decade.

As Guts completes its sprint to the top, Sour enjoys a return to the top 10. Rodrigo’s debut effort rises 18-8 in its 121st week on the tally. Guts separately reigns over the Billboard 200, and the ARIA Albums Chart.

Unchanged at No. 2 on the latest U.K. survey is Travis Scott’s former leader Utopia (RCA), while English indie rockers the Coral enter at No. 3 with Sea of Mirrors (Modern Sky/Run On), for their seventh top 10 appearance. The Wirral indie band also appears further down the list with accompanying album Holy Joe’s Coral Island Medicine Show, new at No. 36.

Former Moloko singer Roisin Murphy enjoys her first solo top 10 appearance with Hit Parade (Ninja Tune), new at No. 5; veteran electronic pair the Chemical Brothers land a tenth U.K. top 10 with For That Beautiful Feeling (EMI), new at No. 6; and M Huncho’s My Neighbours Don’t Know (MYB) starts at No. 9, for the masked U.K. rapper’s fourth top 10.

Outside the top tier are new releases from the xx vocalist Romy (Mid Air at No. 15 via Young), Public Service Broadcasting (This New Noise at No. 28 via Test Card), Fleetwood Mac (Rumours Live at No. 34 via Rhino) and Yussef Dayes (Black Classical Music at No. 37 via Brownswood Recordings).

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