Vol 42 - How do you pull it off? The way you read me baby

Happy Friday,

Drake vs. Kendrick (UMG), CAA vs. Range, Kansas City vs. Zach Bryan, Lana vs. Ethel - choose your fighter.

Have thoughts on this week’s news? Just hit reply.

New Music Friday

What you need to know about today’s new releases

🎶 New albums and EPs from Dijon, Conan Gray, Jordan Davis, J Balvin, Audrey Hobert, Gavin Adock, Youngboy Never Broke Again, Mahalia, Jonas Brothers, Chance the Rapper…

♪ Notable singles from Cardi B, Khalid, Olivia Dean, Steve Lacy, Claire Rosinkranz, Kodak Black, The Chainsmokers & Anna Sofia, Love Spells, Zara Larsson…

Each week, we go through Spotify’s New Music Friday playlists to highlight releases you should know about…

#1 - Barely giving us time to breathe post-Bieber album, songwriter & producer Dijon continues to aura max releasing his teased, newest LP Baby, with ‘Yamaha’ claiming the 1st spot on the playlist.

#8 - We love a Lil Wayne collab, this time with Maroon 5 on ‘Love Is Like.’

#9 - Steve Lacy returns after a three-year hiatus with some ‘Nice Shoes.’

#10 - KAYTRANADA refuses to let summer end, dropping full-length studio album AIN’T NO DAMN WAY! after announcing it only on Monday; the first track, ‘SPACE INVADER,’ crash landed on NMF.

#15 - After making her debut with 3 singles this year, RCA-signee Audrey Hobert lands catchy focus track ‘Thirst Trap’ off her debut album Who’s the Clown? which also dropped today.

#25 - Jonas Brothers drop the deluxe edition of Greetings From Your Hometown, with NMF track ‘Tantrum.’

#34 - Folk earworm specialist Yana released her EP Exit Strategy this week, and gets ‘Undo Me’ on the big list.

⭐ #37 - New Mom+Pop artist Mother Soki does her best to follow up viral hit ‘Rivet Gun’ with new single ‘Sliver.’

#44 - Chance the Rapper drops ‘No More Old Men,’ a highlight from his first album in six years, Star Line.

#48 - One of the more prominent members of London’s underground hip-hop scene, Algerian & Indian producer/rapper fakemink drops ‘Braces’

#73 - The Aces drop new album GOLD STAR BABY via SoundOn with the title track featured on NMF.

#82 - Gen Z’s Beastie Boys Joey Valence & Brae partner with Gen Z’s Rebecca Black on ‘SEE U DANCE.’

⭐ = our pick of the week. Usually an under the radar artist to keep an eye on.

The Schedule

Notable upcoming releases

Laufey, Mac DeMarco, sombr, Jon Batiste, Deftones, Ghostface Killah, Ciara, Mariah The Scientist, Three Days Grace, TOPS, Old Dominion all have new projects expected to come out next week.

Taylor Swift, Hannah Frances, Sorry, Militarie Gun, Megadeth, Ashnikko, FearDorian & osquinn, Anne Wilson, Riley Green (deluxe), Black Eyes, The Mountain Goats all announced new albums this week.

ICYMI

Industry news that mattered this week

It was revealed that Brandon Blackstock passed away from Melanoma. Atlantic laid off members of its promotions department. A California judge ruled in favor of CAA, advancing the claim that Range has been operating as a talent agency, which goes against the Talent Agencies Act. Drake won approval from a US district court judge to subpoena a man that his lawyers believe possesses knowledge in his defamation lawsuit vs. UMG. Drake’s team are also seeking “all contracts and agreements between [UMG] and Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, his agents, or anyone working on his behalf, including all contracts and agreements reflecting Your right to approve, reject, refuse to publish, edit, amend, alter, or veto the publications of Kendrick Lamar Duckworth’s Music Works, Music Video, or other content.”

Taylor Swift announced her 12th album The Life of a Showgirl on the Kelce brothers’ podcast New Heights this week. Self-driving cars Waymo partnered with Spotify in 3 US cities. A federal grand jury indicted the founder of alleged music streaming service BlueBeat on 4 counts of wire fraud. Hallmark announced a partnership with the Grand Ole Opry for an original holiday movie. DSW was sued again, this time by Sony Music. Diddy doubled down on a defamation lawsuit against a man who said on NewsNation that he had video footage of Combs sexually assaulting celebrities. Beyoncé won her first primetime Emmy.

