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13 Oct 2022

How to Vote for the 2022 American Music Awards

You’ve probably heard that the American Music Awards are voted on entirely by fans, unlike the Grammy Awards, which are voted on strictly by members of the Recording Academy.

But how exactly do you vote in the AMAs, if you are so inclined?

Nominations for the 2022 AMAs were announced on Thursday (Oct. 13). Fan voting is now open in all but one of this year’s 37 categories. Voting in that category, favorite K-pop artist, will open on Nov. 1.

Let’s answer some questions you may have about voting and, while we’re at it, a few general questions about the AMAs.

How can you vote?

There are two methods for AMAs fan voting – web voting and Twitter voting. To vote via the web, head to VoteAMAs.com.

To vote via Twitter, you must include the following in a tweet from a public Twitter account:

Artist Categories: Artist name, award category name and #AMAs

Song Categories: Song title, award category name and #AMAs

Album Categories: Album title, award category name and #AMAs

An example of a valid Twitter vote would be: I’m voting for Toni Braxton for artist of the year at the #AMAs!

Toni Braxton is nominated for artist of the year?!

No. I just didn’t think it would be right to use a current nominee as an example. Gotta keep this scrupulously fair.

Okay, now I’m curious. Who is nominated for artist of the year?

Adele, Bad Bunny, Beyoncé, Drake, Harry Styles, Taylor Swift and The Weeknd.

That sounds about right.

Agreed, though Kendrick Lamar, Future, Lizzo, BTS and Ed Sheeran might think differently. There are always people who just miss the cut, even with an expanded seven slots. There were only five nominees in each of the last five years.

Any other rules I should know about?

Retweets of valid votes also count as a vote. You may only cast a vote for one category and one nominee per tweet.

How many times may you vote per day?

Up to 22 times per day, per category, per voting method.

So, this show really measures fan enthusiasm. The artist with the most hard-core fans is probably going to win.

That’s pretty much it.

When does voting close for award categories other than favorite K-pop artist?

Monday, Nov. 14, at 11:59:59 p.m. PT.

Since voting is just now opening up, how were the nominations determined?

Nominees are based on key fan interactions – as reflected on the Billboard charts – including streaming, album and song sales, radio airplay, and tour grosses. These measurements are tracked by Billboard and its data partner Luminate, and cover the eligibility period of Sept. 24, 2021, through Sept. 22, 2022 (representing Billboard chart dates of Oct. 9, 2021, through Oct. 1, 2022).

I’m sorry, I missed your story about the nominations (but I promise to read it later). Who are this year’s top nominees?

Bad Bunny is the top nominee, with eight nods, including his first nod for artist of the year. Beyoncé, Drake and Taylor Swift are close behind with six nods each. Adele, Harry Styles, The Weeknd and Future each received five nods.

Are there any new categories this year?

The AMAs added or revived six categories this year – favorite K-pop artist, favorite Afrobeats artist, favorite rock song, favorite rock album, favorite touring artist and favorite soundtrack. This is a breakthrough for K-pop and Afrobeats, which have not previously had AMAs categories dedicated to them.

Did any categories bite the dust?

The AMAs dropped one category this year – favorite trending song, won last year by Megan Thee Stallion’s “Body.”

Is it true that Dick Clark created the show?

It is. The legendary TV producer created the AMAs as a popular alternative to the Grammys. In the first five years of the show, it focused on just three broad genres – pop/rock, soul/R&B and country. The show has expanded its focus as music has become more diverse. But there are still no categories for some more specialized genres that the Grammys include, such as classical and jazz. This is the 50th edition of the AMAs, by the way. The show has aired on ABC continuously since 1974, marking one of the longest continuous network relationships for any awards show.

When will this year’s show air?

The American Music Awards are set to air live from Microsoft Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles on Sunday, Nov. 20, at 8 p.m. ET and on tape delay at 8 p.m. PT on ABC. A host has not yet been announced. Cardi B hosted last year’s show.

Is there any way I can go to see the show in person?

Tickets are now on sale now at AXS.com.

dick clark productions is owned by Eldridge, which is an investor in Billboard’s parent company Penske Media Corporation.

13 Oct 2022

Dan Auerbach-Led The Arcs Prepping First Album in 8 Years, ‘Electronic Chronic’

Black Keys singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach‘s side project, The Arcs, will release their first album in 8 years in early 2023. Electronic Chronic — the follow-up to the band’s 2015 debut, Yours, Dreamily — is due out on Jan. 27 through Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound label.

