Singer-songwriter and music industry executive Tommy Page, best known for his No. 1 single “I’ll Be Your Everything,” was found dead Friday (March 3). The cause of death was unclear at press time, but according to reports from several friends, it was an apparent suicide. He was 46.

Page started his career as a recording artist for Sire Records -- as he told it, he was working as a coat-checker at the New York nightclub Nell’s and gave his demo to label head Seymour Stein -- and topped the Billboard Hot 100 with his single, “I’ll Be Your Everything” in April 1990. The song was written by Page, along with Jordan Knight and Danny Wood of Page’s tourmates New Kids on the Block. The group’s Donnie Wahlberg, along with Knight, also had a hand in producing the track.

Page later returned to NYU’s Stern School of Business to pursue his career as a music executive. He recorded nine studio albums and continued to tour throughout his career.

“My whole life I dreamed of having a No. 1 record, ever since I could remember getting into music. I wanted to be on top of the Billboard charts,” Page remembered in 2011.

Page later joined Warner Bros./Reprise Records, where he served as an A&R executive and vice president of top 40 promotion. During that time, he helped shape the careers of many successful artists, including Michael Buble, Alanis Morissette, Josh Groban, David Foster and Green Day.

In 2011, Page left Warner Bros./Reprise to join Billboard as associate publisher. The following year he was promoted to publisher.

“Ever since childhood, I’ve had big aspirations for my music career,” Page said at the time. “In the inscription below my senior picture in my high school yearbook, I actually wrote ‘Billboard charts, here I come!’ -- a hopeful pipe dream from an ordinary Jersey kid.”

In 2013, Page left Billboard to become Pandora’s vp of artist and brand partnerships, where his history as a recording artist helped him play a significant role in the company’s recent outreach to the artist and music-business community after years of criticism over its royalty rates.

In 2015, Page joined Cumulus Media as senior vice president of brand partnerships. Page most recently

INSIDE Tommy Page, Singer and Former Billboard Publisher, Dies at 46BY BILLBOARD STAFF

2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards: Complete Winners List

Future Makes History With Back-to-Back No. 1 Debuts on Billboard 200 Albums Chart

Irving Azoff, Jeffrey Azoff & Brandon Creed -- Managers for Eagles, Harry Styles & Mark Ronson -- Merge Firms

How SXSW Got Pegged as the Anti-Immigration Music Festival

(continued)

A D I G I TA L V E R S I O N O F E V E RY I S S U E , F E AT U R I N G : COV E R STO R I E S . S P E C I A L R E P O RTS . R E V I E W S . I N T E RV I E W S E V E N T COV E R AG E & M O R E

ACCESS THE BEST IN MUSIC.

AVAIL ABLE

FREE TO CURRENT

BILL B OARD SUBS CRIBERS

T H E N EWD R E A M T EA MJustin Timberlake

and Max Martin debut at No. 1 on Hot 100

B I G R A D I O ’S B I G D E B T WO E S

20 1 6 B I L L BOA R D M U S I C AWA R D S

V I V AL A D I VA !

The Ariana Grande interview: ‘ I feel like I ’m just getting started’

P L U SCOUNTDOWN TO THE STARRY NIGHT

Ludacris , DNCE, Ciara and The Go - Go’s ( !) tell all

HOW TO BE A VEGAS BALLERWhere to eat, jet, par t y and

swim l ike a rock star

May 28, 2016 | billboard.com

billboard.com/iPad

March 6, 2017 Page 1 of 15

DECISIVE INTELLIGENCE. DELIVERED DIGITALLY.

DIGITAL NEWSLETTERSDigital and Mobile • Touring • Record Labels • Retail • Global •

Publishing • TV/Film • Branding • Latin • Morning Fix

CLICK HERE FOR FREE DELIVERY

DECISIVE INTELLIGENCE. DELIVERED DIGITALLY.

DIGITAL NEWSLETTERSDigital and Mobile • Touring • Record Labels • Retail • Global •

Publishing • TV/Film • Branding • Latin • Morning Fix

CLICK HERE FOR FREE DELIVERY

[In Brief]served as VP of music partnerships at the Village Voice. He continued to record and perform regularly, particularly in Asia.

“We are all mourning the loss of our friend and colleague Tommy Page,” said Billboard Entertainment Group President John Amato. “He was a magnetic soul and a true entertainer. Our thoughts are with his family.”

He is survived by his partner, Charlie, and their three children.

2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards: Complete Winners ListBY BILLBOARD STAFF

The 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards are a wrap!

Who were the night’s big winners? See all the champs below:

Innovator Award: Bruno MarsSong of the Year: WINNER: “Can’t Stop The Feeling” -

Justin Timberlake“Cheap Thrills” - Sia featuring Sean Paul

“Closer” - The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey

“One Dance” - Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla

“Stressed Out” - twenty one pilotsFemale Artist of the Year: WINNER: AdeleAriana GrandeRihannaSelena GomezSiaMale Artist of the Year: DrakeWINNER: Justin BieberLuke BryanShawn MendesThe WeekndBest New Artist presented by the all-new

2017 Subaru Impreza®:WINNER: The ChainsmokersChance The RapperBryson TillerKelsea BalleriniThe StrumbellasJoss FavelaCNCOBest Duo/Group of the Year: ColdplayDNCEFlorida Georgia LineThe ChainsmokersWINNER: twenty one pilotsBest New Pop Artist: (New Category)

Alessia CaraDayaLukas GrahamWINNER: The ChainsmokersZAYNPop Album of the Year: 25 - AdeleProducer of the Year: (New Category)WINNER: Benny BlancoGreg KurstinMax MartinMike ElizondoThe ChainsmokersAlternative Rock Song of the Year:“Bored to Death” - blink-182“Dark Necessities” - Red Hot Chili

PeppersWINNER: “Heathens” - twenty one

pilots“Ride” - twenty one pilots“Trouble” - Cage The ElephantAlternative Rock Artist of the Year:blink-182Cage The ElephantColdplayThe StrumbellasWINNER: twenty one pilotsAlternative Rock Album of the Year:

Blurryface - twenty one pilotsRock Song of the Year:WINNER: “Bang Bang” - Green Day“Dark Necessities” - Red Hot Chili

Peppers“Take Me Down” – The Pretty Reckless

Page 3 of 15

“The Devil’s Bleeding Crown” – Volbeat“The Sound Of Silence” - DisturbedRock Artist of the Year:WINNER: DisturbedFive Finger Death PunchRed Hot Chili PeppersShinedownVolbeatBest New Rock/Alternative Rock Artist:

(New Category)FoalsKaleoNathaniel Rateliff & The Night SweatsRed Sun RisingWINNER: The StrumbellasRock Album of the Year: Hardwired... to

Self-Destruct - MetallicaCountry Song of the Year:“Church Bells” - Carrie Underwood“Snapback” - Old DominionWINNER: “Somewhere On A Beach” -