Are we getting Camp Rock 3?

Mike Tyson was sued for allegedly using a 1998 Jay-Z, DMX and Ja Rule track in an instagram promo for his fight vs. Jake Paul last year without permission. Zach Bryan vowed never to play Kansas City again after feuding the with Chiefs fans online. Youngboy Never Broke Again was sued by his merch partner for breach of contract ahead of his upcoming headlining tour. YNW Melly’s double murder trial was postponed until 2027 (almost 8 years after he was first arrested). A cricket made a cameo at J.LO’s recent show when it climbed onto her neck during a ballad. Country singer Carly Pearce went to the ER after cutting her thumb on a glass bottle of ranch dressing. The Hall & Oates legal dispute was resolved out of court after Daryl Hall had sued his longtime bandmate in 2023.

Was MGK’s mother really abducted by aliens?

Eddie Van Halen’s 1982 Kramer electric guitar will be auctioned off by Sotheby’s in October. Olivia Rodrigo announced a 136 page GUTS World Tour Book. Rapper MF Doom’s estate sued Temu for selling knock-off merch. A Depeche Mode concert film will release in theaters in October. Metro Boomin’s sexual assault trial will begin next month. Reggaeton artist Jhayco was arrested for alleged possession of cocaine and marijuana. Maluma called out a parent for bringing their baby to his show without any audio protection. Tory Lanez lost two appeals in his conviction for shooting Megan Thee Stallion. Eminem’s ‘Stans’ documentary will release on Paramount+ on August 26. A Sinéad O’Connor biopic is in the works.

small print

Updates on companies, acquisitions, takeovers and more

• Spotify signs direct licensing deal with Kobalt

• Chordal’s Sync licensing service expands partner network

• Yung Lan sells catalog to GoldState in seven-figure acquisition

• Benny Brown launches new publishing firm after acquiring Wide Open Music

• Sphere Entertainment Co. earned $282.7M in Q2

• Secondary ticket platform StubHub looks set to go public with an initial public offering (IPO) in September

• Tencent Music’s Q2 revenue jumps 18% on paid-user growth

• Warner Music Group writes down value of EMP Merchandising, fueling sale rumors

• Eventbrite posts $2.1M Q2 loss

• PRS for Music begins monthly streaming royalty payouts

• Unified Music Group (Australia), 7Entertainment and Startist Management launch a new joint venture

• Divo in India and M Entertainments in Sri Lanka have formed a strategic partnership to expand the reach of each other’s music catalogues

• Most recent Bandcamp Friday brought in $3.5M from music and merch sales

• BookMyShow and RuPay partner to offer customers ticket deals for Sunburn, Lollapalooza and Bandland

• Lil Wayne’s mixtapes appear on streaming services amid confusion over official release status

Group Chat

The section that’ll probably get us in trouble one of these days

This feels correct

So does this

No comment, not a doctor

Or less?

Why wasn’t Taylor included? See below:

No context, just pick your favorite

🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ My (major) agency threatened to drop me if I didn't lie (11%)

🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ Label withheld tour budget (21%)

🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ Couldn’t find local support with enough TikTok followers (21%)

🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ My agent focused resources to their priority clients (7%)

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 A glorified "coordinator" actually booked the tour (39%)

Fresh Ink

Interesting artist signings

Columbia Records artist Bebe Stockwell signed with Andrew McInnes & Nick Palmacci at TMWRK for management. The Folk & Americana singer released her debut EP, Driving Backwards, back in May. 

After signing with BMG for publishing earlier this summer, James Arthur is staying busy after landing with Wasserman’s team of Ash Mowry, Eli Gelernter, Marty Diamond, Sol Parker & Geoff Meall for touring. 

Artist manager Saxon Curry joined Sticks Management, which also represents country star Morgan Wallen. Curry brings over client Gavin Adcock who just released his sophomore album, Own Worst Enemy, today via Warner Music Nashville. 

