[PIAS], the Europe-based independent music company, and Universal Music Group announced a strategic global alliance on Wednesday (June 9). According to the announcement, under the new initiative, UMG will have access to [PIAS]’ international distribution network and expertise in providing services to the independent music community through its recently rebranded, long-standing services division [Integral]. In
Music
When the pandemic hit in early 2020, veteran music business headhunter Tom Truitt — a chief partner in the entertainment/media practice of Nashville-based executive search firm Buffkin/Baker — had his own lightbulb moment. Since 2015, Truitt had been hosting a live event, “Who Knew,” a monthly get-together Truitt dubbed “Ted Talks for the music industry.”
Migos has announced the stacked tracklist for their highly anticipated new album, “Culture III.” Out Friday, “Culture III” finds support from industry heavyweights Drake, Cardi B and Justin Bieber, in addition to Future, Polo G and NBA Youngboy. Across its 19 tracks, “Culture III” also posthumously features Pop Smoke and Juice Wrld, who died in
Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean and *NSYNC’s Chris Kirkpatrick debuted a new collaborative single, “Air,” in Las Vegas on Saturday. The dance track comes from the singers’ side band, ATCK, (All the Cool Kids), which was formed by McLean, 43, and Brandon Mashburn (DJ Lux) and features a “revolving door” of musicians, such as Kirkpatrick,
On the heels of the forthcoming Rolling Loud festivals in Miami and Los Angeles comes the three-day Rolling Loud New York 2021, taking place place October 28 – 30th at Citi Field with headliners Travis Scott, J. Cole and 50 Cent. The festival’s lineup will also feature major stars like Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Baby, Playboi Carti, Polo G, and Lil Durk,
Taylor Swift’s nearly six-month-old “Evermore” has returned to the top of the album chart, surprisingly — or, at least it might have been a surprise to anyone not tracking the tweets of Swifties, ecstatic that the vinyl copies they’d ordered in December were finally arriving on their doorsteps. Album sales for Swift are being tracked
Sources confirm to Variety that Mariah Carey has parted ways with Roc Nation and struck a partnership with the upstart Range Media Partners, where she will work with Melissa Ruderman, who oversaw her career at Roc Nation and left to join Range in January, as Variety exclusively announced. Ruderman is a managing partner at the
Dave Grohl is determined to be at the forefront of some post-quarantine firsts. Foo Fighters played the first Los Angeles stadium show of the pandemic era, with a closing set at the filming of “Vax Live” for a limited audience at SoFi Stadium May 2. Now, the band will headline the show at Madison Square
ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) announced that Swizz Beatz, Timbaland and D-Nice will receive the ASCAP Voice of the Culture award, presented to those who’ve had a major influence on music and culture. The three artists will be recognized at this year’s ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards, a for-now virtual
All products and services featured by Variety are independently selected by Variety editors. However, Variety may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. It’s a Crocs world and we’re all just living in it. Following successful collaborations with musicians such as
If you ever yearned to hear concerts by your favorite artists one night and listen to their TED talks the next, then Park City Song Summit may be your kind of music festival. That’s even though the Utah gathering is avoiding that particular F-word, “festival,” in emphasizing that its inaugural edition — set for Sept.
