Fans across the country are in for the hottest music and art mashup of the summer with the return of Ritmo y Color. This year, McDonald’s USA is taking the third annual celebration of Latino pride and culture to a whole new level with a fiery lineup featuring three headline performances by Colombian singer-songwriter and five-time Latin GRAMMY winner, Camilo, plus augmented reality art installations by seven visual artists across select U.S. McDonald’s restaurants. The collab will again shine a light on talented new voices and stories as part of McDonald’s long-standing commitment to championing the diverse communities it serves, including the Hispanic community.
“For Latinos, our ritmo and cultura are the beating heart of who we are as individuals and as a community,” said Camilo. “Teaming up with McDonald’s for Ritmo y Color is the perfect opportunity to bring mi gente together in celebration of our shared heritage through the power of music and art. I invite La Tribu to join us on this journey as we fuse together the unmistakable rhythms, colors, and energy that define us.”
Read all about the festivities below:
Taking Ritmo on the Road To kick off the musical experiences, McDonald’s is giving fans front-row access to Camilo’s inaugural concert, premiering on his YouTube channel on June 27. Enjoy an intimate acoustic session featuring his chart-topping hits and the vibrant artwork from the restaurant installations.
Craving more? As a Ritmo y Color exclusive, McDonald’s is putting the power in the hands of fans nationwide, letting them decide the next two cities where Camilo will perform LIVE. From June 27 to July 18, head over to www.ritmoycolormcd.com and cast your vote for one of the six participating major U.S. cities with restaurant takeovers. The two cities with the most votes will host Camilo for an unforgettable in-person performance during the fall.
Putting the AR in Art Ritmo y Color is expanding to more cities than ever! Throughout the summer, a vibrant explosion of color is taking over McDonald’s restaurants across six U.S. cities with deep Latino roots including New York, San Antonio, Dallas, Chicago, San Jose and Miami.
A new roster of seven Hispanic visual artists is transforming McDonald’s restaurants’ facades in their hometowns with artwork that highlights their unique cultural backgrounds. Each of these visual storytellers come from diverse communities and pay homage to the richness of their Latino heritage in unique, authentic ways.
And McDonald’s is also bringing all the artists together for a collaborative mural featuring key elements from each of their installations that will live inside all art-wrapped restaurants. Fans that stop by the participating locations in person can scan the mural to unlock an augmented reality experience that brings the artwork to life right before their eyes.
Carrying On the Ultimate Celebration of Latinidad Since its 2021 introduction, Ritmo y Color McDonald’s has celebrated the culture and collective pride of the Hispanic community, giving music and visual storytellers a platform to showcase their talent through exclusive online and in-restaurant events.
This year, the ultimate celebration of Latinidad is back and bigger than ever, and for the first time, giving fans the opportunity to bring their favorite music artist to a city near them.
The music streaming market is estimated to grow by USD 31,101.37 million from 2022 to 2027. The growth momentum will progress at a CAGR of 15.67% during the forecast period. Increasing preference for music streaming services notably drives the growth of the music streaming market. Young consumers in the 18-40 age group prefer free music through platforms. Pandora offers paid subscriptions. However, its channel is free to access and has a large customer base as it supports almost all operating systems, such as Android, IOS, and Windows. Hence, such factors drive market growth during the forecast period.
Music streaming market – Vendor Analysis Vendor Landscape – The global music streaming market is fragmented, with the presence of several global as well as regional vendors. A few prominent vendors that offer music streaming services in the market are Alphabet Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Apple Inc., Bharti Airtel Ltd., Curb Records Inc., Deezer SA, Gamma Gaana Ltd., iHeartMedia Inc., KKBOX, Meredith Corp., Mixcloud Ltd., RealNetworks Inc., Reliance Industries Ltd., Sirius XM Holdings Inc., SoundCloud Global Ltd. and Co. KG, SOUNDMACHINE, Soundtrack Your Brand Sweden AB, Spotify Technology SA, Tencent Holdings Ltd., and TuneIn Inc. and others.
What’s New? –
Special coverage on the Russia–Ukraine war; global inflation; recovery analysis from COVID-19; supply chain disruptions, global trade tensions; and risk of recession
Global competitiveness and key competitor positions
Market presence across multiple geographical footprints – Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial – Buy the report!