Dierks Bentley“T-Shirt” - Thomas Rhett“You Should Be Here” - Cole SwindellCountry Artist of the Year:Carrie UnderwoodJason AldeanKeith UrbanLuke BryanWINNER: Thomas RhettBest New Country Artist: (New

Category)Chris LaneChris StapletonGranger SmithWINNER: Kelsea BalleriniMaren MorrisCountry Album of the Year: Traveller -

Chris StapletonDance Song of the Year:WINNER: “Closer” - The Chainsmokers

featuring Halsey“Cold Water” - Major Lazer featuring

Justin Bieber and MØ“Don’t Let Me Down” - The

Chainsmokers featuring Daya“I Took A Pill In Ibiza” - Mike Posner“Let Me Love You” - DJ Snake featuring

Justin BieberDance Artist of the Year: Calvin HarrisDJ SnakeFlume

Major LazerWINNER: The ChainsmokersDance Album of the Year: Collage - The

ChainsmokersHip-Hop Song of the Year: “All The Way Up” - Fat Joe and Remy Ma

featuring French Montana and Infared“Controlla” - Drake“For Free” - DJ Khaled featuring DrakeWINNER: “One Dance” - Drake

featuring Wizkid and Kyla“Panda” - DesiignerHip-Hop Artist of the Year:DesiignerDJ KhaledWINNER: DrakeFutureJ. ColeBest New Hip-Hop Artist: (New

Category)WINNER: Chance The RapperDesiignerD.R.A.M.Kent JonesKevin GatesR&B Song of the Year:“Exchange” - Bryson Tiller“Needed Me” - Rihanna“No Limit” - Usher featuring Young

Thug“Sorry” - BeyoncéWINNER: “Work” - Rihanna featuring

DrakeR&B Artist of the Year: BeyoncéBryson TillerRihannaWINNER: The WeekndUsherR&B Album of the Year: Anti - RihannaLatin Song of the Year: “Ay Mi Dios” - IAmChino featuring

Pitbull, Yandel and El Chacal“De Pies A Cabeza” - Mana featuring

Nicky JamWINNER: “Duele El Corazon” - Enrique

Iglesias featuring Wisin“La Carretera” - Prince Royce“Ya Me Enteré” - Reik featuring Nicky

JamLatin Artist of the Year: Enrique IglesiasJ Balvin

WINNER: Nicky JamPrince RoyceYandelBest New Latin Artist: (New Category)Carlos RiveraChristian DanielWINNER: CNCOIAmChinoSofia ReyesLatin Album of the Year: Energía - J

BalvinRegional Mexican Song of the Year: “Amor Del Bueno” - Calibre 50“Cicatrices” - Regulo Caro“Me Está Gustando” - Banda Los

Recoditos“¿Por Qué Terminamos?” - Gerardo

OrtizWINNER: “Solo Con Verte” - Banda

Sinaloense MS de Sergio LizárragaRegional Mexican Artist of the Year: Banda El Recodo de Cruz LizárragaBanda Los RecoditosWINNER: Calibre 50Gerardo OrtizRemmy ValenzuelaRegional Mexican Album of the Year:

Recuerden Mi Estilo - Los Plebes Del Rancho De Ariel Camacho

Best New R&B Artist: (New Category) BellyWINNER: Bryson TillerDreezyKayla BriannaRo JamesBest New Regional Mexican Artist: (New

Category)Adriel FavelaBanda Los SebastianesCheyo CarrilloWINNER: Joss FavelaLa Séptima BandaBest Tour: A Head Full of Dreams Tour -

Coldplay Best Lyrics: *Socially Voted Category“7 Years” - Lukas Graham“Came Here to Forget” - Blake Shelton“Cheap Thrills” - Sia featuring Sean Paul“Closer” - The Chainsmokers featuring

Halsey“Heathens” - twenty one pilotsWINNER: “Love Yourself ” - Justin

Bieber

[In Brief]

Page 5 of 15

“Scars To Your Beautiful” - Alessia Cara“Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” -

Adele“Too Good” – Drake featuring Rihanna“You Should Be Here” - Cole SwindellBest Collaboration: *Socially Voted

Category“Cheap Thrills” - Sia featuring Sean Paul“Closer” - The Chainsmokers featuring

Halsey“Don’t Let Me Down” - The

Chainsmokers featuring Daya“This Is What You Came For” - Calvin

Harris featuring RihannaWINNER: “Work” - Rihanna featuring

DrakeBest Cover Song: *Socially Voted

Category“All I Ask” - Bruno MarsWINNER: “Ex’s and Oh’s” - Fifth

Harmony“Fast Car” - Justin Bieber“Hands to Myself ” - DNCE“Here” - Shawn Mendes“How Will I Know” - Ariana Grande“Love on the Brain” - Kelly Clarkson“Purple Rain” - Jennifer Hudson and the

cast of The Color Purple“Sound of Silence” – Disturbed“Too Good” - Zara LarssonBest Song from a Movie: *Socially Voted

Category“Can’t Stop the Feeling” - Justin

Timberlake (Trolls)“Falling for You” - Ellie Goulding

(Bridget Jones’s Baby)WINNER: “Girls Talk Boys” - 5 Seconds

of Summer (Ghostbusters)Heathens” - twenty one pilots (Suicide

Squad)“Just Like Fire” - P!nk (Alice Through the

Looking Glass)Best Music Video: (New Category)

*Socially Voted Category“Can’t Stop the Feeling” - Justin

Timberlake“Don’t Let Me Down” - The

Chainsmokers featuring Daya“Formation” - Beyoncé“Hasta El Amanecer” - Nicky Jam“Heathens” - twenty one pilots“Hymn for the Weekend” - Coldplay“I Took A Pill In Ibiza” - Mike Posner

WINNER: “Pillowtalk” - ZAYN“Side to Side” - Ariana Grande featuring

Nicki Minaj“This Is What You Came For” - Calvin

Harris featuring Rihanna“Work” - Rihanna featuring Drake“Work From Home” - Fifth Harmony

featuring Ty Dolla $ignBest Underground Alternative Band:

(New Category) *Socially Voted Category Hey VioletWINNER: Pierce the VeilPVRISSleeping With SirensTonight AliveSocial Star Award: (New Category)

*Socially Voted Category Alex Aiono from YouTubeBaby Ariel from Musical.lyEmma McGann from YouNowHailey Knox from YouNowWINNER: Jack and Jack from SnapchatJacob Sartorius from Musical.lyMarcus Perez from FacebookSteph Clavin from InstagramTodrick Hall from YouTubexYego from SmuleBest Fan Army presented by Taco Bell:

*Socially Voted Category5 Seconds of Summer - 5SOSFamAriana Grande - ArianatorsBeyoncé - BeyhiveBritney Spears - Britney ArmyDemi Lovato - LovaticsWINNER: Fifth Harmony - HarmonizersJustin Bieber - BeliebersKaty Perry - KatyCatsLady Gaga - Little MonstersRihanna - Rihanna NavySelena Gomez - SelenatorsShawn Mendes - Mendes Armytwenty one pilots - #twentyonepilots

Future Makes History With Back-to-Back No. 1 Debuts on Billboard 200 Albums ChartBY KEITH CAULFIELD

As expected, Future debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated March 18) with HNDRXX, his fifth chart topper. It replaces his own self-titled album, which bowed at No. 1 a week earlier.

