The Weeknd to Present Immersive Music Special, ‘The Dawn FM Experience,’ on Prime Video

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorMegan Thee Stallion and Dua Lipa are a formidable team, and award-winning video director Dave Meyers plays to their strengths in the clip for the pair’s new tag-team single, “Sweetest Pie.” Working a similar theme to the one from his video for Saweetie and Doja Cat’s “Best Friend” — hapless explorers of a science-fiction world stumble upon female characters with superpowers — this one turns dark quickly, as the explorers decide Megan and Dua are witches, try to burn them at the stake, and then suffer the consequences of their arrogance. Sure, it’s a not-terribly-serious, special-effect-filled music video, but it’s still a satisfying perspective during Women’s History Month.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIn what is rapidly becoming a mass music exodus out of Russia, Kobalt became the third major company to announce on Thursday that it is suspending business activity in Russia due to the country’s invasion of Ukraine. Of the three global major labels, Sony and Warner announced their pullout within an hour of each other on Thursday morning, and Universal made the move on Tuesday.Kobalt’s move is doubly significant because although it is a global company, Kobalt was founded in London by Swedish-born Willard Ahdritz and in many ways is a European company.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSony Music has suspended all of its operations in Russia, the company has confirmed to Variety. “Sony Music Group calls for peace in Ukraine and an end to the violence. We have suspended operations in Russia and will continue our support of global humanitarian relief efforts to aid victims in need.,” the company said in a statement.Sources tells Variety that the company’s staffers will continue to receive their salaries for an undetermined time; the artists’ situation is still being worked out.Universal Music Group announced that it is suspending its operations in the country on Tuesday.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor“Clive Davis: Most Iconic Performances,” a four-art series featuring concert clips chosen by and interviews conducted by the legendary music executive, will premiere exclusively on Paramount Plus in the U.S. and internationally beginning Wednesday, March 23.In this special miniseries, culled from his virtual 2021 pre-Grammy Gala events, sees Davis taking viewers through some of his favorite musical performances from the last few decades.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe U.S. recorded-music business continues its upward swing, posting a near-record $15 billion in revenue for 2021, driven by a surge in streaming, solid vinyl and even CD sales, and the inclusion of TikTok music revenue for the first time.In fact, all major formats of music posted growth over the prior year, except digital downloads.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIt’s been a long time coming — two years, in fact — but the Songwriters Hall of Fame has confirmed that its twice-pandemic delayed 51 Annual Induction & Awards Gala will take place on Thursday, June 16, 2022, at its longtime location, the Marriott Marquis New York’s Times Square.The 2022 date, originally set for June 10, 2020, will induct previously announced songwriters, Mariah Carey, Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), Ernie Isley / Marvin Isley / O’Kelly Isley / Ronald Isley / Rudolph Isley / Chris Jasper (the Isley Brothers), Steve Miller, Pharrell Williams / Chad Hugo (the Neptunes), Rick Nowels and William “Mickey” Stevenson. Master songwriter Paul Williams will be receiving the prestigious Johnny Mercer Award and Universal Music Publishing Chairman-CEO Jody Gerson will receive the Abe Olman Publisher Award.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorMitski, the National and the Roots will headline the Pitchfork Music Festival when it returns to Chicago’s Union Park, running from Friday, July 15 through Sunday, July 17.The Festival kicks off on Friday with The National, who played Pitchfork Music Festival’s first year in 2006, Spiritualized, Parquet Courts, Tierra Whack, Amber Mark, Dawn Richard, Tkay Maidza, Indigo De Souza, Spirit of the Beehive, Spellling, Camp Cope, Wiki, Ethel Cain, and CupcakKe.The festivities continue on Saturday with Mitski, Japanese Breakfast, Lucy Dacus, Low, Magdalena Bay, Dry Cleaning, Karate, Iceage, yeule, Arooj Aftab, The Armed, Chubby & the Gang, Hyd, and Jeff Parker & the New Breed. Closing day features The Roots, Toro y Moi, Earl Sweatshirt, Noname, BadBadNotGood, Cate Le Bon, Tirzah, Xenia Rubinos, Erika de Casier, Injury Reserve, Kaina, L’Rain, Sofia Kourtesis, and Pink Siifu.“This year’s lineup is a celebration of the rising indie class, and those who continue to pave the way for innovation,” said Puja Patel, editor in chief of Pitchfork.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorTreatment toward women in the music industry has shown some improvement but has a long way to go, according to the inaugural “Women in the Mix” study from the Recording Academy, Arizona State University and Berklee College of Music Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship.According to the announcement, the report is designed to examine and better understand the experiences and socio-economic landscape of women and gender-expansive people working in the American music industry. Developed to influence advocates, allies and leaders in music to work towards a more inclusive and equitable industry, the study explores demographic characteristics, employment experiences, career challenges, job satisfaction, family decisions, and pathways into the music industry within this community.