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When Ella Langley’s “You Look Like You Love Me” featuring Riley Green hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart dated Dec. 14, it became the first song by a woman in 2024 to top the tally.
It also achieved the feat in 20 weeks, which is a veritable sprint given how long it can take songs to reach the summit on the slow-moving chart. But there was no denying the sexy track’s catchiness and uniqueness with its spoken-word verses and the chemistry between Langley and Green.
Langley, who is signed to SAWGOD/Columbia Records out of New York and Green, who is signed to Big Machine Label Group’s Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment imprint, were already on tour together when the idea for the flirty duet came about. Langley and her co-writer, Aaron Raitiere, had written the song as a solo track, but “Ella and Aaron were wondering what it would be like with the male perspective,” says Ryan Dokke, senior vp of Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment. “She asked [Riley] if he’d be up for writing a verse or two and it turned out to be something pretty special. They debuted it on tour together.” The song is also featured on Langley’s debut album, hungover, which came out in August.
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The song, which the pair performed during the CMA Awards, snagged the Country Music Association Awards trophy for vocal event of the year over such powerhouse contenders as Post Malone and Morgan Wallen’s “I Had Some Help” and Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves’ “I Remember Everything.” That recognition helped propel the song from 7-1 on the Country Airplay chart and earned Dokke the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
Here, Dokke, whose team worked the song to country radio, talks about the steps that led to the song’s chart-topping success and what it means for rising stars Langley and Green.
Langley is signed to SAWGOD/Columbia and Green is signed to Big Machine Label Group’s Nashville Harbor. How did you work with Columbia in taking the song to country radio since Langley is the lead artist on the track?
Ella and I first met in 2021, and I knew immediately that I wanted to work with her in some capacity. When the potential opportunity to work with Columbia came into view, [BMLG founder/CEO] Scott Borchetta and [Nashville Harbor president/CEO] Jimmy Harnen immediately jumped in to land the plane. For me, I think having that relationship with Ella and her team as well as having Riley on the track made it easy for our team to dive in and get to work. [Columbia Records executive vp/head of promotion] Peter Gray and the entire Columbia team were fantastic partners. They placed complete confidence in our ability to move the song up the charts and cheered on the Nashville Harbor team the whole way!
The track jumped 7-1 on Country Airplay last Friday: the six-spot leap ties for the third-greatest to the top in the chart’s nearly 35-year history. What specific steps did you take to accomplish such a leap?
Ella and Riley delivering a BIG HIT song was certainly the biggest factor in its success at radio! Our promotion team at Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment (Andrew Thoen, Liz Santana, Stella Prado) worked really closely with our country radio partners. There were several viral moments along the way that helped the song have more opportunities., The buzz around the CMA Awards win and performance was certainly important, but one of the biggest factors in making this historic leap was Ella herself, putting in the work – especially in the final stretch. She picked up the phone and was on the air talking with stations well into the eleventh hour.
You mention the CMA Awards performance/win and the tour. What other moments helped build momentum?
There were several moments that created a lot of chatter: The performance [opening for Morgan Wallen] at Hyde Park in London, which drew the UK’s biggest country crowd in history, and even when they popped up at Loser’s Bar & Grill in Nashville with Jamey Johnson over the summer. Seeing the passion for this song following those performances was what drove the demand for it at radio and it just continued to grow from there. They performed it on the TODAY Show, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and the CMA Awards and each time we saw the numbers spike.
“You Look Like You Love Me” is the first song performed/co-performed by a woman to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart in 2024. Langley ends the longest break – 51 weeks – between women (including groups with prominent female vocals) topping the chart since a record 61-week shutout in 2003-04. What does that say about the difficulty women are still facing?
Honestly, I was surprised that Ella was the first of the year. With women like Carly Pearce, Lainey Wilson, Carrie Underwood, Kelsea Ballerini, Megan Moroney – who just won the CMA Awards’ best new artist and of course, Miranda Lambert who are all making and releasing culture shaping music and are filling arenas – it put me on my heels for a second. I’m optimistic that we’ll see more opportunities in the coming year. Just too much great music for there not to be.
This song includes spoken verses. Did you face any resistance at radio since that is more a throwback to the ‘60s and ‘70s? Did you think about releasing a version without the spoken-word parts?
