Cassie Gives Birth to Baby Sunny: ‘Welcome to the World Baby Girl!’

Cassie has welcomed her second child with husband Alex Fine.

The singer and model shared the bright news on Saturday (March 27) on Instagram, where she posted a series of family photos featuring the newborn.

“On Monday March 22nd, 2021 @ 10:22am our hearts got bigger. Welcome to the world baby girl! We love you so much Sunny Cinco Fine!” she wrote alongside the family portraits.

Fine celebrated Sunny’s birth on Instagram as well, with a letter to his two children. The couple welcomed their first child together, daughter Frankie, on Dec. 6, 2019.

“I woke up this morning with you two and your mama and took a moment to let it sink in that we created the perfect family that isn’t perfect but its filled with so much love,” he wrote.

Fine’s note continued: “I always thought my purpose was to inspire others through wellness and give back to those who are less fortunate but I was wrong. That is my legacy and you two girls are my purpose, I am put on this earth so I can help you shine and have your beautiful lights touch a lot of people. Just holding both of you I know you are destined for absolutely amazing things and I’m put on this earth to support what you two love doing. I’m so happy you two are so close on age like myself and my brothers because you will quickly learn that iron sharpens iron and you two will make each other better. I hope you read this when you go to your prom, graduation, when you’re married with your own families (I have to approve of course), and even when I’m gone (not for 100 more years don’t worry) to understand how much my heart is filled with joy, pride, and love for my 3 girls. I am happy you chose me as your Da.”

The pair had announced that baby No. 2 was on the way in December, a few days after Frankie turned one.

See Cassie’s latest post on Instagram here, and her husband’s note here.

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5 Uplifting Moments in Latin Music This Week (March 27)

From career milestones and new music releases to major announcements and more, Billboard editors highlight the latest news buzz in Latin music every week. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.

Danny Felix’s signing

Danny Felix, the Phoenix-based singer-songwriter and producer known as one of the pioneers of the trap corridos movement, signed a deal with Global Talent Services (GTS), a subdivision of Universal Music Group, to further develop his musical career. “It is a blessing to have the support of a management company that looks out for my interests since it is an essential part of an artist’s success,” said Danny Félix in a statement. GTS manager Andres Gomez added: “Being part of the day-to-day life of a musical genius is an honor. Danny is the architect of a cultural movement with undeniable prospects.” The signing comes after the release of Felix’s debut album, Vuelve. Up next, the singer will premiere his single “El Mariachi Tumbado” next to renowned Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan.

Carla Morrison’s important PSA

Carla Morrison has teamed up with PETA for a new campaign, where she’s asking everyone, including her fans, to love and protect dogs, and all animals, as opposed to killing them for fur coats, collars and cuffs. In a video ad, the Mexican crooner is seen performing her hit single “Disfruto” to her two dogs Tino and Chawiwi. “We should all have empathy and just think, ‘OK, maybe I shouldn’t buy this or I shouldn’t wear this,’ because animals . . . feel pain the same way we do,” she says. Watch it below:

Karol G’s Tusa Airlines

This week, Colombian star Karol G dropped her third studio album, KG0516, home to bangers such as “Tusa,” “Bichota” and “Location.” In celebration, she partnered with Spotify to give fans the ultimate musical experience. In the virtual experience, dubbed “Tusa Airlines,” Karol goes globe-trotting around the world with her fans, “taking them from the Dominican Republic to Spain and everywhere in between through her music – offering a global escape for listeners,” notes the statement. In the journey, Karol shared the story behind six of her favorite songs on the album, including “El Barco” and her Camilo-assisted “Contigo Voy a Muerte.” Click here to watch.

Chiquis defends women in the industry

On an Instagram video posted earlier this week, Chiquis opened up about all the judgments women receive in the music industry. “As soon as a woman does something, where we are embracing our sexuality, where we are embracing our bodies, we’re criticized,” she said. The Mexican-American singer started the conversation after Cardi B received negative comments about her “WAP” performance at the Grammys. In the captions, she tagged artists such as Karol G, Natti Natasha, Becky G and Lizzo, sending her colleagues some words of encouragement. “I RESPECT, VALUE, and HONOR what you do on a daily! It isn’t easy being a woman in this industry, but we got this shit!”

