News

06 Sep 2023

NAMM Becomes the Presenting Sponsor of the 2024 She Rocks Awards

NAMM (the National Association of Music Merchants) will be the presenting sponsor of the 2024 She Rocks Awards, the Women’s International Music Network (the WiMN) announced on Wednesday (Sept. 6). Taking place on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, the event will be held in the Ballroom at the Anaheim Convention Center during the NAMM show.

The She Rocks Awards has become a premier event during the NAMM Show, bringing together industry professionals, artists, fans, and the media to celebrate the contributions of women from across the music and audio industries. 2024 will mark the event’s 12th anniversary.

“We’ve always aligned the She Rocks Awards to happen during NAMM. Now we are delighted to have NAMM support us as a partner to encourage participation in this meaningful event,” Laura B. Whitmore, founder of the She Rocks Awards and the WiMN, said in a statement.

“Our partnership with the WiMN continues to elevate and promote the tremendous achievements by so many incredible women in the music industry,” said John Mlynczak, NAMM president and CEO. “The NAMM Show will continue to provide critical platforms such as the She Rock Awards to highlight and celebrate incredible women who shape our industry’s future. Along with Women of NAMM and the WiMN, we have great potential to grow our show on a yearly basis.”

This evening includes live music, awards and speeches, dinner, a silent auction, gift bags and more. Tickets are now on sale. This event is open to the public; however, a 2024 NAMM show badge is required to attend the She Rocks Awards. Find out more and purchase tickets at sherocksawards.com.

Past honorees of the She Rocks Awards include Go-Go’s, Dionne Warwick, Nancy Wilson, Lzzy Hale, Gloria Gaynor, Judy Collins, Linda Perry, Melissa Etheridge, Pat Benatar, The B-52s, Colbie Caillat, Sheila E, Chaka Khan, Noelle Scaggs (Fitzs & the Tantrums), Ronnie Spector, Orianthi and The Bangles.

The 2024 She Rocks Awards is sponsored by NAMM (presenting), Sweetwater, PRS Guitars, Positive Grid, Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp Foundation, Reverb.com, Fishman, Shure, Berklee Online, M.A.C Cosmetics, Exploration.io, 108 Rock Star Guitars, Roland, Taylor Guitars, Earthquaker Devices, dw Drums, Cuccio, DiGiCo, Seymour Duncan, Monster Energy, Guitar Girl Magazine, Music Connection, AXS TV and more. For information regarding She Rocks Awards sponsorship opportunities, contact info@thewimn.com

Learn more about the She Rocks Awards and get tickets at sherocksawards.com.

The 2024 NAMM Show will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center Jan. 25-28, 2024 with online registration at registration@namm.org.

Founded in 2012, the WiMN unites women who work within all facets of the music and audio industries. The organization produces and hosts events such as the WiMN She Rocks Showcase series, the She Rocks Awards, and a variety of workshops and panels throughout the year. For more information, visit www.TheWiMN.com.

NAMM is a not-for-profit association with a mission to strengthen the $17 billion music products industry. NAMM is comprised of 15,000 global member companies and individual professionals. For more information, visit www.namm.org.

06 Sep 2023

Pop Culture Rewind: The Weeknd’s Biggest No.1 Song on the Hot 100 | Billboard News

We’re taking a look at the chart history of pop superstar The Weeknd and the moment his song “Blinding Lights” topped Billboard‘s list of Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Songs, spending a record 90 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.

Evan Burke:
From blinding us with his lights to saving us from our tears, The Weeknd has amassed quite the list of Billboard hits, including the biggest Hot 100 songs of all time. We break it down in today’s Pop Culture Rewind.

Although The Weeknd had already been churning out music, he didn’t first reach the Billboard Hot 100 until 2012, and it was with an assist from Drake on “Crew Love,” a track from the fellow Canadian’s album Take Care. Later that year, The Weeknd — real name Abel — grabbed his first solo track on the list with “Wicked Games.”

His first top 10 was with who would become a frequent collaborator — Ariana Grande on her “Love Me Harder” in 2014. The world had grown to know who he was, and by August 2015, he nabbed his first Hot 100 No.1 hit with “Can’t Feel My Face.”

By 2021, he’d gone on to take the world’s biggest stage at the Super Bowl and grab a total of nine No.1 hits including the biggest Hot 100 hit of all time, “Blinding Lights.” That year, the massive song dethroned Chubby Checker’s 1960 smash “The Twist” as Billboard‘s greatest song of all time based on total weeks on the chart, as well as exact chart positions. The tracks spent 90 weeks on the Hot 100 with four of them at No.1.

