Musical icon Angélique Kidjo is set to become the first African musician, and the first Black African performer, to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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Kidjo joins Charlize Theron, a white South African actress, in representing Africa on the Walk of Fame. The Oscar-winning actress received her star in 2005. Kidjo will receive the 2,854th star.
Kidjo’s star ceremony is set for Aug. 18 at 11:30 a.m. PT at 7011 Hollywood Boulevard. Joining Kidjo for the ceremony will be Oscar-nominated actor Willem Dafoe and Grammy- and Primetime Emmy-nominated songwriter/producer Harvey Mason jr., better known these days as CEO of the Recording Academy and MusiCares. The ceremony will be emceed by Variety correspondent Angelique Jackson and will be streamed live exclusively at www.walkoffame.com
Kidjo, 64, was born in the West African country of Benin, but left for Paris in 1983. She has amassed five Grammy Awards. She won best contemporary world music album in 2008 and won best global music album four times between 2015 and 2022. She also received a Polar Music Prize in 2023.
Kidjo has released 19 albums since 1981. She has acquired fans across the world with her ability to fuse West African styles with funk, jazz and R&B. Her long list of collaborators includes such diverse artists as Burna Boy, Philip Glass, Sting, Alicia Keys, Peter Gabriel, John Legend, Bono and Yo-Yo Ma.
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce administers the Walk of Fame for the city of Los Angeles. Millions have visited the cultural landmark since 1960.
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.pngYveto2026-08-08 03:03:272026-08-08 03:03:27Angélique Kidjo to Become First African Musician to Receive a Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
The three-day music and arts festival and Montreal just wrapped up its 19th year by logging one of its most successful editions, drawing its second-highest-ever attendance with over 151,000 fans. It’s proof that one of the biggest festivals in Canada continues to get even bigger, with two out of three nights fully sold out this year.
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Osheaga was Canada down this year, and Tate McRae helped make history. The Tate-headlined Saturday date (Aug. 1) was sold out nearly three weeks in advance, the fastest sellout ever for an individual day. The sales were largely driven by the Canadian hitmaker’s headlining slot and its massive hype. Evenko, the promoter behind the festival, already forecasted the sellout in May.
McRae took the stage for her first-ever festival headline appearance in her home country while simultaneously becoming the first Canadian to headline the festival since Arcade Fire replaced the Foo Fighters in 2022, and The Weeknd headlined in 2017.
The local spirit was remarkably high this year, with about 50% of this year’s crowd comprised of Quebec fans, up from about 40% last year. One of the weekend’s most anticipated moments came in the form of Quebec heroes Angine de Poitrine, who played a surprise set on Saturday. The band was booked in May, prior to their legendary record-setting set at Montreal Jazz Fest. They were saved as a last-minute surprise because sales were already steady, so they added some last-minute buzz. Osheaga initially soft-launched their appearance by including their name within the lineup on select merch pieces just one day prior to their performance, and later revealed them the following morning, giving ticketholders a guaranteed opportunity to see the world’s most viral band.
The festival has proven its knack for booking bubbling acts right before they spike in popularity, and this year’s edition followed suit with that trend. Rising singer-songwriter Stella Lefty, who is currently charting in the top 5 of the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 and Billboard Hot 100, filled up the Mountain stage during her ripe 3 pm set, and Malcolm Todd played the primary main stage after earning millions of new listeners in the past months, since the lineup first dropped.
As nostalgia continues to blanket 2026, this year’s Osheaga was a full-circle edition including several throwbacks to its own programming from 10 years ago, including Lorde’s return as a headliner and other Osheaga alumni making their way back to Parc Jean-Drapeau.
“Zara Larsson played in 2017. She’s had a great career, but now all of a sudden she’s huge,” Osheaga founder Nick Farkas tells Billboard Canada. The Swedish pop star pulled one of the weekend’s biggest crowds amid her major chart resurgence. Fans rocking bright colours and flowers filled the audience across both main stages, eager to hear Larsson’s hits both old (“Lush Life”) and new (“Midnight Sun” and “Stateside”). The Heated Rivalry craze also led Wolf Parade to the festival once more, with Farkas adding that it was “so much fun having Wolf Parade back.” The band famously played the inaugural edition of Osheaga and made their second decennial return this year, now having played in 2006, 2016 and 2026, a run that speaks to their own longevity as well as that of the festival.