Vendor Offerings –
Alphabet Inc. – The company offers you tube music streaming apps based on prepaid and monthly subscription plans.
Amazon.com Inc. – The company offers the amazon prime music app which provides unlimited access to 100 million songs.
Amazon.com Inc. – The company offers an in-built Apple music platform that provides 100 million songs and thirty thousand playlists with ads free.
Segment Overview Technavio has segmented the market based on Type (Free and Paid), End-user (Individual users and Commercial users), and Geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa).
The market share growth by the free segment will be significant for overall market growth during the forecast period. The segment is expected to grow moderately during the forecast period. It is an ad-based service that providers use to generate revenue by serving ads during music streaming or when users make paid in-app purchases. Hence, such factors drive the segment growth during the forecast period.
Geography Overview By geography, the global music streaming market is segmented into North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa. The report provides actionable insights and estimates the contribution of all regions to the growth of the global music streaming market.
· North America will account for 44% of the market’s growth. In North America, the United States is the most important market for music streaming. The market in this region will increase at a quicker rate than the market in other regions. Also, over the forecast period, the enormous portfolio of music subscribers handled by music streaming service providers will assist the expansion of the music streaming market in the region. Hence, such factors drive regional market growth.
For insights on global, regional, and country-level parameters with growth opportunities from 2017 to 2027 – Download a Sample Report
Music Streaming Market – Market Dynamics
Major Trends –
The increasing introduction of differentiated music streaming services is an emerging trend influencing the music streaming market growth.
Providers increasingly introduce differentiated music streaming services in the music streaming market.
Providers including YouTube Music, Pandora, Spotify, Deezer, and Tidal provide multiple features such as easy cross-platform access, automatic playlist customization, and high-quality sound.
Thus, the increasing adoption of differentiated music streaming services is one of the key trends driving the growth of the market during the forecast period.
Key challenges –
Lack of ownership in music streaming is a major challenge hindering the music streaming market growth.
Publishing music digitally is an integral part of music publishing and the music streaming market is a proprietary market.
Music streaming market dynamics are defined by subscription-based licenses, which give consumers access to massive song collections.
One of the major downsides of music streaming services is that subscribers can’t own their music.
Moreover, not all music streaming service providers allow music downloads, requiring consumers to be connected to the internet to stream music.
Hence, such challenges impede the market growth during the forecast period.
What are the key data covered in this Music Streaming Market report?
CAGR of the market during the forecast period
Detailed information on factors that will drive the growth of the music streaming market between 2023 and 2027
Precise estimation of the size of the music streaming market and its contribution to the market with a focus on the parent market
Accurate predictions about upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior
Growth of the music streaming market across North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa
A thorough analysis of the market’s competitive landscape and detailed information about vendors
Comprehensive analysis of factors that will challenge the growth of music streaming market vendors
Related Reports:
The video streaming and broadcasting equipment market size is expected to increase to USD 137.94 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market’s growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 12.53%. Furthermore, this report extensively covers video streaming and broadcasting equipment market segmentation by application (private and commerce), type (video streaming and broadcasting equipment), and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America). The heightened demand for encoders to support multiple broadcasting formats is notably driving the video streaming and broadcasting equipment market growth.
The live streaming market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 13.47% between 2022 and 2027. The size of the market is forecast to increase by USD 29,057.07 million. This report extensively covers market segmentation by product (platform and services), end-user (media and entertainment, education, esports, events, and others), and geography (APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa). The rising penetration of smartphones and easy access to the internet are notably driving market growth.
This will be a record-breaking season at Budweiser Stage with over 70 shows, over 20 new headlining acts, and a lineup with something for everyone!
The 2023 season was a huge one for me as one of my fave bands of all time – Tears For Fears played this summer and got to take Hannah with me! Not only that, the venue you all know and love has gotten even better.
