Tyler Arnold

JEFFREY REMEDIOS

Imran Majid

Justin Eshak

SECRET SAUCE: The changes at UMG are, as many observers have noted, reflective of the forces now reshaping the biz. This is particularly evident on the East Coast, where Monte Lipman’s Republic Group finds Tyler Arnold taking the reins at Republic Records in tandem with Jeffrey Remedios and the wildly effective partnership of Island’s Imran Majid and Justin Eshak expanding its remit.

The latter duo, incidentally, is making big strides and generating Grammy buzz with the label’s latest female pop hopeful, Remi Wolf. Meanwhile, the label’s Chappell Roan is back on the board. The disposition of Def Jam is one of the shoes that hasn’t yet dropped, with Tunji Balogun “assisting in the transition” to a TBA successor. Rumors are flying that Balogun’s next chapter will involve one of the West Coast majors.

Speaking of the West Coast, John Janick has further empowered the talented Michelle An—considered by many a key ingredient in the secret sauce behind the company’s brilliant artist branding—by upping her to president/chief creative officer at IGA. He has also promoted Laura Carter and Ramon Alvarez-Smikle to co-presidents of Urban; Carter’s artist whispering and Alvarez-Smikle’s digital acumen are expected to prove impactful. Janick has wisely left the Parsa-March administration at Capitol unchanged; that regime has now shepherded two bona fide breakouts, ADÉLA and SIENNA SPIRO, up the charts.

Michelle An

laura carter

Ramon Alvarez-Smikle

lillia parsa

GREATER EXPECTATIONS: In other news of labels doing what they’re supposed to do, three recently released projects are streaming like gangbusters. Leading the charge is Tate McRae’s “Housewife” (RCA); that pop anthem of empowerment has galloped to #1 everywhere and shows no signs of slowing down. At #3 U.S. is the “expectations” remix by Olivia Rodrigo f/Chappell Roan (Interscope), which has both goosed O-Rod’s album—it went back to #1—and spearheaded Chappell’s multifaceted return to the spotlight, about which more in a moment. And then there’s Zach Bryan’s incredible eight-song set Young Manhood and Other Donatable Organs (Warner), an absolute monster and a clear creative leap forward for an artist who is already selling out the biggest venues available. “Lies,” his duet with Lana Del Rey, is a Top 5 Spotify rocket in the U.S. and gaining traction globally.

Chappell’s reemergence as O-Rod’s duet partner and video co-star coincides with a number of other big looks, chief among them the headline slot (naturally) at her ambitious two-day “Super Graphic Spectacular” in L.A. benefiting LGBTQ+ causes via her Midwest Princess Project. Chappell also guested during Charli xcx’s recent local stop. So she’s gotten out there—perhaps primarily to drum up visibility for her benefit event. But chatter is getting loud about the possibility that she’s readying her long-awaited follow-up to the smash 2023 album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, crafted with trusted co-writer and producer Daniel Nigro. Is new music coming soon? It’s fair to say that few forthcoming LPs are more eagerly anticipated.

Tate McRae

Olivia Rodrigo

Zach Bryan

Chappell Roan

FUN VS. FUCKERY: We’ve been talking about likeness a lot. That’s because it’s becoming an increasingly important topic with the acceleration of AI. Artists and their teams are going to have to address the use of their image, sound and style—not their copyrights—with respect to both “fun” (fan-driven creativity) and “fuckery” (scammers and identity thieves), to borrow the coinage of Vermillio boss Dan Neely. Fortunately, his company is among the handful of firms with technology to track unauthorized usage at scale, and an automated infrastructure is being developed to monetize approved uses, which will afford creators profitable ways to engage with their audiences. But several obstacles remain. What does the future of AI and artist assets look like?

VIRGIN’S TERRITORY: On the heels of the Downtown acquisition, as the independent/distro piece of the puzzle becomes ever more critical, bean counters are making admiring sounds about the performance of Virgin Music Group, which—at last tally—had amassed a handsome 8.6 market share. That’s just a whisker behind the mighty Orchard. With a newly streamlined structure and successes in multiple genres worldwide, co-bosses Nat Pastor and JT Myers and their team are very much in a groove, while President Jacqueline Saturn champions the sort of classic artist development and artist relations you don’t hear enough about these days. What’s next?

dan neely

Nat Pastor

JT Myers

Jacqueline Saturn