The song started with such red- hot heat and had such undeniable passion from fans on the internet and it was immediately streaming so well, the spoken verses were never really an issue.
Green also has a top 15 hit with “Damn Good Day to Leave.” How are these two songs setting him up to take him to the next level in his career?
Riley is in such a great place and there is so much demand right now. It all comes down to building a connection with fans. These songs might connect to two different audiences, and he wins with both. He is wrapping his biggest year yet and already we can see 2025 being even bigger – with a red- hot album, sold out tours in the U.S. and the U.K., a rabid internet following, and the respect of his peers – Riley Green’s time is definitely here!
Will you have any continued involvement in Langley’s country radio work or was that a one-off because of Green?
I think right now we are still celebrating a BIG WIN. That question will answer itself in time. Regardless, the Nashville Harbor team is proud to have been a part of Ella’s introduction to Country radio and we will continue to be huge fans of Ella and her music. She’ll also be on tour with Riley next year, so we’ll be close by cheering her on either way.
Grammy-winning vocal group Pentatonix has signed with Republic Records, the label tells Billboard. “Pentatonix have always stood apart,” said Jim Roppo, president/COO of Republic Corps Collective, in a statement on the signing. “There has never been a vocal group like them, and they’ve been able to completely reinvent both a capella and the holidays to […]
Rising Puerto Rican rapper Clarent has signed a global recording deal with Warner Music Latina, the company tells Billboard.
The signing comes on the heels of Clarent’s success with the single “IA” alongside Puerto Rican urban artist Mora. The track has amassed more than 40 million streams on Spotify alone and topped Spotify’s Top 200 chart in Spain.
Born in Caparra Terrace, San Juan, Clarent (real name Fabián Cartagena Torres) began putting out music independently just last year. Since then, he’s amassed millions of streams thanks to tracks that sound raw and real and connected to life on the streets. His song “Traqueto” alongside iZaak has nearly 26 million streams on Spotify, while his solo track “Enzacio” has nearly 14 million.
“Ready for this new season — big thanks to the Warner fam for keeping it real. This is where boys become men,” said Clarent in a statement.
“We are thrilled to partner with Clarent and his team to help build on his unique vision and take his career to new heights,” said Alejandro Duque, president of Warner Music Latin America. “Clarent is a perfect example of how genres get disrupted and authentic sounds emerge and pave new roads in music.”
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Signing Clarent was a months-long process for Warner, added Roberto Andrade, MD of Warner Music Latina. “This isn’t just another record deal — this is an alliance,” he said in a statement. “We crafted a partnership out of months of mutual understanding, collaboration, and shared vision.”
Andrade and Duque worked closely with Clarent and his manager, Jonniel (Jadiel Nuñez Olivera) of Rythmz51, on the deal. On Dec. 13, Clarent is releasing a new track under Warner titled “Babayaga,” a moody trap song.
“Shoutout to the team at Warner Music Latina for believing in this vision and backing us all the way,” said Jonniel. “This is just the kickoff to something amazing. Clarent’s got that raw, undeniable talent, and I’m stoked to be on this journey with him.”
Following the release of the anticipated sequel film, Moana 2, which in its opening week earned $225 million at the U.S. and Canada box office, the movie’s soundtrack proved to be just as big a hit, debuting in the top 10 of three Billboard album charts.
Featuring the voices of returning actors Auliʻi Cravalho (Moana) and Dwayne Johnson (Maui), Moana 2 also debuted a new musical pair in composing duo Barlow & Bear (Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear). Together, the two made history as the youngest and only all-women songwriting duo to create a full soundtrack for a Disney animated film. (Barlow & Bear stepped in for Lin-Manuel Miranda, who helmed the music for 2016’s original Moana.)
“They were brought on for their immense talent as musicians and storytellers,” says Tom MacDougall, president of Walt Disney Music and Billboard‘s Executive of the Week, who also A&R’d the soundtrack. “Where being younger did come into play revealed itself in their ability to understand the feelings Moana was having as a young woman trying to achieve great things and channeling that experience into the story.” (Moana 2 picks up three years after the original film left off; this time, Moana receives an unexpected call from her ancestors that brings her back to the ocean.)
