Innholdsfortegnelse for October 19, 2013 i Billboard Magazine

All-New NARM NARM, the National Assn. of Recording Merchan disers, is now the Music Business Assn. The group, founded in 1958 to advocate for music retailers and distributors, announced the name change and concurrent organizational restructuring in a move to better-position itself in what it called a dramatically changed music industry. As a part of the changes, the organization will appoint six new board members and expand its focus beyond recorded music. AMA Noms Macklemore & Ryan Lewis lead the pack of this year’s American Music Award nominations with six nods, including artist of the year. The AMAs, produced by Billboard sister company Dick Clark Productions in partnership with Cumulus, Time Warner Cable, Yahoo and Music Choice, will take place Nov. 24 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. In…

Rival subscription services. It’s possible that rivals like Spotify and Rdio are secretly hoping that Beats succeeds in its plan to convince people that music is worth paying for—and helps to reverse the desperate downward spiral toward free. Len Blavatnik. The billionaire owner of Warner Music Group has hedged his bets nicely—as a minority owner in Beats and as the owner of a major record company that’s on the receiving end of a sizable portion of the royalties Beats must pay out. The potential upside is significant.…

As it prepares for the Oct. 15 release of Paul McCartney’s New, Concord Music Group doesn’t look that different from when it was under the umbrella of Australian film company Village Roadshow. But in the six months since it was purchased by an investment group led by Wood Creek Capital Management, it has internally centralized back-room operations, purchased a children’s music label and is searching for office space in Nashville so that Rounder Records can relocate after 40 years in Boston. “After we closed the acquisition, our next most important investment was to take two or three months to get to know everybody and talk to management to see how to best position for the future,” says Steve Smith, Concord’s new chairman of the board who orchestrated the purchase. “A…

For decades, California’s Santa Monica Pier has been home to amusement park rides, great food and free summertime concerts. Two promoters from across town, however, have taken initial steps to turn the waterfront tourist destination into a home for ticketed festivals. Martin Fleischmann and Mitchell Frank staged the Beach Ball, featuring reggae and soul acts, in September and a West Coast edition of the Newport Folk Festival with headliners Neko Case, Brett Dennen and Conor Oberst the weekend of Oct. 5. Attendance at the folk show, held under the banner of Way Over Yonder and organized in conjunction with the Newport Folk Festival, was strong enough to start talks on a return engagement next year. “On Saturday we had 3,000 people and Sunday was about 250 lighter,” says Fleischmann, the…

Artists. If E! can foray into scripted series territory, what’s to stop others? Nothing. More windows of opportunity will lead to more promotion and revenue for artists. Already, big names like Carlos Baute and Luis Enrique will appear on the show. Publishers. Latin publishers have become increasingly bold in their enterprises, with others like peermusic and Sony/ATV also making inroads into music and audiovisual content production. This highly visible partnership raises the ante. Labels. This is the kind of deal that should make labels wonder, “Why didn’t I do it first?” Why, indeed. Though majors like Universal Music Group and Sony Music have long relationships with reality programs like “The Voice” and “The X Factor,” this is a new opportunity with scripted music shows. LATIN BY THE NUMBERS 29% Latin…

“Every year I promise I won’t get emotional,” R&B legend Eddie Levert says with a laugh. “And every year you see a grown man blubbering all over the place.” This year no doubt won’t prove the exception when Levert and his fellow O’Jays—Walter Williams and Eric Nolan Grant—host the eighth annual O’Jays Celebrity Scholarship Foundation Weekend. The three-day event (Oct. 25-27) at the TW Theater and Event Center in Las Vegas kicks off with a masquerade ball during which teachers will be honored. A benefit concert highlights the second day. Host Magic Johnson will present performances by Stevie Wonder, Jeffrey Osborne, the O’Jays and others. The weekend wraps with a golf tournament and scholarship awards banquet featuring keynote speaker Steve Perry, president of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Sponsors…

Advances in digital technology were supposed to radically change everything we know about how the music industry operates. In many ways, that is just what happened: Anyone can now easily and cheaply record and mix music using only a laptop and a microphone, and new entrants like iTunes, Spotify and YouTube have upended how music is distributed, consumed and shared with millions of others. But none of it has altered the fundamental truth of how labels and their artists reliably find success. In fact, despite long-tail enthusiasts anticipating the end of the blockbuster era and arguing that content producers were better off switching their attention to millions of niches, the digital landscape has only enhanced the importance of the trusted strategies by which stars and hits are made. The blockbuster…