Lele Pons returns to social media

Lele Pons has returned to social media after taking a break to focus on her mental health. In her comeback post, the influencer-turned-singer said she spent her days “working on myself” and “getting help for my well-being.” Now that she’s back on socials, she encourages her fans battling with a condition or disorder to be strong. “You are worth it. It is okay to feel down and not be okay, but it is also important to not give up on yourself and get back up on your feet. Take time to take care of yourself and come back stronger,” she posted. “Don’t ever feel ashamed to show your vulnerable side because we all go through hard times in our own ways. Accept yourself for who you are and fight to be the best version of yourself each day.”

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Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Mad World’ Has Us Thinking of Adam Lambert’s ‘Idol’ Game-Changer

On Friday’s (March 26) episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, the talk-show host covered Tears for Fears’ “Mad World” — and we couldn’t help but think back to another American Idol alum tackling the song more than a decade ago.

During season 8 of Idol back in 2009, Adam Lambert was a fan favorite thanks to his unbelievable vocal range and bombastic performances. But the one criticism the judges (especially Simon Cowell) levied at the aspiring pop star was that his delivery could be a little too theatrical and over-the-top.

Enter his instantly iconic and subdued (for him, at least) cover of the unsettling song. Lambert opted for the slowed-down Gary Jules and Michael Andrews version of the tune — as featured on 2001’s Donnie Darko soundtrack — as opposed to the 1982 synth-pop original, sprinkling the somber song with some unexpected note choices, especially his ending wail. The buzzy performance helped carry Lambert all the way to the finale, where he finished in the runner-up slot to Kris Allen, and Adam has found success as a solo singer as well as touring with Queen in the decade-plus since.

For Clarkson’s new take, she borrows a bit from both versions, opting for the slower tempo of the newer cover but adding some heavy drums and guitars at the end that recall the peppier original. Clarkson, of course, won the very first season of American Idol in 2002, launching her blockbuster music career and leading to the full-circle Kellyoke covers she performs each day on her talk show almost 20 years later.

“Mad World” never charted for Tears for Fears, but the Jules and Andrews cover became a radio hit, topping the Adult Alternative Airplay chart in 2004.

Watch Clarkson and Lambert’s covers of “Mad World” below:

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Sharon Osbourne Is Out at ‘The Talk’

Sharon Osbourne is out of the conversation, parting ways with The Talk in the wake of her heated on-air defense of pal Piers Morgan — one that saw her demand co-star Sheryl Underwood “educate” her about racism on live air.

The news came two weeks after the March 10 dustup, one that was followed by multiple allegations of racist comments from Osbourne being levied by former co-stars Leah Remini and Holly Robinson Peete. CBS confirmed the expected departure late Friday afternoon.

“Sharon Osbourne has decided to leave The Talk,” read a statement. “The events of the March 10 broadcast were upsetting to everyone involved, including the audience watching at home. As part of our review, we concluded that Sharon’s behavior toward her co-hosts during the March 10 episode did not align with our values for a respectful workplace. We also did not find any evidence that CBS executives orchestrated the discussion or blindsided any of the hosts. At the same time, we acknowledge the network and studio teams, as well as the showrunners, are accountable for what happened during that broadcast as it was clear the co-hosts were not properly prepared by the staff for a complex and sensitive discussion involving race. During this week’s hiatus, we are coordinating workshops, listening sessions and training about equity, inclusion and cultural awareness for the hosts, producers and crew. Going forward, we are identifying plans to enhance the producing staff and producing procedures to better serve the hosts, the production and, ultimately, our viewers.”

Like so much of the news cycle these days, the origin of Osbourne’s on-air demise is Meghan Markle’s barn-burning interview with Oprah Winfrey — in which the Duchess of Sussex alleged racist behavior within the British Royal Family. Media firebrand and perennial martyr Piers Morgan called Markle a liar on Good Morning Britain, stormed off the set and ultimately quit the ITV program as many regarded his comments as racist.

