What a year! Is this what anybody was thinking when they were calling it the roaring Twenty-Twenties? It’s been a non-stop digital bonanza. From the explosion of NFTs and digital tribes (DAOs); to online concerts, Zoom meetings, and the growing relevance of the metaverse; we’re “plugged in” in a whole new way.It’s amazing how productive we can be in this digital realm. Part of me loves it and part of me feels like we’ve over-accelerated the future. I’m not certain our brains are built for this.My whole day is spent communicating on screens. And now, to wind down at the end of the night, I’m watching other screens and ingesting still more content. It’s the golden era of modern television, for chrissake. I can’t turn away.But I am feelling digital fatigue. I oscillate between wanting to optimize my digital for these fast-paced times, and wanting to unplug and connect with nature and a higher source. How much input can our bodies handle? Are you really about that Ready Player One life?!The ferocious competitor and legendary DJ, Funk Flex, used to do a 40-day reset from Thanksgiving to New Years. That always inspired me. When everyone was overdoing the stuffing and egg nog, he was locked in, getting in mental and physical shape. Why wait ‘til January? Why not pick up the momentum to finish out the year at your strongest?I might have missed the 40-day window, but there’s still time to unplug, so that’s what I’m going to do. I’m headed off the grid – to the ocean; to the rainforest; to read and journal and process one of the most transformative years of my life. Digital is the new detox, baby. We’re on moving meditations with yoga. We’re learning to surf. I mean…who’s bucket list isn’t that on? Well, I’m doing it this holiday season. That’s why – to quote one of my favorite artists, Kid Cudi – “Costa Rica is next on the agenda.” I’m hoping to come back centered and clear to dance with a new year. I want to fully integrate with 2021’s lessons and growth. I’m wishing you all love, light, and a happy Nue year. I’ll see you on the other side. Stay safe out there.
BEATS
The Top 21 Music NFT Moments of 2021With 2021 ending, we’ve partnered with Coinbase and UnitedMasters, who recently partnered to pay out musicians in cryptocurrency, to look back on the music NFT moments that made the most waves. (NFT Now)
Music Venues And Nightclubs “On The Brink Of Collapse” And Demand “Immediate” Government ActionThe UK’s grassroots music venue sector have said that they are on the “brink of collapse” in the wake of the rise of the Omicron COVID variant, with nightclubs also arguing that the lose of business over Christmas poses “a threat to the very survival of thousands of businesses and jobs”. (NME)
The State of Music/Web3 Tools for ArtistsThe subsequent bear market for music NFTs has also woken up many people in the music industry to the importance of looking beyond just one-off cash-grabs for headlines and instead embracing more holistic, thoughtful strategies for integrating NFTs into artists’ long-term marketing strategies and business models. (Water and Music)
What To Expect In 2022: MIDiA Shares Predications For The ‘Year of the Creator’With 2021 nearly behind us, and 2022 fast approaching, it is that of year for the MIDiA predictions report. We have been publishing our predictions reports since 2016, and apart from being good fun to do, we have also established a pretty good track record of success. (Mark Mulligan)
Pepsi Boosts Hip-Hop Artists with Music Academy, Virtual SummitPepsi announced the creation of the Pepsi Music Lab, an effort that seeks to remove barriers in the music industry, create new opportunities for artists and spotlight up-and-coming hip-hop musicians. (Marketing Dive)
Swimwear Company Secures $18.5M Series B Round Led by Jay Z's Venture FirmThe company said it plans to use the funds to continue to expand its omnichannel distribution and its international presence as well as its executive team, and that it will launch a loungewear category next year following its successful entry into the intimates category earlier this year. (Biz Journals)
The Year In Sponsorships & Branding: Opportunities In The New Real“The art of the pivot was definitely perfected in this time period,” she says. “You plan for backup plans and look for how things may translate virtually. You have to have alternate ideas because the truth is none of us know what tomorrow will bring.”
Sonos Radio Is An Ode To The Mixtape, Bringing The Art Of Curation To Digital Radio Once a huge part of youth culture, as technology has advanced over the last few decades so too has the art of the mixtape transformed to keep up. Our Spotify and Apple Music playlists might do the same job of compiling tracks we want the world to hear, but there’s something less personal about them. (NME)
How Technology Has Changed Songwriting Through The YearsStylistic changes in music over the last century have pushed songwriters to navigate how to write a hit song through myriad types of music consumption. But what a No. 1 smash hit sounds like when you're composing for sheet music in the big band era is a lot different than a mixtape released on Spotify. (Song Trust)
The Top 10 Muse Stories of 2021We're about to hibernate for a week for the holidays, but before we go, here's our annual roundup of the most-read Muse stories of the year. There's a lot of celebrity work in here, not surprisingly, but one unsung hero—a feline with the soul of a canine—managed to eclipse them all. (Muse by Clio)
Meet the Members of the XXL Awards BoardGet ready for the XXL Awards 2022. Here are all of the hip-hop industry's movers, shakers and veteran artists that will be voting for the winners as the members of the first-ever XXL Awards Board. Check back in January for the official nominees, to vote for XXL's People's Champ and to see which artists snag trophies. (XXL)
Jack Harlow and Kentucky Fried Chicken Announce Partnership, Will Donate $250,000 to Tornado ReliefIt was just a matter of time before proud Kentucky native and Variety’s 2021 Hitmaker of Tomorrow Jack Harlow teamed up with Kentucky Fried Chicken, and on the eve of the rising rapper’s “No Place Like Home” concert series in his home state, the partnership has been announced.
Management and Live Firm ATC Group Raises £4.2m Through IPOThe prospectus also reveals that ATC holds a 5.4% equity stake in another livestreaming startup, Flymachine, and has more details on Deezer’s stake in Driift. The streaming service invested £2m in Driift at a £10m pre-money valuation, which suggests it has a 20% stake. (Musically)
Short-Video App Triller To Go Public via $5 Billion Merger With SeaChangeShort-video app Triller will go public through a reverse merger with SeaChange International Inc (SEAC.O), in a deal that will value the combined entity at around $5 billion, the companies said on Wednesday. Investors have committed to invest $250 million as part of the deal, Reuters reported last week, citing a person familiar with the matter. (Reuters)
Your Brain On DrumsTo a neurologist who studies the effects of music on the brain, I’d be another thing entirely—a middle-aged man doing the equivalent of a full-body workout for his gray matter. (Men’s Health)
This Is The Future Of ExperienceThis study offers a different perspective: one about the power of human connection. It’s the driving force propelling Gen Z and Millennials into this new world as well as online — all in search of regaining what was abruptly taken from them in 2019. (Complex)
BYTES
For many, TikTok is a music discovery engine. Snippets of new songs make their way through the app, providing the soundtracks for dances or comedic sketches. Old songs get resurfaced in new contexts. It is a fount for curious and patient listeners. LIsten to this week’s Popcast here.
LCD Soundsystem just performed The LCD Soundsystem Holiday Special, which aired on Amazon Music’s Twitch channel and Prime Video last night. The special opens with All My Friends, a 1990s-style sitcom starring comedians and actors as members of the band.
Noise DAO aims to bring together members who are interested in supporting the cross section of music and technology. Noise DAO will support musicians, purchase NFTs, archive, collect, and invest in the digital music ecosystem.
Wrapping up 2021 with music picks from Trevor McFedries, founder of @makebrud (creators of the virtual artist Lil Miquela). Take a listen.
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!