Billboard Latin Music Week kicked off Monday (Oct. 14) morning at Fillmore Miami Beach with a 15-minute crash course on how artists can collect their royalties. In a panel called “Global Wealth: How to Collect Your Neighboring Rights Around the World,” speaker Fernando Prados, members area manager of AIE, revealed information on the topic. 

“AIE collects the neighboring rights of its members in 59 countries and it helps the reputation and recognition of the musical work,” he said. 

“Neighboring rights” is the term used to refer to the public performance rights associated with a sound recording, which generates public performance royalties for artists and the sound recording copyright owner(s).

Prados explained that the beneficiaries are “artists on the recording of songs that are hits, as well as the main musicians who formed part of the session.” He also emphasized that “the role of producer does not apply to the rights, only if the producer is featured as an artist.” It’s also possible to do a joint venture with the owners of the master, for example Warner Music. 

At the end of the panel, he also encouraged all the artists at Latin Music Week to continue making music because “the repertoire doesn’t generate much at first, but it’s important to have it for when you get that hit.”

Over the past 35 years, Latin Music Week has become a steady foundation of Latin music in this country, becoming the single most important — and biggest — gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. Initially named Latin Music Seminar, sponsored by Billboard, the event traces back to 1990, when it kicked off as a one-day event in Miami, featuring a two-artist showcase and awards show.

Throughout the years, it has taken place in Miami, Las Vegas and Puerto Rico, returning to Miami Beach for a fourth consecutive year in 2024, and has welcomed some of the biggest Latin acts, including Celia Cruz, Selena, Ricky Martin, Chayanne, Jenni Rivera, Daddy Yankee, Karol G, Bad Bunny and Romeo Santos. Latin Music Week coincides with the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards, set to air at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 20, on Telemundo. It will simultaneously be available on Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app, and in Latin America and the Caribbean through Telemundo Internacional.

Just two years shy of its 60th birthday, Guitar Player magazine will cease publication of its print version and go digital only, its editor has announced. The 58-year-old magazine dedicated to guitars, gear and the musicians who play and love them, publishes its final print issue this week with Jimmy Page on the cover. “What better way to wrap up our history than to have [the rock legend] help us do what we’ve always done best — bring you the finest interviews with your favorite players,” wrote Christopher Scapelliti, who’ll stay on as digital editor.

Founded in 1967 by Bud Eastman, Guitar Player was the first publication dedicated solely to all things guitars. It went on to inspire other singularly-focused magazines like Bass Player and Keyboard, as well as axe-specific competitors like Guitar World, Premier Guitar, Guitarist and Guitar for the Practicing Musician (RIP). The magazine is owned by Future US, an NYC-based publisher with other titles including PC Gamer, Electronic Musician and Guitar World.

In his final editorial for the magazine, Scapelliti acknowledged the challenges faced by the print edition, citing the seismic shift of advertisers to preferring online platforms as a key factor.

“The ‘why’ will be obvious even if you don’t keep each issue tucked away chronologically on shelves,” he wrote. “These increasingly slim volumes demonstrate our almost heroic efforts to persist in an era where advertisers find greater opportunities online. Throughout the ups and downs of these years, we’ve appreciated the support of those readers and advertisers who have kept Guitar Player’s print edition a going concern.”

He also expressed gratitude to readers and advertisers who supported the magazine through its ups and downs, and said subscriptions would automatically be transferred to Guitar World unless a refund is requested. 

Scapelliti also thanked colleagues, including managing director Stuart Williams, content director Scott Rowley, and head of design Brad Merrett, as well as art editor Philip Cheesbrough and music editor Jimmy Brown, and expressed deep appreciation for the writers and editors who contributed to the print magazine’s longevity.

“While longtime readers will lament this change, there’s much more to come in Guitar Player’s future,” Scapelliti said. “As for this final issue, what better way to wrap up our history than to have Jimmy Page help us do what we’ve always done best — bring you the finest interviews with your favorite players.”

Robert’s Smith’s songwriting in The Cure has long focused squarely on melancholy and dark themes. But on the band’s long-awaited upcoming album, Songs of a Lost World (Nov. 1), he takes on a bit of real-life heartache that he said inspired him to pay tribute to his late brother. In a nearly two-hour interview with British journalist Matt Everitt — which can be unlocked by flipping to the album’s release date in Roman numerals here — Smith explains the origins of “I Can Never Say Goodbye.”

“I wrote this song a lot of different ways, until I hit on a very simple narrative of what actually happened on the night he died,” he said of the song dedicated to his late older brother, Richard, while also copping to the Cure’s songs always having an edge of the “fear of morality” in them. “It went all around the houses and I went everywhere with this song to sum up how I felt. In the end, it turned into a reasonably bleak little vignette.”

The singer said he struggled to balance the “outpouring” of emotion he felt at the time with the need to write a coherent song, admitting that some earlier versions of the tune were “too overwrought” for general consumption. For the record, he loved them, but other people suggested they night be “too much.” In fact, when Smith, 65, performed “Goodbye” live on the Cure’s 2023 tour, he said he had trouble not going over the top and being overcome by emotion in concert.

