Innholdsfortegnelse for Sep-19-15 i Billboard Magazine

WITH A GRAMMY and a historic string of No. 1 singles in Britain, Jess Glynne was living her dream. Then suddenly she couldn’t sing a note. Just weeks before the release of her debut album, I Laugh When I Cry (Atlantic, Sept. 11), Glynne, 25, had to have surgery to remove a polyp on her vocal cord and stop hemorrhaging; she used a doctor recommended by old friend Sam Smith, who suffered a similar problem earlier this year. The singer-songwriter was forced to cancel her U.K. tour with John Legend, an idol of hers, and spent three agonizing weeks in total silence, communicating via whiteboard (she didn’t like the app Smith recommended), pondering whether she would be among the unlucky few patients who would never sing again. “It was so…

NAME Sir Nolan (real name Nolan Lambroza) is the new go-to for pop royalty, from Nick Jonas to Jason Derulo. “I’m not interested in the sound of the moment,” says the producer-songwriter, 25. “I just want to help the artist shine.” BACKSTORY Nolan spent his childhood in Surrey, England, as “a hermit in my bedroom,” practicing 1980s metal hits on piano and guitar. After studying at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, he met The Messengers (Chris Brown), who enlisted his help on Justin Bieber’s “Believe” and “All Around the World.” But what really put Nolan on the map was Jonas’ “Jealous.” “It changed both of our careers,” he says. “After the Jonas Brothers, there was a lot of bias against Nick, but he’s an amazing talent.” SPECIALTY Helping the Disney…

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The Pretenders’ first public appearance in England had been at the famous Barbarella’s in Birmingham, supporting David Johansen. We were thrilled to share the same stage as the princely Johansen, whom we idolized. Johansen’s band was made up of a gang of New York Italians. They all had perfectly sculpted quiffs, and there was a lot of hairdryer action backstage. Pete [Farndon, Pretenders bassist] especially was enamored with them. He wanted to take his place in it, but you got the impression that he didn’t quite believe it himself, like it was a blag on his part. I was too busy feeling out of my depth myself. I never really thought I could pull it off — I just did what I had to do. All I knew for sure…

How was it recording without Jeff Hanneman for Repentless? The one weird thing was [not having] his presence and opinions. Me and Jeff wrote all the music that has ever been in a Slayer song. I know how to write Slayer music, but to write an entire record — aside from a song [“Piano Wire”] of his that we used — that’s a daunting thing to take on. I think we nailed it. Do you think that expectations are lower because the lineup is different? People expect us to fail. I went about writing this like every record: I don’t say I want to blow people away; I go about making the next album its own entity and as good as I can. People will say it sucks without hearing…

OMI “HULA HOOP” ULTRA Following up a surprise No. 1 smash like the Felix Jaehn remix of “Cheerleader” is a tall order, but OMI strides back with “Hula Hoop,” another romantic reggae/pop/tropical house puff pastry featuring joyful sax jolts and harmlessly inane lyrics. For better or worse, the “Cheerleader” formula works, and here it remains undiluted. —JASON LIPSHUTZ MILEY CYRUS “DOOO IT!” SELF-RELEASED Miley Cyrus’ transition from Disney to deviant hits hippie territory on Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz, her surprise album with The Flaming Lips. Single “Dooo It!” is all bombast and defiance over a hypnotically dry backbeat. But Cyrus’ message of nihilistic rebellion (“Yeah, I smoke pot, yeah, I love peace, but I don’t give a f—”) seems transparent and forced, now more than ever.…

You left MTV in April, but you executiveproduced the 2015 Video Music Awards, which saw a ratings decline. What’s your take? Fewer see it live, but it will be viewed by many [more] people in disparate ways, not always from beginning to end. There’s a systemic change in the business — you have to embrace the consumption on live TV but also after it happens with on-demand. You worked at MTV for 28 years, rising to president of the MTV Networks Music & Logo Group. Any regrets? Liquid Television is a great memory because Beavis and Butt-head and Aeon Flux came out of it. I wish it had aired longer. It had the kind of quirky hodgepodge of animation that now lives in the digital landscape. Most pop culture media…

BLACK RIVER ENTERtainment, a management firm, label and publisher that represents Kelsea Ballerini, Kellie Pickler and others, is expanding its footprint in Nashville with the launch of M2T, a new Christian imprint distributed by Sony’s Provident Distribution. The label is being launched in partnership with veteran artist-producer Mark Miller and Casting Crowns frontman Mark Hall, and its first signing is 18-year-old worship leader Hannah Kerr, daughter of Black River CEO Gordon Kerr. Miller credits the elder Kerr with initiating M2T, which stands for Made to Thrive. “God just laid it on his heart to start a label,” says Miller, longtime frontman for the country group Sawyer Brown, who produces Casting Crowns for his Beach Street label. “Gordon came to me and I honestly said I didn’t have time, but God…