When Osbourne came to his defense on The Talk, the discourse quickly devolved. At one point, and most damningly, she demanded that Underwood, a Black woman, explain to her why Morgan was being called a racist. “Educate me, tell me when you have heard him say racist things,” Osbourne said. “I very much feel like I’m about to be put in the electric chair because I have a friend, who many people think is a racist, so that makes me a racist?”

Osbourne apologized on Twitter, but the show suspended production starting March 15 as it announced an internal investigation. Things got worse for Osbourne from there. After Robinson Peete accused Osbourne of having a hand in her own dismissal from The Talk, alleging Osbourne had referred to her as “too ghetto,” Remini entered the conversation. The actress and activist, during an interview with journalist Yashar Ali, claimed that Osbourne had made racist comments about former colleague (and Chinese-American woman) Julie Chen, homophobic remarks about The Talk creator and then-moderator Sara Gilbert and anti-Italian slurs toward Remini herself.

Initially contrite on Twitter, Osbourne then went on the offense during the show’s hiatus. She gave interviews to both Variety and Entertainment Tonight, claiming that she had been “set up” by the producers and was offered up as a “sacrificial lamb.” Her publicist also issued a doozy of a statement, alluding to Remini and Robinson Peete’s comments by noting, “The only thing worse than a disgruntled former employee is a disgruntled former talk show host.” It’s not typically the strategy of someone expecting to keep their job, so the writing seemed to be on the wall.

Still, CBS took its time with the investigation into the matter — first announcing a two-show hiatus and then extending it to a full two weeks as the additional claims came in.

The Talk holds a unique space in CBS’ daytime block as the only in-house talk format in a lineup otherwise dominated by game shows, soap operas and syndicated content. (One piece of that syndicated content in most markets, however, is CBS Media Ventures’ The Drew Barrymore Show — already renewed for a second season after a promising launch.) Positioned as a rival to The View, The Talk has enjoyed its fair share of ratings success and the rotation that so often comes with panel formats. Original cast members Remini, Robinson Peete and Marissa Jaret Winokur were all dumped after the first season with fellow originals Chen and Gilbert dropping out in recent years. Osbourne was the last remaining founding panelist.

Osbourne holds a unique place in 21st-television history. The British national rose to Stateside prominence in 2002 with the wildly successful launch of MTV’s The Osbournes, a docuseries that paved the way for a generation of reality talent. She followed that with a brief talk show of her own and a run as a judge on America’s Got Talent before settling into The Talk as her full-time gig. Her dance card is currently empty.

As for The Talk, Underwood is still joined by remaining panelists Carrie Ann Inaba, Amanda Kloots and Elaine Welteroth. It’s not immediately clear if or when CBS might bring on a fifth member. The show will return with original episodes on Monday, April 12, following the pre-scheduled hiatus the week of April 5.

This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

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Miley Cyrus to Play Concert for ‘Frontline Heroes’ During NCAA Final Four

A group of frontline workers are about to get an in-person Miley Cyrus concert, and you can get a front-row seat too. The NCAA, Turner Sports and CBS Sports has announced a special Tribute to Frontline Heroes concert featuring Cyrus to take place between the two men’s basketball Final Four games on April 3, which will be broadcast on CBS, NCAA March Madness Live and with unique camera angles via the Final Four app.

In between the first and second national semifinal games for the March Madness men’s basketball tournament in Indianapolis, Cyrus will perform a set as part of the Capital One Tournament Central show. The NCAA is inviting select frontline workers, including Indiana University Health system staff, to attend the concert.

This week, Cyrus celebrated the 15th anniversary of the premiere of her breakout Disney Channel show Hannah Montana, sharing a handwritten note with her fictional alter ego and sending care packages to her famous friends and co-stars to mark the occasion. Cyrus’ most recent album, Plastic Hearts, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums chart and spawned the Billboard Hot 100 top 20 hit “Midnight Sky.”

Cyrus is no stranger to performing around sporting events in 2021: She also played the TikTok Tailgate pre-game concert ahead of last month’s Super Bowl LV in Tampa, Florida.

