London-based global recording industry trade group IFPI has declared Taylor Swift the bestselling worldwide artist of 2019. Swift edged out the likes of Ed Sheeran, Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Post Malone, Queen, and the Beatles for the crown. Having las…
Author archives: Dylan Smith
The Recording Academy Officially Fires Deborah Dugan, Lawyers Promise to Retaliate
The very public conflict between the Recording Academy and Deborah Dugan has taken yet another dramatic turn, as Recording Academy board members have officially fired Dugan as CEO. Dugan’s firing was revealed in a letter distributed to Recording Academ…
UK Government Discusses Post-Brexit US Trade Goals, British Labels Respond
The United Kingdom government has released a comprehensive (184-page-long) analysis of post-Brexit trade goals with the United States, and the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), the largest label-representation organization in the UK, has responded w…
Flavor Flav Slaps the Bernie Sanders Campaign With a Cease-and-Desist
Chuck D booted Flavor Flav from Public Enemy after clashing over a Bernie Sanders concert. Flavor Flav is no longer part of the hip-hop group Public Enemy. And in keeping with the mood established by today’s highly competitive political climate, it se…
After BTS Cancels Its Korean Shows, ARMY Fans Donate Their Refunds to Coronavirus Relief
Earlier this week, coronavirus (COVID-19) fears prompted K-pop group BTS to cancel the tour stops that had been scheduled to take place in Seoul. Now, many fans who had tickets to these shows are giving back by donating their refunded cash to disaster-…
Reach Music Publishing Joins UK Digital Licensing Collective IMPEL
Reach Music Publishing, a full-service music publishing and artist representation organization, has joined IMPEL, a UK-based collective that negotiates e-licensing deals on behalf of rightsholders. The UK’s Music Publishers Association (not to be…
Pop Smoke’s Family Breaks Their Silence, Releases First Public Statement
The family of late rapper Pop Smoke has addressed the public for the first time since their loved one was murdered on February 19th. In a statement, relatives of Pop Smoke (whose full name was Bashar Barakah Jackson) said that they “deeply appreciated”…
Garth Brooks Wears a ‘Sanders 20’ Jersey at His Detroit Show
Social media mistook Garth Brooks’ Barry Sanders jersey for a Bernie Sanders endorsement. With the 2020 presidential election rapidly approaching and the highly competitive Democratic primary race raging on, it can be stated with confidence that the po…
SAG-AFTRA Doubles Down on Efforts to Secure Union Contracts for Spanish Broadcasting System Employees
SAG-AFTRA is upping the ante in its multiyear quest for a contract with the Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS), a large owner and operator of Hispanic radio stations (namely La Raza and Mega) in the United States and Puerto Rico. Yesterday, about 200 me…
BTS Joins the Growing List of Coronavirus Tour Cancelations
As the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak rages on, a growing list of high-profile artists are indefinitely postponing their Asia tour stops. That includes BTS. Today, internationally beloved K-pop group BTS announced that their upcoming world tour’s open…