Harry Styles is back with a No. 1 album after a two year hiatus. His new album Fine Line on Columbia bowed at No. 1 with 478,000 equivalent units giving him the third-largest opening week of 2019. The One Direction singer just wrapped up a sold-out crowd at L.A.’s Forum where he was joined by Stevie Nicks for a duet on Landslide.

The Hit Power of a Heartbreak Song: Although Lewis Capaldi doesn’t think his success will last very long, he shouldn’t count himself out yet. Power ballads today are more prominent on adult contemporary and don’t normally cross over from that space. Capaldi proved otherwise with his massive crossover smash Someone You Loved. Spotify in Germany played in role in the 23 year old developing artist before before he set the world ablaze. Capaldi is up for a Grammy and majors are on the lookout for another crooner that can deliver a heartbreak song. Although a Capaldi cannot be reassembled, the billion streamed superstar opened the eyes to execs to a massive market that generally is ignored. UK and the U.S. loves heartbreak songs.

Out With The Old, In With The New // Data Mining & Talent Discovery: If there is one thing that always changes, it’s the process of discovering new artists, both for consumers and music executives. With instant data access, the role of A&R is changing. Yes, everybody is drunk on data but that has become a serious challenge to the older A&R executive getting paid hefty figures to drum up hit songs and artists. Data driven artists like Ant Saunders, Arizona Zervas and REI AMI who all scored label deal changes the game. Spotify is more than ever in the artist discovery business and they get the credit for jumpstarting artists whether its Arizona, Tones and I, and let’s throw in Lewis Capaldi. Yes, Capaldi achieved massive success via radio but it was the playlists that gave ‘Bruises’ life, eventually giving birth to ‘Someone You Loved’. Right now, it’s all eyes on Spotify. Of course, the video-sharing social sites like Tok Tok deserves some credit for laying the groundwork for Lil Nas X and other tracks. One thing is for sure. Music and social sites will continue to co-exist with each other. Names Making Noise: Dua Saleh, maye, Lee Cole, Nina Chuba, and Kelsy Karter.

The Billboard Album Charts will finally take in account YouTube Plays. Starting January 3, 2020, Billboard will starting factoring in YouTube streams along with music video plays from Apple Music, TIDAL, and VEVO. Even with the popularity of DSP’s like Spotify and Apple, Youtube is still widely popular as on online streaming service capturing 55 percent of online music streamers.

On the heels of receiving Billboard’s “Woman Of The Decade” award, Taylor said in her speech that she was held back by “toxic male privilege” in the music industry.

“Women in music are not allowed to coast,” she observed. “We are held at a higher, sometimes impossible-feeling, standard.” “I’ve seen a lot,” she added.

Taking credit for her own success she ads other people didn’t see it that way- “critics had speculated that “a male producer or co-writer” was the real reason for her success; or that a “savvy record label” was responsible for making her a star. “It wasn’t,” she said pointedly.

She also brought up Scooter Braun in her speech telling how she was blindsided with the sale of her masters. Both Scott Borchetta and Braun claim she was aware that her masters were for sale, yet she passed on the purchase.