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12/20/2024
A look at chart highlights, by the numbers, from January through December.
12/20/2024
12/20/2024
Modern holiday chestnuts by veterans of the long-running TV talent competition.
12/20/2024
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Pharrell Williams continues to be a champion for benevolence. UNESCO has appointed him a Goodwill Ambassador for Arts Education and Entrepreneurship.
As reported by The Associated Press, the multi-hyphenate has received yet another honor for his great work for the creative community. On Tuesday (Dec. 17), the Virginia Beach, Va., native was appointed as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Arts Education and Entrepreneurship at the Organization’s Headquarters in Paris. The ceremony was followed by a screening of his LEGO biopic Piece by Piece. After the film, the In My Mind performer spoke to 800 secondary pupils who are studying music, art and fashion.
Pharrell Williams expressed his enthusiasm for the honor in a formal statement. “Words cannot describe how I feel about being chosen by UNESCO as a Goodwill Ambassador. Thank you to Director-General Audrey Azoulay for this opportunity” he said. “I’m honored to continue our work in evening the odds for children and adults through education with YELLOW and Black Ambition.”
UNESCO Director Audrey Azoulay detailed why the nomination made sense for the organization. “A complete artist, Pharrell Williams is also a humanist who works to put culture at the service of peace and bringing people together. He believes in the power of creativity and education to build a better future,” her statement read, according to a press release. “His commitments resonate with UNESCO’s mandate. I am delighted that he is joining UNESCO’s family of Goodwill Ambassadors today to support our action.”
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is an agency of the United Nations that promotes world peace via arts, education and the sciences.
Valentino Merlo & The La Planta paired up for Billboard Argentina as the 2024 No. 1 for Billboard’s ‘Global No. 1s’ series. The artists teamed up to create chart breaking “Hoy,” and they share how the song was created, how they knew it would be a hit and more!
Billboard is launching its inaugural ‘Global No. 1s’ series, an initiative to spotlight top-charting artists from around the world. Billboard has partnered with its ten-plus global editions to showcase distinct voices topping their local charts around the world in exclusive interviews. Stay tuned throughout the week to discover who’s No. 1 in the UK, Brazil, Korea, and more!
The La Planta:
What’s up, friends from Billboard? This is Nico, The La Planta.
Valentino Merlo:
And this is Valentino Merlo. We are the Global No. 1s cover.
The La Planta:
Well, thank you. Thanks for the warm welcome and the congratulations. It’s truly a pleasure. Honestly, we felt it. When we recorded it, there was something extra, an extra energy with the song. But personally, I didn’t expect to be, as I said, five months at No. 1 on Billboard Argentina. It was completely surprising.
Valentino Merlo:
For me, it was actually the opposite. I mean, really the opposite, right? I enjoyed it a lote, and it was a pleasure to work with Nico and his whole team. I’m also really happy to have been No. 1 on Billboard Argentina for such a long time. That song was incredible.
The La Planta:
The video is still no. 1 on YouTube, “Hoy.” It’s unbelievable, and it’s nearing 300 million views. It’s crazy, and it’s not stopping, so… it was amazing.
Valentino Merlo:
Honestly, I didn’t expect it to go so far, but he did. He did say, “When I wear this hat, it’s going to blow up.” And it did! It blew up because of the hat – the white hat he wore.
The La Planta:
You could feel it. The song was going to hit. I felt it. Like I said, it’s about sensations. They were overwhelming. It’s rare because that doesn’t happen with many songs I record. From the moment I recorded it, when I sent it over, I said, “If it works for you, let’s release it.”
12/20/2024
These artists made an instant impact with memorable debut full-length projects.
12/20/2024
Argentina and Uruguay are two nations with deep-rooted connections to cumbia. Throughout history, artists of the genre have emerged from both sides of the Río de la Plata, becoming the soundtrack of daily life for millions of families in both countries. This past year, that cultural legacy was further strengthened by Valentino Merlo and The […]
Spotify is firing back at Drake’s accusations that the streamer helped Universal Music Group artificially boost Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” calling the allegations “false” and blasting the rapper’s legal action as a “subversion of the normal judicial process.”