OVO Golf Classic Doubles Its Support For The Remix Project and Scarborough Shooting Stars Foundation in 2026
October’s Very Own upped the ante for its second OVO Golf Classic last Thursday (July 30).
The clothing and culture brand co-founded by global superstar Drake took over all three award-winning courses at TPC Osprey Valley, home of the Canadian Open, for a spirited day of music, sport and community in support of the Remix Project and the Scarborough Shooting Stars Foundation. It was hosted by eTalk’s Tyrone Edwards, a Remix alumnus himself, and sports broadcaster Rod Black, the voice of the Scarborough Shooting Stars.
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The event was produced by creative marketing and experiential events agency That Good.
While 2025’s first edition set a standard for the event, the second year was even bigger. There were 91 teams (up from 36 last year), totalling 364 golfers.
That included some major names from music, culture and sports: the NBA’s Devin Booker and Jordan Clarkson, football star Johnny Manziel and soccer star Jozy Altidore, OVO Sound artists Smiley, Nineteen85, Roy Woods and Jordan Ullman of Majid Jordan, social media stars Glamzilla, MD Motivator, Kyle Foregard of the NELK Boys and many more.
Following an 11 a.m. shotgun start, golfers spent the day playing through a superpowered version of the acclaimed golf course. Every hole was activated with exclusive giveaways and challenges, adding an extra layer to the action on the course. Billboard Canada was the partner for hole 11, letting participants star on their version of a Billboard cover between swings.
All the money raised went toward the Remix Project and the Scarborough Shooting Stars Foundation, the charitable arm of a Canadian Elite Basketball League team, funding youth programs that provide access to sport, mentorship and opportunity for under-resourced youth in the community.
At the end of the day, a helicopter dropped a set of balls onto the course, each with a potential big prize including a suite for 20 people for a Toronto Blue Jays Game, tickets to any NFL game, a $1000 OVO gift card, a Gretzky Hockey School jersey signed by Wayne Gretzky and a one-night, two-round stay for four golfers at TPC Osprey in 2027.
After everyone was done on the course, a special meal and reception fed and entertained the star-studded crowd.
Departure Executive Producer Steps Down After Two-Year Run
Kevin Barton has stepped down from his role as executive producer at Departure.
Barton held the role for both years of the conference and festival since it was bought by Oak View Group and Loft Entertainment in 2024 and rebranded from Canadian Music Week. Barton remains a partner and shareholder at Loft, the Toronto-based music company co-founded by former Bell Media and Universal Music Canada executive Randy Lennox and film producer Jeffrey Latimer.
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“I’m concluding my role as Executive Producer of Departure Festival + Conference,” Barton tells Billboard Canada. “After spending the past two years helping guide its evolution, it feels like the right time for me to begin a new chapter.”
In March, shortly before the second edition of Departure, the Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards (CAFA) announced Barton would be taking an expanded role as chief strategy officer. At the time, Barton clarified on Instagram that he would continue in his roles at Departure and Loft.
Barton says his decision to move on from Departure was not driven by his expanded role at CAFA, but rather by a desire to focus on new projects.
“I’ve reached a point where I want to focus on a broader portfolio of work, including CAFA, strategic advisory projects, and developing new initiatives around culture, business and innovation,” he says.
Throughout his career, Barton has bridged the worlds of music, fashion and art, building the Urban Music department at Universal Music Canada and also working in film and photography.
Canadian Music Week’s transformation into Departure also shifted from its longtime identity as the Canadian music industry’s leading conference into one that also focused on media, technology, film, fashion and other cultural subjects.
“When I joined, one of my priorities was helping reimagine the festival’s identity to better reflect where culture was heading,” Barton says, expanding across creative sectors to reflect “how today’s artistic communities actually collaborate and create.”
Billboard Canada learned there were layoffs following this year’s edition of Departure. Barton attributes that to seasonal staffing, which he says is common across the live events industry. “Organizations expand to deliver the festival and then realign afterward as they transition into planning, partnership development and long-term strategy for the next edition.”
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.pngYveto2026-08-08 03:03:262026-08-08 03:03:26In Canada: Osheaga Festival Draws Near-Record Attendance With Tate McRae, Stella Lefty & More
Two decades after studying at Boston’s Berklee College of Music and relocating to Nashville, Mississippi native Charlie Worsham has forged a career as an award-winning artist/songwriter/musician. He’s a multi-hyphenate artist in his own right, but is also a first-call session player, touring bandmate, and essential thread in the fabric of country music’s current landscape.