The band previewed the 12-track album on Thursday (Oct. 13) the the funky first single, “Keep on Dreamin’,” which dropped along with a psychedelic, pinball-themed animated video directed and illustrated by Robert Schober, with character design by El Oms. The collection was produced by Auerbach and bandmate guitarist/keyboardist Leon Michels and it features contributions from late drummer Richard Swift.

In a press release announcing the project, Auerbach said, “whether it was New York city or Nashville or L.A., or Swift’s hometown of Cottage Grove, Oregon, wherever we were, we would always get in the studio together. It was our favorite thing to do. It’s rare that you meet a group of people that you click with like that, who you instantly bond with. We were just having fun, making sounds, making music. It was an amazing time for me.”

Michels added that the band — which also includes bassist Nick Movshon and drummer Homer Steinweiss — laid down between 80 and 100 tracks in what he described as near-constant recording sessions after the release of Dreamily. “It was so so much fun to be in the studio once again, so we were just making music all the time,” he said. “I think there was always a plan to make a follow-up record.”

Auerbach said Chronic is “all about” honoring Swift, who died in July 2018 from complications from hepatitis and liver/kidney distress. “It’s a way for us to say goodbye to him, by revisiting him playing and laughing,” he said. “It was heavy at times, but I think it was really helpful to do it.”

Check out the “Keep on Dreamin’” video and the Electronic Chronic track list below.

Track list:

  1. “Keep on Dreamin’”
  2. “Eyez”
  3. “Heaven Is a Place”
  4. “Califone Interlude”
  5. “River”
  6. “Sunshine”
  7. “A Man Will Do Wrong”
  8. “Behind the Eyes”
  9. “Backstage Mess”
  10. “Sporting Girls Interlude”
  11. “Love Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”
  12. “Only One For Me”

13 Oct 2022

Bad Bunny Leads 2022 American Music Awards Nominations: Full List

Bad Bunny leads the nominations for the 2022 American Music Awards with eight nods, including his first for artist of the year. If the Puerto Rican superstar wins in all eight categories, he would tie Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston for the most AMAs in a single year.

Beyoncé, Drake and Taylor Swift are close behind with six nods each. That makes Bey and Swift the year’s top female nominees. The two powerhouses are facing off in three categories — artist of the year, favorite female pop artist and favorite pop album.

Adele, Harry Styles, The Weeknd and Future each received five nods. Imagine Dragons and Måneskin are tied as the group with the most nods – four. Jack Harlow and Tems also received four nods.

The American Music Awards are set to air live from Microsoft Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles on Sunday, Nov. 20, at 8 p.m. ET, and via tape delay at 8 p.m. PT, on ABC. A host has not yet been announced. Cardi B hosted last year’s show.

There are seven nominees for artist of the year, up from five nominees in each of the last five years. Swift received her record-extending ninth nomination in the category; Drake, his sixth; The Weeknd, his fifth. Adele, Beyoncé and Styles each received their third – counting Styles’ two previous nods with One Direction. As noted, this was Bad Bunny’s first nod in the category.

Swift holds the record for the most wins in the artist of the year category (six). She also holds the record for most AMA wins overall (34).

The AMAs added or revived six categories this year – favorite K-pop artist, favorite Afrobeats artist, favorite rock song, favorite rock album, favorite touring artist and favorite soundtrack. This is a breakthrough for K-pop and Afrobeats, which have not previously had AMAs categories dedicated to them. Favorite touring artist was dropped the last two years because of the pandemic, when relatively few people went to concerts. Favorite soundtrack was dropped last year when moviegoing was down for the same reason.

The AMAs dropped one category this year – favorite trending song, won last year by Megan Thee Stallion’s “Body.”

With two nods (collaboration of the year and favorite touring artist), Elton John makes history as the longest-recognized artist in AMA history. He was nominated for favorite pop/rock male artist in 1974 at the inaugural American Music Awards. He lost to singer/songwriter Jim Croce, whose death in a September 1973 plane crash triggered a tremendous sales surge.

More than 40 artists received their first-ever nominations this year, including the aforementioned Harlow and Tems (four nods each), Latto (three), Blackpink (one), Anitta (one), and Swedish House Mafia (one).

The nominations announcement kicked off ABC’s Good Morning America with a reveal of the 2022 new artist of the year nominees — Dove Cameron, Gayle, Latto, Måneskin and Steve Lacy. The segment featured a video of two-time AMA winner Becky G surprising this year’s nominees with the news. Additional nominees were announced via the AMAs’ Twitter account.

The AMAs bill themselves as “the world’s largest fan-voted awards show.” They further tout that last year’s show was the most social telecast of 2021 with 46.5 million interactions.

