Nearly all conferences have been forced to move online for the time being, and the long-running ASCAP Experience (formerly known as the Expo), designed to “inspire, educate and connect music creators everywhere,” has reinvented itself for this year as a free, ongoing weekly virtual event beginning May 28. The series begins with a featured conversation
Music
Lana Del Rey has responded to the waves of criticism she received after her indelicately worded post that she was being accused by critics of “glamorizing abuse” and held to a different standard than fellow female artists like Doja Cat, Ariana Grande, Camila Cabello, Cardi B, Kehlani, Nicki Minaj and Beyonce, who “have had number
To the depression-busting recent trend of joyful dance-pop, add Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande’s “Rain On Me,” which premiered at midnight ET Friday morning, exactly one week before Gaga’s full-length “Chromatica” hits. When it rains, it’s about to pour. As the single (click image above to listen) hit digital services in the late night hours
The first thing to know about “Notes on a Conditional Form,” the fourth album by the British band the 1975, is that it’s 22 songs long. The second thing is that none of these songs sound much like one another. It’s the ultimate contemporary example of how the Beatles’ White Album has become a kind
With the Eagles grounded from touring for more than a year after the further cancellation of their tour, Joe Walsh has a little extra time on his hands, and he plans to make use of it by taking on a weekly radio program at a Los Angeles radio station. He’ll be pulling disc jockey duties
Ben Platt may have looked cool and collected when he first appeared on stage in his new Netflix concert special, “Ben Platt: Live From Radio City,” but he wasn’t exactly calm. “It felt very surreal and the whole first song, I felt very scared and tense and tight,” Platt says during an interview on “Variety
Duran Duran has signed a publishing administration agreement with Warner Chappell Music that will cover the group’s catalog from 1986 to date along with future compositions. The deal encompasses such albums as “Notorious” and “Duran Duran (The Wedding Album)” which house the hit songs “Notorious,” “All She Wants Is,” “Ordinary World” and “Come Undone,” among
The Verzuz series — in which two R&B/hip-hop artists engage in a virtual DJ battle on Instagram Live while thousands of fans watch and weigh in on social media — is one of the few silver linings of the pandemic lockdown. And while the series, which began with founders Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, has proved
In a revealing new interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Lady Gaga revealed how making “Chromatica” helped her to heal from past trauma. “Chromatica,” out May 29, will be Gaga’s first album since 2016’s “Joanne.” The music takes Gaga back to her dance-pop roots, while she promises that the messaging touches on more serious subject
In the battle for chart supremacy between 6ix9ine and the team of Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber, the latter duo has claimed another victory over the controversial and contentious rapper. The Grande/Bieber charity single “Stuck With U” came in at No. 1 on Rolling Stone’s songs chart, pushing ahead of 6ix9ine’s “Gooba” in the stretch.
When actress and musician Laura Bell Bundy woke up on March 12, she had a fierce headache, immediately attributing it to a hangover after a night of drinking at an event. But she didn’t have a hangover — she had coronavirus. Before the virus hit, Bundy had been working on a women’s history sketch comedy
Investment giant Goldman-Sachs has been one of the great cheerleaders for the revival of the music industry, and its projections played no small role in some of the industry’s recent successes — not least Universal Music Group being valued at $33.6 billion as part of its sale of 10% to Tencent. However, the coronavirus pandemic
Rock stars used to carry poor reputations when it came to handling money. Bad managers, bad advice and bad habits often made reunion/comeback tours financially necessary. But that’s all in the past. These days, rock’s megastars often invest their dollars with the acumen of a Ivy League-educated financial whiz. Besides endorsement deals, tech stocks and
Casey Wasserman, the sports and entertainment entrepreneur who is the grandson of legendary talent agency mogul Lew Wasserman, is in talks to acquire the music assets of Paradigm agency, which has been hard hit by the coronavirus lockdown. Sources said the talks have been on-again, off-again and there’s a good chance that a deal may
Hip-hop music mogul Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith has come a long way since his days of robbing KFC franchises in the 1980s. The former gangster, born and reared in the gritty L.A. neighborhood of Watts, now reigns as one of the wealthiest producers in the music industry, presiding over one of the fastest-growing independent labels in
