Table of contents for No. 1383 in Music Week

Act the Parton Recently, I had the pleasure of attending Dolly Parton's London press conference to launch her first ever rock album, aptly titled Rockstar. She was, as ever, wit and charm personified. “I don't think I'm gonna lose any country fans, and if I do, it won't be many and I probably won't miss 'em,” she laughed, when discussing the prospect of alienating her core audience with the project. Things got more serious, however, when the notion was presented to her that she could live on as a hologram or disembodied AI voice after she's left this mortal coil. Forget working 9 to 5, Dolly, how about eternity? “Well, I've left a great body of work behind,” she pondered. “I'll have to decide on how much of the high…

THE BIG ROLE UK Music has hired Eunice Obianagha as its first head of diversity. Obianagha will develop UK Music's diversity strategy and work closely with its members, AIM, BPI, FAC, the Ivors Academy, MMF, MPA, MPG, Musicians' Union, PPL and PRS For Music. “UK Music has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to inclusivity within the music industry and I am deeply honoured and humbled to assume this newly established head of diversity role,” said Obianagha. THE BIG AWARD Adele's agent Lucy Dickins is to be recognised with the Music Industry Trusts Award (MITS). The MITS award will be presented on November 6 during a gala ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel, held in aid of The BRIT Trust and Nordoff & Robbins. Lucy Dickins, WME's global head of contemporary music…

@planetalex_ Everything costs money and I am SICK of it (Alexandra Ampofo, Metropolis/Live Nation) Sunday, June 18 @lastdinnerparty Looked to the side of the stage last night and saw Florence Welch dancing and singing to our music!!!!!!! Can't believe I didn't drop my bass!!!!!!! (The Last Dinner Party, artist) Tuesday, June 27 @maisiehpeters me wearing a cap in all my signings today because I came straight from Glastonbury and kept finding bits of twigs and leaves in my hair (Maisie Peters, artist) Monday, June 26 @dniellechelosky 76,792 unread emails in my inbox and none of them are job offers… going into music journalism was definitely a great idea (Danielle Chelosky, journalist) Monday, June 26 @RobBruceK Putting a baby to sleep and having hayfever is the worst combo (Robert Bruce, Capital Xtra)…

LABEL: Parlophone MANAGEMENT: Red Light RELEASES: Shape/She Walks In (out now) WHAT THE TEAM SAY: Jennifer Ivory, MD, Parlophone: “Victoria is an exceptional talent with an incredible voice who can write profound lyrics and captivating melodies. Her innate ability to connect with her audience and effortlessly transcend genres makes her poised to become a real star. We're delighted to be working with her at Parlophone and, as we gear up to release her forthcoming EP, are excited to help her continue to develop as an artist and reach new fans all around the world.”…

“With our band, it's more powerful than just us, there's something cult-like going on” Josh Lloyd-Watson You're 10 years and four albums into your career. What was the band's mindset when you started making the new record? “We'd just come off the road. We took a long time after our first record [released in 2014], which I always thought slowed the natural ascent of the band because we pissed around and did that classic second record panic thing where you go, ‘Oh God, is this right?' After that four-year gap, we've been trying to get those pit-stop times down. This time, we came off the road and went straight back into the studio and got the record done between November and December last year and wrapped it up in January,…

Management: Holly Rose, Radha Medar (Metallic Inc) Label: Atlantic Records UK CEO: Tony Harlow Co-presidents: Ed Howard, Briony Turner EVP/president of Black music: Austin Daboh MD/president of promotions: Damian Christian Director of marketing: Fay Hoyte A&R: Andrew Mikkelsen Marketing: Tia Friday, Thomas Barthen Digital marketing: Arun Mohammed, Will Beardmore Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing Agent: Chris Payne (WME) Print & Online Press: Rachel Campbell (Wired PR) Radio: Will Puxley, Mel Rudder TV: Holly Marshall Creative Directors: Daisy King, Luke Tipping…

