This coming Monday (June 30), Arista Records president/CEO David Massey will retire from the Sony imprint he relaunched seven years ago, concluding a career of more than four decades in the music industry spanning generations, genres and continents.

Over the past 40 years, the Brit has gone from London to New York worked with artists who have changed the culture like Shakira and Oasis, expanded the parameters of boy bands such as Jonas Brothers and released music that became an anthem for an era with JP Saxe’s pandemic smash, “If the World Was Ending,” featuring Julia Michaels.

An extremely abbreviated list of the other acts he has worked with includes Good Charlotte, Avicii, Shawn Mendes, Demi Lovato, The Killers, Fall Out Boy, Bon Jovi, Duffy, Neon Trees and Måneskin.

After starting as an artist manager in London, Massey, who has a Master of Law degree from Cambridge University, moved to New York, which he has called home for more than 30 years.  His career has spanned several labels, including Sony’s Epic, where he was executive vp/general manager and executive vp of A&R, as well as president of his own Sony-distributed Daylight Records imprint. He also had stints as president of Mercury Records and president/CEO of Island before returning to Sony to run Arista and a publishing and management joint venture with Sony.

No matter the title, Massey has been, above all else, an A&R executive, deeply entrenched in the magic of making music. Many of his top memories, as recounted below, revolve around the thrill of the first time he heard a song that took an act — and transported the listener — to a new level. “The greatest things in my career have been being united with the artist. It’s never just about me,” Massey says, sitting in his cozy office in Sony’s New York headquarters. “It’s the collaboration that has been so magical between me and an artist.”

He leaves Arista in competent and familiar hands: his daughter Clio Massey and Matt D’Arduini, both of whom have been with the revitalized Arista and/or [publishing company] Work of Art since their inception, will succeed Massey as co-presidents and report to Sony Music Group chairman Rob Stringer.

Massey is looking forward to seeing his daughter outside of work. “I’m really excited to have my first summer off in 45 years and to have some freedom and some time for myself and my family,” he says.  But he’s not going away for long: “I want to participate in the business in different ways, for sure, and give back in any way I can.”

His first move after he’s official retired?  Going to see Oasis on the opening night of Noel and Liam Gallagher’s reunion tour in Cardiff, Wales on July 4.

Exclusively for Billboard, Massey picked out 10 career highlights, often within the context of his executive moves, from a run that has more than he could mention. Below are his picks, in his own words, edited for brevity and clarity.

Early Management Days with Wang Chung

It’s 1982, I’m about 23 and still living in the U.K. and I’ve started managing Wang Chung (who had been dropped from Arista). My dream was to get them signed by David Geffen because the Geffen label had Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Elton John and Donna Summer and no baby acts. I had so much admiration for him from when he was the manager for Laura Nyro. When I was 11, her Eli and the Thirteenth Confession was the first album I ever bought. I had a demo of a Wang Chung song called “Dance Hall Days” and I brought it to America. I’d never been to L.A. before. [Labels] were interested in the band, thank God, because not one single label in England wanted them. I got five other offers, but I had my heart set on Geffen and, unfortunately, they said, “We need to hear three more songs before we commit. It is our first baby band and we need to be sure.”

I went back to London and told the band they’ve got to do three more demos and we sent those in. It was about a month later and, for the only time ever, I had invited the band over with their girlfriends for dinner. I remember making dinner and saying to my girlfriend, “What have I done? I haven’t taken any of the offers. I haven’t heard from Geffen in a month. I’ve got two weeks left of salary and then I’m out of money.” We all sat down. The phone rang and it was David Geffen, who said, “I’m signing the band.”