Nominees are based on key fan interactions – as reflected on the Billboard charts – including streaming, album and song sales, radio airplay, and tour grosses. These measurements are tracked by Billboard and its data partner Luminate, and cover the eligibility period of Sept. 24, 2021, through Sept. 22, 2022 (representing Billboard chart dates of Oct. 9, 2021, through Oct. 1, 2022).

The 2022 American Music Awards are produced by dick clark productions and Jesse Collins Entertainment. Collins, founder and CEO of the company that bears his name, returns as showrunner and executive producer. Dionne Harmon and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay, two of the top executives in Collins’ company, and Larry Klein, a longtime member of the AMAs production inner circle, are also executive producers.

This is the 50th edition of the show, which was created by TV music/variety OG Dick Clark in 1973. The show has aired on ABC continuously since 1974, marking one of the longest continuous network relationships for any awards show.

Tickets are now on sale now at www.axs.com

Here’s a complete list of 2022 American Music Awards nominees:

Artist of the year
Adele
Bad Bunny
Beyoncé
Drake
Harry Styles
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd

New artist of the year
Dove Cameron
Gayle
Latto
Måneskin
Steve Lacy

Collaboration of the year
Carolina Gaitán, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz & Encanto Cast, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”
Elton John & Dua Lipa, “Cold Heart – PNAU Remix”
Future ft. Drake & Tems, “Wait For U”
Lil Nas X ft. Jack Harlow, “Industry Baby”
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, “Stay”

Favorite touring artist
Bad Bunny
Coldplay
Ed Sheeran
Elton John
The Rolling Stones

Favorite music video
Adele, “Easy on Me”
Bad Bunny ft. Chencho Corleone, “Me Porto Bonito”
Harry Styles, “As It Was”
Lil Nas X ft. Jack Harlow, “Industry Baby”
Taylor Swift, “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)”

Favorite male pop artist
Bad Bunny
Drake
Ed Sheeran
Harry Styles
The Weeknd

Favorite female pop artist
Adele
Beyoncé
Doja Cat
Lizzo
Taylor Swift

Favorite pop duo or group
BTS
Coldplay
Imagine Dragons
Måneskin
OneRepublic

Favorite pop album
Adele, 30
Bad Bunny, Un Verano Sin Ti
Beyoncé, Renaissance
Harry Styles, Harry’s House
Taylor Swift, Red (Taylor’s Version)
The Weeknd, Dawn FM

Favorite pop song
Adele, “Easy on Me”
Carolina Gaitán, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz & Encanto Cast, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”
Harry Styles, “As It Was”
Lizzo, “About Damn Time”
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, “Stay”

Favorite male country artist
Chris Stapleton
Cody Johnson
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen
Walker Hayes

Favorite female country artist
Carrie Underwood
Lainey Wilson
Maren Morris
Miranda Lambert
Taylor Swift

Favorite country duo or group
Dan + Shay
Lady A
Old Dominion
Parmalee
Zac Brown Band

Favorite country album
Carrie Underwood, Denim & Rhinestones
Luke Combs, Growin’ Up
Cody Johnson, Human: The Double Album
Taylor Swift, Red (Taylor’s Version)
Walker Hayes, Country Stuff: The Album

Favorite country song
Chris Stapleton, “You Should Probably Leave”
Cody Johnson, “’Til You Can’t”
Dustin Lynch ft. MacKenzie Porter, “Thinking ‘Bout You”
Jordan Davis ft. Luke Bryan, “Buy Dirt”
Morgan Wallen, “Wasted on You”

Favorite male hip-hop artist
Drake
Future
Kendrick Lamar
Lil Baby
Lil Durk

Favorite female hip-hop artist
Cardi B
GloRilla
Latto
Megan Thee Stallion
Nicki Minaj

Favorite hip-hop album
Future, I Never Liked You
Gunna, DS4EVER
Kendrick Lamar, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
Lil Durk, 7220
Polo G, Hall of Fame 2.0

Favorite hip-hop song
Future ft. Drake & Tems, “Wait For U”
Jack Harlow, “First Class”
Kodak Black, “Super Gremlin”
Latto, “Big Energy”
Lil Nas X ft. Jack Harlow, “Industry Baby”

Favorite male R&B artist
Brent Faiyaz
Chris Brown
Givēon
Lucky Daye
The Weeknd

Favorite female R&B artist
Beyoncé
Doja Cat
Muni Long
Summer Walker
SZA

Favorite R&B album
Beyoncé, Renaissance
Drake, Honestly, Nevermind
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak), An Evening with Silk Sonic
Summer Walker, Still Over It
The Weeknd, Dawn FM

