All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Although the PlayStation 5 was released just a few years ago in Nov. 2020, Sony announced an upgrade to the company’s PlayStation 5 Pro gaming console coming near the end of 2024. Simply called the PlayStation 5 Pro, the new system promises more realistic graphics, smoother motion and deeper detail for gamers.
Priced at $699.99, the Sony PlayStation 5 Pro (Digital Edition) gaming console is available for pre-order on Thursday, Sept. 26. It’s set for release a few weeks later on Thursday, Nov. 7.
The PS5 Pro is designed for better performance with high refresh rate 4K TVs and gaming monitors with enhanced AI-upscaled Ultra HD video output of up to 120Hz. This means games will look and move smoother and more fluid without lag or giving up video quality.
The new gaming console also features advance ray tracing, which means in-game reflections, shadows and illuminations will look more realistic with stunning graphics. This adds to the game’s immersion, so it feels more true to life.
Meanwhile, all PS5 games — including Astro Bot, Gran Turismo 7, Horizon Forbidden West, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, The Last of Us, Part II and more — are compatible with the PS5 Pro, which doubles storage capacity from 1TB to 2TB on-board. The gaming console also featured faster Wi-Fi connectivity for quicker downloads, cloud gaming play and data transfers.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2024-09-12 14:43:412024-09-12 14:43:41Sony Announces New PlayStation 5 Pro Is Coming This Year: Here’s When You Can Buy It
The House Judiciary Committee has sent a letter to the Register of Copyrights, Shira Perlmutter, requesting an examination of “concerns” and “emerging issues” related to performing rights organizations (PROs).
In the letter, signed by the committee’s chairmen Rep. Jim Jordan and Rep. Darrell Issa as well as member Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, two particular areas of concern are addressed: the “proliferation” of new PROs and the lack of transparency about the distribution of general licensing revenue.
The letter, obtained by Billboard, notes the latter issue is of particular importance to independent artists and smaller publishers. “It is difficult to assess how efficiently PROs are distributing general licensing revenue based on publicly available data,” the letter reads. “For example, it is difficult to determine how accurately lesser known and independent artists as well as smaller publishers are being compensated compared to widely popular artists and major publishers.”
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Concerns around transparency at the PROs are not new. The National Music Publishers’ Association, the trade organization representing music publishers, has spoken publicly about it, as have a number of individual songwriters and publishers over the years. These concerns grew last year after BMI, one of the largest PROs in the country, switched its business model from non-profit to for-profit and was acquired by private equity firm New Mountain Capital.
At the end of BMI’s fiscal year 2022, Billboard reported that “for the first time ever, it hardly contains any financial information.”
“I believe that you have a fundamental right to know what it costs you to use a particular collection society now I will tell you that ASCAP gives you a pretty close look at what it costs not exactly, but they give you a pretty close ballpark,” said NMPA CEO and president David Israelite at an Association of Independent Music Publishers’ Meeting in February. “BMI at the end of the last fiscal year we didn’t get that information.”
The letter states that it “request[s] that the Office examine how the various PROs currently gather information from live music venues, music services, and other general licensees about public performance; the level of information currently provided by PROs to the public; whether any gaps or discrepancies occur in royalty distribution; what technological and business practices exist or could be developed to improve the current system; the extent to which the current distribution practices are the result of existing legal and regulatory constraints; and potential recommendations for policymakers.”
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The “proliferation” of PROs is a newer concern. Around the world, most countries typically have one PRO for local writers and publishers to join. In the U.S., it works differently. For over a hundred years, ASCAP and BMI have been the primary choices for a songwriter or publisher looking to collect performance royalties in the United States, but there is also the option to go with SESAC instead, a smaller but still important player in the U.S. PRO landscape, which has been around for almost as long.
Since its founding in 2013, Global Music Rights (GMR), a for-profit PRO founded by industry veteran Irving Azoff, has become a heavyweight in the space as well. GMR business model is to focus on a smaller roster of only the top tier of songwriters and then charging a premium to the bars, venues, shops and theaters that wanted to play them. Because their roster includes major artists including Bruce Springsteen, Billie Eilish, Drake, and more, the GMR blanket license became immediately important for licensees to have, no matter the cost.
In 2017, a fifth U.S.-based PRO emerged. AllTrack was founded by media investor and former SESAC-board member Hayden Bower and is designed to focus on indie creators with a tech-forward approach. This year, AllTrack became the fourth U.S. PRO to be accepted by the International Confederation of Socities of Authors and Composers (CISAC), along with ASCAP, BMI and SESAC.
“Licensees [like bars, restaurants and small businesses] have reported receiving demands for royalties from new entities claiming to represent songwriters… Licensees are concerned that the proliferation of PROs represents an ever-present danger of infringement allegations and potential litigation risk from new and unknown sources,” the letter states.
“We request that the USCO examine the increased costs and burdens imposed on licensees for paying an ever-increasing number of PROs, factors that may be contributing to the proliferation of new PROs, and recommendations on how to improve clarity and certainty for licensees,” it continues.