Future is the first act in the nearly 61-year history of the chart to achieve back-to-back No. 1 debuts in successive weeks. The rapper is also the first artist to succeed himself at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 at all (counting not only debuts) since 1968. He’s additionally the first soloist ever to claim the honor.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The new March 18-dated chart will be posted in full to Billboard’s websites on Tuesday, March 7.

HNDRXX bows with 121,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending March 2, according to Nielsen Music. Of that sum, 48,000 were in traditional album sales, 63,000 were in SEA and 11,000 were in TEA. (All units are rounded to the nearest thousand.) HNDRXX was released on Feb. 24 through A-1/Freebandz/Epic Records. It follows Future’s self-titled No. 1 debut, which was issued on the same imprints/label, on Feb. 17. The self-titled album slips from No. 1 to No. 2 on the latest chart with 64,000 units (down 54 percent).

With Future’s HNDRXX at No. 1 and his self-titled release at No. 2, the rapper is the first act in nearly one year to have both the Nos. 1 and 2 albums simultaneously.

[In Brief]

Page 6 of 15

The last act to do so was Prince, following his death last year, when, on the May 7-dated chart, he re-entered the list at No. 1 with The Very Best of Prince and at No. 2 with the Purple Rain soundtrack. Before that, Nelly was the last act to manage the achievement, way back on Oct. 2, 2004, when he debuted at Nos. 1 and 2 with Suit and Sweat, respectively.

Only 10 acts, including Future, have been Nos. 1 and 2 at the same time since 1963, when Billboard combined the Billboard 200 from previously separate mono and stereo album charts into one overall list.

It’s unusual that an artist would release two studio albums in such quick succession. In the past, acts have chosen to release two albums at the same time (for example, Guns N’ Roses’ Use Your Illusion I and II and Nelly’s Sweat and Suit) or within less than a year of one another (Justin Timberlake’s chart topping albums The 20/20 Experience and The 20/20 Experience 2 of 2).

Future is the first act to replace himself at No. 1 since 1968, when Simon & Garfunkel did it (twice!) with Bookends and the soundtrack to The Graduate. (Neither album debuted at No. 1.) In total, since 1963, Future is just the sixth act -- and first soloist -- to supplant itself at No. 1, following Simon & Garfunkel, The Monkees, Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, The Beatles and Peter, Paul & Mary.

HNDRXX is Future’s fifth No. 1 album. It follows his self-titled set, Evol (2016), What a Time to Be Alive (with Drake) and DS2 (both in 2015).

At No. 3 on the new Billboard 200 is Bruno Mars’ 24K Magic, slipping down one slot with 58,000 units (down 2 percent).

Country quartet Little Big Town lands its fourth top 10 album, as The Breaker bows at No. 4 with 51,000 units (44,000 from traditional album sales). The group previously visited the top 10 with Pain Killer (No. 7 in 2014), Tornado (No. 2, 2012) and The Reason Why (No. 5, 2010).

Little Big Town has the second-most top 10s among country duo/groups this decade, trailing only Lady Antebellum, which has five top 10s since 2010. (Lady Antebellum

has a total of six top 10s, stretching back to its 2008 self-titled release.)

The Breaker was led by the Taylor Swift-written single “Better Man,” which spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart (the group’s third leader on the tally). Over on the Country Airplay chart, it has spent the last two weeks atop the list -- the act’s second No. 1, following 2012’s “Pontoon.”

At No. 5 on the Billboard 200, the Trolls soundtrack surges up five rungs with a 35 percent gain (rising to to 50,000 units). It sold 35,000 copies (up 41 percent) in the tracking week. The increases are likely owed to ABC TV’s broadcast of the Academy Awards (Feb. 28), which opened with a performance of the album’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” by Justin Timberlak e (it was nominated for best original song).

The Oscars also shine on the Moana soundtrack, which climbs from No. 16 to No. 8 with 39,000 units (up 65 percent) and 21,000 in sales (up 77 percent). The show featured a performance of the album’s Oscar-nominated “How Far I’ll Go” by Auli’i Cravalho and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Outside the top 10, the La La Land soundtrack -- which houses the best original song winner, “City of Stars” -- rises 18-11 with 37,000 units (up 57 percent) and 24,000 in sales (up 51 percent).

Back in the top 10, Migos’ Culture dips a slot to No. 6 with 47,000 units (down 6 percent). The Weeknd’s Starboy falls 4-7 with 46,000 units (down 8 percent) and, below Moana, Big Sean’s I Decided. moves down three positions to No. 9 with a little more than 39,000 units (down 20 percent).

Closing out the top 10 is country singer Aaron Watson, who notches his first top 10 set with the arrival of Vaquero (39,000 units; 37,000 in traditional album sales). Watson made his national Billboard chart debut more than 10 years ago, when his San Angelo album debuted on the Top Country Albums chart dated April 22, 2006. He arrived on the Billboard 200 two years later, with Angels & Outlaws (April 19, 2008).

Vaquero is Watson’s fifth charting set on the Billboard 200, and each successive release has reached a higher peak. Angels

& Outlaws reached No. 175 in 2008, The Road & The Rodeo hit No. 150 in 2010, Real Good Time topped out at No. 81 in 2012 and The Underdog hit No. 14 in 2015.

Irving Azoff, Jeffrey Azoff & Brandon Creed -- Managers for Eagles, Harry Styles & Mark Ronson -- Merge FirmsBY SHIRLEY HALPERIN

Veteran music manager Irving Azoff, his son Jeffrey Azoff and Brandon Creed of The Creed Company have merged their firms, Billboard has confirmed.

All artists represented by the senior Azoff (including The Eagles, Lindsey Buckingham, Steely Dan, Gwen Stefani, Bon Jovi, John Mayer and Chelsea Handler) along with Jefrrey Azoff clients Harry Styles and Meghan Trainor and Creed’s roster (Mark Ronson, Troye Sivan, Sara Bareilles) are being handled out of Full Stop Management’s west Los Angeles office.

In addition to acts represented, according to insiders, respective employees and existing partnerships at each of the firms will also be joining the new entity in the coming days and weeks. The merging “of veteran and emerging artists,” a source tells Billboard, signals a true “joining of forces” for the managers.

Azoff launched Full Stop in March 2016, leaving CAA after a three-and-a-half-year run. Creed’s company represented Bruno Mars for nine years and has most recently added to its client list buzzed-about newcomers Daya and Skip Marley. Creed’s

[In Brief]

Page 7 of 15

brother, attorney Jesse Creed, is currently running for Los Angeles City Council.

The new partners will operate as Full Stop immediately.

Billboard has reached out to both Azoffs and Creed for comment.

