Bad on emerging giants, evolving labels and ever-present challenges. Golden Globe winner. Shape-shifting performance firebrand. Where do Elliot Grainge and Ethiopia Habtemariam, both of whom are helping drive the company’s biggest hits, fit into the overall game plan? Check your registr…, “Laugh Now Cry Later” by @Drake and @lildurk is the most added track at Rhythmic radio this week…, #MidnightSky by @MileyCyrus is the most added track at Pop radio this week. HITS Daily Double : Rumor Mill - THE WEIGHTING IS THE HARDEST PART Presently, all streams are weighted equally, with 1,500 streams counted as one album. Justin Bieber has yet another giant—one of several now racking up major spins at Pop radio—suggesting that the Def Jam superstar may be on the verge of yet another huge chapter. The floodgates have opened, and the still-uncertain economic picture will undoubtedly cause more than a few more copyright owners to review offers. He was 66. Five of the Top 10 on 2020’s final chart are Lipman’s. All eyes are now on Vine Street as insiders wonder how the new Capitol team will realign under Jeff Vaughn and Michelle Jubelirer, currently beginning their first official year atop the House that Barnett Built. Box-office breakout. Insiders feel this will be the year that the Warner Records tandem of Aaron Bay-Schuck and Tom Corson turns the corner and realizes the great expectations invested in the team by Max Lousada. When touring resumes in earnest, meanwhile, Bieber’s return to the stage will be an important litmus test for the live sector. LINK. Monte will soon add a new Drake release to his hot hand. The sounds of a brighter day to come? The Latin-American lads came up with a pretty cool concept for the visuals surrounding their forthcoming covers set, #VMAs: It’s rumored that multiple performers might be pulled from the event due to safety precautions…, SELPINK IN YOUR AREA! Morgan Wallen has a very big #1 bow with his 30-track Big Loud/Republic set, Dangerous: The Double Album, which instantly becomes the top-streaming country album in history by a wide margin. OPENING PITCH: Beyond the nightmare of an attempted coup and the drama of the second impeachment, the year is starting out with big fireworks—in a good way—for the biz. What else does industry trailblazer (and key voice for change) Rhone have in the hopper for ’21? Janick retains a quiver full of arrows, however, including pop’s most gravity-defying stars and multiple hot A&R sources—among them SCMG, LVRN, 10 Summers, Darkroom, Grade A and Todd Moscowitz’s Alamo. (1/15a), As his song says, "Livin' the Dream." Alabama-raised, Atlanta-based rapper Flo Milli has been chosen as Spotify's fourth U.S. RADAR artist. Right out of the box, the House of Lipman (via Seth England’s Big Loud) has a giant set from country streaming phenom Morgan Wallen, which not only hit #1 but earned the biggest first-week streams of any country album ever with 228m. When vaccination schedules and touring schedules meet. ANY BUBBLY LEFT? It had the #2 opening week of the streaming era with 62m, surpassed only by Drake’s “God’s Plan.” In fact, Drake has three of the Top 5 songs and Cardi B the other. Close. Shape-shifting performance … Meanwhile, rumors are flying that new sets from Doja Cat and Brockhampton will be coming soon. A pub contest is now in full swing, with multiple bidders and UMPG thought to have the inside track; manager Kristen Smith once worked for Universal Pub. (1/15a), As his song says, "Livin' the Dream." Over at Sony, RCA boss Peter Edge has made some upper-tier adjustments as the company pivots to address an evolving marketplace. Current label marketshare leader Janick will undoubtedly continue his run, though without longtime hitter Joie Manda. Golden Globe winner. HITS Daily Double : Rumor Mill AMATO. A settlement of the Academy’s arbitration with former boss Deb Dugan is also thought to be pending, which would be a welcome resolution for the beleaguered org. Geffen has a genuine breakout—and the biggest story of the new year—with young pop artist Olivia Rodrigo. Article from hitsdailydouble.com. Investment house KKR has jumped into the game bigtime, too, landing a fat deal for Ron Laffitte-repped hitmaker Ryan Tedder’s capacious catalog. It was rumored that several such deals would be announced before the end of the year due to tax issues, but it was pretty quiet on the catalog front until just after New Year’s, when