The Netherlands has long played a pivotal role in dance music. Dutch DJs like Tiësto, Afrojack and Armin van Buuren helped lead the genre’s current boom, and are becoming global superstars in the process. So it’s only fitting that the nation’s canal-filled capital city, Amsterdam, hosts EDM’s most important international networking and showcase event every October. This year, the Amsterdam Dance Event (amsterdam-dance-event.nl) will once again attract tens of thousands of visitors for five days of sets from aforementioned hometown heroes van Buuren and Tiësto, international stars like David Guetta and others in 85 different venues. In between, there are seminars and networking events at the beautiful Felix Meritis building on the Keizersgracht canal—the “D.I.S.C.O.” panel, with Giorgio Moroder and Nile Rodger s, is sure to be a highlight. “We…

The setting was perfect in ways both good and bad. About to debut songs from Lightning Bolt—its first album in four years, and one that would prompt a major deal to supply all the music for the upcoming World Series broadcast—Pearl Jam was at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, with more than 40,000 fans stuffed into the stands, huddled along the outfield walls and spilling onto the streets. There was also an uninvited guest: a thunderstorm pelting the ballpark with rain and illuminating the sky with jagged streaks. Frontman Eddie Vedder had called for an evacuation of the field and stage as what he deemed “heavy weather” rolled in 45 minutes into the band’s set. “You had Eddie actually on the phone with the city weather guy talking about the cells coming…

With eight months to go before the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, there have been more than 4.5 million requests for tickets, which will be awarded by lottery before the tournament’s opener on June 12. Meanwhile, the world is waiting to hear the next “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa).” Shakira’s 2010 anthem has been as remarkable for its endurance as for its success. The Spanish-language video of the song reached a Vevo-certified 100 million views on Oct. 3. The Englishlanguage version is the all-time seventhmost-popular video on YouTube. The song has sold 1.7 million downloads in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and four years after the World Cup in South Africa, it is No. 9 on Billboard’s Latin Digital Songs chart. “‘Waka Waka’ raised the bar…

TOM WORCESTER Head of music sponsorships, Creative Artists Agency Background: Senior VP of business development, IMG (2004-10); senior VP of corporate marketing, MLB (1993-99) Notable deals: Mondelez International (Nabisco) for One Direction’s 2013 North American tour (estimated $20 million in media and sponsorship spend); AT&T, Coca-Cola and Capital One for NCAA Big Dance featuring Sting, Flo Rida, Ludacris, Zac Brown and others; Flo Rida for Turner Sports Super Bowl Party; Heineken Amsterjam 2006, featuring Snoop Dogg, Red Hot Chili Peppers and 311 BRIAN NOLAN Senior director, Columbia Records Agency Background: Booked Columbia artists John Legend as guest host on ESPN’s “Mike & Mike” and Train for MLB’s 2010 Home Run Derby as the label’s former senior director of rhythm promotion Notable deals: Krewella, ESPN’s September artist of the month, and…

Creating a memorable song takes a special skill, as demonstrated by this year’s nominees in competition for a Latin Grammy award for song of the year. This category recognizes the creative process of the songwriter—unlike record of the year, which honors the recording artist and the producer. “ESSE CARA SOU EU” Writer: Roberto Carlos The career of Brazilian singer/songwriter Roberto Carlos spans five decades, and in that time the Grammy-winning artist has written numerous hits. In this current outing, “Esse Cara Sou Eu” (I’m That Guy) complements his iconic voice and strong writing abilities. “LA QUE ME GUSTA” Writer: Jose Luis Pardo Authoring one of the catchiest songs of the year is no easy feat, but Jose Luis Pardo, also known as Cheo and DJ Afro, has hit the mark.…

Black Oak Arkansas is back—although cofounder Rickie Lee Reynolds likes to point out “we never went away.” Reynolds and frontman Jim “Dandy” Mangrum have indeed continued to fly their Southern rock flag from their current home base of Memphis, but the group has operated well under the radar for quite some time. That changes on Oct. 16, however, when BOA returns to Atco/Atlantic Records— where Ahmet Ertegun himself signed the band in 1970—with Back Thar N’ Over Yonder, an album that features five new songs and 10 previously unreleased tracks recorded during the early ’70s with the late Tom Dowd. “We’re very thankful for this,” says Mangrum, whose blond mane, flamboyant stage presence and good humor provided a model for subsequent frontmen like David Lee Roth and Kid Rock, with…

Kevin Callahan, alternative KBZT San Diego. Capital Cities, “Kangaroo Court.” These guys played our [Sandy Parts Festival] in June. They had the sold-out crowd going nuts and, thanks to their style, had everyone wondering if satin jackets were “back.” Initial response so far has been killer. Arctic Monkeys, “Do I Wanna Know?” This is something we’ll get started on very soon. It’s a great song. And, since their tour is now headed just up the road to Los Angeles, we look forward to giving our listeners a chance to get to know them better. I want to be in that group right upfront. American Authors, “Best Day of My Life.” They just performed a sold-out show for us two weekends ago. Hearing the crowd sing along to the catchy “Oh,…

