Table of contents for No. 1385 in Music Week

Padam the torpedoes! Welcome to the new issue of Music Week, and it’s our absolute pleasure to welcome the one and only Kylie Minogue back onto our cover. Spoiler alert: while she can’t say for sure what her favourite Kylie song is, in our massive cover feature the superstar and her team at A&P Artist Management, BMG and CAA can give us in-depth insight into the incredible campaign for her new album Tension. It is, assuredly, one of the most extraordinary chapters of her storied career. With the Padam Padam phenomenon still unfolding – dominating everything from Pride celebrations to TikTok and airplay – Team Kylie has delivered a masterclass in priming a classic artist to reach a whole new generation. Some 35 years after her debut album, she’s enjoying…

THE BIG DEAL Bastille have signed a new deal with EMI Records, which was recently named Record Company winner at the Music Week Awards 2023. EMI co-presidents Rebecca Allen & Jo Charrington said: “Labels are built around exceptional artists, so we couldn’t be prouder about this next chapter with Bastille. The band have already had a long and successful career as part of the label, but our ambition is as strong as it’s ever been, and our focus is firmly on ensuring their artistry continues to reach new audiences around the world.” THE BIG MOVE UK Music chief executive Jamie Njoku-Goodwin is to become the Prime Minister’s director of strategy. Njoku-Goodwin joined UK Music in September 2020 as CEO and helped steer the sector through the Covid-19 pandemic. “The UK…

@KanyaKing Great to see @MusicWeek’s 50 Years Of Hip-Hop September issue, celebrating the albums that changed the world (Kanya King, MOBO) Thursday, August 10 @UMO If you’re not having one of the worst years of your life this year I don’t trust you (Unknown Mortal Orchestra, artist) Thursday, August 17 @ddavidrenshaw The bit when Aphex Twin morphed his face into Sir Captain Tom and then into Gregg Wallace was the best bit of the Aphex Twin set at Field Day and maybe 2023 in total. (David Renshaw, journalist) Sunday, August 20 @ShauniCaballero It’s my birthday and today is all about ME!!! My main character syndrome is on 100% I’m blocking everyone who hits me up about work today. I only care about myself and tequila today (Shauni Caballero, Sony Music Publishing)…

RELEASES: Mr Right (out now) LABEL: EMI MANAGEMENT: Claudia Piazza WHAT THE TEAM SAY: Jo Charrington, co-president, EMI: “We are absolutely delighted that Mae and her music are already receiving global attention following the release of If We Ever Broke Up. Her follow up, Mr Right with Meghan Trainor, further showcases her unique artist proposition and we are equally excited by the new music she has been writing and recording this year. Mae knows exactly who she is as an artist, understands who her fans are, and we, along with her management team, are committed to ensuring she is the biggest breakthrough artist of 2023.”…

THIS MONTH'S HOTTEST BRAND NEW ACT DEYAZ The self-taught Londoner turning emotion and experience into alternative-indie anthems… Key Track: Bones Label: Black Butter Management: Zach Kardisch, Night Media & Andre Herd, ITM Artists Instagram: @deyaz What was the inspiration behind your latest single Bones? “Bones was actually written around two years ago and came really naturally [at the time], but it took a while to release it because it reminded me of a toxic relationship I had, and it was overall a very sensitive period. I built my own stigma towards the song, but in the last year I’ve felt more free from that narrative.” There is a sense of vulnerability to your music. Is songwriting therapeutic for you? “When I feel overwhelmed, I automatically seem to go towards creating,…

“Now I have the chance to make music as me, rather than who anyone thought I should be” Billy Porter The Black Mona Lisa is only your second non-Broadway inspired album and it’s coming 26 years after your first. What prompted the decision to make it? “I’ve been working on it for a couple of years and I’m really excited to be back in the mainstream music industry on my own terms. My first time in the industry was in the ’90s, I had an R&B album [Untitled] that came out in 1997 and, y’know, they kicked my ass out! The business was violently homophobic at the time. I was blessed and lucky that I could do other shit, so I did. Then everything else happened for me, and all of…