Smith continued, “I wrote the song about it, and the music itself was what I wanted to breathe. I didn’t want the words to dominate the song, in a way that the music can become a backdrop to what you’re singing. In this, I think the music is more important than what I’m singing in a way. It’s a very difficult song to sing. People say ‘cathartic’ too much, but it was. It allowed me to deal with it, and I think it’s helped me enormously.”

Realizing he hasn’t got “that many more albums” in his future, Smith said he wanted his new songs to “mean something,” as opposed to some older Cure songs he said were not as personal. “On this album they all matter [to me],” he said of songs such as “I Can Never Say Goodbye,” which finds him singing, “Something wicked this way comes/ To steal away my brother’s life/ Something wicked this way comes/ I could never say goodbye.”

“When you’re younger, you romanticize [death], even without knowing it. Then it starts happening to your immediate family and friends and suddenly it’s a different thing. It’s something that I struggled with lyrically: how to put this into the songs? I feel like I am different person than I was when we last made an album. I wanted that to come through.”

Songs of a Lost World is the Cure’s long-awaited follow-up to 2008’s 4:13 Dream; so far the group has previewed the LP with the songs “A Fragile Thing,” as well as “Alone.”

Neil Young has made it clear he’s no fan of Donald Trump. The “Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World” guitar hero has threatened to sue twice impeached convicted felon Trump before for playing his songs at campaign rallies, and over the weekend Young made it clear that he does not want to give the former President a second chance in Washington.

“Kamala Harris — She is an honest forthright truth teller who is experienced in the White House, free from ambiguity or evasiveness, who goes straight to the point,” wrote Young on his Archives site on Friday about the sitting Vice President, who is less than a month away from possibly becoming the nation’s first female President.

“Clear headed, young enough to hold the office for a couple of bright future terms, Kamala Harris is a good person who is unafraid to take on criminals and uphold the law of the USA. She’s my candidate for the future of this country,” he continued.

Toronto-born Young, 78 — who became a naturalized American citizen in 2020 — has been very vocal about his disdain for Trump, who continues to peddle the false narrative that he won the 2020 election over President Joe Biden, while over the weekend hurling his latest insult at his opponent when he referred to former Senator and California Attorney General Harris as “retarded.”

“Kamala Harris will take on the billionaire class and make them pay their fair share of taxes,” Young concluded. “She will not owe them favors. She is a kind, considerate American. Cast your vote for a beautiful future for your family. Kamala Harris for President.”

After years of threatening to sue Trump for using his music at campaign rallies without permission, as well as penning a scathing open letter to the former reality TV star in which he referred to Trump as “a disgrace to my country,” Young’s endorsement is a double-down on his August decision to let Harris’ VP pic, Gov. Tim Walz, officially use his song “Rockin’ in the Free World” during campaign events.

Young joins a growing list of A-list stars who’ve stepped up to support Harris since she unexpectedly jumped into the race in July when President Biden agreed to not seek a second term. Among the artists proudly supporting Harris are: Beyoncé, Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, Barbra Streisand, Taylor Swift, Megan Thee Stallion, P!nk, Bon Iver, Bruce Springsteen, Olivia Rodrigo, Ariana Grande and many more.

Less than 48 hours after RIIZE announced it would welcome back seventh member Seunghan after a controversial 10-month hiatus, the decision has been flipped in a shocking about-face.

On Sunday (Oct. 13), two directors under Wizard Production — the management division under the K-pop label SM Entertainment that is in charge of RIIZE — shared the news that Seunghan will permanently leave the boy band. According to the letter from Kim Hyeong Guk and Lee Sang Min, the return news was to “give the artist and the fans greater joy” before, “we realized that our decision had actually hurt fans more and caused them greater confusion instead.”

While some fans celebrated the comeback, others protested the decision by surrounding SM Entertainment’s local headquarters in Seoul with funeral wreaths — an increasingly common but concerning move from K-pop fans looking to make a bold statement, which has also recently been employed by the likes of fans of BTS and NewJeans.

“Seunghan has consistently expressed his desire to leave the group for the sake of the members and the fans,” Wizard Production added. “Out of respect for the artist’s decision, we are announcing Seunghan’s departure from RIIZE, instead of his joining the group.”

The announcement included a promise that “We will support Seunghan in the future so that he can showcase his talents and follow his dreams,” seemingly indicating he will remain signed under SM Entertainment. (At press time, Seunghan is still listed as a member of RIIZE on SM’s official website as he was during his hiatus.)

Seunghan followed up with a handwritten letter posted to RIIZE’s Weverse account, where he still has an active account as a group member, to explain his decision to leave.

“After pondering deeply whether I’ve been thinking only of myself too much, whether I’m causing too much harm to the members and the company, and whether it’s really okay for me to be part of RIIZE, who should be loved, I only felt worried and apologetic,” the 21-year-old wrote. “So I think that my leaving the group is the right path for everyone. I don’t want to cause any more hurt or confusion for the fans, and I don’t want to harm the members any further, and I also don’t want to hurt the company any further.”

Seunghan added that he didn’t want to cause tension or infighting between fans.