In the music video for Blood Orange’s sexy new single “Chamakay,” Dev Hynes visits his South American homeland of Guyana, where he meets elderly family members, plays with local children and dances awkwardly among the poverty-stricken streets, illuminated by a glowing sunset. The clip is a dreamy, heartfelt collage that feels displaced from time—and the single itself is a perfect counterpart, injecting a suave, adult contemporary groove with a shot of modern exoticism. Hynes speaks in vague but evocative tongues: “If givin’ left me lonely, if givin’ was my friend/I’m keepin’ all my old things/I’m keepin’ my loose ends,” he breathes. His soulful croon is chased by woody marimba, hazy washes of synth, spasmodic slap-bass and the alto of Chairlift’s Caroline Polachek. Hynes has made his name writing from the…

It’s been four years since Pearl Jam’s last studio album, but the band’s inspired new effort proves to be more than worth the wait since 2009’s Backspacer, with 12 tunes exploring bad faith, the intricacies of deep commitment, mortality and the state of the planet—managing to groove, thrash and soar along the way. Opening with two rock-solid takes on sanctimony, the Eddie Vedder-penned “Getaway” lights a fuse into the furious “Mind Your Manners,” which features music by guitarist Mike McCready. The magical pairing of the building “Infallible” and ominous “Pendulum,” both collaborations among Vedder, bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Stone Gossard, also leaps out as a highlight—examining humanity’s hubris and its transience. In great form throughout, Vedder’s unmistakable baritone is at its most gorgeous on poignant ballad “Sirens.” Pearl Jam…

More than six years after its first Billboard Hot 100 appearance, alternative trio Paramore is within striking distance of its best rank, as “Still Into You” bounds 34-25 in its 13th week. The band has charted higher with just one of its prior eight entries, “The Only Exception,” which reached No. 24 in 2010. 44 With an average of 44 plays per station, according to Nielsen BDS, “Still” becomes Paramore’s first top 10 on the Mainstream Top 40 airplay chart (14-10). Notably, it’s the tally’s first top 10 by a female-fronted rock band since Evanescence reached No. 7 in 2006 with “Call Me When You’re Sober.” Apart from Paramore, singer Hayley Williams rose to No. 2 in 2010 as a guest on B.o.B’s “Airplanes” and is nearing the list as…

Wilds’ Ride Mack Wilds makes his first chart appearances, as debut EP New York: A Love Story (Louder Than Life) starts at No. 28 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (2,000 copies sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan) and “Own It” enters Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop at No. 40. The 24-yearold Staten Island, N.Y., native first gained acclaim as an actor in the roles of Michael Lee on HBO’s “The Wire” and Dixon Wilson on the CW’s “90210.” ‘Cool Kids’ Fits In Echosmith makes inroads at adult top 40 with “Cool Kids,” a track from the Southern California sibling quartet’s Warner Bros. debut album, Talking Dreams. The set, released Oct. 8, was produced by Mike Elizondo (Maroon 5, No Doubt). The band has built buzz thanks in part to synchs with NBC during the 2012…

Hot 100 LEGEND Bullets indicate titles with greatest weekly gains. Album Charts Recording Industry Assn. of America (RIAA) certification for physical shipments & digital downloads of 500,000 albums (Gold). RIAA certification for physical shipments & digital downloads of 1 million units (Platinum). Numeral noted with Platinum symbol indicates album’s multiplatinum level. RIAA certification for physical shipments & digital downloads of 10 million units (Diamond). Numeral noted with Diamond symbol indicates album’s multiplatinum level. Latin albums certification for physical shipments & digital downloads of 50,000 units (Oro). Latin albums certification for physical shipments & digital downloads of 100,000 units (Platino). Numeral noted with Platinum symbol indicates album’s multi-platinum level. Digital Songs Charts RIAA certification for 500,000 paid downloads (Gold). RIAA certification for 1 million paid downloads (Platinum). Numeral noted with platinum…

SFX Entertainment’s debut on Wall Street on Oct. 9 wasn’t pictureperfect but succeeded in raising $260 million to complete planned acquisitions and pursue additional companies to complement its mini-empire. But the market spoke loud and clear: The price of the initial public offering was too high. ¶ SFX sold 20 million shares priced at $13 per share to institutional investors, valuing the company at slightly more than $1 billion. The market was less enthusiastic. The next day, SFX’s shares, which trade on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticket SFXE, reached a high of $13.39, fell to $10.64, then closed at $11.89. ¶ The bad start is bad news for investors. “Given that the stock is trading below $13, it’s going to be hard to get back to the…

Radio is still king. But the places and types of radio that Americans dial into are becoming many and more varied. According to a recent study by Edison Research that was jointly commissioned by Pandora, Spotify and TuneIn, one out of every two online Americans has streamed music over the Internet. They do so in many of the same places they also consume traditional broadcast radio—the car, at home, while working, out walking, exercising and taking public transportation. This is largely because high-speed data access is becoming more ubiquitous and somewhat less expensive, allowing listeners more freedom to choose their music-listening format. Of course, there are still workplaces that ban the usage of streaming radio because of the cumulative bandwidth costs. And not all Americans have online access. According to…