Perlmutter and the Copyright Office cannot make any specific changes to the way PROs work today, but often letters like this are sent in hopes that it will draw attention to particular issues or become the predicate for a hearing or draft bill.
Regional Mexican music continues to surf a wave of unprecedented global popularity and expansion, with names like Peso Pluma, Luis R Conriquez, Edén Muñoz, Fuerza Regida and Grupo Frontera crowning Billboard’s global and U.S. charts.
Yet women in the genre are almost nowhere to be found. Just one female artist-led song appeared among the 50 on Billboard’s year-end Regional Mexican Airplay Songs chart: Yuridia and Angela Aguilar’s “Qué Agonía.” And among the regional Mexican acts dominating the Hot Latin Songs chart, only one female name comes up: pop singer Kenia Os as a guest on Peso Pluma’s “Tommy & Pamela.”
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Behind the scenes, it’s a different story entirely. In what had long been a world of male dominance in the C-suite of música mexicana, women are now powerhouses. María Inés Sánchez, formerly head of marketing for regional Mexican indie label Afinarte, is now the West Coast vp for Sony Music U.S. Ana Luisa Gómez, who has worked with Alicia Villarreal and Sergio Vega, among others, now manages superstar Muñoz. Rosela Zavala manages Ana Bárbara, and Adriana Martínez manages rising trio Yahritza y Su Esencia.
And they’re just a few among a growing group of women that also includes Ana Martínez (leading Fonovisa/Disa’s U.S. division), Delia Orjuela (head of creative for música mexicana at Warner Chappell) and managers for some of the most visible artists on the charts, like Ivan Cornejo, Xavi and Eslabon Armado.
Billboard gathered four of these executives for a candid conversation about how they’ve managed to make their marks in a complex genre they readily admit is “full of men” — and the unique skill set that it has taken.
“I’ve always said that I’m one person at home, and another when I leave my house and I become that other person that everyone says, ‘Oh, she’s super angry, super hysterical,’ ” Gómez says with a smile. “Yeah. I’m super all that because if I wasn’t, I think I wouldn’t have made it.”
Spanish singer-songwriter Natalia Jimenez (left) and Gómez
How did you get your start in the world of regional Mexican music?
Ana Luisa Gómez: I graduated from the University of Monterrey [in Mexico] in communications and started working in television, where I spent 14 years producing entertainment and musical programs. Fifteen years ago, I left that and started managing Sergio Vega, “El Shaka,” may he rest in peace. [Vega was murdered in 2010.] Then I started my advertising agency, offering a 360 model of booking, promotion, radio, television. Later I decided to focus more on management, and I’ve been with Edén Muñoz for three years.
María Inés Sánchez: I also started years ago at PolyGram, Sony, Universal, Machete, always in marketing, and when I moved to Los Angeles I started doing public relations. Later, [my client] Chiquis Rivera recommended me to run PR for DEL Records [in 2016], and that’s how I started in the Mexican music genre. I worked with Régulo Caro, Gerardo Ortiz, Ulices Chaidez, Los Plebes del Rancho [de Ariel Camacho].
Rosela Zavala: Like María Inés, I got my start through Chiquis. I came from the pop world, working with Paulina Rubio and later with Gloria Trevi. And from Gloria I went to Chiquis and landed in a completely different world, the regional Mexican music world. I co-managed Chiquis, and Ana Bárbara is the first artist I fully manage.
Adriana Martínez: I’ve only been doing this for two years. The role of manager fell on me. My brothers, Yahritza y Su Esencia, began to be recognized, and since they always turn to me, I had to get a lawyer and all that. When I said, “OK, now you can fly alone,” they said, “No, please don’t leave us.” The truth is I started in this with zero experience.
What has been the most difficult thing about being a manager?
Martínez: Being siblings, and then transitioning into manager mode. At first, the guys didn’t take me very seriously when I said, “We need to do this.” The seriousness of things was there, but it was easier for them to procrastinate because I was the one in charge and I was their sister.
Gómez: The most challenging thing for me is working with men. They’re all men. There are no women, at least not in the teams I have worked on, starting with Sergio Vega. It’s not easy for men to accept that someone is telling them what to do and how, although it’s not a mandate. But I understand. It’s machismo. So the most challenging thing is to deal with that and develop a strong character.
Zavala: I have found it difficult to get Ana’s music heard on the radio. We bring songs and they say, “Oh, the traditional mariachi isn’t playing now. It’s grupero.” So Ana says, “Let’s do grupero,” and they say, “Ah, grupero sounds old.” In Mexico we get played much more, but in the U.S., with so many men on that chart, it’s difficult to get in. Also, in the beginning with Ana, I wrote to a couple of concert promoters that I knew, and they weren’t interested in her tour. A few years later, those same people wanted to work with her. I love making that happen. But I always looked for the people who told me they believed in her, let’s do it. And there are many people, even men, who told me, “Yes, we will give it our all.”
Ana Bárbara (left) and Zavala
Do you remember the first time you had to lay down the law to be taken seriously?
