Jem Aswad Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music It’s no surprise that British-Ghanaian R&B singer/songwriter Raye was the center of attention at last weekend’s BRIT Awards — she won a record six trophies at the British Grammy-equivalent ceremony, including Best Artist, Album of the Year and Song of the Year, and during her acceptance speeches made empowering statements like “I’m in control — I’m my own boss.” Yet obscured in all the headlines was the strong business statement she made on behalf of fellow songwriters, calling for them to receive a share of the master recording income of the songs on which they’re credited. Multiple other participants receive such shares — “points on the master” — including artists, labels, producers and others, but not songwriters.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music The standoff between Universal Music Group and TikTok took another turn on Wednesday when the trade group National Music Publishers Association sent a letter to its members saying that it does not expect to renew its license with the China-based platform when it expires at the end of next month. “Recently, the press has highlighted concerns around TikTok’s licensing practices, concerns that NMPA has heard directly from many of our members,” the letter reads in part.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Veteran singer and Roxy Music frontman Bryan Ferry has entered into a partnership with Irving Azoff’s Iconic Artists Group “to develop and expand the renowned artist’s musical legacy to new generations of fans,” according to the announcement. The deal sees the company acquiring 50% of Ferry’s sound recording, publishing, and name, image and likeness rights from his solo work and Roxy Music catalog, which reaches back to the group’s galvanizing 1972 debut album and includes such hit songs as “Love Is the Drug,” “More Than This,” “Avalon,” “Virginia Plain,” “Dance Away,” “Slave to Love” and more.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Even amid the literally thousands of Lou Reed cover versions that have emerged over the past half century — by everyone from David Bowie to Patti Smith to R.E.M. to Beck , it’s hard to imagine a more fitting musical tribute than Keith Richards covering “Waiting for the Man,” the 1967 song that heralded not just the Velvet Underground’s arrival, but a whole new realm of ultra-real, novelistic songwriting in rock music.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music As expected, layoffs began hitting Universal Music Group almost immediately after the company’s earnings call on Wednesday. The moves, which have been signaled by chairman-CEO Lucian Grainge since last fall, were still evolving at the time of this article’s publication, and follow the broad consolidation of the company’s labels under Interscope (West Coast) and Republic (East Coast) groups, under CEOs John Janick and Monte Lipman, respectively.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music The bruising battle over royalties between Universal Music Group and TikTok entered a new and more severe stage in the early hours of Tuesday as songs published by UMG began to be removed from the platform. The standoff, which began earlier this month, initially saw recordings owned by UMG removed from the platform, but now is extending to a much larger number of songs by including those published by the company.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Following on the news that the music industry generated some $9 billion on Spotify in 2023, the streaming giant has revealed that half of that total went to independent labels and artists — $4.5 billion. Streaming has leveled the playing field in many ways since it became the main platform for music around a decade ago, and the fact that independent artists — which Spotify defines as artists signed to a non-major labels or self-releasing — now account for half of that total, for the first time, is evidence.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music As expected, Atlantic Music Group announced on Monday that it will be laying off around two dozen people, with the majority coming from the radio and video departments. In an internal memo to the company’s staff obtained by Variety, chairman-CEO Julie Greenwald said Atlantic will be “bringing on new and additional skill sets in social media, content creation, community building and audience insights” in an effort to “dial up our fan focus and help artists tell their stories in ways that resonate.” The move reflects similar ones at the major labels recently, as they recalibrate to meet the leveling-off of streaming growth.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Universal Music Group has announced a majority investment in the Nigeria-based Afrobeats powerhouse label Mavin Global (Mavin). The label, based in Lagos, is home to such hits as Rema’s “Calm Down” — the Selena Gomez-featuring remix of which was No. 12 on Variety’s 2023 Hitmakers chart and is the most-viewed video on YouTube by an African artists — and other artists including Ayra Starr, Ladipoe, Johnny Drille and more.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Palestinian musicians Saint Levant and MC Abdul have united to release “Deira,” which sees the two artists paying peaceful tribute to the people and culture of Gaza and performing in traditional Shaabi Arab musical style. Levant recently signed with Universal Arabic Music label, founded by Wassim “Sal” Slaiby, manager of the Weeknd and CEO of XO. “Deira is the name of the hotel that my father, Rashid, an architect, built with my mother in 2000 when they moved to Gaza,” said Levant, who is of Palestinian, Algerian, French and Serbian descent and is currently based in Los Angeles.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Live Nation had another record year in 2023 as multiple superstar acts toured the world and live entertainment returned in earnest after the pandemic shut it down for nearly all of 2020 and 2021. The world’s largest live-entertainment company saw revenue of $22.7 billion, up 36% from 2022, pointing to record attendance, ticket sales and sponsorships. Adjusted operating income was $1.86 billion, up 32% year-over-year.