Oasis

It’s summer 1993. I’d moved to New York, and I was vp of A&R at Epic. Alan McGee, head of Creation, played me four or five different artists from the UK, [who] were not right for America. But then he said, “I was in Manchester [England] a couple of days ago, and this band basically stormed the stage uninvited and played, and there’s something about them. Can I play you their first demo?” I will never forget this moment. He played me the demo of a track called “Columbia,” which was nearly half instrumental and it was the most extraordinary thing. I was like, “I have to have this band.” I remember going to find my boss, Richard Griffiths, and pulling him out of the bathroom to get him to listen to “Columbia.” And that was the beginning of the whole Oasis journey.

I worked with Liam and Noel [Gallagher] for all the albums that they had on Sony, and I never had a cross word with them. The musical journey was like no other. In England, it exploded, and they headlined Glastonbury in ‘95. At about seven [the next] morning, myself, Noel and his girlfriend, Meg, and [the band’s manager] Marcus Russell drove back to London. Noel was sitting in the back, dark glasses on, and said, “I’m gonna play you the demos to my new album.” He played me the demos to (What’s the Story) Morning Glory in the order in which they ended up coming out on the album. I have never felt anything like it. When it got to “Wonderwall,” he turned around to me and goes, “Are you f–king crying?” Because I was, slightly.

It’s the only time in my career, either before or after, where I turned to [an artist] and I said, “The only thing I can tell you is I promise you you will do more than 10 million albums on this record.” This is the most important album that I will ever be involved in. Just imagine listening to the demos of “Champagne Supernova,” “Wonderwall,” “Hello,” “Morning Glory,” “Don’t Look Back in Anger” … It was all there. It was all there in that one journey back from Glastonbury back to London. It was a game-changing moment.

Launching Daylight and Good Charlotte

In 1999, Sony allowed me to start my own label, Daylight. I got hit by a car in November of 1999 by a 93-year-old driver and broke both my legs in London. I come back to New York in a wheelchair. On Valentine’s Day, 2000, it really hurt, but they let me stand up for the first time. That night, I went to see a band on my little crutches, and it was Good Charlotte. Being an identical twin myself, the twins walked up to me after the show and I pointed at Benji [Madden], and I said, “You’re the oldest, probably by about five minutes,” which was exactly the case because I’m the youngest by five minutes. And that was how I met Good Charlotte — on my crutches. Anastasia was my first signing, then Good Charlotte, then the Jonas Brothers. Delta Goodrum was an international signing. I did an album with Cyndi Lauper and Phantom Planet. We sold like 30 million albums in four years with only three members of staff.

The Jonas Brothers

I signed Nick Jonas in 2003 before I signed the other brothers. The head of international at Sony was this amazing guy called Bob Bowlin. He said to me, “Can I ask you a favor? My pastor in Wyckoff, New Jersey has got this 10-year-old son that he thinks is really talented. Would you be willing to meet him?” He’d already done two things on Broadway, including Les Miz. I meet Nick and was fascinated by him. He was so mature, and he sung so great. I signed him on the spot.

We were doing a Christian album as Nicholas Jonas and he says, ”I’d like you to meet my brothers.” Joe and Kevin Jr. come in and I’m blown away by them. The three of them stood up in a semi-circle and sang me a song called, “Please Be Mine.” I’m like, “Holy sh-t. I think I should sign the two brothers, too. We should do some songs as the Jonas Brothers, and we’ll also do Nicholas Jonas.” That’s how the Jonas Brothers began, effortlessly. Daylight had the right to place records on either Epic or Columbia, and we chose Columbia for Nick and then the Jonas Brothers also went with Columbia. 

Shakira

Around 2004 or 2005, I get asked to be involved in the A&R for Shakira, who was one of the most impressive people I’ve ever known in the business, an extraordinary human being. We were trying to find a single and we got Wyclef [Jean] involved, who did an unbelievable job with her. She called me one evening and said, “People tell me this isn’t English, but can I say, ‘My hips don’t lie’?” And I’m like, “Absof–kinglutely.” 

