It’s almost Superbowl Sunday, the biggest single day sporting event of the year. All eyes will be on the big game and even more eyes will be on the commercials and halftime show.For many reasons, this year won’t be the “Crypto Bowl” many had expected, mostly because of posterity, but also because one of the main advertisers no longer exists. R.I.P., FTX, we won’t miss you!The game in “Web3” right now is how to avoid saying the word. We’re in the use cases > jargon era. I’m still trying to figure out what last year’s Coinbase Super Bowl QR code did besides crash the site and win Coinbase a Cannes Lion. Maybe the big reveal will come on Sunday? I doubt it, but I do expect more QR codes this year hoping to replicate the buzz.Alcohol companies have emerged as the #1 category in SB LVII ad spends, which makes sense considering how alcohol is slumping more than Bitcoin in 2023. Booze and beer brands will be doing everything they can to re-capture the zeitgeist, but I’m not sure it will work. Drinking habits are changing rapidly. In my circle, it’s much less popular than it once was. If I’m not having a dirty martini, my favorite adult bevvy is a full spectrum vision like Pulp Culture. They’re leading the charge for a brighter tomorrow of alcohol consumption. Look for their Super Bowl spots five years from now, right after the Aaron Rodgers Ayahuasca ad. A man can dream…I love seeing brands building anticipation around campaigns with storytelling. Diddy and Uber have been teasing a big Super Bowl ad this year and finally dropped the full version this week. It’s the perfect mesh of personified Puff Daddy impresario mixed with nostalgia and tech. Well done, Uber and Puff.The Grammys came and went, but I’m already excited for next year when the Clios and Grammys will team up for a brand and music award show. Maybe they read Beats + Bytes ;) This is much needed for marketers, so kudos to the Grammys for seeing the value of the brand space. I think this will be enough to get me to L.A. next year for the big dance. Congrats to all of the Grammy nominees but especially our friend, Charles Yang, and his group, Time For Three, which brought home two awards!Next week kicks off the Frieze Art Fair in LA. I’m popping out for the tennis tourney on Monday that benefits ARTADIA. It’s the best integration of tennis and art that I’ve seen to date and it’s for a great cause. I can’t wait to see these scenes mix and mingle properly for the first time.Lastly, shout out the new Music Business Registry for highlighting Beats + Bytes and putting me on the cover. My first cover piece!
BEATS
Check Out LimeWire's New White PaperLMWR is a utility token deeply embedded into the LimeWire ecosystem. By holding LMWR in your account, you can claim token rewards, reduce your trading fees, cast votes for artists and features, and actively participate in our community. (LMWR)
Ariana Grande to Buy Her Beauty Brand’s Assets from Forma Brands for $15MSeeking control over the brand she licensed out, celebrity artist Ariana Grande has entered into a purchase agreement with Forma Brands for the assets of her makeup company R.e.m. Beauty. (Retail Dive)
Alicia Keys Named Hennessy’s First Female PartnerAlicia Keys is the face of Hennessy Paradis in a new global campaign for the French cognac producer. The Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and classically trained pianist is Hennessy’s first female partner. (WWD)
Hockey Jerseys have Returned to Hip-HopHockey jerseys, a ’90s hip-hop fashion trend, have returned, with their vibrant colors framing logos from lightning flashes and bears to leaves and sharks. (Andscape)
Big Freedia Set To Make History As One Of New Orleans' First Black Hotel OwnersThe New Orleans superstar has announced that plans are officially underway for Hotel Freedia, a new entertainment venue coming to the city’s Decatur and Frenchmen streets. (AfroTech)
Saweetie to Perform Free Virtual Super Bowl Concert in RobloxThe NFL announced plans for the Saweetie Super Bowl Concert, set to debut Friday, Feb. 10, exclusively in the Roblox virtual-world game platform. (Variety)
MILF Now Stands for “Moms I’d Like to FEED” Thanks to Yung Gravy and Jimmy John’s Red Velvet CookiesTo honor the release of this sensational new treat, Jimmy John’s partnered with multi-platinum rapper, TikTok superstar and notorious fan of older women, Yung Gravy, to redefine the term “MILF” to mean “Moms I’d Like to FEED.” (Business Wire)
Artificial Intelligence Perspective Provided by LionTreeThis is the most compressive breakdown of the state of affairs when it comes to AI and this new revolution. Worth a read if you are interested!
Distract From Your DistractionsLaraaji the NYC New Age legend on the power of meditative shocks, rapporting with all-pervading energy fields, excellent newly unearthed music & more. (Blackbird Spyplane)
Beyoncé’s Ivy Park Adidas Clothing Line Is Reportedly Losing Money For Sportswear BrandBeyoncé’s clothing line with Adidas, Ivy Park, missed internal sales projections by over $200 million last year, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, though the superstar singer is still earning $20 million a year from the deal. (Forbes)
BYTES
Watch some of our favorite moments from the seventh episode of “The Fucking Metaverse,” featuring superproducer Timbaland and his creative partner, Zayd Portillo (or as Tim likes to call him, “The Great Zayd”). Join our hosts on a ride through Timbo.Land, a Light Energy Labs project that aims to innovate and inspire at the intersection of music and gaming.
To tie in with their namesake and love of the state, A R I Z O N A filmed a truly epic music video in Round Rock, AZ, which was released in tandem with their new single.
Collect on Spinamp, a way for more people to support artists through minting and collecting tracks directly in the web-app on desktop and mobile browsers.
Defying convention and boundaries, Time For Three stands at the busy intersection of Americana, modern pop, and classical music. To experience Time For Three (TF3) live is to hear the various eras, styles, and traditions of Western music fold in on themselves and emerge anew.
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!