Favorite R&B song
Beyoncé, “Break My Soul”
Muni Long, “Hrs And Hrs”
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak), “Smokin Out The Window”
SZA, “I Hate U”
Wizkid ft. Tems, “Essence”

Favorite male Latin artist
Bad Bunny
Farruko
J Balvin
Jhayco
Rauw Alejandro

Favorite female Latin artist
Anitta
Becky G
Kali Uchis
Karol G
Rosalía

Favorite Latin duo or group
Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga
Calibre 50
Eslabon Armado
Grupo Firme
Yahritza Y Su Esencia

Favorite Latin album
Bad Bunny, Un Verano Sin Ti
Farruko, La 167
J Balvin, Jose
Rauw Alejandro, Vice Versa
Rosalía, Motomami

Favorite Latin song
Bad Bunny ft. Chencho Corleone, “Me Porto Bonito”
Becky G x Karol G, “MAMIII”
Karol G, “Provenza”
Rauw Alejandro, “Todo de Ti”
Sebastián Yatra, “Dos Oruguitas”

Favorite rock artist
Imagine Dragons
Machine Gun Kelly
Måneskin
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Lumineers

Favorite rock song
Foo Fighters, “Love Dies Young”
Imagine Dragons x JID, “Enemy”
Kate Bush, “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)”
Måneskin, “Beggin’”
Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Black Summer”

Favorite rock album
Coldplay, Music of the Spheres
Ghost, Impera
Imagine Dragons, Mercury – Act 1
Machine Gun Kelly, mainstream sellout
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Unlimited Love

Favorite inspirational artist
Anne Wilson
for King & Country
Katy Nichole
Matthew West
Phil Wickham

Favorite gospel artist
CeCe Winans
DOE
E. Dewey Smith
Maverick City Music
Tamela Mann

Favorite dance/electronic artist
Diplo
Marshmello
Swedish House Mafia
The Chainsmokers
Tiësto

Favorite soundtrack
ELVIS
Encanto
Sing 2
Stranger Things: Soundtrack from the Netflix Series, Season 4
Top Gun: Maverick

Favorite Afrobeats artist
Burna Boy
CKay
Fireboy DML
Tems
Wizkid

Favorite K-pop artist
Blackpink
BTS
Seventeen
Tomorrow X Together
Twice

Dick Clark Productions is owned by Eldridge, which is an investor in Billboard’s parent company Penske Media Corporation.

13 Oct 2022

Steve Aoki Launches Halloween Fashion Collab With ‘Undead’ NFT Project Deadfellaz

Grammy-nominated DJ and producer Steve Aoki takes another step into the metaverse in a special Halloween fashion collaboration with Deadfellaz — an NFT project made up of 10,000 undead, zombie characters.

The collection features a limited-edition run of varsity jackets, skate decks, tees and hoodies designed by Deadfellaz co-founders Betty and Psyche. The centerpiece of the “Deadfellaz x Dim Mak” collection — a nod to Aoki’s record label and fashion brand — is an ultra rare varsity jacket, complete with a twin digital “wearable” that can be unlocked in the metaverse.

“NFTs and Web3 are the future,” said Aoki. “It has been such an adventure to create alongside pioneers such as Betty and Psych of the Deadfellaz Horde. Deadfellaz is an incredible project and a community that I am proud to also be a part of. I am honored to drop this collaboration for our Horde and share our passion with the world – the pieces are colorful, effervescent, and luxurious; I can’t wait to rock them!”

This is not the first time Aoki has partnered with the Deadfellaz community, known as the ‘Horde.’ He DJ’d at their first virtual Halloween event last year while Betty and Psych created a custom 1/1 zombie character for him called the ‘Aoki-fella.’

“Working with Steve has been so fun,” said Betty and Psych, co-founders of Deadfellaz. “He has embraced Web3 and helped shape the space as it is so far, which has been especially impactful given his incredible success given his incredible success in a multitude of spaces like music, fashion, art, tech, and more. This collaboration comes a year after Steve DJ’d an exclusive set for The Horde at our very first Deadfellaz metaverse event last Halloween, so it feels very special to us.”

The fashion collection will be fully revealed at this year’s Deadfellaz Halloween party, Deadzone LA, October 29. Taking place at Skylight ROW in LA’s Art District, the party will feature live performances, DJ sets and “multisensory experiences.”

