Music influences politics!I was excited to hear that this year's Tribeca Film Festival would open with a documentary about how Jimmy Carter leveraged music to win his presidential election. The movie, Rock & Roll President directed by Mary Wharton, was announced on Monday. It illustrates the role of popular music in his campaign, the passion Carter personally had for great tunes, and how the sounds of the time helped propel a Georgia peanut farmer to the White House.Rock & Roll President combines Carter interviews with archival footage of performances from Willie Nelson (who will play the premiere in NYC on April 15th), Nile Rodgers, Paul Shaffer, Aretha Franklin, Jimmy Buffett, and Paul Simon. In the film, Wharton traces how Carter's approachability and the unifying power of music became key to his political appeal, ultimately allowing him to connect with voters.This summer, The New York Times highlighted all of the (then) 2020 candidates’ playlists in a fun, interactive breakdown. The piece was a strong reminder that politicians use music as a way to express their personalities and, in some cases, their campaign promises.Our view at Nue is that a playlist is part of a larger music strategy, a marketing asset that all candidates now need to authentically tap into voters. Music is the great cultural connector and should (...wait for it) play an instrumental part in outreach.The Obamas knew this as evidenced by their SXSW Lawn Party, their Spotify playlists, and countless cultural activations. They knew how to make music part of their brand. It is, however, worth noting that if done wrong, music alignment can feel forced, have no impact, or worse, result in voter backlash. But that is the exception. Done right, a music strategy can go far beyond traditional methods in reaching the elusive, sought after, younger demographic.The times they are a-changin’ and when America decides its future this November, it will be to a soundtrack. It’s more important than ever for candidates to tap into the heartbeat of their constituents by utilizing music as a driving force for unification.
BEATS
Why YouTube and the Music Biz Are Getting Along Better Than EverThe industry’s biggest frenemy has always helped break acts like rising rap star Roddy Ricch. Now it’s signing up more subscribers and bringing in serious revenue — and finally winning over some label executives. (Billboard)
J. Cole & Puma Announce Multi-Year Footwear & Apparel Partnership In perfect timing with the announcement of the Cole and PUMA partnership, the brand simultaneously released their newest basketball shoe, The Sky Dreamer, in which is an 80s style mid-top silhouette. The SkyDreamer sneakers will be sold for $130, and Cole has already been spotted rocking the SkyDreamer out and about on multiple occasions. (The Source)
Drake Signs Multiyear Content Pact With Livestreaming Platform CaffeineCaffeine, a streaming platform that predominantly operates in the sports and gaming spheres — and thus serves as a competitor to the likes of Twitch and Mixer — has inked a partnership with rapper Drake. Drake, for his part, has made known his love of gaming — in a record-breaking stream with Fortnite ace Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins, as well as an investment in esports org 100 Thieves. (Tube Filter)
Hamilton’s Expansion Plan, ExplainedLin-Manuel Miranda has not one, but TWO movie deals underway. Last week the 40-year-old playwright agreed to a $75 million deal with Disney for the movie rights to Hamilton: The Musical. In 2018, he agreed to a $50 million deal with Warner Bros for the film rights to In The Heights which hits theaters in June. (Trapital)
January 2020 Music Deals Forecast Growth In Independent Market ShareJanuary was a noteworthy month for the independent recorded music industry. From a partnership between Tik Tok and Merlin, to the acquisition of FUGA by Downtown Music Holdings, to a $25 million dollar investment in independent publishing services company to announcements from SoundExchange. (Forbes)
Warner Music Group’s A&R Costs Say a Lot About How Much Labels Need to Spend on Artists in Today’s Music IndustryIf you want a snapshot of the confusing and camouflaged nature of the modern record deal, check out the top tracks in the Rolling Stone chart today — and then go take a look at their details on Amazon. (Rolling Stone)
Will Artificial Intelligence Replace Human Musicians?Two months before she dropped the news that she’s expecting her first child with Elon Musk, Grimes (aka Claire Boucher, who now legally goes by c, the symbol for the speed of light), lit up music Twitter. The one-time neuroscience major let loose with a provocative forecast on theoretical physicist Sean Carroll’s Mindscape podcast when she shared, “I think live music is going to be obsolete soon.” (Consequence of Sound)
BYTES
New name... Same game. Free Range w/ Double 0 is now Think Like A Rapper. Hip Hop is one of the strongest cultural systems in modern times. What can we unexpectedly parse from it to use in our daily lives. Today we sit down with the plug, Jesse Kirshbaum. He along with his company the Nue Agency has been the go-between for tech companies, brands, and artists for years.
Various tributes were made to Kobe Bryant during All-Star weekend, which took place in Chicago, with the teams wearing #2 and #24 jerseys in honor of Kobe and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, who died in a helicopter crash last month.
Triller is an entertainment platform built for creators. A social video community where you can show the world who you are by capturing flawless videos and sharing them in seconds.
The Dallas rapper found fame with viral dance moves. Now he’s slicing and dicing music into post-song creations ripe for TikTok and Triller.
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!