Although Lollapalooza looked like the place to be this weekend, I didn’t experience any FOMO from afar. As I hear more and more stories of attendees “not feeling great'' after the festival, it’s clear this isn’t the typical Lolla hangover. We may need to rethink reopening. Going into the summer, I was feeling optimistic about the return to live. But as the Delta variant catches headwind, my view has shifted with the landscape. Believe me, I don’t want this to be the case, but I don’t think we’re going to have many more unmasked, 100,000-person events in America this year. The pictures from Lolla look downright crazy. We jumped the gun without the proper protocols in place. With more and more places looking to require vaccinations for entry, I’m concerned about the flimsy, loose piece of CDC paper we call official paperwork. Mine is already falling apart. Not only can the vax cards be easily replicated, they don’t guarantee that you’re Covid-free. What we need is an effort to amplify and administer boosters and proper rapid testing. As we saw in Amsterdam, you can’t require testing within 48 hours of attending a festival, because there’s still enough time for individuals to contract the virus.It seems inevitable that many of us who haven’t yet, will get Covid at some point. I’m glad we continue to see less severe outcomes in terms of hospitalizations and casualties, but we need to start thinking about how these dog days of summer and fall will play out before the spirit of traditional live events can fully rise from the ashes. I don’t expect a full-blown shut down, but I can’t see how things will not be scaled back as we try to get Delta under control. What technologies are needed? Which quarantine habits will re-emerge? How will this affect culture? Does this mean a return to Clubhouse is imminent? Or did Twitter Spaces already eat their lunch? I don’t know for sure, but I do feel like the vibe is changing by the minute. Let’s all vow to be strategic and safe.
BEATS
Touring During a Pandemic: My Breakthrough Covid Infection StoryI embarked on 2 month long tour through the US in early July and this week, 3 people took the rapid test and tested positive for Covid. Today is Saturday the 31st, and all members of the band and 16 crew members tested positive for Covid-19. All members of the tour were fully vaccinated. (Reddit)
How Jack Antonoff Found That Moment of Musical Clarity on the New Bleachers AlbumSince starting Switched on Pop back in 2014, we’ve had countless hours of conversation with artists such as Taylor Swift, Lorde, and Lana Del Ray that have been soundtracked by the production work of Jack Antonoff. He is, going back those seven years to our launch, one of the artists we’ve most wanted to interview — and so, on the occasion of a new album by his band Bleachers called Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night, we finally sat down with him to hear about how he approaches his own work. (Vulture)
Live From The Corner: The Snapple StoryBSBG is committed to helping small business owners meet the challenges of today’s business environment, and to offering critical tools and training to prepare for tomorrow. They’re donating 100% of the sales of product inspired by the a snapple corner story film to the bodega and small business group.
The First Fenty Perfume Is HereYou can’t put the multi-faceted Rihanna in a box, but you might be able to bottle her. More information about the first perfume for her Fenty beauty line was released today. Housed in a sheer brown bottle with a suggestive imprint, the notes include magnolia, musk, tangerine, and blueberry with hints of Bulgarian rose absolute, geranium and patchouli. (The Cut)
What Do You Buy When You Buy Merch?Merchandise is important. It’s important for fans who can express their fandom. It’s important for artists and other rights holders who use it as an extra revenue stream. But recently I’ve been wondering what you actually buy when you buy merch as a fan. And consequently, what that means for artists who look at merch as a form of revenue. It’s important to ask what kind of merch you want to sell and who your audiences are for it. (Music Tech Future)
10 Key Predictions From Our Latest Trend Report ‘2031: A Future World’The year is 2031. You’re part-human, part-cyborg, the groceries you pay for with cryptocurrency are delivered to your kitchen by drones, an artificial womb is growing your firstborn from zygote to full term, and it’s hot. It’s really fucking hot – thanks to the blistering, devastating reality of climate change. (Dazed Digital)
Spotify’s Daniel Ek: ‘Live is Something We’re Excited About’Speaking during yesterday (28 July)’s Q2 2021 earnings call, Ek addressed recent reports that Spotify, which has more than 150 million subscribers globally, is seeking to establish a greater live events presence through livestreamed and, potentially, physical concerts. (IQ Magazine)
BTS: The Band That Moves The EconomyBTS is one of the most popular bands in the world. The group has charted multiple No.1 Hits on Billboard, performed in front of millions of people, won numerous awards and been a lucrative brand ambassador. The group of seven members is a tour de force in the music industry, with some comparing them to The Beatles. (NPR)
McDonald’s Music Meal Partnerships Explode Sales — Saweetie Meal Is NextThe fast-food chain announced yesterday that the ‘Saweetie Meal’ would arrive on August 9. The limited-edition menu item includes a Big Mac, 4-piece chicken nuggets, medium fries, medium Sprite, and BBQ and sweet n’ sour sauce. McDonald’s has renamed its signature Sweet N’ Sour sauce for the collaboration. (Digital Music News)
YouTubers Have Been Rickrolled Over A Billion TimesOne of the internet's best-known videos just marked an important (and arguably overdue) historic moment. KIRO7 notes that Rick Astley's video for "Never Gonna Give You Up" crossed 1 billion YouTube views on July 28th, putting the original Rickroll in the same rare company as clips from the latest pop stars. (Engadget)
Choreographer JaQuel Knight, Logitech to Help Creators Copyright Viral TikTok DancesJaQuel Knight, the choreographer behind iconic dances for Beyoncé and Megan Thee Stallion, has partnered with Logitech to help 10 BIPOC creators secure copyright for viral dances they’ve created. (Hollywood Reporter)
Ariana Grande is Headlining Fortnite’s Next Concert SeriesLast week, Epic Games teased that a “record-breaking superstar” would be performing in Fortnite’s upcoming Rift Tour concert series, and now we know that the mystery performer is none other than Ariana Grande. The five-show concert series kicks off August 6th at 6PM ET, and shows will run through August 8th. (The Verge)
Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack Inks Production Deal With A24Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack Films has signed a production deal with A24, the content studio whose credits include the films “Moonlight,” “The Florida Project” “Midsommer” and “Uncut Gems,” and the television series “Ramy” and “Euphoria,” among many other projects. (Variety)
BYTES
In a remote address to employees, Zuckerberg said, “Our overarching goal across all of these initiatives is to help bring the metaverse to life.” Zuckerberg’s announced intention to build a more maximalist version of Facebook, spanning social presence, office work, and entertainment, comes at a time when the US government is attempting to break his current company up. Listen here.
Sean Combs talks a lot about being a hustler. It is the bedrock of his first eras. It is how a young Black man, raised by a single mother at a time when that overdetermined how little the world expected from you, turns himself into a global lifestyle brand. He plans to foray back into the music world by launching an all R&B influencer record label.
Bright, a startup founded by investor and music manager Guy Oseary (whose clients include Madonna and U2) and former YouTube executive Michael Powers, is going to test the market for live, ticketed events hosted by celebrities, music artists and creators.
Joy Generation is an anthem for a community coming out of isolation and into a new era. This unique and inspiring song was crowd-sourced in real-time during a creative jam session by 350 members of the Daybreaker community.
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!