International
UK Music Streaming Sector Faces Probe From Competition Watchdog
The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee raised concerns about how the dominance of Universal Music, Sony Music and Warner Music was “distorting the market” and that the benefits of the music streaming boom were not being passed on to musicians. In the U.K., the three majors make up 75% of the recorded music market, with independents accounting for the remaining 25%, according to the Association of Independent Music (AIM). Streaming now accounts for four-fifths (80.6%) of all music consumption in the U.K., according to labels trade body BPI. “The U.K. has a love affair with music and is home to many of the world’s most popular artists. We want to do everything we can to ensure that this sector is competitive, thriving and works in the interests of musi...
APRA AMCOS Revokes Denis Handlin’s Ted Albert Award
The PRO’s decision comes exactly a week after the Australian Broadcasting Corporation aired Facing The Music, a 46-minute report which explored allegations of systemic bullying, discrimination and misconduct at the label under Handlin’s leadership. More than 100 current and former Sony Music employees were interviewed for the report. The Ted Albert Award is one of the most prestigious honors in the Australia music industry, and is typically presented during the annual APRA Awards. Past recipients have included the late Michael Gudinski, Michael Chugg, Fifa Riccobono and Archie Roach. In revoking the accolade, APRA AMCOS said it is “committed to fostering a music industry that upholds a high level of professional respect and conduct, and does not condone any form of bullying...
Coldplay’s ‘Music of the Spheres’ Makes Fast Start In U.K. Chart Race
Coldplay should keep their U.K. chart streak alive with Music of the Spheres (Parlophone), which surges into the lead on the midweek survey. Music of the Spheres is already the fastest-seller of the year. The album shifts more than 81,000 units over the weekend, the OCC reports, besting Dave’s previous 2021 best, We’re All Alone In This Together, which amassed 74,000 chart sales in its opening week back in July. Spheres is on track to become the first album to notch more than 100,000 chart sales in a week since Ed Sheeran’s No. 6 Collaborations project shifted 125,000 in July 2019, more than two years ago. 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 a...
Sam Fender Blasts to No. 1 In U.K. With ‘Seventeen Going Under’
Also flying high is electronic artist and singer James Blake, whose fifth LP Friends That Break Your Heart (Polydor), bows at No. 4, for a new career high. Once again, Adele fever appears to be sweeping the nation. Following the announcement of the popular singer’s fourth album, 30, due out Nov. 19, her most recent effort, 2015’s 25 (XL Recordings) leaps 27-6 on the Official Albums Chart, and her sophomore album 21 improves 48-14. After three consecutive weeks at No. 2 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, Elton John and Dua Lipa’s “Cold Heart” (EMI) lifts to No. 1. As previously reported, “Cold Heart,” a mashup of classic Elton songs remixed by Sydney electronic trio Pnau, racks up 64,000 chart sales, including 5.9 million streams and 5,000 copies on limited edition CD ...
Adele’s ‘Easy On Me’ Is Powering to No. 1 In U.K.
If it holds its course, it would be Adele’s third U.K. chart-topper, following “Somebody Like You” (2011) and “Hello” (2015). Since it dropped Oct. 14, “Easy on Me” has already broken streaming globally on several platforms, and powered her previous albums up the U.K. chart. “Easy on Me” set the new record for global streams on Spotify in a single day, received “the most first-day Alexa song requests in Amazon Music history,” and its set to make a “splashy” start on the Billboard Hot 100, a chart she has led on four separate occasions. It’s the lead track from the north Londoner’s forthcoming fourth album, 30, slated for release Nov. 19. The Official U.K. Singles Chart is published late Friday, local time. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So...
Live Nation, Oak View Group and GL Events Team Up for New São Paolo Arena
The 20,000-capacity venue begins construction next year and is slated to open in 2024. Live Nation, the world’s largest entertainment company, and global development company Oak View Group are teaming up for a 20,000-capacity arena in São Paulo, Brazil. The city’s mayor, Ricardo Nunes, announced the collaboration — which will be in partnership with Brazilian-based event company GL Events — on Friday (Oct. 15). The city of São Paulo, which has a population of 12 million, awarded the three entities a 30-year lease for the Anhembi campus, which spans 4 million square feet. Arena São Paulo, as it will be called, will anchor the Anhembi entertainment district and produce live even...
