U.K. and European music orgs are supporting the launch of a new charity, Murmur, that aims to raise funds and advocate for solutions to climate change.
Beggars Group, Because Music and Secretly Affiliates are among the founding partners that have collectively contributed more than £1m to help lead and drive change across their industries. The partners have committed to a carbon audit and reduction of their carbon emissions in line with a 1.5C future (the target maximum world average surface temperature rise to be reached by 2100, when compared to pre-industrial levels), while making annual financial contributions to Murmur’s shared fund based on their environmental impact.
Murmur will offer grants to projects that look to make positive change within the visual arts and music sectors; initiatives that aim to inspire new ways of storytelling and positive action around climate change; and projects that have lasting and tangible impacts globally in tackling the climate crisis.
British record label trade body The BPI and the Association of Independent Music (AIM) have received a pilot grant from Murmur to establish a Music Climate Pact and bring together the industry to mitigate their contribution to climate change and take positive action.
Caius Pawson, founder of record label Young, is behind the creation of Murmur, alongside Matthew Slotover, co-founder of international art organization Frieze and founding member of Gallery Climate Coalition.
Ariana Grande is eyeing a second week at #1 on the Official Albums chart, but Kacey Musgraves and Caity Baser are nipping at her heels. At singles, Mark Knopfler’s charity recording is challenging Beyoncé for the U.K. #1.
Fewer than 1k sales units separate Grande’s eternal sunshine (Republic) and Musgraves’ Deeper Well (Interscope), while Baser’s 13-track mixtape Still Learning (EMI) is a little over 1.5k chart units behind Grande.
At #4 is Justin Timberlake’s Everything I Thought I Was (RCA), which is vying to become his sixth U.K. Top 10 album. Black Crowes’ Happiness Bastards (Silver Arrow) is #7 at mid-week and would be their first Top 10 album in 30 years.
A few reissues are in line for Top 40 debuts: AC/DC’s first #1, Back in Black (Epic), is #10 and Highway to Hell is #22; Paul Young’s 1983 debut, No Parlez (Demon), is #17.
At singles, a nearly 10-minute version of “Going Home (Theme From Local Hero)” by Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes, a super-group that includes Nile Rodgers, Sting, Joan Jett and Ringo Starr, is leading Beyoncé’s “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” (Parkwood/Columbia) by fewer than 1k chart units.
The BMG-released single benefits the Teenage Cancer Trust U.K. and Teen Cancer America.
BTS member V, aka Kim Tae-hyung, is approaching his first solo U.K. Top 10 single, with “FRI(END)S” (BIGHIT) expected to debut at #7. Dasha’s “Austin” (Version III) is predicted to smash into the Top 20 on Friday, currently up six slots to #19.
Ariana Grande has scored her fifth U.K. #1 album as eternal sunshine (Republic) shoots straight away to #1. Beyoncé has her longest-running chart-topper on the Official Singles Chart.
Grande joins Celine Dion, Prince and Green Day as artists with five U.K. #1s. For Grande, it’s five in a row as only her first two albums missed the top slot. eternal sunshine is also #1 on the Official Vinyl Albums Chart.
Coming in at a career best #2 is Judas Priest’s 19th album Invincible Shield (Columbia). They had previously peaked at #4 with 1980’s British Steel.
Also celebrating a personal best this week is Bleachers. Jack Antonoff, Zem Audu, Mikey Freedom Hart, Sean Hutchinson, Mike Riddleberger and Evan Smith score their first-ever Official Albums entry as their self-titled fourth album, released by Dirty Hit, lands at #5. Bleachers was the most-purchased physical album of the week in the U.K.’s independent record shops.
Another career-best was earned by Grace Petrie, whose Build Something Better (Robot Needs Home) hit #28.
At singles, Beyoncé celebrates a full month at #1 with “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” (Parkwood/Columbia). It bests her previous record of three weeks in the top slot which she achieved twice: “Crazy in Love” in 2003 and “Beautiful Liar” w/Shakira in 2007.
Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” (Warner) came in second, just 1,700 chart units behind.
Grande landed three songs in the Top 15. She has the week’s highest new entry with “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” at #3, followed by “yes, and?” rising five to #6 and “bye” debuting at #13.
Billie Eilish had two things at work this week pushing “What Was I Made For?” (Darkroom/Interscope) to #16: the release of a 7” vinyl and an Oscar win for Best Song.
Bryson Tiller’s “Whatever She Wants” (RCA) is up three to #17; 4batz has his Official U.K. Chart debut thanks to Drake as “act ii – date @ 8” (OVO) hits #18.
Glastonbury Festival has set its lineup and—just as we told you a month ago— Dua Lipa, Coldplay and Shania Twain are the headliners along with SZA.
It’s the first time in the event's history that female acts are two of the three headliners. Other items of note: Seventeen will be the first K-pop group to play the main stage; Little Simz says Glasto is the only show she’ll play in 2024; and Avril Lavigne, Cyndi Lauper and Camila Cabello will make their Glastonbury debuts.
Twain will occupy the "legend slot" on Sunday afternoon; Coldplay will become the first act to headline Glastonbury five times.
Idles, Disclosure and The National will headline the festival's second-biggest area, the Other Stage.
It all takes place 6/26-30. Odds are it will rain.
U.K. recorded music revenue increased 8.1% in 2023 to £1.43b as a record number of artists benefited from the streaming market, the BPI reported.
U.K. recorded music revenue increased 8.1% in 2023 to £1.43b in 2023 as a record number of artists benefited from the streaming market, the BPI reported.
In a ninth consecutive year of growth, 2,245 artists had more than 10m audio streams of their music in the U.K., a 17% spike over two years earlier.
Streaming outperformed the overall market, up 8.4% to £962.1m, representing 67.4% of recorded music revenue. Paid subscriptions to services such as Amazon, Apple, Deezer, Spotify and YouTube were up 8.1% and constituted nearly 86% of the music streaming revenue.
“Flowers” by Miley Cyrus was the most-streamed track of 2023 with 198.1m audio and video streams in the U.K., followed by “Sprinter” by Dave & Central Cee (160.6m streams) and “Escapism” by Raye f/070 Shake (142m streams).
Revenue from physical formats also grew, 12.8% in 2023, to £243.4m, led by a double-digit percentage rise in vinyl LP sales. Vinyl revenue was up 18.6% year-over-year to £141.6m and made up 58.2% of all physical music revenue. CDs posted a 5.4% increase to £97.2m.
New releases were the main driving force last year behind the rise in vinyl revenue with seven of 2023’s10 biggest sellers having been released in the calendar year. They 1989 (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift, Hackney Diamonds by The Rolling Stones and Did You Know There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd by Lana Del Rey.
Public performance income, which is generated by the broadcast and public performance of recorded music, increased by 7.3% year-on-year, with £154.5m collected on behalf of record labels in 2023. Sync income was £39.5m.
“It would be all too easy to take this growth for granted, but at a time when British music faces unprecedented competition from around the world and challenges at home, it’s vital the right conditions remain in place here to give British music every opportunity to thrive,” BPI Chief Executive Officer Dr. Jo Twist, OBE, said.
The 1975, Ezra Collective and Cat Burns are among the winners of this year’s O2 Silver Clef Awards handed out by Nordoff and Robbins, the U.K.’s largest music therapy charity.
Jessie Ware will receive the Best Female prize, The 1975 will be honored as Best Group and Scottish band Texas will go home with the Outstanding Achievement award. Burns will receive the New Music Award and Ezra Collective wins the Contemporary Music Award.
The awards ceremony will be held 7/5 at Grosvenor House Hotel on London’s Park Lane. Winners of the O2 Silver Clef, Icon, Best Male, Best Live Act, Innovation and Global Impact awards will be announced ahead of the ceremony.