Aoki has been an early-adopter of Web3 and a core part of the NFT community. He launched the Aokiverse in 2021 — a metaverse fan club powered by NFT access, which allows fans to unlock guest list passes for concerts, free NFTs and exclusive merch. Aoki is also a prolific NFT collector with a wallet full of Crypto Punks, Doodles and Deadfellaz.

Launched in August 2021, Deadfellaz is a collection of 10,000 unique NFTs based on zombie artwork by acclaimed digital artist Psych and co-founder Betty who has been a champion of diversity and inclusivity in the NFT space. Between them, they have created a global brand with more than $80 million in sales.

13 Oct 2022

Chase Matthew Signs With Warner Music Nashville

Chase Matthew, whose moody 2021 song, “County Line,” was certified gold by the Recording Industry Assn. of America (RIAA) this August, has formed a partnership with Warner Music Nashville. 

The Nashville native previously released a 2021 EP, Country Line, and a 2022 full album, Born for This, via Ryan Upchurch’s Holler Boy Records.

“There are a lot of things that are important to me as an artist. I want to be able to stay true to who I am and make music I know will resonate with my fans,” says Matthew in a statement. “Ryan Upchurch gave me an opportunity that put me on the map. Looking forward, we wanted to maintain how we work, but grow the team in order to build bigger. Warner Nashville understood our goals and provided the opportunity for a true partnership. I’m thrilled to be able to work with the Warner Nashville team and take this thing to a whole new level for the fans – all while keeping God’s plan first!” 

Matthew’s representatives declined to expand on details of the deal and what makes it a “true partnership.” 

“Chase’s mix of rebellion and reverence is what drew us to him,” said Cris Lacy, co-president of Warner Music Nashville. “The impact he has on his mass of loyal fans comes from music and messages that are unapologetically redemptive and put him squarely in the center of this format’s most authentic storytellers.” 

Ben Kline, co-president of WMN, added, “The fan reaction to Chase and his music, both in his live show and in the streaming and engagement metrics, are proof of just how talented he is.”

Matthew is the latest signing under Lacy and Kline, who were promoted to co-presidents earlier this year following John Esposito’s move to CEO Emeritus. It follows the recent signings of country singer/songwriter Madeline Edwards and alternative rock band Giovannie and the Hired Guns. Matthew’s first single from Warner Music Nashville will be “She Loves Jesus,” out Oct. 28, with more new music coming over the next several months.  

Matthew is on a headlining tour with upcoming dates including Portland, Ore. tonight and Medford, Ore. Friday (Oct. 14) before playing the Golden Sky Festival in Sacramento, Calif. on Saturday (Oct. 15) alongside Tim McGraw, Brothers Osborne and Carly Pearce. 

13 Oct 2022

Birdman & NBA YoungBoy Tease Sequel To Cash Money ‘Baller Blockin’ Movie

Birdman is prepping a sequel to Cash Money’s Baller Blockin hood flick with help from NBA YoungBoy.

The Louisiana natives teased the movie’s arrival on their respective social media pages on Wednesday (October 12), sharing a movie poster featuring the title Baller Blockin 2.

The poster also contained an image of downtown New Orleans — the birthplace of Birdman’s Cash Money empire — along with Cash Money Records, Rich Gang and YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s respective logos.

“BALLA BLOCKIN 2 kmin soon #CMNBARG,” Birdman wrote on Instagram, while NBA YoungBoy asked his YouTube followers: “Who you want to see in this movie ?”

Released in December 2000 following Cash Money and Hot Boys’ rise to fame, Baller Blockin was a dramatic retelling of life in New Orleans’ notorious Magnolia Projects.

The movie starred Lil Wayne, Juvenile, B.G., Turk, Mannie Fresh, Birdman and Cash Money co-founder Ronald “Slim” Williams, as well as actor-comedians T.K. Kirkland and the late Anthony “A.J.” Johnson.

Baller Blockin was accompanied by a soundtrack album featuring music from the label’s all-star roster, along with outside guests like Nas, E-40, UGK, 8Ball & MJG and Mack 10. It debuted at No. 13 on the Billboard 200 after selling over 80,000 copies in its first week.

Birdman and NBA YoungBoy are no stranger to working together having teamed up for the joint mixtape From the Bayou last year. The long-awaited project cracked the top 20 of the Billboard 200 and earned Baby and YoungBoy a nomination for Best Duo or Group at the 2022 BET Hip Hop Awards.

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YoungBoy Never Broke Again channeled Cash Money’s influence once again earlier this month when he dropped the surprise mixtape 3800 Degrees, whose title and cover art paid homage to Juvenile’s multi-platinum 1998 album 400 Degreez.