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The celebratory opening week for Moana 2 is just the beginning of a busy year’s end for Disney, as MacDougall’s next soundtrack is already on its way. On Dec. 20, Mufasa: The Lion King will arrive along with its original soundtrack by Miranda.
And while MacDougall says “we simply release films when they’re ready,” he does believe there’s something special about the end of a year. “I do think [this period] represents a time of reflection, joy and family,” he says. “I can see how those emotions can get you in the mood to see characters sing.”
Moana 2 debuted in the top 10 on three of Billboard’s album charts (No. 2 on Kid Albums, No. 10 on Soundtracks and No. 10 on World Albums). What key decisions did you make to help make that happen?
Our partners at the Disney Music Group and studio marketing know the “first responders” to our soundtracks live in these key categories and they look to service them early with sneak peeks, exclusives and lyric videos. As the films broaden out — like Frozen and Encanto — we look to capture all audiences on as many charts as we can, including the top song and album charts.
The first Moana soundtrack topped both the Kid Albums and Soundtracks charts for 54 and 62 nonconsecutive weeks, respectively. How are you and the team aiming for similar longevity with Moana 2?
We are always humbled by any charting, and don’t expect the past to point to future success but we do go to great lengths to find the core emotional situations that, dare I say, demand that these characters sing. My experience is that when we hit that mark — which I think we did with Moana 2 — success can follow.
What challenges did you and the team face in following up a musical smash like Moana?
Sequels to musicals are tricky as you need new adventures, obstacles and desires to sing about or it won’t feel like an evolution for the characters. With Moana being older and wiser, she has taken on more responsibilities to her community and her family which provided fertile ground for her to sing. And, of course, our demigod Maui is always finding reasons to sing, and Dwayne [Johnson] really pushed himself creatively to find yet another plateau for his talents as a vocalist for the new song “Can I Get A Chee Hoo?”
In addition to Moana 2, Mufasa: The Lion King arrives on Dec. 20. For any sequel or franchise continuation, when it comes to the music, what is the secret to balancing familiar sounds with new?
I think the secret to a musical sequel is to make sure you’re offering something new for the characters, the story and the music, but [that] doesn’t abandon what’s come before. Barlow & Bear represented the new on Moana 2, and [composers] Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina were the foundation of what came before that brought the warm familiar feeling audiences come to expect from the world of Moana.
For you, what’s the signal that the team has a hit on its hands?
Honestly, we don’t consider any film soundtrack to be a hit until the audience has spoken. There is often a slow period of absorption that seems to happen with music that doesn’t follow the near instantaneous assessment of box office success, so sometimes we just have to wait. With Moana 2 audiences have told us they want to spend a lot of time in that world, so I don’t think we’ll have to wait long to consider the soundtrack a hit.
How “far” do you see the Moana movies in particular going — are there any current plans “beyond” this sequel?
Having now worked on both films for over a decade of my career, I’m looking forward to just enjoying this moment of success and be grateful audiences have responded to these films in this unprecedented way. Can I get a chee hoo?
It all started because Terry McBride couldn’t simultaneously play field hockey, study civil engineering and DJ at clubs and weddings. “So I decided to do music,” says the co-founder of Nettwerk Music Group, the 40-year-old Vancouver label famous for breaking Sarah McLachlan, Barenaked Ladies, Passenger and many others. It was the first company to release Coldplay in the United States.
In 1984, McBride and his business partner, Mark Jowett, a member of electronic-music band Moev, dropped out of the University of British Columbia and started Nettwerk with a simple mission statement: “Release music we love.” And while his field hockey background isn’t especially useful, his civil engineering tools have been crucial in Nettwerk’s development.
“The music business was obtuse and as gray and muddy as humanly possible,” says McBride, 64. “I used to run big spreadsheets that had my SoundScan and my radio [Broadcast Data Systems data] and my touring — trying to understand when something was happening early. I had my artists go back to [a particular] city over and over again and turn a flame at a micro level into something that was meaningful.”
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This combination of data analysis and music-fan instinct not only helped McBride identify unusual talent with commercial potential, from Skinny Puppy to McLachlan to SYML, but correctly predict where the entire business was heading. In 2008, he co-wrote “Meet the Millennials: Fans, Brands and the Cultural Community,” a paper for the British University of Westminster, that anticipated the decline of digital downloads, the rise of streaming and the resulting revolutionary changes in the music business.
