What a week it was in NYC. With Frieze, Social Media Week, and the Tribeca Film Festival happening simultaneously, the creative conversations flowed in every direction, everywhere you looked. I may see through a biased lens, but the red threads that wove it all together were music and brands.Once decimated by the digital revolution, the music business reinvented itself, adapted to the seismic market shift and, in many ways, bounced back better than ever. Brand collaborations, long a sign of selling out, were key to this. They’re now a giant revenue generator -- even a badge of honor -- what we lovingly call “selling in.”But it’s not that way in the art world…yet.Frieze, the world-class contemporary art fair that takes place in various cities worldwide, lays bare to this reality. Launched out of the magazine of the same name, Frieze may be New York’s “coolest” art annual, an amazing place to see everything hot in the art world in one week. But brand partnerships, especially with and for artists, are not particularly present.I’m very bullish on the fine art market in this day in age. Not only does it challenge us aesthetically, but it’s also incredibly lucrative and well built, in my opinion, for social media. Sadly, brands and fine artists are not working together as well as they could be.Sure, artist licensing is popular posthumously for big names like Keith Haring, Basquiat, and Warhol. And yes, there are examples of partnerships with a fashion bent, such as Bradley Theodore+Puma or Virgil+Nike (the latter swagger jacked the former, IMO!). But it’s nowhere near pervasive and it’s not being capitalized on by rising artists and galleries the way that emerging musicians and labels have shown is possible.I foresee more successful collaborations in the future, mainly because of how edgy and “different” much of the fine art space is. It’s a brand dream in that regard. I marvel at the way real estate developers are able to employ street art in neighborhood revitalization projects, raising both aesthetic and property values at once. It’s smart business. Have you been to Wynwood? The transformation in just a few short years has been stunning. It’s worth a trip if you’re in Miami for Basel this year.Don’t get me wrong: I want artists to put their art first and their business second. It’s a brand’s responsibility to make these relationships more than transactional. The value exchange has to uplift, which is where great marketers come into play. We understand how to finesse these collabs without diminishing the value of the work. Instead, as in music, the artist’s profile, image, and creative outcomes are enhanced as well.Nue is on the lookout for brands that want to be part of this inevitable shift. Let’s do this the right way!
BEATS
How Stan Culture Has Changed The Critics' RoleLast week flagged up a peculiar development in pop culture; criticism of critics for being critical. After Pitchfork writer Rawiya Kameir gave her new album Cuz I Love You a 6.5 out of 10, R&B singer Lizzo took to Twitter to voice her frustration, arguing reviewers who don’t make music themselves should be “unemployed.” (Vice)
New York City Has Just Been Given a Wu-Tang Clan DistrictBLUThe city of New York has just declared the Park Hill neighborhood of Staten Island “The Wu-Tang District.” The decision for the naming was made back in December when the New York City Council voted unanimously for the new street sign. (Hypebeast)
Techstars' 2019 Class of Music Startups Offers Startling Vision of the Industry's FutureNine music-technology companies presented their creations to a room filled with potential investors Thursday evening. (Billboard)
BTS,The New Kings of Pop, Conquer a Deafening, Sold-Out Rose Bowl As queues for pop-star stadium shows go, they were orderly and patient. But from the moment the trees parted on the way into Pasadena’s Rose Bowl on Saturday night, and the building-sized banners for K-pop conquerors BTS emerged, the crowds waiting outside were staggering. (LA Times)
Chance The Rapper Started A Twitter Campaign To Bring Back Wendy’s Spicy Nuggets And It Just Might WorkChance the Rapper is known for his philanthropic work around the city of Chicago. His latest campaign, however, will benefit those outside the Chicago city limits. Why? Because Chance is trying to officially bring back Wendy’s spicy chicken nuggets. (Uproxx)
3 Updates Make Facebook A Better Place To Market MusicFacebook is rolling out FB5, a new design for that’s "simpler, faster, more immersive and puts your communities at the center." (Hypebot)
Peloton Accuses National Music Publishers’ Association of Illegal Price-Fixing & CollusionJust weeks after being accused of massive copyright infringement, fitness-focused Peloton is clapping back against a large number of litigating music publishers. And they’re spinning an unexpected defense strategy. (Digital Music News)
With the Formation Suite & Powerbeats Pro, Two Audio Brands Look to the Future, From Very Different PastsBeats by Dre launches their first set of wireless earbuds, while 50-year-old British company, Bowers & Wilkins, sets its sight on the wireless market – and a younger audience. (Rolling Stone)
What’s Really Behind the Shuttering of Red Bull Music Academy?In early April, as word spread that Red Bull Music Academy was shutting down after more than two decades, musicians and journalists found themselves in a curious position: mourning the loss of an energy drink sponsorship. (Pitchfork)
A Radical Solution to Spotify’s Biggest Problems – and the Record Industry’s WoesWhat if the major music companies teamed with Merlin — the body that represents the recorded interests of the largest independent labels worldwide — and raised the capital to buy Spotify?(Rolling Stone)
Woodstock 50’s Agonizing Death March Continues as Producer Superfly Pulls Out The entertainment company, which co-produces popular festivals Bonnaroo and Outside Lands, told Rolling Stone it will no longer work on Woodstock 50. (Digital Music News)
More Than the Music: How Savvy Artists Like Soulja Boy, Junglepussy, and Cuco Are Setting Themselves Apart“For me—this is a personal goal of mine. A personal dream,” Soulja Boy says. His words drip with his trademark Atlanta drawl as he explains why he’s expanded his brand so far outside of music. (Complex)
YouTube Coachella Views Jump 90% A Live Concert Streaming Comes Of Age Here's a stat for the many who doubted that mainstream fans would ever want to watch a concert live on their computer or phone: YouTube’s live stream of Coachella's first weekend logged 82 million live views - an increase of 90% compared to 2018. (Hypebot)
Ushering in a New Age of Jazz With Phony PplAfter their final residency show at the Blue Note Jazz Club, Phony Ppl stake their claim as pioneers for a new jazz generation. (WWD)
BYTES
On this episode the podcast has the creative and passionate Jesse Kirshbaum. Together we journey through his life - exploring the hard choices he had to make and the challenging practices he put himself through.
With a large number of Asian artists breaking into the hip hop scene, the conversation surrounding cultural appropriation has become more common.
Create a smart passive income stream with Omni Storage/Rentals lets you earn money online by renting out new and unused items.
On Friday (05/03), the London-based Filipino singer-songwriter has finally released a followup to his debut under Dirty Hit with Crying in the Prettiest Places EP.
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!