We were up till all hours of the night recording, and there was magic in the air. There’s a hook in the song from Wyclef that goes, “Shakira, Shakira.” I’m sitting on the window ledge talking to Shakira and there’s all these scented candles around. I’m gesticulating and a little bit of my sleeve catches fire and it makes a hole. The next day, I’m in my office, and someone comes in with a gift from Shakira, which is the exact same teal Polo turtleneck that somehow they have found. I didn’t tell her where I bought it, which was this really obscure shop on Madison Avenue. I had to go pick her up to take her to an MTV event and I knocked on her door, and I [sung], “Shakira, Shakira. We’ve got a No. 1.” 

You just knew from that hook that was just going to be a thing. That was a real highlight, working with her. She speaks seven languages fluently. She could run a country, that woman. She is luminous.

The Killers

I joined Island Def Jam in April 2007 to be president of Mercury, as a startup. We signed Duffy and Neon Trees and were beginning to formulate a real label. And at the end of 2007, a lot of people left Island Def Jam and [chairman/CEO] L.A. Reid tells me, “I need you to A&R The Killers and Fall Out Boy.” I say, “I’ve never met them,” and he goes, “Well, figure it out. You’re president.”

I have always worshiped both those bands. I meet [Killers lead singer] Brandon Flowers in a parking lot in Las Vegas. He’s got his new baby with him in a pram. Robert Reynolds, the manager, plays me the demo in his car of a song called “Human.”  [Producer] Stuart Price came in and they turned that song into the biggest hit The Killers have ever had other than “Mr. Brightside,” but it was much, much bigger in Europe. What Stuart Price did in the studio is one of the most exciting events I’ve ever witnessed in terms of the development of a raw song into a full-blown record. It was my first involvement with them as an A&R guy. No credit to me, it’s all about Stuart Price, but it was just a great thing to witness.

Avicii

In 2013, I’d just become president of Island. Tim Bergling [Avicii] had “Wake Me Up.” He’s the single shyest person that I’ve ever met, along with [Måneskin’s] Damiano [David] and Brandon Flowers. Tim was an intensely brilliant young man and so innovative. He was underrated in terms of what he actually did in the studio.

I was a trustee at the [Recording Academy] and in three-day [Trustee] meetings. It was the night of the American Music Awards. I suddenly realized Tim was nominated [for favorite electronic dance music artist], and I knew there’d be no one with him. I said to [then Recording Academy CEO] Neil Portnow, “I’ve got to go to the AMAs, because that kid will be sitting there alone. Maybe with a girlfriend, but no publicist or manager, and he’s never been to an award show in his life.” Rihanna makes this amazing speech, and he’s like, “God, that was amazing. I’ve never spoken in public,” and I said, “Tim, if you win, you’re going to have to go up there.” He said, “I’m not going up there.” I’m like, “Tim, if you win, you can just look at me and you thank your fans, your label and your manager and just get off stage.” And he won. He did a beautiful job, but it was such an emotional thing.

Shawn Mendes

March of 2014, I was president of Island and about to be made CEO and president on April 1, when I meet Shawn. [A&R executive] Ziggy Chareton had identified this young artist from Toronto who’s got a following on Vine. I meet this 15-year-old kid who doesn’t yet have songs, but in order to connect with me, he plays “Wonderwall” on guitar because he knows my history with Oasis. There is something about his energy and his charisma that you just know that he could be a global star with the right opportunity.

It was a very competitive situation to get him to choose Island. Just as we were signing him, two things happened that were really interesting and very much highlights for me. At the signing, he takes a picture of us for his Instagram. I didn’t have an Instagram account or really know much about it. We come back from a cup of tea 20 minutes later and there’s 156,000 likes on the picture. I’m like, “Shawn, if there’s 156,000 kids who in 20 minutes [like this], we should release a song, because how do we know that 156,000 of them won’t download it on the first day? Why don’t we teach them that you’re a real artist?”

