Grammy weekend was a lot this year. With internal scandals hanging ominously over the event, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, and Diddy pulled out of their performances or appearances last-minute. Then, an unspeakable tragedy struck with the passing of Kobe Bryant, overshadowing not only the awards show but the entire media landscape. I am still trying to process it all.Alicia Keys was a saving grace as host, maintaining the perfect tone from beginning to end, but the academy’s damage had been done. It’s time for drastic changes if the Grammy’s want to remain relevant, which I explained to the Cheddar following last week’s newsletter. They need to clear the deck like an artist trying to bounce back. Fire the whole lot and put a new team in place. Then maybe we won’t have to witness another lop-sided clean sweep for a white artist and the continued ratings decline.Don’t get me wrong, I love Billie Eilish; her songs, her story, her style, her relationship with her brother. She was everywhere last year from the Clios to the international festival circuit and it’s remarkable that she went from a bedroom in Hollywood to the top of the charts that fast. But did she really deserve all “big 4” awards plus her brother taking home producer of the year? This feels like the Macklemore mistake all over again. I’m a Macklemore fan but he even knew it was egregious to win best rap album over Kendrick. On Sunday, it seemed Billie felt the same guilt.The alternative to an old boys club voting is a data-driven approach. I’m fascinated by Spotify's idea to do an awards show based solely on streaming data, à la YouTube choosing their award winners based on video views. There’s something to this, my friends, especially now that it’s clear the Grammy’s no longer represent a holistic view of what’s happening in music.But enough about that. It’s time to switch our focus to the world’s biggest media event, the Super Bowl. I’m compelled by J.Lo’s come back. She’s on fire with a hit movie, a massive sold out arena tour, and kicked it all off with a CRWN taping in NYC in the Spring (wink wink). Sunday she’ll take the world’s biggest stage alongside Shakira and guests. 50 never looked so good and latinx music is center stage. It should be an amazing night in Miami!
BEATS
Doritos Rebrands Post Malone As Post Limón For New Product PushDoritos released a new commercial to support its Doritos Flamin' Hot Limón chips at the Grammy Awards starring hip-hop artist Post Malone, the company shared with Marketing Dive. (Marketing Dive)
10 Rappers to Watch in 2020Let’s face it: the melodic trap that dominated the 2010s now feels more and more one note, with its safe predictability not really chiming that well with a chaotic planet just a tweet away from WWIII. (High Snobiety)
YouTube Music Is Exploding in Popularity YouTube is well-positioned to offer users a free listening experience, thanks to its existing deals with record labels for its video streaming app. The free listening tier has enabled it to attract millions of listeners in quick order. (Fool)
What Do Amazon, Google and Salesforce Have in Common? In-House Music Groups. Minutes into a rehearsal of Mozart’s overture to “The Magic Flute” one recent evening, Amazon software development engineer Hsing-Hui Hsu waved her arms from the box she stood on. The music inside the fluorescent-lit conference room stopped. “Play it at half of that dynamic, now half of that dynamic, and now half that,” she instructed dozens of colleagues sitting behind their music stands. (Wall Street Journal)
Google Celebrates ‘The Most Searched’ to Set the Stage for Black History MonthBeyonce's 2018 Coachella appearance is the most searched performance in Google's history, the search giant says in a new ad. Can you quantify greatness? Can a major brand crown someone as a superlative and actually back it up with data? (Ad Week)
Universal Music Chief Lucian Grainge Talks Leadership, Deals, Tencent, Punk Rock and Staying No. 1 Today, Sir Lucian Grainge heads the world’s biggest music company which has a valuation of more than $33.6 billion. Complementing its core recorded-music and music-publishing operations are expansions into merchandise, film and television music, documentaries (including the Oscar-winning “Amy” about the life, death and music of Amy Winehouse) and multiple digital initiatives. (Variety)
HBO Teaming With Bill Simmons on Music DocuseriesBill Simmons’ The Ringer is continuing to expand its relationship with HBO. The company, which already produced the “Andre The Giant” doc at the cabler, is teaming with HBO on a six-part docuseries about the world of music. The project is slated to air on the network in 2021 and will center on pivotal moments for a popular artist, an iconic album or the music business as a whole. Each of the six films will be helmed by a different director. (Variety)
Thematic Is Unlocking the Content Creator Economy for Artists — 2.5 Billion Plays, 1 Million Fan Conversions Now, that number has surpassed 2.5 billion, just one of several impressive stats being shared by the company this week. It’s all part of a collaborative ecosystem that focuses on feeding the UGC creator economy found on platforms like YouTube and Instagram, while stripping out the licensing landmines. (Digital Music News)
Music Streaming Service Market 2020-2026 Global Outlook – Deezer, Apple Music, Spotify, Tencent, Amazon, SoundCloud, GoogleThe report provides a valuable source of insightful data for business strategists. It provides the industry overview with growth analysis and historical & futuristic cost, revenue, demand and supply data (as applicable). The research analysts provide an elaborate description of the value chain and its distributor analysis. This market study provides comprehensive data which enhances the understanding, scope and application of this report. (Dagoretti News)
BYTES
Ever thought of starting your own business? Want to improve your brand? Jesse Kirshbaum, CEO of Nue Music Agency and creator of CRWN on TIDAL, pulled up on the guys in the middle of Times Square on a Tuesday night. Jesse takes the guys through his journey and his rise to success from working with people like Drake, Elliott Wilson, Tyler the Creator, MIMS, and many others. He delivers gems to building a successful brand/ business, the highs, the lows, and the end result of hard work.
The suspended chief executive behind the Grammy Awards claims that the nominating process is rigged because of conflicts of interest. Ousted Recording Academy CEO, Deborah Dugan, also called the Academy 'an old boys clubs' where misogyny runs rampant. Jesse Kirshbaum, CEO of NUE Agency, joined Cheddar to discuss. (Cheddar)
It’s all about LinkedIn right now, What people don’t realize is that LinkedIn is an amazing resource for connecting with colleagues and peers. Im a no fan but taking it very seriously. Let’s connect. And check out Beats & Bytes on LinkedIn too if you’re inbox is feeling clogged.
After emerging as one of 2019’s boldest and biggest breakout R&B starlets, KIANA LEDÉ returns with a new single entitled “Mad At Me” today. The track sees her flip the melody from OutKast’s classic “So Fresh, So Clean”, with multi-platinum hit makers “Rice N Peas” (Bazzi, G Eazy) on the production. She flaunts undeniable attitude on the verses before serving up a knockout hook, yet again.
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!