Rita Ora Sings Out Summer Despite a case of preshow jitters, Rita Ora still managed to enjoy her first visit to hotelier Jayma Cardoso’s Montauk, N.Y., hot spot The Surf Lodge during Labor Day weekend. The British pop singer closed out Google Play Music’s summer concert series, and her lastminute booking, which meant Ora had to improvise her 30-minute-plus set, left her “very nervous,” according to one insider. The source says that Ora calmed her nerves by donning a bikini and relaxing on her room’s outdoor terrace, which overlooked Lake Montauk. She had nothing to worry about: The packed crowd cheered her performance, which included her collaboration with Iggy Azalea, “Black Widow,” and current single “Body on Me.” Emilio Estefan Fights Back Producer Emilio Estefan intends to put an end…

MARA HOFFMAN “ ‘Blue Skies’ by Willie Nelson. My entire collection is inspired by him and all that he represents. I saw him play Prospect Park [in Brooklyn] with my family this summer: It was everything.” PAUL ANDREW “Kiasmos’ music has been on repeat. The blend of strings, piano with loops and edgy beats gives a great balance of calmness and energy as I’m designing.” DENNIS BASSO “My collection this season is inspired by cultures south of the border, so we have been listening to Celia Cruz and Jose Feliciano in the design studio.” SUNO’S MAX OSTERWEIS “Daughter’s The Wild Youth EP from 2011. I’m late to the party on this one, but Elena [Tonra] has an incredible voice, the band writes great songs, and I can’t wait until the…

Amid some heated A-list competition from Taylor Swift and The Weeknd, a rookie artist from Jamaica has earned Billboard’s coveted Song of the Summer honor with a single first released in 2012. With the tally complete, OMI’s remixed global reggae-pop smash “Cheerleader” sits atop the annual Songs of the Summer chart, which tracks the most popular hits based on cumulative performance on the weekly Billboard Hot 100 from Memorial Day through Labor Day. “Every artist from Jamaica wants to thrive in the U.S.,” says the 29-year-old OMI (born Omar Samuel Pasley). “There are so many great songs that deserve the recognition that ‘Cheerleader’ has had. I’m just grateful.” Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again” (featuring Charlie Puth) had led the Songs of the Summer list most of the season (for 13…

Between II Worlds Cherrytree/Interscope THREADING TOGETHER DUBSTEP, electro-house and Alana Watson’s airy vocals, London dance trio Nero’s 2011 debut, Welcome Reality, proved to be a durable entry point — an EDM album that pays close attention to songcraft as well as synth blare. Between II Worlds, the act’s sophomore follow-up, is more finely wrought, even when the hooks are king-sized, fleshing out Nero’s sound with thicker bass riffs on the clobbering “The Thrill” and filmy strings that climax on the finale, “Wasted.” The new textures are cunning enough to grab non-dance listeners, but Watson’s singing detracts, offering little personality of its own; on “Two Minds” she sounds like a Florence Welch understudy. Daniel Stephens and Joe Ray’s production does the most work, their tracks lush and subtle, even when…

NUMBERS: MTVVMAs FUELBIGGAINS The 2015 MTV Video Music Awards and its preshow led to bumps for a variety of stars featured on the annual broadcast (Aug. 30), including performers Tori Kelly (above), Nicki Minaj and Nick Jonas. 114% Kelly’s performance of “Should’ve Been Us” spurs a 114 percent overall unit gain for parent album Unbreakable Smile (53-17 on the Billboard 200), with 19,000 units earned in the week ending Sept. 3, according to Nielsen Music. 35% Minaj opened the show with a three-song medley featuring surprise guest Taylor Swift, and won the first award of the night (best hip-hop video for “Anaconda”), helping push The Pinkprint 45-24 on the Billboard 200 (13,000 units; up 35 percent). 1.9% Jonas’ performance of his new single “Levels” during the VMAs preshow (along with…

In its ratings heyday, American Idol played a key role in building momentum for such artists as Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber by offering prime performance slots during the season. But as the Fox show has eliminated a nighttwo reveal altogether, guest performances by established acts also have gone by the wayside and, for its 15th run, will barely register. According to sources, Idol’s final bow will only feature alumni of the show, saving the A-list bookings for the grand finale, scheduled for May 2016. “We will be bringing Idols back in a way that’s organic,” says Trish Kinane, president of entertainment programming at FremantleMedia North America and Idol showrunner, stopping short of confirming the plan. Certainly, returning graduates like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson and Phillip Phillips are…

LITTLE MIX AND REGIS PHILBIN would seem to have little in common, but on a Thursday morning in August, both the X Factor-spawned British girl group and the 84-year-old TV icon are on Elvis Duran’s agenda. First, Little Mix visits the New York offices of iHeartMedia’s WHTZ-FM — better-known as Z100 — to appear on the veteran DJ’s Elvis Duran and The Morning Show, which is syndicated in more than 80 markets through Premiere Radio Networks. He conducts a characteristically analytical and borderline fatherly interview with the quartet, advising the group to “slow down and take stock of what you’ve [accomplished] so far; let it hit you in the heart and soul.” Following the show, Duran heads uptown for a taping of his new-talent-based “Artist of the Month” segment on…

What was it about Smith that made you connect with her so deeply? She was fearless and flawed in a lot of ways. She was perfectly imperfect, and I can relate to that. It reminded me of the ups and downs of my life in this business and my journey. It was the first time I ever watched a movie with me in it and cried. What do you think about all the black actresses — Viola Davis, Mo’Nique, Taraji P. Henson — getting Emmy nominations this year? I’m proud to be a part of this class of 2015. This was long overdue. We have a lot of talent out there, and often it’s not recognized by major awards shows like this. But I still think we have a long…

During the past two years, Jasmine Chess, 29, has spun for Alexander McQueen, Coach, Missoni, Lacoste, Armani and DKNY, but she also happens to be the granddaughter of Chess Records founder Leonard Chess and daughter of Marshall Chess, founding president of Rolling Stones Records. Billboard spoke with the Fashion Institute of Technology grad and former Stella McCartney intern in advance of New York Fashion Week. How did you get interested in DJ’ing? Damon DeGraff, who owns DGI Management [Rev Run, The Misshapes], is my boyfriend, and I was always around his DJs. He showed me the ropes and I practiced a lot — I mean, a lot. How has your family legacy influenced you? Music has always been a part of my life; it’s in my blood. My grandfather and…

50 Years the Stones celebrated together in 2012. They marked the occasion in December of that year with five sold-out shows grossing $38.7 million total, according to Billboard Boxscore. $362,403,970 Total touring gross since 2013. The band sold 1.7 million tickets to 57 shows during the course of three tours. 90K Copies sold of Sticky Fingers, new and old versions, in the United States since the 1971 set was reissued earlier this year, according to Nielsen Music. 2.6 MILLION Total Stones albums sold since 2010, including 662,000 copies of the newly remastered editions of Sticky Fingers, Exile on Main St. and Some Girls. $7.8M Average gross per night of Zip Code, the band’s most recent tour. No one touring this year has earned more for each concert played. 628, 733…

CHRISSIE HYNDE IS DEFIANT. THAT HAS BEEN A CONSISTENT trait of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer for the past 30-plus years, as the Pretenders frontwoman kept her band alive through ever-changing lineups, nine studio albums and the drug-related deaths of two founding members. It also is a thread in Hynde’s new memoir, Reckless: My Life as a Pretender, the 64-year-old’s chronicle of leaving her Akron, Ohio, hometown in search of London’s rock mystique, meeting and falling in with her idols (Hynde has two daughters, one with The Kinks’ Ray Davies and one with Simple Minds’ frontman and ex-husband Jim Kerr) and finding success with The Pretenders. Hynde always has been outspoken, from publicly rebuffing gender solidarity (“I’m not a feminist,” she told Billboard in 2006) to decrying animal…

The Story of Sonny Boy Slim Warner Bros. ON HIS 2012 MAJOR-LABEL DEBUT, Blak and Blu, ascendant Austin guitar god Gary Clark Jr. went into overdrive (long solos, a Hendrix cover, countless genre hops) to prove himself a rootsminded bluesman for the hip-hop generation. On his follow-up, The Story of Sonny Boy Slim, Clark handles most of the instrumentation and production himself, and sounds more relaxed musically, even when the subject matter offers a different angle. On the gritty “Grinder,” his guitar cries like the cashstrapped narrator’s hungry baby, while the acoustic gospel number “Church” centers on a guy for whom “unwind” means unravel. Clark eases the tension with the uplifting funk-soul throwback “Hold On,” the reassuring psychedelic ballad “Star” and the brassy “BYOB” — a baller’s minute of…

AUG. 22 Donegan gets to his suburban Chicago home at 4:30 a.m. after partying at House of Blues: “White Russians plus shots of Fireball and Jager,” says the 47-year-old of what was downed in honor of Disturbed’s first show and album (Immortalized, released Aug. 21 on Reprise) in four years. He crashes for two hours, then wakes to take son Jason, 8, to his football game. Oh, and Donegan is the coach: “I kept my sunglasses on.” AUG. 23 Donegan heads to Best Buy to cop Disturbed’s new record. “It seems silly, but it’s tradition,” he says. He also scores a fresh Madden title for Xbox: Four of Jason’s friends are on their way over to the house for a sleepover. They end up being more interested in the Bulls-themed…