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Artist News Business News Industry People Labels & Publishers One Liners Releases
One Liners: Gorillaz, Billie Eilish, Blackpink, more
By Andy Malt | Published on Friday 2 October 2020
APPOINTMENTS
Sony Music UK has appointed Taponeswa Mavunga to the newly created role of Director Of Africa. She is tasked with identifying opportunities for African artists in the UK. “At this moment, when the global cultural landscape is changing so rapidly, I’m excited to play my part in the black cultural renaissance”, she says. “My passion for Africa and African music is unwavering and I look forward to impactful collaboration and partnerships”.
BMG Production Music has promoted Scott Doran, Caspar Kedros and Sam Delves to senior global creative roles in licensing, content and marketing, respectively. “Attracting and promoting top executive and creative talent to BMGPM is key in our ongoing mission of enhancing the company’s world-class service to our media partners”, says Global MD John Clifford. “These moves represent a significant step for BMGPM towards a more integrated international structure and our one team, one catalogue, one BMG approach to the business”.
Warner Music Group has announced the election of Ceci Kurzman to its board of directors. She is founder of investment firm (and former management agency) Nexus Management Group. “Ceci’s expertise in developing the careers of artists, combined with her work as an entrepreneur and investor, will make her a great addition to our exceptional group of advisors”, says Len Blavatnik, Chair of Warner parent company Access Industries. It was also decided that the board should remain at eleven members, so WMG’s Global CEO Of Recorded Music, Max Lousada, has agreed to step down from his position on the board.
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RELEASES
Gorillaz have released new track ‘The Pink Phantom’, featuring 6lack and Elton John. “Damon [Albarn] reached out and asked me to do something and the way the song has turned out is just great”, says John. “I was in the studio in London and he was at the other end in Devon, but even remotely it was such an engaging and creative process”.
Hey, remember when the release of the new James Bond film was postponed by six months and we were all like, “What? Why are you even doing that?” Then it looked like a really shrewd and prescient move as time went on. Well, now the revised release date is approaching and it looks like they might actually go ahead with it, even though some of you, I’m sure, will be saying, “What? Why would you even do that?” Anyway, Billie Eilish has now released the video for her theme song, which contains clips from the movie.
Blackpink have released their debut album ‘The Album’, which includes Cardi B collaboration ‘Bet You Wanna’.
Megan Thee Stallion has released new single ‘Don’t Stop’, featuring Young Thug.
Kali Uchis has released new single ‘La Luz’, featuring Jhay Cortez. “‘La Luz’ is about the inevitable – that moment when you set your sights on someone and can’t wait to do everything freaky imaginable with them”, she says. “I was so excited to make my version of a Latin pop song because there’s no other song like it on my upcoming album”.
Jorja Smith has released new single ‘Come Over’, featuring Popcaan. The song, she says, is inspired by “that unsure feeling when you’re talking to someone and you can’t tell how much they’re into you and you’re chasing them when – really – it can be straight up and no one should be playing games”.
Anna Of The North has released new single ‘Someone Special’. “The song is inspired by that feeling of uncertainty, of not knowing”, she says. “During times like these we really get feeling of how fragile we are. In the big picture we might feel insignificant. But you are always special to someone”. Her new EP, ‘Believe’, is out on 23 Oct.
Meg Myers has released new single ‘Any Way You Wanna Love’. She is set to release two new EPs – ‘Thank U 4 Taking Me To 2 The Disco’ and ‘I’d Like 2 Go Home Now’ – on 13 Nov. “There is a lot of pain and suffering in these songs, but also a lot of hope and healing”, she says. “It’s an important part of my beautiful and crazy human experience journey that led me to my spiritual awakening”.
Emmy The Great has released new single ‘Chang-E’. Of the inspiration for the song, she says: “It begins with this. Chang-E, the wife of the tyrant Hou Yi, drinks the elixir of immortality to save China from his eternal reign. She ascends to the moon, and lives there with the Jade Rabbit, its original inhabitant. In mid-autumn, we celebrate Chang-E’s sacrifice with a festival of lanterns and lights. Many centuries later, NASA tells the moon-bound Apollo 11 astronauts to look out for the Chinese queen and her rabbit. Michael Collins replies, ‘We’ll keep a close eye out for the bunny girl'”.
Tycho and Rum.Gold have released a new single together, ‘Run Away’. “With ‘Run Away’, I wanted to take new musical ideas and wrap them in the familiar sonics and textures of my sound”, says Tycho. “Working with Rum.Gold’s voice was really freeing in that it provided the contrast needed to push things into a different emotional space”.
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GIGS & TOURS
Gary Barlow has announced a solo UK tour in June next year, culminating in two nights at the O2 Arena in London. Tickets go on sale next Friday.
Check out our weekly Spotify playlist of new music featured in the CMU Daily – updated every Friday.