Budweiser Stage has a fresh look this summer, as bars have been overhauled to reflect the full suite of beverage offerings:
Return of the Corona Oasis area – featuring pre-show and post-show programming
KFC is now available
New non-alcoholic beverage offerings including Well Juicery and Corona Sunbrew 0.0
Sustainability continues to remain a priority for Budweiser Stage as they continue to look to reduce environmental impact
Areas of focus include: waste diversion, elimination of single-use plastics and energy consumption
Flow Water is the new water provider – an important move towards their goal of eliminating single-use plastics
With consumer demand for choice continually evolving, this concert season, fans of legal drinking age at Budweiser Stage will have more beverage options than ever before.
New offerings include innovations like Cutwater canned cocktails and NÜTRL JUIC’d
For info on tickets and the full season lineup, check out www.livenation.com
Peso Pluma continues celebrating a landmark year of success as he expands his North American tour. After selling out previously announced engagements in these cities, the Mexican artist is excited to announce additional shows in Los Angeles, El Paso, Denver, Hidalgo, and Anaheim. Furthermore, shows in Alpharetta, Indianapolis, and Chula Vista have been moved to larger venues, and ten new cities have been added to this route, including Tulsa, Toronto, Milwaukee, and more. Full routing can be found below.
Last week, Peso Pluma became the first artist to dominate Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global 200 Excl. U.S. simultaneously has two songs: “Ella Baila Sola” with Eslabon Armado and “BZRP Music Sessions, Vol. 55” with Bizarrap. The rising star made Spotify Mexico history as the first Mexican artist to lead the ‘Daily Top Artists Mexico’ chart. He currently holds ten positions on the Billboard Global 200 and four songs on the Spotify Top 50 Global.
He also recently released his highly anticipated 14-track album, GENESIS which quickly became the most listened to regional Mexican album on its first day on Apple Music’s.
TICKETS: The general onsale for Peso Pluma’s second show at YouTube Theater will start Friday, June 30th at 10 AM local time on LiveNation.com.
TOUR DATES:
* New date | # Venue change | + With Alemán
JUL-09 — Sacramento, CA — Golden 1 Center
JUL-12 — Austin, TX — Germania Insurance Amphitheater SOLD OUT
JUL-19 — Inglewood, CA — YouTube Theater+ *
JUL-20 — Inglewood, CA — YouTube Theater+ SOLD OUT
JUL-21 — Las Vegas, NV — MGM Grand Garden Arena SOLD OUT
JUL-22 — Phoenix, AZ — Arizona Financial Theatre + SOLD OUT
JUL-28 — Alpharetta, GA — Ameris Bank Amphitheatre #
JUL-30 — Tinley Park, IL — Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre SOLD OUT
AUG-03 — El Paso, TX — El Paso County Coliseum *
AUG-04 — El Paso, TX — El Paso County Coliseum SOLD OUT
AUG-05 — Denver, CO — Bellco Theatre SOLD OUT
AUG-06 — Denver, CO — Bellco Theatre *
AUG-11 — Houston, TX — Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land + SOLD OUT
AUG-12 — Irving, TX — The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory + SOLD OUT
AUG-13 — Tulsa, OK — BOK Center*
AUG-18 — Sterling Heights, MI — Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill*
AUG-19 — Toronto, ON — Budweiser Stage*
AUG-21 — Laval, QC — Place Bell*
AUG-24 — Belmont Park, NY — UBS Arena
AUG-25 — Bristow, VA — Jiffy Lube Live
AUG-26 — Reading, PA — Santander Arena
AUG-27 — Boston, MA — Leader Bank Pavilion SOLD OUT
SEP-3 — Rogers, AR — Walmart AMP*
SEP-7 — Laredo, TX — Sames Auto Arena*
SEP-08 — Hidalgo, TX — Payne Arena SOLD OUT
SEP-09 — Hidalgo, TX — Payne Arena*
SEP-14 — Milwaukee, WI — Fiserv Forum*
SEP-15 — Rosemont, IL — Rosemont Theatre SOLD OUT
SEP-16 — Indianapolis, IN — Gainbridge Fieldhouse #
SEP-17 — Pelham, AL — Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
SEP-30 — Chula Vista, CA — North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre #
OCT-13 — San Jose, CA — SAP Center + SOLD OUT
OCT-15 — San Bernardino, CA — Glen Helen Amphitheatre*
OCT-20 — Anaheim, CA — Honda Center + SOLD OUT
OCT-21 — Anaheim, CA — Honda Center + *