The O2 Silver Clef Awards, held since 1976, have raised nearly £13m for Nordoff and Robbins’ music therapy services. Last year’s event raised over £530k.
Ariana Grande’s eternal sunshine (Republic) has taken the early lead in the race for this week’s Official Albums #1 while Beyoncé is settling in for a full month atop singles.
Grande’s seventh album is in position to be her fifth chart-topper in the U.K. She most recently hit #1 in 2020 with Positions.
Eyeing a #2 debut this is Judas Priest’s Invincible Shield (Columbia). The 19th studio set from the Birmingham-born heavy metal band could earn them a career-best entry; their previous peak was #4 with 1980’s British Steel.
Bleachers is also looking at a personal best as the eponymous fourth studio album (Dirty Hit) from Jack Antonoff’s band is currently #3. A Bananarama compilation, Glorious—The Ultimate Collection (London), is #6 and potentially their first Top 10 entry in 36 years. Another blast from the past, Girls Aloud’s 2004 record What Will the Neighbours Say? (Polydor), is #10 following a 20th anniversary reissue on CD, vinyl and digital formats.
A 20th anniversary red vinyl edition of Kylie Minogue’s Body Language (Parlophone) has pushed it to #11; Grace Petrie’s Build Something Better (Robot Needs Home) is #17.
At singles, Beyoncé’s “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” (Parkwood/Columbia) is in position to become her longest-running chart-topper in the U.K. to date.
Grande has three eternal sunshine tracks in the Top 20: “yes, and?” is up seven to #4 while two new entries, “why can’t we be friends (wait for your love)” and “bye” are #6 and #11, respectively.
Billie Eilish’s Oscar-winner “What Was I Made For?” (Interscope) is already making a return to the Top 20 following its release on vinyl. Will the Academy Award victory push it even further up the chart?
The first partnership between former Oasis singer Liam Gallagher and Stone Roses guitarist John Squire—a bit of Mancunian rock royalty—goes to straight to #1 on the Official Albums Chart, outselling their closest competition 3:1. At singles, Beyoncé records her third straight week at #1.
Liam Gallagher & John Squire (Warner) earned 39,400 chart unit sales, 94% of which were physical and download sales. It was the week’s most-purchased album in the U.K.’s independent record shops; it tops the Official Vinyl Albums Chart as well.
Between his solo and band efforts, Gallagher now has 14 #1s; it is Squire’s first-ever U.K. chart-topper.
Coming in at #3 is The Mandrake Project (Duelist/BMG), the seventh solo album from Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson. Yard Act’s Where’s My Utopia? (Island) follows at #4.
The Kaiser Chiefs score their eighth Top 10 release as Kaiser Chiefs’ Eighth Album (V2) lands at #6. The seventh album from Manchester’s Everything Everything, Mountainhead (BMG), debuts at #9 followed by Skrapz’s Reflection (1&Only/EGA) at #10.
Following her impressive six wins at the BRIT Awards, RAYE’s My 21st Century Blues (Human Re Sources) rises 98 places to #5 and three of her songs climb into the Top 40 on Official Singles Chart: “Escapism” f/070 Shake is #13; her cassö and D-Block Europe collab “Prada” hits 18; and “Worth It” debuts at #38.
Atop the singles chart is Beyoncé’S “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” (Parkwood/Columbia) which becomes her longest-running #1 single in 17 years. Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” (Warner) returns to its peak position of #2.
Moving up one slot each are Djo’s “End of the Beginning” (AWOL) to #4 and Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s “Carnival” (YZY) to #5.
Ella Henderson has her 10th Top 10 single as her Rudimental collab, “ALIBI” (Atlantic) hits, what else?, #10. At #26, Charli XCX’s “Von dutch” (Atlantic) is the highest new entry of the week.
