Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2, 2013 i Billboard Magazine

Doritos and Atlantic Records are partnering to put music front and center at the Super Bowl with the latest version of Crash the Super Bowl, the Frito-Lay snack brand’s annual user-generated ad contest that invites consumers to submit their own 30-second commercials. ¶ The winner will not only receive a $1 million prize for a commercial that will air during the most-watched TV event of the year, but one of 10 Atlantic acts will have its song featured in the ad as well, marking Doritos’ first music partnership in Crash the Super Bowl’s seven-year history. ¶ Participating Atlantic acts are Icona Pop, Grouplove, Portugal. The Man, Crystal Fighters, Classified, Fitz & the Tantrums, Night Terrors of 1927, Cash Cash and Twenty One Pilots, as well as Warner Bros.’ Atlas Genius.…

Overseeing operations at supersized indie Razor & Tie, which has sold 40 million units in 21 years of existence, means running a business that includes the Kidz Bop and Wiggles franchises, a publishing company and a video/postproduction house. COO Victor Zaraya has been with the company since 1999. 6.00 AM My kids wake me up, usually by jumping on me. Hopefully I remembered to turn the coffee machine on the night before. I make the kids breakfast and then watch NY1 with Pat Kiernan. 8.30 AM I get into the office a little early just to get my brain going before things get crazy. I check reporting on sales, radio and media. 9.30 AM I get coffee with Scott Berenson from SoundExchange. They’re a great partner and their revenues have…

Even though its lyrics decry some of the clichés of R&B/hip-hop, Lorde’s “Royals” (Republic) is finding favor on several of the format’s leading stations, and enters Billboard’s Nielsen BDS-based R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart at No. 46. The crossover marks the latest, and seemingly most surprising, milestone in the song’s journey. The U.S. breakthrough hit for the 16-year-old New Zealander has topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks running and has sold 2.5 million downloads, according to Nielsen SoundScan. With seven weeks atop the Alternative airplay chart (Aug. 24-Oct. 5), “Royals” passed Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know” (1995) for the longest reign by a lead female in the list’s 25-year history. “Royals” is crossing over to so many formats that some R&B/ hip-hop PDs can’t help but see if the pop/alternative…

LABELS Disney Music Group president Ken Bunt announces two key positions to expand the company’s global business. Robbie Snow has been promoted to the newly created role of senior VP of global marketing, and David Abdo has been appointed senior VP of global business operations and distribution. Snow will be tasked with overseeing the worldwide marketing, creative, publicity, digital marketing and advertising for Hollywood Records and Walt Disney Records. Abdo will be responsible for sales and licensing in addition to his duties in production, distribution, finance, royalties, technology, global strategy and other general business operations. Both report to Bunt. Snow previously served as VP of marketing for the DMG label and Hollywood Records, and Abdo was senior VP of operations and distribution at DMG. In addition to Hollywood and Walt…

The increasingly common practice of unmanifested tickets could shortchange artists to the tune of millions of dollars each year A significant number of agents tell Billboard that there’s a growing tendency for arenas in major markets to hold back some seats to sell on their own, thus creating another revenue stream for the building— one in which the artist doesn’t share. For years, many professional sports arenas have kept revenue in-house from suite tickets, a portion of season tickets, club seats and a few others. This revenue wasn’t reported as part of Billboard Boxscore grosses, and promoters, agents and managers never liked it but learned to live with it. What we’re hearing about today is unmanifested seats that are essentially building holds—not suites or club seats, or PSLs (permanent seat…

1 Sony Music CEO Doug Morris presented Carrie Underwood with the Artist Achievement Award at the T.J. Martell Foundation’s 38th annual Honors Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York on Oct. 22. The event raised $1.4 million for AIDS and cancer research. 2 Former President Bill Clinton presented Clear Channel Entertainment president John Sykes (far left) with the Lifetime Music Industry Achievement Award. In turn, Sykes praised Clinton for helping lower the cost of cancer and AIDS drugs by 90% in 2003. “He did that after he left the White House,” Sykes said. “Just think what he can accomplish when he gets back in.” Sykes and Clinton posed with Bryan Adams (second from left), Sting—the artists teamed for a rendition of their 1994 hit “All for Love”—and Revlon’s Ron…