Today, McBride uses these skills, along with his team — including president/COO Simon Mortimer-Lamb, label president Ric Arboit and Jowett, who oversees international, A&R and publishing — to identify what he calls “communities.”
“It’s all about discovery and people sharing music,” McBride says. Nettwerk’s roster includes Paris Paloma, Wild Rivers, bôa, Mon Rovîa, Vacations and The Paper Kites among its 300 acts.
What was Nettwerk’s big boom?
Terry McBride: Mark and I started this company in my one-bedroom apartment in the West End of Vancouver. Back then, terrestrial radio was the dominant force, and trying to hear anything new that wasn’t being pushed or plugged just didn’t happen. We managed to cobble together enough money from both of our jobs and a small loan from the bank.
Did you know anything about how to find and sign artists in those early days?
No. I knew absolutely nothing, and Mark, who was a guitar player in a local band, knew absolutely nothing, too. Which was perfect because we weren’t bound by anyone’s point of view but our own.
What was the earliest success you had that made you think, “Maybe we’ll make it after all”?
There was a folk band called Grapes of Wrath, from British Columbia, and an industrial grunge band named Skinny Puppy. This was when we’d [previously] released all of five records. Grapes of Wrath broke on terrestrial radio, [were] picked up by Capitol Records [and] turned into something else. Skinny Puppy was so far ahead of its time — that hard-edged electronic sound that was coming out of Chicago, Miami, Belgium, leading into what [avant-garde British band] Cabaret Voltaire was doing out of London. It took a long time for those things to connect, but when it did connect, it became a movement.
From left: Mark Jowett, Terry McBride, Ric Arboit and Simon Mortimer-Lamb.
Courtesy Nettwerk Music Group
How do those two acts lead to the bigger stars Nettwerk is known for, like Sarah McLachlan?
Mark had tried to sign Sarah when she was 15. She was in a band called October Game, who had supported Moev. Mark was astonished by her voice. Two years later, I’m in Halifax [Nova Scotia] with Skinny Puppy. There’s Sarah. So we had a conversation, and I talked her into coming to Vancouver and signing to Nettwerk. Sarah flew out and slept on the floor of Nettwerk for the first three to four months. She worked a part-time job at a tea shop, and we started doing the first record, Touch. Sarah went on tour with Grapes of Wrath, and by the end of the tour, one could argue that Sarah was bigger than the Grapes of Wrath.
In terms of the music business and streaming, do you go around saying, “Yeah, I predicted this”?
I wrote a paper [“Meet the Millennials”] about the future of music in winter 2008, over the Christmas holiday. I did it with [former Nettwerk GM] Brent Muhle, who was running my Los Angeles office; ultimately, he got a job at Apple in Europe and couldn’t talk about what we had written together. It left me for three or four years running around saying, “Hey, this is what’s going to happen. We can either realize that and embrace it, or we can live in this fear and this world of litigation.”
I don’t view music as lyrics, melodies, chords, bridges. I view songs as emotions, and when someone falls in love with that song, they attach their own emotion to it, so they essentially own it … The music business was trying its best to inhibit that type of behavior. You look at the explosion of the cassette tape, the burned CDs. It was all about people sharing. It wasn’t really about people ripping things off; it was about sharing their emotions. When I co-wrote “Meet the Millennials,” basically, I was writing the blueprint for the next 20 years of Nettwerk.
How so?
What I didn’t go into in that paper — which evolved out of that paper — was the thought process of “communities.” We were always involved in communities, whether it was the electronic grunge scene or Sarah and Lilith Fair [the all-female music festival McLachlan co-created with McBride] and even that whole folk scene inside Canada. Streaming allowed the niche marketplace to actually come to life within music. Overlapping fan bases were not going to be walled in by borders or some physical restraint. You could look at niches from a worldwide point of view, not a city point of view — which was where all the scenes came from, whether it was the ’80s new wave scene out of London and New York or the ’90s grunge scene out of Seattle. We started to build the singer-songwriter community first, and these were bands from everywhere. It didn’t matter. There were no boundaries. We slowly but surely started to build up data behind it.