perpetual disruptor Merck Mercuriadis announced blockbuster deals for Neil Young, Lindsey Buckingham, Jimmy Jam and Shakira catalogs as well as the acquisition of Jimmy Iovine’s producer points on some 259 songs (as well as a couple of films). HITS Daily Double : Rumor Mill - NEAR TRUTHS: CALLING THE BALL GOING LONG: Super Bowl halftime-show talk has begun to center on Taylor, J.Lo and Roc Nation’s role. He has served RCA with distinction over the years and is undoubtedly due for a spot in the Promo Exec Hall of Fame. Longtime player Joe Riccitelli is exiting to start a new venture. He has two of the Top 3 albums on 2021’s first chart, as well as the aforementioned Rodrigo breakout. (1/15a), BIG CHANGES AT RCA: EDGE UPS PITTS TO PREZ, FLECK TO COO; RICCITELLI TO EXIT, Recalibrating for changing tastes. Those in the know believe the formula for paid streams will be adjusted to 1,250:1, while ad-supported streams will be devalued to 5,000:1. Will Mosco’s Alamo continue its successful joint venture with Janick’s IGA? There appeared to be some new players pulling strings behind the scenes, alongside the familiar figures in Nashville. Its opening frame was double that of the #2 country streamer, Luke Combs’ What You See Ain't Always What You Get (Deluxe Edition), and equaled the totals of the other Top 4 country sets’ openings combined. The multiples, as any songwriter’s attorney will tell you with a mixture of glee and disbelief, have gone ga-ga. Will they ever come back down to earth? A new single from DJ Khaled, "Shining," featuring Beyoncé and Jay Z dropped tonight at 8:30pm PST. Republic owns the Top 3 and half of the Top 10. NOW to be sure that you’re registered to vote. We can now project that Morgan Wallen’s Big Loud/Republic set Dangerous: The Double Album will join the 200m streams club. 3/14 was announced as the new date by Harvey Mason Jr., Ben Winston and Jack Sussman as it’s hoped the worst of the surge will be over and a significant number of vaccinations distributed by then. Click here to read the full article,"Rumor Mill: OSBORNE TO SONY/ATV?" HITS Daily Double : Rumor Mill - KEITH URBAN PULLS THE RIPCORD Interview by Holly Gleason It all started with a ganjo. Chart-ruling queen. Negotiations are reportedly hot and heavy; some are convinced Mosco will remain at UMG, but nothing’s done yet—and the competition is highly motivated to pick this deal off. Larry Mestel’s Primary Wave has also emerged as a major player in the space; his newest deals include Adele tunesmith Dan Wilson and the incomparable Stevie Nicks. Still, label brass are said to be big believers in the partnership’s potent chemistry, even as they assess what’s shaping up to be one of the biggest JV deals in recent memory. Listen to the RCA talent's new single, "Roaring 20s," to find out why "flo milli shit" has entered the cultural lexicon. With that benediction, let’s take a quick look at the top stories at the dawn of 2021. How big? He’s upped erstwhile Urban Music head and ByStorm founder/chief Mark Pitts to President of the label and promoted Co-Prez John Fleckenstein to COO. In our new feature, Power Hitters, we shine a spotlight on the brilliant songwriters and producers behind the biggest smashes in the biz. The Alamo boss has been developing talent quite effectively in the hip-hop sphere over the past 15 years (going back to his days with Liar), and the advent of the singles-driven streaming marketplace played right into his power alley. The first massive release of 2021 should finish the week with total activity in the 235-250k range, with two-thirds of that coming from 210-220m on-demand audio streams or 160-170k SEA. The multi-platinum DJ and producer recently announced a record-breaking $60m two-year residency in Las Vegas. (1/15a), Turnaround specialist becomes a music man. May you be safe and vaccinated in the near future, and may we continue to have a president rather than an emperor. HITS Daily Double : Rumor Mill - LADY GAGA HAS ALREADY WON (UPDATE) Grammy nominee (after six prior wins). Article/NonVideo Interview. Rodrigo is repped for legal by Kelly Vallon at Ziffren Brittenham. Jess Rosen is mentioned in an article titled "Rumor Mill: OSBORNE TO SONY/ATV?" Bring it on. Latest news in category Entertainment: CKay Joins Warner Music South Africa str8bussin - Twitch PS5 Not Playing 4K HDR Properly? Box-office breakout. You May Also Be Interested In: December 17, 2020 Press Release