business
Ed Sheeran’s ‘=’ Blasts to No. 1 In U.K.
Of that lofty sum, 68% was physical sales, including 11,600 copies on vinyl, the week’s best-seller on wax. Meanwhile, streaming generated 18% of combined sales, and the remainder (14%) was downloads. Meanwhile, former Verve frontman Ashcroft bows at No. 2 with his retrospective Acoustic Hymns Vol. 1 (BMG), for his sixth U.K. Top 10 album, while the 25th anniversary reissue of Spice Girls’ debut Spice (UMC/Virgin) heats at up No. 5. Philadelphia rock outfit The War On Drugs start at No. 6 with I Don’t Live Here Anymore (Atlantic). It’s their second appearance in the Top 10, following 2017’s A Deeper Understanding, which peaked at No. 3. Over on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, Adele holds top spot for a third week with her hit comeback track “Easy On Me.” It was anything but an easy victor...
Ed Sheeran, Adele Battle For U.K. Singles Chart Crown
Adele’s “Easy On Me,” the U.K.’s best-seller of the past three weeks, is close behind at No. 2, with just 500 chart sales separating them. Based on OCC data from the first 48 hours in the chart cycle, Brighton rapper ArrDee has the hottest start with Flowers “(Say My Name)” at No. 6. The track, which puts a drill spin on Sweet Female Attitude’s “Flowers” and Destiny’s Child’s “Say My Name,” is set to become the artist’s third U.K. Top 10 single. Also aiming for a Top 20 debut is Travis Scott’s new release “Escape Plan” while Summer Walker and SZA’s joint “No Love,” from Walker’s Still Over It LP, is new at No. 20. If it keeps its momentum, it’ll give Walker her highest charting U.K. single to date, and SZA’s fifth Top 20. The Official U.K. Singles Chart is published late Friday, local time...
Travis Scott Is ‘Absolutely Devastated’ After Astroworld Tragedy Leaves 8 Dead
According to Houston Fire Department Chief Samuel Peña at a Friday night press conference, a “mass casualty” event occurred at 9:38 p.m. local time at Houston’s NRG Park. Estimating the crowd’s attendance at around 50,000, Peña said trouble began shortly after 9 p.m. when “the crowd began to compress toward the front of the stage and that caused some panic and started causing some injuries. People began to fall out and become unconscious and that created additional panic.” Per Peña, Astroworld’s medical tent and staff was “quickly overwhelmed” by the scale of the incident, after which the Houston fire department stepped in and dispatched 50 units. The second day of Astroworld, which began in 2018 and is in its third year, was canceled a...
Astroworld ‘Had More Security’ Than the World Series, Houston Mayor Says After Tragedy
During a press conference on Friday night, Houston Fire Department Chief Samuel Peña said a “mass casualty” event occurred at 9:38 p.m. local time at Houston’s NRG Park. Estimating the crowd’s attendance at around 50,000, the chief said trouble began shortly after 9 p.m. when “the crowd began to compress toward the front of the stage and that caused some panic and started causing some injuries. People began to fall out and become unconscious and that created additional panic.” Per Peña, Astroworld’s medical tent and staff was “quickly overwhelmed” by the scale of the incident, after which the Houston fire department stepped in and dispatched 50 units. Astroworld representatives have confirmed that day two of the Houston festival is canc...
Astroworld Security Officer Was Pricked by a Needle, Treated With Narcan
During the same press conference, Fire Department Chief Samuel Peña confirmed “there were several, many instances where they administered Narcan on the scene.” Later, when asked by press whether any person other than the aforementioned security officer was pricked by an unknown needle, Finner replied, “Right now we have that one.” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner confirmed at the press conference that took place shortly after 3 p.m. local time that the number of fatalities remained at eight. The ages of seven of those who died ranged from 14-27 years old. One male victim of the incident has yet to be identified. The mayor added that six of the eight families have been notified. As of this afternoon, 13 of the 25 people rushed to the hospital last nigh...
Bill Ackman Firm Calls Lawsuit Focused on UMG Investment Effort ‘Fatally Flawed’
The failed deal put a spotlight on PSTH’s structure as a blank check company, formally termed a SPAC, or “special purpose acquisition company.” SPACs typically function like reverse initial public offerings: They raise money as a public shell company ahead of time, and then use those funds to acquire a private company and thus take it public. But PSTH took a slightly different route, using the money it had raised from investors in an effort to buy shares of UMG. Filed in August by an investor, the case claimed that PSTH was not actually a SPAC at all. Claiming the company had only purchased securities, the lawsuit said the company was more akin to a traditional investment firm, like a hedge fund. As a result, the lawsuit said PSTH ought to be regulated under a differ...