The new filing is the first response to a petition filed last month in which Drake accused UMG and Spotify of an illegal “scheme” involving bots, payola and other methods to pump up Lamar’s song — a track that savagely attacked Drake amid an ongoing feud between the two stars.
In a motion filed Friday in Manhattan court, the streaming giant says it has found zero evidence to support the claims of a bot attack, and flatly denies that it struck any deal with UMG to support Lamar’s song.
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“The predicate of Petitioner’s entire request for discovery from Spotify is false,” the company’s lawyers write. “Spotify and UMG have never had any such arrangement.”
Beyond denying the allegations, the filing repeatedly criticizes Drake for going to court in the first place — calling his claims of a conspiracy “far-fetched” and “speculative,” and questioning why Spotify (a “stranger” to the “long-running fued” between Drake, Kendrick and UMG) is even involved.
Spotify also criticized Drake for the way in which he brought his claims to court — not as a full-fledged lawsuit, but as an unusual “pre-action” petition aimed at demanding information. The company accused Drake of using that “extraordinary” procedure because his allegations are too flimsy to pass muster in an actual lawsuit and would have been quickly dismissed.
“What petitioner is seeking to do here … is to bypass the normal pleading requirements … and obtain by way of pre-action discovery that which it would only be entitled to seek were it to survive a motion to dismiss,” Spotify’s lawyers write. “This subversion of the normal judicial process should be rejected.”
A spokesperson for Drake and his legal team did not immediately return a request for comment on Spotify’s filings.
Drake went to court last month, accusing UMG of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, the federal “RICO” statute often used against organized crime. He accused Spotify of participating in the scheme by charging reduced licensing fees in exchange for recommending the song to users. A day later, he filed a similar action in Texas, suggesting that UMG had legally defamed him by releasing a song that “falsely” accused him of being a “sex offender.”
The legal actions represent a remarkable twist in the high-profile beef between the two stars, which saw Drake and Lamar exchange stinging diss tracks over a period of months earlier this year. That a rapper would take such a dispute to court seemed almost unthinkable at the time, and Drake has been ridiculed in some corners of the hip-hop world for doing so.
The actions also represent a stunning rift between Drake and UMG, where the star has spent his entire career — first through signing a deal with Lil Wayne’s Young Money imprint, which was distributed by Republic Records, then by signing directly to Republic.
UMG has not yet filed a responded to the litigation in court. But in a statement issued at the time, the music giant called Drake’s allegations “offensive and untrue”: “No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.”
In Friday’s filing, Spotify echoed that criticism — arguing that civil RICO cases are difficult to prove even with ample evidence, and that Drake hardly has any: “The Petition asserts no specific facts of any kind in support of these alleged RICO and deceptive practices violations,” the company wrote. “Instead, it relies exclusively on speculation … or the claims of anonymous individuals on the internet.”
Spotify’s attorneys seemed particularly focused on disputing the idea that swarms of bots had been able to flood the platforms to fraudulently boost Lamar’s track — a hot-button issue in the modern music industry. In an affidavit attached to Friday’s filing, Spotify’s vp of music offered sworn testimony that the company “invests heavily” in efforts to “mitigate the impact of artificial streaming on our platform.”
“When we identify attempted stream manipulation, we take action that may include removing streaming numbers, withholding royalties and charging penalty fees,” David Kaefer wrote in the filing. “Confirmed and suspected artificial streams are also removed from our chart calculations. This helps us to protect royalty payouts for honest, hardworking artists.”
Time for a pre-holiday madness edition of Executive Turntable, Billboard’s compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across music.
Read on for better-late-than-never personnel news and don’t forget to check out WMG chief Robert Kyncl’s year-end note to staff and dig into all of our year-end business content, plus peruse our weekly interview series spotlighting a single c-suiter and our daily calendar of notable goings-on.
