Tixr Hears London Calling With Expansion to Europe

Tixr, the fast-growing primary ticketing and live event commerce company, today announced the official opening of its London office and strategic expansion into continental Europe. Industry veteran Stephanie Rosa has been appointed to serve as managing director of the London outpost, leading a new handpicked local team to build upon the company’s already robust roster of partners in the region.

The move marks the California-based company’s latest international launch, following the expansion of its operations into Canada, announced in March. Tixr’s recent client partnerships in Europe include Space Ibiza, Eden Nightclub in Ibiza, British digital radio station Kisstory, F.A.T. International, RuPaul’s Dragcon, Dreamhack, Uptown Festival, Dublin ComicCon, Leicestershire County Cricket Club, Egg London, E1 Series, Brockwell Live, Aramco Team Series, and London’s popular brewery Signature Brew.

Most recently, Tixr partnered with Forbidden Forest Festival which took place earlier this month. Nestled in hundreds of acres of lush forest on the grounds of the stunning Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire, Forbidden Forest brings together 20,000 over three nights to celebrate music, nature and dance. Tickets for next year’s fest, the first to be handled under the new Tixr deal, go on sale to the general public later this year.

“There’s no modern platform more capable of servicing such a wide array of complex events, and the opportunities in the region are immense,” said Rosa. “The fantastic regional team we’ve built is honoured to partner with iconic sell-out festivals like Forbidden Forest that value design, innovation, and share in our mission to deliver the best fan experience possible, starting with the ticket.”

Before relocating to London for her newly created role, Rosa served as Tixr’s director of partnerships and sales operations. She came to Tixr from UK-based Festicket, which was acquired by Lyte in 2022, where she served as vp of sales in North America. 

“Each year we set out to deliver extraordinary customer experiences”, said Laura Ball, marketing director at Forbidden Forest Festival. “When we selected Tixr as our trusted ticketing partner for 2025 and beyond, we knew each year we could collaborate to further raise the bar and deliver a best-in-class experience for our Forbidden Forest customers.”

Tixr already services events in 10 European countries and exclusively powers more than 500 of the most respected live entertainment brands in 40 countries. Since its inception, Tixr has processed nearly $2 billion in transactions through its highly visual, modern, unified commerce platform built for sales beyond admission tickets.

Tixr’s new London office is located at London Bridge.  

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Martina Navratilova Slams ‘Misogynistic’ Article Criticizing Taylor Swift for Being ‘Unmarried & Childless’

Whether or not it was their intention, Newsweek got quite a bit of negative attention last week for publishing an opinion piece by writer John Mac Ghlionn that criticized Taylor Swift for being “not a good role model” due to her status as “unmarried and childless.” Now, Martina Navratilova is leading the charge against the author’s views, which she slammed as being “a massive pile of misogynistic bull” on X Sunday (June 30). 

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“This guy should be ashamed of himself and I can’t believe he writes for Newsweek…and they printed it,” the tennis champion wrote. “I mean…” 

Navratilova also pointed out in the replies: “Taylor never claimed she was a role model.” 

The former Olympian’s comments come in response to Ghlionn claiming in his piece — which was simply titled Taylor Swift Is Not a Good Role Model — that the public “must ask if [Swift’s] personal life choices are ones we want our sisters and daughters to emulate.” 

Why? Because, as the writer put it, “at 34, Swift remains unmarried and childless, a fact that some might argue is irrelevant to her status as a role model … But, I suggest, it’s crucial to consider what kind of example this sets for young girls.” 

Ghlionn also took issue with the 14-time Grammy winner writing songs that he claims “depict her as the victim” and promoting what he sees as “romantic promiscuity” through her public relationships.  

Navratilova is just one of countless people to comment that the opinion piece is rife with sexist connotations, while The Standard recently published a counterargument pointing out that male pop stars almost never receive the same type of critique. 

“To claim that Swift’s power as a role model is diminished by those mediaeval metrics is pure misogyny,” added writer Claire Cohen. “It positions a woman’s worth in terms of her duty towards men and sends us back to an era in which we were little more than walking wombs … And no doubt if Swift was married with children, she’d be criticized for leaving her family at home while she selfishly went on tour and accused of emasculating her husband by being the breadwinner.” 

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Billboard has reached out to Newsweek for comment. 

So far, Swift herself hasn’t responded to Newsweek’s article. The “Fortnight” singer – who’s been open for years about her stance as a feminist as well as her experiences battling sexist commentary — is currently busy on the European leg of her global Eras Tour, which most recently wrapped three nights in Dublin. 

See Navratilova’s tweets below. 

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Ivan Cornejo Reveals Tracklist of New ‘MIRADA’ Album

Mexican music hitmaker Ivan Cornejo has revealed the tracklist for his upcoming new album, titled MIRADA, slated to released July 18.

Not surprisingly, the 12-track set, counting an interlude and an outro, does not include collaborations. Cornejo’s first LP, Alma Vacía, didn’t include any teamups, and his second studio album, Dañado, included a collaboration with Eslabon Armado. While the majority of new generation of regional Mexican stars has opted for a more collaborative approach, the opposite has worked for Cornejo.

The Mexican-American artist broke out in 2021 with his first single, “Está Dañada,” which landed him a No. 1 entry on Billboard’s Latin Songwriters chart dated Oct. 30, 2021, while also becoming the second regional Mexican song to appear on the all-genre Hot 100. So far, the singer-songwriter has placed 14 songs on the Hot Latin Songs chart, and his second album, Dañado, was No. 1 on Regional Mexican Albums for 37 nonconsecutive weeks, the fourth-most since the chart launched in 1985. Cornejo landed at No. 10 on Billboard’s 2023 year-end Top Latin Artists chart.

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The unveiling of the tracklist comes just a month after Cornejo announced his new set with a trailer that previews what fans can expect in the new album. “Ivan, do you think you’ll fall in love again?” A voice asks the 20-year-old, who sits in front of a bonfire. “I don’t want to,” Cornejo quickly responds. MIRADA will be home to his latest single “Baby Please,” which debuted at No. 8 on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart in March — his first top 10 on the tally since 2021. The 20-year-old’s Mirada Tour kicks off July 6 at Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wis. Check out the dates here.

See Cornejo’s MIRADA tracklist below:

Ivan Cornejo Mirada Tracklist.jpg
Ivan Cornejo Mirada Tracklist
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Cardi B Teases New Song That Samples Janet Jackson: ‘Y’all Like This Vibe for CB2?’

Cardi B has given more hope to the Bardi Gang in regards to her long-awaited sophomore album being released in 2024 by teasing another snippet on her Instagram Story on Monday night (July 1). The clip finds the Bronx native showcasing a softer side of her typically fiery raps, and the possible CB2 single samples Janet Jackson’s “Funny How Time Flies (When You’re Having Fun).”

“I hope that you on your way/ Crazy ’bout you,” she sings over Jackson’s beat. “Waiting on you, can’t wait to sit on that face/ Focused on you.”

“Yall like this vibe for CB2?” Cardi captioned the video, which shows her in a car.

Fans seemed to be feeling the snippet in their reactions on X. “Love that song!!!!!!! Belcalis you’ve done it again!!!! So ready for cb2,” one member of the Bardi Gang wrote.

“Funny How Time Flies” was produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Plenty of other artists have sampled it in the past, including Tinashe, SWV, The Lost Boyz and Camp Lo. Jackson’s track was originally released in the U.K. and Ireland, but was ruled ineligible to chart in the U.S., while other Control singles from her — “Nasty” and “When I Think of You” — dominated commercially.

Cardi seemed to be practicing her affirmations on X over the weekend when she put out good energy into the universe when it comes to her proving her detractors wrong once again. “I have everything planned, locked, and ready to go. Every thing I said I would do this year, I’m going to do it. Nothing is going to stop me. I proved myself before and I’m going to do it again… now rest,” she wrote.

It’s been more than six years since Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy album arrived in April 2018. It topped the Billboard 200 with 255,000 album units sold in the first week and went on to win best rap album at the 2019 Grammy Awards.

Listen to the snippet below.

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Bebe Rexha Rails Against Music Biz: ‘I’ve Been Silenced and PUNISHED By This Industry’

Bebe Rexha launched a fiery broadside against a music industry on Tuesday morning (July 2), claiming in a series of X posts that she’s been mistreated and sabotaged at every turn. The 34-year-old singer who has helped write songs for everyone from Eminem to Selena Gomez, Tate McRae and Tinashe while scoring hits with G-Eazy, Martin Garrix and Florida Georgia Line wrote that she has the kind of inside dirt that could burn things to the ground.

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“I could bring down a BIG chunk of this industry. I AM frustrated. I Have been UNDERMINED,” wrote Rexha, who has been writing songs and performing since she was a teenager. “I’ve been so quiet for the longest time. I haven’t seen the signs even though people constantly are bringing them up and they have been SO OBVIOUS. And when I have spoken up I’ve been silence and PUNISHED by this industry Things must change or I’m telling ALL of my truths. The good the bad and the ugly.’ I’ve been so quiet for the longest time. I haven’t seen the signs even though people constantly are bringing them up and they have been SO OBVIOUS. And when I have spoken up I’ve been silence and PUNISHED by this industry Things must change or I’m telling ALL of my truths. The good the bad and the ugly.”

At press time a spokesperson for Rexha’s label for the past decade-plus, Warner Records, had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment on the tweets and the singer had not specifically revealed what inspired her series of fired-up missives. When a fan asked “what happened again,” Rexha replied, “Again? You haven’t even heard 5 percent. You have NO IDEA.”

In another exchange, a fan opined that, “nobody should be forgiven for the time they took your name out of ‘Hey Mama.’” The tweet appeared to reference the 2015 David Guetta song “Hey Mama,” which was co-written by Rexha, Guetta and several others. At the time, Rexha told Billboard that though she was credited as a co-writer, she was not initially listed as a vocalist on the track alongside Nicki Minaj and Afrojack, a situation that stuck in her craw given what she described at that time as an already rocky path in the music industry.

“I really wanted to be featured on it, because, you know, I’ve been signed and dropped, and now signed a second time, so it’s been hard, the then-25-year-old said. “What ended up happening was that it looked like a lot of names on the title, so they wanted to keep as many low features as possible. That’s what I was told, and it makes sense to me. I guess more than two [featured] names don’t look good on the radio.”

On Tuesday, though, in response to that fan’s “Hey Mama” comment, Rexha said, “My love. That? Compared to all the other stuff you don’t know about? That’s Child’s play.” The back-and-forth continued, with Rexha telling another commenter who asked what has stopped her from speaking out that, “THEY PUNISH YOU.”

A decade removed from the “Hey Mama” drama, Rexha also claimed that in the midst of promoting her latest single, “I’m the Drama,” she’s been struggling to, well, promote the song because of what she claims are further roadblocks from the industry. “Marketing? I have no budget for that,” she wrote of the song that dropped on June 28. “IM FED UP.”

The singer who released her third full-length studio album, Bebe, in 2023, continued to explain her frustration, writing, “This is not just coming from a place of anger. It’s sadness. I’m sitting in my hotel room in London Crying my eyes out. I’ve felt hopeless for the longest time. I’ve been walking a lot through this city and meeting fans and they have really ignited something inside of me.” In the midst of the string of laments, Rexha thanked her fans for continually giving her the strength to carry on.

To date, Rexha has scored four top 10 hits, including her 2017 FGL collab, “Meant To Be,” which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as the 2015 G-Eazy team-up “Me, Myself & I” (No. 7), “Hey Mama” (No. 8) and 2022’s David Guetta collab “I’m Good (Blue)” (No. 4); Rexha recently lashed out at Eazy, calling him an “ungrateful loser” and dubbing their song his “only real hit.”

Check out Rexha’s tweets below.

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Britney Davis Named General Manager at Quality Control

Quality Control has appointed Britney Davis as general manager. Davis will supervise the label’s daily operations alongside CEO Pierre “P” Thomas and COO Kevin “Coach K” Lee. In addition to serving as a liaison between Quality Control’s artist roster and affiliated teams, she will assist the staff, managers and artists in developing strategies and structure across all project campaigns. Quality Control was acquired by HYBE America in February 2023.

“Britney has a longstanding record of excellence alongside QC and throughout her professional career,” Thomas and Lee said in a joint statement. “Her passion and dedication to artists align with the principles that are the foundation of QC. We’re incredibly excited she’s part of the team and couldn’t imagine a better person to serve as our general manager.” 

Davis most recently served as senior vp of marketing & artist development as well as vp of artist relations, marketing & special projects at Motown Records/Capitol Music Group. Under the leadership of former Motown chairwoman/CEO Ethiopia Habtermariam, Davis oversaw a diverse roster of artists including those affiliated with Quality Control. Among the latter, she oversaw marketing and artist development for Lil Baby’s RIAA double platinum-certified 2020 album My Turn. In addition, she worked on marketing campaigns for Migos, City Girls, Tiwa Savage, Queen Naija and the Queen & Slim soundtrack, which featured the Grammy-nominated song “Collide.”

Added Davis in the press announcement, “I’m thrilled to be named general manager of Quality Control and to continue on this journey alongside the team. We’ve already had some incredible success together, and I look forward to continuing this pursuit. I am passionate about continuing to bring the label’s vision to life and to work alongside P, Coach K and [HYBE America/SB Projects president of management] Jen McDaniels — as their talent, loyalty and creative instincts are truly unparalleled. I’m grateful to lend my experience and drive to this incredible journey.”

Davis’ resumé includes handling management, marketing and A&R duties for the client roster at Phase Too Inc. She previously worked in day-to-day management for Grammy Award winner Chris Brown, collaborating alongside him and Phase Too founder Tina Davis to develop Brown’s CBE Records and overseeing songwriting and artist development for Sevyn Streeter, Kevin McCall, Joelle James and more. 

A graduate of Howard University with a BA in communications, Davis has been a Billboard Women in Music, R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players and 40 Under 40 honoree. She was also saluted by ASCAP’s Women Behind the Music in 2019.

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Loud Luxury Refreshes the Summer With a New Dance Remix | Billboard News

Loud Luxury refreshes iNi Kamoze’s 1994 smash, “Here Comes the Hotstepper,” with a remix inspired by the Starbucks Summer Refreshers Beverage.

Tetris Kelly: 

hWhat happens when you pair superstar DJs and a hip-hop classic? A refreshing remix just in time for the summertime season! Loud Luxury has been on the road this summer for a string of shows, but the Canadian DJ duo have also found time to work on new music. Andrew and Joe have teamed up with Billboard and Starbucks for an exclusive remix of Ini Kamoze’s 1994 smash, “Here Comes the Hotsteppper,” in honor of the hit’s 30-year anniversary. During our interview with the duo, they admitted that the energetic sing-a-long hook is their favorite part of the classic. Joe told us, “They mentioned the idea to the ice shake and the ‘Ahh’ just came naturally,” as they wanted to make this a summery track that fans could vibe to. “It’s such an iconic vocal that it was something we could take and reimagine in our own world. Once you hear that main hook, everybody knows it.” For more on Loud Luxury’s remix of “Here Comes the Hotstepper,” head over to billboard.com

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Looking Ahead: A Release Calendar of Upcoming Albums in 2024

2023 may have featured massive releases from artists such as Taylor Swift (Taylor’s Versions of Speak Now and 1989), Drake (For All the Dogs and its Scary Hours edition), Bad Bunny (Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana), Nicki Minaj (Pink Friday 2), Morgan Wallen (One Thing at a Time) and many others, but 2024 is shaping up to be a strong year as well.

Albums scheduled for release include Dua Lipa’s Radical Optimism, and more from Lenny Kravitz, to Sheryl Crow and many others. Among them as well is the Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) and Ty Dolla $ign’s three-volume collab Vultures.

Plus, who can forget some of the biggest album announcements so far this year, including Swift’s big reveal? The pop superstar announced her 11th studio set, The Tortured Poets Department, while accepting the best pop vocal album Grammy for Midnights — her lucky No. 13 Grammy at that! — would arrive April 19. But she wasn’t the only superstar to take advantage of a big stage to announce a new project. Beyoncé revealed during her Verizon Super Bowl 2024 ad that new music was coming, then made her album announcement and dropped two singles within minutes. Cowboy Carter eventually made its big debut March 29.

Though projects are announced, they’re sometimes delayed for various reasons (Ye and Ty’s Vultures Vols. 2 and 3, for example), or even announced just days in advance, so keeping track of when artists’ albums are coming can be difficult. To make it easier for fans, we’ve compiled this release calendar so the biggest and most anticipated releases won’t be missed when release dates come and go.

The list is organized chronologically by month and week, and includes genres from pop, hip-hop, rock, K-pop, Latin, country and beyond. Keep reading for our running calendar of the major album releases coming in 2024.

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Hot 100 First-Timers: Ella Langley Scores First Entry With Riley Green Duet ‘You Look Like You Love Me’

Ella Langley is officially a Billboard Hot 100-charting artist, as the singer-songwriter arrives with her viral duet, “You Look Like You Love Me,” with Riley Green.

Released June 21 via SAWGOD/Columbia Records, the track debuts at No. 53 on the Hot 100 (dated July 6) with 8.6 million official U.S. streams, 14,000 in radio airplay audience and 3,000 downloads sold in its first week, according to Luminate. It also opens at No. 15 on the Hot Country Songs chart, where it’s Langley’s second entry, after “Strangers,” with Kameron Marlowe (No. 43 peak, February).

“You Look Like You Love Me” (which marks Green’s fifth Hot 100 hit) was boosted by activity on TikTok leading up to its official release. Before releasing the song, Langley and Green shared snippets on TikTok, as well as live performances of it on their joint tour. One version of the song has soundtracked over 225,000 clips on TikTok, while another has been used in over 100,000 videos. Their teasing of the track helped it debut at No. 9 on last week’s TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart (dated June 29).

Langley first appeared on Billboard’s charts dated June 3, 2023, when her debut EP, Excuse the Mess, entered at No. 19 on Heatseekers Albums (which ranks the top-selling albums each week by new or emerging acts). The set includes a collaboration with fellow recent Hot 100 First-Timer Koe Wetzel.

Langley recently concluded a supporting stint on Green’s Ain’t My Last Rodeo Tour, as well as Hardy’s Quit!! Tour. She has other supporting gigs lined up on Morgan Wallen’s One Night at a Time Tour, Luke Bryan’s Mind of a Country Boy Tour and Dierks Bentley’s Gravel & Gold Tour.

“You Look Like You Love Me” is slated to appear on Langley’s debut full-length, Hungover, due Aug. 2.

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Merck Mercuriadis Stepping Down as Hipgnosis Song Management Chairman

Hipgnosis Song Management announced on Tuesday that Merck Mercuriadis will be stepping down as chairman of the music investment advisor. In giving his notice, which goes into effect upon closing of the proposed acquisition of Hipgnosis Songs Fund to private equity giant Blackstone, HSM’s founder called it the “right time” and a “timely opportunity for me to undertake a strategic shift of focus.”

“With Hipgnosis Songs Fund and Hipgnosis Songs Assets we have created an outstanding catalogue of rights to an unrivalled collection of iconic and culturally important songs from phenomenal songwriters who I knew would be proud to stand next to each other,” Mercuriadis said in a prepared statement. “HSM has been built on an ethos that has always put the songwriting community first and I am unwavering in the commitment I made to all our songwriters. I have always envisioned bringing songwriters together globally and organized to ensure they have a voice at the table, representing the consensus views of their community, in discussions about their compensation.”

Added Ben Katovsky, CEO of Hipgnosis Song Management: “Merck’s vision and passion in creating Hipgnosis, assembling an extraordinary portfolio of iconic songs and campaigning for songwriters to be fairly paid has been instrumental in Hipgnosis’ journey to date. I am grateful for his support and the trust that has been placed in me and the HSM team to build on his passion. We remain committed to bringing the iconic songs in our care to new audiences and ensuring that they enjoy the on-going success and attention they so richly deserve.”

This is a developing story.

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