Spotify gives New Music Friday a makeover. With 3.5 million followers, the playlist remains one of the most popular which highlights tracks by established artists and emerging talent.
The playlist which launched in 2014 will be given a celebration with new cover art and New York and Los Angeles billboards. Spotify’s New Music Friday Playlist became a-much-needed-force that helped artists reach a new level of audience. The playlist helped launch Billie Eilish, Tones and I, Lil Tecca, as well as Lizzo – after these artists appeared on the playlist, their stream count went through the roof. In fact, I remember when I first discovered Lewis Capaldi’s ‘Bruises’ on NMF.

Per the doctors order, Lana Del Rey is cancelling her European Tour. Sorry to let everyone down so last minute but this illness has taken me by surprise and have totally lost my singing voice,” she said. Currently, future dates have not been re-scheduled. Lewis Capaldi also had to cancel dates after he lost his voice.

When it comes to childhood fame, nobody experienced it more than Justin Bieber. Having been in the spotlight since his teens, Bieber is well aware of the effects of fame. The new teen sensation is Billie Eilish and Bieber wants to protect her from that world.
Speaking on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 Show, Bieber said: “Let her do her thing. If she ever needs me I’m going to be here for her.” Check out the video.

Interim Recording Academy president Harvey Mason Jr. sent a memo to voting members addressing concerns that were made by former Recording Academy CEO Deborah Dugan.

General counsel, Greenberg Traurig’s Joel Katz, is “being independently investigated by a law firm with no previous ties to the Academy,”.
The Recording Academy was also criticized for paying more than $15 million in legal fees, including a one-time $5 million bonus paid to Greenberg Traurig for negotiating a $500 million deal. “Paying millions of dollars to lawyers is well in line with industry standards,” says Mason.
Mason also noted that the Grammy’s aren’t rigged despite the claims made by Dugan.

Her outrageous assertion that the Grammys are “rigged” is utterly false. We do realize that the nomination and voting process needs to be better understood so we have taken steps to make it more public and to educate people about how it works to preserve fairness and protect Nominations Review Committee members from lobbying and pressure. In addition, as always, our awards process will be reviewed at the upcoming April Awards and Nominations Committee meeting.

Lewis Capaldi let us know that his massive piano power ballad ‘Someone You Loved’ hit one billion streams. He posted this on his instagram:
“And of course when I say OUR achievement I mean MY achievement how dare you try to piggy back on my success you bastards ??It was all me, all along, no help from anyone and another thing I have decided that no one is allowed to make eye contact with me anymore unless they too have 1 billion streams on @spotify so don’t even try it. I am a genius, goodbye”
You have to love his sense of humor.