The long-awaited Bob Marley biopic “One Love” will highlight important moments in the musician’s life – his adolescence in Trench Town, his spiritual growth, the attempt on his life. But as a music industry scholar, I wonder if the film is yet another extension of the Marley marketing machine. Marley died in 1981 at the age of 36.… Continue reading From rebel to retail − inside Bob Marley’s posthumous musical and merchandising empire
Halsey shared a video on TikTok with tinny music in the background, the on-screen text reading: Basically I have a song that I love that I wanna release ASAP but my record label won’t let me. I’ve been in this industry for 8 years and I’ve sold over 165 million records. And my record company… Continue reading Halsey’s record label wouldn’t release a new song until it went viral on TikTok. Is this the future of the music industry?
Justin Bieber is the latest artist in a growing list of musicians who have sold the rights to their music. This move is typically made by more seasoned artists such as Bruce Springsteen, who reportedly received US$500m (£406m) for the sale of his life’s work in 2021, or Stevie Nicks who sold a share of… Continue reading Justin Bieber sells his back catalogue – an expert explains why artists give up rights to their music
A longstanding feud between TikTok and Universal Music Group seems to have finally reached an end, with both parties signing a deal that will see Universal-backed music returned to the social media platform. Universal first removed its artists’ work from TikTok about three months ago, restricting access to tunes from household names such as Billie… Continue reading Universal’s music is returning to TikTok, ending a spat that hurt fans more than anyone
The inclusion of Kate Bush’s 1985 song Running Up That Hill in Stranger Things catapulted her (again) into the mainstream musical scene, experiencing a true resurgence in popularity. Kate Bush herself provided a response by issuing a rare message on social media about the whole affair, not only declaring her enthusiasm over Stranger Things, but… Continue reading Kate Bush’s ethereal, evocative, and inventive music spans generations
Cameras are rolling on Benny Safdie’s “The Smashing Machine,” produced by A24, with the studio unveiling a first-look image. There’s a slim chance we might see this film in late 2024, just in time for awards season—a strategic move A24 is known for. “The Smashing Machine,” starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, is based on… Continue reading First Look: Dwayne Johnson in Benny Safdie’s Biopic ‘The Smashing Machine’
It also broke the record for the biggest debut for an all-male collaboration of any genre, racking up 13.9 million streams in 24 hours.
The Beatles have released a brand new restored video for ‘Let It Be’. The video features clips from the newly released and restored 1970 film, Let It Be, directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, and uses rarely-seen alternate camera angles of the Fab Four and Billy Preston as they were recording the song. The meticulous restoration was done by Park Road… Continue reading Video: The Beatles’ new, restored video for ‘Let It Be’
Billie Eilish has revealed why she isn’t dropping any singles ahead of the release of her new album. “I don’t like singles from albums,” Billie told Rolling Stone in an interview published on Wednesday. “Every single time an artist I love puts out a single without the context of the album, I’m just already prone… Continue reading Billie Eilish’s take on not dropping singles ahead of album release
Amy Winehouse has posthumously received a BRIT Billion Award celebrating one Billion streams in the UK by the BPI, the representative voice for the UK’s world leading record labels and music companies. Amy’s parents, Mitch and Janis, accepted the Award following the release of ‘Back to Black’ a new biographical film based on the life… Continue reading Amy Winehouse posthumously receives a BRIT Billion Award
