Music Industry
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2019 Grammy Winners
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Childish Gambino. (Source: Facebook)The 61st annual Grammy Awards went down at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday. The night belonged to Childish Gambino, who walked away with four awards for his smash hit “This Is America.” The track made history by winning both Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year, becoming the first hip-hop song to win either category.
Below are the winners of the categories most relevant to DJs. Check out the full list on the Grammys website.
GENERAL FIELD
Record Of The Year
I Like It – Cardi B ft. Bad Bunny & J Balvin
The Joke – Brandi Carlile
This Is America – Childish Gambino – WINNER
God’s Plan – Drake
Shallow – Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
All The Stars – Kendrick Lamar & SZA
rockstar – Post Malone ft. 21 Savage
The Middle – Zedd, Maren Morris, & GreySong Of The Year (songwriter award)
All The Stars – Kendrick Duckworth, Solána Rowe, Al Shuckburgh, Mark Spears, & Anthony Tiffith, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar & SZA)
Boo’d Up – Larrance Dopson, Joelle James, Ella Mai, & Dijon McFarlane, songwriters (Ella Mai)
God’s Plan – Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Brock Korsan, Ron LaTour, Matthew Samuels & Noah Shebib, songwriters (Drake)
In My Blood – Teddy Geiger, Scott Harris, Shawn Mendes & Geoffrey Warburton, songwriters (Shawn Mendes)
The Joke – Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile)
The Middle – Sarah Aarons, Jordan K. Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Marcus Lomax, Kyle Trewartha, Michael Trewartha, & Anton Zaslavski, songwriters (Zedd, Maren Morris, & Grey)
Shallow – Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper)
This Is America – Donald Glover & Ludwig Goransson, songwriters (Childish Gambino) – WINNER
Best New Artist
Chloe x Halle
Luke Combs
Greta Van Fleet
H.E.R.
Dua Lipa – WINNER
Margo Price
Bebe Rexha
Jorja SmithPOP
Best Pop Solo Performance
Colors – Beck
Havana (Live) – Camila Cabello
God Is A Woman – Ariana Grande
Joanne (Where Do You Think You’re Goin’?) – Lady Gaga – WINNER
Better Now – Post MaloneBest Pop Duo/Group Performance
Fall In Line – Christina Aguilera ft. Demi Lovato
Don’t Go Breaking My Heart – Backstreet Boys
‘S Wonderful – Tony Bennett & Diana Krall
Shallow – Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – WINNER
Girls Like You – Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B
Say Something – Justin Timberlake ft. Chris Stapleton
The Middle – Zedd, Maren Morris, & GreyRAP
Best Rap Performance
Be Careful – Cardi B
Nice For What – Drake
King’s Dead – Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future, & James Blake – WINNER (TIE)
Bubblin – Anderson Paak – WINNER (TIE)
SICKO MODE – Travis Scott ft. Drake, Juicy J, & Swae LeeBest Rap/Sung Performance
Like I Do – Christina Aguilera ft. GoldLink
Pretty Little Fears – 6LACK ft. J. Cole
This Is America – Childish Gambino – WINNER
All The Stars – Kendrick Lamar & SZA
rockstar – Post Malone ft. 21 SavageBest Rap Song (songwriter award)
God’s Plan – Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Brock Korsan, Ron LaTour, Matthew Samuels, & Noah Shebib, songwriters (Drake) – WINNER
King’s Dead – Kendrick Duckworth, Samuel Gloade, James Litherland, Johnny McKinzie, Mark Spears, Travis Walton, Nayvadius Wilburn, & Michael Williams II, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future, & James Blake)
Lucky You – R. Fraser, G. Lucas, M. Mathers, M. Samuels, & J. Sweet, songwriters (Eminem ft. Joyner Lucas)
SICKO MODE – Khalif Brown, Rogét Chahayed, BryTavious Chambers, Mike Dean, Mirsad Dervic, Kevin Gomringer, Tim Gomringer, Aubrey Graham, John Edward Hawkins, Chauncey Hollis, Jacques Webster, Ozan Yildirim, & Cydel Young, songwriters (Travis Scott, Drake, Juicy J, & Swae Lee)
Win – K. Duckworth, A. Hernandez, J. McKinzie, M. Samuels, & C. Thompson, songwriters (Jay Rock)
R&B
Best R&B Performance
Long As I Live – Toni Braxton
Summer – The Carters
Y O Y – Lalah Hathaway
Best Part – H.E.R. ft. Daniel Caesar – WINNER
First Began – PJ MortonBest R&B Song (songwriter award)
Boo’d Up – Larrance Dopson, Joelle James, Ella Mai, & Dijon McFarlane, songwriters (Ella Mai) – WINNER
Come Through And Chill – Jermaine Cole, Miguel Pimentel, & Salaam Remi, songwriters (Miguel ft. J. Cole & Salaam Remi)
Feels Like Summer – Donald Glover & Ludwig Goransson, songwriters (Childish Gambino)
Focus – Darhyl Camper Jr, H.E.R., & Justin Love, songwriters (H.E.R.)