The tribute didn’t go unnoticed by Juve, who saluted the young Baton Rouge rap star on Instagram. “I just want to say thank you to @neverbrokeagainllc for redoing 400 degrees over in his own way at the peak of his career appreciate the love young boss,” he wrote.

13 Oct 2022

Queen Release Stirring Lost Track Featuring Freddie Mercury Vocals, ‘Face It Alone’

After teasing the discovery of a previously unheard song featuring vocals from late singer Freddie Mercury earlier this summer, Queen finally unwrapped “Face It Alone” on Thursday (Oct. 13). The dramatic, emotionally affecting song was recorded during the 1988 sessions for the band’s penultimate album with Mercury, 1989’s The Miracle.

Recorded three years before Mercury died at 45 from AIDS-related complications, the wistful track opens with Mercury softly singing, “When something so near and dear to life/ Explodes inside/ You feel your soul is set on fire,” over guitarist Brian May’s banjo-like plucking. By the second verse, Mercury climbs into a more forceful, urgent register with the lines, “When something so deep and so far and wide/ Falls down beside your cries can be heard/ So loud and clear.”

The singer then leans into the melodic, solitary chorus, “You life is your own/ You’re in charge of yourself/ Master of your home/ In the end, in the end/ You have to face it all alone.”

In a BBC Radio 2 interview in June, May and drummer Roger Taylor revealed that they’d discovered the song while working on the massive re-issue of The Miracle. “We did find a little gem from Freddie that we’d kind of forgotten about,” Taylor, 72, told BBC Radio 2 host Zoe Ball in the chat. “And it’s wonderful. Actually, it was a real discovery.”

May said he and Taylor have been considering the release of the song for a while. “It was kind of hiding in plain sight,” May said. “We looked at it many times and thought, ‘Oh no, we can’t really rescue that.’” But they went back again this year and with some help from studio wizards May said they were able to spruce up what he described at the time as a “very passionate piece.”

The song — the first new track featuring Mercury vocals in more than 8 years — is the lead single from the upcoming Nov. 18 re-release of the band’s 13th album, which will be available as the 8-disc Queen The Miracle Collector’s Edition box set. The collection will feature an hour-plus disc of previously unreleased recordings, including six unpublished songs, according to a release announcing the box.

The set will also feature audio of the band’s “candid spoken exchanges on the studio floor in London and Montreaux,” giving a peek into the group’s “creative process and the joy, in-jokes and banter on their return to working together”; it will also reinstate the song “Too Much Love Will Kill You,” which was removed from the original album at the last minute due to publishing issues. Other extras include outtakes, instrumentals, a 76-page hardback book with unseen photos, original handwritten fan-club letters from the band, press reviews, videos and interviews, including the last chat with former bassist John Deacon.

Watch the “Face It Alone” lyric video below.

13 Oct 2022

The Deals: 3tone Music Group Scores $50M Investment; Warner Music Acquires Stake in Serbia’s Mascom Records

Carlton James Group invested $50 million in Bristol, U.K.-based distribution and artist label services company 3tone Music Group to fund the additional expansion of the company’s distribution platform. 3tone, which is run by CEO Dean Roberts and managing director Chris Borud, was first backed by Carlton James Group in 2019. The company offers indie artists unlimited digital distribution to multiple streaming platforms for an annual fee, a model that echoes more established companies like DistroKid and TuneCore.

Warner Music acquired a stake in Serbian label Mascom Records. The acquisition expands the companies’ relationship, as Mascom has acted as Warner Music’s local distributor for more than 20 years. Under the new arrangement, they will work together to build a roster of local artists, with the opportunity for artists to be upstreamed into Warner’s global network. Mascom’s catalog will continue to be distributed by Warner’s ADA. The companies have recently been jointly working with Serbian artist Sergej Panic on his new releases “Kabul” and “Mia Bella.” In a statement, Izabela Ciszek-Podziemska, general manager of Warner Music South East Europe, called the deal “a landmark development” for Warner in the region.

U.K.-based livestreaming company Driift acquired the livestreaming technology and sales platform Dreamstage, with the combined businesses set to operate under the Driift name, led by CEO Ric Salmon and COO Claire Mas. Driift also secured an additional $4 million investment from Deezer, bringing the company’s total investment from the European streaming service to $7 million in 2022. Deezer is now the largest shareholder in Driift; it had become a majority shareholder in Dreamstage prior to the acquisition.

