International
Mercury Prize 2021 Sets Big Reveal
The Mercury Music Awards Show returns this year, with a COVIDSafe event at London’s Eventim Apollo on Sept. 9. Before that, the shortlist of 12 albums will be announced July 22, with BBC Music on board as broadcast partner. Car manufacturer Hyundai is sponsor of this year’s Mercury Prize, which celebrates artistic achievement across British and Irish music. The award was established as the Mercury Music Prize in 1992 by labels body the BPI and its counterpart retail association ERA (then known as BARD), as a platform to showcase the best music from the British Isles, and to fuel album sales during the slower, mid-year months. 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 mee...
Taylor Swift Racing to U.K. Chart Title With ‘Fearless (Taylor’s Version)’
Fearless (Taylor’s Version) has banked the most sales and album streams so far, to lead the Official Chart Update. Should it hold its ground when the weekly chart is published this Friday (April 16), Swift will have a seventh U.K. No. 1, slotting her into third place among female artists with the most U.K. chart-topping titles behind only Madonna (with 12) and Kylie Minogue (8). It’s highly unlikely that Taylor will be denied. The original version of Fearless was Swift’s breakthrough in the U.K., peaking at No. 5 on the national chart in 2008. Her 2012 album Red was her first leader, and every subsequent album release hit No. 1, including last year’s lockdown LPs Folklore and Evermore. In a distant second place on the chart blast is Ariana Grande’s former leader Positions (Repub...
Lil Nas X Keeps U.K. Chart Crown With ‘Montero’
Lil Nas X enters a second week at No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart with “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” (Lil Nas X) while Demi Lovato misses out on the albums crown in an agonizingly close race. “Montero” collects another 62,000 chart sales in the past cycle, including 8.6 million streams, the OCC reports. The U.S. rapper’s controversial song finishes comfortably ahead of the second-placed single, Justin Bieber’s “Peaches” (Def Jam) featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon, up 3-2 to a new peak. Also hitting new highs this week is Russ Millions & Tion Wayne’s “Body” (Atlantic), up 21-12; Australian rapper Masked Wolf’s “Astronaut In The Ocean” (Elektra) up 20-18; Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak’s Silk Sonic’s “Leave The Door Open” (Atlantic), up 23-20; and D-Block Europe & Raye’s “Ferrar...
Polo G’s ‘Rapstar’ Takes on Lil Nas X’s ‘Montero’ For U.K. Chart Crown
Produced by Synco and featuring social media star Einer Bankz on ukulele, “Rapstar” is on pace to be the Chicago rap artist’s highest charting headline single. His best is a No. 3 peak for KSI’s “Patience,” on which he guests with Yungblood, and his other appearance in the Top 40 was thanks to an assist on Lil Tjay’s “Headshot,” with a peak of No. 40. Elsewhere, Rag’n’Bone Man’s collaboration with Pink, “Anywhere Away From Here,” is on track for a Top 10 bow. It’s at No. 10 on the chart blast and could give the British singer and songwriter his third Top 10 and Pink her 21st. Sydney newcomer Masked Wolf continues to climb the chart with his viral track “Astronaut In The Ocean,” up 18-13 for a new high, while Ava Max’s “My Head & My Heart” lifts 19-14, also a new peak. Doja Cat could ba...
This Consultant Wanted Countries to Invest in Music. So He Took His Case to the U.N.
Shapiro was especially perplexed by the absence of music in discussions around the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a collection of 17 intertwined objectives to tackle such systemic issues as poverty, gender inequality, climate change and lack of access to quality education included in the U.N.’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (adopted by all U.N. member states in 2015). “In most countries, governments choose how they’re going to spend money based on SDG targets and indicators,” says Shapiro. “So the way to get music projects embedded into government policy is to embed it into SDG policy.” Unfortunately, he found there was “no framework to engage with music” at the U.N. Shapiro’s first significant stab at rectifying the i...
Demi Lovato’s ‘Dancing With The Devil’ Shuffling to Strong U.K. Chart Debut
Also new on the midweek chart is Dry Cleaning, the South London post-punk outfit whose debut LP New Long Leg (4AD) opens at No. 3. The late, great David Bowie could nab a 35th Top 10 as The Kit Kat Klub (Live New York 99) (Parlophone) bows at No. 6 on the chart blast, just ahead of The Fratellis‘ sixth album Half Drunk Under a Full Moon (Cooking Vinyl), at No. 7. Half Drunk could give the Scottish rockers’ a fourth Top 10. Finally, U.S. rapper Lil Tjay has the most-streamed album of the week with Destined 2 Win (Columbia). It’s new at No. 9 on the Official Chart Update. Over on the midweek singles survey, Lil Nas X has the upper hand with “Montero” (Call Me By Your Name) (Lil Nas X). “Montero” leads the Official U.K. Singles Chart Update, ahead of Nathan Evans’ “Wellerman” (Pol...
