music blog
The Ledger: The Major’s $25B in Revenue in 2021 Is Just the Start
The Ledger is a weekly newsletter about the economics of the music business sent to Billboard Pro subscribers. An abbreviated version of the newsletter is published online. Six years into the global music industry’s recovery, the largest labels and publishers are growing by leaps and bounds. The three major music groups — Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group — had combined revenues of $25.4 billion in calendar 2021, up 19.8% from calendar 2020, according to Billboard‘s calculations. That annual growth rate was more than a four-fold improvement from the companies’ 4.7% revenue growth in 2020 after a slowdown in physical goods sales during the pandemic. Combined, the companies had an operating profit was $4.1 billion in 2021, a 44.3% increase, with...
Madi Diaz Teams Up with Angel Olsen for “Forever (New Feelings Version),” Drops New EP: Stream
Madi Diaz has a new song with Angel Olsen out called “Forever (New Feelings Version).” A reimagining of her 2021 track “Forever,” the duet appears on Diaz’ new EP Same History, New Feelings, which you can listen to below. Where the original “Forever” centered on a melancholy, Cat Power-style acoustic guitar, “Forever (New Feelings Version)” favors an equally somber piano. Angel Olsen opens the song with her warm warble before Diaz comes in for a duet. “You so casually say it’s forever/ You’re saying it like it’s whatever,” the two belt, looking back on a relationship that didn’t exactly go the distance. “Forever (New Feelings Version)” is one of four star-studded duets Diaz offers on Same History, New Feelings, which sees the artist re-record songs from her 2021 LP History o...
Russia Blocks Access to Facebook
Russia plans to ban Facebook within the country, according to a statement by Russian communications regulator Roskomnadzo. Facebook had refused to comply with Russia’s demand that it stop fact-checking state media. Roskomnadzo’s statement (translated via The Verge) cites 26 cases of “discrimination against Russian media and information resources by Facebook” since October 2020. It also accused the social media platform of violating federal law by restricting access to state media outlets. This news arrives on the heels of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Since the war broke out last week, fleets of Russians have gathered in the streets to protest the invasion, and thousands have been arrested. While President Vladimir Putin has denied plans to institute martial law, the regi...
The Rome and Duddy Show: Summer Tour Is Coming
Listen via: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | Pocket Casts | RadioPublic | Stitcher | RSS It’s been busy over here in the land of The Rome and Duddy Show, but the guys wouldn’t leave their fans hanging for long! On this week’s episode, Sublime with Rome’s Rome Ramirez and Dirty Heads’ Duddy B give updates on their upcoming projects and tours — including the long awaited Rome & Duddy collaborative album! Related Video Elsewhere, the pair dive into some Jack Quotes, fan Q&A, and of course more information about the new, limited edition Rome & Duddy Small Batch CBD Collector’s Box! There are still just a handful of boxes left, so grab yours now at RomeA...
Rivers Cuomo Goes Country (I Guess) on Morgan Evans Duet “Country Outta My Girl”: Stream
Weezer’s got an entire genre-hopping covers album that insists Rivers Cuomo is open to anything, so we probably shouldn’t be surprised that he’s now featured on a country song. The frontman has teamed up with Morgan Evans for the track “Country Outta My Girl,” which you can listen to below. “Country Outta My Girl” has all the trappings of a modern pop-country song: twangy guitar and skittering electronic drums that mix like oil and water, a near-rap style vocal delivery, and incredibly on-the-nose lyrics that insist its artists are familiar with Southern culture. Over a scratchy acoustic riff, Evans details the ways that his Southern transplant girlfriend has maintained her country roots, from wearing cowboy boots on Rodeo Drive to drinking dirty martinis in mason jars. After Evans promise...
Snoop Dogg Shares He Owns the Masters to Dr. Dre’s ‘The Chronic’
Snoop Dogg is now the owner of the masters of Dr. Dre’s first studio album, The Chronic. Last month, it was announced that Snoop Dogg had acquired Death Row Records after purchasing it from MNRK Music Group. In a recent interview with Elliott Wilson for TIDAL, the rapper shared that as part of the deal, he owns the masters for Dre’s The Chronic, as well as a few of his own projects, including Doggystyle, Tha Doggfather, Murder Was the Case, Dogg Food and Above the Rim. Snoop Dogg went on to clarify that he’s not the owner of any of the masters for Tupac Shakur’s releases. “As far as Tupac’s masters, Tupac’s masters came back to him last year,” he said. “But I got a great relationship with his estate, and I’m pretty sure we’re going to be able to work something out … to continue some Death ...