HYBE’s Quarterly Earnings Get Boost From Ithaca Holdings as BTS Concerts Await
Content featuring BTS and management fees from Ithaca’s clients helped generate record revenue in the third quarter. It took a coalition of songs, artists and merchandise — plus a big acquisition — to help Korean music company HYBE, the home of BTS, recover from a fourth straight quarter without touring revenue. BTS’ hit “Butter” and revenue from Ithaca Holdings, which HYBE acquired in April, helped the company post record quarterly revenue of 341 billion KRW ($288 million) in Q3, up 79.5% from the prior-year period, the company announced on Thursday (Nov. 4). HYBE held up remarkably well while the pandemic has brought its concert business, historically a major money-maker, to a complete standstill. Concerts accounted for 29% and 33% of HYBE...
Ariana Grande, Beyonce & More Vie for Hollywood Music in Media Awards: Complete Film Nominations List
Three films — King Richard, Don’t Look Up and No Time to Die — are nominated for both song — feature film and score — feature film. Britell is the only individual nominated in both of those marquee categories. He is nominated for scoring Don’t Look Up and for co-writing that film’s stand-out song, “Just Look Up.” Kris Bowers is nominated for scoring King Richard; Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Dixson are nominated for co-writing that film’s key song, “Be Alive.” Hans Zimmer is nominated for scoring No Time to Die; Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connor are nominated for co-writing that film’s title song. The HHMA added a new category this year, outstanding onscreen performance in a film. The category recognizes an ...
Bruce Springsteen In Talks to Sell Recorded Music Catalog to Sony Music
The Springsteen album catalog, which has racked up 65.5 million sales in the United States according to the RIAA website, and which includes the 15-times platinum Born In The U.S.A. and the five-times times platinum The River, still has plenty of firepower, as his music has generated 2.25 million album consumption units in the U.S. since the beginning of 2018, according to MRC Data. While Springsteen has long been associated with Columbia Records and Sony Music, he was among a handful of superstar artists like Garth Brooks, AC/DC, Pink Floyd and other Sony artists Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan and Michael Jackson who all managed to win back ownership of their recorded masters in the last decades of the 20th century. But now seems to be the perfect time for artists who own their copyrights to cas...
Stevie Wonder Brings Back House Full of Toys Benefit Concert
Wonder, who underwent a kidney transplant in 2019, last hosted House Full of Toys in 2018. The 25-time Grammy winner then welcomed a lineup of special guests that included Anderson .Paak and Ella Mai. On behalf of Wonder’s nonprofit organization, We Are You Foundation, concertgoers are asked to bring an unwrapped toy or gift to the holiday event to help children, people with disabilities and families in need. Tickets for House Full of Toys 2021 go on sale to the public on Nov. 5 at 1 p.m. ET via AXS.com. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users bac...
Jamie Spears Asks For ‘Unconditional’ End to Britney Conservatorship
“Jamie unconditionally loves and supports his daughter. Full stop,” Weingarten wrote. “As he has done for her entire life, Jamie will do everything he can to protect and care for her. For the last 13 years, that included serving as her conservator. Now, it means ending her conservatorship.” The filing is not quite as dramatic as it seems. Jamie has already been suspended as Britney’s conservator, and has already asked to end the conservatorship. A hearing is scheduled for Nov. 12, where it is expected that L.A. County Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny will do so. But it had previously been unclear the extent to which Jamie would leave unconditionally, including whether he seek stipulations or compensation, or whether he would seek to avoid turning over records to Britney’s attorney Mathew ...
H.E.R. Is Top Nominee at 2021 Soul Train Awards; Maxwell & Ashanti to Receive Special Awards: Exclusive
The Soul Train Awards, which recognizes the best in soul and R&B, will be taped at the legendary Apollo theater in Harlem on Nov. 20. It will premiere on Sunday, Nov. 28 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET and BET Her. As previously announced, Tisha Campbell and Tichina Arnold will co-host the show for the fourth consecutive year. The show will be special on two counts. This will mark the first time the show has been taped at the Apollo (or in New York, for that matter). It will also honor the 50th anniversary of Soul Train, which made its debut in October 1971. Maxwell will receive the Legend award, which has gone in recent years to Babyface (2015), Teddy Riley (2016), Toni Braxton (2017), Erykah Badu (2018) and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis (2019). “It’s an honor to be presented with the Legend awa...
