Music

As any music-business attorney will tell you, it’s not a job for the faint of heart — especially in 2020. These legal eagles made massive deals, litigated thorny disputes and helped their clients navigate fine deal points, all during a pandemic. Head here to read an interview with Dina LaPolt, our Power of Law honoree,

UPDATED: Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino posted an open letter to employees across the world promising greater diversity in the years to come, along with a $10 million investment to “focus on developing, promoting and hiring Black and underrepresented talent.” With 2025 as a target date, the document pledges to double the overall percentage of

Spotify has officially gone live in Russia, along with a dozen other markets across Europe. The addition of Russia is a significant expansion for Spotify, given that the country represents the 17th biggest streaming market in the world, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. The music and audio-streaming company said it now

Dina LaPolt is one of the music industry’s leading attorneys — and she is almost indisputably the loudest. Outspoken and seemingly fearless, the owner and founder of LaPolt Law represents artists including Steven Tyler, Britney Spears, 21 Savage, Deadmau5 and, for many years, the Tupac Shakur estate. But Variety’s 2020 Power of Law honoree has

There’s one place Andrew Lloyd Webber gravitates to after a bad day in the business — the largest of his theaters, the London Palladium. Late at night, when the West End impresario stands onstage and looks out at the 2,300-seat venue, “I just say, ‘That’s why. That’s why I want to be in theater,’” Lloyd

The iconic Tomorrowland Festival – which usually takes place in Boom, Belgium – has found a new home in the digital space for its 2020 edition, now called Tomorrowland Around the World. But, the EDM fest promises to pack just as much of a punch with a unique interactive experience, eight stages and over 60

It had been a grueling few months for John Benjamin Hickey. Not only had he wrapped up a long run playing a pivotal supporting role in Matthew Lopez’s two-part AIDS epic “The Inheritance,” but Hickey was also making his Broadway directing debut with “Plaza Suite,” a romantic comedy starring real-life couple Matthew Broderick and Sarah

Rapper Tory Lanez was arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning after a house party altercation turned violent and the LAPD arrived on the scene. The arrest happened around 4:30 a.m. near a house in the Hollywood hills where the 27-year-old hip-hop star was arrested and charged with carrying a concealed weapon in his

Two men and two teens have been charged with killing rapper Pop Smoke during a robbery in February, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday (July 13). Corey Walker, 19, and Keandre Rodgers, 18, were each charged with murder Monday, with the special circumstance allegation that the murder occurred during the commission of

A Balinese-influenced tropical hideaway on Malibu’s disappearing Broad Beach has sold for $11.3 million, and tax records reveal the buyer to be Grammy winner Dan Reynolds, lead singer of internationally famous rock band Imagine Dragons, and his longtime wife, fellow rocker Aja Volkman. Built in the late ’70s, the oceanfront mansion sports a Hollywood pedigree.

Interest in Pop Smoke has clearly only been heightened in the five months since the 20-year-old rapper’s murder, as his official debut album, “Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon,” premiered on the album chart at No. 1 with 245,000 album units. There was plenty of post-4th of July glory to go around, as

Ricky Martin is opening up about his decision to come out as gay. The music superstar recalls being on his Livin’ La Vida Loca tour in 1999 when he decided he had to take some time off. “My music was being heard all over the world, regardless of the language,” Martin said during an appearance

Veteran rapper and activist Talib Kweli announced today that he will be launching his new album, “Cultural Currency,” via the independent subscription service, Patreon. While artists like Kimbra and Ani DiFranco have released songs through the service, Kweli is the first major artist to use it for a full album. While details on the album itself were

Khalid and Post Malone tied for Songwriter of the Year and Halsey’s 
“Without Me,” co-written with Delacey, won Song of the Year
 at the 2020 BMI Music Awards. Sony/ATV Music won awarded Publisher of The Year for the eighth time. BMI also celebrated the songwriters and publishers of the 50 most-performed Pop songs of the

Sony Music Group, which includes of Sony Music Entertainment and Sony/ATV Music Publishing, announced it has named non-profit leader Towalame Austin executive vice president, philanthropy and social impact. She will be based in Los Angeles and report jointly to Sony/ATV Chairman and CEO Jon Platt and Sony Music Entertainment Chief Operating Officer Kevin Kelleher. According