How SXSW Got Pegged as the Anti-Immigration Music FestivalBY ANDY CUSH

Over the last 24 hours, the long running festival SXSW has been engulfed in con-troversy regarding two provisions of its contract with artists who perform there. After a flurry of criticism from musicians who derided the contracts as “chilling” and “threatening” to immigrants and artists from abroad, the festival’s organizers have stated their intent to amend the controver-sial language for future SXSW installments.

On one side, there are the musicians like Priests, Downtown Boys, Told Slant, Sheer Mag, Ted Leo, Immortal Technique, and Girlpool, all of whom signed an open letter to SXSW’s organizers demanding the removal of the language and a public apology. According to these artists and dozens of others who also signed the letter, the controversial clauses of the SXSW contract, regarding the hundreds of bands from abroad that perform at the festival each year, represent SXSW’s collaboration with the Donald Trump administration and its “campaign of fear and hate toward non-citizens.” According to the festival’s organizers, who have released multiple statements on the matter, the issue stems from a misunderstanding of standard provisions that have no nefarious implications, and that have been in place at SXSW since 2013.

Which of these camps you fall into depends on your willingness to believe that SXSW would alert federal immigration

authorities to deport international bands performing there that had violated the festival’s policies, a measure it claims it has never taken in its 30-year history, but that is nonetheless spelled out as a possibility in its contract. Each side has a good point to make, and the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.

The Clauses That Started it AllFirst, we should consider the provisions

of the contract that have come under scrutiny. Musicians began criticizing SXSW Thursday afternoon, after Felix Walworth of Told Slant tweeted a screenshot of their SXSW contract with the caption “After looking through this contract sent to me by sxsw I have decided to cancel Told Slant’s performance at the festival.” Walworth took issue with two key lines from the contract. Here’s the first one, with our emphasis added:

If SXSW determines, in its sole discretion, that Artist or its representatives have acted in ways that adversely impacts the viability of Artist’s official SXSW showcase, the following actions are available to SXSW:

2.1. Artist will be removed from their official SXSW showcase and, at SXSW’s sole discretion, replaced.

2.2. Any hotels booked via SXSW Housing will be canceled.

2.3. Artist’s credentials will be canceled.2.4. SXSW will notify the appropriate

U.S. immigration authorities of the above actions.

And here’s the second one:International Artists entering the

country through the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), B visa or any non-work visa may not perform at any public or unofficial shows, DAY OR NIGHT, in Austin from March 10-19, 2017. Accepting and performing at unofficial events (including unofficial events aside from SXSW Music dates during their visit to the United States) may result in immediate deportation, revoked passport and denied entry by US Customs Border Patrol at US ports of entry.

It’s also important to understand one key dynamic of how the festival runs. Along with the dozens of “official” SXSW events that happen at venues throughout Austin

during the week of the festival, there are dozens more unofficial showcases that have no formal relationship with SXSW but nonetheless draw interesting bands and big crowds by being adjacent to the festival. These unofficial shows are a big part of the festival’s appeal, but they don’t actually funnel any money to SXSW the organization. SXSW would prefer that bands stick to official events, and bands would be prefer to be able to play as many shows as possible while they’re in town, especially if they spent the money to travel from abroad.

U.S. Immigration Law and Touring Artists

The second of the controversial contract clauses says that international artists may face deportation if they play any unofficial shows. This is presented as a fact of U.S. immigration law, rather than a policy specific to SXSW. Performing in the U.S. as a foreigner requires permission from the government, and if an artist gives a performance that isn’t covered by the terms under which that permission was granted, he or she is in violation of the law. This is basically what SXSW managing director Roland Swenson said in his first response to the criticism: “There is language in the Performance Agreement which is included to inform foreign artists that the U.S. immigration authorities have mechanisms to create trouble for artists who ignore U.S. immigration laws. For example, those acts coming to SXSW to perform without a work visa are limited, by U.S. immigration law, to performing their showcase event only. If an artist wishes to perform elsewhere, they will require a work visa.”

Which is to say: Don’t blame us for the state of affairs, blame the government. This is hard to argue with, except when also considering SXSW’s financial motive for keeping bands away from unofficial shows. While Swenson presents the language as a benign attempt to keep musicians informed, it’s also possible to understand it as intimidation: if you stray away from the sandbox, the immigration raiders might come for you. This is pretty much a matter of tone and semantics, however. In this

[In Brief]

Page 8 of 15

case, SXSW is only telling bands about laws it has no control over.

The other controversial clause–the one about alerting “the appropriate U.S. immigration authorities” if a performer breaks the rules–is more difficult to defend. After encountering criticism, Swenson said the language was intended to help the festival protect itself if an artist “does something truly egregious, such as disobeying our rules about pyrotechnics on stage, starting a brawl in a club, or causing serious safety issues.” None of those examples are enumerated in the document itself, though, and given this clause’s proximity to the stuff about unofficial showcases, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume that SXSW would call ICE on you if they caught you playing at the wrong bar.

The “Showcase Exception”Matthew Covey, an attorney who

specializes in securing visas for foreign artists who hope to perform in the U.S., speculated that the festival organizers included the deportation line to cover themselves in case the government ever decided to crack down on the international acts that perform there. “A few years ago SXSW…took the stand that artists could enter the U.S. to perform at SXSW without employment visas under a narrow exception to the law carved out for performances that are effectively auditions–‘bona fide industry showcases,’” he explained in a written statement provided to SPIN. “This change of policy has been hugely positive because it made SXSW much more accessible to independent artists, and has allowed SXSW to grow as an extraordinarily vibrant forum for international and world music. The problem however is that the applicability of the ‘showcase exception’ to SXSW is something of a legal grey area, given that SXSW is kind of an audition, but it’s also kind of a party.”

According to Covey, most of the artists who use this exception to perform at SXSW do so successfully, but only because the U.S. Department of State and Customs and Border Protection is “playing ball,” using a wide interpretation of the law because it understands that SXSW is a boon to

the economy. However, he added, the government could just as easily change its mind if it sees that bands are abusing the showcase exception, claiming to play only SXSW “but actually entering to do a zillion other gigs that are nothing like ‘auditions.’”

Covey believes that the strong language in the contract is intended to signal a strong stance against abuse of the exception and avoid a crackdown. Still, he believes the festival would be better off removing the line. “SXSW is not under any legal obligation to rat out foreign artists in the U.S. on the showcase exception for playing unauthorized showcases…and in the current climate any concern SXSW may have regarding the abuse of the showcase exception could be better addressed in other ways,” he wrote. “The passage seems pointlessly threatening, and—importantly—it is counter the trend of progressive organizations creating ‘sanctuary’ spaces. As such, I can’t see a reason to keep the passage in the invitation, and there are certainly very good reasons to remove it. SXSW should remove the offending passage and offer to amend their agreement with all currently invited international artists.”

Radius Clauses and the SXSW’s Financial Motivation

At the end of the day, SXSW has very little interest in having bands deported that traveled to America to play its shows. The controversial clauses were probably aimed at something much more banal: protecting their money, by discouraging bands to play unofficial shows. This kind of thing is fairly widespread in the music industry: I play in a small band, and venues corporate and DIY alike regularly ask us to agree to “radius clauses” prohibiting us from playing in the same city for two weeks before or after a given show. The difference is that these venues don’t threaten to call the police on us in the same breath, and it’s totally reasonable that SXSW bands would be alarmed at the language about notifying immigrations officials.