After diving into TV and more, we know we still have so much more to come from The Weeknd. We’ll have another huge moment for you next week in our Pop Culture Rewind.

06 Sep 2023

Katy Perry Debuts New Booties Your Feet Will Be Begging to Show Off: Shop It Here

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Katy Perry has a new hit for us — well, for our fall wardrobes, that is. The American Idol judge has deemed crocodile print to be the it look to rock this fall, but specifically in a bootie form. As you ditch your comfortable sandals and opt for closed-toe shoes for the cooler temps, Perry’s shoe brand, Katy Perry Collections, has a new statement bootie to add to your rotation.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

On Tuesday (Sept. 5), the “Never Really Over” singer showed off a chic pair of green booties with the reptilian print at its center in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter).

“Crocodile. Rocks,” the caption said.

As you create your cool weather capsule wardrobe, a fun pair of shoes can instantly take a look from cute to awe-worthy — and Perry has just the pair to wear.

Keep reading to shop the fall fashion staple.

green crocodile print bootie

Katy Perry Collections

The Hollow Heel

$129

Perry is ready to take over more than just your playlists — the singer’s latest booties boast a handmade upper designed from patent Croco material. Get ready to take your outfits to new heights (literally), as the shoe comes with a 3-inch heel. The style also comes in three shades: green, brown and black, making it versatile enough to pair with pleated skirts, baggy jeans, flowy dresses and more.

Inside, you can expect a manmade textile lining that leads to a fashionable square-to end. The footbed is also padded to help keep your feet supported and comfortable whether you’re headed to happy hour or date night.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best platform boots, jelly shoes and shoes for travel.

06 Sep 2023

Josh Groban, John Mellencamp, The War and Treaty & More to Perform at 2023 Stand Up for Heroes

Stand Up for Heroes — New York’s annual event that honors the veterans, as well as their families, who have served in the in the military — has set its date and revealed star-studded list of performers for 2023. The event will return this fall on Nov. 6, and will take place the David Geffen Hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The night will feature performances from Josh Groban, John Mellencamp, The War and Treaty and more. Stand Up for Heroes is presented by the Bob Woodruff Foundation and the New York Comedy Festival (NYCF), and will additionally feature sets from comedians Jimmy Carr, Ronny Chieng, Shane Gillis, Tracy Morgan, Jon Stewart and actress Rita Wilson.

“I’m thrilled to announce the 17th annual Stand Up for Heroes, an amazing night of hope, healing, and laughter to honor our nation’s veterans and their families,” Woodruff said in a statement. “The evening will include a fantastic lineup of comedic and musical performances. Beyond that, Stand Up for Heroes will shine a light on the incredible service and sacrifice of our veterans, service members, and their families, and raise important funds to support the men and women who have had our back and who now need us to have theirs.”

Tickets for the event are offered in tiers, with the third tier tickets prices starting at $175 and going up to $5,000 for orchestra seating. Military personnel can purchase tickets using a GOVX discount; tickets can be purchased on the Bob Woodruff Foundation website or at Lincoln Center box office.

06 Sep 2023

Streaming Services Must Pay Songwriters Late Fees on Delayed Payments

The U.S. Copyright Office issued a ruling on Tuesday (Sept. 5), confirming that songwriters and publishers are owed late fees when streaming services do not pay royalties to the Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) on time. This, however, does not apply to the major adjustments in royalty payments currently underway following the re-setting of Phonorecords III rates (2018-2022), according to the office. 

Late fees have been an ongoing debate between the music publishing industry and streaming services dating back to the passage of the Music Modernization Act (the MMA) in 2018. That landmark law switched how streaming services licensed music, from a song-by-song piecemeal system — which many considered ineffective and cumbersome — to a blanket licensing regime instead. 

The law took effect starting Jan. 1, 2021, requiring digital music providers like Spotify and Apple Music to go to the newly created MLC to obtain a blanket mechanical license to reproduce music on these platforms. As part of the new system, streamers had to pay out royalties owed to the MLC, which then pays the writers and publishers, each month. More specifically, the law stipulates mechanicals are due “45 calendar days after the end of the monthly reporting period.”

After that, any lagging payment is considered late and subject to additional penalties, according to the MMA. For the current period of Phonorecords IV (2023-2027), the Copyright Royalty Board judges say that a streaming service must pay a late fee of 1.5% per month, or the highest lawful rate, whichever of those two is lower, for any payment owed to the music’s copyright owners that hadn’t been paid on time. The late fees accrue from the due date until the copyright owner receives payment. 

