In an interview with Vanity Fair, singer John Legend announced that he and Natasha Rothwell have rewritten “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” with politically correct lyrics, but not everybody is happy about it. The legendary Christmas song, w…
Category archives: A&R (Artists & Repertoire)
Why the Best Singer Does Not (Always) Sing the Pop Hit
My friend texted me the New York Times’ 6-minute ‘Watch How a Pop Hit Is Made’ doc about Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey’s “The Middle.” This is an excerpt from Ari Herstand’s new book How to Make It in the New Music Business (Second Edit…
Audiomack Is Quietly Discovering Artists Before TikTok, Spotify, and SoundCloud
“We’ve created an app where young music fans go every day,” said Dave Ponte, CMO and Co-Founder at Audiomack. Spotify is great at blowing up superstars like Drake and Ed Sheeran. But where are other artists getting incubated and developed? That’s the s…
After Tool’s Smashing Success, The Who Is Releasing Their First Album In 13 Years
The legendary rock band The Who seems to be following in the footsteps of Tool, who recently released their first album in 13 years — and immediately topped the charts. The Who will be releasing their first album in 13 years, too. It will be entitled W…
55 Years Later, a Lost John Coltrane Album Is Being Released
The lost John Coltrane album, Blue World, will be released in September. In 1967, John Coltrane’s unexpected and tragic death shook the music community to its core. The North Carolina native left behind a stable of songs and records which fans have bee…
EXO, NCT 127, SHINee & WayV Form ‘SuperM’ Supergroup — ‘The Avengers of K-Pop’
A new K-pop supergroup dubbed “the Avengers of K-Pop” has arrived. Capitol Music Group and its independent label division Caroline are taking a lesson from Hollywood. In a bid to create pop superheroes, the newly-minted ‘Super M’ will debut later this …
Now There’s an Exhaustive Johnny Cash Archive Online — Dating Back to 1954
The official Johnny Cash website has relaunched with an exhaustive online archive of the legendary singer’s performances. Billing itself as “Everything You Need to Know About the Man in Black,” the site features an archive of Cash’s full tour history. …
Versatile Composer Yurun Wu Is Drawing Acclaim Across Film and Advertising
Known as a versatile and prolific composer, Yurun Wu has sustained and contributed significantly to major studio blockbusters, award-winning films and leading advertising campaigns. A graduate of the prestigious University of Southern California’s Mast…
Lil Nas X Is Dropping a 7-Song EP Titled ‘7’ on June 21st
Lil Nas X and Columbia Records are preparing a cameo-heavy EP to build on ‘Old Town Road’. Columbia Records will release 7 on June 21st, Lil Nas X recently confirmed. Lil Nas X’s unique blend of country and rap elements will be further spiced up by se…
Record Labels’ A&R and Marketing Investment Reaches $5.8 Billion in 2017
In a new report from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), record labels reached a new investment milestone in A&R and marketing around the world. In 2017, labels invested $5.8 billion. Breaking that number down, A&…