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAnyone paying even casual attention to the music industry must have noticed the skyrocketing value of song catalogs, which have exploded at such a rate that we’re seeing an average of two or three nine-figure deals per month, with Sting, Neil Diamond and David Bowie’s estate making multi-hundred-million-dollar sales in just the past two months.Thus, it was just a matter of time before performing rights organizations — an often-overlooked multi-billion dollar business that collects royalties when songs are played everywhere from bars and restaurants to stadiums — got into the game, and BMI, which along with ASCAP is the biggest PRO in the U.S., has enlisted unnamed advisors to assist in exploring opportunities for its members and its business, according to an internal letter obtained by Variety. In the letter, BMI president-CEO Mike O’Neill sets the scene described above and writes, “It’s important that we evaluate what this could mean for BMI, both now and into the future.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe world’s largest music company, Universal Music Group, posted a record $9.4 billion in revenue for 2021, the company announced in its earnings report on Thursday. That marks a 14.4% increase over 2020, although comparisons with the pandemic year are obviously skewed.Recorded music revenues were up 14.3% to around $7.52 billion, while streaming soared nearly 17% to just under $5 billion.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Weeknd has announced dates for his “After Hours Til Dawn” stadium tour, which launches in his hometown of Toronto on July 8 and heads across North America before wrapping in Los Angeles on Sept. 2 and then moving overseas.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorASCAP Experience, the performing rights organizations annual conference for songwriters, composers and creators, returns virtually this month. It kicks off on Tuesday (March 8) with an International Women’s Day panel featuring three of the industry’s leading composers and songwriters.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAmazon Music has announced that Phylicia Fant has joined the company as head of music industry partnerships, a newly created role. According to the announcement, she will identify and oversee strategic music partnerships and identify cross-entertainment campaigns for Amazon Music, She will be based in the company’s Culver City, Calif.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorCity of Hope, one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the U.S., will honor Republic Records founders Monte and Avery Lipman (pictured above, R-L) at its 2022 Spirit of Life Gala in the fall. The prestigious award will be presented to them at a gala dinner — the first Spirit of Life Gala since 2019.According to the announcement, the Spirit of Life Award is City of Hope’s most prestigious honor and is presented to an esteemed community of industry leaders around the world who have made a significant commitment to improving the lives of others through the advancement of research and clinical innovation and the delivery of personalized, compassionate care.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorCharli XCX has dropped the latest single from her forthcoming album “Crash,” just days before her appearance on “Saturday Night Live” (which was originally scheduled for December but postponed due to omicron) and will perform the song on the show.According to the announcement, the song, which is accompanied by a video directed by Imogene Strauss and Luke Orlando, is one of the first Charli wrote for the album. The disco-fied song is a collaboration with the brother team of Justin and Jeremiah Raisen (a.k.a.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorGreen Day have canceled their concert scheduled for May 29 at Spartak Stadium in Moscow over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the band announced on Sunday.“With heavy hearts, in light of current events we feel it is necessary to cancel our upcoming show in Moscow at Spartak Stadium,” the band said in a statement to Variety. “We are aware that this moment is not about stadium rock shows, it’s much bigger than that.  But we also know that rock and roll is forever and we feel confident there will be a time and a place for us to return in the future.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorWhile it’s hardly top of mind given the tragedy of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, pop act AJR have canceled their upcoming concert date in the country, scheduled for October.“We are sad to announce that we will be cancelling our upcoming show in Russia,” the band wrote on social media. “Thank you to our Russian fans who oppose their country’s unprovoked and criminal behavior.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe transition from bedroom pop to one of New York’s biggest stages is not an easy one — the intimate sound and emotions of the loosely defined style are almost the polar opposite of the big gestures and loud volume it takes to fill a major venue. Yet two of the genre’s most popular (and youngest) artists, Clairo and Arlo Parks, did it with ease Thursday night before an impressively full crowd at New York’s historic, 6,000-capacity Radio City Music Hall.Parks, 21 — who is nominated for two 2022 Grammys — is already a major star in her native England and is the more animated performer of the two, although Thursday’s show represented a big step up from her last area performance (at the 650-capacity Music Hall of Williamsburg in September).

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorCountry star Jason Aldean has sold 90% of his recorded-music catalog to the indie Spirit Music Group, the company announced Thursday, in a deal sources say was worth upwards of $100 million.The acquisition includes 90% of Aldean’s recorded music catalog and encompasses nine albums in total, six of which are certified platinum. The deal covers Aldean’s discography starting from his self-titled 2005 debut through his ninth album, 2019’s “9.” The acquisition also includes neighbouring rights and SoundExchange royalties. Aldean retains an income interest.“It’s cool that a company like Spirit, that’s been around so long, has taken on my music catalog.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIn a major move in the publishing world, Sony Music Publishing has announced the appointment of Walter Jones as executive vice president and head of A&R, effective February 22. In the role, he will oversee the company’s U.S.