A manager of an indie label who preferred not to be identified told SPIN she believed the contract terms were financially motivated, and that

the festival’s focus on keeping bands away from official shows is ultimately detrimental. “When I heard that this language had been in the contract for the last five years or so, that immediately made me think of the timeline of when SXSW started cracking down on unofficial showcases,” she said. “That was when you saw showy big money coming in from brands, like the huge Doritos stage and other big sponsored areas. Suddenly there was a lot of interest in protecting the interests of those brands by harshly discouraging brands against playing unofficial shows. And it feels like that has gotten even worse in recent years. And to me it feels like fewer industry people are going to SXSW now, because it’s harder to see bands, because they’re playing fewer shows. And it’s more expensive for bands to go down there when the number of shows they’re playing has been restricted.”

As a show of good faith to the artists that protested the festival, and to any international or immigrants who feel unsafe playing there, SXSW should remove the offending language from its paperwork. But the festival isn’t really against immigrants, so much as it is simply for making money–and that’s a charge you could levy against practically every other festival and venue in America.

This article was originally published by SPIN.

[In Brief]

Page 9 of 15

The Chainsmokers Match Beatles & Bee Gees With Three Songs in Hot 100’s Top 10 & Ed Sheeran Holds at No. 1BY GARY TRUST

Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” rules the Billboard Hot 100 (dated March 18) for a sixth total week.

Meanwhile, The Chainsmokers boast three songs in the Hot 100’s top 10 -- “Something Just Like This” (with Coldplay), “Paris” and “Closer” (featuring Halsey) -- becoming just the third duo or group ever with three simultaneous top 10s, following The Beatles and Bee Gees.

Plus, Kodak Black earns his first Hot 100 top 10 with “Tunnel Vision.”

As we do every Monday, let’s run down top 10 of the Hot 100, which blends sales, airplay and streaming data. All charts will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, March 7.

Starting with The Chainsmokers, the duo of Alex Pall and Drew Taggart infuses the Hot 100’s top 10 with its Coldplay collab “Something Just Like This,” up from No. 56 to No. 5, “Paris” (6-7) and “Closer” (5-10), all released on Disruptor/Columbia Records. The Chainsmokers join elite company as only the third duo or group to log at least three concurrent top 10s, following The Beatles and Bee Gees, dating to the Hot 100’s Aug. 4, 1958, launch.

At the height of early Beatlemania, The Beatles tallied 10 weeks in 1964 with at least three titles in the Hot 100’s top 10 at the same time, highlighted by two weeks with five hits; on April 4, 1964, all five ranked between Nos. 1 and 5, marking the only week that an act has monopolized the entire top five. Bee Gees danced to

three simultaneous top 10s for two weeks in 1978, all from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. As the brother trio last managed the achievement on March 4, 1978, until this week it had been 39 years and two weeks since a duo or group had tripled up in the top 10.

Among all artists, The Chainsmokers are the 14th act with at least three Hot 100 top 10s in the same week. Justin Bieber had last earned the honor, for 10 weeks (Dec. 5, 2015-Feb. 6, 2016) with “Love Yourself,” “Sorry” and “What Do You Mean?”

“Something” soars after its first full week of tracking, following its Feb. 22 release. It bounds 21-2 on Digital Song Sales (83,000 downloads sold in the week ending March 2, according to Nielsen Music) and debuts at No. 7 on Streaming Songs (18.1 million U.S. streams), while adding 22 million in airplay audience (in the week ending March 5). The song is The Chainsmokers’ fifth Hot 100 top 10 and Coldplay’s fourth, and first since “A Sky Full of Stars” (No. 10) in 2014; Coldplay had last ranked higher than No. 5 in 2008 with its sole No. 1, “Viva La Vida.”

“Something” additionally crowns Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, dethroning “Paris,” which last week had replaced “Closer” at No. 1. The songs mark the first set of back-to-back-to-back No. 1s by the same artist in the tally’s four-year history.

“Paris” slips a spot from its No. 6 high on the Hot 100, but lifts 12-11 on Radio Songs (66 million, up 5 percent). “Paris” and “Something” are from The Chainsmokers’ first full-length album, Memories…Do Not Open, due April 7.

Capping the Hot 100’s top 10, “Closer,” which spent 12 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100, extends its mark for the most weeks in the top 10 from a title’s debut, having totaled all 31 of its frames on the chart in the top 10 since its entrance at No. 9 on Aug. 20, 2016. The track also ties Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk!,” featuring Bruno Mars (31 top-10 weeks in 2014-15), for the second-most time in the top 10: LeAnn Rimes’ “How Do I Live” did one better, 32 weeks in 1997-98.

Atop the Hot 100, Sheeran’s “Shape,”

released on Atlantic Records, spends a sixth week at No. 1, as well as a sixth frame atop the Digital Song Sales chart (141,000 downloads sold, down 4 percent) and a fourth week at No. 1 on Radio Songs, up by 1 percent to 156 million in audience. It stays at No. 2 on Streaming Songs (39.8 million U.S. streams, down 5 percent) and tops the audio subscription services-based On-Demand Streaming Songs chart for a second week (18.3 million on-demand clicks, up 2 percent).

The song is from Sheeran’s third studio album, ÷, released Friday (March 3) and set to storm in at No. 1 on the March 25-dated Billboard 200 albums chart.

Migos’ “Bad and Boujee,” featuring Lil Uzi Vert, keeps at No. 2 on the Hot 100 following three nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1. The cut commands Streaming Songs for a 10th week, with 43.9 million U.S. streams (down 5 percent) and dips 13-14 on Radio Songs (61 million, down 3 percent) and 18-22 on Digital Song Sales (31,000 downloads sold, down 12 percent). “Bad” leads Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts for a ninth week each.

Zayn and Taylor Swift’s “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker)” is likewise stationary, at No. 3 on the Hot 100 after hitting No. 2. The duet keeps at No. 2 on Radio Songs (113 million, down 1 percent) and descends 4-6 on Streaming Songs (20.2 million, down 6 percent) and 6-8 on Digital Song Sales (47,000, down 26 percent).

Bruno Mars additionally stays in place on the Hot 100 with “That’s What I Like” (No. 4), although the song makes gains following the March 1 arrival of its official video. It backtracks 2-3 on Digital Song Sales, but with a 1 percent lift to 76,000 sold, and pushes 15-11 on Streaming Songs (17.4 million, up 8 percent) and 18-12 on Radio Songs (65 million, up 18 percent), winning the chart’s top Airplay Gainer award for a second week. On the Hot R&B Songs chart, “Like” logs a third week at No. 1.

Rihanna’s “Love on the Brain” rises 7-6 on the Hot 100, hitting a new peak. The song is her 30th top 10, a milestone

[In Brief]

Page 10 of 15

that only Madonna (the leader with 38 top 10s) and The Beatles (34) had previously achieved. Airplay continues to lead the way for the ballad, which keeps at No. 3 on Radio Songs (107 million, down 2 percent).