His new album, Once Upon a Second Time Around, out Friday (Aug. 7), is his third full-length solo project, following 2013’s Rubberband and 2017’s The Beginning of Things, as well as the 2023 EP Compadres, but also launches a new independent era: The album is out on ONErpm after he spent years with Warner Records Nashville.
Concurrently with releasing his own music, Worsham has lent his prowess on guitar, mandolin, banjo and songwriting to albums by Eric Church, Carrie Underwood, Ella Langley, Kacey Musgraves, Kip Moore, Sam Williams, Luke Combs, and Dierks Bentley. He’s been part of touring bands for Vince Gill and Bentley, as well as briefly joining Old Crow Medicine Show. Early in his career, he played in the country group Kingbilly, where one of his bandmates was Brothers Osborne’s John Osborne.
“When you move to town, you need a little piss and vinegar, a little bit of an attitude, which I [had]. I had the great fortune of moving into a house and band with all these great musical big brothers I never had. Chief among them, John Osborne. The biggest difference from 21-year-old me to now is I’ve learned to let go of so much and in letting go, my hands are free to pick up the really beautiful parts.”
Two decades in the industry have helped Worsham, 40, arrive at a moment where he’s redefined for himself what constitutes success.
“It’s very easy to have blinders on as a young artist in town because the definition of success can be so narrow. What’s great in this moment is I have that proverbial seat at the table. I know enough to know now that what I was really tightly clinging to and what felt like anger was really fear that I wouldn’t have this permanent spot in town in this community,” he says. “I think the biggest shift is that I have freedom to expand my definition of success…Any day I wake up and I’m collaborating with people that challenge me and inspire me to be better and I’m being creative, that’s the dream.”
His experiences are woven into his new album. Guiding him as a mantra was “The impossible takes longer,” a saying he found in a book of quotes from Nobel Laureate honorees.
“It feels that way sometimes, like, ‘How do I get to this place, but bring my bluegrass heart that I have and this Southern rock heart that I have and all these things are starting to take shape?”
Worsham co-wrote around half of the album’s dozen songs, though he also worked with Sony Music Publishing’s exec vp of creative Josh Van Valkenburg, who played a key role in finding several of the album’s cuts, including “Family Man,” written by Josh Jenkins, Ben Stennis and Matt Rogers, and “They Never Do,” which was an older song written by Lainey Wilson, Dallas Wilson and Josh Nix.
“She’s a sister to me in that regard, she’s just been at it for a long time and had to be patient for the world to catch up,” Worsham says of Wilson, who previously recorded with Worsham for a song on his Compadres EP. “She did me a great kindness by singing on this.”
He adds, “Josh [Van Valkenburg] also found songs that I had written and kind of forgotten about,” Worsham says, including the album’s title track. “I was writing for a record I thought would be a Warner record. Technically, I had not parted ways with Warner until the middle of this process. The day I wrote that song, I needed to write for my heart and then I immediately disregarded it and didn’t think it would see the light of day.”
Songs like “Powers That Be” and “Family Man” center on Worsham’s balancing act between his musical duties, his roles as husband and father, and his podcast, Mississippi on the Map, which highlights his home state’s contributions to musical culture, as well as the 50 Years From Home with Gill.
“I’m still working on the balance. Part of that is self-induced, and part of it is just the nature of being a multi-hyphenate, which for a long time I felt worked against me,” he says. “[In] this independent season, it kind of works for me. I’m learning to sort of double down everywhere I can on doing the thing that only I can do. That means injecting a little bit of music nerd into things. That means injecting a medium dose of Mississippi into all things, telling stories,” he says. “And the balance part is definitely a challenge. But I’m better than I was last year. I’m better than I was the year before that at it. And so it’s an ongoing process and I am so grateful. I still love getting out on the road. But also coming home has never been sweeter.”
Time spent at home influenced “Years Go By,” which came from a COVID-era writing session over Zoom with Stephen Wilson Jr., as Worsham and his wife were expecting a child, and Wilson was teaching his son how to drive.
“At that time– and still do–I looked to dads who were farther down the road, like, ‘All right, help me out. What’s some wisdom?’ So it was half that and half co-write,” Worsham says.