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music One of the saddest ironies in the music world is the fact that songwriters are at the very bottom of the streaming economy. While there’s no question that streaming, and Spotify in particular, saved the music business after 15 years of financial freefall, the jury is still out on who exactly was saved. Major music companies are enjoying record profits, as are many superstar artists — but many others further down the income scale, and especially songwriters, have been left behind by the streaming payment model.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Long-running, Grammy-winning rock band Kings of Leon are starting off 2024 with a bang, announcing that they have signed with Capitol Records, which will release their forthcoming ninth full-length studio album, to be followed by a major world tour. The album, titled “Can We Please Have Fun,” was produced by Harry Styles/ Florence and the Machine collaborator Kid Harpoon (who, with partner Tyler Johnson, was Variety’s Hitmakers 2022 Producer of the Year), is due on May 10 and is preceded by the lead single “Mustang,” available now. The song recalls the innovative and idiosyncratic sound of the group’s 2004 breakthrough album, “Aha Shake Heartbreak.” The group’s world tour, produced by Live Nation in North America, will hit 26 cities across the U.S.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music The Songwriters Hall of Fame has announced that Diane Warren will be the 2024 recipient of the Johnny Mercer Award at the organization’s induction and awards gala slated for Thursday, June 13, 2024, at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. The Johnny Mercer Award, the Hall’s highest honor, is reserved for a songwriter or songwriting team who has already been inducted in a prior year and whose body of work is of such high quality and impact that it upholds the gold standard set by the legendary Johnny Mercer.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Chan Marshall — a.k.a Cat Power — is one of the most distinctive singers of her generation, emerging from the indie-rock scene of the early ‘90s to become a unique artist fusing a multitude of styles that range from rock to folk to low-key soul, in a long string of albums that alternate between originals and covers. Raised in Georgia, Charlyn Marshall (Chan is a childhood nickname that is pronounced “Shawn”) relocated to New York in the early ‘90s and was adopted by the city’s indie-rock community, releasing a string of increasingly strong albums.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. Did you miss the initial Harry Styles wave when his illustrious biography hit the stands and rocketed to number on Amazon? Fear not, the photo book and collection of essays from the music industry creators and influencers is now half off. If you were one of the millions to see Harry Styles shimmy in glitter and fur during his “Love on Tour” jaunt last year and are looking to recreate the magical moment, you’ll want to get your hands on a brand new photo book celebrating the Grammy-winning artist.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music On Tuesday, March 5, Foo Fighters will perform at a private concert in Washington, D.C. hosted by Power to the Patients, a non-profit fighting for a more affordable, accessible, and equitable healthcare system through price transparency. Veteran rappers Fat Joe, who has spearheaded music’s awareness of the organization, and Chuck D will also be in attendance.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music These days it can be all too easy for rock fans to fall into despair. What was the last truly culture-shifting new rock band? The Strokes? The White Stripes? Alternative forms of rock have been thriving, but it’s been a grim two decades for traditional guitar-based rock, as even the powers-that-be behind Grammy nominations seemed to have trouble finding worthy nominees beyond the usual Queens-of-the-Foo-Kings suspects (although they have branched out in recent years).

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music The family of Brian Wilson, co-founder and primary songwriter of the Beach Boys, has filed for a conservatorship after the death of the musician’s wife last month. The filing states that Wilson, 81, is suffering from a “major neurocognitive disorder (such as dementia).” “Following the passing of Brian’s beloved wife Melinda, after careful consideration and consultation among Brian, his seven children, Gloria Ramos and Brian’s doctors (and consistent with family processes put in place by Brian and Melinda), we are confirming that longtime Wilson family representatives LeeAnn Hard and Jean Sievers will serve as Brian’s co-conservators of the person,” the family wrote in a post on Instagram late Thursday.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Primary Wave Music has announced a partnership with the heirs of a producer behind the legendary dance-music group the Village People that involves a stake in the outfit’s brand, master recordings and publishing assets. Songs included in the partnership are such dancefloor icons as “Y.M.C.A.,” “Macho Man,” “In the Navy,” “Go West” and more.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Few artists have ever fused pop and dance music as fluidly as ABBA, and their influence is writ subtly but large on Dua Lipa’s new single “Training Season” — previewed during her performance at the Grammy Awards earlier this month — the second from her still untitled forthcoming third album. Driving but not as in-your-face as its predecessor “Houdini,” the song struts along on a powerful disco beat, with a melody that swerves into almost Middle-Eastern scales, reminiscent of ABBA’s biggest disco hit, 1978’s “Voulez-Vous.” While the influence there is subtle, it’s unmistakable, and is driven home later in the song with piano flourishes that recalls ABBA keyboardist Benny Andersson’s on many of the group’s hits, most famously “Dancing Queen.” It’s the best kind of tribute: nothing overt, but a sly, fun wink for fans who notice it.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Just two days after Def Jam Records co-founder Russell Simmons was sued for rape by a former Def Jam executive, he was hit on Thursday with another lawsuit for a former employee, Drew Dixon, who has leveled claims of sexual assault against him in the past. She is suing Simmons for defamation for calling her a “liar” after she made those statements, according to court documents filed Thursday and obtained by Variety; the lawsuit was first reported by Rolling Stone. Dixon, who worked as a Def Jam A&R executive from 1993 until 1995, filed suit in New York on Thursday and is seeking compensatory and punitive damages.