U.K. broadcaster BBC’s corporate charity Children in Need has partnered with urban, contemporary and Black music radio station BBC Radio 1Xtra to match rapper Stormzy’s recent £10 million ($12.6 million) pledge to benefit young Black lives in the country. BBC Children in Need will match Stormzy’s pledge over 10 years and develop a dedicated new

Benjamin Storm Keough, son of Lisa Marie Presley and Elvis Presley’s grandson, has died at the age of 27. “She is entirely heartbroken, inconsolable and beyond devastated but trying to stay strong for her 11 year old twins and her oldest daughter Riley. She adored that boy. He was the love of her life,” Lisa

Singer Anita White, also known as Lady A, released a statement over the weekend saying that the country group of the same name — formerly known as Lady Antebellum — “has used their wealth and influence to intimidate and bully me into submission without offering any real recompense for appropriating my name.” Says White, “It

Atlanta rapper Lil Marlo has died, the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed to NBC News. While no cause of death had been confirmed, TMZ, which first reported the news, cites a police source as saying the MC, whose real name was Rudolph Johnson, was shot while driving. The medical examiner’s office said he was

Unsafe concert conditions seem to know no genre boundaries in the mid-pandemic era. Two weekends ago, it was country artists Chase Rice and Chris Janson stirring outrage when they proudly posted videos of themselves playing to packed crowds of fans with no masks in sight. Last weekend, it was hip-hop star DaBaby in the hot

Louis Tomlinson and his label Syco Music have parted ways, the One Direction alum announced today (July 11) on Twitter. “Hope everyone is doing ok! Just wanted to let you know that Syco Music and I have agreed to part ways,” he wrote. “I’m really excited for the future and to be back in the

Just a week after the posthumous release of Pop Smoke’s debut album, “Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon” comes another new album from yet another young rapper gone far too soon. Brooklyn drill master Pop Smoke and Chicago emo-inflected MC Juice WRLD were both lively innovators, utilizing melancholy, memorable and at times pretty melodies to

Rapper YG might be severing professional ties to Nicki Minaj following her collaboration with Tekashi 6ix9ine. During an interview with Los Angeles’ Real 92.3 on Thursday, YG was asked how he felt about Minaj’s recent track with the controversial rainbow-haired rapper and if he would want to work with her again. “I don’t know, my

Variety’s first virtual invite-only Power of Law event, presented by City National Bank, will be held on July 15. Variety Power of Law is tied to the annual Legal Impact Report, which profiles the top attorneys working in entertainment and media. City National Bank’s chief executive officer Kelly Coffey will participate in an interview with

Streaming platform Pandora has unveiled its Most-Thumbed Movie Songs Playlist. Based on Pandora listeners’ thumbs-up activity, 102 of the most popular movie songs were rounded up. Among the most-thumbed tracks are “Earned It” by the Weeknd from “Fifty Shades of Grey,” “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth from “Furious 7” and “A

For Burt Bacharach, what it’s all about is continuing to write and record music. Not many pop legends in their 90s are releasing new music this year instead of fondly gazing at their trophy shelves, but Bacharach, one of the most celebrated songwriters in pop history, has found a new partner and muse in Daniel

Along with the pandemic-induced avalanche of new songs dropping every week is an increasing number of pandemic-inspired songs. Initially they were largely about either loneliness or hopeful optimism, and most of them still are, but huge props to Avenue Beat for being the ones to say “F— 2020”: December 31st, I grabbed a beerThrew it

And the battle between the two Lady A’s — mega-successful white country band v. obscure Black blues singer — continues. Now lawyers are involved, and no matter who ends up being victorious in the quest to stake a legal claim to the name, the Lady A formerly known as Lady Antebellum has already lost. The

Capitol Records has hired Chris Turner as senior director of A&R, reporting to Jeff Vaughn, who was named president of the label in December 2019. Turner was previously an A&R executive at L.A. Reid’s HitCo Entertainment, signing the popular acts Yella Beezy and Rubi Rose. Prior to HitCo, he signed hip-hop group Devine Council to

Although the coronavirus pandemic put the careers of countless up-and-coming musicians on hold, it didn’t stop their creative drive. By the end of March, music-sharing platform SoundCloud reported that there had been a 50 percent increase in uploads, with many songs related to the socially distanced circumstances. The surge inspired SoundCloud CEO Kerry Trainor to