Spring is a time for fresh starts. At NUE, we recently refreshed our office space, relocating from the legendary EMI/Capitol Records building to a progressive coworking space called The Assemblage.Moving to The Assemblage took us away from our familiar tech, marketing, and music hub and transported us to an entirely new terrain. Most of the companies in our new building work in the health and wellness space. Since the move, we’ve been reinvigorated with new ideas and inspiration from outside of our industry. It’s been a game-changer.As brands continue to work toward enhancing people’s lives (and not just turning a profit), our new neighbors at The Assemblage are helping to educate us around this new consciousness and expanding the way we approach our agency’s brand partnerships.On a personal note, I’ve been embarking on some wellness efforts of my own, including two cleanses designed to detoxify mind and body. The first is a traditional nutrition and fitness cleanse, which will be a much-needed reset for the coming months. The second is a social media cleanse, as I’ve committed to step away from my smartphone and rethink my relationship with some of my go-to apps and platforms.I am calling this double-cleanse MarchFWD, and I welcome you to join me in this endeavor. Message me if you want more details on both. Spring is one of the most glorious times of the year and I am excited to see what blossoms in the new season.
Namaste,
BEATS
Big Data Will find Your Next Favorite BandYour next favorite band won’t be signed for their explosive live show but for their YouTube views. Their big break won’t come from a copy of their cassette debut but from the tracking of their weekly SoundCloud spins. It’s not the underground buzz that will matter but the quantifiable chatter taking place on Twitter and Tumblr. (Dylan Love – The Kernel)
10 Key Talking Points from The Spotify Investor DaySpotify held its ‘investor day’ event earlier this evening, revealing that it will go public on 3 April in the process. You can read our liveblog of the event here. But what did we learn from the nearly-three-hour series of presentations from Spotify’s management? Here are some takeaways to chew on. (Musically)
Spotify has launched Amplify, a new online hub that will serve to highlight and bring attention to various communities throughout the year. Different causes Amplify plans to focus on include mental health, LGBTQ rights, immigration, and gender equality. (Dani Deahl – The Verge)
With a Newly Opened STEM Center and A Revolutionary Marketing Strategy, Nipsey Hussle is Music's Biggest Disruptor"In our culture, there's a narrative that says, 'Follow the athletes, follow the entertainers,'" he said. "And that's cool but there should be something that says, 'Follow Elon Musk, follow [Mark] Zuckerberg.' I think that with me being influential as an artist and young and coming from the inner city, it makes sense for me to be one of the people that's waving that flag." (Sonaiya Kelley – Los Angeles Times)
Playback: SXSW Again Pivots on RapFor the Festival's opening weekend, dedicated primarily to the SXSW Film and SXSW Interactive conferences, classic hip-hop artists proved an especially popular choice for brands. (Kevin Curtin – The Austin Chronicle)
Inside The Booming Black Market for Spotify PlaylistsTommie King could be the next rapper to breakout from Atlanta. He’s well-connected, has obvious swagger, and he’s been quietly building a successful collection of singles on Spotify. His latest, “Eastside (feat. Cyhi the Prynce),” has already clocked more than 110,000 streams, driven largely by its placement on 14 independent playlists. (Austin Powell – The Daily Dot)
#DrivingHope with MINI USAIn addition to the 50 pianos across the five boroughs, the #MINIPiano will act as a roving 51st piano, #DrivingHope to locations throughout the city and surprising and delighting New Yorkers with even more pop-up performances and musical opportunities. MINI is currently developing the custom modified MINI Countryman to create the #MINIPiano. Further details about the car’s design will be released soon. (Sing for Hope)
A Riot of Color: David Beahm Experiences 20th Anniversary CelebrationTo celebrate their 20th Anniversary, David Beahm Experiences is hosting a combination riotous celebration and important fundraiser. Bringing together some of New York’s top caterers, entertainers, and visual talent in the magnificent architecture of the IAC Building—this party promises to be one for the record books. (David Beahm Experiences: A Benefit for Sing for Hope)
G.O.O.D. Music Partners With Stationhead for Interactive Experience at SXSWThe mysterious event is scheduled to take place midnight Friday at an undisclosed location in Austin, where fans can enjoy various forms of entertainment, including live performances by G.O.O.D. Music artists Valee, Shake, and more. (Joshua Espinoza – Complex)
BYTES
Marvel’s Black Panther was released in theaters on February 16, 2018, and in just a few weeks, it made over a billion dollars worldwide. It’s already broken some box office records and it looks like it’s going to break some more. The score for the film was created by Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson. His film and tv credits include Creed and New Girl. He’s also Grammy-nominated producer, who’s worked most often with rapper Childish Gambino. In this episode, Ludwig takes apart one of his pieces from Black Panther.
They say be careful what you wish for. Look no further than Lil Dicky’s new music video for proof. In “Freaky Friday” featuring Chris Brown, the rapper fully embraces his twist of fate as he wakes up in Brown’s body.
Artists around the world use amuse to distribute their music to hundreds of digital music stores worldwide allowing fans to discover and purchase their music. Wherever you are, the Amuse app lets you upload your songs and albums in a matter of minutes using nothing more than your phone and your data connection.
Run the Jewels takes on a dramatic remix of Lorde's latest "Supercut" record. El-P spices up the mellow instrumental with a haunting bass that welcomes some heated verses from him and Killer Mike.
This week's newsletter was carefully curated by the Nue Agency staff and our editor Maria Tejada If you think we missed something this week or have any suggestions/comments for next week's newsletter, let us know!