Music Week is delighted to reveal Sheryl Nwosu, Afryea Henry-Fontaine, Komali Scott-Jones and Char Grant of the Black Music Coalition’s executive committee as the cover stars of our new monthly print edition.
A year ago, with the world reeling from the murder of George Floyd, the music industry pressed pause for 24 hours for Blackout Tuesday. What followed was the promise of action against inequality and racism throughout the business, and the members of the Black Music Coalition have been leading the charge. In our exclusive 8-page interview, Grant, Henry-Fontaine, Nwosu and Scott-Jones tell the story of the BMC’s first 12 months. Find out what has happened so far, and hear why they won’t stop fighting for change… Plus: We have insight from the BMC’s independent division, Black Lives In Music, PRS Foundation and the stories of eight BMC members.
For The Music Week Interview we catch up with Napster Group CEO Anthony Matchett, who reveals all about the big plans behind MelodyVR’s $70m acquisition of the streaming giant. In a wide-ranging conversation, Matchett covers everything from the future of virtual reality to his vision for creating a platform that offers an all-new way for consumers to experience music. On top of that, Napster Group’s newly appointed chief strategy officer Emmy Lovell outlines her big goals for the company this year…
Also inside, we take an in-depth look at how the live music sector is gearing up to return. Following the devastation of the Covid-19 crisis, more than a dozen trade bodies have united to form a collective voice for the live music industry – LIVE. Here, in an exclusive interview, the group’s founders Kilimanjaro Live’s Stuart Galbraith and Live Nation’s Phil Bowdery join CEO Greg Parmley to take us behind the scenes of the biggest comeback of all…
Also inside, Wizkid celebrates the 10th anniversary of his debut album, Superstar. In a career-spanning interview, Music Week meets him, plus managers Jada Pollock and Sunday Are, Columbia and RCA US, to reflect on how he brought Afrobeats to the world, racked up millions of streams and worked with icons including Drake and Beyoncé.
Elsewhere, Jack Savoretti takes us inside Europiana – his star-studded first album for new label EMI – the star being joined by manager Danielle Livesey and EMI president Rebecca Allen to explain why this is just the beginning for him. Plus! Rising Leicester collective Easy Life – who made waves last year when they were shortlisted for the BBC Sound Of 2020 poll and hit the Top 10 with their mixtape Junk Food – unveil their major-label debut. Music Week joins frontman Murray Matravers, manager Ollie Slaney and Island president Louis Bloom who reveal all about Life’s A Beach, and outline their huge ambitions going forward...
We have a big interview with Dellessa James. While producing BBC Radio 1Xtra’s Fire In The Booth, she helped boost a golden generation of UK rap. Now leading Black music at Amazon Music, she tells us how she’s taking her mission to a whole new level. Finally in features, we deliver a special report on the evolving word of pro-audio with our recent Tech Summit headline sponsors TagMix.
In Hitmakers we speak to DJ and producer Riton (real name Henry Smithson) about how he reworked Nightcrawlers’ ’90s dance tune Push The Feeling On (MK’s Nocturnal Dub) as Friday to deliver 2021’s feelgood smash. Aftershow, meanwhile, sees Garbage legend Shirley Manson guide Music Week through her remarkable career, including lessons learned form the business and that one time she played a Terminator…
In this month's Big Story, we give an essential preview of what to expect from Record Store Day 2021 with insight from RSD co-ordinator Megan Page and label execs, who talk sales, turntables and this year’s “eclectic mix”. Elsewhere in the news section, ahead of the release of KSI’s second LP in July, MBA Live managing director Mark Bennett opens up about the star’s global touring ambitions and upcoming arena shows.
For our Spotlight Q&A interview, Claudia De Wolff VP, creative content & programming at Vevo discusses TV opportunities, Dscvr’s support for emerging artists and the platform’s new London studio facility. Also in Frontline, you’ll find payment platform Paperchain in new tech feature Start Me Up plus Harry Pinero and Henrie give us the latest on Spotify’s Who We Be Talks In Pod We Trust.
In On The Radar this month, Girl In Red – real name Marie Ulven – explains how she went from making music at home as a teen to making pop hits with Finneas and going viral around the world.
Key Releases is as busy as ever as, fresh from her own solo record, Savages singer Jehnny Beth talks about how she made Utopian Ashes with Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie. Plus, Atlantic co-president Ed Howard spills the beans on Twenty One Pilots’ epic plans for Scaled And Icy...
For this month’s Mentor Me page – a collaboration between Music Week and Girls I Rate – we welcome London Mars – aka London The Plug – to get her Top 5 career tips for making it in the music industry.
Deviate Digital boss Sammy Andrews looks at the world of modern marketing campaigns in her Digital Discourse column while Music Venue Trust CEO Mark Davyd explains why labels need to encourage artists to play more, and tweet less. As ever, the expanded Archive section sees us flick through the pages of the Music Week of yesteryear.
There’s all of this and our expanded monthly charts section in which we present the Top 75 Singles and Albums of the previous month, accompanied by revamped analysis pages, plus a host of new listings. These include specialist genre Top 20s for Americana, Classical, Hip-Hop & R&B, Jazz, Country, Dance, Folk and Rock & Metal, which have never previously featured in Music Week. The issue is also home to streaming, compilations and vinyl charts.
The new issue of Music Week is available to subscribers from May 14 and on the news-stand from May 18.
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