How do you define “communities” in this context?
It’s basically artists that have overlapping fan bases. If you finish streaming an album, the algorithm kicks in and starts feeding you music based on what you happen to like. I just finished listening to the album [by] Haevn, a band from the Netherlands; eight of the next 10 songs were all Nettwerk songs, from their community. So Haevn is giving those other artists a lift.
So Nettwerk says, “We’ll sign all of these bands in this community.”
There’s a whole music scene that’s happening outside the traditional pop-hit culture. We’ll probably sign another 50 artists next year, and it’ll all be based on these three criteria: Do we love the music? Can we honestly add value? Are the artists and manager not a–holes? If you check those three boxes, we’re interested.
Nettwerk has a history of zigging when everybody else is zagging — in 2008, everyone thought record companies were dead and artist management was the place to be. But you got out of management.
Yeah. Now I can turn my phone off at night and I’m making money as I sleep. That didn’t happen in management. I was talking to two managers today who are in their late 20s, and I asked them how life is going. They said, “This is a horrible Monday — from the minute I woke up, I’ve been putting out fires.” I so don’t miss that.
How has the role and need for outside investors in Nettwerk changed over the years?
We sold most of the publishing seven or eight years ago. From that, we went to friends and family members and brought in a lot of people I really like who were very knowledgeable and some musicians I can’t name who are very big. About a year-and-a-half ago was the first time we brought in institutional money. We have a great balance sheet, and we’re set for the next couple of years. [In 2013, it was reported that Nettwerk had raised $10.3 million in equity growth financing from HBC Investments, previous investor Beedie Capital and Nettwerk’s four founding partners: McBride, Jowett, Arboit and Dan Fraser.]
What do you see happening during the next few years in the music business?
There are some interesting things on the horizon with [artificial intelligence]. That is not going to be determined through technology — it’s going to be determined through legislation and, unfortunately, litigation. It’s not just the music business — it’s every business.
What about the business’ future as it pertains to Nettwerk?
Communities of fans, and their emotional attachments to music, are only going to grow and become more powerful. If I would make one prediction: The middle-class musician is back. So that artist in the ’70s and ’80s who had a career without being on terrestrial radio and having platinum records is back. That’ll be healthy for the music scene. The fact that we’re looking at all these folk bands filling up 2,500-seat venues — that hasn’t happened since the ’60s.
Are you personally thinking of getting out? Retiring?
At some point, would I like to go fishing more? Spend more time with my family? Absolutely. But music’s a passion for me. I’m not looking to retire. We’re in a really good spot. I do want to see it grow. I’m not going to get in the way of that.
To me, the power of music can help people through really challenging times. When I sit down with a young artist and talk about the fact that they’re having success, [I say], “You need to consider something really, really carefully: What are you going to do with that, and how are we going to make this world a better place? Because whether you realize it or not, kids are really emotionally grabbing onto your music.”
If I look at an artist like Paris Paloma, she’s changing the world, and she’s doing it to her generation. Like Mon Rovîa, same thing. SYML, same thing. Paper Kites, same thing.
Why would I want to walk away from that? It’s just too powerful.
This story appears in the Dec. 7, 2024, issue of Billboard.
Horst Weidenmüller, the CEO and founder of !K7 Music, has been recognized with the prestigious IMPALA Outstanding Contribution Award for his impactful work in the European independent music sector.
The accolade coincides with the upcoming 40th anniversary of !K7 Music, which Weidenmüller established in 1985.
At IMPALA’s recent board meeting, the organization highlighted Weidenmüller’s near four-decade career and pivotal role in advancing the independent music industry. !K7 Music began as a music video production company in Berlin before evolving into a multifaceted label known for its groundbreaking DJ-Kicks series, launched in 1993, and its roster of sub-labels such as Strut Records, 7K!, and Ever Records.
Beyond his label’s success, Weidenmüller has been a staunch advocate for sustainability and inclusion in the music industry. As a long-time IMPALA board member and the founder of its Sustainability Task Force, he spearheaded the development of a bespoke carbon calculator for labels, in partnership with Julie’s Bicycle, Merlin, and Murmur. He also helped establish IMPALA’s Business Case for Sustainability, emphasizing the financial benefits of environmentally conscious practices.