Critically acclaimed and award winning singer songwriter Holly Humberstone today announces her highly anticipated debut album Paint My Bedroom Black, to be released on October 13, 2023 on Polydor / Darkroom / Geffen / Universal Music Canada. Always inspired by her environment and how that affects her sense of self and identity, from her parent’s Haunted House to flatshares in London with The Walls Are Way To Thin, Paint My Bedroom Black represents Holly’s coming of age, growing from unknown singer at her parent’s piano to the most exciting alternative pop stars of her generation. The dark and otherworldly space Holly has built and invited fans into, both sonically and visually, has been lucid and visceral, with the camera always on her shoulder, a lens into her chaotic thoughts and deep feelings. Already nominated for two Ivor Novello’s, winning the BRIT Rising Star in 2022 and coming runner up in BBC Sound Of 2021, Humberstone’s bear-all storytelling is the heart of her craft, today releasing “Antichrist” and “Room Service”, the double A-Side singles that reflect her introspection and extraversion, two opposing artistic multitudes that inform Holly’s lyricism and sound. “I feel like two different people half the time. My biggest challenge is always to make something I feel I haven’t done before, that reflects new parts of me.” The new parts of Holly appear on “Antichrist”, an exposing image of her last break-up, a heartbreak ballad of self-loathing, set against propulsive pop: “Am I the Antichrist? How do I sleep at night?”, juxtaposed against delicate “Room Service”, an ode to locking yourself away from the world. The introduction of these two starkly different tracks act as a revolving door into the visceral duality of Holly Humberstone.
“Antichrist is about a break up I went through a couple of years ago. I genuinely cared about this person and wanted so badly to make it work, but I knew something wasn’t right and my heart wasn’t in it. I knew that I was inevitably going to have to hurt the person who I wanted so much to love. At the time I wrote the song, I remember feeling like I was constantly letting those around me down. Like I was falling short of being there for anyone I cared about. I basically felt like the worst person in the world; like the Antichrist. I really felt that I was toxic to be around, and the guilt and self-loathing that came with that manifested itself in this song.”
“I wrote Room Service a little while ago when I’d just started touring full time. I was finding myself constantly stressed out and although I was having fun, I was really missing home and my friends. I felt like I was watching them live out their lives from a phone screen, like I was being left behind. There was this swelling feeling that I was growing apart from that world that I was missing so badly, and I just didn’t want to be forgotten. AlI I wanted to do was to get a hotel room with my best friend, lock the world out and do stupid stuff like order room service. To me, this song is a simple love song to the people I care about the most, and the seemingly basic experiences you share together that can so often be taken for granted. The busier I get, the more I treasure the precious time I get with my friends and family; the more I value them in my life.” – says Holly Humberstone
With a talent for capturing and characterising moments that are both uncomfortably intimate and brutally revealing in her songwriting and creative – most of Holly’s 2022 was spent in hotel rooms, stuck between places, watching life from afar rather than being totally present in it. Lacking real connections and missing loved ones, the stirring official video for “Antichrist”, directed by Jean-Charles Chavarin, tells the story of the self-flagellation that comes with hurting someone you love, as you run away from yourself, trying to escape from room to room, until your reflection turns away from you.
Described as “XXX” by XXX on BBC Radio 1’s Hottest Record in the world, Holly performed “Antichrist” to 100,000 fans at Newcastle’s St James Park earlier this month, supporting Sam Fender and reminding fans that she is one of the most compelling British live acts. But in raw Holly fashion, to reveal the concept behind “Room Service” – living in hotel rooms across the globe and watching the world through a phone whilst wondering what her friends were up to without her – Holly performed the delicate single to 80 fans in room 627 at a hotel last week.
When Holly first brought her intimate live shows to audiences in 2021, fans were already singing every word from her breakout debut EP, “Falling Asleep At The Wheel” released in 2020. A global tour followed, with sell-out shows across the USA including LA’s Roxy to two nights at New York’s Bowery Ballroom, which led to Holly being invited on tour with Olivia Rodrigo and Girl in Red across North America. It was on these trips through soulless hotel rooms from March to December last year that the 23-year-old began piecing her album narrative together. Striking themes of lost loves, family units, and the deep-set fears of youth and growing up intertwined with sparse and expansive sonic production, Holly’s “crazy” headspace led to the foundations of Paint My Bedroom Black. “I have had such a fun, crazy, challenging few years,” Holly says, “I wanted to put absolutely all of that into this album. An album is a much different headspace for me, but it is filled with snapshots of where I’ve been and where I’m at.”
