- Music Week is delighted to unveil Gary Barlow as our new cover star. Ahead of his first Christmas album, the legendary Take That songwriter sits down with us to tell the full story of a record that he hopes will become a festive classic. Lifting the lid on a huge campaign are Polydor co-presidents Tom March and Ben Mortimer, alongside Barlow’s long-time manager, YMU Music’s Chris Dempsey. To go with his yuletide extravaganza, Barlow has some huge Take That news, and we speak to SJM Concerts’ Simon Moran about the band’s potential return to the stage.
- In our latest Music Week Interview, we meet Spotify’s Sulinna Ong, who was recently crowned Music Champion at our Women In Music Awards and is soon to leave Spotify’s UK & Ireland operation to take up a new role as global head of editorial in LA.
- Also a winner at Women In Music, Motown Records chairman & CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam has had a 2021 to remember, and we meet the label boss to look back on her career so far and hear her plans to take the iconic imprint into a new era.
- Elsewhere, we catch up with Ivor Novello-winning producer Fraser T Smith and widely-tipped newcomer Mysie, joining both in the studio to go deep into their creative process. September’s Amy Morgan talks management and publishing, and we celebrate the 25th anniversary of Secretly Canadian and Jagjaguwar, as Secretly Group’s UK team tell us how they are building an independent music company unlike any other.
- Plus! We introduce Release Radar, Music Week's brand new Q4 hub, and this month's Big Story finds the industry gearing up for the blockbuster return of Adele as the 30 campaign gets into full swing.