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music The Black Music Action Coalition and live-entertainment giant Live Nation are partnering to launch a music business intensive course and paid internship program to provide industry newcomers with “insight and the technical skills required to bring a show to the stage,” the organizations announced Thursday. Kicking off this Summer, the program will offer non-college bound, aspiring music business professionals from across the country an all-expense paid experience in Los Angeles as they go through a one-week intensive course that will educate on a broad range of roles in the live music industry.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music After several teasers, Brent Faiyaz has dropped the video for his song “WY@” — featuring “Black Panther”/ “Star Wars”/ “12 Years a Slave” star Lupita Nyong’o. Directed by Markpeaced, the clip features the two filming scenes from a (presumably fictional) action film, involved in a high-speed chase across the desert and apparently arguing.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Eminem, whose 2000 song “Stan” coined the term for fanatical and sometimes delusional superfans, is co-producing a documentary on the phenomenon via his Shady Films, in association with DIGA Studios and Hill District Media, with initial distribution from Paramount/MTV. The film, directed by Steven Leckart (“Challenger: The Final Flight,” writer of “What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali” and cowriter of the Hulu series “Legacy: True Story of the L.A.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Just two days after performing with Usher during the Super Bowl Halftime show, Grammy-Oscar-Emmy winner H.E.R. has announced that she’s signed with Lighthouse Management and Media for management across all areas of her career. She will be managed at the company by Aleen Keshishian and Zack Morgenroth.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music In an elaborate series of teaser videos, Beyonce has announced the long-awaited Part II of her 2022 “Renaissance” album — and as long rumored, it appears to be a country-leaning album, due March 29. In the elaborate, self-referencing ad, we see Beyonce scrolling through songs on an iphone, then at a lemonade stand (referencing her 2016 classic album of the same name), following with a series of plays on her name: “Barbey,” referencing Barbie, “BOTUS,” saying she’ll be the first female president, then the first woman to launch the first rocket for the first woman in space.A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) Finally, she says, “OK, they ready — drop the new music.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music In an apparent attempt to undercut Taylor Swift’s potential influence on the presidential election later this year, former president Donald Trump issued a statement on his Truth Social platform Sunday claiming credit for the 2018 Music Modernization Act and stating, without evidence, that Swift would not endorse President Joe Biden’s re-election bid. In the post, Trump claimed: “I signed and was responsible for the Music Modernization Act for Taylor Swift and all other Musical Artists. Joe Biden didn’t do anything for Taylor, and never will.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Damo Suzuki, the Japanese lead singer of the wildly innovative band Can, has died, according to a statement from the band’s social media accounts. No cause of death was cited, although he had been battling colon cancer for a decade; he was 74.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music After a long series of fakeouts that have become standard operating procedure for Kanye West releases, the embattled artist and Ty Dolla $ign have finally dropped their “Vultures 1” album. The release, which occurred sometime in the wee hours of Saturday morning, is curiously not available on Spotify, although it can be found on most other major streaming services.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music In what is apparently the conclusion of a deal that Variety tipped a year ago, Sony Music Group has completed a transaction to acquire half of Michael Jackson’s publishing and recorded masters in a transaction that values the total catalog at around $1.2 billion, and possibly more, sources confirm to Variety. Billboard reports that Sony will pay at least $600 million for the stake. If accurate, the deal is the biggest for a single music artist’s assets to date.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Brittany Howard is not one for the easy path. A dozen-odd years ago, she burst onto the scene as the fiery lead singer of Alabama Shakes, a rootsy combo that brought hope to rock fans, just as the uneasy realization set in that there weren’t many interesting traditional rock bands coming up anymore.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music As expected, Justin Timberlake has dropped his new single and video, “Selfish,” continuing the rollout leading up to his first album in five years, “Everything I Thought It Was.” “Selfish,” which was premiered at a special concert in Timberlake’s hometown of Memphis last week, was written by the singer, Louis Bell (Taylor Swift, Post Malone), Cirkut (Maroon 5, The Weeknd), Theron Thomas and Amy Allen and produced by Timberlake, Louis Bell and Cirkut. The video was directed by Bradley J.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Songwriter Jenna Andrews, whose hits include songs performed by BTS, Drake, David Guetta and more, has sold her catalog to Warner Chappell Music, her management company Milk & Honey Music + Sports has announced. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Burna Boy, Luke Combs and Travis Scott have been added to the lineup of performers for the 66th annual Grammy Awards, the Recording Academy announced on Sunday, joining previously announced artists Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa and Olivia Rodrigo. Additional acts, presenters and more will be announced in the coming weeks. The Grammy Awards will return to Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, Feb.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Mark Ronson will be honored with the Music for Life award and sit for an interview to open the National Association of Music Merchants show in Anaheim, Calif., next week, the organization has announced. The not-for-profit music trade organization will hold its annual gathering from Thursday, January 25 through Sunday, January 28.