The first NCAA semifinal game is set to begin at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 3, with the second game set for 8:30 p.m. ET, while Miley’s concert will air between the two match-ups. The Tribute to Frontline Heroes is presented by AT&T, Capital One and Coca-Cola.

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Demi Lovato on Ending Engagement & Clapping Back at Ex-Fiance in New Song ’15 Minutes’

Demi Lovato is embracing freedom in a new interview, telling Entertainment Weekly about how taking off her engagement ring instantly felt right.

Lovato called off her two-month engagement to ex-fiancé Max Ehrich in September (they were dating for six months prior). The “Dancing With the Devil” singer showed off her massive diamond ring in July during a beachside proposal, but in her latest interview, she showed that her bare fingers were proof she can take matters into her own hands.

“Also, the size of that ring, it made it really real. The second it was off, I was like, ‘You know what? I’m good. I don’t need that.’ I just don’t need an object on my finger to make me feel like I’ve got my sh– together,” she said. “It looks like stability, but it doesn’t mean that it is. And I don’t actually grow through stability. I find that I like living not in chaos or crisis, but in fluidity. It’s not [being] stuck and stagnant in an ideal or a tradition that was placed upon us by the patriarchy.”

While Lovato was hosting the 2020 E! People’s Choice Awards in November, Lovato joked, “So I did what everyone else did: I went into lockdown mode and got engaged.” The joke didn’t go over well with Ehrich, who accused her of “exploiting our breakup for clout” in the comments section of one of her Instagram posts debuting her blond haircut. In one of the songs from her upcoming album Dancing With the Devil… The Art of Starting Over titled “15 Minutes,” Lovato flips the script on Ehrich. “Good riddance — you got your 15 minutes,” she sings on what EW describes as a “savagely upbeat banger.”

“I really had myself fooled, because it was the safe and expected thing,” Lovato told the publication. “Obviously I cared deeply about the person, but there was something inside of me that was like, ‘I have to prove to the world that I’m okay.’ Now that I’m not engaged or married and I’m okay, I’m like, ‘Wow. Isn’t that so much more empowering?’ It’s not this false sense of security.”

Justin Tranter, one of the songwriters involved on Dancing, broke down “15 Minutes” for EW and said the song was written during a weeklong COVID-safe songwriting camp in Malibu, where Lovato would rotate through rooms in the rented mansion of different teams of producers and writers. When Demi heard a scratch vocal of the song, she “just started sobbing. It was really emotional, and really something that Demi needed to do and say.”

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Attorney Plans to File Dozens of Refund Lawsuits Against Ultra Miami

A Boca Raton attorney is trying a new tactic to induce the promoters behind Ultra Music Festival to refund fans now that the South Florida festival has been postponed twice due to COVID-19.

Attorney Marcus Wolf Corwin is a former litigator-turned-consumer rights lawyer who filed a 2020 class action lawsuit against Event Entertainment Group, the promotion company behind the long-running dance festival that was scheduled to take place in Bayfront Park in Miami in 2020.

When the case was sent to arbitration — and then postponed a second time without refunds — Corwin decided to try a new tactic, filing arbitration claims against Event Entertainment Group for every fan wanting a refund as well as a small claims case in Miami-Dade County Court. Corwin has filed on behalf of three clients already and has a dozen more in the pipeline for next week.

“We are seeking a global settlement with [Event Entertainment Group] that will address our clients’ request for refunds” plus attorneys fees, Corwin tells Billboard. “Settlement is a better path than continued litigation for both the consumer and the defendant and I am hopeful that by filing these actions we can come to a mutually agreeable resolution.

While Corwin insists his strategy isn’t to inundate Ultra with dozens of small claims, the tactic has definitely gotten their attention.

“I’m trying to stop the flow of people being screwed,” says Corwin, who previously worked as a concert promoter before becoming an attorney in the 1980s.

“Many consumers don’t read all the terms and conditions before filing a claim” and don’t realize they’ll get a VIP ticket for next year’s festival instead of a refund, he says. “When you’ve got 25,000 people receiving a VIP ticket, you have to wonder how VIP the pass actually is.”