California’s Napa Valley is one of the West Coast music industry’s top weekend spots, known for amazing vistas and even more amazing wines. But that doesn’t mean it’s all play and no work: City Winery, which has popular locations in New York and Chicago, is opening a new venue in downtown Napa next March (see story, right), and two new music festivals hit the region this year. The biannual Live in the Vineyard, an invite-only event in which attendees must win an online sweepstakes, hosts its second swing Nov. 2-4, with performances by James Blunt, Jason Derulo, Jonas Brothers and Five for Fighting. “They’re all artists: wine makers, chefs, songwriters,” Live in the Vineyard co-founder Claire Parr says. “When we put them in the same place, we see that connection.”…

In early October, executives from Republic Records were attending a film premiere and discussing the promotion of a soundtrack. As much as they were proud of the film receiving its Los Angeles debut that night—Greg Camalier’s documentary “Muscle Shoals”—and its Republic-released soundtrack (and its one new track: Alicia Keys’ cover of Bob Dylan’s “Pressing On”), the next film project promised to be much larger in scope, “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.” Nineteen months ago, “The Hunger Games” became the first film franchise to launch in March, and the first for its distributor Lionsgate. The movie topped the box office for four straight weeks, grossing $408 million in the United States and another $283.2 million in the rest of the world, according to figures compiled by Box Office Mojo. The soundtrack—The…

If anyone besides famous people knew what it was like to be a famous person, they would never want to be famous. Imagine the stereotypical highly opinionated, completely uninformed motherin-law character and apply it to every teenager with a computer in the entire world. Then add in all bored people, as well as people whose job it is to report on celebrities. Then, picture that creature, that force, criticizing you for an hour straight once a day, every day, day after day. That’s what it’s like, even the smallest bit of it. Of course, that’s if you even allow yourself to stay in touch with the world using public media. If I were famous, I wouldn’t. If I were famous, I might want to see what is happening on the…

Celine Dion packs two albums right now as she travels the country, and soon Europe—Adele’s 21 and Rihanna’s Unapologetic. She may soon add a third to that collection, however. “How do you spell ‘Avicii’—A-V—as in ‘envy’?” Dion asks on the phone from her home in Las Vegas, just learning of the Swedish EDM phenomenon for the first time. Her interest is piqued because Avicii’s True features three songs by Audra Mae, a young singer/songwriter from Oklahoma who’s also the grand-niece of Judy Garland. Mae penned two standout tracks on Loved Me Back to Life, Dion’s first English-language album in six years—including the powerful “Breakaway,” which features arguably the grittiest, most authentically “rock” vocal we’ve ever heard or would expect from Dion. Her last album may have been titled Taking Chances,…

Alex Winston Alex Winston’s debut album King Con, released by Island Records in early 2012, was the kind of quirky alt-pop set of songs that can sometimes confound a major label’s marketing department or get lost in the shuffle as executives switch chairs. Still, catchy songs like the calypso-tinged “Velvet Elvis” and haunting “Fire Ant” developed a following, allowing her to tour Europe and the East Coast even after she left Island this year. But if stark new single “101 Vultures” is any indication, New York-based Winston will be taking a darker turn on her next outing. “Why’d you go and leave me to the vultures? It got so heavy,” she sings in a quivering, Kate Bush-like croon. “I had a really crazy year-and-a-half,” the 26-yearold says, “and it would…

