After another crazy week in America, the world is beginning to transform. The Democrats won both seats in Georgia and took the Senate, so the direction of the country is becoming clearer.Nothing is guaranteed, of course, but having a little stability is exciting, especially as we business plan 2021 and look for new, cutting edge opportunities for growth.One glaringly overdue area for improvement is climate change. I am hopeful this will be a time for deep reflection and bold action on this and other issues such as social justice.Dem control also means cannabis becomes an even more exciting topic. A federal policy shift is exactly what we at Nue hoped for when we invested in this space. The goal is to decriminalize medical marijuana nationwide with recreational not far behind.This is an industry that has a lot of potential to help build big wealth in America while helping both the government and private industries generate significant revenue. We need to watch this carefully, but there is a lot of positive momentum. Cannabis-related products could be the must-have accessory for every artist and influencer merch campaign by year’s end.We are also big believers in the powerful, medicinal uses of second generation LSD compound, psilocybin, and other psychedelic drugs. Cannabis is first, but companies hoping to legalize these substances are going to reap monumental rewards.One such company is BetterLife Pharma (OTCQB: BETRF) (CSE: BETR). BetterLife is now traded on the public market and is focused on developing second generation psychedelic compounds and nutraceuticals to address unmet needs in the mental health, wellness and anti-aging industries. They are a life sciences company creating and clinically validating an evolving IP portfolio of novel molecules and drug delivery mechanisms for clinical trials and commercialization.Tonight, we’re talking that 2021 talk on Clubhouse at 9pm EST with the good people at The Future Party. Expect the usual, behind-the-scenes Clubhouse trash-talking you don’t hear other places.
THIS WEEK’S NEWSLETTER IS SPONSORED BY BETTERLIFE PHARMA BUT, AS ALWAYS, THE OPINIONS AND IDEAS EXPRESSED ARE ENTIRELY MY OWN AND CONSISTENT WITH KEY TRENDS IN MUSIC, TECH & BRANDS.
BEATS
The Boomer Rock Renaissance 2020 Never Saw ComingIn any other year, the steady stream of new releases from classic rock legends staring down the barrel of the afterlife might scan as business as usual; one thing old timers are gonna do is worry that the best of life is in the rear view. But this year, new releases from Ozzy Osbourne, Paul McCartney, AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen, and others confronted the veteran rockers’ mortality, each in their own way. (Vulture)
Andrea Bocelli’s Christmas Livestream Sold $1.75m Of TicketsClassical star Andrea Bocelli enjoyed a festive bonanza with his livestream from Italy’s Teatro Regio di Parma Opera House in December. According to Pollstar, the show sold $1.75m of tickets thanks to more than 70,000 fans paying $25 each to watch the concert. (Musically)
Report Shows Music Streaming Set New Record in 2020, With 17% U.S. Increase Led by Huge Lil Baby TallyAmong the big winners of the year in MRC's study: Taylor Swift's album sales, Roddy Ricch's blockbuster single, country music streaming, Latin pop and the vinyl boom. To the surprise of many, the pandemic seems to have ended up being a boon for streaming. (Variety)
How More TikTok Stars Can Succeed in the Music Industry2020 was a wild year for TikTok. The company’s rapid rise came with geopolitical pressure, CEO turnover, record label disputes, and censorship complaints. TikTok had more drama than James Harden and Daryl Morey in a Houston Rockets offseason! But the Chinese-based social network prevailed with 75% annual growth and nearly 1 billion monthly active users. (Trapital)
Fauci Suggests Theaters Could Reopen ‘Some Time in the Fall’Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the United States, told performing arts professionals at a virtual conference on Saturday that he believed that theaters and other venues could reopen “some time in the fall of 2021,” depending on the vaccination rollout, and suggested that audiences might still be required to wear masks for some time. (NY Times)
Streaming And The Embarrassment Of Covid RichesWe’re starting to see a narrative emerging from the digital music services in reaction to artists chafing under the misery of streaming royalties. Streamers want lawmakers to focus attention on the allocation of current period revenue that they pay to creators and deflect attention from the company’s stock market valuation (or private company valuation). (Music Tech Policy)
Why So Many Pop Stars Are Trying to Be Working-Class Heroes NowAround this time last year, Drake and Future dropped in to tell us that life was good. Not life as obscenely rich celebrity rappers, that is, but life as garbage men, fast food workers, and mechanics. In the opening frames of the video for their single “Life Is Good,” the pair preen on the back of a trash truck as if it were a parade float, decked out in spotless yellow-and-black coveralls. (Pitchfork)
Spotify, Worth $67BN, Has Seen Its Share Price Triple In 10 Months. Should Daniel Ek Pay Artists A ‘Bonus’ To Say Thank You?Is there a way artists could participate more directly in Spotify’s share price / market cap explosion? Castle argues yes – and it would be a particularly welcome during at a time, over the COVID pandemic, that many individual artists, robbed of touring income, are struggling as Spotify’s stock continues to spiral upwards. (MBW)
Does Glastonbury Festival Stand A Chance This Year? Behind The Scenes With The People Working To Save Our Summer Music FestivalsThe nail-biting uncertainty about the UK’s festival industry, however, continues. Amid a third national lockdown, the prospect of fans being able to enjoy live music through summer is looking more and more tenuous. Festival organisers are becoming increasingly anxious – because what does or doesn’t take place could mean the difference between long-term survival or ruin. (Independent)
How The Coronavirus Changed Hip-hopThe biggest financial blow to rappers due to COVID-19 has been the loss of touring. According to Forbes, touring accounted for over 50 percent of income for the 10 highest-paid acts last year. Concerts and festivals like Coachella, Rolling Loud, Governors Ball, SXSW and Lollapalooza were canceled or postponed indefinitely. “Basically overnight, all our business came to a halt,” reveals Damashek, whose Move Forward Music produces over 150 live events each year. (XXL Mag)
BYTES
Thundercat thinks bass players run the world and not just because he’s a great one. The multi-talented singer-songwriter talks with Marc about growing up with music all around him, learning at the feet of his brother and his friends Kamasi Washington and Cameron Graves, and finding his own sound on the bass.
100 gecs have released a new remix of “One Step Closer,” the lead single from Linkin Park’s 2000 debut album Hybrid Theory, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year. It’s the first remix from a forthcoming series of Hybrid Theory remakes. Listen to “One Step Closer (100 gecs Reanimation)” below.
It’s still January and technically 2020, so we’re talking more future predictions. Talking my 2021 talk to Clubhouse tonight at 9pm EST with the good people at The Future Party and some more of my friends including Boye Fajinmi, Denise Hewett, Daniel Oakley, Jolina Hoang, Francis Pollara, and Paul Yurick. It’s the usual behind the scenes Clubhouse trash talking you don’t see and hear other places.
Jazmine Sullivan performed a “Tiny Desk (Home) Concert” for NPR. She sang four songs from her newly released project Heaux Tales—“Bodies (Intro),” “The Other Side,” “Lost One,” and the H.E.R. collaboration “Girl Like Me”—in addition to “Let It Burn,” which appeared on her 2015 album Reality Show.
This week's newsletter was carefully curated by the Nue Agency staff and our editor Rachel Meisner. If you think we missed something this week or have any suggestions/comments for next week's newsletter, let us know!