Beyoncé has topped the Billboard charts once again. Cowboy Carter debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, marking the biggest sales for an album so far in 2024, and No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart, making Beyoncé the first Black woman to ever debut at the summit, reports Billboard. This is the … Read more
U.S. House representatives Rashida Tlaib and Jamaal Bowman have introduced to Congress a new bill aiming to boost streaming royalties for artists. The Living Wage for Musicians Act would create a new payment system, the Artist Compensation Royalty Fund, that circumvents record labels and other intermediaries, funneling listeners’ money directly to artists. Tlaib said in … Read more
One of Beyoncé’s new songs, “Texas Hold ’Em,” has landed at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, Billboard reports. She is now the first Black woman to ever hold the spot, Variety notes. The superstar’s “16 Carriages,” released simultaneously, also charted at No. 9 on the Hot Country Songs chart. Both songs are Beyoncé’s … Read more
Nicki Minaj’s new album Pink Friday 2 has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Her third chart-topping album—after Pink Friday and Roman Reloaded—launched with 228,000 equivalent album units. It makes her the female rapper with the most No. 1 albums in history, breaking her previous tie with Foxy Brown. It’s also the … Read more
Almost a year after the U.S. Senate held a high-profile hearing on the concert ticketing industry, a bipartisan group of high-profile senators has unveiled a sweeping bill that promises to overhaul the current system. Introduced on Friday (December 8), the Fans First Act would require more disclosure about tickets being sold, add to consumer protection … Read more
The estate of late Mobb Deep rapper Prodigy, surviving member Havoc, and the streetwear brand Supreme have been sued in New York District Court for trademark infringement and unfair competition, Billboard reports and documents viewed by Pitchfork confirm. A complaint filed by plaintiff Bush Baby Zamagate—the label that owns the intellectual property of the New … Read more
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason, Jr. have announced Quincy Jones as the recipient of the inaugural Peace through Music Award. The award is part of a new “Global Music Diplomacy Initiative” between the State Department and the Recording Academy to promote music as a tool for diplomacy and … Read more
Moog Music has reportedly slashed jobs at its Asheville, North Carolina manufacturing factory, the Asheville Citizen Times reports. The exact number of layoffs at the iconic synthesizer brand is currently unknown, but sources told the Citizen Times that more than half of existing positions were cut, including most workers who built the instruments. Synth Anatomy … Read more
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) have tentatively agreed to a new contract after a months-long standstill. The writers strike—ongoing since May 2—will continue until the new deal is ratified by vote of its 11,500 members. The WGA and AMPTP had resumed bargaining negotiations … Read more
Main songwriters will meet with members of Congress tomorrow in Washington, D.C., urging them to undertake laws on synthetic intelligence in music. Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Paul Williams, Madison Love, Cirkut, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, Matthew West, and extra will meet with officers as a part of American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers’ Stand … Read more