Nashville. While Alison Krauss is one of the company’s biggest sellers, moving Rounder Records to Nashville will enable more on-the-ground contact with the community of musicians, songwriters and copyright holders. Jazz catalog. Growing interest in vinyl and a streamlined catalog division has Glenn Barros looking to take advantage of limited editions and extensive collections dedicated to such artists as Sonny Rollins and Bill Evans from the group’s various labels. Children’s music. Combining Rounder and Music for Little People increases opportunities for musicians to contribute to family-oriented projects. Just as Rounder has gone outside of its roster for recent Woody Guthrie and Duane Allman projects, it can now do higherprofile multi-artist projects for kids.…

Spanish Broadcasting System Entertainment produced three major Latin music festivals in September: Calibash at Staples Center in Los Angeles, El Solazo at Bayfront in Miami and Megatón at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The shows are part of the growing business of SBSE, helmed by senior VP Lucas Piña. The SBS division has become a bona fide concert promotion arm as opposed to just a radio event producer for its parent media company. This year alone, Piña has produced more than 50 shows, including U.S. tours by Ricardo Arjona and Carlos Vives. 6.00 AMI wake up and do my exercise—not in the gym, but in my head. I go carefully through my schedule and refresh everything according to priorities. 8.00 AMPrivate breakfast at the home of SBS chairman Raul Alarcon to…

LABELS Universal Music Group names Michele Anthony executive VP of U.S. recorded music, a newly created position, effective Nov. 1. Anthony will report directly to UMG chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge and will be tasked with “maximizing commercial and strategic opportunities across labels, establishing new revenue streams, forming alliances with third parties and overseeing a variety of the company’s special projects,” according to a statement. Anthony, who may be bestknown for working with a number of high-profile acts, including Pearl Jam, Black Sabbath, Prince and Björk through her consulting and management firm 7H Entertainment, is returning to the label fold for the first time since 2006, when she was president/COO of Sony Music Label Group U.S. Anthony will work closely with UMG executive VP/CFO Boyd Muir. Warner Bros. Records appoints Brian Frank…

Last month, Nielsen released a report titled “How the Hispanic Consumer Is Influencing the Entertainment Industry.” “It’s no secret that Hispanic consumers are driving growth across a range of industries in the U.S.,” the opening lines read. “So it makes sense that many companies aren’t asking if this demographic is affecting the nation. Rather, they’re asking how they’re affecting it.” That question should be one every entertainment company—music companies included—asks itself. And for an excellent example of that “how,” one need only look at the recently released “Instructions Not Included,” the low-budget Mexican film that became the highestgrossing Spanish-language movie in the United States, earning more than $40 million, according to Box Office Mojo. The movie, produced, written and directed by Mexican comedian Eugenio Derbez—who also played the lead role—opened…

What did you wake up thinking about this morning? Office space. We’re in a position now where we own three buildings and we need additional space in New York and L.A., and I am in the middle of negotiating both of those. It’s a big expansion in our core business and other platforms we’re going to be involved in. Describe a lesson you learned from a failure. I learned early on in my career at APA—I’ve been here 32 years—when an opportunity came along and it wasn’t seized upon. I wasn’t part of the decision-making, but I had brought [an agency and some talent] to the attention of the powers that be at the time and they dismissed it without giving it the sort of thought they should have. It…

The Netherlands is traditionally famous for exporting its cheese, tulips and Heineken . But in recent years, with Afrojack, Tiësto and others breaking into the Billboard Hot 100 stateside and headlining massive festivals worldwide, EDM artists, producers and DJs have become a Dutch cash crop as well. The Amsterdam Dance Event (see story, left) will feature both local superstars and superstars-to-be. Olga Zegers may know how to identify the latter better than anyone else—since 1999, she’s been working at Dutch EDM events giant ID&, where she’s handled music programming for massive festivals like Sensation and Mysteryland. Here, with help from Zegers, we spotlight Holland’s next EDM breakouts—all of whom are also playing must-see sets at ADE. 1 There’s something special about the Dutch city of Breda, the hometown of Tiësto,…

Pearl Jam’s epic, rain-delayed set at Chicago’s Wrigley Field in July won’t be the only time the band connects with baseball in 2013. A partnership with Fox Sports will include extensive use of 48 Pearl Jam songs across the promotional and music beds for this month’s World Series coverage, set to air Oct. 23-31 on Fox, and feature the group’s music throughout November as Artist of the Month across all Fox Sports properties. The deal includes all 12 tracks from Lightning Bolt, plus 36 songs from the Pearl Jam catalog, spanning all the band’s albums (with the exception of 2002’s politically charged Riot Act). Catalog highlights include “Animal,” “Better Man,” “Black,” “Blood,” “Corduroy,” “Daughter,” “Even Flow” and “even goes as far as ‘State of Love and Trust,’” says Christian Fresco,…