The album closes with a reprise of one of the album’s earlier songs, “Wrap My Porch Around,” this time a nod to Worsham’s affinity for bluegrass by collaborating with The Travelin’ McCourys. In doing so, Worsham gives a nod to Bentley, who has often closed out his albums with a bluegrass cut, and Gill, who on his 1996 album High Lonesome Sound included two versions of the title track, one featuring Alison Krauss & Union Station.
“It was very much meant to be a tip of the hat to Dierks, but also to Vince. I’ve gotten to know the McCourys through being with Dierks,” he says. “And sweet Jason Carter, that recording was the last thing he did [as part of The Travelin’ McCourys] before striking out as a solo guy.”
Worsham calls Gill’s genre-blending High Lonesome Sound “monumental for me, because I knew I wanted to come to Nashville. I knew I was a bluegrass kid but I knew I loved ripping an electric guitar and country music. We even cut [“Wrap My Porch Around”] at Vince’s house and I played one of Vince’s acoustic [guitars] on it.”
Professionally and personally, he continues to view Gill as a role model.
“He understands that he has less time ahead of him to make music and be creative and every note matters,” he says. “I’m living another version of that; my kids are growing up faster than I’ll be able to emotionally handle. But I do, God willing, have decades of making music ahead of me. I hope that in the next 20 years, I’ll look back and go, ‘I made twice as much music as I had.’”
Ahead, fans could see a record that leans more heavily into Worsham’s bluegrass proclivities. “This moment where we’re in, where Billy Strings is selling multiple arena nights, it’s just a good time for music to blur the lines and for people to show all their cards and say, ‘This is where my journey has taken me.’”
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.pngYveto2026-08-08 03:03:252026-08-08 03:03:25Charlie Worsham Talks New Album ‘Once Upon a Second Time Around,’ Collabs With Lainey Wilson, Stephen Wilson Jr.
Ariana Grande may have missed the opportunity to join American Horror Story this year, but Ryan Murphy isn’t ready to let the idea vanish.
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the Emmy-winning producer discussed that Grande was originally going to appear in the anthology series’ upcoming 13th season before her Eternal Sunshine Tour made the scheduling impossible. Instead of recasting for the role, Murphy simply said he would rather hold onto the idea until the Grammy-winning pop star might become available.
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“I love Ariana Grande. We’re great friends,” Murphy said. “I had an idea and I came to her and she, very immediately, said ‘I’m not sure because I think I’m going on tour.’”
Murphy explained that Grande had just wrapped up her appearance in the blockbluster Wicked films when they first discussed the possibility of her joining AHS. As plans for her worldwide tour came together, the singer realized just how demanding her schedule would be if she agreed. Therefore, she decided that another production schedule wouldn’t be feasible.
“When it came time to do that episode, I called her up and she was like, ‘I don’t know how I’m going to juggle the tour with this,’” Murphy recalls. “And I said, ‘OK, if you can’t, we can push to another season.’ She said, ‘Great.’ You have to be respectful. Who is busier than Ariana Grande? No one.
Even though Murphy did keep quiet about the character he had envisioned for Grande, he suggested fans shouldn’t rule out seeing her in his horror universe down the line.
“It was a very big swing, but I might bring that back for another season, per Ariana’s availability,” he said. “I think the world of her.”
Grande has worked with Murphy before, appearing in Fox’s horror comedy series Scream Queens back in 2015. The producer said she’s long been a fan of the genre, pointing to both her previous acting work and horror-inspired creative choices throughout her career (most recently, the gory music video for her new album’s title track “Petal”).
“Ariana is a big fan of horror,” Murphy said. “She’s obviously done homages of that in her work; she did Scream Queens for me and loved the experience, and people love her in that show. So I will always work with her. I love her, and I support her.”
As Murphy mentioned, Grande is relentless in all of her endeavors. This past Friday (July 31), she released her highly anticipated album Petal, with the lead single “Hate That I Made You Love Me” marking her 10th Billboard Hot 100 No. 1. She is also in the midst of her Eternal Sunshine Tour, which is set to conclude Sept. 1 in London, England. Her rep announced over this past weekend that after the tour wraps, Grande will take a step back from the public eye.
“She looks forward to finishing the tour and ending it on a high note, both healthily and happily, and then taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny,” the rep said in a statement to People. “This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much.”
SZA is embarking on a trip to the colorful world of CoComelon.
The seven-time Grammy winner is set to voice a character in CoComelon: The Movie, the first feature-length film from the popular children’s franchise. DreamWorks Jr. unveiled the movie’s first teaser trailer on Thursday (Aug. 6), giving audiences a glimpse into the animated adventure ahead of its theatrical release next year, on Feb. 19, 2027.
