The Best Music Books of 2020 (a Bunch of Them, Anyway…)

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorGlassnote founder Daniel Glass and the company’s GM Chris Scully have announced the formation of Connection Music Publishing.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAlthough singer-songwriter Jhene Aiko has been around for a minute and was even nominated for three Grammy Awards in 2015, the three nods her critically feted “Chilombo” album received for the upcoming 2021 awards was one of the more pleasant surprises in a year filled with them.Well, anyone looking to get a sense of the Aiko vibe need look no further than the 15-minute medley she posted on Instagram on Sunday, kicking off the new year with a vibe-filled performance

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSuperstar Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi, certainly the funniest multiplatinum musician to emerge from the British Isles since Adele, has announced that he’ll be taking a break from social media in order to focus on his second album.“[It’s] honestly been the most incredible few years and it means the world to have the support of all of you,” he wrote in a typically self-deprecating, humorous and foul-mouthed social media post.

1. “A Promised Land” by Barack Obama (Crown)2. “Cat Kid Comic Club” by Dav Pilkey (Scholastic)3.

I will spare you the introduction that I am sure you knew would begin this piece. You know it all already, because we lived it together.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAs this unprecedented year finally reaches its close and we look for the silver linings in nine months of lockdown, we think of time with family, time to recharge, time to think… and for some of us, quality time with another family member: music.

Harry Potter Cookbook” by Dinah Bucholz (Adams Media)15. “Modern Comfort Food” by Ina Garten (Clarkson Potter)16.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAs this trainwreck of a year trainwrecks itself to a close, we present the final Fri5 of 2020 — and as if on cue, it’s one of the more confusing batches of songs we’ve highlighted. We’re not even entirely sure who one of these artists is (see Rook Monroe).

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorEminem has “surprise-dropped” so many albums in the past couple of years that the arrival of a rumor has basically become the official announcement. And sure enough, days after very detailed rumors broke about the impending release of a follow-up to his most recent surprise-dropped album, “Music to Get Murdered by,” it arrived.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSony/ATV Music Publishing has signed rising Canadian singer, songwriter and dancer Tate McRae to a worldwide publishing deal.McRae, 17, has scored hits with “Stupid” and “You Broke Me First,” which has racked up more than 500 million streams worldwide and peaked at No. 3 in the U.K.

What’s most notable about 2020’s slate of great performances is the element of surprise. Sure, most anybody betting on Frances McDormand being heaped with praise at year-end will likely win their bets.

1. A Promised Land by Barack Obama (Crown)2. Cat Kid Comic Club by Dav Pilkey (Scholastic)3.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorWhen it comes to music, TikTok is not your usual platform, so it’s not surprising that its first year-end report has a different approach. And considering the company’s famous secrecy, it’s also not surprising that the data supporting many of the lists in its year-end report is a little vague.Thus, we were pleasantly surprised that after we skeptically asked for more data, they sent our request to their U.S.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIn an optimistic and from-your-press-release-to-god’s-ears announcement on Wednesday, Lollapalooza Stockholm unveiled the lineup for its 2021 festival, which includes Pearl Jam, Kendrick Lamar, Post Malone, The Killers, Zara Larsson, Veronica Maggio, DaBaby, Kacey Musgraves, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, Doja Cat, Alesso, Lewis Capaldi, Playboy Carti, Jack Harlow and many more.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorVevo’s year-end statistics show that Future and Drake’s “Life is Good” is the most viewed Vevo video of 2020, with 1.3 billion views globally; and J Balvin is the most viewed Vevo artist, with 2.7 billion views worldwide.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorJay-Z’s Roc Nation and Random House, a division of Penguin Random House, have announced a new literary publishing partnership to be called Roc Lit 101.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSony Music Entertainment Africa has appointed Christine Mosha, known as “Seven,” to lead Marketing and Artist Development for the East Africa region.Starting with immediate effect, Mosha will build out the company’s roster of local talent and amplify its international repertoire and existing catalogue across the region from her base in Tanzania.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAs the nation and the globe wake up each morning asking, “Is 2020 over yet?,” the search for the next great new song is one thing that makes getting out of bed a worthy endeavor.We’ve already covered the Taylor Swift, Avalanches, Kid Cudi and Chris Cornell albums as well as the 20-years-late Britney Spears-Backstreet Boys tag team, and fittingly for this odd week, the top songs are an odd batch …James Blake “When the Party’s Over” We don’t usually go for covers in

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe North American live events industry lost more than $30 billion in 2020 due to the global pandemic, including $9.7 at the box office, according to the year-end report by Pollstar, the leading live-entertainment industry trade publication.At the top of the year, the industry was projected to hit a record-setting $12.2 billion at the box office in 2020, but instead incurred $9.7 billion in Boxoffice losses after the industry effectively shut down completely in

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorFoo Fighters founder and frontman Dave Grohl and Grammy-winning producer Greg Kurstin have announced “Hanukkah Sessions,” a series of eight songs written by Jewish artists to be rolled out beginning with the start of the eight-day Festival of Lights at sundown Thursday.The pair announced the series in a social media post late Wednesday night that begins, “Hi, I’m Greg Kurstin and I’m Jewish,” followed by, “And I’m Dave Grohl.