International
EXIT Festival Slated As the First Major International Music Festival to Take Place in 2021
In less than two weeks, the 20th anniversary of Serbia’s EXIT Festival will take place at the Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad. Thanks to Serbia’s significantly decreased number of new COVID-19 cases, international travelers are welcomed into the country so long as they have proof of vaccination and can provide a recent negative result of the RT-PCR test or Antigen FIA Rapid test. For four days from July 8th to the 11th, attendees can celebrateand return to the dancefloor. Considering this will be the event’s 20th edition, EXIT Festival has confirmed performances by globally renowned artists such as David Guetta, Robin Schulz, Tyga, Hot Since 82, and Solomun, among others, as well as many regional names. Check out the current list of headliners below, with...
Elton John Calls U.K. Government ‘Philistines’ Over Post-Brexit Touring Issues
John noted that artists like him “can afford to go to Europe” because they can pay for teams to focus on all the forms and individual visas now required thanks to the post-Brexit trade pact. But for younger or lesser-known artists, who have already been struggling following the shutdown of the touring industry due to the pandemic, the system is actively working against them. “We’ve been talking to Lord Strasburger about it, and we’ve been talking to Lord Frost, but we didn’t really get anywhere with him,” John said. “It’s a nightmare. To young people just starting a career, it’s crucifying.” Much of the singer’s ire was due to those failed attempts at lobbying members of the U.K. government on behalf of the arts and entertainment industry. “The government are philistines,” John said of Bor...
Justin Cosby, Co-Founder of Australia’s Inertia Music, Dies at 50
There are no further details available as to the cause of his death. As the sad news spread, Australia’s music community turned to social media to remember a top-notch music man with a gentle nature. “I’m just shocked to hear of the passing of beautiful Justin Cosby,” wrote indie-pop singer and songwriter Holiday Sidewinder. “He signed me when I was 16 and was truly a pleasure to work, a special soul and emotionally intuitive. I’ll never forget him crying at one of my shows because he was so moved…” She continued, “He often popped into my parents house to have a cup of tea and give me new records to listen to. He was one of the good guys in a very lecherous industry, and made me feel safe and respected as a musician. RIP beautiful man.” Justin was “highly regarded by the Austra...
Olivia Rodrigo Continues to Dominate Australia’s Singles and Albums Charts
Rodrigo’s hit holds off Nick Cave and Warren Ellis’ fast-moving Carnage (AWAL/Inertia), which returns to the chart at No. 2 following its release on physical formats. On its first chart appearance, following a digital-only release in February, the collaborative album peaked at No. 40. It’s the first full-length studio LP as a duo by the long-time friends and Bad Seeds bandmates, aside from several soundtracks, including The Proposition, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and The Road. Carnage is the week’s best-selling vinyl album in Australia. Also new to the latest ARIA Albums Chart is Fear Factory’s 10th studio release, Aggression Continuum (Nuclear Blast/Universal). It arrives at No. 15, equaling the peak of its predecessor, 2015’s Genexus. Further dow...
Rising J-pop Rapper Manon Talks Hyperpop New Single ‘Galchan Mode’
Manon has released songs in a variety of genres so far, including trap, emo rap, alternative rock and dream pop, always staying on top of the current trends. The young artist sat down with Billboard Japan to talk about her choice of style and theme for her latest single in this new interview. Since when did you want to become the kind of artist that you are now? Since I was in elementary school. I’ve always loved music. My father is French and my mother is Japanese, so I listened to all kinds of music from not only Japan, but also France and Europe as well, and naturally began to think that I wanted to try doing it too. My mother ran her own clothing store and she played a lot of David Bowie there because she loved his music, and when I was little I used to watch the DVD that came with his...
Latin Pride: Pabllo Vittar on Making Art to Help Others Find Their Voice & Identity
Vittar has become a household name in her home country of Brazil with her fierce, unapologetic and empowering tunes. She’s gotten on the international radar by collaborating with artists such as Diplo, Lali, Charli XCX, Anitta and Thalia, to name a few. In celebration of Pride Month, Vittar opens up about how coming out has impacted her art and how she will be celebrating Pride this year. How did the decision to come out impact your art? Did you ever have an LGBTQ+ idol growing up? I was lucky enough to never have to actually come out! I grew up in an open-minded, full of love family. For drag in my teenage years, RuPaul opened so many doors for me as a kid growing up in a small town. So I strive now to make art and provide a message, to help other kids like me growing up, hopefully, do th...