On paper, Lupe Fiasco recruiting Ed Sheeran for a hearty dose of feel-good pop on his new single looks a bit curious. Then again, “Old School Love” marks a sensible career move for Fiasco after the MC’s previous album, Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. I, generated little fanfare. What better strategy to rejigger one’s mainstream appeal than teaming with one of the most commercially viable (and non-polarizing) pop artists in recent years? It helps that “Old School Love” is a slinky, uber-catchy pop jam, anchored by Sheeran’s wispy hook and twinkling pianos (think Kanye West’s “Family Business”). “Give me that late-’80s, early-’ 90s old school,” the Chicago rapper demands, while riding a boombox beat stripped straight from A Tribe Called Quest’s “People’s Instinctive Travels and…

On its fourth and best album, Arcade Fire detonates the signature, soaring, baroque pop that made it famous, opting for a new groove-based, humanistic and ultimately more ambitious sound. Reflektor—a double album that, at just 13 tracks, actually feels less bloated than previous LP The Suburbs—has rhythm in places that seem beyond the reach of the Canadian/ American family band that captured the indie-blog zeitgeist in 2004. The island-inspired “Fishbulb Eyes” and “Here Comes the Nighttime” could soundtrack a reggae block party, while early standout “We Exist” riffs on the iconic bassline from “Billie Jean.” LCD Soundsystem mastermind James Murphy helps the band realize its eclectic visions in wide-screen high-definition with flourish, depth and detail. The songs never coast, each one containing seamless switches of trajectory and tempo. —RU Arcade…

The new VH1 biopic “CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story” bowed to big TV ratings on Oct. 21. The premiere scored nearly 4.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen, making it VH1’s highest-rated original movie. Further, label sources suggest the R&B group’s new album, 20, is having significant sales gains thanks to the premiere. 4.5M “CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story” attracted 4.5 million viewers for its premiere. According to VH1, the broadcast is also the No. 1 original cable movie of the year among adults and women aged 18-49. It also logged a 2.9 rating in the 18-49 demo. 1,000% 4K According to label sources, TLC’s new hits album, 20, sold nearly 4,000 digital copies on the day the movie premiered. That’s about a 1,000% gain over what the set sold the day before.…

Pop’s Hit Alexa Ray Joel’s cover of dad Billy’s “Just the Way You Are” (ARJ) makes its way to radio, as SiriusXM channel the Blend becomes the first Nielsen BDS-monitored outlet to play it, giving it 22 spins during the Oct. 14-20 tracking week. Her father took the original version to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978. Alexa Ray’s remake is featured in the Gap’s current ad campaign, which has helped it sell 1,000 downloads in each of the past five weeks, according to Nielsen SoundScan. ‘Home’ On The Radio New York’s Bebe Rexha is breaking through as an artist, as she’s featured on Cash Cash’s “Take Me Home” (RRP), which is No. 4 on Dance/Mix Show Airplay. She previously wrote a song on Selena Gomez’s Stars…

1 JUSTIN BIEBER This week’s rank: 24 Sales: 91% Airplay: 0% Streams: 9% The second installment (out of 10) of Bieber’s “Music Monday” download series posts the Billboard’s Hot 100’s largest sales percentage as it shifts 127,000. Without any current radio promotion plans by Bieber’s label, Island Def Jam, for any of the “Music Monday” tracks, only nine Nielsen BDS-monitored radio stations took the initiative to play “All That Matters” a total of 36 times. In contrast, the song had 507,000 streams on the singer’s Vevo channel, as tracked through YouTube. 2 AVRIL LAVIGNE This week’s rank: 78 Sales: 63% Airplay: 31% Streams: 6% Of the five songs with the largest sales percentage on the Hot 100, only this track is an active radio-promoted single, debuting on Adult Top 40…

Even as traditional music retail continues to fall away, TV shopping channels HSN and QVC have stepped in as specialty retailers and helped legacy acts chart more frequently and higher with album projects. This week, Willie Nelson’s To All the Girls debuts at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 with 43,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan, with almost half of those units coming through QVC thanks to Nelson’s onehour live performance on Sept. 15. The new album is his highest-charting album since 1982. Last month, Earth, Wind & Fire’s Now, Then & Forever debuted at No. 11 with 27,000 copies. Of that total, about 11,000 were bought by viewers of the band’s live concert from Las Vegas’ Venetian Theater for a show produced by HSN. (Both albums are issued by…