Gómez: With Sergio Vega, of course. I met him through Oscar Flores, a super-renowned concert promoter, and we clicked. But Sergio was a man without reins. He did what he wanted, how he wanted. He was a great talent looking for the right direction, but he didn’t know how to do it. When I said left, he said right. And one day, after an event in Sonora [Mexico], where everything I told him not to do, he did, I grabbed my suitcase, knocked on his hotel room door and told him, “That’s it. I don’t have to deal with you or your people or your party.” I took my bags and flew home to Monterrey. After five days, he came to see me and said: “I am in your hands. What do we do?” And from there, we became family.
Do you think of one moment in your career as particularly defining? María Inés, I remember meeting you when you were a junior publicist, and then seeing you become a powerful executive at the Afinarte label…
Sánchez: That’s where I started, from ground zero. When I began working at Afinarte, they didn’t have a company email, for example. The first year, they uploaded the music to TuneCore and I made the pitches to the platforms. They didn’t have a distributor. I came from working at multinationals, which of course are highly organized and have departments for everything. Here we had to assemble everything, and I was the only woman: The bosses, the musicians, even the photographers were men. So it was a challenge, but I thank them because not many companies would have given me that much autonomy.
Zavala: Working with Paulina was like getting a master’s degree. [Initially], I was the president of her fan club, and she gave me the opportunity to be her personal assistant. Then I finished my “master’s degree” with Gloria. I spent eight years with her. I saw her struggle at the beginning with her shows, and then saw her grow to play arenas. She gave me that opportunity to grow and learn more and do day-to-day management. It was scary at the beginning. When you go from being a fan to being an assistant, you are no longer the friend. Everything becomes much more serious.
Martínez: I graduated [with a degree] in psychology. I worked as an outreach coordinator [for a health provider], and I already had my life planned. [When I started working with my brothers], the most important thing was to make sure that the values that our parents had taught us — keeping our feet on the ground, not forgetting where we came from, manners — were maintained. But there have also been times where I’ve said, “This is as far as it goes; I’m their sister, but if they don’t have respect for me as their manager, then that’s it.” After that, things calmed down and thank God, we are all moving together. But sometimes you have to have those talks or pack your bags and leave. All these battles have made us realize that family is important but also the respect we have as business partners is important.
Yahritza y Su Esencia with their sister and manager Martínez (second from left).
Aside from the difficulty of being taken seriously, what is most challenging for you on a day-to-day basis?
Martínez: We work with a major label [Columbia] and an indie label [Lumbre Music]. It’s good to have the macro view and the micro view, but our work doesn’t end there. It’s always been super important for us to have that relationship with the fans, to reach a point where they know the artist as people. And we didn’t receive much support in that respect. We said, “If we show people who we are and where we come from, our hearts will connect,” and sometimes big companies don’t understand that.
Gómez: Above all, the people that surround the artist but aren’t part of the music industry and love to mess things up. Going back to something that María Inés said, the daily challenge to be validated.
Are there certain advantages you do have as women in this business?
Martínez: I think we have that emotional balance, and we can see that in our empathy. The balance we give our artists with that empathy is super important, and it helps them know that they can trust us and that we are here to play any role.
Gómez: I am neither Edén’s mother, grandmother nor cousin, but you have to be all of that for him. Understand if he’s had a bad day, if his child is sick that day. A man also understands, but I think that a man has less sensitivity than us, he doesn’t have that sixth sense we have where as soon as I see him, I know what’s up. I think that as a woman you can dig in a little bit further than a man would dare to.
Zavala: The sensitivity we have with them and putting ourselves in their shoes. Even if you’re having a bad day, you still have to get onstage, sing. So the ability to support them from behind, be a cheerleader and look them in the eyes and giving them that support they need at that moment is very important. Because although you’re not family, you become family.
From left: Sony Music Latin president Alex Gallardo, Mexican singer-songwriter Ramón Vega and Sánchez at Sony Music Latin’s 2023 Música Mexicana Celebration in Los Angeles.
What advice would you give to anyone starting out in the music business?
Gómez: You have to be passionate. If you go for the money or for the “I’m the manager,” bye. The money will come. It’s about fighting to place the artist at the level [they are] and being clean and honest. And don’t be a fan. It’s one thing to admire your artist, but don’t fall into fandom. You won’t be able to help them.
Sánchez: Don’t give up and be patient. And be empathetic. Be attentive. Be a little more human and don’t look at artists as a money machine. And speak up. Before, I stayed back and swallowed a lot of things. You have to raise your voice in the moment. Go for it. If you don’t agree with something, say so.
Zavala: Don’t take things personally. I was 22 when I started. I was so very young. Now that I’m older, I think back to how sensitive I was. Because it’s not about you. You grow thick skin. And, I’d say, speak up. Present your ideas, articulate them and land them as they should be.
Martínez: Be patient. Love, passion for your work, is what will lead you to do a good job with your artist. And most of all, don’t throw in the towel so soon. And ask. I would always hold back. I would talk down to myself. Ask for help, ask questions. I always thought that they were going to see me as “How could you not know that?” But all questions are good.
This story appears in Billboard‘s Rumbazo special issue, dated Sept. 14, 2024.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2024-09-12 14:13:212024-09-12 14:13:21Meet the Women Behind Música Mexicana’s Men
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Teddy Swims can still remember being 12 years old when he got his first pair of Timberland boots. While the outerwear brand’s Yellow Boot has continued to top style charts for fashion-forward utility wear, for the 31-year-old singer, the shoes were simply a sturdy pair of work boots that helped him score some extra cash as a kid.
“My stepdad at the time was like, ‘Well, if you’re going to get some money, I’ll give you $10 an hour, you’re going to work 10 hours every day, and then you can go spend your own money,’” Swims recalls in an interview with Billboard. “He bought me a pair of boots, and I was out there rolling sod on a football field.”
In a full-circle moment, “The Door” singer now joins Timberland’s Iconic campaign, which launched Thursday (Sept. 12) and continues celebrating the classic Yellow Boot while spotlighting a mix of original and authentic creatives, including Naomi Campbell, Slawn and Kai-Isaiah Jamal.
Made from premium leather, Timberland’s boots will help carry your feet in comfort throughout the day using a rubber sole and waterproof material. The lace-up design makes it easy to adjust to your preferences while the anti-fatigue insole can easily be removed to customize the shoes to your liking.
You can still find Swims wearing a pair of Yellow Boots, which he finds look best with a “pair of daisy dukes” (otherwise known as jean shorts).
Combine classics in a pair of bestselling Levi’s denim shorts that come with a soft cotton mix material that has a hint of shoppers. Some Amazon shoppers love the style so much that they’ve been “wearing this style for years” — and as an added bonus, the shorts are 60% off.
2024 has been an ultra-successful year for the R&B singer, who scored his first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with his soulful single “Lose Control,” which has managed to remain on the chart for 56 weeks. The artist keeps winning, being labeled by Timberland as “Iconic,” which he says is “all I ever wanted to be.”
How does one know they’re an icon? Besides being the face of a major campaign, Swims believes you have to reach Halloween costume status.
“I have a dear friend of mine that I went to middle school with and he said the definition of Iconic is when somebody can dress as you for Halloween and you could be noticeable,” he says. “For my entire life then on, I was like, ‘How can I be somebody that somebody could dress as for Halloween?’ They’ll know, ‘Oh, sh–, that’s Teddy Swims!’”
And according to the artist, it finally happened to him a few years ago when his tour manager’s little cousin dressed as him for Halloween.
“I was like, ‘I’m officially an icon, I did it,’” he adds.
And if you’re wondering how you can pull off a recognizable Teddy Swims costume, he says you simply need a fake beard, fake tattoos and jokes, “Maybe tuck a pillow under your shirt, get a little gut going.”
Bring a touch of facial hair to your face in an instant with this 10-pack of fake beards. You’ll receive a mix of beard styles attached to an elastic band in red, black and gray shades.
Complete your Swims costume by decorating your face, arms and legs with temporary tattoos. This pack comes with 36 sheets featuring a range of symbols and pictures you can apply. Each tattoo is waterproof, non-toxic and hypoallergenic and just need to be applied to clean skin for the best results.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2024-09-12 14:13:202024-09-12 14:13:20Teddy Swims Reaches ‘Icon’ Status in New Timberland Campaign: ‘That’s All I Ever Wanted to Be’
The world of Arcane is expanding with a second season this fall, and Stray Kids, Twenty One Pilots and more artists are coming along for the ride.
As Riot Games and Virgin Music Group exclusively announced with Billboard on Thursday (Sept. 12), the animated series inspired by the League of Legends game will feature a soundtrack packed with A-list artists. In addition to the K-pop boy band and American pop-rock duo — who recorded singles called “Come Play” and “The Line,” respectively — Young Miko, King Princess, Stromae, Marcus King, Ashnikko, d4vd, Sheryl Lee Ralph and more all contributed to the album.
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“We’re very passionate about Arcane and League of Legends,” Stray Kids said in a band statement. “Our single ‘Come Play’ has a dynamic taste to it, bringing all sorts of voices and languages together. We enjoy playing League, and we’re excited for fans to hear this song and see the second season of Arcane!”
TØP’s Tyler Joseph added that he was inspired to join the project after watching the first season of Arcane, praising how “the idea of family and who can make up your family” was a central theme of the show.
Expected to arrive in November, the second season of Arcane comes three years after the show’s initial premiere on Netflix in 2021. Centered on Legends characters Vi and Jinx — voiced by Hailee Steinfeld and Ella Purnell — Arcane took home four of the five Emmy nominations it received in 2022, including outstanding animated program.
Last season also featured an army of major artists on its soundtrack, including Imagine Dragons, Pusha T, Sting, Bea Miller, Denzel Curry and more. According to a release, the album has racked up more than 5.6 billion global streams to date.
“Arcane’s groundbreaking approach to music inspired an incredibly diverse group of artists from many genres, languages, and cultures who wanted to be part of this new season,” said Riot’s global head of music Maria Egan. “Each song was a unique collaboration between the artists, our showrunners and Riot’s composers. Music is the heartbeat of the League community and we can’t wait for our fans to experience this epic album to deepen their connection to these powerful stories.”
See the full Arcane League of Legends: Season 2 album tracklist below.
“I Can’t Hear It Now” – Freya Ridings
“Sucker” – Marcus King
“Renegade (We Never Run)” – Stefflon Don, Raja Kumari ft. Jarina De Marco
“Hellfire” – Fever 333
“To Ashes And Blood” – Woodkid
“Paint The Town Blue” – Ashnikko
“Remember Me (Intro)” – d4vd
“Remember Me” – d4vd
“Cocktail Molotov” – ZAND
“What Have They Done To Us” – Mako, Grey
“Rebel Heart” – Djerv
“The Beast – Misha Mansoor
“Spin The Wheel” – Mick Wingert
“Ma Meilleure Ennemie” – Stromae, Pomme
“Fantastic” – King Princess
“The Line” – Twenty One Pilots
“Blood Sweat & Tears” – Sheryl Lee Ralph
“Come Play” – Stray Kids, Young Miko, Tom Morello
“Wasteland” – Royal & the Serpent
“Enemy with JID (Opening Title version) from the series Arcane League of Legends)” – Imagine Dragons feat. JID
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2024-09-12 14:13:192024-09-12 14:13:19Stray Kids, Twenty One Pilots & More Join League of Legends ‘Arcane’ Season 2 Soundtrack
Six months after announcing his departure from his long-time label home, MCA/Universal Music Group Nashville, country singer-songwriter Kip Moore has signed a global deal with label services company Virgin Music Group.
The first track through the new deal will be “Live Here to Work,” out Sept. 20. Of the song, Moore says, “It pushes the envelope a bit, but we wanted to come out swinging.” The teaser Moore posted to his Instagram shows him playing a blistering guitar lick on the rock-oriented song.
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“I was excited to make this record as a truly independent artist, but wanted to remain open to partner with a team if and when it made sense,” Moore tells Billboard. “I enjoyed getting to know the Virgin team, and their tenacity, passion and their focus on a global plan made this feel like the next best step.”
“I have been a fan of Kip’s for years now. His music’s universal themes transcend genre and appeal to a huge variety of music fans,” added Jacqueline Saturn, president of Virgin Music Group North America and executive vp of global artist relationships, in a statement. “Along with his music, his commitment to relentless touring has helped him build a powerful global fanbase. We know this next phase of his career is going to be amazing.”
Four of Moore’s five albums released through MCA reached the top 5 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, and he landed five top 5 songs on the Country Airplay chart, including his 2011 No. 1, “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck.” His most recent set was 2023’s Damn Love.
The gravelly-voiced singer’s career has not been led by country radio, but he adds, “Virgin is equipped and ready for a radio campaign if we decide that’s the best path.”
Furthermore, he says it’s too soon to gauge the difference of signing with Virgin as opposed to a Nashville-based label. “I think it’s fair to say, except for maybe the very initial releases, none of my career has been ‘traditional.’” he says. “We’ve been seeing a real growth internationally from touring there the past few years, and so it felt natural to go with a team that has tentacles in a lot of different territories, particularly the countries I have toured extensively. UMGN was really great…UMGN always let me seek my own vision. Sometimes it’s just time for a change and right now this new situation feels good. They’re eager and want to put in the work. I guess I’ll know the differences once we are off and running.”
Moore has built an especially robust following in South Africa as a live draw and will headline the inaugural Cape Town Country Festival, held Oct. 26-27, at Cape Town, South Africa’s 60,000-capacity DHL Stadium. In 2023, Moore’s three shows in Cape Town and Pretoria, South Africa, sold 44,000 tickets. Prior to Cape Town, Moore has gigs in New Zealand and Australia this month. The Cape Town show will be followed by the U.S. portion of his Nomad World Tour, which starts Nov. 11 in Columbia, S.C.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2024-09-12 14:13:182024-09-12 14:13:18Kip Moore Signs With Virgin Music Group
Karol G leads the list of finalists for the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards, with 21 nods in categories including artist of the year, tour of the ytear, Global 200 Latin artist of the year, and top Latin album of the year for Mañana Será Bonito, Billboard and Telemundo announced Thursday (Sep. 12).
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For the third consecutive year, the Colombian star garners the greatest number of entries for a female artist, after achieving 15 in 2022 and 13 in 2023. Her song “Qlona,” with Mexican star Peso Pluma, competes for six awards — including Hot Latin Song of the year, Global 200 Latin Song of the year and Sales Song of the Year —while her hit “Mi Ex Tenía Razón” garners two nods, forLatin airplay song of the year and Sales Song of the year.
Following Karol G are Bad Bunny and Peso Pluma with 15 nods each. Bunny competes, among others, for Artist of the Year, Global 200 artist of the year, and tour of the year. His song “Perro Negro” with Feid, including Global 200 Latin song of the year, Hot Latin Song of the Year, and Hot Latin Song of the Year, Vocal Event. His album Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va A Pasar Mañana competes for Top Latin Album of the Year and Latin Rhythm Album of the Year.
Pluma, meanwhile, is up for Artist of the Year, Global 200 Artist of the Year, songwriter of the year, and regional Mexican album of the Year for Éxodo. In addition to his six entries with Karol G for “Qlona,” his hit “Lady Gaga” with Gabito Ballesteros and Junior H competes for two awards: Hot Latin Song of the year, vocal event and Streaming Song of the year.
Feid boasts 11 entries. In addition to the five he achieved for “Perro Negro” with Bad Bunny, he also competes for Global 200 Latin artist of the year, and Latin rhythm album of the year for Ferxxocalipsis.
With eight entries are regional Mexican acts Fuerza Regida and Junior H, both artist of the year finalists. The group also competes, among others, for Hot Latin Song of the year, vocal event for “Harley Quinn” with Marshmello, as well as Top Latin Album of the year and regional Mexican album of the year with Pa Las Baby’s y Belikeada. Junior H is also a Top Latin Album of the year and regional Mexican album of the Year finalist for $adBoyz For Life II.
Other artists with multiple mentions include Xavi (7), Grupo Frontera y Mike Towers (5), Aventura, Gabito Ballesteros, Kali Uchis, y Shakira (4), Cris Mj, Eslabon Armado, FloyyMenor, Julión Alvarez y su Norteño Banda, Marc Anthony, Prince Royce, Rauw Alejandro y Young Miko (3), ATL Jacob, Edgar “Edge” Barrera, Grupo Firme, JOP, Luis Figueroa, Maná, Marshmello, Natanael Cano, Piso 21, Reik, Venesti and Wisin (2).
The 31st annual Billboard Latin Music Awards will be broadcast on Telemundo on October 20 at 9pm ET from Miami. It will simultaneously be available on the Spanish entertainment cable network Universo, on Peacock and the Telemundo app, and in Latin America and the Caribbean through Telemundo Internacional.
This year’s awards will be presented in 49 categories spanning major Latin music genres, from Latin pop to tropical, and Latin rhythm to regional Mexican.
The Latin Billboard Music Awards are the only ones that recognize the most popular albums, songs and performers in Latin music, according to Billboard‘s weekly charts. Produced by Telemundo and MBS Special Events, they coincide with Billboard Latin Music Week, which returns to Miami Beach Oct. 14-18 with a roster of star speakers including Alejandro Sanz, Gloria Estefan, Danny Ocean, Peso Pluma and many more. Get your tickets today for the Billboard Latin Music Week 2024 here.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2024-09-12 13:51:022024-09-12 13:51:02Karol G Tops 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards Finalists: Complete List
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Two super middleweight boxers clash in “Sin City” on Saturday (Sept. 14), Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez (61-2-2) defends his titles against American Edgar “The Chosen One” Berlanga (22-0-0) in a highly-anticipated match. The bout is scheduled for 12 rounds with the winner earning the WBC, WBA and WBO Super Middleweight titles.
Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, with the main event beginning around 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT.
Want to watch the Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga online? This is a pay-per-view event that is streaming on PPV.com for $89.99, so the only way to watch it is to purchase the PPV feed here. Additionally, the match is available on Prime Video for the same PPV price.
Meanwhile, the Alvarez vs. Berlanga PPV price is also streamable for $89.99 for DAZN subscribers. Not a subscriber? You can get access to the PPV livestream with a 7-day free trial (afterward, it’s $29.99 per month). In addition, if you’d like to go for an annual subscription, you can still get the first month for free ($19.99 per month afterwards) for $239.88 per year in total with the service’s 12-month contract.
With DAZN, you get access to more than 100 live fights every year, along with fight replays, highlights, documentaries and much more.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2024-09-12 13:18:552024-09-12 13:18:55Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga in Las Vegas Livestream: How to Watch the Boxing Card Online
Stop me if you know you’ve heard this one before. Despite the end-times detente between long-battling brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher of Oasis that recently led to their announcement of a 2025 UK tour, some things in the music feud world never change.
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Case in point: the Smiths. The legendary British purveyors of sorrowful rock broke up acrimoniously in 1987, and based on their latest alleged loggerheads it seems certain that they are never, ever getting back together. Not even to re-release their old music, according to lead lamenter Morrissey.
In a post on his official blog on Wednesday (Sept. 11) titled “Smiths Not OK,” the 65-year-old singer claimed that his ex-bandmate and chief nemesis, former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, has “blocked” the release of a planned greatest hits compilation. “The proposed greatest hits album by The Smiths entitled Smiths Rule OK! has been blocked by J Marr,” he wrote, in a post featuring a classic pic of the four-man Manchester band and what he said was a new cover image of their 1983 debut single, “Hand in Glove.”
Morrissey said that the single and hits comp were slated for release this year worldwide by Warner Records along with a deluxe box set of the band’s 1984 self-titled debut album, which featured such beloved tales of woeful misery as “Reel Around the Fountain,” “Miserable Lie,” “Still Ill” and “What Difference Does it Make?” The singer said the 40th anniversary edition of the album was to be packaged with a new 7-inch of the single “This Charming Man” as well.
“Warner approached Morrissey and [graphic designer] Darren Evans to assemble artwork for all four releases, all of which were rejected and halted out of hand by J Marr,” Morrissey wrote. At press time it did not appear that band composer Marr — whose iconic jangly, ringing guitar tone was as crucial to the band’s sound as Morrissey’s laconic, sad-eyed vocals and lyrics — had responded to the singer’s claims and a spokesperson for Marr had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment.
During their brief, but highly impactful tenure, The Smiths released just four full-length studio albums, all of which featured songs that have become alt rock landmarks, including “That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore,” “Meat Is Murder,” “Bigmouth Strikes Again,” “The Boy With the Thorn in His Side,” “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out,” “Girlfriend in a Coma,” “Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me” and, of course, “Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before.”
Morrissey paid loving tribute to late bassist Andy Rourke — with whom he and Marr had also feuded with over the band’s royalties — in May 2023 after Rourke’s death at 59 from pancreatic cancer. “Sometimes one of the most radical things you can do is to speak clearly. When someone dies, out come the usual blandishments… as if their death is there to be used. I’m not prepared to do this with Andy,” the singer wrote at the time.
Last month, Morrissey posted a note claiming that in June of this year AEG Entertainment made a “lucrative offer” to both Morrissey and Marr to reunite for a Smith’s world tour in 2025, to which he claimed he said yes while Marr “ignored the offer.” In keeping with the sniping acrimony between the former bandmates, the misanthropic singer added that while he “undertakes a largely sold out tour of the USA in November, Marr continues to tour as a special guest to New Order.”
For the record, Marr is slated to kick off a headlining North American tour with opener James on Sept. 17 at the Paramount Theatre in Denver that will run through an Oct. 18 gig at the Palace Theatre in St. Paul, MN.
While the Gallaghers have miraculously managed to set aside their sibling rivalry for a run of shows most fans never thought would happen, the alleged greatest hits snit suggests the animosity between Marr and Morrissey will continue apace after nearly 40 years of public barbs and insults, blocking a much-desired get back from one of the most influential and beloved British indie rock bands of all time.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2024-09-12 13:11:052024-09-12 13:11:05Morrissey Claims a Smiths Greatest Hits Album Has Been ‘Blocked’ By Guitarist Johnny Marr
As Keith Urban describes writing “Break the Chain” — the raw, confessional song about stopping destructive generational patterns that closes his new album, High — he provides tremendous insight into his creative process.
“I started playing this guitar that [co-writer] Marc Scibilia had in his studio with flat-wound strings and a rubber bridge, and it just made this interesting sound,” he explains. “The opening riff was what I played, and I started singing these words and the song just came out. I had no intention of addressing some of my raising and [having] an alcoholic father.”
Urban himself is, of course, a father of two daughters with wife Nicole Kidman. “I don’t know if my dad, who passed away a long time ago, would be okay with the song or not, but he would love that it’s truthful, and the intent of it is a forward motion of trying to do things different,” he offers. “I guess I’m still working through things that I thought I was long at peace with.”
Urban surprised himself a few times in making his 11th studio set, out Sept. 20 via Capitol Records Nashville, including building the bones of the album from a discarded effort at a concept album he’d named 615. “I attempted to make a very different record, and that didn’t pan out, so I scrapped it and followed my muse and ended up with this album,” he says.
In February 2023, Urban brought in the 615 album to play for his team. “I thought they were going to go, ‘Great job, Keith! Let’s get these singles out, let’s get this tour booked!’ And instead, it was just crickets,” he says. ‘And I was like, “Oh, OK, this is not the record.’ I said to everybody, ‘Let’s push the tour off to 2025 and let me go finish a proper album.’”
Keith Urban
Urban, who was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in June, crafted a very different set — one that stands as the most diverse in his career, with the songs straddling the line from the intensely personal aforementioned “Break the Chain” and “Heart Like a Hometown,” to the good-time, windows-down “Straight Line,” the flirty Lainey Wilson duet “Go Home With U” and the heartbreaking “Messed Up as Me,” which rises to No. 19 with a bullet on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart this week.
Billboard caught up with the multiple Grammy winner via phone, as he talked about the album, the state of country radio, why he sold his master recordings — and what he really thinks about the super-sized albums so many artists are releasing these days. Urban, who has earned 20 career Country Airplay No. 1s, kicks off a 10-show residency at the Fountainebleau in Las Vegas Oct. 4.
Why do you think 615 didn’t come together?
Look, I’ve never had a theme for a record. I think I was trying to do something — and that’s the death of it all. I was trying to do something instead of just letting it unfold. The only songs that felt like they really flowed were “Messed Up as Me,” “Daytona,” “Break the Chain” and “Heart Like a Hometown.” So, I thought, “I’ll just take those four and build out a new batch of songs around them — because these songs feel right, but they now need their counterpoint songs to make a cohesive album.”
You made a very deliberate effort when sequencing this album to have the tempos change from each song to the next. You did this in a time that people generally don’t listen to albums from start to finish.
I don’t! But sequencing also is my way of figuring out what songs I don’t need on the record.
Would you like for fans to listen to High all the way through from start to finish?
I like that it can be played top to bottom and be a good experience. If you want to get in a long car ride, it’s only 40 minutes. But if you just want to put it on and let it go, I hope it gives you a very similar feeling to what it’s like coming and seeing us in concert, if we did a 40- minute set. We’d come barreling out the gate and then we’d go to some other places — but hopefully it would always keep moving in a way in which whatever the very next song is would feel good, from an emotional standpoint and an energy standpoint.
You ultimately landed on 11 tracks, which is short these days!
I’ve never been a fan of the 25-35 song album. I’m like, “In 2024? Really?” It’s just not my thing. I just wanted to make a strong, concise, cohesive record. And these 11 tracks felt like that to me.
[The super long album] doesn’t do any good in the long run. In some ways, it’s sneaking back to this problem that we had with albums back in the day [where] there was only two good songs on an album with 10 songs on it and the rest was just filler and fans got sick of it. That’s why when iTunes came along and said, “Hey, you can just buy one song,” everyone went, “Hallelujah.” We’ve gone full circle again by doing that sort of manipulating the system with 30 songs. If every one of them is fantastic, great — but they’re not. There’s no way they can be. It’s impossible.
This is your 11th studio album. What do you know about making albums now that you didn’t know earlier? [Urban breaks out into laughter.] Well, maybe given the experience with 615, that’s not a great question.
It’s moreso a reaffirmation of the way which I prefer to make records, which is a much bigger blend of loose fun and spontaneity. I don’t mean that there isn’t work involved, because obviously there’s huge amounts of work involved. But pretty much every record I’ve ever done has a certain flow about them. The balance that most of my albums have had is a mix of introverted, gravitas moments and musicianship, and then just complete loosey-goose, mindless fun. And balancing those two worlds together has always been the way I prefer to make records. 615 didn’t have the fun factor in there. It was just a bit too earnest.
There are a lot of songs on here about drinking and drinking to excess, including the totally loosey-goosey “Laughing All the Way to the Drank.” As someone who’s been in recovery for a long time, do you ever have pause about not wanting to send a drinking message?
None at all. Separate to my recovery journey, I’m exactly the guy I’ve always been in my spirit and my edge and devilishness, whatever you want to call it. All that stuff that happened coming up playing in the clubs in Australia, and then paying my dues here — all of that is still a big part of who I am. And so now I sing those songs from having been in those places.
“Messed Up as Me,” I know exactly who that guy is. “Laughing All the Way to the Drank,” I know exactly who that guy is. But in a lot of these cases, I’m also singing to people in the audience. I see that guy in the audience every night. He doesn’t seem to have a lot, but he seems to be the guy having the best time, and he’s a hard-working dude Monday to Friday. He’s my dad. My dad was up at 6 a.m. and he’d be drinking all the night before. So those songs are all places, people I know. They’re real songs in that regard, every one of them.
Lainey Wilson and you duet on “Go Home With U,” which you co-wrote with your buddy Breland. How did that one come about?
I wrote this song with Breland, Sam Sumser and Sean Small in 2020. That’s one of the quarantine-type songs where everything was shut down, and we so missed being in a packed club with your friends and music and fun, fun, fun. It was never written as a duet, but then I wanted to find something to do with Lainey — because I just knew our voices would sound good together. She loved it and she sang the second verse and sent it back to me. She sent a bunch of options, because she had to change the melody to suit her key, and then just did some ad lib bits and pieces. I just sifted through it all and chopped it and edited it. She just killed it.
What about a full album from you two?
I would do that. She’s so fun.
In December 2022, you sold your master recordings to Litmus Music, including 10 studio albums and a greatest hits compilation. Why?
The timing felt good. I really liked [co-founders] Dan McCarroll and Hank Forsyth at Litmus, and I felt good about where it was going. So [it] definitely wasn’t just about selling it — “Ka-Ching!” I wanted to feel good about where it was going and that I could stay involved. I’ve stayed involved with all of those masters — and, hopefully, we’ll get to do that as we keep moving forward.
I kept all my publishing as a writer. I always remember the famous Willie Nelson story about his selling “Crazy” for 50 bucks, and Willie’s attitude was “I needed the 50 bucks and I got it, so I was happy.” There’s something kind of wonderful about that, just keeping it in perspective.
Country fans are now streaming at much higher rates than previously and country radio is not the only way for fans to discover music. How has your relationship with radio changed?
I find radio is still very important because, at the end of the day, they’re all ways in which our audience can discover our music. And one of the beautiful things about radio that still exists is you get to just have this flow of songs, so you’ve got it on in your car or your workplace, your home, wherever it is, and you’ve got this flow going.
I love the fact that radio is still a thing and that it’s still as strong as it is. There’s a huge amount of people that still haven’t turned on the tap yet for streaming. There’s a lot of people who do all of it. It’s not necessarily either/or and certainly a lot of my audience is a blend of all of it. I’ve got long relationships with lots of radio people and I’m really grateful for that.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2024-09-12 13:00:402024-09-12 13:00:40Keith Urban on New Album ‘High,’ Writing about His Dysfunctional Family Dynamic & Duetting With Lainey Wilson: ‘She Killed It’
