HITS Daily Double

JUSTIN ESHAK AND IMRAN MAJID: THE HITS INTERVIEW

Island's two bosses have had a stellar 2024, thanks in large part to Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan. They spoke with our own Craig Marks, who writes that they "preside over what is, pound for pound, the hottest label in the business."

CHART FINAL: GIVING THANKS FOR KENDRICK, WICKED

Kendrick Lamar's surprise drop GNX scores a big #1 bow on this week's HITS Top 50, notching 324k+. Verve/Republic's soundtrack to the multiplex-rocking Wicked debuts at #2 with nearly 130k.

NEAR TRUTHS: BEEF AND BOUNTY

I.B. on Kendrick, Drake and the new legal kerfuffle, seasonal smashes, the distro equation and more.

TMZ JUMPS ON THE TAYLOR-TARGET TRAIN

TMZ could hardly contain itself in its coverage of Taylor Swift’s holiday merch extravaganza in partnership with Target. “SCREW BLACK FRIDAY, IT'S GREEN FRIDAY!!! Massive Crowds Line Up To Buy All Things Taylor,” the gossip site’s headline shouts.

TIKTOK'S OLE OBERMANN: THE HITS INTERVIEW

Ole Obermann, global head of Music Business Development for TikTok, tells our own Craig Marks that he’s been way too busy over the past six months to let the company’s existential uncertainty weigh on him. Obermann has had his own fires to put out.

NEAR TRUTHS: EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

I.B. weighs in on Chappell and Max's next acts, the incoming regime at Sony Music Nashville and the strength of country music in the live sector.

OF AMY ALLEN WE SING

Amy Allen was recently—and fittingly—nominated for the Songwriter of the Year Grammy after a blockbuster 2024 highlighted by her work with Sabrina Carpenter, who is...

NEAR TRUTHS: WITCHING HOUR

I.B. on the Wicked phenomenon (as both box-office giant and musical marvel) and the next chapter for a true disruptor, who is said to have a whole new game plan for 2025.

NEAR TRUTHS: REALIGNMENT AND RECOGNITION

I.B. assesses the aftermath of the Grammy noms and how they reflect the biggest biz and music stories of 2024.

Rumor Mill

JUSTIN ESHAK AND IMRAN MAJID: THE HITS INTERVIEW

12/2/24

CHART FINAL: GIVING THANKS FOR KENDRICK, WICKED

12/2/24

AC/DC IS BACK IN... BALLPARKS

12/2/24

AC/DC is revving up for its first North American tour since 2016. The indefatigable rock outfit will play 13 Live Nation-promoted stadium shows next year, beginning 4/10 in Minneapolis and concluding 5/28 in Cleveland.
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UNWELL: SICK NEW WORLD FEST CANCELED

12/2/24

Underscoring the volatility of the festival business, Live Nation has pulled the plug on the 2025 edition of Sick New World and its gigantic lineup, led by Metallica and the reunited Linkin Park.
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Featured Video

Kendrick Lamar, "Squabble Up"

K-Dot's new pgLang/Interscope album has been, um, disruptive, to say the least, and this week scores a huge chart #1. Meanwhile, if you can catch all the references (not least some classic album-cover poses) in this cheeky, Calmatic-directed vid, you'll win a prize—which, we promise, will not be a Buick.

U.K. MIDWEEKS: TAYLOR'S BACK ON TOP

12/2/24

Taylor Swift’s THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT will return to #1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart. On the singles roundup, an updated version of Band Aid’s charity classic, “Do They Know It’s Christmas,” leads the race.
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HOLLY GLEASON WINS ONLINE JOURNO OF THE YEAR

12/2/24

Our own Holly Gleason won Online Journalist of the Year at the Los Angeles Press Club's National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards, which were handed out 12/1 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles.
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SONY MUSIC U.K. NAMES AZI EFTEKHARI COO

12/2/24

Sony Music U.K. has appointed Azi Eftekhari COO, a role in which she'll report to Sony Music U.K. & Ireland Chairman/CEO Jason Iley.
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NEAR TRUTHS: BEEF AND BOUNTY

11/29/24

I.B. on Kendrick, Drake and the new legal kerfuffle, seasonal smashes, the distro equation and more.
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TMZ JUMPS ON THE TAYLOR-TARGET TRAIN

11/29/24

BLACK FRIDAY BOX OFFICE RECORD DAY

11/29/24

With the first Thanksgiving meal behind us and the holiday weekend in full swing, people are going back to the movies. Black Friday, typically a big box-office day, is heading toward an all-time record with over $107m, easily surpassing 2013's $85m.
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KENDRICK’S GNX: SONG BY SONG

11/26/24

If you haven’t yet had a chance to absorb Kendrick Lamar’s monster surprise drop, writer Miles Marshall Lewis has done a deep dive that’ll definitely enhance your listening experience.
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VMG, RIOT GAMES GET LOUD WITH ARCANE

12/2/24

Virgin Music Group and Riot Games have combined to raise quite a ruckus with the soundtrack to the animated Netflix series Arcane, which premiered its second and final season late last month.
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DRAKE GOES DOWN UNDER

11/28/24

Capping a rather strange week that saw him initiate legal action against UMG and others over the Kendrick Lamar diss track "Not Like Us," Drake is heading Down Under for seven dates.
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TIKTOK'S OLE OBERMANN: THE HITS INTERVIEW

11/29/24

HURRY! THE WEEKND PLOTS NEW LP, ROSE BOWL GIG

11/28/24

As he breaks more Spotify records, The Weeknd has set a 1/24 release date for his XO/Republic album Hurry Up Tomorrow and will celebrate with a gigantic one-off the next day at the Rose Bowl.
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U.K. ACTS TO WATCH

11/28/24

Rhian Jones takes a look at some British acts to keep an eye on, including The Last Dinner Party, Myles Smith, Maisie Peter and RAYE.
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THIS HITS PHOTO GALLERY CONTAINS EXTRA TRYPTOPHAN

11/28/24

With Thanksgiving here, all we can think about is turkey and gravy and stuffing and yams and buttered crescent rolls and bottomless tumblers of Beaujolais Nouveau. But we are contractually obligated to feign interest in work, so here's our weekly gallery and its aptly carb-heavy captions for your weekend-adjacent delectation.
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NEAR TRUTHS: EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

11/26/24

I.B. weighs in on Chappell and Max's next acts, the incoming regime at Sony Music Nashville and the strength of country music in the live sector.
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NICE LIFE/ATLANTIC'S MARÍAS GET "NOTICE"

11/27/24

The Marías’ new Nice Life/Atlantic single may be titled “No One Noticed,” but pretty much everyone is taking notice of the group, led by Puerto Rican-bred, Atlanta-raised María Zardoya and L.A. native Josh Conway.
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UPDATE: DRAKE CLAIMS UMG, SPOTIFY MANIPULATED STREAMS OF LAMAR'S "NOT LIKE US"

11/26/24

The beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake just got a whole lot spicier, with the latter initiating legal action against UMG and Spotify for allegedly colluding to inflate airplay and streaming for the former's diss track "Not Like Us."
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