Music services have been busy of late speed-dialing carriers, hoping to seal distribution deals that can propel their subscriber base from niche market to mainstream. The attraction is understandable. Carriers have direct-billing relationships with hundreds of millions of people, making it easy for customers to subscribe without having to use their credit cards and type out 16 digits and their home addresses whenever they try to make a purchase. Carriers also have the ability to help market music services. And, if the price is right, they’ve also shown a willingness to help subsidize the cost. It’s no wonder, then, that Beats Music is in talks with AT&T and other carriers, while Google is considering a deal with Verizon to bundle its All Access music service. A new study, conducted by…

What did you wake up thinking about this morning? My day starts around 6 a.m. when my 6-year-old comes into our bedroom for a snuggle. After an appropriate length of snuggling time, my thoughts turn to more pressing or timely issues. There is an awful lot on all of our minds as we face the opening or reopening of 17,000-plus-capacity arenas— one that opens this week [New York’s Madison Square Garden], and the second, the Forum [in Los Angeles], opening in January. Describe a lesson you’ve learned from a failure. I can remember, after having done the Blink-182 tour that took them from ballrooms to amphitheaters over an 18-month period, really looking forward to being the promoter of the next tour. But at that time the industry had changed quite…

YouTube and Sweden-based music creators’ rights organization STIM have hammered out a European licensing arrangement. The deal allows STIM rights holders and affiliates to earn revenue when their music is played on YouTube in a number of European countries, while international rights holders will earn revenue from YouTube plays in Sweden. Creators, composers and authors will take a cut from YouTube’s ad revenue. YouTube has existing deals in place with various music creators’ rights organizations, including PRS for Music (United Kingdom), BUMA Stemra (Netherlands), SGAE (Spain), SIAE (Italy) and SACEM (France). . . . Columbia Records will release the soundtrack to “12 Years a Slave” featuring 16 songs selected by John Legend. With the help of co-executive producers Mike Jackson and Thais Stiklorius, Legend recruited Alicia Keys, Gary Clark Jr.,…

subscription services. It’s not surprising that his comments are closely followed, but it’s surprising they stir up so much controversy. Each new thought about Spotify—Yorke targets the popular service more than the broader category—creates ripples in the media and the music community. In the last week, U.K. publication the Guardian has run pieces by David Byrne, who thinks along the lines of Yorke, and Gang of Four bassist Dave Allen, who disagrees with Yorke and Byrne. Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart and Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason have also spoken out recently, both in favor of Spotify. Yorke hasn’t attracted many supporters. That’s a bit strange considering the basic tenants of his views. He questions the revenue potential of subscription services. He’s concerned that streaming revenue won’t be able to support the creativity…

“This band’s about to blow through the stratosphere.” —Sean “Diddy” Combs 1 Night bright: Jesse Ware (left) wowed the crowd performing at the Grey Goose speakeasy in New York on Oct. 16, and later hung with Grey Goose’s Lyle Tick. 2 Surprise! Well, not exactly. Arcade Fire played two sold-out CMJ shows in Brooklyn (Oct. 18-19) billed as the Reflektors. Frontman Win Butler told the crowd his band had “only ever played for a couple hundred people.” But he didn’t fool anyone. Some 3,000 fans showed up to hear songs from new album Reflektor. 3 Puff rock: Sean “Diddy” Combs (left) rubbed shoulders with indie rock fans when he showed up to announce Deerhunter’s Converse Rubber Tracks CMJ gig in Brooklyn on Oct. 18. Combs filmed an interview with the…

Few pair wine and music better than Michael Dorf, who opened City Winery in New York five years ago as a venue for tastings and talent alike. The Knitting Factory founder and newly passionate winemaker hit upon such a winning blend—attracting acts from the Zombies to Prince—that he’s going national. He launched in Chicago last year, and Nashville is in the works. But Dorf seems most excited about opening the Napa Valley Opera House, a 130-year-old building and the oldest music institution in the area. “To carry on that legacy in wine country is what we’re all about,” he says. To toast the occasion, Dorf recommended the best Napa wines, from holiday gifts to power-lunch libations. —Nick Williams BEST WINE FOR A POWER LUNCH “Barnett Vineyards’ Rattlesnake Hill is as…