Atlantic Records partnered with Record Store Day for a new series that will showcase developing artists at independent music retail stores across the U.S. The first artist to be highlighted by the program is Neon Gold/Atlantic singer-songwriter Joe P, who will kick off the series with the release of a deluxe vinyl edition of his debut EP, Emily Can’t Sing. The series will feature 10 to 12 emerging artists over the next year while incorporating exclusive in-store signings and performances. Joe P has already signed on for eight upcoming in-store signings while he’s on tour. The partnership was negotiated by Record Store Day’s Michael Kurtz and Atlantic Records’ Jack McMorrow. In November and December, the series will feature the artist Surf Curse.

Warner Music Poland and Groupa STEP, owner of the independent Polish hip-hop label Step Records, launched a new business partnership to support local hip-hop artists. No further information was provided about the deal.

Cyanite, which offers AI-powered music tagging and search, will provide BMG with automatic tagging to make its entire 3 million song repertoire more searchable and accessible for synch placements. Under the agreement, Cyanite’s technology will be integrated into BMG’s internal content management system BMG Songs.

Social-first media company The News Movement will use UnitedMasters‘ independent music repertoire to soundtrack its news stories on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Snap under a new partnership.

Session, the company behind the collaboration app Session Studio for music creators, partnered with SoundCloud in a deal that will see the streaming platform become the first to digitally receive both song audio and essential song metadata directly from the Session Studio app. Session Studio is designed to make it easier for songwriters, artists, producers and more to track who contributed what at the point of creation across mobile, desktop and online.

Web3 platform OneOf signed an exclusive three-year partnership with the Latin Recording Academy. Under the deal, OneOf will host the first-ever NFT collection tied to the Latin Grammy Awards. The first collection will debut throughout October 2022.

Pop-rock singer Charlotte Sands (“Dressed,” “Loved You a Little”) signed a distribution deal with Vydia, as did house DJ Robbie Rivera, for whom Vydia will also handle marketing, synch, project management and DSP pitching for forthcoming releases on Rivera’s Juicy Music Group along with Rivera’s existing catalog. The Rivera deal includes a catalog transfer of over 350 songs via Juicy Music.

Ryan Oakes signed a recording and publishing deal with Position Music that will cover both new and existing repertoire.

New York artist VÉRITÉ partnered with Troy Carter and Suzy Ryoo‘s Venice Music, which offers tools, services and artist support while allowing artists to retain creative autonomy and ownership over their work.

Berlin-based house and techno record label Get Physical Music signed a global sales and distribution deal with independent digital label services provider LabelWorx. The deal covers Get Physical’s full catalog, along with its imprints Cocada Music, Kindisch, Metaphysical and Poesie Musik.

Digital collaboration-based music platform BeatConnect closed an initial investment round of $2.2 million. Participants include lead investors FICC (Fonds d’investissement de la culture et des communications) and its partners, which contributed a total of $1 million. Also joining the round was angel investor network Anges Québec with around $615,000 and entertainment tech investment fund Triptyq Capital with around $540,000. BeatConnect will use the funds to build a new tool aimed at linking multiple DAWs together for cross-platform collaboration and remote sharing sessions for music creators.

R. Wayne Martin‘s boutique management firm mthree signed music producer John Hiler (Rihanna, Madonna, Smashing Pumpkins) to its new division focused on managing music producers. His day-to-day manager at the firm is Jeff Betten.

Nettwerk Records announced a slew of signings, including lo-fi trio PanCake, Flemish lo-fi producer Phlocalyst, Germany-based singer-songwriter M. Byrd, Berlin-based songwriter and producer Chris James, Los Angeles rock band The Strike and pop singer Michal Leah, whose new single “the way i love you” drops on Friday (Oct. 14).

Triple 8 Management signed singer-songwriter Erin Kinsey, who is signed to RECORDS/Columbia Nashville.

Texas-based singer E Bleu signed a 10-song partnership with AWAL that will provide him with marketing and streaming support while allowing him to keep his masters. His most recent release is the Shawn Barron-executive produced single “No Biggie.”

Create Music Group signed Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) #9797 (a.k.a. Jimbo).

13 Oct 2022

Jim Jones Claims He Has Video Proof Freddie Gibbs Scuffle Was More Than A ‘Food Fight’

Jim Jones has claimed he has footage of his fight with Freddie Gibbs that disproves the Indiana native’s claim it was nothing more than a “food fight.”

The Dipset rapper took to Instagram on Wednesday (October 12) to respond to Gibbs’ recent comments about their alleged altercation, which took place at Miami’s Prime 112 restaurant in December 2021.