The main source of debate around late fees is whether they should apply in the case of a monthly payment that needs adjustment after it is paid out. Streaming services have argued that “‘[i]f a service is following the regulations by making a reasonable estimate of an input it does not know the value of, it should not be penalized with a late fee even if it so happens that the estimate is too low.” 

On the other side, the MLC has argued that allowing such exceptions would incentivize the streaming services to intentionally draw up payment estimates that undervalue what is owed to songwriters and publishers. 

The Tuesday ruling by the Copyright Office settles the debate: “The Office concludes that the statute’s due date provisions are unambiguous. The statute’s reference to ‘due date for payment’ clearly refers to the date on which monthly royalty payments are required to be delivered to the MLC, i.e., no later than forty-five days after the end of the monthly reporting period.”

“This is a major victory for music creators who have waited far too long to be made whole from the appeal which significantly delayed their compensation,” says NMPA President and CEO David Israelite. “The USCO’s decision reiterates our assertion that the due dates are unambiguous and any past-due payments to the MLC must come with appropriate statutory penalties.”

06 Sep 2023

A.I.-Generated Song That Mimics Drake & The Weeknd Submitted for Grammy Consideration

After the anonymous artist Ghostwriter went viral with their A.I.-generated track “Heart on My Sleeve” — which mimics Drake and The Weeknd — earlier this year, representatives for the unknown act recently disclosed in an interview with The New York Times that they submitted the controversial song for next year’s Grammy awards. 

Submitted for best rap song and song of the year, “Heart on My Sleeve” was eligible despite the use of A.I. technology on the record, Harvey Mason, jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, told The New York Times. “As far as the creative side, it’s absolutely eligible because it was written by a human,” he noted.

Billboard has reached out to Drake and The Weeknd for comment. 

Last April, “Heart on My Sleeve” was pulled from streaming services after generating more than 600,000 plays on Spotify and 275,000 views on YouTube. Following the outrage, Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, TIDAL and Deezer yanked the song from their respective platforms. In a statement to Billboard, UMG denounced the track and usage of A.I. by saying the viral postings “demonstrate why platforms have a fundamental legal and ethical responsibility to prevent the use of their services in ways that harm artists.”

Mason told the paper that he sent Ghostwriter a direct message on social media after the song’s explosion and organized a virtual roundtable discussion with the Recording Academy to understand further the powers of A.I. Ghostwriter attended the meeting with a distorted voice, further hiding their identity. 

“I knew right away as soon as I heard that record that it was going to be something that we had to grapple with from an Academy standpoint, but also from a music community and industry standpoint,” said Mason. “When you start seeing A.I. involved in something so creative and so cool, relevant and of-the-moment, it immediately starts you thinking, ‘OK, where is this going? How is this going to affect creativity? What’s the business implication for monetization?’”

The Recording Academy announced Artificial Intelligence “protocols” earlier this year. “Only human creators are eligible to be submitted for consideration for, nominated for, or win a Grammy Award,” the Academy stipulated. “A work that contains no human authorship is not eligible in any category. The Academy may disqualify any entry in a particular category if it determines, in the Academy’s sole discretion, that such entry does not incorporate meaningful and more than de minimis human authorship that is relevant to such category. {The Academy offered a definition of that term: “De minimis is defined as lacking significance or importance, so minor as to merit disregard.”

On Tuesday (Sept. 5), Ghostwriter returned with a new A.I.-generated song titled “Whiplash,” featuring vocals that sound like Travis Scott and 21 Savage. The record mimics both artists and pokes fun at Ghostwriter’s detractors with lines such as “Me and Writer raise a toast/ Trying to shadowban my boy but you can’t kill a ghost.”

Billboard has reached out to reps for Scott and Savage. Listen to the song below.

06 Sep 2023

Miley Cyrus Says Her Divorce From Liam Hemsworth Came From ‘A Place of Love’

Miley Cyrus has clearly been having a good time revisiting some of the peak moments of her long career in the ongoing TikTok video series “Used to Be Young.” She’s reminisced about not making a dime on her Bangerz tour, the real story behind the “stripper pole” during her 2009 Teen Choice performance and recalled how Beyoncé and Rihanna treated her like a “little sister” the year before.

But in the latest clip posted on Wednesday morning (Sept. 6), Miley said she wanted to get serious for a moment while discussing the dissolution of her marriage to actor Liam Hemsworth. She revealed that around the time she was getting ready to headline England’s Glastonbury Festival in June 2019, the decision had been made that “me and Liam’s commitment to being married, just really… came from of course a place of love first because we’d been together for 10 years,” she said in part 37 of the series.