On one of his first business trips to Los Angeles as executive VP for Republic Records early this year, Charlie Walk paid visits to film and TV studios, riding on the success of “The Hunger Games,” “Les Misérables” and tracks from NBC’s “The Voice.” “It’s our intention to be known in Hollywood as the go-to music company,” Walk said at the time. Republic continues to actively integrate Hollywood projects at a pace that exceeds all other major labels. As it prepares for the release of soundtracks to “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” and “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” this year Republic has sold 51,000 copies of a second edition of music from the film “Pitch Perfect,” according to Nielsen SoundScan (the first volume has moved 926,000), and pushed a…

Bring together a collection of individuals who work in synch licensing for film and TV and no one wants to talk about the bottom line, which has been shrinking rather than growing in recent years. But everyone perks up when the conversation turns to shining a light on the undiscovered, simultaneously playing the role of A&R executive, promoter and manager. “Our jobs are crazy and hectic,” Atlantic Records executive VP Kevin Weaver says, “but one of the things that makes me love my job to this day is when you get a great placement for a baby act or a new single from an established act. You DVR the use and you put it on late at night and you feel like a kid on Christmas again. They still make…

With his matinee-idol demeanor and velvety voice, Chilean singer Lucho Gatica earned the title of Latin America’s “King of Bolero,” the traditional Spanish and Cuban slow-tempo dance genre, in the 1950s. The legend grew through the decades: through Gatica’s recording heyday, which lasted until the 1960s; through performances on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and “The Perry Como Show”; through being awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; and even when Gatica stopped recording in the late ’60s, but continued to tour Latin America. Now, at 85, Gatica is looking to reaffirm his royalty with his first album in more than 30 years. Historia de un Amor, out Nov. 12 on UVA Music/ Venemusic, features 11 Gatica classics, performed as duets with guest artists and lush, romantic arrangements. “I…

“It just happened by accident,” says Jake Bugg, referring to his work with Rick Rubin for his second album, Shangri La, out Nov. 19 in North America on Island Records. When the 19-year-old first linked with the hitmaking producer, he was only scheduled to lay down two tracks. But he ended up recording 12, first around his April appearance at Coachella in Indio, Calif., and then several more in August, and even named the album after Rubin’s scenic Malibu, Calif., studio where it was recorded. “I had a load of songs that I came up with on the road,” the British singer/songwriter says, noting that his last year has been “pretty crazy.” “I went to record with Rick [and] there were all these ideas I had. Rick’s very good at…

COUNTRY DAVID NAIL “Whatever She’s Got” (3:57) PRODUCERS: Chuck Ainlay, Frank Liddell, Glenn Worf WRITERS: Jimmy Robbins, Jon Nite PUBLISHERS: various LABEL: MCA Nashville The power of a pair of jeans: On Nail’s steadily gaining single, the country singer has got a girl with them “painted on tight.” The pop- leaning cut is an ode to all the feminine qualities that excite and confuse men, including pedicures and mood swings. But what she’s got, he wants, which is enough for this nonchalant tune to celebrate. —JM POP KATY PERRY “Unconditionally” (3:49) PRODUCERS: Dr. Luke, Cirkut WRITERS: Katy Perry, Dr. Luke, Max Martin, Henry Walter PUBLISHERS: When I’m Rich You’ll Be My Bitch (ASCAP) administered by Warner-Chappell/Kobalt LABEL: Capitol How does Perry follow “Roar,” one of the most immediate pop hits…