CURATED BY GIR'S CARLA MARIE WILLIAMS NOVA WAV (SONGWRITERS/PRODUCERS) Meet Brittany ‘Chi’ Coney and Denisia ‘Blu June’ Andrews, AKA the award-winning production and songwriting duo Nova Wav. Throughout their career, Nova Wav have written and produced for global stars including Beyoncé, Rihanna, Jay-Z, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj, to name a few. The pair featured on Revolt’s Nine Top Producers Of 2019 list, while in 2020 they worked on Grammy Awardwinning tracks such as Beyoncé’s Black Parade and Jazmine Sullivan’s Pick Up Your Feelings. And their hot streak continues. In 2022, they co-wrote and co-produced Beyoncé’s critically acclaimed album Renaissance, which won four Grammys, and secured five other nominations at the ceremony, including Album Of The Year. Here, they share their top tips on how to succeed in the music…

American producer and musician Carter Lang worked on SZA’s 2017 album Ctrl before eventually co-writing the global star’s US No.1 Kill Bill. Here, Lang tells Music Week how the Quentin Tarantino-inspired smash hit came to life and went on to become a viral sensation on TikTok… SZA and I met in Chicago in 2015. I’m from Chicago, and after college I kind of surfed around studios with friends of mine. I had a keyboard in my car, I went with my friend Peter Cottontale to Classick Studios and I met SZA there. I didn’t really know who she was at the time or anything, so I was like, ‘I know this studio, I’m just going to do my thing.’ We started working on a beat and we just started connecting.…

UNITED KINGDOM Charli XCX Speed Drive Video Creations: 142,500 Barbie has taken over TikTok this summer with over 81 billion views on #Barbie and a soundtrack that keeps on giving. Barbie: The Album is an eclectic mix of genre-spanning tracks, each offering something different from the song before it, and Charli XCX’s Speed Drive is a pulse-raiser that undoubtedly brings the energy. Clocking in at less than two minutes, this aptly named track has been getting the TikTok community hyped and ready to party. Speed Drive also weaves in some nostalgia, interpolating Toni Basil’s Mickey, and introducing a new generation to the classic hit. Lucy Benbow, label partnerships manager at TikTok, pays tribute to how TikTok users have embraced the Barbie trend and with it Charli XCX’s modern yet nostalgic…

25 years ago… TOP STORY EXIT MUSIC The business was rocked by the news of Rob Dickins’ departure from Warner Music back in September 1998. The longest serving major record company chairman at the time, Dickins was to depart after 15 years in the role. We reported that the company’s US bosses “declined to renew his contract” after Dickins “fell victim to long-standing animosities with Warner’s US management”. The news was all the more surprising given that it came during one of the most successful years of his tenure, during which Warner held the Top 5 positions in the UK albums chart on five different weeks. The major was the second biggest according to market share for the first half of the year. Our report detailed the collapse of Dickins’…

Your essential primer for the month ahead Roblox’s head of music partnerships, Karibi Dagogo-Jack, has outlined the platform’s potential to break artists and songs. In recent years, Roblox has become a key destination for artists entering the metaverse, with high-profile avatar performances by David Guetta, Bebe Rexha and Lil Nas X. Just over a year on from his appointment, LA-based Dagogo-Jack has spoken to Music Week about Roblox’s strategy for music and its industry relationships, including licensing arrangements. “We encourage everyone to think about Roblox as a space where they can connect directly to their fans,” said the former Spotify exec. “Sixty-six million people come to Roblox every day, they spend almost two-and-a-half hours on Roblox – it’s a really deeply engaged space.” Given the reach of the gaming platform,…

Management: Victoria De Juniac Content Creation: Nathan Daly Marketing: Helen Fleming (Polydor) Digital Marketing: Fred Stuart (Polydor) A&R: Hollie Boston (Polydor) Creative: Emily Jeffery (Polydor) Formatting: Will Wells (Polydor) Sales: Ray Primett (Polydor) D2C: Jack Hardman (Polydor) Streaming: Will Rowe-Parr (Polydor) Visual Streaming: Ajani Caro (Polydor) CRM Strategy: Chloe Sintim (Polydor) National Radio: Laurence Pinkus (Polydor) Regional Radio: Gavin Hughes (Fanatic PR) National Press: Kat Bawden (Dedikated PR) TV: Claire Stacey (Polydor) Social Agency: Tallulah Fry/ Hannah Tyler (CYOA) Creator Strategy: Dulcie MacKechnie (Polydor)…