There’s also no guarantee that Ultra will have enough capital to return in 2022 and owners Russell Faibisch and Adam Russakoff have said little about Ultra’s solvency or ability to return to form. (Billboard reached to a rep at Ultra for comment but did not receive a response).

Ultra became the first major U.S. festival to be postponed by the spread of the coronavirus when Miami Mayor Francis Suarez announced on March 5, 2020 that the event was being pushed to 2021 in advance of a national lockdown order.

Cancellation and postponements soon followed for Coachella, Electric Daisy Carnival, Lollapalooza and many others. But, unlike Ultra, fans for festivals promoted by Live Nation and AEG offered fans the choice between a full refund or the option to roll tickets over to the next year.

Ultra organizers did not offer fans a refund, essentially forcing them to accept postponement tickets for Ultra 2021 or 2022, “affording [fans] one month to affirmatively agree to defer their tickets before the value of their tickets would be forfeited,” Robert Scola, district judge for the Southern District of Florida, wrote in his ruling on the federal class action case. Noting that ticket buyers had agreed to settle all disputes with Ultra organizers through third-party arbitration, Scola paused the case and sent the dispute to arbitration on Nov. 23, 2020.

In January, Ultra organizers again postponed the festival with Ultra attorney Sandy York writing to Miami city manager Arthur Noriega requesting the event be rescheduled for March 25, 26 and 27, 2022. For a second year, fans were not offered refunds.

Corwin has also sued popstar Madonna and concert promotion giant Live Nation over the singer’s doomed 2019 Madame X tour. Representing ticket holders who paid thousands of dollars to see the intimate venue tour, Corwin argued that decisions to move the start of the show from 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., along with other last minute changes, diminished the value of the tickets. The case was eventually settled out of court.

“My goal is to create a more level playing field for consumers,” Corwin says. “Many people love these brands and we want to encourage them to do the right thing by their fans.”

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Dylan Fuentes Pens Emotional ‘DF’ to Shed Light on Mental Health Issues: Video Premiere

Dylan Fuentes could be surrounded by loved ones or famous colleagues, but he’d still feel alone. He could be part of a star-studded lineup or in the middle of a photo shoot and he’d feel alone. In his new single “DF,” the Colombian artist opens up about his battle with anxiety and depression and the importance of raising awareness about mental health.

“I’m a voice and it’s valuable for me to share my experience,” he tells Billboard. “I want my fans to know that they’re not alone. I would’ve loved for a song to embrace me when I felt lonely. This has happened to me too and we will fight together.”

In the emotional ballad, released via Neon16 and premiering exclusively on Billboard below, Fuentes shows his vulnerability, singing about escaping his reality. “I chose this life/ I don’t know how or when/ But it’s killing me and I can’t take it,” he sings.

He penned the song at a much-needed time.

“We are living at a time that the world is passing by so fast on social media. I know that right now, because of that and because of the confinement caused by the pandemic, many people are suffering inside or feel alone.”

Through his heartfelt lyrics and black-and-white music video, which shows Dylan the artist and Dylan the person, Fuentes wants to remind those battling with mental health struggles that they are not alone.

“I’m not a psychologist, I’m not a psychiatrist, I don’t know clear concepts, but what I try the most is to get away from stress and dedicate time to myself,” he concludes.

Below, watch the video for “DF.”

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A Timeline of Taylor Swift & Maren Morris’ Friendship

Taylor Swift announced Wednesday that she would release “You All Over Me (From the Vault)” first thing Friday, treating fans to a never-before-heard song that was dreamed up during sessions for Swift’s 2008 album Fearless. But just because the song was born 13 years ago doesn’t mean Swift couldn’t invite some of her current-day friends along for the fun.