Kodak Black blasts 27-8 on the Hot 100 with “Tunnel Vision,” his first top 10 on the chart. The track, whose politically charged video arrived Feb. 16, pushes 5-3 on Streaming Songs, up 65 percent to 30.7 million U.S. streams. It zooms 7-2 on the Hot Rap Songs chart and, as on the Hot 100, becomes the rapper’s first top 10 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (12-4).

Taking a deeper look at “Tunnel Vision”… the track becomes the highest-charting hit in the Hot 100’s history with the word “tunnel” in its title: it one-ups Bruce Springsteen’s “Tunnel of Love,” which rode to No. 9 in 1988. And, triple “vision”: Kodak Black’s hit is the third top 10 with “vision” in its title, following Foreigner’s “Double Vision” (No. 2, 1978) and Mariah Carey’s debut smash “Vision of Love” (No. 1, four weeks, 1990).

Meanwhile, Big Sean’s “Bounce Back” is steady at No. 9 after reaching No. 6.

Just beyond the Hot 100’s top 10, Justin Timberlake’s former No. 1 “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” rebounds 29-13, blasting 35-6 on Digital Song Sales (51,000, up 124 percent) after he opened the Academy Awards (Feb. 26) with a live performance of the song, from the Trolls soundtrack. Plus, KYLE’s “iSpy,” featuring Lil Yachty, hits a new Hot 100 peak (20-14); Shawn Mendes’ “Mercy” returns to its highpoint (18-17); and Sam Hunt’s “Body Like a Back Road” steers into the top 20 (22-20).

Find out more Hot 100 news in the weekly “Hot 100 Chart Moves” column later this week, and visit Billboard.com tomorrow (March 7), when all charts, including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh. The Hot 100 and other charts will also appear in the next issue of Billboard magazine, on sale Friday (March 10).

Former Vice President Joe Biden to Speak at SXSWBY NATALIE JARVEY

Former Vice President Joe Biden has been added to the lineup of speakers at SXSW, festival organizers announced Monday morning.

Biden will attend the annual tech, film and music confab to outline his plans for a new cancer initiative, his follow-up to the work he did while in office via the White House Cancer Moonshot.

“We’re excited to have Vice President Biden address the creative innovators and entrepreneurs that attend SXSW,” said festival chief programming officer Hugh Forrest. “His commitment and leadership is crucial at a time when the smartest minds from the worlds of technology and healthcare are working together to create groundbreaking new solutions in the battle to end cancer.”

Fighting cancer has been a key issue for Biden since he lost his son, Beau, to the disease in 2015. After leaving office at the end of January, Biden announced plans for The Biden Foundation, which is focusing on advancing cancer research, helping military families and preventing violence against women.

His appearance at SXSW comes one year after President Barack Obama became the first sitting president to speak at the annual conference.

Biden’s talk is part of SXSW Interactive’s Connect to End Cancer series, which will take place on Sunday, March 12. Biden will speak that day at 3:30 p.m. CT. A video of the talk will be made available at SXSW.com following the event.

SXSW kicks off in Austin on March 10 and runs through March 19.

This article was originally published by the Hollywood Reporter.

Adele Named Music Biz’s Artist of the YearBY MARC SCHNEIDER

Adele’s trophy room -- her bathroom, apparently -- is about to get more crowded. The Music Business Association (Music Biz) announced on Monday that the British juggernaut will be crowned artist of the year at the upcoming Music Biz 2017 con-ference.

The singer’s third album, 25, has been certified Diamond by the RIAA for selling 10 million copies. She went five for five at last month’s Grammy Awards, winning album of the year, record of the year, song of the year, pop vocal album, and pop solo performance.

“Adele is a once-in-a-lifetime talent who has clearly struck an indelible chord with music fans all around the world,” said James Donio, president of Music Biz. “Her accomplishments are unprecedented, from the record-shattering success of 25, to the glowing reviews and sold-out audiences for her massive world tour, to her Emmy-nominated TV special Adele Live in New York City.”

Past recipients of the artist of the year award include Little Big Town, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Coldplay and Green Day.

The Music Biz 2017 conference will take place in Nashville on May 15-18. This year’s event will feature keynotes from Atlantic Records Group Chairman and COO Julie Greenwald, Spotify’s Global Head of Creator Services Troy Carter, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) Music Agents Jeff Krones and Hunter Williams, Cracker Barrel’s VP of Marketing Don Hoffman, Universal Music Group’s Exec. VP of Content Strategy and Operations Barak Moffitt, and more to be announced.

[In Brief]

Page 11 of 15

Jimmy Buffett Launching Margaritaville Retirement HomesBY GIL KAUFMAN

At some point, even Parrotheads need to add a bit of qualified nursing care to their routine of endless mai tais and cheese-burgers. Soon they’ll be able to find that in a paradise being built by their supreme leader, Jimmy Buffett courtesy of a planned string of Margaritaville retirement homes. According to the website for Latitude Mar-garitavile, the first of the communities is being planned in Daytona Beach, Florida, and it promises that the party will continue well into the golden years.

“It’s always been that happy place in your mind, the spirit of adventure in your soul. It’s the state of mind when it all comes together in one of life’s perfect moments. When your mind wanders to this paradise, why not follow it home?” reads the site. “We have heard your call… Minto Communities and Margaritaville welcome you to Latitude Margaritaville!... Inspired by the legendary music and lifestyle of singer, songwriter and best-selling author Jimmy Buffett, your new home in paradise features exciting recreation, unmatched dining and FINtastic nightlife. With Minto’s 60 years of experience developing award-winning, master-planned communities and building quality homes for over 80,000 families, innovative new homes are a given.”

The paradise where you can “grow older, but not up” promises homes starting in the low $200s, with furnished models slated to open in early 2018 for residents who have to be 55 or older. It also promises that more locations will be coming soon. Author, musician, Broadway producer and restaurateur Buffett has teamed with development company Minto Communities on the project. “It’s going to be a very fun place,” Minto vice president Bill Bullock

told ABC News of the $1 billion project that is expected to feature 7,000 2- and 3-bedroom homes. “We expect our first residents to be living in the community by late summer of 2018.” Bullock claims that there have already been ovr 10,000 registrants in the first two weeks of offers.

iHeartRadio Music Awards 2017: Republic Records Wins Label of the YearBY ASHLEY IASIMONE

Republic Records is receiving the label of the year honor at this year’s iHeartRadio Music Awards, Billboard has learned. The label of the year award is based on having the most hits played on radio.

“Not only did Republic Records have more hit songs than any other label in 2016, they also produced some of the most diverse and innovative music of the year,” Tom Poleman, president of national programming for iHeartMedia, says. “It’s hard to imagine this past year without incredible music from artists like Drake, James Bay, Ariana Grande, DNCE, the Weeknd and Shawn Mendes. We have Monte, Avery and Charlie to thank.”

“This award is driven by our great artists and partners along with the world class Republic Records team that consistently executes across the iHeartMedia platform. We are honored to be recognized as label of the year,” says Charlie Walk, president of the Republic Group.

In a recent interview with Billboard, Walk addressed Republic’s consistent track record: “The way you win is having the best music. After that, it’s a strategy. When you put a song out? What is the order in which you put certain songs out? Where do you start those songs that end up becoming big testing records at radio?

The company that throws out records to see what sticks, if that ever was this label, it’s certainly not today. We have a really smart, trained, sophisticated group that sit inside our company and also touch all the departments. Promotion is on the main floor and woven into the ethos and the culture of the company. So they can speak differently because they’re right next to marketing, or media or A&R.”

The 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards -- featuring performances by Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes, Thomas Rhett, Noah Cyrus and Labrinth, Big Sean, and Coldplay’s Chris Martin with the Chainsmokers -- airs Sunday, March 5 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on TBS, TNT and truTV, live from the Forum in Los Angeles. Award winners in categories not featured on the live broadcast have been sharing 10-second acceptance speeches on Snapchat throughout the weekend; their snaps will be shown during Sunday night’s show.

Mass Appeal Raises $6M Funding Round Led by Universal MusicBY DAN RYS

Mass Appeal, the graffiti/hip-hop culture publication that has grown to include tel-evision and production wings as well as a record label and creative services division, announced today it had raised $6 million in Series A funding. Leading the round is Universal Music Group, and with today’s announcement UMG evp Michele Antho-ny will serve on Mass Appeal’s board of directors.

Founded as a print magazine in 1996, Mass Appeal has reinvented itself in recent years, particularly after CEO Peter Bittenbender partnered with Nas to

[In Brief]

Page 12 of 15

relaunch the physical magazine and open Mass Appeal Records, which will serve as Nas’ label home after his long-term deal with Def Jam reaches its conclusion. Since the launch of the label in 2014, Mass Appeal Records has released records from Run the Jewels (Run the Jewels 2, Meow the Jewels), Fashawn (The Ecology) and Dave East (Hate Me Now, Kairi Chanel), among others, as well as posthumous records from Pimp C (Long Live the Pimp) and J Dilla (The Diary).

The company has also made significant moves in the television space via a partnership with TBS and TNT, including upcoming digital series Storyville alongside Okayplayer and Think B.I.G., a fictional animated series inspired by the lyrics of The Notorious B.I.G. and produced in partnership with the late rapper’s mother, Ms. Voletta Wallace, and former manager Wayne Barrow’s Bystorm Films.

“Universal’s reach and influence is unparalleled in music and beyond,” Bittenbender said in a statement announcing the news. “Together, UMG and Mass Appeal will create iconic, globally impactful content and we couldn’t be more excited to get to work.”

In addition to UMG, several other investors joined the funding round, including Usher, Steve Stoute, Evolution Media, Jon Jashni of Raintree Ventures, Charles King of Macro, Michael Kassan of MediaLink and Karen Lauder, as well as Nas and White Owl Capital, who were already investors in the company.

“At Universal Music Group, we are creating new opportunities for our artists and labels to forge deeper relationships with fans around the world through music, film, television, video, social media and brand sponsorships,” Anthony said in a statement. “Working with Mass Appeal, we will be able to accelerate that strategy. I’m honored to join Mass Appeal’s board and I’m looking forward to working closely together on many future projects.”

Smirnoff Aims to Double Female Festival Headliners With Equalizing Music Initiative: ExclusiveBY ELIAS LEIGHT

In the male-heavy world of dance music, the rapid ascent of Marea Stamper has been remarkable. She released her first re-cord as the Black Madonna in 2012, became talent buyer and creative director at Smart Bar, the legendary independent dance mu-sic palace in Chicago, a year later, and won Mixmag’s DJ of the Year honor in 2016. “I’ve often said that the only difference be-tween me and everybody else is that I had a couple agents that really believed in me,” she tells Billboard Dance. “If not for them, we would not be having this interview. Women in general need that, somebody that can look through the surface level mar-ketability and find this other spot.”

The Black Madonna is now part of a push by Smirnoff, the liquor giant, to bring electronic music closer to gender parity with the Equalizing Music initiative. An investigation of 24 major festival lineups by Vice’s dance music vertical, Thump, in 2016 found that not a single one achieved equal representation of male- and female-identifying acts; on average, just 17 percent of headliners were women. On Monday (March 6), Smirnoff announced its goal of doubling the number of female-identifying headliners at major music festivals in three years.

Smirnoff is tackling the problem of unequal opportunity in dance music from multiple angles: first by encouraging “key stakeholders” in electronic music to pledge their own support to help achieve gender parity; second by working with two Vice platforms,Thump and Broadly, to celebrate females in the dance music industry with

a list of “50 Women Making Noise,” which includes the Black Madonna, DJ Rachael, Cassy, Tokimonsta, Anna Lunoe, and many more. The final component of the initiative is Smirnoff: Equalizing Music, a documentary that intertwines the tales of the Black Madonna and DJ Rachael.

“Smirnoff has a wide reach built into their business model and a desire to serve and protect and reflect women,” the Black Madonna tells Billboard Dance. “A goal of this magnitude requires nothing less than a very organized, very high-level push from a lot of people in a lot of areas.”

Accordingly, Smirnoff has obtained commitments from several media outlets — in addition to Vice, Pitchfork signed the pledge, and Mixmag plans to make 50% of its cover stars female DJs going forward — streaming services like Spotify, terrestrial airwave giants like iHeartRadio, the renowned London club Fabric, and promotion companies like Insomniac, all of whom agreed to support Equalize Music to varying degrees. (Other partners are pending.)

The Black Madonna believes that the multi-disciplinary, multi-regional aspects of the coalition Equalize Music has assembled will give it an edge when it comes to thinking of creative strategies for doubling the number of female-identifying festival headliners. “Once you bring a lot of smart people into the fold with a shared goal, they’re going to bring their own approaches and their own ideas to the table,” she says. “There are going to be things we haven’t thought of yet. I look forward to seeing what kind of models and programs work at different levels throughout the world.”

A top-down approach to increasing representation can have immediate impacts. “There were a lot of people that told me I was unmarketable, unphotographable,” the Black Madonna remembers. “I couldn’t even get booked here in Chicago at parties. All it took was the right few people that stood up for me. You gotta figure there are a lot of women in the same boat. They just need someone to get it, to see it, to know what to do with it.”

“There need to be some structural

[In Brief]

Page 13 of 15

changes at the management and representation level and certainly at the booking level,” she continues. “Go figure: when you put women in leadership positions, they don’t have to be convinced that women are capable.”

In addition to the Smirnoff initiative’s policy prongs, the Equalizing Music documentary serves to put a narrative spotlight on the paths of female DJs. “We have to talk about large policy initiatives and action steps and all of the things that go into bridging these gaps,” the Black Madonna explains. “But at the end of the day, this is about humanity — these things don’t happen unless we come out of our spaces and connect with people that are not like us. And then you find, of course, that they’re exactly like you. The essential message of connecting through dance music, through different but shared experiences, that’s the message that will carry us forward.”