COUNTRY TOBY KEITH Drinks After Work RELEASE DATE: Oct. 29 PRODUCER: Toby Keith LABELS: Show Dog/Universal After two decades, Keith keeps finding new depth as a songwriter. His latest is filled with nuance, from the weekend-celebrating “Shut Up and Hold On” to the regret paean “The Other Side of Him.” “Chuckie’s Gone,” an ode to his late bandleader Chuck Goff on the deluxe edition, will put a river’s worth of tears in your beer. —GG POP YUNA Nocturnal PRODUCERS: various LABEL: Verve RELEASE DATE: Oct. 29 Malaysian singer/songwriter Yuna’s major-label debut fulfills the promise heard on her earlier indie work. Breezy, AC-pop numbers like “I Wanna Go” are likely coming soon to a synch or Starbucks near you. But when Yuna links with alt-soul producers like Chad Hugo, who flips…

“Raw honesty.” That’s what convinced Island Def Jam executive VP/head of A&R Karen Kwak to sign New Orleans native August Alsina. Now the 21-year-old singer/songwriter’s unflinching style is attracting national attention. Alsina recently earned his first Billboard chart-topper with “I Luv This Sh*t,” vaulting 4-1 over Drake, J. Cole and Jay Z on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop airplay tally the week of Oct. 19. The song’s 21-week climb made Alsina the first R&B singer to top the chart with a debut single since Jeremih’s 2009 “Birthday Sex.” (This week it sits at No. 2.) The track, which features labelmate Trinidad James, also hits No. 2 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay this week, a new peak, with 27.3 million audience impressions, according to Nielsen BDS. “It was a slow burn,” Alsina says of the…

It’s yet another busy week atop the Billboard 200, as Pearl Jam’Lightning Bolt leads 10 debuts in the top 20 of the chart (see story, page 43) with sales of 166,000. Pearl Jam’s reign atop the list will be a oneweek affair, as Katy Perry is set to start at No. 1 next week with her third album, PRISM. Industry sources suggest the pop diva’s latest release may sell around 275,000 first-week copies. The album arrived Tuesday, Oct. 22, and was led by the No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 single “Roar.” If PRISM sells as expected, it will be Perry’s best sales week ever, and the largest week this year for a female artist. Perry’s biggest frame to date was when her last album, 2010’s Teenage Dream, debuted with 192,000,…

APPLE VS. HMV Apple in the United Kingdom is being criticized for trying to squelch fair competition after it removed the app of music retailer HMV from its app store. HMV’s app, which allowed users to browse, purchase and download music directly to their iTunes library, was found to be “violating App Store guidelines,” although Apple has yet to elaborate. Britain’s Entertainment Retailers Assn., of which HMV is a member, has called on the tech giant to reverse the ban. JENNI RIVERA FILM WOES Lionsgate is being sued over a film featuring late Latin music star Jenni Rivera after two consultants to the project say they were cheated out of production credits that would have entitled them to one-third of its net income. “Filly Brown” went into limited release six…

After a rocky six months as a standalone application, Twitter #Music is likely to be folded into Twitter’s primary platform, according to several sources familiar with the plans. The possibility, and its implied uncertainty about the product, led recent reports that Twitter was “strongly considering” killing of the mobile app. Sources, however, say that wasn’t the case. Instead, Twitter intends to integrate the app into its main feed as one of several topic verticals that the Silicon Valley company intends to build so it can sell more efectively targeted advertising. Other verticals include news, TV and movies. Developing those verticals, sources say, is seen as key to Twitter’s future growth as the company prepares to raise an estimated $1 billion from an upcoming initial public ofering. Music marketers say a…

Telefonica Is In Rhapsody WHAT: Rhapsody International, which operates as Rhapsody in the United States and Napster in international markets, has struck a deal to offer its Napster digital music streaming service to Telefonica’s 200 million Latin America customers. As part of the deal, Telefonica will be able to earn an equity stake in Rhapsody International as subscribers grow. Napster will replace Telefonica’s existing Sonora service beginning Nov. 1. Sonora was already one of the largest subscription services with hundreds of thousands of subscribers in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Peru and Mexico. In Brazil, customers of digital media company Terra will be among the first offered the opportunity to switch from Sonora to Napster. WHY: In the tough digital music subscription market, partnerships with telcos—in particular mobile—are now widely seen…