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Under his leadership, !K7 Music has been certified as a B Corporation, reflecting its commitment to high standards of social and environmental responsibility. The company actively supports community initiatives, including a collaboration with Ernst-Reuter-Schule in Berlin, where students learn music production, marketing, and distribution.
“Horst is a force of nature, lifting all those that work with him,” said Helen Smith, Executive Chair of IMPALA. “His work as vice-president of the IMPALA board already set down an early marker, which was cemented when he founded our sustainability task force four years ago.”
Peter Quicke, co-chair of IMPALA’s Sustainability Task Force and managing director of Ninja Tune, added, “Horst doesn’t just talk about sustainability; he takes action. His pragmatic approach has made !K7 a model for how independent labels can lead by example.”
Expressing gratitude for the award, Weidenmüller said: “I am touched to receive IMPALA’s award. !K7’s culture and values translates into all of my work, whether it is across music, sustainability, inclusion or digital and beyond. My mission with IMPALA is an extension of that, as is securing our status as a certified B-corps business. This is a shared journey we are on, where the independent sector underlines time and time again that we are leaders.”
“That is something I am super proud of. Thanks to all the IMPALA board members!”
Burning Man art car Titanic’s End is launching a record label, Titanic’s End Records.
Justin Kan and Nicholas Parasram, co-founders of the label, tell Billboard the project will help fund the annual cost of bringing the art car to Burning Man. 50% of label profits will also go to Big Arts Organization, a registered 501(c) nonprofit created by Titanic’s End to create public art and raise awareness about climate change.
Titanic’s End Records will focus on house, Afro house and global music, with singles coming from the collective of DJs and producers that exist within the community, as well as artists from outside this world. “Success for us is if we help artists to bring the sounds we are listening to to a broader audience in the world,” says Parasram.
Distribution is being handled by the independent label and artist services of Warner Music Group. Coming in January, the first release, coming in January, will be a collaborative track by producers JK, Arabic Piano, ORSO and Maejor.
Kan, a tech entrepreneur who also co-founded Twitch, and Parasram, an artist manager and investor, also recently launched Thin Ice Entertainment, which focuses on talent management, content publishing and distribution. The art car itself is a co-creation of from Kan and entrepreneur Eddie Sellers. Designed in the shape of iceberg, it was built in San Francisco by more than 200 volunteers from the Titanic’s End Burning Man camp and debuted at Burning Man in 2022.
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Known as a Burning Man art car with one of the highest-quality sound systems at the event, Titanic’s End has hosted sets by LP Giobbi, Diplo, Acraze, Tokimonsta, Francis Mercier and many other producers from the global Titanic’s End community.
Like several of the other biggest and loudest art cars at Burning Man, Titanic’s End also hosts events around the world and plans to present label artists at parties currently being planned for 2025. (in October of 2023, it made an appearance at set from Fisher and Chris Lake that took over Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles and drew an estimated crowd of 12,000.)
Kan says “all the activities [outside of Burning Man], from Titanic’s End Records to events that we host ourselves, go to our non profit to fund bringing Titanic’s End to the playa every year.”
The label founders add that the team is also focused on creating opportunities for artists from a variety of disciplines to present their art in the world. “Music is one area,” says Kan, “but we are also excited about large format sculptural and LED art and to build more in-person events that introduce the culture to more people.”
“We are very excited to launch this label,” Parasram adds, “because our community has worked so hard to build Titanic’s End into an symbiotic platform and the label is our final piece of the puzzle for a truly connected [inside/outside Burning Man] experience.”
The music industry is in constant transformation, driven by the advancement of technology and new forms of artistic creation. Enter All Music Works, a record label based in Málaga, Spain, that exclusively focuses on music and artists developed through artificial intelligence (AI). Founder Carlos Zehr spoke with Billboard Español about their innovative approach, the challenges they face, and how they might redefine the rules of the game in the music scene.
“This project was born out of personal frustration,” says Zehr. “I’ve always been passionate about music. I studied piano from a young age and have been a voracious consumer of concerts and festivals. But when I wanted to produce my own music, I encountered limitations in time, skills, and resources to achieve what I envisioned.” That barrier led him to explore AI tools applied to music production, a path that transformed his perspective: “I achieved results that were not only impressive in quality but also explored sounds and styles that I would like to hear in the current market.”