ARIA Board Strips Denis Handlin of His Icon Award
The trade body’s Icon Award is periodically presented at a VIP ceremony in Sydney, in the hours prior to the annual ARIA Awards. Just five ARIA Icons have been awarded. The first went to the late Mushroom Group founder Michael Gudinski in 2013, followed by Handlin, Sebastian Chase (2016), Roger Davies (2017) and Michael Chugg (2019). ARIA’s u-turn follows the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s premiere Monday night (Oct. 11) of Facing the Music: The Sony Music Scandal, a 47-minute documentary which exposed the “culture of fear, harassment and bullying” in a workplace Handlin led for 37 years. The following day, trade body Q Music revoked the honorary award presented to Handlin at the 2020 Queensland Music Awards, in his hometown Brisbane. The documentary, noted QMusic CEO Kris Stewart, ...
Elton John Sets U.K. Chart Record With ‘Cold Heart’
With his latest feat, Elton eclipses the efforts of five other music greats – Elvis Presley, Cher, Cliff Richard, Michael Jackson and David Bowie – all of whom landed at least one Top 10 single in five different decades. Across his glittering career, Elton has been crowned on the Official U.K. Singles Chart on seven occasions. He could stretch that tally to eight with “Cold Heart,” which leads the midweek chart and is poised to usurp “Ed Sheeran’s “Shivers” after three weeks at No. 2. “Cold Heart” is lifted from John’s forthcoming collaborative studio album, The Lockdown Sessions, set for release Oct. 22. In his homeland, John has 32 Top 10 albums, with seven hitting the summit. His last LP to reach No. 1 was 2012’s Good Morning to the Night, Pnau’s mashup of his classic songs. The Officia...
Denis Handlin’s Honorary Award Is Revoked Following Explosive Documentary
“Following ongoing reports of systemic bullying, discrimination, and misconduct under Handlin’s leadership at Sony Music Entertainment,” reads a statement from Kris Stewart, CEO of QMusic, the organization “could not let this acknowledgement and celebration of Handlin’s career stand.” Those reports have been mounting-up in recent months, and reached a crescendo with the ABC’s Four Corners investigation, for which journalist Grace Tobin spoke with more than 100 current and ex-Sony Music employees as part of the broadcaster’s probe into bullying, discrimination and misconduct at the music giant. The report, notes QMusic’s Stewart, “laid bare the undeniable fact that the culture under Denis Handlin’s leadership at Sony came at significant human cost.” He continued, “toxic workplac...
Sam Fender’s ‘Seventeen Going Under’ Opens Healthy Lead In U.K. Chart Race
It’s the outright leader on the midweek chart, and is outselling the rest of the Top 10 combined, according to the OCC. Fender’s set has a lead of 20,000 chart sales over his closest competitor, Drake’s Certified Lover Boy (OVO/Republic Records). Also impacting the Official Chart Update is Trivium, whose tenth album In The Court of the Dragon (Roadrunner) swoops in at No. 3. If it holds its course, Dragon will give the U.S. metal band their second U.K. Top 10 and a peak entry. Electronic artist James Blake could also net a career-best chart position with Friends That Break Your Heart (Polydor), new at No. 5. Based on midweek data, fresh sets from Johnny Flynn (Lost In Cedar Wood at No. 11 via Transgressive) and We Are Scientists (Huffy at No. 15 via 100 Percent Records) are eying Top...
Haru Nemuri Drops New Single ‘Déconstruction’ & Rescheduled U.S. Tour Dates
The 26-year-old singer-songwriter also announced the new dates for her U.S. tour, which has been pushed back for the fourth time due to the pandemic. Fans in the U.S. will now have to wait until next year to see Haru in concert according to the latest announcement. Haru Nemuri North American Tour 2022 March 4, 2022 Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, New YorkMarch 7, 2022 Sleeping Village, Chicago, IllinoisMarch 9, 2022 DNA Lounge, San Francisco, CaliforniaMarch 11, 2022 The Echo, Los Angeles, California 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 back their ...
The Script Notch Sixth U.K. No. 1 Album
With their sixth No. 1, The Script join an elite club of rock bands that includes Arctic Monkeys, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Kings Of Leon, Radiohead, Blur and Muse. The Specials blast in at No. 2 with Protest Songs 1924-2012 (Island), for the ska legends’ fifth U.K. Top 10 album, while Queen drummer Roger Taylor hits his first solo U.K. Top 10 with his sixth record Outsider (EMI), new at No. 3. Also new to the current frame is Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga’s sophomore duets effort, Love For Sale (Interscope), debuting No. 6. Hans Zimmer cuts a slice of history with his soundtrack to the new James Bond film No Time To Die (Decca). The album bows at No. 7 on the weekly chart, to become the highest-charting Bond title in the franchise’s history. The LP’s title track, led by Billie Eilish and featurin...