Forty years ago this month, American art-rock band Devo released their breakthrough record, “Freedom Of Choice.” The album not only spawned the new wave smash “Whip It,” but the full-length still stands the test of time, with singles such as “Girl U Want” and especially the title track, still resonating today with fans (actor Jack
The NBC reality series “Songland” wrapped this week, naming Canadian songwriter Griffen Palmer, who’s signed with Nashville-based Big Loud Publishing, its season two winner. His ballad “Second Guessing,” co-written with “Songland” judge Shane McAnally, was chosen as the new single for Florida Georgia Line. Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley of FGL immediately identified the tune
Lee Leipsner has joined S-Curve Records as Head of Pop Promotion. The veteran executive was most recently executive vice president of promotion at Columbia Records, a post he left last year after 25 years at Sony Music. Leipsner will be based in New York and will report to label president and founder Steve Greenberg. “Lee Leipsner is
Motown Records announced on Wednesday it has launched The ABC Initiative, a multi-faceted campaign focused on helping communities in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Set to the tune of the The Jackson 5 classic, the campaign will bring immediate aid to the hungry, small businesses owners and those most vulnerable in the face of the
Had your fill of livestream concerts lately? You and Keith Urban, both. “I’m grateful that we have the technology to do ‘at home’ concerts,” says the country superstar, “but come on — without the audience, it’s just one looooong soundcheck.” That’s why he was thrilled to get some genuine human feedback on May 14, when
HBO Max’s “On the Record” is a searing look at sexual harassment allegations against music mogul Russell Simmons. The documentary follows former Def Jam Records executive Drew Dixon, who has accused Simmons of rape and sexual harassment. Other women, including Kimberlé Crenshaw, Joan Morgan and Tarana Burke, also share their stories in the doc. Directors
2020 was shaping up to be another huge year for The Weeknd, with a new album, a global tour and not least, a Variety cover story. Well, despite a global pandemic, the album and cover story happened as planned, but the tour obviously had to wait — and on Wednesday afternoon, The Weeknd revealed rescheduled
The BET Awards will move forward with its 2020 edition this year, albeit virtually. Celebrating the network’s 40th anniversary, and the Awards’ 20 years on the air, top stars in black entertainment, sports and philanthropy will appear on Sunday, June 28 via “innovative techniques and artist-generated content,” BET revealed on May 20. The three-day BET
Canadian record producer and songwriter Henry Russell Walter, better known as Cirkut, who has worked on popular ditties for huge stars like Miley Cyrus, Rihanna and The Weeknd, has not had the same success selling a celeb-pedigreed Hollywood Hills home. After two years on and off the market, the property is still available at just
Lorde’s third album is in the works, the singer revealed in a chatty email to fans on Wednesday. “I started going back to the studio again in December, just for something to do, and to my surprise, good things came out,” she wrote. “Happy, playful things. I felt my melodic muscles flexing and strengthening.” She
Machine Gun Kelly has released the music video for his new single “Bloody Valentine,” with a starring role for Megan Fox, adding fuel to rumors that the two have become romantically involved. The video, directed by Michael Garcia, shows Machine Gun Kelly and Fox in a relationship that walks the line of pleasure and pain.
Among the many options detailed by experts in Variety’s recent article on concerts for the pandemic age, one was geo-blocked shows and tours: Livestreamed concerts with limited capacities, limited to a certain geographic area by a process called “geo-blocking.” Last week British singer-songwriter Laura Marling announced the first major geo-blocked concert of this year —
Former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters has taken to social media to rail against long-ago partner David Gilmour for considering him “irrelevant” and “banning” him from the group’s website and social media, complaining that his solo projects are not allowed to come up for mention while those of Gilmour’s wife are promoted. In a video
Joel Zimmerman, WME’s global head of electronic music, has exited the agency, Variety has learned through multiple sources. Zimmerman was responsible agent for a roster that included the Weeknd, Calvin Harris, Deadmau5, Kygo, Murda Beatz and Steve Aoki. Zimmerman, who is based in Los Angeles, joined the agency in 2008 co-heading the department with tastemaker
Forty years ago Monday (May 18), on the eve of Joy Division’s first U.S. tour, the group’s lead singer, Ian Curtis, committed suicide at the age of just 23. The group — which soon morphed into New Order — created two dark and deeply resonant albums and several singles, including the now-classic “Love Will Tear Us