Warner Records Names Claudia Butzky Executive VP of Brand Partnerships & Sync

The Fab Five are going to Texas and embracing country in a big way.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorBritney Spears continues to use Instagram as her connection to her fans, teasing that a “new song [is] in the works” and posting a video of herself doing some wailing vocal runs on Wednesday.“I just realized this today guys,” she wrote in the caption before referencing the recent end of the 13-year conservatorship under her father, Jamie Spears.

Manchester United duo Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwood have been named among the young stars to look out for in world football in 2022.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorOn Wednesday, Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You,” the first single from his third studio album, ÷ (Divide), became the first song to reach three billion streams on Spotify.

Disney has tapped Horacio Gutierrez — head of Global Affairs and chief legal officer at Spotify — as senior executive VP,  general counsel and secretary, succeeding longtime Disney veteran Alan Braverman who this summer announced plans to retiring after nearly two decades as legal chief.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorBrandi Carlile, Billie Joe Armstrong, Saweetie, Anitta, 24kGoldn, Kitty Ca$h and recent Variety cover star Jack Harlow will join Miley Cyrys and “Saturday Night Live” star Pete Davidson’s New York’s Even special, airing live from Miami on Friday, Dec. 31 from 10:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorBrandi Carlile, Graham Nash, Herbie Hancock, James Taylor, Leon Bridges, Pentatonix, Black Pumas, Jon Batiste, Maggie Rogers and Mickey Guyton will honor Joni Mitchell as performers at the MusiCares Person of the Year concert taking placed on Saturday, Jan.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAs expected, Warner Music Group has acquired 300 Entertainment, home to Megan Thee Stallion – who won Best New Artist at this year’s Grammy Awards — Young Thug and his label Young Stoner Life, Gunna, Fetty Wap, Highly Suspect, the newly signed “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul” Mary J.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorA previously unreleased recording made when Whitney Houston was 17 years old was sold Tuesday in a 24-hour auction on the OneOf NFT platform.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorMidem, for decades the primary international conference for the music industry, will not be returning in 2022 and the brand will be taken over by the city of Cannes, France, owner RX France announced on Wednesday.“Due to the lasting pandemic and following a review of its activity, RX France [formerly Reed Midem] has decided to no longer organize the Midem events,” the announcement reads in part.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorMotown Records has named Courtney Lowery as executive vice president of media strategy and lifestyle. In this new role, Lowery will oversee media strategy and execution for the label and its roster of artists, and also play an integral role in a wide range of the label’s cultural and lifestyle initiatives.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorA 56-year-old acetate recording of a previously unreleased and relatively unknown song featuring David Bowie is expected to draw thousands of pounds at an auction in England on Thursday.The song, titled “I Want Your Love” and recorded in 1965 by a teenaged Bowie and his early group the Lower Third, was written by John Dee and Jack Tarr and produced by top ‘60s producer Shel Talmy — who also produced a string of classics for the Kinks and the Who, including “You

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorRepublic Records has promoted Lucas Romeo to senior VP of promotion, effective immediately, EVP Gary Spangler announced on Monday.Based in New York, Romeo will oversee promotion efforts across multiple formats, guiding the promotion team and breaking artists in today’s new landscape. Romeo joined Republic in 2014 as regional promotion manager in Nashville, before returning to New York to serve as VP of Top 40.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAhead of the reveal of the 2021 Time magazine prestigious Person of the Year honor, happening Monday, December 13, the publication on Thursday has revealed that Olivia Rodrigo is its 2021 Entertainer of the Year and Simone Biles the 2021 Athlete of the Year.Rodrigo was featured on the cover of Variety’s Young Hollywood issue over the summer and was named Songwriter of the Year at our Hitmakers event on Saturday, where she gave a moving acceptance speech and was

Ralf Rangnick is beginning to shape his new-look Manchester United team at Old Trafford.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorRepublic Records has named Dave Rocco to the newly created role of chief creative officer, label founders Monte Lipman and Avery Lipman announced on Wedesday. According to the announcement, Rocco “will bring his creative vision, innovative thinking and strategic expertise to Republic and its world-class roster of artists.”“In many ways, Dave is an artist trapped in an executive’s body,” said Monte Lipman.

UTA has brought on music agents Emily LaRose, Marissa Smith, Elisa Vazzana to join their Nashville offices as well as Amy Lynch to join the Comedy Touring division as an agent. Brandi Brammer will serve as senior HR business partner, and Emily Wright serves as a music brand partnerships agent.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorUTA has signed musician and former Poison frontman Bret Michaels in all areas.“Bret Michaels is a true multi-hyphenate. From music and branding, to sports and reality tv he brings 1000% to all his business endeavors and we are honored to welcome him to our roster,” said David Zedeck, partner and co-head of global music.

Roselyn Sanchez, fresh off her Latin Grammys hosting gig, has been tapped to co-host Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2022. The Puerto Rican actress will oversee the iconic show’s first-ever Spanish language countdown in Puerto Rico.