Artist News Awards Business News Deals Gigs & Festivals Industry People Labels & Publishers One Liners Releases

One Liners: Madonna, The Kid Laroi, Gorillaz, more

By Andy Malt | Published on Friday 27 January 2023

DEALS

Concord Music Publishing has acquired the majority of the songs catalogue of country songwriter Corey Crowder. “Corey is a proven, consistent, country hit-maker,” says Brad Kennard, SVP A&R at Concord Nashville. He adds that this here deal represents “a big leap forward for Concord’s footing within the active country market. We are committed to representing significant real estate in the format. Further evidenced by locating Concord’s global headquarters here, we aim to continue our aggressive growth in Nashville”.

Reservoir has announced a new deal with Dion, covering song rights in his past and future catalogue as well as sync rights in his recordings. “I am most pleased to enter into this great new relationship with Reservoir”, he says. “I know how much the Reservoir team appreciates my work, and I am looking forward to some exciting times ahead with them”.

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APPOINTMENTS

Scooter Braun is now sole CEO of Hybe America, reports Variety. He was named co-CEO with Lenzo Yoon – who came over from the company’s South Korean HQ – when his Ithaca company merged with Hybe in 2021.

Sas Metclafe has announced that she will step down as Kobalt’s Chief Creative Officer at the end of February. She was the company’s first employee back in 2001. “I am very proud of what I’ve accomplished at Kobalt”, she says. “When I look back, I’m in awe of how much great music the Kobalt creative team has ushered into the world. But what makes me most proud is working alongside so many talented music lovers and helping them develop into great creative and A&R minds – I’d argue they are some of the best in the music industry today”.

Concord Music Publishing has hired Adam Gardiner as SVP International Sync. He joins from Universal Music’s Globe, where he was Head Of Film & TV. “Concord has an incredible roster of frontline writers and a catalogue that’s packed full of iconic songs. I’ve always been extremely passionate about working closely with songwriters and here I’ll get the chance to do it with some of the best”, he says.

Universal Music in the US has promoted Roey Hershkovitz to VP Sound & Picture and Head Of West Coast Studios. “Roey has that rare combination of deep creative relationships and instincts, technical chops and a deep passion for both music and visual content”, says Christopher Jenkins, EVP Digital Studios. “I’m THRILLED that Roey will be able to apply his unique skills in this wider role”.

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RELEASES

The Kid Laroi has released new single ‘Love Again’, the first from his upcoming new album ‘The First Time’. You can catch him performing live on Fortnite tonight at 11pm UK time.

Gorillaz have released new single ‘Silent Running’, featuring Adeleye Omotayo. Damon Albarn describes the song as evoking “that sort of mesmerising dreamlike state you get in when you’re just following some train of thought”.

Rita Ora has released new single ‘You Only Love Me’. “With ‘You Only Love Me’ and my upcoming album, I wanted to capture the vulnerability I’ve experienced as I opened myself up to love and entered a new phase of life”, she says. “Learning to let go of the past to make way for new experiences is a deeply personal process and one I felt compelled to document through my music – the journey was not always easy, but I’ve come out of it stronger and filled with more love than I ever thought possible”.

Tom Grennan has released new single ‘Here’. “With what’s going on in the world, with so many people struggling, affected financially, by COVID, by loads of different things, it’s one of those songs that helps you believe that there is somebody in your life that is going to be there for you in the struggle”, he says. “There’s the battle of everything. But when it’s shared with somebody else, you’re doing it together, not just on your own. So that’s what it’s about: if I’m here for you, then please be here for me”. Grennan’s new album ‘What Ifs & Maybes’ is out on 9 Jun and he will be touring the UK in March.

Zara Larsson has released new single ‘You Can’t Tame Her’.

The Orb have announced that they will release their eighteenth studio album ‘Prism’ on 28 Apr, and released new single ‘Living In Recycled Times’, featuring Rachel D’Arcy.

Fever Ray has released new single ‘Kandy’, taken from upcoming new album ‘Radical Romantics’, which is out in March. It’s one of four tracks on the LP co-written with their brother and former The Knife bandmate Olof Dreijer.

Patrick Wolf has released new single ‘Nowhere Game’, taken from his new EP ‘The Night Safari’, which is out on 14 Apr. “The song to me is a slow realisation of being trapped in any manifestation of vicious cycle and a long way yet from knowing how to ask for help”, he says. “The viola and violin parts on ‘Nowhere Game’ and across the EP are played by myself for the first time since my first two albums, proof to me that I had broken one of my own vicious cycles in the end and returned to my craft”.

Katie Gately has announced that she will release new album ‘Fawn/Brute’ on 31 Mar – the follow-up to 2020’s brilliant ‘Loom’. “When I got pregnant I started to get creative again”, she says. “I had a lot of energy at first, but later on, my pregnancy was stressful and worrying, so the music got darker and darker: I was making angry music while I was supposed to be feeling maternal”. The album’s two title tracks – ‘Fawn’ and ‘Brute’ – are out now.

San Soucis has released new single ‘Merchants’. She says of the track: “’Merchants’ is a moment in time, something in between an epic journey and a psychedelic one”.

Björk’s daughter Ísadóra has released her debut solo single ‘Bergmál’.

Lvra has released new single ‘Anxiety’. She will release a new mini-album, titled ‘Soft Like Steel’, on 22 Mar. “I’ve lived my life as an overthinker, my mental balance completely tipped over by even the most minuscule of events”, she says. “Music allows my brain to focus on something else, and creating gives me something to channel the energy into. Often I’m trying to turn negative emotions into a source of strength and I feel like ‘Anxiety’ was borne out of my desire to live and accept this part of me. It’s kind of ambiguous whether or not it’s the voice inside my head that’s taunting me or some kind of F U to the voice inside my head”.

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GIGS & TOURS

Madonna has added a fifth O2 Arena show to her 40th anniversary tour later this year. With the other dates set to take place in October, this one has been added to the end of the run on 5 Dec. Tickets, as they do say, are on sale now.

Will Joseph Cook has announced UK tour dates in July this year, finishing with a show at Village Underground in London on 6 Jul. Tickets are on sale now.

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AWARDS

Stormzy will perform at this year’s BRIT Awards, it has been announced. He is also shortlisted for the Album Of The Year, Artist Of The Year and Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Act trophies at the event, which will take place on 11 Feb. The line-up for the show is now complete, with Harry Styles, Lizzo, Sam Smith and Kim Petras, Wet Leg, Cat Burns and David Guetta with Becky Hill and Ella Henderson also set to put in appearances.

The nominations have been announced for this year’s Young Music Boss Awards. “Our aim at YMB is to empower and support young music professionals”, says YMB founder Jusnah Gadi. “The idea to host an awards evening was driven by the apparent lack of visibility of so many incredible creatives and entrepreneurs doing massive things to energise and innovate the industry. We hope this event helps to bring them to the forefront”. You can see all the nominations and vote here.

Check out our weekly Spotify playlist of new music featured in the CMU Daily – updated every Friday.