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Robin Thicke drew inspiration from some of his biggest heroes when writing music for his forthcoming album, On Earth, and in Heaven.
The 43-year-old hitmaker took to social media on Friday (Feb. 5) to reveal the emotional meaning behind the album’s opener “Lucky Star,” which was inspired by his late father Alan Thicke, who died in 2016, and Uptown Records founder Andre Harrell, who passed away in May.
“This is the last song I wrote for the album and it’s also the first track on the album,” Thicke wrote on Instagram. “Once we had this song I knew the album was complete. You know that feeling you have when you’re all alone but you know that you’re not alone. That’s what ‘Lucky Star’ is about. That presence in your life that holds you tight, gives you hope, and lights the way. My father and Andre Harrell are my Lucky Stars.”
The post included a throwback photo of a young Thicke sitting alongside his actor dad on the set of 1980s/’90s sitcom Growing Pains, and another of the singer posing with his music industry mentor Harrell.
Thicke also shared a lyric video for “Lucky Star” on Friday. “When I’m down and out/ And I’ve lost my way/ Through the hardest nights and the darkest days/ Oh Lucky Star won’t you help me light the way,” he sings on the uplifting track.
In early January, Thicke announced plans to release On Earth, and in Heaven, first full-length album in six years. The forthcoming set is scheduled for release on Feb. 12, and marks the debut project under his new partnership between Lucky Music and Empire.
A minute-long trailer for On Earth, and in Heaven shows the singer’s highs and lows over the last decade, from topping the Billboard Hot 100 with “Blurred Lines” in 2013 to losing his father several years later.
Thicke’s last studio album, 2014’s Paula, was a tribute to his then-estranged wife Paula Patton. The LP debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200.
See Thicke’s emotional Instagram post here and listen to “Lucky Star” in the video below.
Morgan Wallen’s U.S. airplay continues to evaporate, while streams stay mostly steady and sales explode, in the wake of the publication of a TMZ video showing the chart-topping artist using a racial slur.
As previously reported, TMZ posted a video Tuesday night (Feb. 2) of Wallen, who was positioned to be the next global country star, yelling expletives, including the N-word. He subsequently issued an apology, while his record label, Big Loud Records, suspended his recording contract indefinitely.
Below is a look at Wallen’s U.S. airplay in the seven days through Feb. 5, and his sales and streams in the seven days through Feb. 4.
AIRPLAY
Wallen’s airplay has collapsed to a nominal amount since the TMZ video was posted. Looking at the last seven days of airplay (Jan. 30-Feb. 5), his song catalog was averaging 1,500 to 1,600 plays daily on reporters to Billboard’s Country Airplay chart through Feb. 2, according to MRC Data. On Feb. 3, as multiple radio groups dropped his music, his catalog fell by 74% in plays that day. His totals have since cratered to a relatively miniscule 55 and 25 plays on Feb. 4 and 5, respectively.
Among stations that report to the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 and Radio Songs charts (including country outlets, as well as pop- and adult-formatted stations, where Wallen receives some play), his music plummeted from an average of 2,100 to 2,200 plays daily from Jan. 30 through Feb. 2 to 617, 122 and 65 plays on Feb. 3, 4 and 5, respectively.
Wallen’s current country radio single, “7 Summers,” has contributed to the bulk of his airplay decline, having tumbled from around 500 plays daily to 149 (down 70%) on Country Airplay reporters on Feb. 3. The song then drew a mere eight and five plays on Feb. 4 and 5, respectively. On the most recently published audience-based Country Airplay chart, dated Feb. 6, the track rose from No. 16 to No. 15 for a new peak (up 8% in audience reach in the tracking week ending Jan. 31).
Morgan Wallen’s U.S. daily airplay, all his songs combined, on Country Airplay chart reporters:
1/30: 1,600
1/31: 1,500
2/1: 1,600
2/2: 1,500
2/3: 389
2/4: 55
2/5: 25
“7 Summers” U.S. daily airplay on Country Airplay chart reporters:
1/30: 539
1/31: 544
2/1: 490
2/2: 490
2/3: 149
2/4: 8
2/5: 5
STREAMS
Wallen’s streams have stayed relatively steady, with slight daily gains, despite the removal of his songs from over 30 influential playlists across Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and Pandora. On Feb. 4, Wallen’s collected songs tallied 28.66 million on-demand streams (audio and video combined) according to initial reports to MRC Data – his best daily streaming total since Jan. 29.