Sir Nicholas Hytner is the founder and director of the Bridge Theatre, London. In a recent article in The Guardian, Hytner laid out his vision for the future of funding of the arts in the UK, which I'll summarise for you as, ‘High arts should continue to receive all the funding they currently get, so let's set up a new body to give away some other public funding to any of the other stuff that's happening, because it probably matters to someone.' In his piece, Hytner failed to mention grassroots music venues. Sir Peter Bazalgette is co-chair of the Creative Industries Council, pro-chancellor and chair of council at the Royal College Of Art and a non-executive board member at the Department Of Education. In 2017, Bazalgette wrote the Independent Review…

UNITED KINGDOM Central Cee & Dave Sprinter Video Creations: 207,400 This summer is shaping up to be big for UK rap, with Dave, Central Cee and their chart-topping single Sprinter leading the way. Released to celebrate their 25th birthdays, this hotly-anticipated track immediately gripped creators across the platform, becoming an essential soundtrack to kickstart summer ‘23. The duo have also released their joint EP, Split Decision, and were TikTok's featured artists for #NewMusic in June. Parris OH, artist partnerships manager at TikTok, highlights the success Sprinter has had both on and off the platform, especially after Central Cee and Dave's performance at Glastonbury last month. “Dave and Central Cee have really created a cultural moment with Sprinter,” says OH. “It's a collaboration between two of the biggest UK rappers and…

Sting, (artist) It goes without saying that Sting is one of the finest – not to mention most successful – songwriters the UK has ever produced. Fresh from being named the 23rd Fellow of the Ivors Academy, he discusses streaming, Sir Lucian Grainge and teaming up with Shaggy… Songwriting has largely been an isolated experience for me… “I've never had a long term partner like Lennon & McCartney, or Rodgers & Hammerstein, or Chris Difford and the guys from Squeeze. Although I've written a couple of nice ones with Dominic [Miller], my guitar player. Shape Of My Heart, for example, started as a Dominic riff and then we worked on it together, and that's been one of our most successful songs. But generally, it's a solitary pursuit for me.” Writing…

TEAM Maisie Peters Management: Bobby Havens (Grumpy Old Management) Atlantic Co-Presidents: Briony Turner/Ed Howard Atlantic MD & President Of Promotions: Damian Christian Gingerbread Man Records: Stuart Camp/Gaby Cawthorne GM: Liz Goodwin (Atlantic) A&R: Briony Turner/ Paul Samuels (Atlantic) Marketing: Abbie Hollebone/ Max Lutkin (Atlantic) Digital Marketing: Rosie Cumberlidge (Atlantic) National Radio: Damian Christian/ Will Puxley (Atlantic) Regional Radio: Carrie Curtis (Atlantic) Television: Deirdre Moran/Holly Marshall (Atlantic) Live Agent: Summer Marshall (CAA) International: Olivia Spring (Warner Music)…

How did you get into the world of management? “I never had any intention of getting into management, it came out of a trip to Jamaica where I was speaking to my cousin Fonzie, who's an artist. I was telling him about people – like radio producers or editors at publications – he should be in contact with, and he was like, ‘Why do you even know this stuff!?' I just said that I felt those people were the ones really shaking things up in the industry, and Fonzie just responded, ‘You're my manager!' There are various avenues to get into management, you just need to find the right artist you can add value to.” The role of a manager is constantly evolving. How would you define it? “A manager…

RITA ORA Don't Think Twice (BMG) Dialling things back a tad from Praising You (Ft. Fatboy Slim), Rita Ora pushes towards her third album You & I with Don't Think Twice. Strings give way to a pop beat and chorus (complete with indelible ‘na, na, na' refrain) that recalls the anthems that made her name. Contact: Kate Head kate@stokedpr.com KONYIKEH Teenage Dreams (FAMM) Backed by the team behind Jorja Smith, Konyikeh performed on stage with Dave at the BRITs, and this track suggests it may not be too long before she's up there on her own. Born in London and classically trained, she has a voice that snatches the breath from your throat. Contact: Rachel Campbell rachel@wired-pr.co.uk ROMY Loveher (Young) Taken from Romy's upcoming debut Mid Air, Loveher tells the…