But, Cyrus added, it also came from a place of “trauma and just trying to rebuild as quickly as we could.” Cyrus said the day of the show was the same day she decided that “it was no longer going to work in my life,” in reference to the couple’s marriage.

“That was another moment when the work, the performance, the character came first,” she added, noting that since that time she’s dedicated herself to not prioritizing those professional things over the personal. “The human comes first,” she said.

Cyrus, 30, and Hemsworth, 33, met while filming her movie The Last Song in 2010 and got married in 2018, the split in August 2019 after less than one year as man and wife. In a “Used to Be Young” video posted last week, she reacted to a photo in which she was kissing Hemsworth, which sparked memories about the origins of their love.

“I think one of the elements that made that movie feel so special was it was watching two very young people fall in love with each other, which was happening in real time and real life,” she said. “So, the chemistry was undeniable and that was the beginning of a long, 10-year relationship.”

Watch Cyrus talk about her divorce below.

06 Sep 2023

Beyoncé Improvised a Voices Reference for Tia Mowry at Renaissance Show: See How She Reacted

Tia Mowry was left blown away by Beyoncé after the pop superstar improvised an impressive tribute to the 45-year-old actress’ childhood singing group Voices, just seconds after spotting Mowry in the Monday (Sept. 4) Renaissance World Tour audience.

The on-the-fly tribute came as Bey was singing “1 + 1” onstage, during which she clocked Mowry enjoying the show. After blowing Mowry a kiss, she seamlessly inserted a snippet of Voices’ 1992 song “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!” into her performance without even a second of pause: “Yeah, yeah, yeah, the boy makes me say.”

“From the beginning, Beyoncé’s undeniable talent is only rivaled by her incredible kindness and generosity,” Mowry wrote on Instagram after the concert, sharing a Destiny’s Child era photo of her meeting Bey with her twin sister and Voices bandmate Tamera Mowry. “You can truly see how amazing and detailed an artist she is, and how much thought and love was put into this show.”

The Sister, Sister alum also shared a snap of her metallic concert outfit, as well as a clip of her dancing along to the show. “The highlight of the night was when she saw me in the crowd, and she gave me a smile and a hello, and then started singing ‘yeah, yeah, yeah’ from when @tameramowrytwo and I were in the singing group, Voices!” she continued. “I was so touched by her gesture, and I still can’t believe that it truly happened!”

“She’s a true icon, who continuously inspires me with her talent, dedication, humility, and beautiful spirit,” Mowry added.

The Twitches actress was just one of many stars who showed up to Beyoncé’s Monday concert in their best silver attire, with Lizzo, Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry and Adele all spotted by fans in the audience that night at SoFi Stadium. Some of Hollywood’s most famous couples were also in attendance, including Zendaya and Tom Holland, Justin and Hailey Bieber, and, making their public debut as a pair, Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner.

The show just so happened to coincide with Bey’s 42nd birthday, for which none other than Diana Ross came onstage as a surprise guest to help celebrate. The 79-year-old legend led the crowd in singing “Happy Birthday” to the “Break My Soul” musician, who also commemorated the night with an emotional speech thanking her fans, family and former Destiny’s Child bandmates.

See the moment Beyoncé spotted Tia Mowry in the crowd at the Renaissance Tour below:

06 Sep 2023

The Rolling Stones’ First Album of New Songs in 18 Years Promises ‘Damn Funky Riffs’ and Lady Gaga

LONDON — The Rolling Stones unveiled details of their first studio album of original material in 18 years — and the band’s first since the death of drummer Charlie Watts – at a packed-out press conference in London on Wednesday (Sept. 6).

Hackney Diamonds, the group’s 24th studio album, will be released Oct. 20, Mick Jagger, Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards announced at an invite-only launch event at London’s historic Hackney Empire theatre.

The event, which was hosted by Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon and streamed globally on YouTube, culminated in the premiere of the band’s new single “Angry” — a classic Stones-style rock tune built around a funky guitar riff, catchy chorus and Jagger’s instantly recognizable yelped vocals — and its accompanying video starring Emmy-nominated actress Sydney Sweeney (The White Lotus, Euphoria), who was at the launch.

Hackney Diamonds is the Stones’ first studio album of new songs since 2005’s A Bigger Bang.

Talking about the 12-track record, which features two songs the band recorded with drummer Charlie Watts in 2019, Richards paid tribute to his former band mate, who died in 2021 aged 80.

