Music Biz Headlines, Sept. 22, 2022
Jessie Reyez (pictured) looks inward on her new album, Daniel Lanois keeps looking forward, and an homage to Hotel California. Also in the headlines are Ombiigizi, Miranda Currie, Justin Trudeau, Nav, TSO, Allison Russell, Come From Away, HPO, TIFF, WMG, Robert Kyncl, Resso, Taylor Swift, Leonard Cohen, Ozzy Osbourne, Kanye west, David Bowie, and Linying.
By Kerry Doole
Jessie Reyez taps into self-improvement vibe on new album ‘Yessie’
When the pandemic hit — just after her debut album “Before Love Came To Kill Us” was released in March 2020 — Reyez took some time to look inward. – Nick Krewen, Toronto Star
Daniel Lanois on Player, Piano, searching for the unknown, and why he’s not making a new album with U2
The easiest way to annoy Daniel Lanois is to ask him about something that has already been done. The albums he produced for U2? Ancient history: “We bask in the glory of familiarity,” he says in a Zoom call. “Have we not had enough?” Even his brand-new album, Player, Piano, recorded more than a year ago, feels like old news. “It’s a little bit difficult for me to talk about it.” – Brad Wheeler, The Globe and Mail
OMBIIGIZI reflect on the healing power of the Polaris Prize-nominated ‘Sewn Back Together’
The emotionally stirring debut from Anishnaabe songwriters Daniel Monkman and Adam Sturgeon is in the running for the prestigious Polaris Music Prize, awarded Monday. – Richie Assaly, Toronto Star
Yellowknife musician wants to ‘change that Indigenous narrative in Canada’
Miranda Currie wants Indigenous kids to see themselves represented authentically in media. The writer, musician, filmmaker and educator who lives in Yellowknife, is Mushkegowuk. She has published several children’s books, released two children’s albums and has more than a decade of experience as an outdoor educator focused on experiential and Indigenous learning. –Emily Blake, CP
You can check out of the Eagles’ Hotel California anytime you like, but why would you?
At a packed Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Friday, the Eagles opened the Canadian leg of their Hotel California tour. The concert’s first set was dedicated to that landmark 1976 rock album, one of the top selling LPs of all time. It was played in its entirety, front to back. – Brad Wheeler, The Globe and Mail
Trudeau seen singing with renowned Quebec musician days before queen’s funeral
A video of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau singing at a gathering in London, England, on Saturday — days before Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral — has sparked debate on social media. Trudeau can be seen singing the Queen song Bohemian Rhapsody as Quebec musician Gregory Charles plays piano. Charles is a member of the Canadian delegation and walked in the queen’s funeral procession on Monday. – Global News
Review: Nav - Demons Protected by Angels
The Canadian rapper’s latest album finds moments of real depth and humanity. The rest of the time, his verses register as monotonous and tame, his energy dictated by A-list collaborators. – Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s new CEO has a plan to bring classical music to the masses
Mark Williams is the first Black CEO of a major orchestra in North America. – Shinan Govani, Toronto Star
Tearful Allison Russell wins Americana Award for debut album
The Canadian roots music star continues to win awards.– Kristin M. Hall, AP
Come From Away’s original Canadian company says a proper goodbye in Gander and St. John’s
The cast of the Toronto production of Come From Away, which closed suddenly in December, never got to say a real goodbye to the show. The Canadian musical reopened to a full-capacity audience at the Royal Alexandra Theatre after a very long pandemic hiatus on Dec. 15, 2022, but within a week had to cancel four performances due a Covi outbreak backstage. – JK Nestruck, Globe and Mail
Gemma New opens HPO’s new season with two warhorses and a premiere
The concert on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 7:30 p.m. in FirstOntario Concert Hall features HPO music director Gemma New back in the saddle, Leonard Turnevicius writes. – Hamilton Spectator
Burlington’s Sound of Music festival is broke, asking city for $200K loan
Despite nearly doubling the previous record for attendance, Burlington’s Sound of Music is broke and asking the city for a loan. Organizers say increased costs and fewer sponsors impacted the bottom line of this year’s event and they’re requesting a $200,000 loan to make it to the end of the year. – Jeffrey Allen, InSauga
Nightclub says ongoing violence is not their fault and pauses operations indefinitely
A popular Toronto-area club has made the decision to shut its doors indefinitely this week after a string of violent incidents, including at least five shootings, the most recent of which happened in the parking lot on September 4. – BlogTO
The winners and losers of TIFF 2022, a crackling and complicated comeback year