Jones teased releasing the footage, suggesting it shows Gibbs coming off second best in the scuffle.

“Prime footage loadin lol,” he wrote in a since-deleted post. “Should I b petty or keep or player cause this shit look nasty is all I’m a say lol.”

Jim Jones shared a follow-up video in which he spoke about no longer acting on emotions or caring about the opinions of others.

“As I’m sitting in this gym reflecting, I just wanna say, I’m way too smart to let any of you n-ggas trick me out of my position, you heard?” he said during a workout. “When I was young I moved off emotion, you dig? I’m not so young anymore, you heard?

“And if you a king, you never give a fuck about the opinions of peasants. Remember I told you that, you heard? When you try to get to it, stay consistent, and that’s gon’ bring you motivation. More music loading — I’m on they ass this season.”

Freddie Gibbs was asked about his run-in with Jim Jones during his interview with The Breakfast Club that aired Wednesday and downplayed the rumors he took a beating at the hands of the Harlem rapper and his crew.

“I let street shit stay in the streets and I don’t got a problem with anyone doing better than me,” he said. “It was some furniture moving, but it was a food fight or something like that. It wasn’t nothing crazy like that. Nobody got fucked up to that point.”

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Gibbs further discussed the fight while referencing his brawl with Benny The Butcher in Buffalo, New York earlier this year, claiming he’s never actually been hit by another rapper.

“All the incidents you see, I was just eating with my girl,” he said. “I don’t go out trying to start nothing with nobody… I like to fight… Either time could’ve been bad, but everybody naming these rappers and stuff but ain’t no rapper ever hit me.”

He added: “I’ve been in way worse situations than that. I can’t control if you bring 30 people to a restaurant with a camera crew to humiliate me but you end up losing.”

13 Oct 2022

Kanye West Responds To Anti-Semitism Backlash & Bank Account Closure During Ray J Reunion

Nashville, TN – Kanye West isn’t willing to retract his recent anti-Semitic comments, despite widespread backlash and disruption to his multi billion-dollar business empire.

The Chicago rap mogul addressed the controversy while attending the premiere of Candace Owens’ new documentary The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM in Nashville on Wednesday (October 12), saying he’s “happy” he “crossed the line.”

“To say, ‘Hey, if you call somebody out for bad business, that means you’re being anti-Semitic,’” Ye said while speaking to a photographer in the street. “So I feel happy to have crossed the line of that idea so we can speak openly about, you know, things like being canceled from the bank.”

He added: “A lot of this stuff is the richest Black man in American history. I put $140 million dollars in JP Morgan and never even had a chance to — not even get a deal” before a truck drove by and drowned him out.

“We’ll speak at a different time,” Kanye said as he ended the conversation and stepped into an awaiting car.

Kanye West’s comments came shortly after Candace Owens — the controversial rightwing commentator he’s aligned himself with in recent years — claimed the billionaire rapper’s bank account with JP Morgan Chase had been abruptly closed.

“Earlier today I learned that @kanyewest was officially kicked out of JP Morgan Chase bank,” Owens tweeted on Wednesday. “I was told there was no official reason given, but they sent this letter as well to confirm that he has until late November to find another place for the Yeezy empire to bank.”

In the alleged email, JP Morgan Chase informed Kanye that it has “decided to end its banking relationship with Yeezy, LLC and its affiliated entities” and asked him to “promptly transfer your business to another financial institution before November 21.”

The bank didn’t provide an explanation behind its decision.

The fallout follows Kanye West’s anti-Semitic comments on social media that resulted in his Instagram and Twitter accounts being restricted.

In a text conversation with Diddy shared online last week, Ye claimed the Bad Boy boss was being controlled by Jewish people after he criticized the controversial “White Lives Matter” shirt he wore at his Yeezy Season 9 fashion show in Paris.

Kanye also vowed to go “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE” in a since-removed tweet, writing: “The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also[.] You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.”

The G.O.O.D. Music founder reportedly made further anti-Semitic remarks while taping an appearance on LeBron James’ YouTube series The Shop earlier this week, resulting in the episode being axed.

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Meanwhile, Kanye West’s attendance at the premiere of Candace Owens’ Black Lives Matter documentary spawned another bizarre twist as he reunited with Ray J, the ex-boyfriend of his estranged wife Kim Kardashian who famously co-starred in their 2007 sex tape.

The two were photographed on the red carpet together alongside Owens and UFC fighter Colby Covington, himself an outspoken critic of the Black Lives Matter movement. Kanye was also seen hanging out and sharing a laugh with fellow Trump supporter Kid Rock at the screening.