Long As I Live – Paul Boutin, Toni Braxton, & Antonio Dixon, songwriters (Toni Braxton)
DANCE/ELECTRONIC MUSIC
Best Dance Recording
Northern Soul – Above & Beyond ft. Richard Bedford
Ultimatum – Disclosure ft. Fatoumata Diawara
Losing It – FISHER
Electricity – Silk City & Dua Lipa – WINNER
Ghost Voices – Virtual SelfPRODUCTION, NON-CLASSICAL
Producer Of The Year
Boi-1da
Larry Klein
Linda Perry
Kanye West
Pharrell Williams – WINNERBest Remixed Recording
Audio – CID Remix (LSD)
How Long – EDX’s Dubai Skyline Remix (Charlie Puth)
Only Road – Cosmic Gate Remix (Gabriel & Dresden ft. Sub Teal)
Stargazing – Kaskade Remix (Kygo ft. Justin Jesso)
Walking Away – Mura Masa Remix (Haim) – WINNERRelated: 2019 Grammy Awards Nominees
Producer Louis Bell Talks Working With Post Malone and More
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Chart-topping producer Louis Bell sat down for an interview on the music production show Pensado’s Place. Bell co-wrote and co-produced many of the songs on Post Malone‘s album beerbongs & bentleys, including the hits “rockstar” featuring 21 Savage and “Better Now.” The Boston native also worked with Post on “Wow.” and Preme‘s “Jackie Chan.”
In the interview, Bell talks about his studio sessions with Post before discussing his creative process, favorite plug-ins and more.
On creativity:
“I think that’s what creativity is, is taking something so small and being able to manipulate it and bend it and stretch it out, and, without watering it down. That’s the key.”On what he looks for in his artists’ vocals:
“Feel, energy, vibe, and emotion. There’s no app yet that can fix that stuff, so that’s why I demand that.”On what makes Post Malone unique:
“He sounds like he has so much soul and pain… and just hearing him sing, I just felt everything he was saying… There’s not one line that he sings, that he’s just singing to sing it.”Watch the full interview above (it begins at the 7:56 mark).
Related: Chart-Topping Engineer Manny Marroquin Talks Working With Post Malone and More
SiriusXM Completes Acquisition of Pandora
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SiriusXM has completed its $3.5 billion acquisition of music streaming service Pandora. News of the proposed merger was announced last September.
With the deal done, SiriusXM is now the “world’s largest audio entertainment company,” according to the press release.
“This is a tremendous outcome for two organizations with complementary platforms and large audiences, and we could not be more excited to be moving forward as one company,” said SiriusXM CEO Jim Meyer. “… SiriusXM now reaches more than 100 million people across its audio products. That is a powerful platform for consumers, content creators and advertisers,” he added.
For now, there will be no immediate changes to the way SiriusXM and Pandora operate. However, the satellite radio company will explore ways to bring together the best of both services.
“Importantly, the premier products that SiriusXM and Pandora listeners have enjoyed for years are not changing. That said, good things come from being together, and we look forward to creating new unique audio packages that combine our strengths and offer an even wider range of content to our listeners,” said Meyer.
SiriusXM currently offers over 175 channels of music, live sports, news, and talk radio. One of its premier stations is Pitbull’s Globalization, which can be heard on channel 13. It features a variety of hit music from around the world and a unique selection of daily DJ mix shows.