Machine Gun Kelly Taps Lil Wayne for New Track and Video “ay!”
Machine Gun Kelly has employed Lil Wayne for his latest track and music video, titled “ay!,” off his forthcoming album, Mainstream Sellout. The visual, which MGK says he filmed “last night in [his] living room,” sees the chart-topper changing between a multitude of flashy outfits while seated at a table in a colorful closet among a group of friends. While Wayne does not physically appear in the video, a paper cut-out of the top-shelf rapper moves across the table throughout his guest verse. The track, produced by frequent collaborator Travis Barker, BazeXX and SlimXX, marks the second offering to arrive ahead of Mainstream Sellout‘s debut, following “Emo Girl,” featuring Willow, which was released early last month. While teasing “ay!” on Twitter earlier this week, the Blonde Don hinted at ...
Nike To Change Its SNKRS Pass From FCFS To A Raffle aka Draw
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Nike / NIke As sneakerheads continue to complain about not getting a fair shake on Nike SNKRS app due to bots, raffles, and “preferred” accounts, the Swoosh has announced new changes to another one of it’s apps features, “SNKRS Pass” in an attempt to level the playing field. In a statement released yesterday, Nike announced that going forward the “SNKRS Pass” method of securing a pair of sneakers at your closest Nike retailer will go from first-come, first-serve, to, wait for it… a raffle! SMH. If y’all thought it was impossible to win a draw on a regular release date, the “SNKRS Pass” offer a limited amount of sneakers at any given participating retailer so chances will be slimmer. Still, bots would eat merch before one could even press the “Reserve” but...
Kendrick Lamar On Glastonbury Lineup with Billie Eilish & Paul McCartney
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: JMEnternational / Getty The famous Glastonbury Festival will have a historic tinge to it this year, as Billie Eilish is set to become the youngest performer to headline the event while K. Dot will also be on hand. The largest festival in the United Kingdom took to social media to announce their lineup, with Eilish being front and center as a headliner. When it begins on Friday, June 24th, she will be 20 years and 6 months at the time being the youngest solo artist to do so. She’ll be joined by the iconic Paul McCartney, who will headline on Saturday, June 25th and Kendrick Lamar who will close things out on June 26th. McCartney and Lamar were set to perform at Glastonbury for its 50th Anniversary in 2020 with Taylor Swift, but that was canceled due ...
Nicki Minaj & Janet Jackson Announced As Essence Fest 2022 Headliners
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Gilbert Carrasquillo / Getty Essence Fest is back, and to celebrate, two of the biggest artists on the planet will be headlining. Nicki Minaj and Janet Jackson were announced as headliners for Essence Fest when it makes its triumphant in-person return to New Orleans after being canceled in 2020, understandably due to the pandemic and going completely virtual in 2021. Minaj and Jackson will be the main attractions of the four-night concert series that will go down at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome from June 30 to July 3. Essence Festival marks the return of the Minaj to the US Festival stage before she heads across the pond for the UK’s Wireless Festival. Minaj has been quite busy as she is full album mode unleashing two new singles on us, “Bussin” and “Do...
Gucci Mane Appears To Fire Back At NBA YoungBoy Diss On “Publicity Stunt”
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Scott Legato / Getty Gucci Mane earned the reputation of a man you may want to avoid having issues with but NBA YoungBoy threw shots on his recently released “I Hate YoungBoy” track with little regard. Guwop seemingly responded with a new track titled “Publicity Stunt” that may signal that a war of words is soon to come. For context, NBA YoungBoy appears to be addressing several artists on “I Hate YoungBoy” such as Lil Durk, and he explicitly took shots at Gucci Mane with the line, “Used to f*ck with Gucci ’til I seen he like them p*ssy n*ggas.” Related Stories Earlier in the week, Gucci posted an image standing in front of an expensive vehicle and all smiles with the caption reading, “I feel like I’m Gucci Mane in 2006,” a line that NBA YoungBoy used on ...
VIDEO: Asake – Sungba
Check out this new music video from Asake titled “Sungba”, out now. Nigerian rave of the moment and YBNL Nation’s new signee Asake unveils the music visual to his released track titled “Sungba“. The new visual is an excellent production with a creative setup. It also shows Asake & friends wearing the same stylish outfit as the music video credit goes to TG Omori. However, the single “Sungba” is off his latest extended play titled “Ololade Asake“. Watch and share Asake – “Sungba” below. [embedded content]