In addition to The National’s Aaron Dessner, who co-produced the superstar’s 2020 albums Folklore and Evermore, and the song’s original co-writer Scooter Carusoe, Swift also invited country hitmaker Maren Morris to do new background vocals for the track. “One thing I’ve been loving about these From The Vault songs is that they’ve never been heard, so I can experiment, play, and even include some of my favorite artists,” Swift tweeted about the bonus songs she has planned for her re-recorded Fearless album, due April 9. “I’m really excited to have @MarenMorris singing background vocals on this song!!”

While this will be the pair’s first recorded collaboration, it’s far from their first interaction. Below, find a timeline of Swift and Morris’ friendship and mutual appreciation.

October 2017: Maren Welcomes Taylor Comparisons

In an interview with Coveteur, Morris is asked what she thinks about people comparing her to Swift, another famous female artist who got her start in Nashville. “I certainly welcome it,” she said. “I don’t think they’re comparing our sound, but I think they see in Taylor [that] she’s always been great at blending genres and still making her own sound out of it. You can’t really place her in one category or the other — she’s sort of just an all-encompassing, really great musician and songwriter, so I’m always really flattered when people compare [my career path] to her career path, because I grew up listening to everything.”

October 2018: Taylor Invites Maren Onstage to Perform “The Middle”

“Did we just become best friends?” Morris tweeted, quoting the movie Step Brothers, after Swift invited her onstage during a Reputation Tour stop in Maren’s hometown of Arlington, Texas. “Got to play my hometown stadium with this woman,” the tweet continues, including side-by-side photos of daytime rehearsals in an empty AT&T Stadium and a packed nighttime crowd lighting up the bleachers. Morris performed her top five Billboard Hot 100 smash “The Middle” (with Marshmello and Grey) alongside Swift, who enveloped her fellow singer/songwriter in a massive bear hug at the end of the song.

After their onstage duet, Morris penned a sweet note to her new friend. “Rooted in country, 90s babies, genre-bending, unapologetic,” Morris tweeted at the time. “I look up a whole lot to how you’ve made a career and I hope to someday achieve even a percent of what you’ve so gracefully cultivated @taylorswift13. You know no boundaries, and that’s what music should be about.”

February 2019: Maren Calls Performing With Taylor “Transcendental”

After she had four months to process the performance, Morris opened up to Billboard on the red carpet at Clive Davis’ 2010 pre-Grammy party about what teaming up with Swift meant to her, calling the opportunity “transcendental.”

“We were in my hometown, at the Cowboys stadium in Texas, and I just got to watch her work all day,” Morris recalled. “And I’m obsessed with her. I think she’s such a trailblazer. I love that she so gracefully was this huge country artist and then decided, you know what? I’ve conquered this world. I’m gonna dip my toe in the pop waters, and it’s just so seamless because she’s a superstar.”

March 2019: Maren Presents Taylor With the iHeartRadio Tour of the Year Award

At the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards, Morris presented her friend with the Tour of the Year award, writing afterward, “proud of you, Taylor Swift. it isn’t about ticket sales, it’s not about numbers… you just make it about your fans and how they feel before, during, + after your show. I was honored to present Tour of the Year to you.”

April 2020: Maren’s Husband Drops a Taylor-Approved Cover of “False God”

Maren isn’t the only Swiftie in the family: Morris’ husband, singer/songwriter Ryan Hurd, is also a big fan, covering “Dress” from Reputation on his tour and releasing a Taylor-approved cover of “False God” from Lover on his own 2019 album Platonic. “Thank you @taylorswift13 for the song clinic,” Hurd tweeted along with a live video. “My favorite song off of Lover. We covered this live on Platonic, it felt like a deep dive into someone else’s poetry.” Swift responded with her own tweet: “Love this so much.” The next month, Morris included “False God” — Taylor’s original — on a curated “Maren Morris at Home” Amazon playlist.

May 2020: Maren Tops Taylor’s Chart Record

It looks like the Taylor comparisons early in Maren’s career weren’t off-base: When Morris’ “The Bones” ruled Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart for an 11th week on the list dated May 23, 2020, it became the longest-leading No. 1 ever by a solo female with no additional artists, passing Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” which controlled the chart for 10 weeks beginning in October 2012.