After Long Delay, India Launches International Singles Chart
Global pop hits dominated the inaugural chart, with BTS’s “Butter” topping the list, followed by Dua Lipa’s “Levitating” (No. 2), Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” (No. 3), Justin Bieber, Daniel Caesar and Giveon’s “Peaches” (No. 4) and Olivia Rodrigo’s “Good 4 U” (No. 5). BTS and Rodrigo tie for the most entries with three songs each in the top 20. The K-Pop group’s enduring hits “Dynamite” and “Life Goes On” sit at No. 8 and No. 20, respectively, while the fast-rising Disney star’s “Deja Vu” and “Drivers License” occupy the No. 18 and No. 19 positions. Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group jointly lead all labels with seven hits on the chart. Warner Music Group has five. The only independent label on the list is Canada’s Namah Music Group whose “Jalebi Baby” by Ca...
WME Artists Urge Boris Johnson to Fix Travel Between UK and EU
In the letter below, agents and music artists ask that the government act without any further delay and engage with its EU counterparts to ensure visa-free touring for artists. RT Hon Boris Johnson MPPrime Minister10 Downing StreetLondon, SW1A 2AA Dear Prime Minister: The UK music industry, which sustains over 197,000 full-time jobs, is amongst the most affected by COVID-19’s devastating impacts, and thousands of musicians whose livelihoods depend on touring are keen to get back to work. However, due to the changes brought about by Brexit, we are facing a crisis that may prevent that from happening, and we need your help. Over the past several decades, the UK has experienced a consistent upward trajectory in live touring, bringing with it a significant and positive economic impact. Much of...
Sony Germany’s Urban Music Chief Stresses Need For More ‘Diverse Styles of Music’
Omerbegovic was a street basketball star — including a year playing in Kentucky — before studying political communication in Düsseldorf, with a stint at the Harvard Business School . He subsequently started performing hip-hop as Slick One. He is founder of the clothing label Pusher Apparel and the co-founder of the Suckit frozen cocktail popsicle company. A joint venture with Universal Music followed in 2014, where he was President of Rap for UMG’s German subsidiary. Under the new linkup with Sony, Omerbegovic’s title is President of Urban Sony Music Germany. In March this year, RIN‘s anthem “Dior 2001” reached platinum status – his most successful single with over 120 million streams. “Dior 2001” was previously released via Groove Attack, as were Eros from 2017 and...
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis’ ‘Carnage’ Challenges For U.K. Chart Crown
Cave, the ARIA Hall of Fame inducted singer and songwriter, and Ellis, the dynamic Dirty Three violinist, have been bandmates in the Bad Seeds and Grinderman, and they’ve jointly composed film scores. Carnage is their first entire album of works as a duo, and it reenters the midweek U.K. chart at No. 2, just behind Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour (Geffen), which lifts 2-1. Cave has never landed a No. 1 in the U.K., his adopted home. His chart best is a No. 2 for 2016’s Skeleton Tree, one of six Top 10 efforts across his career. Also new to the Official Chart Update is BRITs Rising Star winner Griff, whose debut mixtape One Foot In Front Of The Other (Warner Records) bows at No. 4. It’s the most downloaded album of the week so far, the OCC reports. Completing the Top 5 is veteran singer and songwrite...
Olivia Rodrigo & BTS Hold Atop Global Charts, Maneskin Adds New Top 10
Billboard‘s two global charts (the latest of which are dated June 26) began last September and rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by MRC Data. The Billboard Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the U.S. Chart rankings are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations. ‘Good’ Still Best on Gl...
Denis Handlin Departs Sony Music After 51 Years
The bombshell news dropped Monday morning (June 21) Australia time, closely following another report published in the national press that exposes inappropriate behavior at the music major’s subsidiary. As previously reported, The Sydney Morning Herald has detailed allegations of discrimination, bullying and harassment within Sony Music Australia. Earlier in the year, the music giant terminated a veteran executive after an probe found he had engaged in misconduct with staff, details of which were documented by the SMH. As reported on the weekend, Sony Music has engaged an Australia-based external counsel to handle ongoing investigations. Handlin was not mentioned in any of the multiple SMH articles. As noted by its author Nathanael Cooper, “the publication isn’t suggesting Mr Handlin is acc...