How did you land your role at BMI? “Luck and hard work. I was always passionate about music, but when I was younger the music industry didn’t seem like a career path that existed unless you were a musician, so I studied international relations. I was inspired by my mother’s diplomatic work showcasing Mongolian artists in Europe so I focused my thesis on the way countries influence the world through promoting their culture, and during my final year studying I found a BMI internship, which was a great way for me to get my foot in the door. I’ve found that the key to succeeding in this area is persistence in learning, relationship building and dedication.” You were part of the team behind the BMI Impact Award, which was first…

DAVE & TIAKOLA Meridian (Dave Neighbourhood) Dave’s latest collab sees him link up with French rapper Tiakola for two tracks, Meridian and Special. The former is a melodic affair in which the Streatham MC manages to indulge his singing voice, try out some French and reference both King Charles and Kylian Mbappé. Contact: Carl Fysh carl.fysh@s-414.com MITSKI Star (Dead Oceans) Music needs more artists like Mitski, who, seven albums in, is equally at home supporting Harry Styles in stadiums as she is releasing tracks as absorbingly strange as Star, which combines a droning instrumental and delicate vocals to beguiling effect. Contact: Jon Lawrence jon@chalkpressagency.co.uk AYRA STARR Rhythm & Blues (Mavin/Platoon) In the two years since her excellent debut album 19 & Dangerous was released, Ayra Starr has continued to rise…

SPECIAL REPORT Coming up on three years since the launch of the CMS Committee inquiry on streaming economics – and 24 months after the committee concluded that a “complete reset” of the market was needed – how much has changed? Well, quite a lot actually. “What those debates do is get the industry talking and refocusing, and seeing what it can offer voluntarily, without intervention from the government,” says Peter Leathem, CEO of PPL, whose more than 140,000 members include artists such as Ellie Goulding, Anderson Paak, George Ezra, Rita Ora and ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus. “Since the DCMS committee [inquiry] kicked off, there have been a number of announcements from various record companies about changes they’ve made to their registry of money and wiping the slate clean on unrecouped balances,”…

MARATHON EFFORT Central Cee & Dave 01 Sprinter (Live Yours/Neighbourhood) SALES: 190,732 If it weren’t for ACR, Sprinter would have notched its 12th straight week at No.1 in the singles chart in August’s final frame, which goes some way to illustrate the enduring power of the Central Cee & Dave collaboration that led their Split Decision EP released earlier this year. Adding 190,732 sales last month, its overall tally now stands at 774,100. On Spotify, it has more than 321 million streams, to go with over 100m YouTube views. Both rappers are continuing their collaborative streak. Central Cee also features at No.75 in August’s chart with On The Radar (38,459 sales) with Drake, while Dave recently released two tracks with French rapper Tiakola. The two London MCs will surely rack…

Alfie Boe Ahead of releasing his new album Open Arms – a covers set that mixes rock classics with orchestral bombast – operatic superstar Alfie Boe looks back on a career that’s seen him team up with everyone from Michael Ball to Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder… INTERVIEW: NIALL DOHERTY I had the idea for my new album Open Arms… “Over 20 years ago! It was a project I’d wanted to do for a long time – to collaborate with an orchestra, have a contemporary band and do well-known classic rock songs that can show the versatility of that music and how associated it is with the classical world. The Aerosmith song I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing is a really cool song to sing and Journey’s Open Arms is…

frontline “We’ve got such a rich legacy, because Michael Gudinski always put the artist first” MADELEINE O’GORMAN, MUSHROOM GROUP Mushroom Group’s Madeleine O’Gorman moved from Melbourne to London earlier this year to take on the role of UK/Europe general manager for the Australian company’s labels. Here, she talks new signings, Aussie exports and the legacy of founder Michael Gudinski… What are Mushroom’s ambitions in the UK? “Mushroom is such an iconic institution, so we’ve got pretty big global aspirations to expand the label’s presence. The partnership [formed in 2022] with Virgin Music Group means we’ve got access to their label services globally. Being at the core an independent brand, but having that Virgin infrastructure that we can tap into and activate in different markets, is just really thrilling for us. We’ve…

When Music Week meets Mae Stephens, she has just two days before she releases Mr Right into the world. We should point out that the singer is not in the business of creating laboratory-perfect men – Mr Right is her brand new single, a collaboration with Meghan Trainor released through EMI. It tells the story of a disappointing app date (“To the left you go, to the left you go/Goin’ home tonight, still lookin’ for Mr Right”) and has the pop bounce and cheeky swagger fans would expect from both singers. For Mae Stephens, it solidifies her role as Gen Z’s most relatable new pop star. “Everyone has one of those dates where they come home and go, ‘Oh my God, why did I just do that?’ says Stephens, sitting…

YETSUBY – WATER FLASH There have been so many incredible releases this summer, but one artist that has really stood out for me has been Seoul-based Taiwanese producer and DJ Yetsuby. She is otherwise known as one half of ambient duo Salamanda and is one of the founders of Computer Music Club, both of which have a reputation for their experimental approach to electronica. As a solo artist, Yetsuby has been generating buzz since her 2022 EP JIN 06, which melded contemporary glitch with drum & bass nostalgia. It looked beyond the soft soundscapes of her collaborative work, with one track inspired by a Korean folk tale about a bear that becomes human after consuming onions and garlic. The Water Flash EP, which landed in July, sees Yetsuby combine moody…

SEPTEMBER 22 Carrie Underwood Denim & Rhinestones (Deluxe) Capitol Chappell Roan The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess Amusement/Island Kelly Clarkson Chemistry: Deluxe Atlantic Kylie Minogue Tension BMG Matteo Bocelli Matteo Capitol Paul Rodgers Midnight Rose Heartstar/Sun Roosevelt Embrace Counter/ Ninja Tune Sincere Engineer Cheap Grills Hopeless Starbenders Take Back The Night Sumerian Stephen Sanchez Angel Face Mercury/Republic Teenage Fanclub Nothing Lasts Forever PeMa SEPTEMBER 29 Beverley Knight The Fifth Chapter Tag8/BMG Black Stone Cherry Screamin’ At The Sky Mascot Code Orange The Above Blue Grape Ed Sheeran Autumn Variations Gingerbread Man Gunship Unicorn Horsie In The Edge Haim Days Are Gone – 10th Anniversary UMR/Polydor Heavy Lungs All Gas No Brakes Alcopop! Jorja Smith Falling Or Flying Famm Karen Harding Take Me Somewhere Ultra Kelvin Krash Harsh Krashed…

“Having an offering for artists and labels that has global scale and can compete against the majors is critical” ALEX KENNEDY Music wasn’t Alex Kennedy’s first port of call. The Believe UK managing director originally thought he’d found his vocation in rugby union. But while his younger brother Nick would go on to represent his country and win the 2013 Heineken Cup with Toulon, Alex’s sporting dream was kicked into touch almost as soon as it had begun. “I was two games into a professional rugby career when I had to retire,” the elder Kennedy discloses to Music Week. “I played for a team in the first division called Henley Hawks and I’d just made it into the first team. My dream was to graduate to the premier league, but…

THIS MONTH: ROOT OF THE MATTER “No one seems to have looked at the fundamental elements which are integral to the music industry’s sustainability in the long-term” MARK DAVYD MUSIC VENUE TRUST STATE OF THE (INDIE) NATION: A monthly update on the ongoing closure crisis facing the UK’s Grassroots Music Venues, which MVT tackles through its Emergency Response Service of experts; legal, licensing, planning, development, financial, property and noise gurus… New Emergency response service cases in 2023: 84 Ongoing cases: 65 Grassroots Music Venue closures in 2023: 69 Grassroots Music Venue openings in 2023: 1 Last month I wrote about the increasing focus on large-scale events within the undoubtedly positive overall financial picture for live music. I also highlighted that nearly all of the arena and stadium-filling artists that are at the…