The film follows the Black Madonna as she goes to visit DJ Rachael in Uganda, and Rachael also makes the pilgrimage to Smart Bar in Chicago. “We looked for things that were parallels, I wanted to go to a record store or do things that we could do in both places,” the Black Madonna notes. “But what was amazing was that there were so many things that we couldn’t do in both places. There is no record store in Kampala. That does not exist. How do you be a DJ without a record store? That’s a part of the story too.”

“This film is an example of one of the kinds of things we can do, but there are so many more,” the Black Madonna says. “We’re just getting started. I want women to have the best possible version of their world: a world where women are safe, women are running shit, women are getting paid what they’re worth, women are not afraid, women are creating, women are at the forefront.”

Vevo Is Now Funding Videos, Starting With Drake-Approved Jorja SmithBY BILLBOARD STAFF

Vevo is now in the business of funding music videos, starting with the new single from British singer -- and Drake favorite -- Jorja Smith. In November, Vevo selected Smith as one of this year’s Dscvr Ones to Watch artists, and now the video platform has produced the video for her song “Beau-tiful Little Fools,” Music Week is reporting.

“It was clear from the outset of meeting Jorja that she has an amazing talent,” said James Moodie, senior manager of music and talent at Vevo. “It’s been a privilege to be part of her journey since, lending a hand to support her vision.”

The video, which has not been released, was shot at London’s Rivoli Ballroom and directed by Hector Dockrill. Smith recently performed a pair of tracks for Vevo’s Dscvr Live program. She got an even bigger promotional boost in early February when Drake posted a photo of the artist’s EP, Project 11, on his Instagram.

A rep for Vevo has not returned a request for comment on its video-funding plans.

Radio Gives ‘Green Light’ to Lorde’s Impeccable Yet Edgy New SingleBY GARY TRUST

Appropriate for its title, Lorde’s new single “Green Light” has hit the ground running at radio.

The song, released at 2p ET Thursday (March 2), debuts at No. 29 on Billboard’s Nielsen Music-based Alternative Songs airplay chart, No. 30 on Pop Songs and No. 32 on Adult Pop Songs (all dated March 18). Overall, it arrives with 24 million all-format audience impressions. (The charts’ tracking week ran Feb. 27-March 5, so “Green Light” bows with roughly half a week’s-worth of plays. All charts will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, March 7.)

Lorde broke through in 2013 with her smash “Royals,” which topped all three tallies and made her the first female soloist to lead Alternative Songs since 1996. Follow-up “Team” crowned Adult Pop Songs and hit No. 2 on Pop Songs and Alternative Songs. The songs were released from her debut LP, Pure Heroine, which reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200. Her new single previews her second full-length, Melodrama.

“’Green Light’ is a perfect fit for us, and exactly what our audience wanted next from Lorde: driving, impeccable pop that she keeps edgy as hell,” says Jayn, assistant program director/music director of adult pop KLLC (Alice@97.3) San Francisco.

While “Royals” and, to a lesser extent, “Team” cast Lorde’s sound in a moody vein, “Green Light” sports more pop gloss, at least musically. Lyrically, the new song recaps a heartbreak not yet healed, continuing Lorde’s hallmark of looking in from the outside. “Thought you said that you would always be in love, but you’re

[In Brief]

Page 14 of 15

not in love no more,” Lorde sings. “Did it frighten you, how we kissed when we danced on the light-up floor?”

“That’s the thing,” Jayn muses. “I don’t think ‘Green Light’ is too different from her other hits, because her inherent darkness is still ever-present. The lyrics are as true-to-Lorde as any Lorde lyrics could ever be.”

Alternative programmers echo that “Green Light” fits their format. “This is a perfect song for us,” says Dan Connelly, WSUN (97X) Tampa, Florida, PD. “She’s an artist with roots in alternative with a song that will only broaden their appeal. I believe Lorde’s heart is at alternative radio, and the more fans she can bring back to the format can only help stations like ours.”

“This song delivers on every level. It’s a no-brainer,” Andrew Harms, APD/MD of alternative KYSR (ALT 98.7) Los Angeles, concurs. “Lorde is a young, compelling artist that has clearly pushed herself creatively to another level. If a programmer wants to argue that this isn’t a fit for alternative radio, that’s their problem.”

Commission Music, Home to MadeinTYO, Lil Dicky and More, Partners with BMG: ExclusiveBY GAIL MITCHELL

BMG has partnered with Commission Music to release new music from the latter’s roster, which includes MadeinTYO, Lil Dicky, 24Hrs and DJ Envy. The first release under the new pact is MadeinTYO’s “Skateboard P” featuring Big Sean, which is available now. MadeinTYO will also be a special guest on Big Sean’s I Decided tour that kicks off March 17 in Houston.

Commission Music was founded by artist managers Anthony Martini and

Doug Neumann in 2015. Since then, the company has scored an RIAA platinum-certified single with MadeinTYO’s 2016 breakthrough hit “Uber Everywhere.” Prior to that, comedic rapper Lil Dicky bowed at No. 1 on Billboard’s Rap Albums chart with his debut album Professional Rapper. The 2015 project, which features the platinum single “Save Dat Money,” also entered at No. 1 on the Comedy Albums tally and No. 7 on the Billboard 200.

“We started Commission in response to a broken model,” said Martini in a statement announcing the new partnership with BMG. “After years as an artist manager, I knew we could do better, and we have with BMG. Our partnership will allow us to expand that vision without compromising our DIY spirit.”

Added Zach Katz, BMG U.S. president repertoire & marketing, “Anthony and Doug are exactly the kind of entrepreneurs that keep our industry progressing. We are very proud to welcome them to BMG and excited to show the world what we can do together.”

Brian Kennedy, Malik Yusef, Jason Boyd & More Announced for ASCAP ‘I Create Music’ ExpoBY BILLBOARD STAFF

Four-time Grammy-winning producer Brian Kennedy and six-time Grammy-win-ning songwriter Malik Yusef are among the 32 hitmaking songwriters, producers and execs added to the lineup for the 12th annu-al ASCAP “I Create Music” Expo.

Kennedy, who collaborated with Rihanna for a decade, including her most recent album Anti; Yusef, credited on Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo and

Beyonce’s Lemonade; and Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd, writer of eight songs on Justin Bieber’s triple-platinum Purpose, are among panelists confirmed for this year’s confab, which runs April 13–15 at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles.

Other industry leaders committed to sharing knowledge at this year’s event include Sam Hollander (One Direction, Katy Perry), Dave Bassett (Rachel Platten, Elle King) and Greg Wells (Katy Perry, Keith Urban, Adele).

The three-day program comprises panels, workshops, master classes, keynotes and one-on-one sessions to the 3,000-plus international expo participants, according to The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), which has some 600,000 members and represents more than 10 million copyrighted works. It is owned and governed by its writer and publisher members.

[In Brief]

Page 15 of 15