Music

Veering dangerously close to the atom heart of the mainstream does something to an artist of adventure. It can make a superman weak in its presence, like Kryptonite (it took years and Tin Machine for Bowie to recover from “Let’s Dance”), or build a stronger artist by moving ever more consistently into success’s center square,

U2 topped the Rolling Stones and Taylor Swift as the top-grossing touring artist of the 2010s, according to data from Pollstar. U2 grossed more than a billion dollars — $1,038,104,132, to be exact — although that number is likely to grow, as the group is currently on its “Joshua Tree 2019” tour in Australia, New

November 22, 2019 9:17AM PT Def Jam Records laid off several employees this week, including executive VP of brand strategy and content Noah Callahan-Bever and OJ Lima, senior VP in that department, a source close to the situation has confirmed to Variety. A total of seven employees let go, a number that includes regional promotion

Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story” opens with a seven-minute montage. “I wanted a big, warm romantic score for the movie,” Baumbach says, of the music for his film about a couple whose marriage starts to unravel and their struggle through divorce. “The picture begins with a seven-minute montage. It introduces themes that are such used throughout

The truest testament to a song’s power is how it plays with others. Songs written by the performer are more likely to land in the singer’s stylistic and vocal wheelhouse; take away that crutch to witness the song’s true strength and character. So while Tom Waits’ genius has been beyond dispute for at least a

It’s not at all unusual for artists to engage in creative or financial differences with their record labels, but only a few end up in court. Last year, Kanye West sued his label, Universal, and publisher, EMI, claiming that his deals amounted to “servitude” (the EMI suit was settled in September), echoing Prince’s famous battle

November 22, 2019 7:17AM PT Peter Gray, who stepped down as Warner Bros. Records’ executive VP/GM and head of radio promotion last year, is joining Columbia Records as the label’s EVP and head of promotion, sources tell Variety. He fills the role vacated by Lee Leipsner, who left the company in March. Gray’s appointment is

Following Scooter Braun’s first public statements about the ongoing social media war with Taylor Swift on Thursday afternoon, the manager and business mogul posted an emotional letter late in the night describing death threats received at his home. In the note, shared on his social media channels, he implores Swift to act responsibly, writing, “It’s

After a flurry of rumors on Thursday, U2 dropped their first single in two years: “Ahimsa,” a collaboration with Oscar- and Grammy-winning Indian musician AR Rahman, ahead of the group’s first-ever visit to the country next month. Rahman has a vast track record of film soundtracks and is best known for his work on the

November 21, 2019 8:22PM PT French Montana remains in hospital after checking in following an initial report of a robbery at his home, Variety has confirmed. A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department representative confirmed that deputies responded to Montana’s home in Calabasas after reports of a robbery in progress but did not find evidence of

“Just because I’m losing,” Chris Martin once sang, “doesn’t mean I’m lost.” A platitude to end all platitudes, this line is a prime example of the familiar arena-rock territory Coldplay has prowled so successfully for nearly 20 years. The soliloquy framing and vague but relatable message are both present on “Lost” from 2008’s “Viva la

“But wait — there’s more!” can be a good news/bad news thing when it comes to posthumous album releases. No one, or almost no one, likes the idea of scraps from a late artist’s cutting room floor slowly being dribbled out over time, as happened with Tupac Shakur, who somehow released more studio albums in

Welcome to a special edition of “The Big Ticket,” Variety and iHeart’s movie podcast. I’m calling it “Frozen 2” Day because the new episode features interviews with the stars of the Disney sequel, Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, Jonathan Groff and Evan Rachel Wood as well as co-directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck and

Live Nation Productions and Double E Entertainment have signed on as executive producers of “All I Can Say,” the documentary film featuring footage shot entirely by the late Shannon Hoon of Blind Melon. The film’s title is taken from the opening lines of Blind Melon’s instantly recognizable 1993 smash, “No Rain.” Culled from Hoon’s archives, the

Ever since Arcade Fire’s “The Suburbs” won Album of the Year at the 2011 Grammy Awards, independent labels have seen their star rise on “Music’s Biggest Night,” and that looks set to continue at the 2020 ceremony, where Bon Iver, Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard, Elvis Costello and others have gotten big nods.

“Cuyahoga River Way” doesn’t have quite the same ring as “Rocky Mountain Way,” but some of northeast Ohio’s most famous rock heroes met up (and celebrated another, lesser known one) in Los Angeles Tuesday night, when the Black Keys were joined on stage at the Forum by Joe Walsh. The Cleveland-Akron summit encompassed two songs

Senator Marsha Blackburn and Rep. Jerrold Nadler today introduced the Ask Musicians for Music Act (AM-FM), which aims to revise existing copyright law for radio stations and musicians. Under the current copyright system, radio stations can use sound recordings over their airwaves without paying royalties to creators who own a stake in the sound recordings.

Scooter Braun hasn’t publicly spoken about the battles between Taylor Swift and the Big Machine Label Group in the nearly half-year since his Ithaca Holdings purchased her former record label. He broke his silence Thursday in a Q&A at the 2019 Entertainment Industry Conference, co-sponsored by Variety and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, in which

With a barrage of pyro, a flood of smoke and deafening “Posty” chants from an enthusiastic crowd of kids, parents, inebriated 20-somethings, even Forum security staff, there he is: Post Malone, all alone onstage, destroying a guitar and pouring out two solo cups of what we can assume is Bud Light, finishing off his hit

From “Wicked” to “Waitress,” female empowerment has been a boon for musical theater. But where those shows veered between sincerely earnest and earnestly sincere, “& Juliet” gleefully goes for broke putting gender on the agenda as it yokes pop milestones from the likes of Britney Spears, Katy Perry and Celine Dion to a girl-power revamp

Country singer-songwriter Sam Hunt was arrested in Nashville, Tenn. on charges of driving under the influence and possession of an open container early Thursday morning. According to the arrest warrant, Hunt’s blood alcohol content was .173. The legal limit in Tennessee is .08. Allegedly, Hunt’s vehicle was swerving in and out of his lane and

With Disney’s 2013 “Frozen” ranking as the highest-grossing animated film of all time and its Oscar-winning song “Let It Go” now an iconic empowerment anthem, how can the filmmakers and songwriters, reunited for “Frozen 2,” top the tale of sisters Elsa and Anna? “It was all about wanting to tell more of the story,” explains co-director

The Grammy Awards pretty much elected to ignore veteran artists this year with anything more than a token nod or two — with one very happily glaring exception. In a year otherwise dedicated largely to ingenues, country star Tanya Tucker was rewarded with four nominations for “While I’m Livin’,” the comeback project that was lovingly

Charlie Feldman, BMI’s Vice President of Creative in New York, announced today that he will retire from the company at the end of the year. A 31-year veteran of BMI, Feldman will continue to consult for the company in the new year, according to the announcement. Mike O’Neill, President and CEO of BMI, said, “I

Tony Award nominee Ephraim Sykes will moonwalk on Broadway, playing Michael Jackson in “MJ The Musical.” The show, which its the Great White Way after a rocky gestation. It begins previews on July 6, 2020, at the Neil Simon Theatre with an official opening set for Aug. 13. Sykes is currently appearing in another pop

Fresh from winning male vocalist of the year at the CMA Awards, country star Luke Combs has taken his place on top of Rolling Stone’s weekly albums chart with “What You See is What You Get.” The sophomore album from the man who currently counts as country’s hottest star entered at No. 1 with 162,600

The Cranberries’ poignantly titled “In The End” received a Grammy nomination for best rock album. It’s the Irish group’s first ever recognition by the Recording Academy and comes nearly two years after the death of lead singer Dolores O’Riordan in January 2018. The band’s surviving members, Noel Hogan, Mike Hogan and Fergal Lawler, initially had

Pepsi is known for its Super Bowl half time show and celebrity-laden commercials. Now it wants to burnish a reputation for holiday cheer. The soda-maker will help consumers give cash gifts to friend and family members through a digital scratch-off game that can be sparked via QR codes found across 12 packs of Pepsi, Diet

November 21, 2019 4:43AM PT Coldplay frontman Chris Martin has said the band will not go on tour, including to support their new album, for environmental reasons. Martin told the BBC that the group is taking time off from the road to figure out how to make touring sustainable. The band’s new record, “Everyday Life,”

It’s the rare arena-filling band whose singer avoids the center stage and a spotlight for the entire two-hour concert. But Tool are that atypical group who manages to make a show work on their own terms, curating an experience that, on this night, began with a “no photo” policy, skipped one of their most popular