Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi will release his debut album via Capitol Records on May 17th. Capaldi got his start uploading recordings in his bedroom. His first release “Bruises” amassed close to 28 million plays on Spotify.

Media darlings Vampire Weekend scored another #1 debut with ‘Father of the Bride’ via Columbia.

Still trying to break in the U.S. actress Pia Mia gives it another go with the release of the new track Do It Again via Interscope.

The Head and the Heart will release their 4th album ‘Living Mirage’ on Warner Bros. while pop artist Carly Rae Jepsen will release ‘Dedicated’ via 604/School Boy/Interscope Records.

Notable Spotify New Music Friday Releases: Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber, Logic, Avicii, blink-182, and LIVVIA….

Look out for the club-dance track Play by Betta Lemme released via Ultra Music. This time she enlisted co-writers Jesse Saint John (Britney Spears, Charli XCX) and Danny L Harle (Carly Rae Jepsen). Press includes: Nylon, Paper, L’Officiel. Her debut track “Bambola” charted worldwide and has amassed over 50 million views on YouTube. Having performed popular Italian festivals Wind Summer Festival and Battiti Live, she’s active on the live circuit. Check out the official video.

Kings favorite Sleeplust releases a new track title Real Me. A regular on Kings, the LA based indie act continues to pump out notable tracks. Music placements include Ball in the Family, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Total Bellas, and The Real World. They will begin a June residency at The Satellite in Los Angeles – every Monday. The band tells Kings, “When we wrote this song, I hadn’t felt like myself in awhile. People are constantly growing and evolving into various versions of themselves. “The Real Me” hints at reaching out for my truest self for guidance in a moment of darkness and frustration. I know the person I’m capable of being and sometimes we as humans lose sight of who we are or what we need. We get so caught up in trying to protect ourselves, that it can do more harm than good.”
sleeplustmusic@gmail.com

Fresh on the scene X. ARI releases ‘La La La‘. The electro pop tune is reminiscent of Katy Perry and P!nk. The Canadian born, LA-based artist released a EP titled Dis-Order and is a staunch mental health advocate. Having garnered press from her first release the latest single should do just fine as it’s probably the most poppiest song to date. Give it a stream!
arimusicnet@gmail.com

The Wall Street Journal ran a piece ‘Music Superstars Are the New One Percenters‘. A small number of artists have taken the lion’s share of the market which would include touring and music sales. For instance, just three artists including Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, and Beyoncé collectively generated $1 billion in concert-ticket revenue in 2018. Beyoncé and Jay-Z charged $117 a ticket while Taylor Swift approximately charged $119, and Ed Sheeran a little lower at $89. That’s the top of the industry of course, not the bottom. We don’t need to look at the bottom, but if you really want to know, the lesser known acts were grossing $2,500 in 2017 from concert tickets.

Music superstars have always been the one percenters. The music business is a winner-takes-all market with those at the top get a disproportionate share of the market. It’s because the superstars drive the value what is produced. Consumers are willing to pay more for Ed Sheeran than a relatively unknown artist. The superstars also have a great deal power at the negotiation table. They are making more money today because of endorsement income which has become a significant revenue source. These superstars are dominant in the entertainment economy and are occupying even more space on playlists and radio charts leaving less for developing artists.