That same day, a young writer called Ido Zmishlany had played me a song called “Life of the Party,” which [Shawn recorded]. I said, “We can put it out on iTunes as a first introduction into you for your fans. Let’s tease it for three weeks.” We did a digital marketing campaign for three weeks, which at that time was a very unusual thing. Three weeks later, we put out “Life of the Party.” Within five minutes of it being released at midnight, it was No. 1 on the iTunes chart, and by six in the morning, we’ve done 60,000 downloads. The first week, he did 160,000. The whole world was like, “Who on earth is Shawn Mendes?” No one had heard of him outside of Vine. Then “Stitches” came along and “Treat You Better,” but it started with that moment.

Demi Lovato

When I became CEO [of Island] on April 1, 2014, [UMG Chairman/CEO] Lucian [Grainge] separated Island from Def Jam, and we became standalone. Things just took on a whole other dimension having our own thing. We had had a lot of success with bringing Nick Jonas back with “Jealous” and “Chains.” Phil McIntyre, who managed Nick, asked me to look into working with Demi, who I’d always been a fan of.

We created a joint venture with Disney, which was a very unusual thing to do. We had huge success with “Confident” and “Cool for the Summer,” and it was an amazingly fantastic journey. Max Martin and Savan Kotecha were totally involved in this. Then we did some work with Oak Felder for the second album. There were about 12 of us in the meeting — management, other A&R people, Island people — playing various songs that could be potential singles.

Demi was sitting on my right, and we play a song that everyone says is not appropriate. It sounds too cocky and arrogant. And me and Demi were like, “That is the single.” And it was “Sorry Not Sorry,” which was her biggest single. One of my favorite things with her is that we just seemed to agree on singles in such a great way, and we had an amazing journey together until I left. “Sorry Not Sorry” was just me and her kind of against the world.

Rebirth of Arista and Maneskin

After I’d already decided that I was going to move on from Island, Rob [Stringer] and I had dinner and we talked about a new label, management and publishing company. I thought, “Wouldn’t it be amazing to use a brand like Arista that’s been dormant for 12 years?” I asked Rob to ask [Arista founder] Clive [Davis] if he would be amenable to that, and Clive was so supportive.

One of the first signings was a young artist called JP Saxe. The first song I ever heard from him was called “The Few Things,” which was one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. We signed him to Arista, but also to Work of Art [publishing company]. Within a few weeks, he got into a demo session with [songwriter] Julia Michaels and that first day, they wrote a song called “If the World Was Ending.” I got the demo at seven o’clock the next morning, and I remember hearing that line, “If the world was ending, you’d come over, right? You’d spend the night.” And I felt that was going to be a thing.

We released it at the end of November of 2019, and it got an amazing response from the artist community. Then when the pandemic hit, it became the anthem of the pandemic. And that was really our first breakthrough. It’s at 1.8 billion streams on Spotify.

I think the swan song for my era of Arista was meeting Måneskin in the pandemic, hearing them on Eurovision and asking if they could sing in English. When I found out they had some English demos, I flew to Rome to meet them and absolutely fell in love with these kids. They had [global hit] “Beggin’.” There’s never been an Italian rock band blowing up worldwide and getting nominated for a Grammy for best new artist and being on SNL and selling out Madison Square Garden. And now working on Damiano’s solo project. My belief in him and in the band has definitely been the swan song of this era. Definitely.

After translating the success of her mega-hit “Espresso” into a custom Dunkin’ iced coffee last year, Sabrina Carpenter is teaming up with the coffee chain once more to help her fans beat the summer heat.

On Wednesday morning (June 25), Dunkin’ unveiled its 2025 summer menu, including its latest collaboration with the pop singer. The newest beverage to join the menu — called Sabrina’s Strawberry Daydream Refresher — is a sweet strawberry and oat milk drink, topped with “a cloud of velvety cold foam.”