Isolating just his audio on-demand streams – which include streams from the above-mentioned services like Apple Music and Spotify – they grew daily from Feb. 2 through Feb. 4.
Below is a look at Wallen’s daily streaming activity, for the seven-day period of Jan. 29 through Feb. 4.
Morgan Wallen’s U.S. daily on-demand song streams (audio and video), all his songs combined. Audio and video are broken out separately.
1/29: 31.29 million (audio: 29.14 million, video: 2.15 million)
1/30: 27.95 million (audio: 26.12 million, video: 1.83 million)
1/31: 23.20 million (audio: 21.64 million, video: 1.56 million)
2/1: 24.64 million (audio: 22.98 million, video: 1.66 million)
2/2: 24.80 million (audio: 23.11 million, video: 1.69 million)
2/3: 25.52 million (audio: 23.58 million, video: 1.94 million)
2/4: 28.66 million (audio: 26.41 million, video: 2.25 million)
SALES
Wallen’s sales have increased dramatically since Feb. 3. According to preliminary sales reports to MRC Data, Wallen’s total sales – across all of his albums and songs – vaulted from 5,100 on Feb. 2 to 35,200 on Feb. 4.
Though his label suspended his recording contract indefinitely, his music was not removed from any digital retail services (like iTunes), and continues to remain available in brick-and-mortar retail stores.
His current album, Dangerous: The Double Album, went from 1,100 sales on Feb. 2 to 9,900 sales on Feb. 4. Dangerous logged its third total and consecutive week at No. 1 on the latest all-genre Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums charts, dated Feb. 6 (reflecting sales and streaming activity in the week ending Jan. 28).
The Feb. 13-dated Billboard 200, reflecting the sales and streaming tracking week ending Feb. 4, is scheduled to be announced on Feb. 7.
Below is a look at Wallen’s daily sales, for the seven-day period of Jan. 29 through Feb. 4.
Morgan Wallen’s U.S. daily sales, all his albums and songs combined. Total album sales, and song sales, are broken out separately.
1/29: 7,900 (albums: 2,200; songs: 5,700)
1/30: 8,100 (albums: 2,200; songs: 5,900)
1/31: 6,400 (albums: 1,700; songs: 4,700)
2/1: 5,700 (albums: 1,500; songs: 4,200)
2/2: 5,100 (albums: 1,200; songs: 3,900)
2/3: 23,600 (albums: 9,000; songs: 14,600)
2/4: 35,200 (albums: 12,800; songs: 22,400)
Dangerous album U.S. daily sales:
1/29: 1,900
1/30: 1,900
1/31: 1,500
2/1: 1,300
2/2: 1,100
2/3: 7,200
2/4: 9,900
Olivia Rodrigo, who said she used to live just a few blocks from the Grammy Museum’s location in downtown Los Angeles, sat down with them for a virtual interview about her breakout single “Drivers License.” The segment, which debuted on the museum’s online streaming service Collection:live on Saturday (Feb. 6), included a live performance of the song — one that was just Rodrigo, her keyboard and all her emotions.
“It’s absolutely beyond anything I ever could have dreamed up,” she said of the reaction to “Drivers License” toward the start of the question-and-answer session, which was taped three weeks ago, just as the hit was taking off.
Rodrigo talked to Scott Goldman, the museum’s moderator of public programs, about being “broken together” with the fans resonating with “Drivers License,” being “the hugest Swiftie in the world,” and challenging herself to write at least a verse and a chorus of a song every day while in quarantine and off the set of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. “It’s also a really strange time,” the singer and actress noted. “The song is like No. 1 in the world, but I haven’t left my house, so I have no actual context of the song being out in the world. I just see the numbers.”
“It was kind of a nice little challenge with myself,” she said of the songwriting activity that’s kept her busy during the pandemic. “I love songwriting and I’ve done it since, you know, ever since I could speak. I loved playing the piano and making stuff up. But before quarantine, it was always kind of a, ‘Oh, if I have a spark of inspiration, then I’ll write a song. I’ll just vomit all of my feelings onto my piano keyboard. But doing that challenge kind of really taught me how to have creativity as a tap and be able to work on something and kind of craft something from the ground up, even if you’re not feeling particularly inspired.”
Rodrigo had just made her late-night performance premiere on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon with “Drivers License,” joined by musicians on strings, on Thursday (Feb. 4).
Watch her newly-released interview and live set on the Grammy Museum website, and preview the “Drivers License” performance she filmed for it in the video below.