Luke Armitage was appointed senior vp of global marketing at Warner Records, where he’ll oversee international marketing for the label’s U.S. roster. Based in Los Angeles, he reports to Warner Music’s chief marketing officer, Jessica Keeley-Carter, and collaborates with Warner Records’ co-chairmen Tom Corson and Aaron Bay-Schuck. Armitage joins Warner after six years at Capitol Music Group’s Astralwerks Records, where he led global marketing for artists like Marshmello and Katy Perry. He also contributed to projects by The Chemical Brothers, FISHER and Meduza, among others. Prior to Astralwerks, Armitage held court at Universal Music’s international division in London, Metropolis Studios, and Universal Music Publishing.
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Avex USA promoted Ryusuke (Ryan) Kamada to CFO, recognizing his pivotal role in the company’s growth since its 2020 launch. Ryan joined Avex in 2018 and transitioned from Avex’s Japanese headquarters to Avex USA, where he leveraged his expertise in global finance and law to expand operations in North America. He developed Avex USA’s corporate strategy, co-manages the Future of Music Fund and spearheaded partnerships with S10 and Roc Nation, among others. In Japan, Kamada was chief producer of Avex’s investment group, leading M&A and corporate venture capital investments. Prior to Avex, he worked in JP Morgan’s Tokyo office. The University of Pennsylvania grad began his career in Toyota’s legal division, handling major U.S. litigation and congressional hearings. Avex USA CEO Naoki Osada commended Ryan’s strategic vision, financial acumen, and “sincere respect and passion for songwriters are integral to the company culture.” Since its launch in Los Angeles in 2020, the U.S. branch of the Tokyo-based music and entertainment company has established a publishing division, a music start-up investment program and a record label.
Sphere Entertainment appointed Marcus Ellington as executive vp of ad sales and sponsorships, effective immediately. Ellington will develop and lead an ad sales and sponsorships unit to maximize revenue for Sphere’s assets, including the Vegas venue’s unmistakable exterior, known as the Exosphere. He’ll also drive brand-centric opportunities and broader marketing partnerships. Ellington is based in New York and reports to Jennifer Koester, Sphere’s president and COO. Ellington joins Sphere from Google, where he held various sales and partnership roles, most recently as director of Americas partnerships solutions. His experience includes overseeing relationships and ad revenue for Google’s largest media and entertainment partners. Prior to Google, he worked at Interactive One and CBS, and over the years has received industry awards and served on several boards. Koester praised Ellington’s innovative leadership and track record with premier brands “across a range of industries, which will be an asset as we continue evolving how brands can partner with Sphere to create impactful experiences unlike anywhere else.”
Melanie Santa Rosa
Third Side Music named Melanie Santa Rosa as its new head of copyright, based in New York. Reporting to co-founder/CEO Patrick Curley, Santa Rosa will lead the copyright department, focusing on transparency, efficiency and maximizing value for the independent publisher’s extensive roster, which includes Kurt Vile, SOFI TUKKER, Future Islands, Sky Ferreira and more. Santa Rosa brings a wealth of experience to the role, having previously served as executive vp of global digital copyright administration at Word Collections, managing worldwide copyright and royalty administration. She also spent 12 years at Spirit Music Group, rising to senior vp of global administration, and worked at BMI for a decade, collaborating with songwriters, publishers, and performing rights organizations. An advocate for creators, Santa Rosa serves on the AIMP New York Chapter board and is active in several industry organizations. Patrick Curley praised Santa Rosa’s expertise and reputation: “She is precisely the person we needed to lead the operation and development of Third Side Music’s worldwide collections platform in the years to come,” he said.
Infinite Reality, a leader in digital media and e-commerce leveraging spatial computing and AI, appointed Drew Wilson as chief operating officer. Wilson, who most recently served as both COO and chief financial officer at SoundCloud, will manage business operations, drive revenue, and advance iR’s strategic vision. Under his watch at SoundCloud, the audio platform achieved profitability for the first time in the company’s history, driving significant revenue growth, margin improvements and product innovation. He has also held key roles at First Look Media, AwesomenessTV, RLJ Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery, contributing to revenue growth and digital transformation. John Acunto, iR’s co-founder and CEO, praised Wilson’s proven ability to scale digital media businesses and his expertise in technology and fan engagement.