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In addition to SZA’s voice role, the movie will also feature original music from Grammy-nominated songwriter and executive music producer Justin Tranter, who has worked with A-listers including Chappell Roan, Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez.
The trailer follows JJ and his friends as they search for his beloved stuffed bear Boba. Their chase takes an unexpected turn when they’re transported through a mysterious lost-and-found box into a magical new world, setting off a fantastical quest to reunite JJ with his favorite companion.
Directed by Kat Good, CoComelon: The Movie is produced by DreamWorks Animation, Moonbug Entertainment, Flywheel Media and Prime Focus Studios, with Universal Pictures handling its theatrical release.
Though voice acting is not SZA’s usual calling, this project will be an interesting addition to her success thus far. The singer has a lot of hits under her belt: Her most recent album, SOS, spent No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for 11 weeks and became the first album by a woman to spend more than 100 weeks in the chart’s top 10. The LP also produced the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 smash “Kill Bill” before SZA continued her chart dominance with songs like “Saturn” and “30 for 30” (with Kendrick Lamar) as well as another Hot 100 No. 1, Lamar’s “Luther.”
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.pngYveto2026-08-07 03:04:012026-08-07 03:04:01‘CoComelon: The Movie’ Brings Baby JJ (And SZA) To the Big Screen: Watch the First Teaser Trailer
Barbra Streisand is adding an additional chapter to her iconic career.
The EGOT-winning legend is expanding her creative repertoire outside music and into children’s literature. Her debut picture book, And By the Way…, will arrive on bookstore shelves next spring, according to People.
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The book, which will be published by Flamingo Books (an imprint of Penguin Young Readers), tells the story of a loving grandparent and grandchild who spend the day together doing fun activities and adventures that lead to understanding some of life’s core truths.
For Streisand, this project is very personal, stemming from her home life. “I love being ‘Gamma Barbra’ to my three wonderful young grandchildren,” Streisand shared in a statement. “One of our favorite activities is reading picture books together — sometimes the same ones over and over again! So, I thought it would be fun to write my own book… for them… and hopefully, for other parents and grandparents to read to their little ones!”
The title of the book also has everything to do with Streisand, as it’s one of her signature phrases. “It’s an expression I use quite often,” she explained. “It seems like there’s always one more thing to say!” She added that the overarching message centers on “discovery, self-expression, self-reliance and of course, love.”
Streisand has four grandchildren through her marriage to actor James Brolin, with whom she tied the knot in 1998. Her stepson Josh Brolin has four children — who are the singer’s step-grandchildren. Josh Brolin shares Trevor, 38, and Eden, 31, with his first wife. In 2016, Josh married his third wife, Kathryn Boyd Brolin; together they have daughters Westlyn Reign, 7, and Chapel Grace, 5.
And By the Way… is currently available for preorder and will officially be released on March 30, 2027.
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.pngYveto2026-08-07 03:04:002026-08-07 03:04:00Barbra Streisand Is Stepping Into Children’s Literature With Debut Picture Book ‘And By the Way…’
After finally squashing things with J. Cole over a lawsuit that stemmed from a verse for an interview exchange that took forever to happen, Cam’ron is now adding unnamed members of Cardi B‘s team to his hit list.
During a recent episode of his REVOLT talk show Talk With Flee, in which he and his co-hosts were recapping the show’s first season, Cam had a segment titled “People Gotta Leave Flee Alone!” where the Harlem rapper-turned-media personality had a message for certain people on Cardi’s team. Apparently, they had reached out to Killa a couple of years ago for a verse and a hook for a remake of his 2000 hit “What Means the World to You,” similar to how the Bronx rapper flipped Jay-Z‘s “Imaginary Players” on her sophomore album Am I the Drama? Cam agreed in exchange for an interview, similar to deal he made with J. Cole that was mentioned earlier.
However, once the album’s track list dropped, he noticed that his feature wasn’t included, so he reached back out to ask for either the interview or to be compensated for his time, but was told that they decided to scrap the remake due to the lukewarm response to her Jigga flip. “I called them and I’m like, ‘Yo, what’s up? What happened? Y’all harassed me for two years about this.’ [They said,] ‘The younger people loved it, but some people didn’t like her flowing on a ‘90s beat on ‘Imaginary Playerz,’ so we tried to stay away from that.’”
Earlier in the segment, he made sure to say that he had no issues with Cardi, and he reiterated that sentiment again by saying he doesn’t blame her, just the people on her team that he was allegedly dealing with. “I’m not putting this on Cardi,” he said. “Cardi might not even know this sh–. I’m just saying, the people around her is making promises on her behalf, and she might not even notice. So you gotta stop making promises on these artists’ behalf, and they don’t know.”
Cam then continued by issuing the team members in question a warning that he would be willing to disclose personal risqué information if he doesn’t get his money or his interview.
“Take this as a warning,” he threatened. “Send that paper through for my time, or I’mma tell how you like to be on all fours, and your ass tickled with — pause — ‘cause I know a girl [who’s] with you. … I’m gonna put your text messages up. … I was disgusted when I seen it. … [But] I was like, ‘Yes God, you sent this to me to get back at these n—as.’ … The next show is your text messages.”
He also suggested that he may air out people with bad business practices each week.
You can watch the full episode of Talk With Flee below.
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.pngYveto2026-08-07 03:04:002026-08-07 03:04:00Cam’ron Threatens to Expose Members of Cardi B’s Team Over Unreleased Song: ‘Take This as a Warning’
Major labels are cracking down on an illegal streaming app in Canada.
Sony Music Group and Universal Music Group will begin legal proceedings in Canada against the developers of Musi, a streaming app that sources music from YouTube without the authorization of artists. The app, which has been deemed “parasitic” by the majors, features the same content as YouTube and YouTube Music, but with fewer or no advertisements.
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Although it was pulled from Apple’s App Store in 2024 following a slew of copyright claims and infringements, users who previously installed the app can still access it, and the majors are now stepping in to crack down on its activity.
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) has teamed up with Music Canada, its local national group representing the three majors in Canada, to represent both labels in the action. They claim that Musi is illegally making copyrighted material available to the public and deliberately circumventing technical protections that would normally protect such content on YouTube from theft.
“We are serving notice on parasitic apps, which are designed specifically to exploit artists and their music, and undermine legitimate music services,” says IFPI CEO Victoria Oakley. “Musi and similar illegal services have no place in today’s music ecosystem which is built on the premise of empowering innovation through licensing. This legal action is an important step, and we hope it will be further supported by effective, direct action from the mobile app stores and the music services being directly exploited by these apps.”
The platform has charged users for subscriptions and advertising models, making a profit by circumventing legitimate competition, they argue, and simultaneously depriving artists of certain royalties and income.
“This litigation sends a clear message that services designed to circumvent platform protections and exploit music without authorisation are not legitimate businesses,” says Music Canada CEO Patrick Rogers. “The industry will continue taking coordinated action to protect artists and fans from unlawful exploitation. Our goal is simple: ensure artists are paid when their music is played — and shutting down parasitic apps is one way to achieve that.”
Copyright has been a top priority for the Canadian music business, with major labels and music companies taking action. Earlier this year, Music Canada secured a first-of-its-kind court order from the Federal Court of Canada to block popular YouTube stream-ripping sites like Y2Mate, YTMP3 and Savefrom, which count over 1.7 million monthly users and are known for facilitating illegal music downloads. “I believe artists should be paid when their music is played. To create the best possible environment for that to happen, we have to shut down sites that promote stealing music,” said Rogers of the groundbreaking victory.
Canadians have also tightened the knot on copyright protection in the face of AI, which has been the catalyst for new concerns and cases of infringement, specifically with unlicensed music borrowing from copyrighted music. Music Publishers Canada recently made a landmark intervention in a federal case regarding generative AI and copyright laws, putting forward the idea that only a human can be the author of copyright, and CEO Margaret McGuffin calling it “imperative” that Canadian copyright laws respect creators and encourage human expression in the face of AI.
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Ahead of the release of his new album Chuck Timely & The Hourglass on Friday, the singer/songwriter revealed that after the breakout success of “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out,” his label encouraged him to capitalize on the viral moment by working with established producers. Instead, he trusted his gut to collaborate with Mason Stoops and Taylor Mackall, who have worked with fellow musician Lizzy McAlpine, to assist in bringing Chuck Timely to life.
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Speaking with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Role Model (real name Tucker Pillsbury) recalled that after “Sally” gained traction, “My label was like, ‘You want the big dogs. This is your chance to have those huge producers in the room.’” But the singer said he “had to fight it for a little bit” before convincing them to let him work with Stoops and Mackall, who had previously contributed as session musicians on his 2024 album Kansas Anymore.
“I got to trust my gut this time,” he said, explaining that he believed the pair had an untapped talent for producing pop music. “I’m glad I did because those two boys and everyone else that helped on the record did it perfectly.”
Pillsbury also spills about the album’s songwriting process, saying that instead of having fully formed songs ready in the studio, he confessed that many sessions began with Stoops and Mackall just jamming together until ideas came about. The album’s standout track “Good Thing,” for example, came together in roughly an hour after the musicians started playing without a plan.
“I didn’t even have a prompt or anything,” he said. “They literally just started playing, and then we were like, ‘Wait, this has kind of got like a Willie [Nelson] vibe to it.’”
The musician thought back to the feeling of finishing that impromptu session. He stated that listening to that track for the first time felt like listening to a cover, not a record of his own, though he loved it.
“That [emotion] felt really good. I streamed the sh– out of that song and it’s not even out yet,” Pillsbury admits.
Chuck Timely & The Hourglass is set to release on Aug. 7 and includes the previously released single “High Hopes 3000,” which hit No. 94 on the Billboard Hot 100.
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.pngYveto2026-08-06 03:03:252026-08-06 03:03:25How Role Model Convinced His Label Not to Pair Him With Big-Name Producers After ‘Sally’ Success: ‘I Got to Trust My Gut This Time’
Since Robert Kyncl became Warner Music Group’s CEO in early 2023, the record label behind Madonna, Miley Cyrus, Stella Lefty and Burna Boy has undergone cost cuts, a corporate re-org and a slew of leadership changes. During the company’s earnings call on Wednesday (Aug. 5) for its third fiscal quarter, Kyncl sought to reassure investors that Warner’s consequent reinvestment and bottom line growth was evidence that “our long-term strategy is working.”
“Over the last three years, we’ve done lots of difficult things,” Kyncl said, reflecting on the company’s cost cuts, amounting to more than $600 million combined, and its work negotiating updated deals with streaming partners. “There’s a strategy here that was set in motion, and it’s delivering results. And we have an amazing team of executives who are rowing in the same direction.”
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Kyncl’s message came days after the unexpected departure of CFO and COO Armin Zerza, whom Kyncl thanked for his “long-lasting” contributions, including sharpening WMG’s focus on “capital allocation, forecasting, and … investor messaging.”
“All of those are deeply institutionalized in our company now, and I’m very confident about them continuing,” Kyncl said, extending thanks to Louis Dickler, WMG’s chief accounting officer who was named acting CFO, and Tom Corson, Warner Records’ co-chairman and COO, who was named COO of WMG the same day as Zerza’s exit was announced..
Earlier this week, WMG released preliminary financial information showing that quarterly revenue rose by 10% to nearly $1.9 billion on an 11% increase in digital revenue, which hit about $1.25 billion. Supporting that digital growth was a 12% increase in recorded music streaming revenue year-over-year to just over $1 billion. Breaking down the 12% increase, acting CFO Dickler said that 6% to 7% came from subscription streaming income, 3.5% came from improved licensing deals with digital streaming partners and 1% came from expanded global market share.
Kyncl praised chief digital officer Carletta Higgins for inking those deals with all of WMG’s major streaming partners, including, most recently, Apple.
WMG’s market share has risen since a corporate reorganization in 2024 brought Elliot Grainge‘s 10K Projects under the Atlantic Music Group umbrella, but Kyncl said that much of its market share gains came after the 10K acquisition. WMG’s current share of the overall U.S. recorded music market, including catalog, rose by around 0.3%, and its share of the market for music released in the last 18 months grew by around 0.8%, according to Luminate.
Kyncl said Stella Lefty’s Billboard Hot 100 top 5 hit “Boston” and Shakira and Burna Boy’s “Dai Dai (FIFA World Cup Official Song 2026),” the first World Cup anthem to top both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts, are the latest hits that contributed to three years of “significant improvement” for WMG’s global market share, which is not publicly available.
While WMG does not issue guidance on subscription streaming growth, Dickler said the guidance that the company can achieve high single-digit top-line growth is “obviously … anchored by growth in paid streaming.”
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.pngYveto2026-08-06 03:03:252026-08-06 03:03:25Warner Music Group Earnings Call Recap: What You Need to Know