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.
Laura Pausini Celebrates Her Nom
Italian singer-songwriter Laura Pausini, known for hits such as “Viveme,” “Volvere Junto a Ti” and “Entre Tu y Mil Mares,” received a nomination at the 2021 Golden Globe Awards this week. Pausini is up for best original song with “Io Si,” part of the Netflix movie The Life Ahead, starring Sofia Loren. “I still haven’t fully wrapped my head around it,” she expressed on Twitter.
A Pablo Alboran Anniversary
Pablo Alborán celebrated the 10-year anniversary of his self-titled debut studio album on Feb. 2. “I’d never thought that this day would change my life,” the Spanish crooner tweeted. “Thank you for so many emotions. I never forget the effort and work of all the people who have believed and believe in me. For 10 more years !!” Alborán’s album dropped in 2011 and includes his breakthrough single “Solamente Tú.”
A Premio Lo Nuestro Surprise
Selena Gomez will make her debut at the 2021 Premio Lo Nuestro, where she will premiere “Baila Conmigo” next to Rauw Alejandro. “Baila Conmigo” is Gomez’s second Spanish-language single released in 2021, following “De Una Vez.” Both form part of her forthcoming album “Revelación,” scheduled for release on March 12. Premio Lo Nuestro airs live Feb. 18 on Univision.
Pitbull’s NASCAR Recognition
This week, Pitbull was named the Grand Marshal of the upcoming 63rd annual Daytona 500, the 500-mile-long NASCAR Cup Series. “It’s exciting to mix culture, music, and sports,” the Cuban-American artist and entrepreneur said on Twitter. “Unity at its finest. So let’s get ready to start engines, dale!” The event will take place Feb. 14 at 2:30 p.m. ET on Fox.
Bomba Estéreo’s Comeback
Bomba Estereo made their highly-awaited comeback this week, dropping three new singles: “Agua,” “Deja” and “Soledad.” The tracks are part of the Colombian group’s first studio album in four years, “Deja,” divided conceptually into four sections: water, air, earth, and fire. “The album is about the connection and disconnection of human beings — from the planet, from one’s own self,” vocalist Li Saumet said in a statement. “It’s about how we’re disconnected, more connected to electronic devices and virtual things than real things. So we decided to use the four elements because they’re part of the equilibrium of human beings.”
Evan Rachel Wood on Saturday morning (Feb. 6) shared an additional detail about her alleged abuse in relation to Marilyn Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner.
The actress wrote in an Instagram Story that she had to file a police report last year after becoming aware of a threat about the release of underage photos of herself.
“On Dec. 19, I had to file a police report after I was alerted to threats made by @leslee_lane and @lindsayusichofficial (Brian’s wife) for conspiring to release photos of me when I was UNDERAGE, after being given large amounts of drugs and alcohol, after Brian performed on Halloween in Las Vegas to ‘ruin my career’ and ‘shut me up,’ wrote the Westworld star.
She included a copy of the police report, with contact and personal information blacked out. The Hollywood Reporter has contacted Wood’s representatives.
Earlier this week, Wood named Manson as her alleged abuser. She stated on Instagram, “I am done living in fear of retaliation, slander or blackmail,” and wrote that Manson groomed her as a teenager and “horrifically” abused her for years. Wood and Manson had a relationship when the actress was 18 and Manson was 36, and the pair were briefly engaged in 2010.
On Thursday, Wood shared a letter on Instagram that Senator Kevin Parker wrote to the Acting Attorney General of the United States, requesting “a full investigation into the accusations” that she set forth.
Four other women have also come out with claims again Manson, including physical and psychological abuse, some details of which Wood has shared in her Instagram stories. Manson was subsequently dropped by CAA the day after his record label, Loma Vista Recordings, said it would no longer promote his current album. He will also no longer be associated with the TV shows American Gods and Creepshow.
Manson wrote in an Instagram post this week, “Obviously, my art and my life have long been magnets for controversy, but these recent claims about me are horrible distortions of reality,” he wrote in a statement shared on his Instagram. “My intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners. Regardless of how — and why — others are now choosing to misrepresent the past, that is the truth.”
He continues to maintain the allegations are false.
This story first appeared on The Hollywood Reporter.
BMG has announced a “streamlined restructuring” of its U.S. repertoire operation as part of a growth plan “designed to allow the company to accelerate out of the pandemic,” it was revealed Friday (Feb. 5).