Previously, on Oct. 11, RIIZE’s social media accounts announced that Seunghan would “gradually” rejoin the act beginning in November, citing “numerous discussions with the staff and members about the direction of the group’s future activities.” He also greeted fans in a letter, writing, “The members held my hand once again. I am only filled with gratitude and apologetic feelings for giving me another chance.”

Curiously, RIIZE member Wonbin had directly addressed fans about Seunghan’s return just hours before the reversal was announced — until its removal.

Writing on Weverse, Wonbin seemed to sense trepidation from some fans. “I am worried that you guys would struggle more and be confused if the members don’t say a word or react to anything, so, I am writing this after organizing the conversations we’ve had with the members,” the 22-year-old wrote. “I’m sure many of you have wondered if Seunghan was coming back or not a lot, or why there wasn’t a clear answer sooner… us, Seunghan, and the company, really talked about this for a long period of time.”

As Seunghan mentioned in his first letter to fans after his announced return, Wonbin emphasized that the decision came from within RIIZE.

“I hope that you guys realize the members have thought about this together again and again, considering this deeply,” Wonbin wrote. “I had wanted always to make all of our BRIIZE happy, but I’m sorry I am unable to do that… I know this post will not be able to erase all of your worries, but I hope that it can comfort you in your confusion, even just a little bit.”

Wonbin’s post was deleted from RIIZE’s Weverse account after Seunghan’s exit was confirmed. See a screenshot of the removed post, and a translation, from a social media account dedicated to sharing RIIZE’s Weverse activities.

#WONBIN 🌟 WROTE A POST

“RIIZE wouldn’t be here without BRIIZE. As I always say, I want to continue making good memories with BRIIZE for a long, long time. So please keep looking at us warmly, like you always have, and keep cheering for us, it would mean so much to us” pic.twitter.com/c61nGQbbNe

— RIIZE WEVERSE (@riize_weverse) October 12, 2024

Seunghan’s controversies began before RIIZE’s official debut. Since August 2023, the young singer has dealt with the fallout of leaked pre-debut photos and videos of him that ignited backlash within some of South Korea’s more conservative social climates. Images showed Seunghan in bed with an unidentified woman and smoking a cigarette, which some fans labeled as inappropriate for a K-pop idol, demanding that he exit the group. Last November, SM Entertainment announced that Seunghan would “halt activities indefinitely” with no follow-up news from the label leading fans, media and industry insiders forced to speculate about RIIZE’s future.

Read RIIZE’s full statement below from Wizard Productions (with translation provided via Soompi):

Hello, this is Wizard Production.

First, we sincerely apologize for hurting BRIIZE [RIIZE’s fandom] and causing confusion through our announcement of Seunghan’s return on October 11.

We feel particularly apologetic for prioritizing Wizard Production’s position, instead of making our top priorities the growth achieved by the six RIIZE members while working their hardest; the support of BRIIZE, who have been RIIZE’s greatest source of strength during that journey; and the preciousness of the times that RIIZE and BRIIZE have spent together.

We made this decision after debating it for a long time because we thought that if Seunghan returned after reflecting on his past wrongdoings and RIIZE showed another level of growth as a group, we would be able to give the artist and the fans greater joy.

However, the announcement of his return, we ruminated carefully on each and every one of the opinions and responses sent in by fans, and we realized that our decision had actually hurt fans more and caused them greater confusion instead.

At the same time, Seunghan has consistently expressed his desire to leave the group for the sake of the members and the fans.

Out of respect for the artist’s decision, we are announcing Seunghan’s departure from RIIZE, instead of his joining the group.

We will support Seunghan in the future so that he can showcase his talents and follow his dreams.

Above all else, we also sincerely apologize for creating hardships and confusion for the six members who have, ever since their debut, always given their all while thinking of the fans and who made the RIIZE of today possible by thinking and working harder than anyone else in each and every moment.

We will continue to do our utmost to support the RIIZE members so that they can grow even further in the future as well.

Wizard Production will be careful and cautious in all matters in the future, and we will work hard so that RIIZE and BRIIZE can be happy together for a long time.

– Wizard Production directors Kim Hyeong Guk, Lee Sang Min

Read Seunghan’s full letter below (with translation provided via Soompi):

Hello, this is Seunghan.

I know that many people took the matter of my return to activities seriously, and I too am aware of the seriousness of the current situation.

After pondering deeply whether I’ve been thinking only of myself too much, whether I’m causing too much harm to the members and the company, and whether it’s really okay for me to be part of RIIZE, who should be loved, I only felt worried and apologetic.

So I think that my leaving the group is the right path for everyone.

I don’t want to cause any more hurt or confusion for the fans, and I don’t want to harm the members any further, and I also don’t want to hurt the company any further.

I’d like to thank the company and the members, who made efforts to give me another opportunity, and I’m also both sorry and thankful to the people who have cheered me on all this time despite my many shortcomings.

I truly do not want the relationship between RIIZE and BRIIZE, who were growing together while supporting one another, to be damaged because of me. It also breaks my heart to see the fans, for whom it should be more than enough to just love RIIZE, fighting with each other because of me.

I will sincerely cheer on RIIZE, whom I love, while hoping that they will receive more love in the future.