Snapshots of Holly flit everywhere from last year’s single “Can You Afford To Lose Me”, performed on Late Night With Stephen Colbert, to playing Matty Healy co-written “Sleep Tight” for VEVO, taking festivals by storm from Coachella to her debut Glastonbury performance and Reading & Leeds. Humberstone has become one of the most loved breakthrough artists for her raw, unfiltered, confessional songwriting and distinctive, can-hear-a-pin-drop vocals, picking up fans from Olivia Rodrigo to Phoebe Bridgers, Sigrid to Glass Animals and Sam Fender, and inspiring the next generation of alternative pop acts including Tommy Lefroy, Katie Gregson-Macleod, and Matilda Mann, whilst collaborating with the likes of Jack Steadman in Bombay Bicycle Club and Griff.
Finishing 2022 on a huge high, ending her biggest UK headline tour with 5000 fans singing back favourites “Scarlett” and “Overkill” at O2 Academy Brixton, the physical manifestation of her 242.6M global streams, Holly Humberstone started 2023 with her journal in hand and creative, walled off time, as she locked herself away in Rob Milton’s studio in London, to piece together the pieces of herself she felt like she left on the road, in rooms across the world. Holly has become renowned for painting a picture of a place so viscerally, being rooted in the walls and also people that makes a city liveable, where you can “get drunk with your mates and just forget about work”. From her family home in “Haunted House” to feeling lost and isolated in her London shared flat with The Walls Are Way To Thin,Paint My Bedroom Black is Holly’s fragmented and dark love letter to friends and lovers, a hideaway from the world when her fans need one.
PAINT MY BEDROOM BLACK TRACKLISTING
Paint My Bedroom Black
Into Your Room
Cocoon
Kissing In Swimming Pools
Ghost Me
Track 6
Antichrist
Lauren
Baby Blues
Flatlining
Elvis Impersonators
Girl
Room Service
Those who have been on the podcasting journey with Spotify since 2019 have seen how rapidly their platform has grown to adopt and innovate in the world of video podcasts. In 2020, they introduced video podcasts for a select number of shows, followed by a larger rollout in 2021. In 2022, they enabled the feature in a few markets, and then made it fully available to even more creators through their Spotify for Podcasters platform.
At their Stream On event in March, when they announced their updates to Spotify for Podcasters, the company shared that there were 70,000 video podcasts on-platform. Today, they have announced that there are now more than 100,000 video podcasts on Spotify.
Since the platform made video podcasts available for creators in nearly every market, the medium has become core to the Spotify podcast experience, with shows all around the world utilizing the format to deepen engagement with fans. The U.S., Brazil, Mexico, the U.K., and Germany publish the most video podcasts, but they’re also seeing great adoption in markets like the Philippines, where video podcasts account for over half of podcast consumption.
This growth since March demonstrates the way they’ve put creators and their needs first, which enables creators of all sizes to benefit from the format and connect more deeply with fans. They’ve charted consistent positive growth in audience retention and episode listenership among shows that have adopted video to date.
“Video definitely helped our podcast,” said Gage Adkins and Olivia Noel, cohosts of the Girlish podcast. “It has allowed us to connect deeper with our audience, which is so incredible. They can now pick up on our facial cues, see these little skits that we make, and really just have better engagement overall. But they can also continue to listen in the audio format if they choose to. It’s been versatile and we love it.”
Bob Marley’s immortality continues with Africa Unite, a majestic, posthumous album celebrating the vibrant fusion of Reggae and Afrobeats!
Africa Unite is an extraordinary album that pays homage to the Reggae icon’s greatest hits, beautifully reimagined and infused with the infectious rhythms of Afrobeats. Scheduled for release on August 4, 2023, Africa Unite features inspiring collaborations between Bob Marley’s classics and a stellar line-up of contemporary African musicians. This ten-track masterpiece includes Sarkodie, Tiwa Savage, Teni, and Oxlade, which will be announced before the album’s release. Each artist brings unique flair and artistry, paying tribute to Bob Marley’s enduring influence while adding their refreshing voices to his iconic compositions.
