On television at least, it looks as if the beat doesn’t go on.
The phenomenon of music-based television shows, which have dominated the ratings for more than a decade, seems by nearly every measure to be over or in steep decline.
“They flooded the market,” said Simon Cowell, perhaps the individual most responsible for turning amateur singers into superstars, with his roles on “American Idol,” “The X Factor” and “America’s Got Talent.” “There have just been a ton of shows, and something has simply gone awry.”
As broadcast network executives descend upon Manhattan this week to hawk their new programming wares to advertisers in the springtime ritual known as the upfronts, shows filled with music have gone achingly flat.
It is hardly the first time television has burned out a genre through mass imitation and overexposure. Networks rode westerns into the ground. They exhausted the audience with singers trying variety shows. At one point, almost every night had a newsmagazine. And, most famously, ABC ran the sprockets off its game show hit “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” with four episodes a week at its height, leading to a plunge in ratings and its relegation into syndication.
The music genre has been both longer lasting and more potent than most of these examples — until now. CONTINUE READING
He’s a billionaire straight outta Compton — or so Dr. Dre says, anyway.
A video shot by R&B artist Tyrese Gibson seems to confirm that Apple is buying up Beats Electronics. Beats’ founder is rapper and entrepreneur Dr. Dre (Andre Young), and he’s pointing right at the lens in Gibson’s video.
The first billionaire in hip hop right here from the motherf—-n West Coast,” Dre announces.
The Financial Times first reported Thursday that Apple is closing in on a $3.2 billion purchase of the high-end headphones and streaming music service. Representatives from Apple and Beats declined comment.
In the video, Gibson was hanging out with Dre and friends, holding the camera in selfie mode, when Gibson said the deal was official.
Wendy Starland discovered and developed Lady Gaga, which resulted in her signing the major label record and publishing deals that led Gaga to becoming the Multi-Grammy winning icon we know today. Wendy and Lady Gaga have written songs together over the years while also helping to develop Gaga’s creative and marketing strategy. Starland herself made her mark as an artist being named VH1’s “Best Emerging Artist” and was honored by the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. Kings of A&R sat down with Starland and discussed her current and future projects.
When did you first discover that you wanted a career in music?
I was pulled up on stage by James Brown’s saxophone player, Maceo Parker, during one of his concerts and scatted on his stage for 20 minutes. After I was done, Maceo’s bass player got down on one knee as if he were proposing, took a string off of his bass guitar and coiled it up around my ring finger. He hushed the crowd and said into the microphone, “Wendy you have a gift from God. You must devote your life to using this gift or else you will deprive the world of something so special.” I got the chills. It was written up in the newspapers the next day. I made the decision in that moment to switch my focus from painting to music forever.
You’re involved in all aspects of music including songwriting, producing, composing, and as a solo artist. Do you have a particular strength?
I’d say my greatest strength is in my ability to be versatile. Authentically. I’ve collaborated with artists that truly run the gammut: from members of the Wu Tang Clan and Capone, to Moby, Lady Gaga, and opening for artists such as Sheryl Crow, Jack White, and Chris Shiflett of the Foo Fighters, etc. I was also released on a Universal compilation that included Norah Jones and Feist, so I’ve written and produced several songs in that genre as well. I’ve been exposed to most musical genres and have learned how to tackle them effectively. CONTINUE READING
Coldplay enters to the top iTunes Chart selling 121,690 downloads of their new track A Sky Full Of Stars.
via Hollie McKay
This past weekend tens of thousands of country music fans attended the three-day, boot-scootin’ festival known as Stagecoach. The headliners were Eric Church, Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan, supported by Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes and Florida Georgia Line. And with all the crooning about beer, trucks, and chicks, one thing was clear – women were playing second fiddle.
Of the 62 acts, only 16 were women, most of whom did not make it on the main stage. Those who did were also on early in the day before the big crowds arrived, with Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland fame the only one to receive a relatively prime position ahead of Hayes and Aldean on the second night.
Similarly, last year, the lineup had just eight female performers out of 46.
According to Billy Dukes of country music news site TasteofCountry.com, ladies are indeed losing ground in the genre.
“It has been especially tough for solo female artists for a decade, with only three having any sustained success (Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert) and there aren’t any female soloists that have found success and are up and coming,” he told FOX411. “There is no female equivalent of Hunter Hayes, a male solo artist just about ready to break and become a headliner.” CONTINUE READING
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