“Ever since Charlie’s gone, it’s been different. He’s number four. Of course, he’s missed,” said Richards.

The guitarist said that Watts had personally recommended drummer Steve Jordan, who toured with the band last year and plays on 10 tracks on Hackney Diamonds, to replace him if ever “anything should happen to him.”

“It would have been a lot harder without Charlie’s blessing,” Richards, wearing a trademark trilby hat and dark glasses, told Fallon.

Referring to the almost two-decade-long gap between the new album and A Bigger Bang, Jagger pointed out that the band has “been on the road most of the time,” but joked, “maybe we were a bit too lazy.”

The 80-year-old singer said he got together with Richards and Wood just before Christmas last year and gave themselves a deadline of Valentine’s Day to make “a go of” a new record.

23 tracks were recorded in total, said Jagger, before the group settled on the final 12 songs. Track titles revealed by Fallon included “Mess It Up,” “Whole Wide World,” “Live By The Sword and “Depending On You,” which Jagger said was about “relying on someone and they let you down.”

Another song entitled “Sweet Sound Of Heaven” features Lady Gaga, one of a number of superstar musicians rumoured to feature on the LP, the group confirmed.

The Rolling Stones’ original bassist Bill Wyman also plays on one track, Jagger confirmed, while Richards sings “Tell Me Straight,” although he confessed “I have no idea what it’s about.” Hackney Diamonds was produced by Andrew Watt, who Jagger said, “kicked us up the arse.”

The singer — who was in jovial mood, joking with his bandmates and Fallon throughout the press conference and at one point joined the host in an impromptu version of 1965’s “Off The Hook” — said the mood of the album was “angry” and “eclectic” and spanned a range of genres, including love songs and ballads.

Richards said alternative titles they considered for the album included “Hit And Run” and “Smash And Grab” before the trio agreed upon Hackney Diamonds – a reference to the London district of Hackney, where the launch took place. The band choose the title as they are “a London band,” said Richards.

“I don’t want to be big-headed, but we wouldn’t have put this album out if we hadn’t really liked it,” Jagger told the audience, made up of media and journalists from around the world.

“We said we had to make a record we really love ourselves,” said the vocalist. “We are quite pleased with it. We are not big-headed about it, but we hope you all like it.”

Richards said that the album contained a collection of “damn funky riffs.”

According to a press release from the Rolling Stones’ label Universal Music Group/Geffen, Hackney Diamonds was recorded in various locations around the world, including Los Angeles’ Henson Recording Studios, London’s Metropolis Studios and New York’s Electric Lady Studios and The Hit Factory/Germano Studios.

06 Sep 2023

Warner Music Group’s Interval Unveils New Podcast Series ‘Amplify Color’

Interval Presents, Warner Music Group’s in-house podcast network, is announcing the launch of its latest series. Amplify Color, premiering Sept. 13, will chronicle the history of Black radio in 14 episodes hosted by veteran Atlanta DJ, two-time Emmy winner and Black Radio Hall of Fame member Ryan Cameron.  

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

“Stepping into the world of Amplify Color has been an electrifying experience,” said Cameron in a statement. “As someone deeply rooted in the radio industry, I’m honored to host this incredible series that unravels the dynamic stories of radio luminaries. This podcast is not just about radio history, but about the unbreakable spirit that has driven change and inspired countless individuals. Join us as we journey through the remarkable tales that have woven the fabric of Black radio.”

You can listen to it here.

The cast of radio luminaries delving into Black radio’s past, present and future includes pioneers and contemporary stars such as Jack L. Cooper, Petey Greene, Cathy Hughes, Dyana Williams, Tom Joyner, Mr. Magic, Stretch and Bobbito, Robin Quivers, Big Boy, Sway Calloway, Wendy Williams and Charlamagne tha God. Also on tap: a bonus episode featuring the aforementioned Cameron and Allan Coye, senior vp, digital strategy & business development and GM of Interval Presents at Warner Music Group.

“This series embodies our commitment to amplify diverse voices through premium storytelling and is a great overlap with the industry that Interval Presents lives in,” commented Coye. “It underscores the vital contributions of icons who shaped the radio industry by shedding light on their lasting impact.”

As noted, the first episode of Amplify Color will premiere Wednesday, Sept. 13, on all major podcast platforms. Subsequent episodes will be released weekly on Wednesdays. The series is produced by audio-first media company Double Elvis.

Amplify Color Show Art

Courtesy Photo