George Prajin (Peso Pluma, Sante Fe Klan) continues to add to his management roster, this time bringing in rising Mexican music group Hermanos Espinoza to his company Double P. 

Canadian artist Goldie Boutilier signed with Ty Stiklorius & Raleigh Seldon of Friends at Work (John Legend, Charlie Puth) for management. The singer-songwriter is in the midst of a touring & festival sprint across NA & EU. 

Three-time Latin GRAMMY winner Carla Morrison has announced a new deal with 5020 Records, the Sony Music label based in Miami, covering her musical catalog. 

+185 signings on ROSTR this week

The Live World

Tour, festival and other live news

🎸 Biggest tours announced this week: Ethel Cain, Chance The Rapper, Linkin Park, Rascal Flatts, The Lumineers, Militarie Gun

Backstreet Boys added 7 more dates to their Into The Millennium Sphere run, including a NYE performance.

Oasis confirmed the locations of their North American pop-up fan stores in Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto & New York. Following their NA run, the duo will return to London, and wrap after performances in Asia, Australia, New Zealand & South America.

Karol G will headline YouTube’s first NFL live broadcast halftime show in São Paulo.

Blue Note celebrated the grand opening of its Los Angeles location yesterday with Robert Glasper, Terrace Martin & others playing a private VIP party the night prior.

🇦🇺 Down Under:

• Australian festival Beyond The Valley confirmed its return for its 10th anniversary edition

• However, Wildlands Adelaide has been scrapped for 2025 after a successful 3-year run. The organizers explained “the landscape has shifted, and the viability of delivering the event at the standard we hold ourselves to simply isn’t possible this season”

• Australia’s punk rock festival Good Things announced Tool & Weezer as headliners

• The Strokes & Jelly Roll will headline Adelaide’s Harvest Rock festival

• Snoop Dogg will headline Australia’s 2025 Toyota AFL Grand Final at MCG. Past performers for the pre-game entertainment include Katy Perry, Robbie Williams & more

🎟️ Festival Headlines:

• Icelandic festival organizers announced plans for the Icelandic Eclipse Festival next August. The event will be held at the Snæfellsnes [Snay-fells-ness] (you’re welcome) Peninsula and will feature performances from MEDUZA, Nightmares on Wax, GusGus & more as well as space talks from NASA, ESA, SpaceX & Blue Origin astronauts. Only 3,333 tickets will be made available, with the highlight being a total eclipse for two full minutes, one of the longest in the world

• In just as exciting news, Tulum’s Day Zero festival unveiled Seth Troxler, Mau P, Vintage Culture & more to perform next January

• HARDY, Tucker Wetmore & Cody Johnson will headline Canada’s Cavendish Beach Music Festival next July

On The Move

New hires, exec moves and other people news

Capitol Music Group has tapped Jessica Eason as SVP of Marketing and Dante Smith as SVP/Head of Motown Digital, working alongside Justin Grant, VP/Head of Urban Digital, to steer urban marketing strategy. Former RCA Records executive Rob Inadomi joins Nebula17 as Founding Partner and President of Label and A&R. Alfonso Perez Soto exits WMG after two decades, most recently serving as EVP, Corporate Development. Austen Adams has been appointed President of Warner Chappell Music (WCM) Nash. The Kinkead Entertainment Agency has promoted Julie Devereux to CEO and Greg Scott to President of the agency.

Downtown Artist & Label Services Elevates Lorena Cabral to Director, A&R, Mexico and Daniela Gutiérrez to Director, Marketing, Latin. BSI Merch has tapped Rob Anderson to lead its marketing efforts across its global e-commerce, tech, touring, and artist services divisions. River House Artists adds Helena Akhtar as Director, Digital Marketing & Artist Development.

Dope Jobs

Interesting jobs in music

• SVP of Booking at Outback Presents in Nashville, Miami, or NY

• Financial Controller at Transgressive Records in London

• Head of Engineering at Audience Republic in Sydney

• Sr. Director, Data Analytics & Analytics Engineering at BMG in Nashville

• Director, Digital Marketing at WMG in Los Angeles

↗ Find these and 300+ open roles at Jobs by ROSTR