John Ivey Promoted at iHeartMedia, Will Hand Over KIIS FM Program Director Duties

Programming veteran John Ivey is moving up at iHeartMedia. Effective immediately, Ivey will take on the role of president of CHR (Contemporary Hits Radio) content development and strategy.  

In his new role, Ivey will focus on the recruitment, training, deployment and career growth of talent across all of iHeart’s CHR stations. In addition, Ivey will work closely with executive vp of talent development Dennis Clark to coach and develop talent.  

Ivey takes on the new role after being named president of CHR programming strategy in 2017. With the new promotion, he’ll be stepping down as program director at powerhouse Los Angeles station KIIS FM, a job he’s held for 20 years, with a successor to be announced tomorrow. Ivey will continue reporting to Tom Poleman, chief programming officer and president of the national programming group for iHeartMedia. 

“For over 20 years, John has been a key part of our successful Los Angeles market and our CHR stations across the country,” said Poleman in a release. “Now he will step into another integral role within iHeart – a role which represents that iHeart is a talent-first company dedicated to building the skills, capacity and drive of our nationally-recognized on-air personalities. John’s extensive experience in programming and his credibility within the industry are perfect for leading and elevating this initiative.” 

Throughout Ivey’s tenure as KIIS FM program director, the station has maintained large audiences with hit shows including the morning show On Air with Ryan Seacrest. Ivey has also been instrumental in securing top-tier talent for iHeartRadio’s KIIS FM Jingle Ball and Wango Tango, two of the largest live radio events of the year. This year’s Jingle Ball will include performances from Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, Doja Cat, Lil Nas X and Kane Brown.  

“My mother took me to a radio station for the first time on my sixth birthday. The PD of that station, Mrs. Potter was my first mentor. Next was my first PD, Steve Hagen and later the legendary Steve Rivers. Now it’s my turn to focus on talent first at iHeart,” said Ivey in a release. “Thanks to Bob Pittman for always supporting me and allowing me to pitch a dream and turn it into a job. I love supporting talent, watching them grow and achieve their goals. Let’s GO!” 

Ivey is a 40-plus year radio veteran and the longest-running program director for KIIS FM. He began his radio career as an on-air personality and music director in his hometown of Owensboro, Kentucky and later led programming efforts for stations in New York, Tennessee and Boston. He joined iHeartMedia Los Angeles in 2001 and throughout his tenure has served in a variety of roles, including vp of programming for the market, program director of KYSR FM and KHHT FM, senior vp of programming and CHR brand manager for iHeartMedia.  

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Shawn Mendes Promises ‘It’ll Be Okay’ on New Song: Stream It Now

Shawn Mendes mends his broken heart following his high-profile breakup with Camila Cabello on his new song “It’ll Be Okay,” which was released Wednesday (Dec. 1).

He first teased the single via Instagram on Tuesday with a 12-second snippet of him singing, “Are we gonna make it?/ Is this gonna hurt?” over swelling, organ-like synths. He continues singing about patching up the wounds of a lost love in the chorus: “If you tell me you’re leaving, I’ll make it easy/ It’ll be okay/ If we can’t stop the bleeding/ We don’t have to fix it/ We don’t have to stay/ I will love you either way/ Ooh-ooh, it’ll be oh, be okay/ Ooh-ooh.”

“It’ll Be Okay” arrives just two weeks after Mendes and Cabello announced their breakup after the all-star couple had been dating for more than two years. The pop stars, who hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 together with “Señorita” in 2019, released a joint statement addressing their split, promising fans that they “started our relationship as best friends and will continue to be best friends.”

The song also marks Mendes’ first solo music release since his fourth studio album Wonder, which he released almost exactly a year ago on Dec. 4, 2020, and topped the Billboard 200. He’ll be taking Wonder all around the world during his 2022 tour, which kicks off its European leg in spring before heading Stateside next summer with openers Dermot Kennedy and Tate McRae.

Listen to “It’ll Be Okay” below.

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How to Find Your Spotify Wrapped 2021

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! No, not the start of the Christmas season — it’s Spotify Wrapped day!

That’s right, it’s what all your listening habits have been leading up to: the day the streaming giant tabulates all your personal data to serve up a custom accounting of your top artists, songs and playlists from the past year. Plus, it’s all presented in a colorfully curated package, perfect for sharing on Instagram. (And while we’re at it, don’t pay any attention to the haters: Only Grinches take time to post about how “no one cares about your Spotify Wrapped.”)

While this year’s feature also comes with personalized audio auras (were you “wistful and focused” or “euphoric and bold”?) and a funky display of your top genres, your Spotify Wrapped can sometimes be hard to find. So if you’re panicking seeing everyone’s posts, don’t worry. We’re here to help.

First of all, unlike some previous years, this year’s Spotify Wrapped is only accessible on the Spotify mobile app. So if you go to spotify.com/wrapped like usual, you’ll be directed to download the app.

Once you’ve done that and logged in, your personalized look back at 2021 should appear right on the home screen with the message “Your 2021 Wrapped is here” beneath your six most recent listens. Note: Some existing users had to update the app before the link to their Wrapped showed up — this writer included!

Click the icon and you’ll be guided through a fun journey revisiting all your favorite music that soundtracked your 2021. You’ll get an opening credits theme, the number of minutes you spent listening throughout the year, the amount of times you streamed your top song and more! As Spotify says in this year’s Wrapped, “Now go forth and proudly share your top-tier taste with the world.”

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See the Sweet Gift Taylor Swift Sent Don McLean After Breaking His Hot 100 Record

Don McLean received an unexpected surprise from Taylor Swift in the mail this week, after the younger singer-songwriter broke his decades-long record on the Billboard Hot 100.

On Wednesday (Dec. 1), the “American Pie” singer shared a photo of Swift’s gift of flowers and a sweet note. “What a classy artist!” McLean tweeted, sharing Swift’s handwritten inscription that reads, “Don, I will never forget that I’m standing on the shoulders of giants. Your music has been so important to me. Sending love one writer of LONG SONGS to another. Your fan, Taylor.”

The gracious gesture comes on the heels of “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” — including Swift’s long-rumored 10-minute take on the Red fan favorite — unseating “American Pie” as the longest No. 1 Hot 100 hit in Billboard history. (At 10 minutes and 13 seconds, “All Too Well” outpaces the former titleholder’s run time of 8:36 by just under two minutes.)

“There is something to be said for a great song that has staying power,” McLean told Billboard after Swift bested his record. “‘American Pie’ remained on top for 50 years and now Taylor Swift has unseated such a historic piece of artistry. Let’s face it, nobody ever wants to lose that #1 spot, but if I had to lose it to somebody, I sure am glad it was another great singer/songwriter such as Taylor.”

After debuting at No. 1, “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” dropped to the No. 4 spot this week, with Adele’s “Easy on Me” reigns atop the chart for a fifth non-consecutive week.

Check out McLean’s tweet to Swift below.

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Japanese Star Masaki Suda Drops Dreamy Blue-Tinged ‘Last Scene’ Music Video: Watch

Japanese movie star and singer Masaki Suda shared the new music video accompanying his latest single called “Last Scene.” The CD for the track written by Huwie Ishizaki, Suda’s collaborator on such hits as “Sayonara Elegy” and “Niji,” was released on Wednesday (Nov. 24).

“Last Scene” is the theme song for the ongoing TBS drama series Japan Sinks: People of Hope, based on the classic 1973 disaster novel by Japanese author Sakyo Komatsu. The track is about finding hope in the midst of an unseen crisis and continuing to believe without giving up.

The video was directed by Kyotaro Hayashi, the visual artist responsible for distinctive music videos by numerous J-pop acts including Suda’s “Machigaisagashi,” Gen Hoshino’s “Fushigi,” and Mr.Children’s “here comes my love.”

The single-toned visuals for “Last Scene” captures Suda performing the track outdoors in what the artist and director both admit were terrible weather conditions, depicting the theme of the song in a pensive deep blue color.

“The song ‘Last Scene’ is about hope and the ideal leader,” shares Suda. “The video is like a photograph, like a painting, like the future, like the past, dreamy, raw, and mysterious.”

Hayashi says that he was inspired by old-fashioned blueprints for the clip. “Masaki said he wanted it to be a beautiful blue fantasy,” the director recalls. “The blueprint is one of the oldest forms of copying and has been used in a variety of situations. I thought that the beautiful texture of the indigo color and the duplicated Masaki Suda looking at us and facing forward would be enough to convey the fantasy he described and the emotion behind the lyrics.”

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‘Baby Shark’ NFTs Are On Their Way

To date, Pinkfong’s viral hit “Baby Shark” has spawned an animated TV series, a children’s book and even a Kellogg’s breakfast cereal. Now, the brand is expanding into the NFT space with a new collection on the digital art platform MakersPlace.

Slated to debut Thursday at 3:30 p.m. PST, the first-ever Baby Shark NFT collection is a collaboration between Pinkfong’s parent company SmartStudy and Pinkfong’s global music partner Sony Music Entertainment/Relentless Records.

The six-piece collection, now available to preview on MakersPlace, includes one unique (1/1) piece and five limited edition pieces that feature Baby Shark and his family in original, loop-able animations inspired by holographic collectors’ playing cards. Each piece is accompanied by audio referencing the “Baby Shark” song.

The unique piece, titled “Baby Shark No. 1,” is a one-minute long digital NFT that shows Baby Shark journeying “through a newly reimagined dream-like underwater world, seen through a lens that portrays Baby Shark in a captivating new light,” according to a press release. The music that plays over the visual is described as “a classically composed, bespoke, electronic movement built around” the original song. The winner of the piece will receive a custom vinyl, created by Pinkfong to accompany the NFT, that will feature music from the digital piece along with accompanying artwork.

In August, Sony Music joined the $30 million Series A funding round for MakersPlace alongside Eminem, former Def Jam CEO Paul Rosenberg and DJ 3LAU. The following month, Sony Music announced a strategic partnership with MakersPlace that saw Sony artist Shakira offering audio-visual NFTs on the platform.

Since debuting on YouTube in June 2016, “Baby Shark” has received a Diamond certification from the RIAA based on sales of more than 11 million copies; the song also reached a peak of No. 32 on Billboard’s Hot 100. It’s currently the most-watched YouTube video of all time with over 9.7 billion views to date.

“This marks the beginning of our venture into the world of NFT, an important next chapter of Baby Shark’s journey,” said Pinkfong USA CEO Bin Jeong in a statement. “As a sensation born on the internet, it is a natural progression for Baby Shark to embrace NFTs and we are thrilled to share the experience with the community.”

MakersPlace co-founder and CEO Dannie Chu added, “Over the last year we have seen strong demand from our community for music-inspired NFTs. We want to expand our offerings in this space by providing the platform, tools and curatorial support to help bring great audio-visual works to life on the blockchain. We are thrilled to partner with Pinkfong to bring the world of Baby Shark to the digital arts space.”

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Billie Eilish Does the Same ‘Vanity Fair’ Interview for a Fifth Year in a Row: Watch

Billie Eilish was almost certainly feeling deja vu as she sat for her yearly video interview with Vanity Fair on Oct. 18. While the questions remain the same in the video, which was released Tuesday (Nov. 30), the superstar’s answers (and hair color!) showed her growth over the last half-decade.

The annual tradition started when the teenage pop sensation was just a 15-year-old newcomer, back in the simpler days when she only had a mere 257,000 Instagram followers. (Four years later, she now boasts upward of 94.1 million — including Kylie Jenner, the third most-followed person on the platform.)

Reflecting on her pandemic-era answers from 2020, Eilish couldn’t help but laugh at herself. “Gosh, that girl was going through an identity crisis. Oh my gosh!” she said. “You can see it in my eyes. I mean, really. The low bun? Please. What’s going on?”

Looking back at how her confidence had grown from 2017 to 2019, the singer claimed that “nothing will ever top that 2019 ego.” But, she was quick to explain, there’s a reason. “I was feelin’ myself, that is for sure,” she said. “It’s because I had been so miserable for so long, that I finally wasn’t and I just never shut up about it. But I’ve been…I’ve been good. I mean, I’m starting to have, like, an adulthood. Which is new for me and very exciting, and I have had new experiences and new people and lots of love.”

Eilish also said this year that her perspective on meeting the world’s expectations have changed as she’s entered into adulthood. “I feel a lot of pressure, but I would also say, like, back then…I was pretty overall  loved, I would say. To be honest. So I was, like, scared ’cause I really wanted to keep that love. And now, like, tons of people hate me,” she said with a laugh. “So I’m not worried anymore. I’m like, ‘Oh, OK well, if you like me, you like me; if you don’t, you don’t. So…”

For more, including Eilish’s biggest regret, advice she would give herself for the next year and more, watch the full interview below.

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