As disappointing and frustrating as some parts of TIFF 2022 have been – from Ticketmaster woes to hastily scrubbed screenings to faux press conferences absent actual press questions to a lineup that highlighted curatorial cracks – there is still no question that this year’s full-capacity, mask-free, superstar-jammed edition was a desperately needed rebuke to the deeply depressing hybrid era.– Barry Hertz, Globe and Mail
International
US recorded music revenues hit $7.7bn in H1 2022, but growth slowed compared to H1 2021
The US recorded music market grew in H1 2022 - but only half as fast as it did in H1 2021. On a retail basis, recorded music revenues in the US (money spent on streaming subscriptions, as well as physical and digital music), grew $700M YoY to $7.7B in the first half of this year (up from $7B in H1 2021). Mid-year recorded music growth seen in H1 2022 was cut in half compared to H1 2021. – MBW
Is music really recession-proof? Some sectors are stressed
While recorded music and the live business look resilient, other areas are feeling economic pressure. – Billboard
Robert Kyncl a real candidate to become new CEO of Warner Music Group
Last month, MBW told you to expect to hear rumors that long-time Chief Business Officer at YouTube, Robert Kyncl, could become the new CEO of Warner Music Group. Those rumors are fast becoming a very real possibility. Warner Music Group’s current CEO, Steve Cooper, announced in June that he was to leave that position in 2023. – Tim Ingham, MBW
Confirmed: Robert Kyncl is WMG's new CEO
Now, it’s officially happening. Robert Kyncl has been appointed CEO of Warner Music Group Corp, effective January 1, 2023. Kyncl currently serves as Chief Business Officer at YouTube, where Warner says he’s “been instrumental in its phenomenal growth across all platforms”. As of February 1, 2023, Kyncl will become sole CEO of WMG and assume Cooper’s board seat on WMG’s Board of Directors. – Murray Stassen, MBW
Sony Music Catalog pulled from Resso platform
For some time, the music industry has wondered what might happen if TikTok launched a subscription music platform. In one sense, it’s already happened: Resso is a subscription audio platform from TikTok parent Bytedance that operates in three key markets for the global music industry – Brazil, India, and Indonesia. Now, however, it’s operating without one of the most storied music catalogs in the world, as Sony Music Entertainment‘s entire recorded music catalog has been pulled from Resso in all three territories. – MBW
Taylor Swift reveals the secret to her songwriting success: It’s all about the pen
Accepting a songwriting award at a Nashville event, Swift performed "All Too Well" — and, in her acceptance address, revealed whether the epic tune counts as one of her "Quill" songs, a "Glitter Gel Pen" song or a "Fountain Pen" song. Read the full speech here. – Chris Willman, Variety
Hallelujah! Leonard Cohen’s almighty struggle with rejected song that became a classic
Hallelujah is one of the most famous songs ever written, yet a new film reveals it took Leonard Cohen 180 attempts over a decade to perfect – only for it to be rejected by his record company. Nearly 20 years went by before an animated ogre, Shrek, turned the song into a monster hit. – Richard Brooks, The Observer
The Verge: Will the future of music sound a lot like the past?
There’s a whole industry in music centered around interpolation: the act of inserting familiar elements of older songs into newer music to breed familiarity in audiences. Labels are doing everything they can to get you to listen to the music they produce — including relying on nostalgia, and it's very big business. – The Verge
"I've always got demons": Ozzy Osbourne on Patient Number 9
The week before last, the headlines should have belonged to one renowned English subject alone: Birmingham-bred Black Sabbath/Blizzard of Oz firebrand Ozzy Osbourne, who, at 73, was returning with a solid new solo album, Patient Number 9, packed with cameos from some of the greatest guitarists in rock. – Tom Lanham, Paste
Kanye West says he's ending Gap partnership
The rapper’s lawyers sent a letter to the company seeking the termination of a partnership that began in 2020. – Pitchfork
David Bowie fans get big-screen freak-out they deserve with maximalist doc Moonage Daydream
Moonage Daydream is as much high-spirited cinema as documentary. But just because it’s not journalism doesn’t mean truths are not exposed. – Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail
NDP singer Linying, who was told her music was ‘too sleepy’, is staging first solo concert
Home-grown Singapore singer-songwriter Linying is taking control of her music career, years after she made her debut in 2016 with the viral hit song Sticky Leaves. Now signed to Canadian label Nettwerk, she has made music festival appearances in countries such as Japan and the US. – StraitsTimes
Post Malone is ‘sorry’ for on-stage accident in St. Louis
Post Malone apologized to his St. Louis fans Sunday for an on-stage accident that sent him to the hospital and shortened his set the night before at the Enterprise Center. In the middle of a song Saturday, Malone fell into a hole on stage that moments before was opened to lower an instrument into. AP
