Music Industry Moves: New Edition Signs With CAA, ‘Don Dada’ Johnson Joins Goldenvoice

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Weeknd will be honored with the Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award at the first annual Music in Action Awards, hosted by the Black Music Action Coalition and taking place September 23 at the 1 Hotel in West Hollywood.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorClive Davis and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the artists who will be joining Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon and Jennifer Hudson at the New York City “homecoming concert” in New York’s Central Park on August 21: Andrea Bocelli, LL Cool J, Kane Brown, Elvis Costello, Earth, Wind and Fire, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Cynthia Erivo, Jimmy Fallon, Wyclef Jean, Journey, the Killers, Gayle King, Don Lemon, Barry Manilow, Polo G, Patti Smith, Rob Thomas with

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSinead Harnett, Snail Mail, Ambar Lucid, Paris Texas and 23 other acts are members of YouTube Music’s Foundry Class of 2021, which focuses on independent artists.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAfter days of unconfirmed reports that Kanye West’s new album “Donda” — which was first announced in 2019, then shelved, then suddenly revived last week, then bumped again — will be released on August 6 th, although as with all things Kanye, that date is a moving target.West held a listening session for the album in Las Vegas on July 17, then announced another, larger one at Atlanta’s Mercedes Benz Arena for Thursday, to be followed by the album’s release that

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorTravis Scott premiered a new song apparently titled “Escape Plan” during his headlining set at Day Two of the Rolling Loud Miami festival on Saturday night. Scott had teased the song and video earlier on Saturday with a minute-long clip — lensed in a wide variety of locations, including a private jet, a yacht and a number of expensive-looking tropical locales — with the caption “Hmm someone [asked] me how I’m starting I said this is how.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorNot surprisingly, there have been all kinds of reactions to Lil Nas X’s latest very unsubtle video, for “Industry Baby.” Like many of his other recent videos and TV appearances, the jail-themed clip includes multiple eye-popping homoerotic scenes, particularly one of Nas and his dancers gyrating naked in the shower.Guest rapper Jack Harlow gets in on the action too, albeit with a female dancer.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorWelp, Lil Nas X definitely is not backing down from stirring up controversy.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorTravis Barker has signed an exclusive worldwide administration deal with Warner Chappell Music, the publishing arm of Warner Music Group, the company announced Thursday (July 22).

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorGrammy-winning singer and electronic musician James Blake has announced his fifth studio full-length, “Friends That Break Your Heart” — which he describes as “a concept album” — will be out on September 10. He’s leading with the single “Say What You Will,” a highlight of his solo tour late in 2019.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorA month after Sony Music Entertainment announced that it will waive unrecouped debts for artists who signed with the company before 2000, its publishing company has joined the program as well.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorColdplay have announced the release of their ninth studio album, “Music of the Spheres,” arriving on October 15.The band announced the Max Martin-produced album on Instagram via a handwritten note alongside an album trailer, which combines an animated cosmic journey through the album’s planetary artwork with short clips of the album’s 12 tracks.The band’s note also seemed to hint at further sci-fi themes with the phrase ‘Everyone is an alien somewhere’.In May, the

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorJudging by a trailer released early Monday, Lil Nas X is unleashing another salvo in his campaign against haters with his Kanye West-co-produced new single “Industry Baby,” which drops on Friday.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorBillionaire investor Bill Ackman announced early Monday that he has decided not to use his SPAC to acquire a 10% stake in Universal Music Group after the Securities and Exchange Commission voiced concerns about the the complicated agreement, which would have been the biggest SPAC transaction to date.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorKanye West apparently premiered new material at a small listening event in Las Vegas, according to multiple unconfirmed but reliable-seeming social media reports that surfaced Sunday — several of which apparently include snippets of at least two songs.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSpotify and New York’s legendary Electric Lady Studios have expanded their partnership to include a series of live EPs, starting later this month.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorRichard Foster has been pro­moted to vice president, marketing at Epic Records, it was announced by Dave Bell, executive VP and head of marketing, to whom Foster reports.The New York-based Foster, who joined the Sony Music label in July 2019, is tasked with all digital marketing initiatives including podcasts, website design and data analysis, in addition to managing marketing budgets and liaising with the creative team.Said Bell: “Rich’s limitless creativity and

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSinger-songwriter Chris Isaak has partnered with Primary Wave in a deal that sees the publishing company acquiring a 50% stake in his master recordings and signing with the legendary Sun Records for future recordings (which was recently acquired by Primary Wave).

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorBrent Smith has left WME and joined Wasserman Music, the new company formed after Casey Wasserman acquired Paradigm’s North American music representation business, as executive vice present and managing executive, the company announced Tuesday (July 6).“As many of you know, the senior leadership team and I have been spending time with Brent Smith, and today I am pleased to share that he is joining Wasserman Music as EVP and Managing Executive,” Casey Wasserman wrote

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorMotown Records announced that Brian Nolan has been appointed executive vice president of the label and executive VP of marketing, effective immediately. According to the announcement, in this new role, Nolan joins the label’s executive leadership team and will help guide the company as well as oversee Motown’s marketing teams and initiatives.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorBessemer Trust, a professional wealth management firm that was poised to take over as co-conservator of Britney Spears’ estate and work with her father, has asked to resign from the arrangement, according to a court document filed Thursday that was cited by the New York Times.The company, which manages more than $100 billion in assets, said it was requesting to withdraw “due to changed circumstances.” In the filing, the firm said it had been told the singer’s