The Killers’ ‘Mr Brightside’ Chalks Up U.K. Chart Milestone
The track passed a landmark 1 million pure sales (downloads and CD sales) in December 2018, according to the Official Charts Company, and its all-time U.K. streams passes 281 million, making it the most-streamed track released prior to 2010 (it’s also recognized as the 12th biggest-selling single of the 2010s). Currently, total U.K. combined sales are 3.52 million. For chart longevity, no other song comes close. The title for second-best belongs to Snow Patrol, whose 2006 hit “Chasing Cars” has bagged 166 weeks (and counting) on the Official UK Singles Chart Top 100, with Ed Sheeran’s 2017 release “Perfect” close behind in third place with 165 weeks. “Mr Brightside” appeared on the band’s chart-leading debut album Hot Fuss, release...
Republic Records Forms New Arab Music-Focused Label With The Weeknd Manager Sal Slaiby
Slaiby, who has been pushing on other fronts to boost the profile of Middle Eastern music, founded the new label and will serve as CEO. “It’s been my dream to highlight the talent and culture of Arabic music on a global level with partners that I trust and admire,” he said in a press release. The label, unveiled on Tuesday by Slaiby, UMG Chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge and Republic Records founder and CEO Monte Lipman, will seek to give Middle Eastern music — both from the region and from the diaspora around the world — a more global platform to reach the widest possible audience. Slaiby, a refugee or the Lebanese Civil War who immigrated to Canada at 15, has dramatically raised his profile in the music industry in the past few years. In addition to managing The Weeknd, who had the top son...
First-Ever Radio Globo Quem Awards Will Honor & Celebrate Brazilian Music
“In the midst of everything we are experiencing, I am very happy to promote an award show that celebrates artists and music, our escape and everyday comfort, without prejudice to genres and styles,” Quem’s editor in chief, Danilo Saraiva, said in a statement. “For this, we are preparing a beautiful, safe, fun and digital event for people to enjoy at home.” Jonas Vilandez, manager of music business, Radio Globo added: “Celebrating music never hurts. Recognizing the artists who help make our programming, and even at the hands of our listeners, is a huge pleasure. We hope this will be the first edition of many.” Presented by Smirnoff and Tanqueray, the awards show will not only feature live and in-studio presentations, but also a red carpet with the nominated artists. Radio Globo ...
Watch Justin Bieber, BTS & More Celebrate Joining Forces in HYBE & Ithaca Holdings Deal
“It feels like the world is getting more connected and even smaller,” RM noted. SEVENTEEN’s Seungkwan echoed that later on in the nine-and-a-half-minute clip, when he said, “I believe joining forces of these two companies shows that we can become one with music beyond language, country and culture.” J Balvin sent his love back to BTS, saying, “This is going to be on another level. Such amazing vibes.” As part of HYBE’s $1.05 billion deal to buy Ithaca Holdings, Braun is paying more than $40 million in equity to artists and staff members out of his stake. A total of 39 people will receive shares about $161 million , based on the current exchange rate, while Braun gets 462,380 shares ($86.2 million). Of his artists,...
Lil Nas X Rules U.K. Singles Chart With ‘Montero’
Meanwhile, last week’s best-seller, Nathan Evans’ “Wellerman” (Polydor), dips 2-1, while ATB, Topic & A7S’s “Your Love (9pm)” (Positiva) completes a 10-week climb into the Top 10, up 12-8. Also reaching the Top 10 for the first time is Tom Grennan “Little Bit Of Love” (Insanity), lifting 13-10. Not far behind is Grennan’s collaboration with Ella Henderson, “Let’s Go Home Together,” up 19-13. Over on the Official U.K. Albums Chart, the silverware this week belongs to Ben Howard, whose Collections From The Whiteout (Island) opens at No. 1. It’s the British singer and songwriter’s second No. 1 album, following 2014’s I Forget Where We Were. His other studio collections Every Kingdom (2011) and Noonday Dream (2018) both peaked at No. 4. One full year after its release, Dua Lipa’s Futu...
Lil Nas X’ Montero’ Battles With Nathan Evans’ ‘Wellerman’ For U.K. Chart Crown
Lil Nas X will need to see off the challenge of a sea shanty to secure a second straight week atop the U.K. singles chart. The U.S. rapper’s “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” is out front in the early stages of the chart week, though not by much. “Montero” leads the First Look chart, which gauges the popularity of singles based on sales and streams after the first 48 hours, with Nathan Evans’ “Wellerman” just 500 chart sales behind in second place. 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 fair share of Internet revenue.