Alicia Keys’ Keep a Child Alive (KCA) will celebrate its 10th anniversary at this year’s Black Ball gala. The annual HIV treatment and care fund-raiser takes place Nov. 7 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York. Just added to the gala’s performance lineup is Pharrell Williams. He joins previously announced performers Carole King, Roy Ayers, soprano Kathleen Battle, British singer Laura Mvula and Keys herself. King— also 2014’s MusiCares Person of the Year—was slated to perform at last year’s ball, which was canceled due to Hurricane Sandy. Both vibraphonist Ayers and Battle are making return visits. Ayers played the inaugural Black Ball in 2004, while Battle sang alongside KCA global ambassador/ host Keys at the 2007 ball. The hot-ticket event, whose past performers and honorees include Adele, Jay Z, Bono,…

Watch prime-time TV virtually any night of the week and you’ll find Hispanic characters and personalities that weren’t there two years ago: contestants singing in Spanish on “The Voice” and “American Idol,” Latin stars judging such contests and more Latin acts performing on late-night TV and shows like “Austin City Limits.” By the same token, NBCUniversal is heavily vested in mun2, its bilingual, bicultural network, while this month, Univision and ABC are launching Fusion, their joint venture English-language TV network. And on the music charts, an increasing number of Latin acts are recording bilingual songs with English titles, including Don Omar’ “Feeling Hot,”Sie7e’ “So What” and JenCarlos’ “I Love It.” For Latin acts, it’s a unique opportunity to get in the mainstream’s face and connect with an English-speaking audience at…

Trio redux? “You know when things go so smooth, it’s just meant to be? That’s what it was like,”Kelly Clarkson tells Billboard. No, she wasn’t referring to Brandon Blackstock, whom she wed on Oct. 20, but to recording “Silent Night” with new mother-in-law Reba McEntire and Trisha Yearwood. The a cappella track closes Clarkson’s Christmas album, Wrapped in Red, but it won’t be the last you’ll hear of the trio. The three singers will turn up on Clarkson’s NBC Christmas special in December, and quite possibly on a record of their own: “We’re planning a whole album, like the one Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris did.” Last dance: It’s official—Roseland, the New York nightspot that once held jitterbug marathons and went on to host the Rolling Stones and…

We all know Martin Bandier: one of the most aggressive dealmakers in the music business, the chairman/CEO of Sony/ATV, the man who led its $2.2 billion acquisition of EMI Publishing in 2012 and now manages a massive catalog that includes Motown, Michael Jackson and the Beatles. But what about the man behind the power moves? Here, he shares his defining moments, personal signatures and guilty pleasures, from vintage Chevy Impalas to custom Cego shirts to that time the Grammys almost left him for dead. — Andrew Hampp Provenance: I had a great childhood in New York. I came from a loving family. Most of all, I loved the holidays because we celebrated both Hanukkah and Christmas—I got the best of both worlds. School days: I went to Syracuse and was…

Three years ago, Sia Furler tried to pull off a disappearing act that hasn’t worked out so well. Burned out from a solo career that began in 1997, Sia wanted to stop recording under her own name and simply write for others. The hits came quickly, some featuring her vocals, and her fame grew instead of shrank. During that time, she’s refused all interview requests, not wanting to be drawn into the celebrity culture that’s hungry for details about the pop stars for whom she writes. But when she does agree to an interview with Billboard about her songwriting, she doesn’t shy away from talking about herself or her desire to step away from fame: Within four minutes of sitting down, she explains her addiction to painkillers, alcoholism, medical misdiagnosis…