July 2020: Maren Celebrates the Arrival of Taylor’s Folklore

Morris was just as excited as the rest of the Swifties when her friend surprise-dropped a quarantine album in July. “Thank god it’s Friday and thank god TS has new music out,” Morris wrote on her Instagram Story. In a December interview, Morris told Rolling Stone that Folklore was the album she listened to the most in 2020.

December 2020: Maren Sends Birthday Love to Taylor & Asks for 13 New Albums

For Swift’s 31st birthday, Morris sent love to her friend — and put some wishful thinking out into the universe. “Happy 31st, @taylorswift13. I am assuming you’ll be putting out 13 albums this next year?,” she tweeted with a fingers-crossed emoji. It’s not terribly far-fetched: Swift had just surprise-released her second album of 2020, Evermore, two days prior.

March 2021: Maren Calls Taylor an “Overachiever” for Her Two 2020 Albums

At the 2021 Grammys, Morris talked about how impressed she was with the musical output during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially from her prolific pal. “The creativity of my peers here tonight even, what they’ve created in such a bizarre, surreal moment in time is maybe some of their best work,” she told The Associated Press. “I mean Taylor, for instance, putting two records out, she’s, like, [an] overachiever. [Laughs] You see what creatives are capable of when they’re backed up against a wall and can’t share it with an audience.”

March 2020: New Taylor Song Featuring Maren’s Vocals Is Announced

On Wednesday, Swift announced her very first Fearless “From the Vault” song, “You All Over Me,” and it included a familiar face. “I’m really excited to have @MarenMorris singing background vocals on this song!!,” Swift tweeted on Wednesday, with Morris tweeting back around 9 a.m. ET wondering: Was it “too early” for champagne? “You All Over Me (From the Vault)” comes out first thing Friday.

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Women Making Music Study: Sexual Harassment Is ‘By Far The Most Widely Cited Problem’

Earlier this month, USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative released the results of a study that concluded there have been no significant improvements for women in the music industry over the last nine years. Results of that survey showed that “women were 21.6% of all artists on the Billboard Hot 100 Year-End Charts across the past nine years and represented only 20.2% of artists on the chart in 2020.”

Now, a new study is piggybacking on those results to ask a simple question: Why?

Released Thursday (March 25), Be The Change: Women Making Music In 2021 is a study by media and technology analysis company MIDiA, in conjunction with Tunecore and its parent company, the digital music company Believe. After examining underrepresentation in the music industry by surveying 401 female music creators around the globe, the study offers several key conclusions.

The first is that “gendered expectations have skewed recognition and reward in the music industry,” with 81% of women surveyed reporting that they think it’s harder for female artists to get recognition than male artists. Additionally, almost two-thirds of female creators identified sexual harassment or objectification as a major issue. The study labeled it “by far the most widely-cited problem.”

The study notes that this sexualization and objectification “are a consequence (or symptom) of unbalanced power dynamics” as they relate to as ageism (reported by 38% of the women polled), lack of access to male-dominated industry resources (36%) and lower pay (27%). Challenges related to tokenism, the fabrication of competition between female artists and treatment of the problem with lip service only are also cited as key issues facing women in music.

The study concludes that these challenges are “symptomatic of deeper issues of systemic male dominance permeating industry attitudes and behaviors,” with over 90% of respondents reporting that they had experienced unconscious bias during their careers. 84% of women polled reported that they believe that women are still expected to take on the primary role of parenting duties and that the music industry prioritizes young female artists, which is “partly a symptom of the industry’s youth obsession, but also so that women become successful before they are presumed to decide to take on the role of motherhood.”

In terms of solutions, respondents noted that they most desire changes to come from “within organizations and from leaders across the music industry through diversity, policies and culture,” with 42% stating this as one of the best ways to encourage more women into the industry. Thirty eight percent of female music makers want to see these changes come as a result of legislation, while 35% say an effective way to create change is via mentorship programs where women work with other women.

“We have a long way to go still before there is no more need for reports such as these,” writes Imogen Heap in an introduction to the study. “There are many incredibly talented people across the industry who come from diverse backgrounds and still remain the minority.”

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