Zehr has a diverse background combining marketing, technology, and entrepreneurship. A 2014 graduate of the University of Granada, where he studied business administration and management, he has held leadership positions in marketing agencies and video game studios. In 2020, he founded Noname Hub, an agency focused on branding and innovation; and in 2022, he launched Nonoki, a music and video streaming platform that became one of the most popular apps in Spain and South Korea. Both projects are still active today.
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Unlike other projects that have used AI to launch individual virtual artists, such as bands associated with video games like League of Legends, All Music Works proposes a much more ambitious approach: the creation of a collective of artists with their own stories, personalities and musical styles. “We design each artist’s personality, visual style and musical genres from scratch,” says Zehr. “It all starts from a human process, with a detailed study and creative approach that we then augment with AI.”
The initial catalog includes 10 virtual artists from genres as diverse as indie rock, reggaetón, alternative trap and drum & bass. Among them are The Good Dog, a group that fuses Britpop and garage rock, and Cielo Roto, a Madrid-based band that mixes indie, rock and cumbia.
But All Music Works is only just beginning. “From here, we will be launching capsules with three new artists in the coming months, while continuing to push the trajectory of current artists,” says Zehr.
The next step is to bring All Music Works’ virtual artists to the stage. The company is now developing various formats of presentation, from DJ sets to immersive experiences, depending on the identity of each artist. However, its main focus is on hologram technology. “We are collaborating with production companies and advancing in research to implement holograms in our performances,” says Zehr. “We want the experience to be as impactful as it is innovative.”
The goal is not only to generate curiosity but to consolidate the company as a leader in an emerging industry around virtual artists that combines creativity and technology.
Being a pioneer in such a disruptive area is not without its challenges. Zehr acknowledges that, although the concept has generated curiosity and admiration, All Music Works has faced criticism and questions about authenticity and ethics around the use of AI. Being a trendsetter is “positive because we are blazing a trail,” he says, “but it also means being the first to face legal, ethical and creative challenges.”
All Music Works does not intend to replace human talent but rather to expand the creative landscape. “We are offering something that would not be possible without technology, but the human element remains essential,” he says. For him, AI is a powerful tool, not a substitute, because the creative process is still anchored in human intervention, from the conceptualization of the artists down to the most technical details. “We use technology to extend the limits of what we can achieve,” he says.
Being a pioneer in such a disruptive area is not without its challenges. Zehr acknowledges that All Music Works has faced criticism and questions about authenticity and ethics around the use of AI. Being a trendsetter is “positive because we are blazing a trail,” he says, “but it also means being the first to face legal, ethical and creative challenges.”
From the lyrics to the musical arrangements, every piece of music is precisely designed, adjusting details such as key or tempo to convey the desired emotions. This approach not only allows for the exploration of new styles but also ensures the authenticity of the creations.
According to Zehr, the company has generated unexpected interest in the music community. “We’ve received a flood of requests from real composers and musicians who want to work with us,” he says.
The team is also preparing to tackle legal challenges. Operating in as-yet unregulated terrain, the company is helping to set precedents for the industry, hand in hand with expert lawyers. “We are helping to define how these issues will be handled in the future,” Zehr stresses.
According to Zehr, the company has generated unexpected interest in the music community. “We’ve received a flood of requests from real composers and musicians who want to work with us,” he says.
In addition to its catalog of artists, the label is exploring collaborations with brands to develop virtual artist ambassadors. This approach offers an innovative way for brands to connect with their audiences through personalized and creative experiences.
All Music Works is launching at the beginning of what could be a new era in music, challenging established norms and offering new possibilities for artists and the industry. “The question is not whether music will change with technology, but how we are going to adapt to this change,” says Zehr.
Cara Donatto has been appointed executive vp of media strategy for Atlantic Music Group (AMG). In her new role, the Los Angeles-based music industry veteran will oversee publicity and communications strategy and execution as she collaborates with artists across the company’s roster and label brands.
The new appointment reunites Donatto with her former alma mater. Prior to her most recent post as executive vp, head of media strategy & communications at Interscope Geffen A&M since 2019, Donatto served as Atlantic’s senior vp of publicity.