Amran Abdi, otherwise known as AmzyOBR, is a London-based photographer who has photographed a range of artists and global figures including Doja Cat, Cardi B and Meghan Markle. Having started her career as a YouTuber, AmzyOBR is now making a name for herself in the industry and recently shot the King's Coronation Concert. As a Muslim woman in a male-dominated field keen to inspire other creatives, AmzyOBR also created the platform Future Culture X, a community where artists can exchange ideas and connect. Here, AmzyOBR gives Music Week her Top 5 tips on entering the world of photography... 1. Start with basic equipment “New cameras are being launched everyday, with bigger sensors and better processing powers. Whilst we all want bigger and better gear, always remember that it's not the…

SPECIAL REPORT When it comes to the ever-evolving world of label services in 2023, one thing is clear: the sector has never been more competitive. “As new players enter the market, it can get difficult for artists, managers, and lawyers to distinguish between the different offerings and what services are provided by each company and in each deal,” says Malena Wolfer, director of artist services at Believe, the company which won the Music Week Award for Label & Artist Services back in May. “Our approach is to be very upfront about what services are or aren't included in our deals, we are very proactive about educating clients about the long-term benefits of label services deals and we focus on delivering real value.” Ian Dutt, MD at The Orchard, who were…

01 FAST TRACK CENTRAL CEE & DAVE Sprinter (Live Yours/Neighbourhood) SALES: 335,885 Central Cee & Dave's surprise collaborative EP Split Decision made a big impression in June, with Sprinter racing clear as the month's top track thanks to a four-week stint at No.1. UK Rap (No.29, 77,118 sales) and Trojan Horse (No.30, 76,706 sales) also feature in our monthly list, which the pair capped off with a landmark performance at Glastonbury. Apart from 1,525 sales from downloads, Sprinter's to-date tally of 335,885 derives solely from streams. By the end of the month, the track had amassed more than 10 million streams across audio and video, in turn equalling the most weeks at No.1 by a UK hip-hop track, a record shared by Dave's Starlight and Dizzee Rascal's 2008 No.1 Dance Wiv…

frontline Former TikTok music exec Mary Rahmani launched LA-based Moon Projects in 2021 and has partnered with UMG's Republic on streaming sensation Em Beihold, as well as forming a JV with Warner Chappell. Here, she shares her vision for the industry, platforms and artists... Moon Projects covers multiple areas in music. Was that important for a new company? “As I come across artists, I want to also be able to bring them into partnerships that will help to flourish their career relationships and give them a really good foundation. I always thought about potentially starting my own label. The partnership with Republic has been fantastic. It then just made sense to expand on the publishing side as well to give more resources [for music creators].” How can you support artists…

It's a sunny spring morning and Victoria Canal is nervous. The reason? Her new double A-side single, Shape/She Walks In drops in just a few hours. “It should be a routine thing, putting your art out there into the world,” says the singer/songwriter, who tearfully accepted the Rising Star Award at the Ivors a few days before our interview. “It's nerve-racking in all the normal ways. You make yourself very vulnerable and hope people like it.” Canal's last release was November 2022's Elegy EP, which received rave reviews, not least from Coldplay's Chris Martin, who described the track Swan Song as, “one of the best ever written”. His backing got Canal a meeting with Coldplay's label Parlophone, where she is now signed. Now, it's all down to her. “I'm putting…

SAY SHE SHE – C'EST SI BON Say She She are a three-piece based in Brooklyn, New York and are made up of three women, Piya Malik, Nya Parker Gazelle and Sabrina Cunningham. They're a really interesting band, with tight songwriting. It's a little bit psychedelic and a little bit disco, very reminiscent of Nile Rodgers and Chic, who their name nods to. All three members were brought up with classical singing training and they do these amazing operatic vocals over Chic-style basslines. The vocal harmonies are incredible and the lyrics are really clever too. They had a track out last year called Norma, which was written after the overturning of the Roe Vs Wade law, but they managed to make it danceable and radio-friendly. They put out their debut…