The success enjoyed by Phillip Phillips’ “Home” during the 2012 London Olympics has labels and publishers working to secure their own gold during the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. NBC, which will broadcast the games in February, offered a teaser of its promotional campaign during the Kentucky Derby in May with Youngblood Hawke’s “We Come Running” providing the soundtrack. The network’s full promotional push won’t begin until late November, but there’s already a rush to be one of the four or five songs in rotation on Olympics ads from December to February. Besides “We Come Running,” NBC has locked in Lindi Ortega’s “All These Cats” and Crash Kings’ “Come Away” for use in promos that are still being created. Train, a trio of Olympics fans, even wrote a new…

A glowing Leslie Grace was fulfilling one of her biggest dreams recently when she heard her name among the Latin Grammy Awards nominees for best contemporary tropical album. “It’s such a huge honor that for my first project I’m nominated with someone like my idol, Juan Luis Guerra,” Grace said at the announcement of this year’s contenders. “Being part of these nominations and the show is a big deal, because I’m representing something greater than myself.” The 2013 nominees for the 14th annual Latin Grammys will be in attendance when the show returns to Las Vegas, airing live from the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino on Univision at 8 p.m. ET on Nov. 21. The three-hour Spanish-language broadcast will be seen by audiences tuning in to catch their favorite acts…

Spanish star Miguel Bosé is the quintessential renaissance man: painter, actor, TV host. But above all, Bosé is a musical artiste—an eclectic composer and sometimes eccentric performer who has reinvented and redefined his Latin pop during his three-decade career, traversing pop, electronica, rock and dance with equal ease. “He’s risked a lot during his career,” manager Rosa Lagarrigue told Billboard in 2007. “When he was at his most famous, he made radical changes. He’s constantly done things that are ahead of their time. Then again, that’s how you sustain a career for 30 years and win the respect of a younger generation.” That career and respect remain so solid that today, 38 years after his 1977 recording debut, Bosé will be honored as the Latin Recording Academy’s Person of the…

Following the release of 1999’s Electric Honey on Capitol, New York alt-rock group Luscious Jackson called it quits. In the time since, the band members—singer/bassist Jill Cunniff, singer/guitarist Gabby Glaser and drummer Kate Schellenbach—have pursued solo albums and production projects, as well as families. A few years ago, Cunniff and Glaser began collaborating on a children’s album, but nothing came of it, largely due to distribution issues. But last year, the trio learned about new options to fund and distribute music, and the band’s fourth album, Magic Hour, is due Nov. 5 on its own City Song imprint, followed by a children’s album on Nov. 19. “A friend working at [crowdfunding site] PledgeMusic presented it to me and we were like, ‘Wow, this is a whole new world,’” Cunniff says.…

Best Coast, the indie-rock embodiment of the California lifestyle made famous by frontwoman Bethany Cosentino, has gone fully independent. It was through an indie label—the Brooklyn-based, vinyl-focused Mexican Summer—that the band broke to the alt masses with 2010 debut Crazy for You (108,000 copies sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan). But for new EP Fade Away (due Oct. 22), Best Coast has gone one step further. The seven-song collection comes through Cosentino’s new imprint Jewel City, in partnership with Kobalt Label Services, marking the band’s first major self- release. When asked if she’s earning a bigger sales cut in the Kobalt deal, Cosentino affirms her focus is on getting her new music heard by fans. “Honestly, I don’t know the logistics of it,” she says. “Which just goes to show that…

COUNTRY KEITH URBAN & MIRANDA LAMBERT “We Were Us” (3:12) PRODUCERS: Nathan Chapman, Keith Urban WRITERS: Jimmy Robbins, Nicolle Galyon, Jon Nite PUBLISHERS: various LABELS: Hit Red/Capitol Nashville/RCA Nashville Two country music powerhouses reflect on a (fictional) love lost and make for an indomitable combination on the slick and stomping “We Were Us,” the latest hit from Urban’s recently released Fuse. The succinct chorus offers an immediate rush packed with skillfully convincing emotion from Urban and Lambert. —JM HIP-HOP KID INK FEATURING CHRIS BROWN “Show Me” (3:40) PRODUCER: DJ Mustard WRITERS: various PUBLISHERS: various LABELS: The Alumni Group/88/RCA Both Ink and Brown want proof that their respective ladies are properly entranced on Ink’s latest single. DJ Mustard laces the beat with a metallic bounce, while Brown provides his umpteenth intoxicating…

COUNTRY SCOTTY McCREERY See You Tonight PRODUCER: Frank Rogers LABEL: Mercury Nashville RELEASE DATE: Oct. 15 At only 19, “American Idol” winner McCreery projects a mature tone on his sophomore set that fits alongside his country peers. The singer uses his instrument to great advantage on fiddle-laced foot-stomper “Can You Feel It” and heart-tugger “Feel Good Summer Song.” Elsewhere on songs like “The Dash,” he sounds more detached. —JM FOLK THE HEAD AND THE HEART Let’s Be Still PRODUCERS: The Head and the Heart, Shawn Simmons LABEL: Sub Pop RELEASE DATE: Oct. 15 The indie-folk sextet shows exponential growth on its second album, embracing texture, nuance and lush arrangements not found on its 2011 debut. Charity Rose Thielen’s “Summertime” leans toward synth-pop, while “Cruel” and epic closer “Gone” establish new…

As Lionsgate’s “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” prepares to invade theaters worldwide on Nov. 22, Republic Records has set up its original film soundtrack with a trio of contrasting singles. Coldplay’s piano-driven “Atlas,” Christina Aguilera’s midtempo ballad “We Remain” and Sia’s rhythmic “Elastic Heart” (featuring the Weeknd and Diplo) have all been released as previews of the fall’s most high-profile soundtrack, due Nov. 19. Earlier this year, Republic and Lionsgate were tasked with following up the biggest-selling film soundtrack of 2012. Led by the Taylor Swift/Civil Wars collaborative single “Safe & Sound,”The Hunger Games: Songs From District 12 and Beyond debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 upon its March 2012 release and sold 463,000 copies last year, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Republic executive VP Tom Mackay says the…

This week on the Billboard 200, Justin Timberlake achieves the uncommon feat of earning two different No. 1 albums in less than a year. His new The 20/20 Experience, 2 of 2 starts at No. 1 with 350,000 copies sold in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It arrives atop the chart 28 weeks after the first volume of The 20/20 Experience debuted at No. 1 with the year’s largest sales week: 968,000. In turn, Timberlake is the only act in 2013 to sell 300,000 copies of two different albums in a week. He continues to be the only act this year that has sold more than 300,000 units of any album in multiple weeks. The first 20/20 album sold in excess of 300,000 in each of its first…

Source: Nielsen SoundScan 1 ONE DIRECTION One Direction’s first album, Up All Night, was initially released in the group’s U.K. homeland on Nov. 11, 2011. However, it didn’t reach U.S. retail until March 2012, making the time that elapsed between the act’s U.S. charttoppers all the more swift. 1D’s third studio set, Midnight Memories, is due Nov. 25. 2 LIL WAYNE Of the No. 1s represented here, only one of them—Lil Wayne’s I Am Not a Human Being—didn’t debut atop the chart. (The sales noted here are for when it reached the top in its third week.) Wayne’s experimental rock album debuted as a digital-only set at No. 2 on Oct. 16, 2012, and only reached No. 1 two weeks later after its physical CD hit retail. 3 SUSAN BOYLE…

As other services continue down the path of giving away more music for free, Beats Music is heading in the opposite direction, betting that people will pay for music if it’s marketed and packaged the right way—just as it did with the headphones market years ago. When it launches in the coming months, Beats Music is likely to eschew the “freemium” model increasingly embraced by other ondemand music services as a way to entice users to try out a free but limited tier in hopes that they will decide to pay for premium functionality, according to people familiar with Beats’ plans. That doesn’t mean Beats won’t offer promotions, such as extended free-trial periods bundled with Beats headset purchases or with carrier sign-ups. It also doesn’t rule out the possibility that…

Who says no one invests in music startups? Splice, a music collaboration service that has yet to fully launch, has raised $2.8 million in angel and venture financing from a host of high-profile investors in a seed round led by Union Square Ventures, which has also invested in Turntable.fm. The service lets artists collaborate in the cloud to create music using standard digital tools like Ableton Live, then share their works with fans to solicit feedback, much in the same way SoundCloud is used as a sounding board. The startup was backed by a who’s who of early-stage investors including True Ventures, Lerer Ventures, SV Angel, First Round Capital, Code Advisors, David Tisch, Rob Wiesenthal and Seth Goldstein. Tisch is founder of BoxGroup, a boutique investment firm based in New…

As revenue streams for the music business continue to diversify and splinter in various directions, distributors and labels large and small have had to adapt, restructuring their organizations to take advantage of burgeoning opportunities on platforms like YouTube and Facebook. The Orchard, a company that started 16 years ago as an independent record-distribution shop on Orchard Street in New York, is one such example, this week unveiling a YouTube multichannel network. The distributor, whose label clients include French Kiss Records and Pure Noise, has reorganized its business to focus on YouTube as a distinct retail business and flesh out the types of services it offers to clients who distribute on the platform in order to take advantage of an emerging MCN business model. “YouTube has become one of our top…