To celebrate the partnership, Carpenter stars in the chain’s new ad for the Strawberry Daydream drink. The clip shows the singer answering calls for the “Dunkin’ Daydream Hotline,” where she interfaces with a late-night caller looking for something refreshing. “Oh, you’re hot … I see. I think I know what you’re really craving,” she coos into a microphone, introducing her creamy new beverage. After a beat, though, she scrunches up her face and says, “I’m sorry, did you—” before getting cut off.

Carpenter, in the meantime, is coming off the breakthrough success of her latest single “Manchild,” which became the singer’s first-ever No. 1 debut on the Billboard Hot 100 last week. On the latest chart, “Manchild” falls to No. 2, as Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” earns its third week at the chart’s summit.

Watch Carpenter’s new ad with Dunkin’ above.

Brandon Lake scores his second No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Christian Albums chart as his new set, King of Hearts, launches atop the list dated June 28.

The album simultaneously arrives on the all-genre Billboard 200 at No. 7, granting the singer-songwriter his first top 10. Plus, it opens as his first No. 1 on Top Rock & Alternative Albums and Top Rock Albums.

The 16-song set, released June 13, earned 37,000 equivalent album units, with 20,000 in album sales, in the United States through June 19, according to Luminate. Both sums are weekly bests for Lake, who co-authored each song on the LP.

The album’s “That’s Who I Praise” hit No. 1 on Hot Christian Songs last October, dominating for nine frames. (It ranks at No. 4 on the latest ranking.) The set’s current single, “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” tops the multimetric list for a 23rd week, having become Lake’s sixth No. 1 – and first to debut at the summit – in November.

The latter’s version currently being promoted to country radio features Jelly Roll and ranks at No. 15 on Hot Country Songs. “Hard Fought Hallelujah” became Lake’s first hit on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 40 in May, as well as his first top 10 on Hot Rock Songs (No. 6 peak) and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (No. 8).

King of Hearts is Lake’s first studio album since 2023’s Coat of Many Colors, which became his first leader when it entered at No. 1 with 9,000 units that November. In between, Lake, 35, from Charleston, S.C., released Tear Off the Roof (Live From the Holy City) last July. The set opened at its No. 18 high on Top Christian Albums.

Prior to his two leaders, Lake hit the Top Christian Albums top 10 with House of Miracles, which rose to No. 6 in June 2023 after it debuted in September 2020.

Carvin Winans Leads Gospel Airplay

Carvin Winans, of legendary sibling gospel act the Winans, earns his first solo No. 1 on Gospel Airplay with his initial entry, “God Still Working on Me.” It ascends a spot with a 17% increase in plays.

Winans co-wrote the single with wife Chérie Winans, Carlos Battey and Gregg Pagani. The latter two co-produced it. The song is from Winans’ album Cool Gospel, due June 27.

“We started out this project trying to make something special and, by the grace of God, we were able to do that,” Winans tells Billboard. “We were able to bring this message of spiritual transformation to the world in a big way. Thanks to everyone who made my first solo No. 1 a reality.”

Winans, from Detroit, is one of the founding members of the Winans, along with his brothers Marvin, Michael and Ronald. They are among 10 siblings born to Delores and David, also known as “Mom” and “Pop” Winans.

The Winans have banked four No. 1s on Top Gospel Albums: Let My People Go, in 1986; Decisions (1987); Return (1990); and We Got Next (1999).

Whitney Houston’s 1992 The Bodyguard soundtrack extends its lead as the top-certified film soundtrack in RIAA history. On Wednesday (June 25), the album was certified for U.S. shipments of 19 million units.

Six other soundtracks have been certified Diamond (10 million or more): the Bee Gees-led Saturday Night Fever (16 million), Dirty Dancing (14 million), Prince & the Revolution’s Purple Rain (13 million), Forrest Gump (12 million), Titanic (11 million) and The Lion King (10 million).

Houston holds another singular RIAA distinction: She is the only Black artist with three Diamond albums. Her 1985 debut album Whitney Houston stands at 14x platinum. Her 1987 sophomore album Whitney is at 10x platinum. Three other Black stars – Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey and 2Pac – have each had two Diamond albums.