In an announcement release, Atlantic Music Group CEO Elliot Grainge said, “Cara is one of the most experienced, impactful and well-liked people in our business. Over the past two decades, she’s played an essential role in the long-term development of a string of chart-topping artists, while building invaluable relationships at every level of the music and media community. I’m pleased to welcome her to our new Atlantic leadership team, and I know her many friends at the label are very happy to have her back.”
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“I’m incredibly excited to return to Atlantic Music Group as the company begins a dynamic new chapter,” stated Donatto. “I’m thrilled to reunite with so many amazing artists I’ve worked with previously, as well as help build the careers of the label’s fantastic new signings and collaborate with the AMG team. I want to thank Elliot for this wonderful opportunity. This feels very much like both a homecoming and a brand new adventure.”
Among the acts on AMG’s roster are Bruno Mars, Cardi B, Coldplay, Charli XCX, Ed Sheeran, Lizzo and Rosé. Mars, in addition to Janelle Monáe and Missy Elliott, were among the various artists that Donatto worked with during her earlier Atlantic tenure.
During her five years at Interscope Geffen A&M, Donatto oversaw media strategy for a roster that included Billie Eilish, Dr. Dre, GloRilla, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Reneé Rapp and Olivia Rodrigo. She also supervised the company’s Grammy and Oscar Awards strategy and campaigns. Before starting her first tenure with Atlantic, Donatto was director of media & artist relations at Island Def Jam Records. Before that, she served as manager of publicity for Vibe and Spin.
Multiplatinum country singer/songwriter/producer Chris Young has signed with Black River Entertainment’s Black River Records roster.
Joining Black River marks a major career shift for Young, who had previously been with Sony Music Nashville’s RCA Nashville imprint since the start of his career, signing there in 2006.
Young has released nine studio albums, amassed over 9 billion on-demand streams, notched 11 Billboard Country Airplay chart-topping songs and has earned numerous ACM, CMA, CMT and Grammy Awards nominations. He’s won two CMT Music Awards for performance of the year (for his song “Drowning”) and collaborative video of the year (for the “Famous Friends” music video with Kane Brown).
This year, the Grand Ole Opry member registered another Country Airplay top five with “Young Love & Saturday Nights,” the title track to his most recent album, which was released in March.
“Nineteen years is an amazingly long time to have a career, much less be at one place with one team,” Young told Billboard. “This is the next chapter for me and I couldn’t be more excited to be where I’m at.”
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Young says his deal with Sony ended around September. “I had the chance to be a free agent. I felt sort of like an athlete a little bit,” he says. “I was prepared to take all these [label] meetings, and I went in and [Black River Records] were the first meeting. By the end of that meeting, I told them, ‘I want to be here.’”
Black River Records is also home to artists including five-time Grammy nominee Kelsea Ballerini, Scotty Hasting, Pryor Baird and MaRynn Taylor.
Though Young is the newest addition to the Black River Records roster, he has long had ties to the company. His 2012 song “Neon” was an early Black River Publishing cut, and he recorded his albums I’m Comin’ Over and Losing Sleep (both of which debuted at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart), as well as his holiday album It Must Be Christmas, at the company’s Sound Stage Studios.
Young hints there is new music already on the way.
“[Black River] had done their research and they were like, ‘We want you to be part of this group. We’re ready to go to work immediately.’ And I gave them a dropbox with 20 songs in it,” Young recalled.
Black River Entertainment president and CEO Gordon Kerr tells Billboard, “I really do think his music is the soundtrack to a generation of country music. I’ve heard some of the music that’s coming and he’s going to deliver on that… I’m so grateful to RCA and [former label head] Joe Galante and the staff for pouring into Chris for 19 years. That’s really important for us to be able to give them the kudos and respect, because they helped Chris build that. For us, the future is to say that we are going to take that and build on it.”
Earlier this year, Young made another career shift, switching management from The AMG to Red Light Management, with Kailyn Finnegan serving as Young’s manager.
Now heading into 2025 with a new label deal in place, Young says, “I really do feel like it’s set up to be an incredible year. I’m really happy and excited for the beginning of next year, for everybody to hear all this.”