I can’t believe we are quickly approaching 2021. How fast was 2020? Time is mysterious, it can feel fast and slow at the same time. Regardless, 2020 was a year for the books and now the holidays are approaching. Anyway, I came across this Christmas/Holiday song and it’s a darn good one. Thanks for the Christmas early cheer. It’s called Another Holiday by Dylan Dunlap. The singer songwriter cites Coldplay and Mumford & Sons as influences. He supported OneRepublic at the sold-out Stadium of Fire event in Provo, UT while releasing his first-ever original “Microphones & Lights,” and toured across the US and the UK. Dylan released the single “If That’s Alright’ that clocked over 20 million streams and is recording new music for the follow up EP via Nettwerk Records.

Watch out for Gabrielle Current. The Los Angeles based 23-year-old has worked with producers including FINNEAS, Kaskade, Cassian, and Felix Cartal. Now she stepped out on her own. She’s worked with notable producers Mark Pelli (Shakira, Jennifer Lopez) in LA, and Charlie Perry (Jorja Smith, BTS) in London and her forthcoming debut EP was created in collaboration with Austin Brown (Hablot Brown). Check out her new track Plenty which blends R&B and jazz.

Instagram influences like Kim Kardashian have new competition that could threaten their empire. The competition isn’t up and coming hopefuls, but computer-animated virtual influencers.

The virtual influencers are used to advertise new products and are earning thousands of dollars with every post.
Shudu who has more than 200k Instagram followers is considered the world’s first digital supermodel. She is in fact beautiful with a perfect body and has been used to show off fashion items designed by Balmain and Christian Louboutin as well as a Samsung phone.
Imma is a fashion model and looks like a real life girl. But she is a virtual model that describes herself as being interested in Japanese culture, film and art, has more than 320,000 followers. In fact, Imma is one the most hottest influencers in Japan.
If you think everything online is fake, then you haven’t seen nothing yet with the rise of the machines.

Spotify will allow artists to promote their music for a cut in royalties. The feature will affect playlists, Spotify Artist Radio, and Autoplay, which plays similar music after a playlist has run out of tracks. The result is an algorithmic boost.

“Artists and labels can identify music that is a priority for them, and our system will add that signal to the algorithm that determines personalised listening sessions,” the company said.
“This allows our algorithms to account for what’s important to the artist – perhaps a song they are particularly excited about, an album anniversary they are celebrating, a viral cultural moment they are experiencing, or other factors they care about.”
“To ensure the tool is accessible to artists at any stage of their careers, it will not require any upfront budget,” Spotify says. “Instead, labels or rights holders agree to be paid a promotional recording royalty rate for streams in personalised listening sessions where we provided this service.”

Artists haven’t been shy throwing their support for their favorite candidate. Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, and Taylor Swift are urging fans to back presidential candidate Joe Biden whereas as Kanye West, 50 cent, Lil Wayne, Lil Pump, and Ice Cube have shown their support for President Donald J. Trump.

Ironically, the CCM artists (Contemporary Christian Music) have been largely silent. Many were vocal in the Black Lives Matter movement including Chris Tomlin, for King & Country, Casting Crowns, Matt Maher, Elevation Worship and Kari Jobe. But the presidential elections? They’re silent as a lamb. There are some exceptions of course. Popular christian artist Danny Gokey has engaged in the conversation and talks regularly about issues that are important to him.
The rock star pastors are sitting on the sidelines as well. Hillsong’s motivational and social activist preacher Carl Lentz has disappeared from the scene. Others celebrity pastors such as Louie Giglio and Judah Smith are also sitting out of the political fray.
But why are the predominant CCM artists choosing to remain silent in this culturally charged moment? That’s what the audience is asking. Their audience are regular churchgoers. They listen to K- Love, the biggest Christian radio network and they attend live events. The seats are filled primarily by word of mouth among churches. How politics will impact the Christian Music Industry is yet to be seen.
But after coming out and supporting racial justice has left the audience confused as to why their favorite CCM artist are wordless on the presidential race. But sometimes silence isn’t empty, but full of answers.