Globalization’s mixers includes DJcity staff members Kidd Spin and DJ Santarosa, as well as DJcity contributors and subscribers. DJcity’s President, Edwin “DJ Phenom” Paredes, also serves as the channel’s program director.
Related: SiriusXM Buys Pandora
Chart-Topping Engineer Manny Marroquin Talks Working With Post Malone and More
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Manny Marroquin (Credit: Ryan Hunter)Born in Guatemala and raised in the US, Manny Marroquin started at the bottom and has become one of the most successful mixing engineers. He has worked with stars like Kanye West, Bruno Mars, and Post Malone, surpassing cumulative sales of 250 million records and 14 No. 1’s on the Billboard Hot 100.
Marroquin has also won eight GRAMMY awards and has been nominated for five this year. Two of the nominations are for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical (Charlie Puth‘s Voicenotes and Chromeo‘s Head Over Heels). Marroquin’s work is also up for Record of the Year (Post Malone’s “rockstar“), Album of the Year (Post Malone’s beerbongs & bentleys), and Best Rap Album (Mac Miller‘s Swimming).
Billboard recently spoke with the chart-topping engineer.
On his approach to working with artists:
“I do not think about Grammys, obviously. I do not think about the charts. I honestly take it from a very basic approach. The artist or producer comes to me to work on their baby. That is what I always say. I am an expensive babysitter. [Laughs] … Whenever they come, I try getting into their mind, whether that means talking to them, or even the music [will] speak for itself. I try to understand what their vision is. It is never about me. [The process] is never about my sound or what I can bring to the table. It is always about how I can [create a moment,] whether it is a song that makes you cry, dance, sing-along, or whatever that true emotion is …”On Post Malone:
“… he has a great team around him. He has Louis Bell which is his engineer/producer. Post has Frank Dukes. That is another amazing producer. He has a tremendous A&R team. … In today’s world, I don’t even know what genre he is. He is one of the only artists where you can not pin him down. I call it genreless music. You know? Nowadays, [people question,] ‘Is it hip-hop? Yes. Is it alternative? Yes. Is it kind of rock? Yes. Is it pop? Yes.’”On Mac Miller:
“People who did not know Mac had no idea, he was a very artistic guy. Even before I worked with him, I did not realize he was that musical. His musical journey really shows. [The Swimming] album proves that. I hope that this album got nominated because of its’ quality. I remember working on it thinking, ‘Wow! This is such an amazing hip-hop album.’ The fact that it got nominated is great, but I hope people listen to what it really is.”On opening a venue:
“I am working on a restaurant venue concert that is right next to [my studio] Larrabee Studios. Now, not only will we be able to create from beginning to end. They will be able to perform. We can capture the live performance and put it on vinyl.”Related: Watch: Scott Storch Reflects on Career, Talks Today’s Rappers
Latin Album Popularity Has Surpassed Country Music for the First Time
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Ozuna and Cardi B perform. (Source: Instagram)Latin album consumption in the US surpassed country music in 2018, according to data company BuzzAngle Music. The genre hit 9.4 percent of total album plays in the US, up from 7.5 percent in 2017.
These numbers made Latin the fifth-most consumed album by genre, taking the spot previously held by country. Ozuna took the top two spots for most plays in 2018, for his albums Odisea and Aura respectively.
Latin song consumption also increased in 2018, going from 9.5 percent to 10.8 percent. Cardi B‘s “I Like It” featuring Bad Bunny and J Balvin was the number one most played track, followed by Balvin and Willy William‘s “Mi Gente.”
The Best Independent Dance Labels of 2018, According to Billboard
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Independent labels are a driving force in dance music. To recognize their contributions and success in 2018, Billboard Dance has made a list of its five best indie labels from the genre.
Check out their picks below and read the full article here.