One of the great perks of working as an entertainment writer is the weird promotional stuff you get in the mail — cool things intended to amplify buzz around a project that can’t really be elaborate or useful enough to qualify as payola. Far beyond just t-shirts and hoodies, over the decades we’ve gotten everything
Leading digital art brand Ikonick is teaming up with Bravado, Universal Music Group’s global merchandising and brand management company, to produce, market and distribute canvas art and NFTs across their extensive roster of artists. NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, have become all the rage in the music industry in recent months. As cryptographic assets that cannot
After he initially announced plans to release his debut album independently, singer-songwriter Sam Williams has signed with Universal Music Group Nashville, the company is announcing today. The 24-year-old son of Hank Williams Jr. and grandson of Hank Williams will issue his first full-length recording, “Glasshouse Children,” via Nashville’s top label group this summer. “It’s been
Drake and Live Nation Canada will open History, a new live-entertainment venue in the superstar rapper’s hometown of Toronto, later this year, the company announced Tuesday (June 8). “Some of my most memorable shows were playing smaller rooms like History,” Drake in a statement. “I wanted to take those memories and what I learned to
The MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) will return this year for an in-person show on Sept. 12, airing live from the Barclays Center in New York City. No performers have been revealed yet, but according to the announcement, the ceremony, which will air in over 175 countries, will “feature performances from some of music’s biggest
+ Nick Petropoulos, who joined Arista Records early last year after an 11-year run at Glassnote Records, has been upped by Arista to oversee the label’s promotion department. He takes on the new role of senior VP and head of promotion, overseeing promotion strategy across all radio formats as well as working with digital partners
Rob Zombie, the heavy-metal musician turned director, has confirmed that he will write and direct a feature film based on “The Munsters,” the ’60s sitcom about a family of friendly monsters. “Attention Boils and Ghouls!,” Zombie wrote on Instagram. “The rumors are true! My next film project will be the one I’ve been chasing for
All products and services featured by Variety are independently selected by Variety editors. However, Variety may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. After a year with no live music, festivals are finally opening their doors again. Epic events such as
AmfAR has clarified the talent lineup for its annual fundraising gala to be held in conjunction with the Cannes Film Festival. Earlier today, AmfAR told Variety that The Weeknd had been confirmed to perform at the July 16 event. But in fact there was a miscommunication somewhere along the way and representatives for the artist
All goth things come to those that wait, as the Cruel World festival, originally set for May of 2020 in the Los Angeles area, has been rebooked for May 2, 2022 with nearly all of its originally scheduled lineup intact — including headliners Morrissey, Bauhaus, Blondie and Devo — despite the two-year delay. One change
Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas has unveiled a hefty lineup for its 2021 festival, with 200-plus acts including EDM heavyweights the Chainsmokers, Deadmau5 and Alison Wonderland. The festival, set to take place Oct. 22-24 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, will also feature performances from Alesso, Zhu, AC Slater, Anna Lunoe, Diplo, DJ Snake, Elephante,
A week after some tracks purportedly from Lorde’s third album leaked onto the internet (although it seems very few people have actually heard them?), the singer posted a note on her website Monday, along with a rather attention-grabbing derriere-forward photograph, possibly of her, from below. As last week’s rumors predicted, it seems the first single
The Weeknd is set to perform at amfAR’s Cannes Gala on July 16. The gala returns after being canceled last year due to the pandemic. “We’re back,” amfAR CEO Kevin Frost tells Variety’s Marc Malkin. “It’s happening.” The exclusive dinner will look a little different this year. The festivities will take place at Villa Eilenroc,
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival’s fan base has again proven itself a faithful one, with the belief that the 2022 edition will have been worth the three-year wait manifesting in passes for both weekends selling out within hours of going on sale. “Passes no longer available. 315 days till we meet again,” the
Apple unveiled a new feature of its FaceTime video-chat app dubbed SharePlay, which provides a way for multiple users to watch video or listen to music together — virtually — while chatting at the same time. The SharePlay feature will be available in iOS 15, the next major upgrade to the tech giant’s device operating
Bruce Springsteen’s top-grossing “Springsteen On Broadway” show will return this summer for a limited run of performances at New York’s St. James Theatre. Shows begin June 26 with additional performances through September 4. “I loved doing ‘Springsteen on Broadway’ and I’m thrilled to have been asked to reprise the show as part of the reopening
H.E.R. and Ingrid Andress will join the star-studded performer lineup for the 2021 CMT Awards while Anthony Mackie, Busy Philipps, Iliza Shlesinger and Michael Strahan have been added as presenters, the network announced Monday (June 7). The two artists will duet with previously announced performers: Fast-rising R&B star H.E.R. will continue her musical expansion by
Shemekia Copeland led the list of winners at Sunday’s Blues Music Awards with three honors, including the Blues Foundation’s top prize, the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year award. Picking up two trophies each in the 42nd annual ceremony were Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Mike Zito and thepairing of Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite. Besides winning
To celebrate New York’s apparent reopening, Mayor Bill de Blasio is planning a large-scale performance by multiple acts in Central Park and is working with veteran producer and executive Clive Davis to help organize the talent, according to a report Monday in the New York Times. No acts have been confirmed for the show, which