AEG Presents promoted Evan Marks to talent buyer for the Rocky Mountains region. Previously an assistant in the role, Marks will now oversee bookings at prominent venues like Mission Ballroom, Ogden Theatre, Gothic Theatre, Bluebird Theatre and some outdoor spot called Red Rocks. Based in Denver, he’ll report to Don Strasburg, president of Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwest. A Houston native, Marks has been active in the Colorado music scene for nearly 15 years. After graduating from CU Boulder, he began his career as a talent buyer at Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom in 2017 before joining AEG Presents Rocky Mountains in 2022. Strasburg commended Marks for his passion and dedication to live music, highlighting his deep musical knowledge and strong execution skills. “Evan’s wide berth of musical knowledge and ability to execute will meet and exceed the lofty expectations of our music community.”
Eddie Kloesel has been named partner at WHY&HOW, the management company founded by Bruce Kalmick. Joining at its inception in 2020 as vp of touring and sponsorships, Kloesel was later promoted to executive vp, playing a pivotal role in shaping the company’s strategic goals. He has spearheaded brand partnerships, touring strategies and album releases, contributing to the success of clients like Whiskey Myers and Chase Rice. With a music industry career spanning nearly two decades, Kloesel began in 2005 as a day-to-day tour manager for Brandon Rhyder and joined Triple 8 Management in 2011 before becoming a member of WHY&HOW’s founding team. Kalmick calls Kloesel a a “trusted strategic thinker who approaches our clients’ business like an entrepreneur,” adding, “He’s always thinking outside the box and has brought forward opportunities that are not only lucrative for our clients but are also unique within the industry.”
Supreme Music secured the exclusive services of renowned sound designer Markus Stemler, celebrated for his Academy Award-nominated and BAFTA-winning work on All Quiet on the Western Front. This collaboration strengthens Supreme Music’s sound design and audio post-production for advertising and branded content. Stemler, known for projects like The Matrix Resurrections and Cloud Atlas, brings expertise in dialogue editing, ADR, Foley and re-recording mixing. His recent credits include Tides (2021) and Perfect Days (2023). For Supreme Music, he has contributed to standout campaigns such as Penny’s Wonderful World and the American Red Cross’ Mom, showcasing his exceptional artistry and versatility.
HarbourView Equity Partners partnered with The CultureShaker to lead its brand, marketing and PR efforts. The CultureShaker’s founder, Lucinda Martinez, will now serve as chief marketing officer of the investment firm, joined by Deborah Renteria as vice president of brand and content strategy. Martinez, known for award-winning campaigns like Game of Thrones and Insecure, brings a quarter-century of experience from Netflix, HBO and Comedy Central. Renteria brings complimenting expertise in content development and audience engagement from roles at Lionsgate, Facebook, and HBO. HarbourView CEO Sherrese Clarke Soares praised the team’s cultural and strategic insights, essential for the firm’s rapid growth, adding: “The CultureShaker is our first operating partner under our Create Platform, further cementing our position as a valued partner to artists, content creators, investors as we broaden our footprint and deepen our focus across the entertainment and creative ecosystem to continue to drive ROI.”
Curbside Concerts, a Canadian company that produces curbside concerts, welcomed Tracy Posadowski and Tom Yeates as managing directors of sales and marketing. Posadowski, co-founder of ATTCo Global Services, and Yeates, with extensive revenue management experience, aim to expand the company in Canada, enter the U.S. market, and explore new business avenues. Founded by Matt and Amanda Burgener during the COVID-19 pandemic to support struggling musicians, Curbside Concerts has grown significantly in its first four years, bringing music to people’s yards and curbs.