Bob Marley’s impact on Reggae and Afrobeats music culture is immeasurable. His ageless music transcends borders and generations. This project is no different; it invites listeners on an enchanting musical journey. From the heartwarming rendition of “Waiting In Vain” to the uplifting energy of “Stir It Up,” the album showcases the seamless fusion of two extraordinary musical worlds. Backing this album announcement is also the release of the lead single, a new version of Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” performed by Nigeria’s rising stars Teni & Oxlade, which truly emulates the original with an afro-fusion kick.
With ‘Africa Unite,’ Bob Marley’s influence continues to resonate, bridging the gap between the past and present. The album not only showcases the global reach of Bob Marley’s music but also celebrates the rich tapestry of African rhythms and melodies. By intertwining reggae’s soulful vibrations with the infectious energy of Afrobeats, Africa Unite embodies the unity and spirit of collaboration, mirroring the late artist’s vision of a harmonious world.
Reflecting on the significance of this album, Bob Marley’s daughter Cedella Marley stated,” Africa Unite” is an album that showcases the importance of Bob Marley in modern day Africa. The artists that feature on this album have reimagined Bob Marley’s classics in a way we know he would have loved and been proud of.” The release of “Africa Unite” will undoubtedly captivate Bob Marley’s loyal fanbase and attract new listeners seeking to experience the magic of his music in a fresh and vibrant way.
Bob Marley’s impact on reggae and Afrobeats music culture is immeasurable. As a pioneer of Reggae, Bob Marley was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. His powerful lyrics and captivating melodies have served as a guiding light, inspiring countless artists and shaping the musical landscape. With Africa Unite, his influence continues to resonate, bridging the gap between the past and present.
Today, GRAMMY-winning, multi-Platinum-selling, critically lauded singer/songwriter Olivia Rodrigo returns with her new single “vampire.” Released via Geffen Records/Universal Music Canada, the emotionally raw yet extravagantly composed track marks the lead single from the 20-year-old artist’s massively anticipated sophomore album GUTS, due out September 8th. Go HERE to listen to “vampire” and to order the special limited-edition physical versions of the single (including Rodrigo’s first demo of the track, exclusive to the CD and 7” pressing).
The follow-up to Rodrigo’s 4x Platinum, record-breaking 2021 debut album SOUR, GUTS is available for pre-save and for pre-order on CD, cassette, or vinyl HERE. Exclusively available at Rodrigo’s online store, the vinyl version of GUTS will be offered in four colors: red, white, blue, and purple. In addition, an exclusive colored vinyl and CD (both with alternative cover and poster) are now available for pre-order at Target HERE.
Produced by and co-written with Daniel Nigro (also Rodrigo’s main creative partner on SOUR), “vampire” marks a departure from the dreamy minimalism of past hits like her 5x Platinum breakthrough single “drivers license.” To that end, “vampire” begins with a hushed intensity before bursting into a larger-than-life epic built on pulse-pounding drumbeats and magnificently frantic piano work. As the track takes on a wild velocity, Rodrigo reveals her newly heightened sophistication as a vocalist and lyricist, spinning a tale of the kind of toxic romance that drains your very life force.
“I was upset about a certain situation and went to the studio alone and sat down at the grand piano, and the chords and melody and lyrics just poured out of me — almost like an out-of-body experience,” she recalls. “It’s a song about feeling confused and hurt, and at first I thought it was meant to be a piano ballad. But when Dan and I started working on it, we juxtaposed the lyrics with these big drums and crazy tempo changes. So now it’s like a heartbreak song you can dance to.”
Directed by famed artist/director/photographer Petra Collins, the video for “vampire” made its global broadcast premiere on MTV Live, MTVU, and across MTV’s global network of channels, as well as on the Paramount Times Square billboards. Collins previously directed the video for Rodrigo’s 2x Platinum “brutal,” and earned a GRAMMY nomination for her work on the video for the 4x Platinum, Billboard Hot 100-topping “good 4 u.”