The certification levels of 10 Houston singles were also upgraded on Wednesday. The affected singles are “I Will Always Love You” (11x Platinum); “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” (8x Platinum); “I Have Nothing” (4x Platinum), “Higher Love” with Kygo (released on Kygo/RCA Records) and “How Will I Know” (each is 3x Platinum); “Heartbreak Hotel,” “My Love Is Your Love” and “Saving All My Love for You” (each is 2x Platinum); and “Run to You” and “Count on Me” (each is Platinum).

“I Will Always Love You,” “I Have Nothing” and “Run to You” are all from The Bodyguard soundtrack. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” from her sophomore album, ranked No. 1 on Billboard’s 2023 megalist “The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List.”

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Houston’s breakthrough. Whitney Houston was released on Feb. 14, 1985. The album first cracked the top 10 on the Billboard 200 on the chart dated Aug. 31, 1985, and first reached No. 1 on the chart dated March 8, 1986.

These new RIAA certifications only include the U.S. numbers. In the U.S. alone, Houston’s RIAA-certified units total 114.5 million across 38 titles (27 singles plus 11 albums).

Houston died on Feb. 11, 2012, at age 48. She was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2020.

“I know that Whitney would be happy to know of the impact that her music has made globally,” Pat Houston, Whitney Houston’s sister-in-law, executor of her estate and the president of The Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation, said in a statement. “… She would be delighted to know that her loyal and worldwide fans have continued to love her and carry on her musical legacy through the generations. She would want us to say thank you to every person that contributed to her recordings, her productions, and the marketing of all her records, especially to Clive Davis and the extraordinary team of Arista Records through her many years at the label.”

RIAA president and COO Michele Ballantyne said in a statement: “Whitney Houston’s iconic voice and powerful songs have carried her legacy across generations. With 11 new certifications, RIAA is proud to celebrate how her enduring impact is still felt throughout the music industry and as the Estate’s partnership with Sony finds moments to reach new fans. We are grateful for the remarkable gift Whitney left for us all!”

A new campaign is pairing up two Canadian national treasures: Sparkling water brand Clearly Canadian has revealed its first advertising campaign since 1991, and it features multi-Grammy-winning Canadian country star Shania Twain.

The clip features Twain channeling a treasure hunter — running and even tumbling through the woods as she’s on the chase to locate the iconic beverage, made from pure Canadian spring water.

“Was that a bear?” a woman asks after Twain snatches her cooler full of Clearly Canadian. “No, I think that’s Shania Twain,” her partner responds.

As she locates and captures a cooler filled with Clearly Canadian bottles near a waterfall, a nearby couple looks on in disbelief, with a woman saying, “Should we tell her it’s back in stores?” The man next to her answers, “I don’t think she’d hear us. She just did a backflip off a mountain.”

“I have very clear memories of Clearly Canadian growing up here. When the team reached out, I was so flattered and the idea was awesome!” Twain said in a statement about filming the commercial. “As a proud Canadian, the fact that it’s natural spring water and bottled right here is perfect – it’s pure nostalgia in a bottle! Getting to shoot this in the Canadian outdoors, fighting to do my own stunts (I think I can still tumble!), and sampling all the new flavors hardly felt like work. The Clearly Canadian range is so refreshing and I can enjoy it at home and on the road. Getting to be in my own adventure movie for the day was pretty great.”

The commercial was created by fellow Canadian star Ryan Reynolds’ film production and digital marketing company Maximum Effort and filmed on location in Canada.

Clearly Canadian was founded in 1987. The brand’s return was driven by a fan-led crowdfunding campaign, which pre-sold more than 40,000 cases, pushing the product back into retail production in 2017, with sales in the United States and Canada. In addition to the brand’s original flavors like wild cherry and summer strawberry, new flavors include mountain blackberry, citrus medley and grapefruit essence.

See the video featuring Twain below: