Sublime has inked a partnership with Atlantic Records, following a record-breaking independent radio run that saw the band spend eight consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart with “Ensenada.”

The Southern California trio — Bud Gaugh, Eric Wilson and frontman Jakob Nowell — will release its first full-length album with Nowell later this year. The deal follows the band’s decision to independently release recent singles through Sublime Recordings, in partnership with Regime Music Group, while maintaining ownership of their masters and handling marketing and radio promotion internally.

That strategy delivered measurable results. “Ensenada,” released independently and branded under Nowell’s SVNBVRNT venture, spent eight consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart, becoming the longest-running No. 1 on alternative radio in 2025 and surpassing the band’s previous benchmark set by “What I Got,” which held the top spot for three weeks.

Prior to that, “Feel Like That,” a collaboration with Stick Figure, logged eight weeks in the Top 10 on Alternative Airplay.

According to manager Kevin Zinger, the band’s independent approach was intentional from the outset.

“When Sublime began releasing new music, I sat down with the band and our team at Regime and we made a very intentional decision to release the first few singles ourselves. Between our label division at Regime and Joe Escalante’s past experience owning Kung Fu Records, we had the infrastructure in place. Most importantly, we wanted the band to stay in control of their music.

The band put tremendous trust in us, and we weren’t going to let them down. There was no additional financial upside for us in taking on the extra work as the label — nor were we looking for one. When ‘Ensenada’ hit #1 at Alternative radio, that was more than enough reward. It was a defining moment for all of us and Sublime’s legacy.

That success brought a wave of calls about the album’s future. Truthfully, I never assumed we would end up at a major label. But we took the meetings. Before sitting down with anyone, we had already outlined what a partnership would need to look like. After meeting with Atlantic, we all walked out knowing we had found the right home. The passion, the energy, and the commitment Johnny, Chris, Elliot, and the entire team showed made it clear — this was the right place for the next chapter of Sublime.”

Frontman Jakob Nowell addressed the signing in characteristically irreverent fashion, saying: “Atlantic told us that if we signed with them they would pay for my experimental cosmetic surgery to have the body of a goat and the head of a goat.”

He added, “They seem like real straight shooters, and their office has bowls of Halloween candy dated March of last year, but it still tasted fine to me. We’re gonna change California music history or die trying.”

Drummer Bud Gaugh reflected on the label’s legacy, adding: “You have no idea how many records I had growing up as a kid watching them spin around and around with the Atlantic Records label on them. Everything from AC/DC to Zeppelin, and so many others! I am beyond excited to announce this partnership with Atlantic Records and Sublime!! So Get Ready! Here comes some new stuff for your ears to hears!”

Bassist Eric Wilson said of the partnership: “So great to partner with Atlantic Records finally! I’m excited about our new album; it truly is an organic Sublime album…can’t wait for people to hear it.”

Joe Escalante, who co-manages the band alongside Zinger, emphasized that the move ultimately came down to alignment rather than leverage.

“Working with Sublime again feels like coming home. I was there in the early days, so helping guide this new chapter means a lot to me personally. It’s also special to be reunited with Kevin Zinger — we’ve shared a long history with this band and this music.

As things came together, we had plenty of opportunities, but it ultimately came down to people. After meeting with Atlantic, we all looked at each other and knew — these are the people. There’s real respect for Sublime’s legacy and real belief in where they’re going next. I’m excited for what we’re building together.”

From the label side, Atlantic’s Johnny Minardi said: “Sublime’s impact on music and culture is undeniable, and this next chapter carries the same fearless punk rock ethos that made them iconic. They have been one of my all-time favorite bands, so this is a defining moment for me personally. We’re honored they chose Atlantic Records to help drive this new era forward.”

Founded in Long Beach in 1988 by Wilson, Gaugh and the late Bradley Nowell, Sublime’s 1996 self-titled album went 5x Platinum and has driven more than 18 million RIAA-certified album sales. A new era began in late 2023 when Bradley’s son Jakob joined the original members onstage, leading to high-profile reunion performances including Coachella 2024.

In 2026, the band will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its self-titled album with two nights at Red Rocks Amphitheatre (April 17-18) and launch its own touring festival brand, Sublime Me Gusta, debuting May 9 in Fort Worth, Texas.

Anderson .Paak and aespa are joining forces on “Keychain,” a new track from the soundtrack to K-POPS!.

The nine-time Grammy-winning artist-producer and the SM Entertainment quartet announced the collaboration on Instagram Monday (Feb. 23), sharing cover art of a purple fuzzy bag featuring a miniature .Paak keychain alongside an aespa logo charm. “Keychain” is due Feb. 27 at midnight ET.

Production comes from Dem Jointz, whose K-pop credits include NCT’s “Cherry Bomb,” EXO’s “Obsession,” aespa’s “Supernova” and SHINee’s “Don’t Call Me.”

While “Keychain” marks .Paak and aespa’s first official release together, .Paak is no stranger to the K-pop world. His past collaborations include Dean’s sleek R&B track “Put My Hands on You” and RM’s vibrant, genre-blending “Still Life” from Indigo.

More recently, .Paak featured on and coproduced G-DRAGON’s punchy, groove-driven “Too Bad” from Übermensch. aespa’s Karina also made a cameo in the “Too Bad” video, adding another link between the artists ahead of “Keychain.”

Ahead of the film’s 2024 Toronto International Film Festival premiere, .Paak told The Hollywood Reporter that K-POPS! grew out of the COVID-19 lockdown, when he and his son began making skits after his son said he wanted to be a YouTuber. He said the project expanded through researching K-pop — from its competition-show structure to its musical ties to ’90s R&B and gospel — and became a way to explore Black and Korean cultural duality through both the story and the soundtrack.

K-POPS! was cowritten by .Paak and Khaila Amazan, and features original music created with Dem Jointz. The film stars .Paak alongside Soul Rasheed, Jonnie “Dumbfoundead” Park and Yvette Nicole Brown, with cameo appearances from G-DRAGON, SEVENTEEN’s Vernon, Jay Park, Jessi and Crush. It opens exclusively in AMC Theatres on Feb. 27.

See aespa and Anderson .Paak’s “Keychain” announcement below:

This story was originally published by Billboard Korea.

Sony Music Publishing has promoted Greg Prata to chief financial officer, effective March 31, the company announced this week. Prata, who will remain based in New York, will report to SMP chairman and CEO Jon Platt as he steps into the role previously held by Tom Kelly, who is retiring after a 35-year career.

In his new position, Prata will oversee the publisher’s global financial operations, including reporting, accounting, budgeting, administration and IT. Prata joined Sony in 2012 as senior vice president of financial planning and analysis following a tenure at EMI, and he was elevated to evp of finance and corporate strategy in 2019. His background includes more than a decade in private equity and investment banking.

“I’m honored to step into this role at such an exciting time in the company’s evolution,” Prata said, thanking Platt for his support and acknowledging Kelly’s mentorship. “I look forward to working closely with the entire team as we continue to develop our capabilities and generate opportunities for SMP songwriters.”

Platt called Prata a “trusted leader,” adding, “I’m pleased to see him step into the CFO role as we advance our next stage of growth.” He also praised Kelly’s long service, noting that his leadership “set a high bar for excellence.”

Kelly has served as global CFO since 2019 and previously held senior finance posts at both Sony/ATV and EMI Music Publishing, where he began his industry career in 1991.

The transition comes amid strong momentum for Sony Music Group, which recently reported double‑digit quarterly revenue growth and a 14% rise in publishing revenue. SMP has also topped Billboard’s publisher rankings for three consecutive quarters.

When The Listening Room celebrates its 20th anniversary on March 3 with HARDY, Mitchell Tenpenny and Jo Dee Messina, the party will take place, ironically, away from The Listening Room.

With seating for nearly 2,400, the Ryman Auditorium provides almost 10 times the capacity that The Listening Room can pack in for any single show. Even more importantly, The Listening Room may owe its name to a location, but the interest in the Ryman show — which is purportedly sold out — suggests the brand that owner Chris Blair has built is bigger than its home building.

“I get letters from people all over the world,” he says. “People just don’t get to experience this.”

“This” is an attraction that’s practically an only-in-Nashville kind of business. The Listening Room presents two-to-five shows daily, seven days a week, focused almost exclusively on songwriters. From Feb. 20-27, as an example, more than two dozen composers with top 10 credits will take the stage in groups of three or more, including Ben Williams (“Tennessee Orange”), Ben Burgess (“Whiskey Glasses”), Brent Anderson (“Bottle Rockets”) and Jeff Hyde (“Springsteen”). Sprinkled in are a handful of artists, including Dillon Carmichael, Eric Paslay, Shane Profitt, Lucas Hoge and Old Dominion guitarist Brad Tursi.

It works like the Grand Ole Opry, weekly Nashville music revue Whiskey Jam or periodic Americana attraction Music City Roots, using a revolving lineup from one of the globe’s most plentiful musical pools. Like the better-known Bluebird Café, Blair’s enterprise draws from the songwriter portion of that talent pool that’s used to working in small rooms.

The Bluebird Café, established in 1982, is older and better known than The Listening Room, and it remains located in the same strip mall where it was founded, serving fewer than 100 patrons a show. Blair, who played numerous songwriter rounds after he moved to town in 2003 to record for Lyric Street, was surprised to discover that the Bluebird didn’t really have serious competition in its songwriter/restaurant niche. And as he embedded himself further in Nashville, he quickly realized that few venues showed much respect to the writers who contribute significantly to the city’s creative culture.

“I’m a numbers guy,” Blair says. “I was sitting on the stage at multiple places, and going, ‘Okay, I’m up here playing songs. I’m not getting paid to do this.’ And I’d count heads in the audience, and half of them were listening, half of them weren’t. And I’d see how many beers they were drinking, and how many of them had food. And I’m doing the math in my head going, ‘All right, this bar just made $15,000 tonight while we’re sitting in here, giving them music, and they can’t pay us gas money.’ It just wasn’t right.”

That inequity, Blair says, was the “driving factor” behind The Listening Room. He’d worked as a kid at his father’s four restaurants, so he had a basic understanding of the two industries — food service and music — that he was joining together.

Still, no one — beyond Blair, perhaps — would have thought he could make the business last two decades. The thing was a struggle from the start. The initial operation was a six-nights-a-week attraction in suburban Franklin, a community that boasts plenty of creative residents but is far enough out of town that it couldn’t rely much on tourism. He moved to Cummins Station downtown, where the room seated about 125 patrons. And where Blair ended up sleeping on the floor.

“I lost my house,” he remembers. “I had a house in Sylvan Park, and I had the [option] to pay my mortgage after being late month after month after month, or keep the business. And I believed in The Listening Room. I lost my house to try to keep The Listening Room alive.”

On May 16, 2010, just two weeks after a historic flood soaked the downtown, Blair brought his band back together as songwriters Bridgette Tatum (“She’s Country”), Danny Myrick (“I Love This Life”) and Jeffrey Steele (“Me and my Gang”) helped him raise money for the bar, and for local charity Hands on Nashville. That show didn’t, by itself, get The Listening Room out of the red — Blair was so overcome by the moment that he gave all the proceeds to Hands on Nashville — but the goodwill arguably generated good karma. The venue slowly edged into profitability, it moved a short time later to Second Avenue, and now the stage lives comfortably in the SoBro district.

Blair fortunately doesn’t sleep on the floor at his workplace anymore. He has around 100 employees, and one of them is a full-timer devoted strictly to booking the ever-changing cast of performers.

It’s an eight-block straight shot from the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, so on most nights, tourists make up about 85% of the audience.

On occasion, Blair has sent a congratulatory text to an artist after a big awards win, only to have the act flip it on him in the response. The Listening Room, back in the day, paid them enough that they made their rent at a key moment as they pursued their dream. It’s a scenario that Blair, distanced from the days when he slept on his business’ concrete floor, understands.

“I hope,” Blair says, “we’ve got another 20 in us.”