As part of the restructure, Thomas Scherer has been promoted to president, repertoire & marketing, Los Angeles and New York, leading the company’s West Coast and East Coast repertoire organizations. Additionally, Jon Loba, who joined BMG in 2017 following its acquisition of country label and publishing house BBR Music Group, has been confirmed as president, recorded music, Nashville. Both will report to BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch.
Scherer, who has been with Bertelsmann for nearly three decades, joined “the new BMG” at its founding in 2008, becoming one of the company’s original employees based out of Berlin. He was most recently executive vp, repertoire & marketing, Los Angeles. Before that, he served as executive vp frontline publishing, where he spearheaded the integration of BMG’s creative teams globally and was key in developing the company’s China operations.
Since Scherer signed on to lead the Los Angeles marketing & repertoire team in 2014, the company has seen success on the recording side with releases from Run the Jewels, Jason Mraz, KSI and Curtis Waters, among others. He also launched a long-term partnership with Dark Horse Records and has led the charge on developing a stable of rock-focused acts in Los Angeles.
A number of other executive promotions were also announced as part of the restructure. Monti Olson and Dan Gill have been promoted to executive vp roles and will be responsible for U.S. publishing and recorded music in Los Angeles, respectively, reporting to Scherer.
In his new role, Olson will lead BMG’s Los Angeles, Nashville and New York creative teams, in addition to creative services for the company’s film and TV publishing clients. He joined BMG in 2018 as co-head of U.S. A&R publishing, overseeing a roster that includes 21 Savage, Juice WRLD, Diane Warren and Del Records. He came to the company from Warner Records and has also served in roles at Global Entertainment and Universal Music Publishing Group.
Gill, meanwhile, will be responsible for BMG’s frontline recordings repertoire and strategy in Los Angeles, including RBC Records (KSI, Chief Keef, Waka Flocka Flame, Big L, Gucci Mane) and metal/hard rock label Rise Records (Dance Gavin Dance, AFI, Pup, Sevendust). He joined the company in 2014 after its acquisition of Vagrant Records, most recently serving as senior vp recorded music.
Jason Hradil has been elevated to executive vp, recorded music, New York, succeeding John Loeffler, who will take on a newly expanded role centered on VIP client relations, U.S.-wide business and strategic partnerships.
Loeffler, a former TV and commercial producer, joined the company in 2009 as a consultant following its acquisition of Cherry Lane Records and has since spearheaded its relationships with artists including Huey Lewis, Roger Waters, Bad Company, John Fogerty and Kenny Loggins. He also managed BMG’s New York-based S-Curve Records and was the architect of the recently launched OM Records, a partnership with French soccer club Olympique de Marseille.
In his new position, Hradil will take on a dual role; in addition to his new executive vp title, he will continue as senior vp, international marketing, a title he has held since 2019. Going forward, he will oversee BMG’s frontline recordings repertoire and marketing on the East Coast, along with the company’s U.S. interests in global recordings. He has been with BMG since 2011, when he joined as its first U.S. recorded music employee, helping develop the company’s entry into the U.S. record business and managing all marketing, sales, promotion and distribution for artist releases in North America. He previously held roles at Columbia/Epic and Sony BMG.
Lastly, Jecoure Lamothe has been upped to senior director, A&R and marketing at BMG’s rap/hip-hop label RBC Records. In his new role, he will manage all day-to-day operations of the label and its artists, reporting to Gill. He joined BMG in 2018 following its acquisition of RBC.
“The US continues to be BMG’s richest repertoire source and largest revenue generator. After a very strong 2020, we are determined to be in a position to accelerate out of this pandemic rather than resting on our laurels,” Masuch said in a statement. “This new streamlined structure will allow us to raise the bar of excellence when it comes to servicing our artists. I would like to thank Thomas, Jon, Monti, Dan, and Jason for all their contributions to the company and wish them continued success in their new roles.”
“BMG US just enjoyed its best year yet so it’s an honor to take on responsibility for our New York operation as well as LA.,” added Scherer. “I look forward to working alongside Jon Loba as we pursue our objective to provide a real partnership for our artists and songwriters: inspire, help them build and own their creative works and offer them new opportunities to express their talents into books, podcasts, films and documentaries, video games and beyond. More than ever, BMG is the most artist-friendly alternative to the traditional music business.”
In its most recent earnings report, BMG posted a 4.8% increase in revenue to €282 million euros ($310.8 million) at the mid-year point ended June 30, 2020, up from €269 million ($303.9 million) in the year-earlier period.