Isekai Records, a joint venture with Broke Records, launched in August 2024 by Ewan Jenkins, Jack Mangan and RJ Pasin, aims to be artist-friendly. Jenkins and Mangan, co-founders of E2J Artist Management, gained recognition in 2023 by managing Pasin, whose TikTok followers grew from 10,000 to 2.8 million and Spotify listeners to 7.5 million monthly. Isekai Records leverages their expertise to support emerging talent. Their debut release, “Embrace It” by Ndotz, marked their global entry and commitment to artist-centric music production.
ICYMI:
Hugh Forrest
The board of directors of Farm Aid appointed Shorlette Ammons and Jennifer Fahy to lead the non-profit effective Jan. 1 … Hugh Forrest was promoted to president of South by Southwest, where he’ll continue to oversee programming and assume full leadership of an organization. Jann Baskett, the current co-president and chief brand officer, prepares to step down on New Year’s Eve.
Last Week’s Turntable: Red Light Green Lights Former Warner Nashville Prez
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Tech billionaire Elon Musk is being hammered for using his influence and X, formerly Twitter, to force a government shutdown to aid Donald Trump.
Tech billionaire and Tesla founder Elon Musk is exerting outsized influence over President-elect Donald Trump, with some seeing him aiming to force a shutdown of the federal government. Democratic lawmakers and observers are pointing to how Musk has been using the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, to amplify calls to do so as House Majority Speaker Mike Johnson is trying to get the stop-gap bill passed with two days to go. In a post on X, Musk wrote: “Shutting down” the government (which doesn’t actually shut down critical functions btw) is infinitely better than passing a horrible bill.”
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1869476312278286359
He would also post that any member of the House of Representatives who voted for it “deserves to be out in 2 years.” Musk was joined by former Republican presidential candidate and co-chair of the unofficial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Vivek Ramaswamy, who also blasted Johnson and the bill. The call to “kill the bill” was amplified by MAGA supporters, and Trump himself said he was against the bill to raise the debt ceiling on Wednesday (Dec. 18). When asked if those actions weighed on the GOP members, Arizona Representative Andy Biggs replied, “I think it’s having an effect on some people. I think it probably is.”
The moves by Musk have earned him scorn from Democrats. “If this is the type of power he has, then he is going to be the unelected co-president of this country and we’ve got to be super blunt about it,” said Florida Representative Maxwell Frost, who had a back-and-forth with Musk on X afterward. Vermont Representative Becca Balint echoed his statements. “I’m going to be talking to my folks back home in Vermont who voted for Trump: You thought you voted for Trump, but in fact, Trump just caved to Musk,” she said to Axios.
The pressure is now on Johnson to come up with a plan to satisfy conservatives – one proposal reportedly would include a “clean CR” and dropping $100 million in disaster aid and $30 billion for farmers. Both moves would greatly affect Trump’s base. Johnson’s position is also shaky with a slim Republican majority in the House of Representatives, as his vote to remain Speaker takes place Jan. 3.
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Life behind bars is taking a toll on Diddy’s physical appearance. A reporter says he appeared to be thinner and much grayer at a recent court hearing.
As spotted on Page Six, the founder of Bad Boy Entertainment looks to have lost a bit of his signature luster. On Wednesday (Dec. 18), Diddy appeared at a hearing to review his forthcoming federal trial. Reporter Elizabeth Millner of Law & Crime was in attendance for the proceeding and gave an account about how he looked. “He appeared just astonishingly thinner, which you can expect [from him being] inside a federal detention center for a couple of months now,” she noted. “A lot different from the luxury lifestyle that he was living before, but he appeared very noticeably thinner and maybe being locked up in detention is starting to wear on him.” Millner also pointed out that his hair is a lot more gray than before.
The celebrity gossip website reached out to Diddy’s legal team for comment on the matter but did not hear back. A source that is apparently close to the “Last Night” performer told the outlet that his change in appearance is due to engaging in more physical activity while he awaits trial. “He has been very active, remains in good spirits, and, as always, he was happy to see his children,” the source explained.
Diddy is being held at Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn (MDC Brooklyn). You can see reporter Elizabeth Millner’s analysis below starting at the 2:06 hour mark.