I love Colin Kaepernick and have even had the privilege of working out next to him regularly at the gym. The day after Super Bowl LII, I almost asked him to spot me on the bench but I’m so in awe of what he’s done that I couldn’t pull the trigger. This man was willing to put his career on the line for something he believes in. He was unwavering and as a result, he’s still making history two years removed from football. I can’t imagine how hard it’s been to be blacklisted from doing the thing you love most. I truly believe the NFL conspired against him.My feelings on this subject were thrown for a loop however, when I spoke with PJ Morton of Maroon 5 at the W Hotels Music Summit. He actively supports Kaepernick's cause but feels that he should be allowed to perform at the Super Bowl -- the #1 achievement for a musical artist globally -- without backlash. Listening to him, I started to ask the question- if fans, consumers, and industry professionals are watching the game, attending the game, and spending valuable brand dollars on the game, why are we vilifying the artists performing at the game? Put simply, ‘don’t tell them they can’t play the show and then still personally or professionally participate in any way, shape, or form.’The event organizers clearly felt the combination of Travis Scott, a person of color, with Maroon 5 would limit the social consequences of artists aligning with the most controversial league in American sports...but it hasn’t. ASTROWORLD (for the uninitiated is Scott’s fanbase) is reacting with anger about his decision too. Yet our friends and colleagues who are making elaborate Super Bowl party plans and spending record-breaking amounts on marketing around the game are somehow not held to the same standards or criticized in the same ways.I thought it was very courageous of Cardi B. to decline the offer to perform but I was heartbroken that she would feel she had to decline the biggest stage on earth at the pinnacle of her career. Is hers the kind of leadership we need from every artist in order to affect real change? Are we holding our musicians to a different standard than we hold ourselves, our favorite brands, and our favorite athletes, who are playing in the game? Is that because music’s cultural role, historically, has been as the backstop against oppression and social injustice? Who determines who is responsible?I really want to hear from you on this so, please, mash that reply button.On a promotional note, we’re thrilled to be back in LA his week with the first #CRWN of the year featuring the WIZRD...Hndrxx...it’s FUTURE! Come through or catch the live stream on Tidal on Wednesday night.
BEATS
How To Take Advantage Of Memes, Memes, Memes, Memes... As the realities of content and distribution continue to transform in the contemporary media economy, many artists and distributors have been forced to rethink their marketing strategy entirely. Here they look at memes have and could potentially be tapped as an effective marketing platform. (Hypebot)
Panorama Festival Not Returning in 2019: Exclusive The AEG and Goldenvoice-backed Panorama Music Festival will not return in 2019, ending weeks of speculation about the three-year-old New York City festival on Randall's Island. (Billboard)
Bandcamp Is Opening a Brick-n-Mortar Record Store Next Month Vinyl sales have been rising in the United States for the past decade, riding a wave of nostalgia and genuine interest in the format. Now, digital service Bandcamp is embracing the trend with a physical location. (Digital Music News)
Festival Lineup Season Begins! What The Major Fest Announcements Tell Us About 2019 With Coachella being the semi-official start of festival season, its post-New Year’s lineup announcement acts as somewhat of the beginning of the beginning. Knowing the lineup for what is often considered the premier live music fest in the United States gives fans an idea of who to keep an eye out for in 2019, which artists and genres are trending as well as provides an overview of the live business. (Pollstar)
How Top Artists Really Campaign For Grammys If you live in Los Angeles, you probably know that Camila Cabello is nominated for two Grammys. Even if you didn’t notice her name on the slate of nominated artists when it came out, the info looms large above the Los Angeles skyline. (Rolling Stone)
Spotify’s most personalized playlist is now for sale to brands Spotify is now offering brands the option to sponsor Discover Weekly, its signature customized playlist that updates every Monday for each user. It is supposedly one of the most popular features among both the platform’s 87 million paid subscribers and 109 million ad-supported free users. (Vox)
Latest Billboard #1 Album Sells Just 823 Copies It’s a known fact that physical sales are in decline, but what does it mean when you can get a #1 album on the Billboard 200 chart by selling only 823 copies? A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie‘s latest project, HOODIE SZN, reached that dubious mark, which should put the importance of the CD or album into the proper perspective. (Music 3.0)
Is Having the Most Popular Photo on Instagram Worth Anything? It’s the internet in 2019, so while that’s sad, it’s not exactly shocking. What is at least kinda shocking is that the egg not only came out of nowhere — the photo was posted just 10 days ago — but the Instagram account that posted the egg picture inexplicably has 4.5 million followers despite posting just this one photo. (Recode)
Is Liberty Media About to Become the Most Powerful Company in Music? Liberty Media chief executive Greg Maffei knows a thing or two about negotiating in public. According to the New York Post, Denver-based Liberty Media Corp. is seeking to acquire a 35 percent stake in iHeartMedia, owner of radio giant iHeartRadio. (Rolling Stone)
Increase your Pandora plays with the Artist Audio Message (AAM) Tool Streaming is a unique animal. Artists who grew up in the download era, and especially those old enough to remember selling CDs, are adjusting to a dramatically different way of reaching listeners. (DIY Musician)
BYTES
Soulja Boy better known as "Young Draco" pulled up on "The Breakfast Club" and announced his worth. He spoke about influencing artist like Tekashi and even Drake!! and reclaims himself as the biggest comeback of 2018.
Why watch a documentary about Fyre Festival? Why watch two? You don’t actually need to, which was the admission implied in Hulu’s decision this week to surprise-release its documentary, Fyre Fraud, days ahead of Netflix’s competitor, Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened.
“David Bowie is” is an adaptation for iPhone of the blockbuster exhibition that originated in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum in 2013 and toured the world for five years to record-breaking attendance and international acclaim.
“The album’s so so crazy,” Future previously declared on Instagram. “I’m inspired, man. I’m so inspired. I got inspiration from everywhere. This is about to be my greatest album of all time right now, you know what I’m saying? Well to date. It’s going to be one of my best albums… watch this.”
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!