JULY 21 Bloc Party The High Life EP BMG Blur The Ballad Of Darren Parlophone Bruno Major Columbo Harbour Artists & Music/AWAL Cian Ducrot Victory Polydor Cut Worms Cut Worms Jagjaguwar Greta Van Fleet Starcatcher Lava/Republic Lauren Auder The Infinite Spine True Panther London Grammar London Grammar: The Remixes Ministry Of Sound Lori McKenna 1988 CN Records/ Thirty Tigers Saint Agnes Bloodsuckers Spinefarm Various Barbie The Album Atlantic JULY 28 Anne-Marie Unhealthy Major Toms/Asylum Aphex Twin Blackbox Life Recorder 21F/In A Room7 F760 Warp Bethany Cosentino Natural Disaster Concord Billy Idol Billy Idol (Expanded Edition) Capitol Brad In The Moment That You're Born Loosegroove Dexys The Feminine Divine 100% Georgia Euphoric Domino Jason Bieler And The Baron Von Bielski Orchestra Postcards From The Asylum Baron Von Bielski Joni Mitchell &…

Management: George Shepherd, Matt Luxon, David Bianchi (Various Artists Management) Label: Parlophone CEO & Chairman: Tony Harlow President: Joe Kentish MD: Jennifer Ivory A&R: George Shepherd (VAM)/ Sophie Ray (Parlophone) Marketing: Anna Turunen, Anya Du Sauzay Digital Marketing: Charlie Martin & WMA Publisher: Warner Chappell Agents: Andy Nees, Chris Payne, Michael Coughlin & Cristina Baxter (WME) Print & Online Press: Tom Mehrtens, Mofe Sey & Claire Coulton (Satellite 414) Radio: Grace O'Neill TV: Natalie Nichols Creative Director: Vasso Vu Creative Commissioners: Imran Malik & Sam Seager…

When it was released in 2016, Shout Out To My Ex sent Little Mix to the top of the charts. Here the ‘fifth member' of the group – plus the winner of the Outstanding Song Collection honour at the Ivor Awards 2023 – Kamille, tells us all about how the ultimate break-up anthem came to life… Little Mix stand for women. It's as simple as that. They have so much to say, and everything they have always tried to do is about empowerment. And that's exactly what Shout Out To My Ex was. Going into the song, we'd all been through break-ups or relationship issues, and I felt angry for them, myself and other women, because we are sometimes so hard done by in relationships. I kind of wanted to…

01 BATTLE ROYALE FOO FIGHTERS But Here We Are (Columbia) SALES: 58,990 US and UK rock legends went head-to-head last month. Leadership swung between Foo Fighters and Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds during their opening week, though it was Dave Grohl and his band who emerged as the victors. But Here We Are pulled away with 44,513 sales to Council Skies' 39,642. Foo Fighters' sixth No.1 in total and third in a row, But Here We Are is their 11th consecutive Top 10 studio album. It is the band's first since drummer Taylor Hawkins died in March 2022. The album's opening week sale was 5% higher than the 42,486 copies for Medicine At Midnight in 2021. At the end of the month, there was also a Glastonbury boost for But Here…

5 years ago... TOP STORY MAJOR FRASER Five years ago, Music Week was hailing Fraser T Smith as the “world's hottest” producer. Not that you needed to take our word for it, mind, given he was fresh from an Ivors win and a string of hits with the likes of Adele and Stormzy. “This is the most fertile and the most successful period of my career,” the producer extraordinaire said. “It's definitely the most poignant and testing musically and lyrically.” He had good cause to feel this way, too, when we caught up with him at his studio. Mainly because joining him for our shoot and interview were Dave – accompanied by his loyal dog Leo – and rising star Raye. At the time, Fraser T Smith was hard at…