Earlier tonight, Rodrigo and YouTube hosted an in-person “vampire” premiere event in Los Angeles. There, Rodrigo revealed the #vampireOR2 Shorts challenge and celebrated the release of the official music video alongside her fans and YouTube creators.
Partly written at the legendary Electric Lady Studios in New York City, GUTS mostly came to life in Nigro’s garage studio in Los Angeles. Although each song intensifies the emotional honesty that’s always imbued her storytelling, the album ultimately finds Rodrigo expanding her expressive palette and uncovering entirely new dimensions of her artistry.
“When I was making SOUR I was so new to the process and also so heartbroken; I’d just sit at the piano for hours and feel overcome with things I needed to express,” says Rodrigo. “But this album was much more about focusing on the craft of songwriting, which sometimes meant not taking myself so seriously and getting a little more tongue-in-cheek with my lyrics. We experimented so much with different approaches to writing and ended up with something that’s much more rock-influenced than anything I’ve done before.”
Winner of Best New Artist, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Pop Solo Performance at the 64th GRAMMY Awards (from which she received seven nominations total), Rodrigo released “drivers license” in January 2021 and instantly saw the track debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, soon becoming the first song in history to hit 80 million streams in seven days on Spotify. That May, SOUR entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1, later becoming the longest-running debut album in the chart’s top 10 this century — and the first to spend an entire year in the upper echelon. Also featuring the 3x Platinum “deja vu,” SOUR scored the most U.S. audio streams ever for a female debut album and broke the record for the most-streamed album in a week by a female artist on Spotify. Named the #1 Album of 2021 by Rolling Stone and hailed as one of the Best Albums of 2021 by The New York Times, among others, SOUR has now sold over 17 million albums globally with over 40 billion streams worldwide. The album’s 11 tracks have all been certified Platinum or multi-Platinum by the RIAA — and have landed in the top 30 of Billboard’s Hot 100, making Rodrigo the first female artist to simultaneously chart 11 or more songs in the top 30.
Richard Wright’s debut solo album, ‘Wet Dream’, is to be reissued on vinyl for the first time since its original release in 1978 this time in deep blue transparent marbled. It will also be available on streaming platforms for the first time ever including a new Dolby Atmos mix, on CD and on blu-ray which includes a 5.1 mix and never before released personal images and videos from around this period of his life.
To be released on 28th July – the actual date of his 80th birthday – it will initially be made available on CD and all streaming platforms with the vinyl and blu-ray editions of the record being released on September 29th.
Remixed by Steven Wilson, this reissue comes with brand new artwork that was commissioned and art-directed by Gala and Jamie Wright, Richard’s children and managers of his estate. As per the original release, the bi-fold sleeve folds out to extend the image and features the same vibrant colour palette. This time, the unidentified person in bright red shorts is swimming within deep blue waters of the sea rather than a pool and the image expands out to reveal a boat slightly out of their reach, referencing the nautical theme of the record. The image was taken by Costas Spathis, a photographer living and working in Greece, which is where the album was written and the graphic design is by Carl Glover. The original artwork was designed by Storm Thorgerson and photographed by Aubrey Powell for Hipgnosis and features in the vinyl booklet.
Upon rediscovering this record, it becomes hugely apparent how much of Richard’s DNA runs through Pink Floyd. His distinct rhythm patterns, song structure and style of play exudes throughout, shining a light on his unique talent and influence on modern music.
When originally released, post Pink Floyd’s ‘Animals’ (1977) and shortly before ‘The Wall’ (1979), ‘Wet Dream’ was largely under-appreciated. Steven Wilson’s mix gives new life to the record demonstrating Wright’s brilliance. He wrote and produced the whole album himself and it was one of only three albums released outside of Pink Floyd- ‘Broken China’, his second solo album from 1996 and ‘Identity’, released in 1983 under the guise of Zee, a duet with Dave Harris from Fashion.
‘Wet Dream’ Track Listing:
1. “Mediterranean C”
2. “Against the Odds”
3. “Cat Cruise”
4. “Summer Elegy”
5. “Waves”
6. “Holiday”
7. “Mad Yannis Dance”
8. “Drop In from the Top”
9. “Pink’s Song”
10. “Funky Deux”
