SXSW 2019: How ‘Creator-First’ Streaming Tools Are Shifting Roles for Artists & Labels

As streaming continues to dominate the music landscape and platforms like SoundCloud and Spotify ramp up their artist offerings, creators seemingly have more control over their careers than ever. But what does that mean for labels and other stakeholders — and are those “creator-first” services all they’re cracked up to be? A handful of speakers at this year’s…


Marc Jacobs Responds to Nirvana’s Smiley Face Logo Lawsuit

The fashion designer asked the suit to be dismissed, saying Nirvana doesn’t own the copyright and there are pronounced differences between the designs. Marc Jacobs is asking a judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Nirvana last December that alleged copyright infringement over images used in the fashion designer’s “Bootleg Redux Grunge” collection resembling the band’s iconic happy face logo….


Beyoncé & Jay-Z Will Be Honored as LGBTQ Allies at 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards

Global superstars Beyoncé and Jay-Zhave been announced as the newest crop of honorees for this year’s GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles. The pair will join fellow honoree Sean Hayes as the recipients of the evening’s two most prestigious awards. The duo will be awarded with this year’s Vanguard Award, historically given to LGBTQ allies who have “made…


Alice Cooper Shares 2019 Plans, Defends Hollywood Vampires Bandmate Johnny Depp

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the very first Alice Cooper album, Pretties For You. But don’t plan a party or send presents — the shock rock veteran certainly isn’t. “I am not nostalgic at all. I never look back,” Cooper tells Billboard. “I will sit there and go, ‘Yeah, that happened, and that happened and…


MUNYA Debuts ‘Blue Pine’ EP, Talks Influence of David Lynch on Her Music

The story of a young creative ditching their restaurant gig and devoting their life to music is practically as old as the music biz itself, but for Josie Boivin, the impetus was a bit unusual – after all, it was a TV show that helped inspire her to quit her job and start making gorgeous dream-pop…


Halsey, Awkwafina & More Star in New ModCloth Campaign For International Women’s Day

In honor of International Women’s Day (Friday, March 8), pop singer Halsey and actresses Awkwafina, Dascha Polanco and Hari Nef are starring in a brand new female-centric campaign for online clothing retailer ModCloth. The campaign, titled “Against the Current,” features each of the four women “battling” the four different elements and talking about their own personal battles…


Generation Rent: Streaming Subscriptions Now Account For Over 60 Percent Of All UK Music Sales

The growing popularity of music subscription services like Spotify, Amazon and Apple is turning British music fans into “generation rent,” says U.K. trade group the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA). In 2018, streaming subscription revenues in the U.K. climbed to just over £829 million ($1 billion), a rise of 38 percent on the previous year, reports…


Prodigy Singer Keith Flint Dies at 49

Keith Flint, singer and founder member of British dance band The Prodigy, has died at the age of 49. The musician – famous for his sneering punk-style vocals, facial piercings and fluorescent spiked hair — was found dead at his home in Dunmow, Essex on Monday (Mar. 4) police confirmed. In a statement, the band’s surviving members,…


John Mayer Launches Foundation Focused on Veterans

John Mayer is launching a foundation focused on improving the health of veterans through scientific research. The Grammy-winning singer on Friday announced The Heart and Armor Foundation, which plans to focus on veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and meeting the emerging needs of women veterans. Though he publicly announced the foundation on Friday, Mayer has been…


How Def Jam Plans to Reclaim Its Hip-Hop Crown

It’s a few minutes to midnight at Paramount Recording Studios in Los Angeles, and the plaques on the walls are starting to shake. Most of Def Jam Recordings’ freshman class — around two dozen hip-hop artists from all over the country, all signed in the last year — have packed into low-lit Studio C, where S3nsi…