Coke, E!, W/C Target Latin Teens WHAT: Publisher Warner/Chappell, Coca-Cola and TV network E! have partnered to conceive, produce and air a music-themed teen TV series for the Latin-American market. The show, “Wake Up! With No Make Up,” will be shown online at CocaCola.tv and broadcast region-wide on E! Networks Latin America beginning in November. The series features a group of teens who form a band to save a family property. The key, according to all parties involved, lies in the cast’s talent, the repertoire of known hits in both English and Spanish, and innovative arrangements—which sold executives on the idea. The project marks the first time Warner/Chappell Latin America will produce a TV series, and the first time Coca-Cola will produce an entertainment-based TV series in the region. WHY:…

Warner Music Group, the world’s third-largest record company, is moving from its longtime worldwide headquarters at 75 Rockefeller Center to 1633 Broadway Tower, according to an Oct. 1 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The new location, between 50th and 51st Streets in New York, has nearly 300,000 square feet of office space. Its annual lease will cost approximately $16 million, in addition to its pro rata share of certain real estate property taxes, operating expenses and common area maintenance fees. The lease runs from Jan. 1, 2014, to July 31, 2029. WMG, which will occupy six floors, isn’t planning to move into its new building until mid-2014, when it will consolidate its New York offices, including 75 Rockefeller and 1290 Avenue of the Americas. The move affects WMG…

Forty-eight hours after AMC’s “Breaking Bad” finale aired on Sept. 29, Bruce Resnikov, president/CEO of Universal Music’s catalog division, was marveling at the number of discussions about the song that played during the final scene. “This is proof an emotional connection drives opportunities. This moment of musical and cultural significance turned an emotional switch and in a moment you could see an effect,” he says, referring to sales, streams and discussion about Badfinger and its 1971 track “Baby Blue,” which hit No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972. Ever since “The Sopranos” closed its HBO run in June 2007 with Journey’ “Don’t Stop Believin’” and provided a new life for the track, show runners and creators seem to be looking for that magical tune that can put a…

Call me maybe: Are Shakira and T-Mobile pulling a Jay Z and Samsung? The Colombian superstar announced a new multiyear partnership with the No. 4 phone carrier in New York’s Bryant Park on Oct. 9. “She has a new single and a new album coming out,” T-Mobile senior VP of brand and marketing Peter Deluca tells Billboard, “and we’ll be partnering with her to bring that music to our customers in new and different ways.” While details are still being ironed out, one of the key players was also behind the groundbreaking Magna Carta Holy Grail deal: Jay Brown— president of Roc Nation, which manages Shakira—who worked out the deal with Deluca in a five-week time frame. Hear them roar: While hanging with Republic Records at a Los Angeles screening…

Mike Dungan, chairman/CEO of Universal Music Group Nashville, may be at the top of the food chain in Music City, but he didn’t set out to be. When the Cincinnatti native first started in the music business, he says he was only mildly interested in country and vowed he would only live in markets with a Major League Baseball team. But after working radio promotion and marketing in the Midwest for RCA and Arista, he was persuaded by Arista Nashville president Tim DuBois in 1990 to join the division, where he ascended to VP/GM. A decade later, he took the reins at Capitol Nashville, and in 2012, the merger of Universal and Capitol-EMI put him in charge of UMG Nashville, where the roster includes Keith Urban, George Strait and Kacey…

Sarah Moll saw Bruno Mars three times this summer on his Moonshine Jungle tour. But it was halfway through the second show at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center that she knew she wanted to book him for the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show, the most-watched U.S. TV event of the year. “We wanted to go a little younger and fresher, and Bruno really stuck out as we went to meet with him a few times,” says Moll, the NFL’s director of entertainment TV and programming. “Every time I saw him, even though it was the same things, it was a different show and I walked away with a different perspective. We wanted to come off with the coolest 12 minutes in music, and he definitely is going to do that. His personality…

Why hasn’t the music industry gotten a bigger share of that $14 billion? Live music and event sponsorships are on track to reach a record $1.3 billion in spending this year, according to IEG—impressive, yet still less than half of what the top four sports leagues made from sponsorships in 2012. Yet, as a panel at the recent SF Music Tech pointed out, music is more a part of people’s lives than sports— much more, in fact. The average person consumes 40 hours of music per week, compared with four hours for sports. So where’s the disconnect? One advantage of sports is that “there’s more inventory, and it’s predictable,” according to Tom Worcester, who became head of music sponsorships for Creative Artists Agency in 2011 after a decade of working…

The nominees for the best new artist award at the Latin Grammys originate from Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, the United States and Venezuela. According to the criteria for the award, established by the Latin Recording Academy, these contenders qualify for a nomination in this category based on albums that “first establish their identity in the public as performers.” A BAND OF BITCHES The catchy and whimsical pop/rock anthems from A Band of Bitches don’t necessarily match the masks favored by the group, which make them appear more like the cast of a horror film. But look deep into their lyrics and the Mexican act has a lot to say about the planet, the future and fame, as illustrated on the album The Pre End of the World…

