Music Industry Moves: FKA Twigs Partners With Atlantic Records

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAfter seeing her song “Fingers Crossed” become a TikTok smash, Vancouver Island singer/songwriter Lauren Spencer-Smith has partnered with Universal Music Group’s Island Records and Republic Records. According to the announcement, “The innovative partnership, structured with manager and business partner David Ehrlich (pictured above, right, with UMG chief Lucian Grainge, left, and Spencer-Smith), allows Lauren Spencer-Smith to keep her independent spirit via her own imprint while tapping into premium services from both labels.”After breaking through on TikTok, “Fingers Crossed” garnered over 100 million streams hitting the Top 50 on Spotify in 23 countries and peaked at No.

Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong is asking his fans for help. On Saturday morning, the 49-year-old musician took to Twitter revealing that his 1962 Chevy II had been stolen in Costa Mesa, California. "My car was STOLEN 1962 Chevy II," he wrote alongside several photos of the missing classic.

Meek Mill has aired a number of grievances against his label Atlantic Records, saying they were delaying the release of his new music against his wishes.He said he was “blackballed” by the label during the release of his last album ‘Expensive Pain’ and accused them of “outsmarting young black kids taking advantage and calling it business.”Meek also said that Atlantic cut him out of managing Roddy Ricch while he was in jail after he introduced the label to the rapper, saying it was the “same thing” that had happened with him and Rick Ross years earlier. NME has reached out to Atlantic Records for a response.“So look I made Atlantic records 100’s of millions and let them rape me out out [sic] Roddy a artist they came to me about in jail,” Meek wrote.

Audio Up, home to such audio programs as Stephen King’s “Strawberry Spring,” Michael Cohen’s “Mea Culpa” and the just-released Audible exclusive “Maejor Frequency,” is bolstering its executive ranks with the hiring of music supervision trailblazer PJ Bloom and label marketing veteran Christine Kauffman.Bloom (pictured at left) will serve as co-president of music, alongside John Ingrassia. Kauffman has been named executive VP, brand strategy and partnerships.Bloom’s resume includes, most recently, a nearly five-year run at Warner Records, where he served as SVP of film and television music and soundtracks, leading the label’s creative, marketing and licensing efforts in the music for screens space.

CBS and CMT have set a new April air date and venue for the 2022 CMT Music Awards. CBS’ inaugural broadcast of country music’s entirely fan-voted awards show will now take place live on Monday, April 11 from 8-11 PM Live ET/delayed PT from Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium, and various locations in and around the city. The show will also be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe CMT Music Awards, which agreed to move their date and venue when the 2022 Grammy Awards announced their relocation to Las Vegas, have unveiled the new date and venue for their inaugural broadcast on CBS: The show will now broadcast live from Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium on Monday, April 11, from 8 p.m – 11 p.m. ET; the West Coast broadcast will be delayed, although the show will also be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.“The biggest and best moments in music are coming to CBS this April,” said Jack Sussman, executive vice president, specials, music, live events & alternative programming for CBS.

Manori Ravindran International EditorU.K. Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries opened the virtual Creative Coalition Festival on Tuesday with a rallying speech about the creative industries, but stayed quiet on all matters relating to the future of broadcasters Channel 4 and the BBC.In what appeared to be a pre-recorded segment, Dorries talked up the music sector as examples of the U.K.’s “creative powerhouse,” referencing Coldplay and Adele’s new albums as well as Dua Lipa’s hit song “Levitating.” “It’s our writers and musicians and designers and composers who are the most celebrated around the world today and do the most to sell the U.K.

SANTA FE, N.M. -- A Republican New Mexico legislator wants movie actors and other film-set professionals to undergo state-sponsored gun-safety training after a cinematographer was fatally shot last year by Alec Baldwin with a weapon he says he thought was not loaded with live ammunition.State Sen.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIsland Records has named Mike Alexander general manager, it was announced by new label co-CEOs Imran Majid and Justin Eshak. Alexander will continue to be based in New York and report jointly to Majid and Eshak.A nearly two-decade veteran of Island’s parent company Universal Music Group, Alexander has for the past year been an executive VP at Island, overseeing the operations for the label including releases by Shawn Mendes, the Killers, Demi Lovato and others. He previously served as executive vice president of international for UMG, a position that jointly encompassed Island Records, Def Jam Recordings and Republic Records.

iHeartRadio Music Awards nominations are here!Celebrating the most-played artists and songs on iHeartRadio stations and app from last year, the ninth edition of the awards ceremony is set to be a star-studded affair. Justin Bieber, Olivia Rodrigo, Karol G, Drake, Ed Sheeran, Megan Thee Stallion, Bad Bunny and many more are among the nominees.This year, listeners will have the chance to decide winners in several new and established categories.

FKA twigs has shared a new video for ‘Jealousy (feat. Rema)’, throwing things back to the ‘80s and ‘90s with the visuals.The track features on the musician’s new mixtape ‘Caprisongs’, which was released earlier this month (January 14).The ‘Jealousy’ video features twigs and a group of dancers performing a choreographed routine to the song in front of a white background.

Dierks Bentley has been named one of four musicians who will be inducted into Nashville's Music City Walk of Fame.

Peter Andre fans were stunned to discover that a major pop star was once the singer's backing dancer. In a now-viral post shared to Twitter, the Mysterious Girl hitmaker, who has teased new music, can be seen posing with a slew of dancers - one of whom is FKA twigs.The meme account Love Of Huns shared the throwback snaps of the 48 year old posing with the then-budding superstar - who was seen giving his son Junior, now 16, a sweet hug in another image. "Obsessed with FKA twigs previously being Peter Andre's backup dancer and having piccies taken with Junior and Princess," the account wrote.

Lisa Kennedy Every now and again, a documentary filmmaker finds a bona fide star to pin the meaning of her film on, a figure so compelling she leaves a comet trail of thoughts and feelings after the movie’s end. Isabel Castro’s “Mija” boasts two: music manager Doris Muñoz and singer Jacks Haupt. Make that three, including the writer-director herself.

William Earl Reservoir has acquired the publishing and recorded music catalog of Country singer and songwriter Travis Tritt. Financial terms were not disclosed but the deal encompasses all of Tritt’s work up to and including the 2021 album “Set In Stone.”Tritt’s sales tally is impressive, with seven albums certified platinum (signifying one million units sold) and more than 30 million sold over his career, which launched in 1989.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSony Music Entertainment today announced it has fully acquired Bob Dylan’s entire back catalog of recorded music, as well as the rights to multiple future new releases, in a major expansion of SME’s six-decade relationship with the artist.Sources tell Variety that the deal was worth between $150 million and $200 million, although the number was not confirmed; reps for Sony and Dylan declined comment.This landmark agreement, concluded in July 2021, comprises the entirety of Bob Dylan’s recorded body of work since 1962, beginning with the artist’s self-titled debut album and continuing through 2020’s highly acclaimed and successful “Rough and Rowdy Ways.”Bob Dylan and SME will continue to collaborate on a range of future catalog reissues in the artist’s renowned and top-selling Bootleg Series, which began in 1991 and includes 14 releases through last year’s lauded “Springtime In New York: The Bootleg Series Vol. 16 (1980-1985).” The agreement also provides the opportunity for SME to partner with Dylan on additional projects.

Variety. The next day, musician Dean Wareham, founder of bands Galaxie 500 and Luna, revealed that Tolkin had been dealing with sepsis and organ failure.