GARY CALAMAR President, Go Music As music supervisor, he has overseen “Six Feet Under,” “True Blood,” “Dexter” and “House,” and is working on M. Night Shyamalan’s “Wayward Pines” (Fox) and “Those Who Kill” (A&E), set to air in 2014. NORA FELDER President, Picture Music Music supervisor on “Californication,” she has produced six soundtracks for the Showtime series. Felder’s career began in music production, and she’s currently working on “Unforgettable” and the upcoming “The Night Shift.” BRIAN LAMBERT Executive VP/head of film and TV music, Universal Music Publishing Group He oversees all of UMPG’s U.S. synch business and drives revenue through creative placements of the company’s catalog in film, TV and advertising. Lambert signed and manages key film and TV administration deals with Warner Bros. Entertainment, DreamWorks and HBO. FRANKIE PINE…

Some artists fit neatly into a genre. Others, such as Margo Rey, create their own. “Several years ago I coined the term ‘organica’ because people kept asking me, ‘What kind of music do you write?’” Rey says. “It’s a hybrid of a number of things: It’s organic, but it’s deeply rooted in yummy, delicious things that people love. It’s all played by humans and not machines.” The all-natural philosophy fuels both Rey’s music, a blend of AC pop and soul, and her label home, Organica Music Group, co-founded by Rey’s husband, comedian Ron White, and her manager Michael Blakey, producer and former 2K/Virgin Records executive. “It’s all pure,” Organica CEO Blakey says. “The instruments are real. Everything is real.” Born in Acapulco, Mexico, and raised in Dallas, Rey eventually winged…

CHARLI XCX British alt-pop heroine Charli XCX has launched a 19-date fall tour to further support her True Romance LP, released April 15. Aiding her in the jaunt is longtime booking agent Marty Diamond of Paradigm, who praises the singer’s road hustle. “I wish we could clone her,” he says. “She really works hard, and she works hard for herself. This isn’t someone who expects everyone else to do the heavy lifting.” Routing: Having toured Charli through the United States extensively already, Diamond hoped to further solidify her status as an able headliner here, booking her at mostly club- and theater-size venues of 350-1,000 capacity. “She’s really made a commitment to work this country, and it’s working for her,” he says. After setting the trek off at Las Vegas’ Life…

Twenty years ago, 16-year-old guitar novices would have killed for this app when they were teaching themselves Nirvana and Pearl Jam songs in garages— by ear. Today’s kids can just use Capo 3, a thrilling app for Mac and iOS that automatically tabs out any song thrown at it, making it a slick must-buy for amateur and professionals alike. A single programmer, working as SuperMegaUltraGroovy, is responsible for the original, award-winning Capo, which debuted for Mac and iOS in 2009. On Oct. 7, the 7-year-old company launched the new Capo 3 in the App Store, where it became an Editor’s Choice by Oct. 10. It’s $29.99 in the store, but the Capo 3 website has a free trial version, which downloads and installs in seconds. The launch screen contains tutorial…

YG’s new single featuring Young Jeezy and Rich Homie Quan may be called “My Hitta,” but he didn’t know it would be a hit. When the rapper originally released the track earlier this year, it was strictly for the streets, indicated by its original title, “My N---a.” But demand prompted YG to record a radio-friendly edit. It was a wise move: “My Hitta” rises 22-20 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week and holds steady at No. 7 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. “We knew it was going to be a big street record. Then we put it out, and it started blowing up,” says YG, who recalls feverishly trying to come up with suitable radio-friendly titles after the song started taking off. “It did better than what we thought it…

2 MONTHS AGO The band recorded the LP during sessions for its previous album, Grammy Award nominee The Carpenter, so the Republic team had demos to work with early on, but only received the final master in June. “This release is coming so close—13 months—from The Carpenter, which is an added bonus for Avett fans,” senior VP of marketing Frank Arigo says. The band announced the album and premiered the single “Another Is Waiting” on NPR’s “All Things Considered” on Aug. 8. The next day, the label started working the song to triple A and alternative radio. Album pre-orders began Aug. 19, with several different bundles available. 1 MONTH AGO After launching a fall tour on Sept. 8 in Montreal, the band appeared on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon,” performing…

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…