Since their debut in 2000, the Latin Grammy Awards have grown in ratings, reach and stature. But along with the televised awards, seen in more than 100 countries, the Latin Grammy brand has also expanded across a roster of associated events, in turn reinforcing the brand in the United States and abroad. Today, the Latin Grammy brand encompasses not just the awards show, but also a host of properties that includes Latin Grammy in the Schools, where musicians and Latin music professionals speak to students; the Latin Grammy Street Parties, free music festivals in key cities leading up to the awards telecast; and the Latin Grammy Acoustic Sessions, an invitation-only music series that takes place in top Hispanic markets in the United States and, as of this year, abroad. The…

STARLIGHT GIRLS Listening to the music of Brooklyn’s Starlight Girls feels like reading a noir detective novel while sipping cocktails at a ’60s go-go bar. Led by Christina B (vocals, keyboard, flute) and Karys Rhea (vocals, drums), the five-piece produces a smoky, retro-pop sound that’s irresistibly upbeat. The band formed about two-and-a-half years ago after Christina B moved from Ohio back to Brooklyn. “I had kind of given up on New York briefly,” Christina B says. She joined with Rhea and eventually the group grew to five members. Since then Starlight Girls have spent a good amount of time touring. “Touring has made us a lot tighter, and we do focus a lot on our live show,” Christina B says. Manager Peter Garea agrees, as he joined with Starlight Girls…

DISCLOSURE U.K. dance act Disclosure has been riding high on the success of recent album Settle, and is on a world tour that will last into 2014, thanks to longtime agent Tom Schroeder of Coda Agency. “They have toured live from the start, which is quite unusual for a dance act,” he says. “But we wanted them seen as an album act and not just a dance-culture DJ thing with disposable music, but as proper artists.” Routing: The jaunt will hit Europe, Japan, Australia, the United States and then Europe again. “It’s three months solid, which is pretty tough for an 18- and 22-year-old, but they’re up for the challenge,” Schroeder says. “All the routing has been to play proper settings, where they’re seen as a band.” Audience: As one…

Catharsis has rarely been captured better than in director Doug Hamilton’s shots of an awestruck Billie Joe Armstrong in the few seconds after he hears an ensemble of actors perform songs from Green Day’s American Idiot. It’s an early scene in “Broadway Idiot,” a chronicling of the path of musical “American Idiot” from a Berkeley, Calif., rehearsal stage to Broadway in 2010—and the one that alerts viewers the film will be a rock’n’roller’s journey as much as it is about the theater. Thankfully, Armstrong wears his heart on his sleeve and never shies from expressing the emotions that come when an artist from one discipline attempts to venture into another. For the actors, producers and musical talent, it’s about the creation of a show; for Armstrong, it’s about community and…

Fueled by a polarizing hit single, Tyler Farr bows at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and No. 5 on the Billboard 200 with his Columbia Records debut Redneck Crazy, which sold 29,000 first-week copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The title track is No. 3 on Hot Country Songs, after peaking at No. 2. “I knew it was edgy and going to stir up some crap, but sometimes you’ve got to stir it up,” Farr says. “Stick the stick in there and keep turning it. That’s what we did.” Penned by Josh Kear, Mark Irwin and Chris Tompkins, “Redneck Crazy” is about a heartbroken man who shows up on his cheating girlfriend’s lawn at 3 a.m., shining his headlights into her bedroom window and throwing empty beer cans.…

RELEASE WEEK Passenger’s “Let Her Go” and its video were released in July 2012, so the song’s chart climb has been a marathon, Nettwerk CEO Terry McBride says, comparing it to past campaigns for Sarah McLachlan’s “I Will Remember You” and Dido’s “Here With Me.” “We must have gone back to those singles five times before finally winning,” he says. After going to triple A radio in August 2012, “Let Her Go” began to stir buzz in Minneapolis and Nashville. “We realized Mike would need to come into the marketplace up to three times, just to add that personality, honesty and earnestness,” McBride says. 9 MONTHS LATER Full-length All the Little Lights arrived Aug. 28 and debuted on Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums chart at No. 32, remaining on the tally for…

For the first time in the seven-year history of the Top Rock Albums chart, women monopolize the tally’s top two spots, as Lorde’s Pure Heroine and sister trio HAIM’s Days Are Gone debut at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively. The sets claim the same ranks on Alternative Albums. “Girl power is back in a big way at alternative,” WROX Norfolk, Va., PD Nick Chappell says. “The past decade was dominated by males, but now we have many female soloists and lead singers of bands, including Chvrches, MS MR and Nonono. These ladies rock it out on guitars and drums as well.”—Gary Trust Miley Cyrus’Bangerz is heading for No. 1 on next week’s Billboard 200, as industry sources forecast the album to sell around 260,000 copies in its first week.…