Anjunabeats
“Each voice on the label speaks loud and strong in a variety of moods and styles, and we applaud Anjunabeats for its tireless efforts to bring quality to dance floors around the world.”Notable artists: Above & Beyond, Mat Zo, Andrew Bayer
Armada Music
“The Netherlands-based label achieved a global presence in 2018 and was a frequent visitor on key charts, streaming playlists and radio stations, particularly in North America.”Notable artists: Loud Luxury, Lost Frequencies, Armin van Buuren
bitbird
“Formed in 2014, the indie hosts a small staff of 10 people, but puts up numbers that can compete with indie-majors due to its thorough understanding of artist development, touring, and branding.”Notable artists: San Holo, DROELOE, Taska Black
Mad Decent
“… this independent outfit solidifies itself as one of the funniest, most innovative and well-rounded labels in the business.”Notable artists: Diplo, TroyBoi, GTA
Monstercat
“The independent label has also earned 1.5 billion total streams across its catalog this year, and that’s excluding its gains on Chinese DSPs like Netease and Tencent.”Robin Thicke and Pharrell Lose ‘Blurred Lines’ Lawsuit
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A California judge has ordered Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams to pay nearly $5 million in damages over similarities between “Blurred Lines” and Marvin Gaye‘s “Got To Give It Up.”
In addition, Gaye’s estate will also receive 50 percent of future songwriting and publishing royalties from the 2013 hit.
The ruling ends a landmark five-year legal battle in which Gaye’s family alleged that the artists were guilty of copyright infringement. The pair filed for an appeal in 2015 after a jury ordered them to pay $7.4 million in damages, later reduced to $5.3 million.
Related: Watch N.O.R.E.’s ‘Uno Más’ Video Feat. Pharrell Williams
Mixcloud Launches ‘Fan-to-Creator’ Subscription Service
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Audio streaming platform Mixcloud has launched a “fan-to-creator” subscription service called Mixcloud Select. The service lets listeners subscribe to a creator’s channel to directly support them and the music played in their shows. It also enables creators to earn revenue for the first time on the platform.
With a subscription, listeners get an enhanced listening experience that includes offline listening, viewable tracklists, and no ads. Creators can set their own price, starting at $2.99 per month. They receive a share of profits from their subscriptions, while the artists, labels, and publishers get royalty revenue.
The first wave of Mixcloud Select creators includes DJs such as Afrojack and Oliver Heldens, and labels like Big Beat and Defected.
Nikhil Shah, co-founder of Mixcloud, said in the press release:
“There’s a lot of creative energy that goes into crafting a DJ mix, radio show or podcast in order to inspire listeners, and until now, these creators have been left out of the revenue mix. We’ve been working hard to design a model alongside the industry that recognizes the value these creators bring to the music ecosystem, and today we’re excited to share this with the world.”For more information on Mixcloud Select, click here.
Related: Mixcloud Signs Licensing Deal With Warner Music Group
The Top Hitmakers of 2018, According to Variety
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Murda Beatz (Source: Instagram)Variety magazine has shared its second annual list of the year’s top hitmakers. The list highlights the producers, songwriters, and executives behind the year’s biggest tracks.
The 2018 list includes producers and songwriters like Pharrell Williams (Camila Cabello’s “Havana” and Migos’ “Stir Fry“), Murda Beatz (Drake’s “Nice for What” and 6ix9ine’s “FEFE“), Boi-1da (Drake’s “God’s Plan“), Alex da Kid (Imagine Dragons’ “Thunder“), and Frank Dukes (Camila Cabello’s “Havana” and Post Malone’s “Better Now“).
Check out the list here.
Charlie Sloth Leaves BBC for Apple Music
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Drake and Charlie Sloth (Source: BBC)Charlie Sloth, one of the leading hip-hop radio DJs in the UK, has announced that he’s leaving BBC Radio for Apple Music.
Sloth, who has been with the network for a decade, has hosted shows on Radio 1 and 1Xtra. His rap freestyle segment “Fire in the Booth” is globally renowned. The segment has featured appearances from Drake, Stormzy, Big Shaq, and many more.
It hasn’t been revealed what his role at Apple Music will be, but there is speculation that he will be hosting a new show on Beats 1 and contributing to the platform’s playlists.
Sloth isn’t the only BBC host to leave for Apple Music. In 2015, Zane Lowe departed the network to launch a show on Beats 1.
Sloth posted the following message on Instagram: