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The Billboard Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming in the United States.

The weekly tracking period for sales was initially Monday to Sunday when Nielsen started tracking sales in 1991, but was changed to Friday to Thursday in July 2015. This tracking period also applies to compiling online streaming data. Radio airplay, which, unlike sales figures and streaming, is readily available on a real-time basis, is tracked on a Monday to Sunday cycle (previously Wednesday to Tuesday).[1] A new chart is compiled and officially released to the public by Billboard on Tuesdays.

The first number one song of the Billboard Hot 100 was “Poor Little Fool” by Ricky Nelson, on August 4, 1958. As of the issue for the week ending on February 29, 2020, the Billboard Hot 100 has had 1,096 different number one entries. The chart’s current number-one song is “The Box” by Roddy Ricch.[2]ما معنى كلمه billboard

Prior to 1955, Billboard’s lead popularity chart was the Honor Roll of Hits, established in 1945. This chart ranked the most popular songs comprised by record and sheet sales, disk jockey, and juke box performances as determined by Billboard’s weekly nationwide survey.[3] At the start of the rock era in 1955, there were three charts that measured songs by individual metrics:[4]

Although officially all three charts had equal “weight” in terms of their importance, Billboard Magazine considers the Best Sellers in Stores chart when referencing a song’s performance prior to the creation of the Hot 100.[5] On the week ending November 12, 1955, Billboard published The Top 100 for the first time. The Top 100 combined all aspects of a single’s performance (sales, airplay and jukebox activity), based on a point system that typically gave sales (purchases) more weight than radio airplay. The Best Sellers In Stores, Most Played by Jockeys and Most Played in Jukeboxes charts continued to be published concurrently with the new Top 100 chart.

On June 17, 1957, Billboard discontinued the Most Played in Jukeboxes chart, as the popularity of jukeboxes waned and radio stations incorporated more and more rock-oriented music into their playlists. The week ending July 28, 1958 was the final publication of the Most Played by Jockeys and Top 100 charts, both of which had Perez Prado’s instrumental version of “Patricia” ascending to the top.[citation needed]

On August 4, 1958, Billboard premiered one main all-genre singles chart: the Hot 100. The Hot 100 quickly became the industry standard and Billboard discontinued the Best Sellers In Stores chart on October 13, 1958.

The Billboard Hot 100 is still the standard by which a song’s popularity is measured in the United States. The Hot 100 is ranked by radio airplay audience impressions as measured by Nielsen BDS, sales data compiled by Nielsen Soundscan (both at retail and digitally) and streaming activity provided by online music sources.[4]

There are several component charts that contribute to the overall calculation of the Hot 100. The most significant ones are:

The tracking week for sales and streaming begins on Friday and ends on Thursday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Monday to Sunday. A new chart is compiled and officially released to the public by Billboard on Tuesday. Each chart is post-dated with the “week-ending” issue date four days after the charts are refreshed online (i.e., the following Saturday).[6] For example:

The methods and policies by which this data is obtained and compiled have changed many times throughout the chart’s history.

Although the advent of a singles music chart spawned chart historians and chart-watchers and greatly affected pop culture and produced countless bits of trivia, the main purpose of the Hot 100 is to aid those within the music industry: to reflect the popularity of the “product” (the singles, the albums, etc.) and to track the trends of the buying public. Billboard has (many times) changed its methodology and policies to give the most precise and accurate reflection of what is popular. A very basic example of this would be the ratio given to sales and airplay. During the Hot 100’s early history, singles were the leading way by which people bought music. At times, when singles sales were robust, more weight was given to a song’s retail points than to its radio airplay.

As the decades passed, the recording industry concentrated more on album sales than singles sales. Musicians eventually expressed their creative output in the form of full-length albums rather than singles, and by the 1990s many record companies stopped releasing singles altogether (see Album Cuts, below). Eventually, a song’s airplay points were weighted more so than its sales. Billboard has adjusted the sales/airplay ratio many times to more accurately reflect the true popularity of songs.

Billboard has also changed its Hot 100 policy regarding “two-sided singles” several times. The pre-Hot 100 chart “Best Sellers in Stores” listed popular A- and-B-sides together, with the side that was played most often (based on its other charts) listed first. One of the most notable of these, but far from the only one, was Elvis Presley’s “Don’t Be Cruel” / “Hound Dog”. During the Presley single’s chart run, top billing was switched back and forth between the two sides several times. But on the concurrent “Most Played in Juke Boxes”, “Most Played by Jockeys” and the “Top 100”, the two songs were listed separately, as was true of all songs. With the initiation of the Hot 100 in 1958, A- and-B-sides charted separately, as they had on the former Top 100.

Starting with the Hot 100 chart for the week ending November 29, 1969, this rule was altered; if both sides received significant airplay, they were listed together. This started to become a moot point by 1972, as most major record labels solidified a trend they had started in the 1960s by putting the same song on both sides of the singles provided to radio.

More complex issues began to arise as the typical A-and-B-side format of singles gave way to 12 inch singles and maxi-singles, many of which contained more than one B-side. Further problems arose when, in several cases, a B-side would eventually overtake the A-side in popularity, thus prompting record labels to release a new single, featuring the former B-side as the A-side, along with a “new” B-side.

The inclusion of album cuts on the Hot 100 put the double-sided hit issues to rest permanently.

As many Hot 100 chart policies have been modified over the years, one rule always remained constant: songs were not eligible to enter the Hot 100 unless they were available to purchase as a single. However, on December 5, 1998, the Hot 100 changed from being a “singles” chart to a “songs” chart.[7] During the 1990s, a growing trend in the music industry was to promote songs to radio without ever releasing them as singles. It was claimed by major record labels that singles were cannibalizing album sales, so they were slowly phased out. During this period, accusations began to fly of chart manipulation as labels would hold off on releasing a single until airplay was at its absolute peak, thus prompting a top ten or, in some cases, a number one debut. In many cases, a label would delete a single from its catalog after only one week, thus allowing the song to enter the Hot 100, make a high debut and then slowly decline in position as the one-time production of the retail single sold out.

It was during this period that several popular mainstream hits never charted on the Hot 100, or charted well after their airplay had declined. During the period that they were not released as singles, the songs were not eligible to chart. Many of these songs dominated the Hot 100 Airplay chart for extended periods of time:

As debate and conflicts occurred more and more often, Billboard finally answered the requests of music industry artists and insiders by including airplay-only singles (or “album cuts”) in the Hot 100.[citation needed]

Extended play (EP) releases were listed by Billboard on the Hot 100 and in pre-Hot 100 charts (Top 100) until the mid-to-late 1960s. With the growing popularity of albums, it was decided to move EPs (which typically contain four to six tracks) from the Hot 100 to the Billboard 200, where they are included to this day.

Since February 12, 2005, the Billboard Hot 100 tracks paid digital downloads from such internet services as iTunes, Musicmatch, and Rhapsody. Billboard initially started tracking downloads in 2003 with the Hot Digital Tracks chart. However, these downloads did not count towards the Hot 100 and that chart (as opposed to Hot Digital Songs) counted each version of a song separately (the chart still exists today along with Hot Digital Songs). This was the first major overhaul of the Hot 100’s chart formula since December 1998.

The change in methodology has shaken up the chart considerably, with some songs debuting on the chart strictly with robust online sales and others making drastic leaps. In recent years, several songs have been able to achieve 80-to-90 position jumps in a single week as their digital components were made available at online music stores. Since 2006, the all-time record for the biggest single-week upward movement was broken nine times.

In the issue dated August 11, 2007, Billboard began incorporating weekly data from streaming media and on-demand services into the Hot 100. The first two major companies to provide their statistics to Nielsen BDS on a weekly basis were AOL Music and Yahoo! Music.[8] On March 24, 2012, Billboard premiered its On-Demand Songs chart, and its data was incorporated into the equation that compiles the Hot 100.[9] This was expanded to a broader Streaming Songs chart in January 2013, which ranks web radio streams from services such as Spotify, as well as on-demand audio titles.[10] In February 2013, U.S. views for a song on YouTube were added to the Hot 100 formula. “Harlem Shake” was the first song to reach number one after the changes were made.[11] The Hot 100 formula starting 2013 generally incorporates sales (35–45%), airplay (30–40%) and streaming (20–30%), and the precise percentage can change from week to week.[12]

A growing trend in the early first decade of the 21st century was to issue a song as a “remix” that was so drastically different in structure and lyrical content from its original version that it was essentially a whole new song. Under normal circumstances, airplay points from a song’s album version, “radio” mix and/or dance music remix, etc. were all combined and factored into the song’s performance on the Hot 100, as the structure, lyrics and melody remained intact. Criticisms began when songs were being completely re-recorded to the point that they no longer resembled the original recording. The first such example of this scenario is Jennifer Lopez’ “I’m Real”. Originally entering the Hot 100 in its album version, a “remix” was issued in the midst of its chart run that featured rapper Ja Rule. This new version proved to be far more popular than
the album version and the track was propelled to number one.

To address this issue, Billboard now separates airplay points from a song’s original version and its remix, if the remix is determined to be a “new song”. Since administering this new chart rule, several songs have charted twice, normally credited as “Part 1” and “Part 2”. The remix rule is still in place.

Billboard, in an effort to allow the chart to remain as current as possible and to give proper representation to new and developing artists and tracks, has (since 1991) removed titles that have reached certain criteria regarding its current rank and number of weeks on the chart. Recurrent criteria have been modified several times and currently (as of 2015[update]), a song is permanently moved to “recurrent status” if it has spent 20 weeks on the Hot 100 and fallen below position number 50. Additionally, descending songs are removed from the chart if ranking below number 25 after 52 weeks.[13] Exceptions are made to re-releases and sudden resurgence in popularity of tracks that have taken a very long time to gain mainstream success. These rare cases are handled on a case-by-case basis and ultimately determined by Billboard’s chart managers and staff. Christmas songs have been a regular presence on the Hot 100 each December since the relaxation of recurrent rules, culminating in Mariah Carey’s 1994 recording “All I Want for Christmas is You” reaching #1 on the chart in December 2019.[14]

Billboard altered its tracking-week for sales, streaming and radio airplay in order to conform to a new Global Release Date, which now falls on Fridays in all major-market territories (United States product was formerly released on Tuesdays prior to June 2015). This modified tracking schedule took effect in the issue dated July 25, 2015.[1]

Billboard’s “chart year” runs from the first week of December to the final week in November. This altered calendar allows for Billboard to calculate year-end charts and release them in time for its final print issue in the last week of December.

Prior to Nielsen SoundScan, year-end singles charts were calculated by an inverse-point system based solely on a song’s performance on the Hot 100 (for example, a song would be given one point for a week spent at position 100, two points for a week spent at position 99 and so forth, up to 100 points for each week spent at number one). Other factors including the total weeks a song spent on the chart and at its peak position were calculated into its year-end total.

After Billboard began obtaining sales and airplay information from Nielsen SoundScan, the year-end charts are now calculated by a very straightforward cumulative total of yearlong sales, streaming, and airplay points. This gives a more accurate picture of any given year’s most popular tracks, as the points accrued by one song during its week at number one in March might be less than those accrued by another song reaching number three in January. Songs at the peak of their popularity at the time of the November/December chart-year cutoff many times end up ranked on the following year’s chart as well, as their cumulative points are split between the two chart-years, but often are ranked lower than they would have been had the peak occurred in a single year.

The Hot 100 served for many years as the data source for the weekly radio countdown show American Top 40. This relationship ended on November 30, 1991, as American Top 40 started using the airplay-only side of the Hot 100 (then called Top 40 Radio Monitor). The ongoing splintering of Top 40 radio in the early 1990s led stations to lean into specific formats, meaning that practically no station would play the wide array of genres that typically composed each weekly Hot 100 chart.

An artist or band’s ability to have hits in the Hot 100 across multiple decades is recognized as a sign of longevity and being able to adapt to changing musical styles. As of November 2019, only five artists have had a Hot 100 Top 40 hit in each of the last four decades: Michael Jackson, Madonna, “Weird Al” Yankovic, U2, and Kenny G.[15]

A new chart, the Pop 100, was created by Billboard in February 2005 to answer criticism that the Hot 100 was biased in favor of rhythmic songs, as throughout most of its existence, the Hot 100 was seen predominantly as a pop chart. It was discontinued in June 2009 due to the charts becoming increasingly similar.

The Canadian Hot 100 was launched June 16, 2007. Like the Hot 100 chart, it uses sales and airplay tracking compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and BDS.[16]

The Japan Hot 100 was launched in the issue dated May 31, 2008, using the same methodologies as the Hot 100 charts for the U.S. and Canada, using sales and airplay data from SoundScan Japan and radio tracking service Plantech.[17]

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1/17/2020

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Tamar Herman

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As the musical voice of a generation, BTS can be described in many ways, but “burned out” was never assigned to them until today (Jan. 17) when the South Korean septet graced the world with their introspective new song “Black Swan.” The first single from their forthcoming Map of the Soul: 7 album, the members use the song to express their chilling feelings about how artists view their craft, and how they feel when their love of it is lost.

The atmospheric, haunting blend of mournful instrumentals and trap beats explores the artistic idea of how falling out of love with one’s craft is akin to death.   

“The heart no longer races when hearing the music play,” Suga sings during the reflective height of the song. “Seems like time has stopped/ Oh, that would be my first death/ I been always afraid of.” RM follows: “If this can no longer resonate, no longer make my heart vibrate, then like this may be how I die my first death. But what if that moment’s right now?” “No song affects me anymore/ Crying a silent cry,” Jimin mournfully relays a few moments later. ما معنى كلمه billboard

According to a press release, the song serves as, “A confession of an artist who has truly learned what music means to himself.”

The release of “Black Swan” follows shortly after Suga’s solo “Interlude: Shadow,” which sets the tone for the upcoming album to continue BTS’ exploration of Jungian psychoanalytic thought following last year’s Billboard 200 chart-topping album Map of the Soul: Persona. In Jungian psychology, the Map of the Soul — as relayed through the book of that name by Murray Stein that BTS has revealed inspired parts of the series — explores the inner workings of the persona, shadow, and ego. 

“Black Swan” drops more than a month before the arrival of Map of the Soul: 7 on Feb. 21, and was shared via both a studio version on digital music platforms and an art film featuring a performance by Slovenian modern dance troupe MN Dance Company. The visual explores the struggles put forth by BTS in the lyrics as interpreted by the dancers.

It is fronted by a quote from modern dance legend Martha Graham: “A dancer dies twice — once when they stop dancing, and this first death is the more painful.”

Watch the “Black Swan” video below.

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Desiree PerezCOO, Roc Nation

On a typical day, Desiree Perez would prefer not to be here.

Well, not here, exactly — in a conference room on the top floor of Roc Nation’s sleek new offices on Manhattan’s West Side — but “here” as in doing her first interview about her career in the music business. Her path has taken her from part-time hip-hop club promoter to the C-suite of one of the most prominent, artist-friendly independent companies in the world.  ما معنى كلمه billboard

As COO of JAY-Z’s multihyphenate, one-stop music shop, Roc Nation, she’s certainly got plenty of other things to do. The Roc, which initially formed in 2008 as a $150 million joint entertainment venture between Jay and Live Nation (and included a 360 deal for Jay’s recordings, publishing and tours for 10 years), has during the past 11 years expanded into almost every facet of entertainment and grown from five employees to 450 — of which 52% are minorities, according to the company. (A new $200 million touring-only deal between Jay and Live Nation was signed in 2017.)

There’s Roc Nation Records, which counts Rihanna, J. Cole, and Jaden and Willow Smith on its roster and has a global partnership with Universal Music Group (UMG), from which Roc’s label has generated over $200 million. There’s Roc Nation Management, which boasts Meek Mill, Mariah Carey and Shakira as clients. There’s a publishing wing with divisions specifically for country and Latin music; a touring arm, which handles live ventures for JAY-Z, as well as the annual Made in America Festival; and Tidal, the music streaming service and content hub Roc Nation purchased, rebranded and launched with 16 artist stakeholders in March 2015.

Roc Nation Sports represents some of the most famous athletes on the planet, including CC Sabathia, Kyrie Irving and Victor Cruz; Roc’s film/TV division has produced acclaimed docuseries on Kalief Browder and Trayvon Martin. Spirits, branding, apparel, consulting, indie distribution, a venture capital fund and philanthropic efforts — the S. Carter Foundation, which raised $6 million in scholarship money during its gala on Nov. 15 and 16, and REFORM, a criminal justice reform initiative with Meek Mill, among others — all fall under Perez’s purview too, giving her one of the broadest job descriptions an entertainment conglomerate could conceive. And that, somehow, doesn’t cover all of it.

“Desiree is one of the most driven women I’ve ever met,” says Atlantic Records COO/co-chairman Julie Greenwald. “I always kid her and say, ‘When are you taking a vacation?’ She never does, because she’s always working. She’s there morning, noon and night, really driving that business. Everyone looks at Roc Nation as synonymous with JAY-Z, but she’s really the engine that drives it.”

Read the full profile on Billboard’s 2019 Women in Music Executive of the Year, Desiree Perez, here.

To say that these executives, who played a crucial role in the passage of the Music Modernization Act, have remained busy in the year since the legislation was signed into law would be an understatement. All four were involved in the creation of the Mechanical Licensing Collective, the mechanical rights administration organization called for by the MMA. “It’s a technology and data company at its heart,” says Aguirre, a nonvoting board member of the MLC. Beta testing on a centralized public database accessible to both rights holders and anyone licensing mechanical rights is slated for the end of the second quarter of 2020. “We will have a portal, one place, where you’ll get paid, and there will be audit rights,” says Aguirre. “It’s something that’s intuitive, whether you’re a self-published songwriter with a few songs or you’re a major publisher with a few million songs.”

The MLC wasn’t the only new organization launched in 2018 to protect the rights of creators. Genco — along with her fellow co-president of The Azoff Company, Elizabeth Collins — was one of the founding forces behind the Music Artists Coalition, an artist advocacy group.

“Being an artist is an individual undertaking,” she says. “Folks on the other side who have interests that are not necessarily pro copyright/pro artist are very good at dividing and conquering. We haven’t always come together as a group.” So the Music Artists Coalition — whose board includes Irving Azoff, Coran Capshaw, John Silva and Live Nation Entertainment’s Ali Harnell — will draw on the coalition-building that led to the passage of the MMA to protect artists’ rights.

All four recognize that there have been positive changes for women in the industry, and all four see the need for greater change. “The more that you can have not just women, but women of color in positions of power that show the diversity of the music that we’re actually representing, the stronger our industry is going to be,” says Aguirre.

Read the full story about Billboard’s Women in Music: The Hall of Fame here.

Katina BynumExecutive vp East Coast labels, ­Universal Music EnterprisesCeline JoshuaGM of commercial, content and ­artist strategy, Universal Music GroupSusan MazoSenior vp global corporate social responsibility, events and special projects, Universal Music GroupJaime WestonExecutive vp consumer marketing, Universal Music Group

While Mazo oversaw the coordination of over 150 corporate social-responsibility projects across 60 countries in the past year, she’s particularly proud of developing and launching All Together Now, UMG’s companywide philanthropic platform, creating campaigns in the past 18 months “around recognized events like Pride, Black History Month, International Women’s Day, Election Day, Mental Health Awareness Month and Earth Day,” says Mazo. Bynum is helping UMG’s labels (Republic, Def Jam, Capitol and Island) position themselves, so that “artists still believe that signing with a record label is the best path for a successful worldwide career.” Highlights of her year included releases from superstars like Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj, as well as breakthroughs from newcomers such as Blueface and Kiana Ledé. Joshua pioneered a new strategy for early viewership with major music videos by customizing the YouTube premiere of Taylor Swift’s “ME!” Tallying a record-breaking 65.2 million views in 24 hours, it became the platform’s biggest 24-hour debut by a solo female artist, according to YouTube. Weston joined UMG from the NFL in October 2018 in a newly created role that oversees brand strategy, digital innovation and artist insight. “In this new world,” says Weston, “the consumer really has all the power.”

Advice for Next-Gen Women: “Three things: Be confident and kind; read the press every single day and have an opinion; listen to the stories of the women who have come before you and let their lessons help you find your own path.” – Mazo?

Monica Cornia?Senior vp international marketing, RCA Records, Arista RecordsDeirdre McDonaldExecutive vp global public policy and industry relations, Sony Music ­EntertainmentJulie Swidler?Executive vp/global head of business affairs/general counsel, Sony Music EntertainmentMelissa ThomasSenior vp international marketing, Columbia Records, Epic Records

Swidler, 61, undertook the task of modernizing Sony Music’s recording agreements at the direction of CEO Rob Stringer. “We are an 80% digital global organization,” says Swidler. “What does that mean for our contractual relationships with our artists?” She also helped Sony upgrade the online portal through which artists can view streaming earnings and withdraw royalties monthly. “In my geeky music-business way, it’s very revolutionary,” she says. McDonald, 55, helped steer labels, publishers and what she calls a “coalition of the willing” into a 21-point “Code of Best Practice” designed to stamp out false plays and other forms of stream manipulation. “That was hard-fought,” she says of the June agreement. “The aim was to send a very public message: Money needs to flow fairly in this world of streaming.” Cornia and Thomas, both 38, drove international marketing efforts for their respective Sony Music labels. In September, Cornia notes that Khalid sold out two nights at the O2 Arena in London. She cites his blockbuster 2017 Marshmello collaboration “Silence” as an especially potent global hit: “We’ve done our best to move him to as many markets as possible.” Thomas helped break two of Sony’s biggest 2019 singles, Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” and Travis Scott’s “Highest in the Room.” Internationally, the former hit 2.3 billion streams; the latter, 199.6 million.

Advice for Next-Gen Women: “Women are told to be more X, be more Y, and the best way for you to be successful is to figure out who you are, to work with your own style.” – Swidler

Masha Osherova?Executive vp/chief human resources officer, Warner Music GroupOana Ruxandra?Executive vp new business channels/chief acquisition officer, Warner Music Group

“Entrepreneurship, experimentation and innovation” are the watchwords cited by Ruxandra as her team leads digital strategy and business development for Warner Music Group. She’s working to close deals and secure partnerships at WMG “that protect the long-term value of music — so our artists and songwriters can keep creating amazing music for their fans.” Osherova is working with WMG’s leadership to redefine “what a 21st century music company should look like.” Her focus is on inclusion and diversity, but also mobilizing employees around social concerns — “things they care about” — and issues like international opportunities and policies so “our people can find the right life-work blend.”

Have Attitudes Changed?: “There’s certainly more dialogue now — there’s more discussion and more awareness — and that’s a start.” – Ruxandra

Traci AdamsExecutive vp promotion, Epic RecordsSylvia RhoneChairman/CEO, Epic Records

“I’m proud of our staff’s ability to consistently deliver breakthrough artists on a global scale,” says Rhone, whose promotion to chairman/CEO in April came amid a prolific 18 months for Epic artists. Adams notes that the label notched five debuts in the top three on the Billboard 200, including Future’s The Wizrd, 21 Savage’s I Am > I Was and Travis Scott’s Astroworld, all three chart-toppers, along with the No. 2 bows of DJ Khaled and Rick Ross. Scott logged his first Hot 100 No. 1 with “Sicko Mode” and his second chart-topper with “Highest in the Room.” Rhone reached another milestone in October as the first female African American recipient of City of Hope’s Spirit of Life Award.

Where She Unwinds: “A beach with warm, turquoise water.” – Rhone

Advice for Next-Gen Women: “Find your mentors and don’t be afraid to assert yourself.”

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While Billie Eilish launched her career on SoundCloud in 2016, she “hadn’t broken into the mainstream before our radio campaign,” says Romano, whose team helped send Eilish’s “Bad Guy” to No. 1 on the Hot 100. The same promotion savvy helped Selena Gomez achieve her first Hot 100 No. 1 with “Lose You to Love Me.” An engineered Eilish’s ceiling-dancing performance on Saturday Night Live and helped Gomez shoot her videos with only an iPhone 11 Pro, drawing, says An, “a combined 170 million views in the first few days alone.” Wyskoarko, 41, says her priority is “highlighting female voices and breaking female artists, particularly young black women,” from Ari Lennox to Summer Walker. Lee, 39, was upped to CFO in March and takes pride in finding the balance “between being fiscally responsible and not stifling creativity.”

Song That Inspires: “Nina Simone’s ‘Feeling Good’ is a classic. Her voice, the lyrics and production evoke a sense of renewal and power.” – Wyskoarko

Rayna BassSenior vp marketing, 300 Entertainment

Bass was promoted in January to lead the all-women marketing department at 300, with a focus on breaking down traditional genres that pigeonhole artists. She has also helped deliver a run of No. 1s this year across a variety of charts for artists like Young Thug (Billboard 200), Highly Suspect (Mainstream Rock), Cheat Codes (Dance/Mix Show Airplay) and Megan Thee Stallion (Rhythmic).

Most Urgent Issue: “Adaptability. The industry is changing every single day. We need to be able to quickly adapt to new technologies and keep up with the new ways that music is consumed.”

Margi CheskePresident, Fantasy Records, Concord

Have Attitudes Changed?: “There’s still a long way to go, but at least it’s a topic of discussion now, and that’s how real change begins.”

Sharon DasturSenior vp promotion, Republic RecordsWendy GoldsteinPresident of West Coast creative, ­Republic RecordsDonna GrynSenior vp marketing, Republic RecordsKerri MackarSenior vp brand partnerships, Republic Records

After Ariana Grande’s back-to-back Billboard 200 chart-topping success of Sweetener in September 2018 and Thank U, Next in February, the reunion of the Jonas Brothers on the No. 1 album Happiness Begins in June kept Republic on a roll. “When I was the [program director] of [WHTZ New York] Z100, we played ‘Burnin’ Up,’ ‘S.O.S.’ and other Jonas Brothers tracks,” says Dastur. “Now, being on the label side, it’s a full-circle moment.” Adds Goldstein: “The stars aligned really well. My first choice [for producer on Happiness Begins] was Ryan Tedder, and he was like, ‘I’m so in.’ All I had to do was make the right record with them. The rest is history.” While Gryn works with Republic’s superstars, she is also focused on the growth of rising artists Julia Michaels, who just headlined her first tour, and Jeremy Zucker, who has logged 430 million streams. Mackar, 34, moved Republic from one-off deals with brands to increased repeat business, doubling revenue year over year. Post Malone’s 2019 “Dive Bar” campaign with Bud Light evolved this year with a custom can and co-branded merchandise.

Songs That Inspire: “ ‘One Moment in Time’ by Whitney Houston and ‘Shake It Out’ from Florence + The Machine.” – Mackar?

Phylicia FantCo-head of urban music, Columbia RecordsJenifer MalloryGM, Columbia Records

“The new generation of Columbia rising stars is incredible,” says Mallory, 43, citing Rosalía; Tyler, the Creator; Dominic Fike; Lil Tjay; Polo G; and Lil Nas X, whose record-setting “Old Town Road” has earned 2.3 billion streams. “If you ever saw a team come together, it was during the Lil Nas X project,” says Fant, 41, who came to Columbia from Warner Records only a year ago to help nurture the roster. “We’re not only signing these artists but developing them to be long-term staples.”

Where She Unwinds: “Somewhere in nature. I like to hug trees and climb mountains to unwind and refill my tank.” – Mallory

Have Attitudes Changed?: “Drastically. We have meetings where we’re speaking about our artists that have provocative videos and men seem to be a little more cautious in how they articulate whether they like something or not. Men are a little bit more reserved.” – Farag

Maria FernandezExecutive vp/COO, Sony Music Latin Iberia

Fernandez, 46, oversees finance, human resource matters and new business for Sony’s U.S. Latin, Latin America and Iberian operations — and also has a hand in all of Sony’s Latin recording deals and strategic acquisitions. But she takes most pride in recently implementing (along with her counterparts at other Sony labels and divisions) new functions in Sony Music’s artist portal. “These tools allow our artists and royalty participants to view and withdraw earnings faster than ever before,” she says, “and went live on Oct. 28.”

Gaba, a 20-year industry veteran, was honored by the RIAA with the label executive of the year award in September for playing a crucial role in the superstardom of artists like Lizzo and Cardi B. “What we did with Cardi in two years takes some people 10 years [or] almost a fucking lifetime,” says St. Hubert, 41, who is ready to break new artists like Roddy Ricch and Jack Harlow in 2020. “The way she has been able to slash everything from the last two years has really created a space for women.” Webb focused on supporting the creative visions of Atlantic artists, such as Janelle Monáe’s Grammy-nominated Dirty Computer, which was accompanied by a 46-minute narrative film, and Melanie Martinez’s simultaneous release of K-12 as an album and 92-minute feature film. Harper, 41, set her sights on bringing more under-the-radar rappers to the top of the charts. YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s Al YoungBoy 2 marked his first chart-topping album on the Billboard 200, while Kevin Gates’ I’m Him peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, both in October.

Most Urgent Issue: “If we’re not careful to make sure songwriters stay afloat in this business, we’re going to lose the ability to have these life-changing songs that have shifted the culture and changed the world.” – Gaba

Most Urgent Issue: “With the rise of hip-hop, there’s a huge void across the board of black executives — not just women. The sound of black music is really running the game, but when you look at the offices where the decisions are being made, you don’t see people who look like us.” – St. Hubert

Ethiopia HabtemariamPresident, Motown Records; executive vp, Capitol Music Group

Advice for Next-Gen Women: “Roll up the sleeves. Do the work. Do your research. Study the business. It’s not just about standing up next to an artist or showing up at an event. Show your value by having an opinion and doing what’s necessary to make an impact.”

Jones, 50, and her Big Machine team celebrated several opening-week chart-toppers in 2019: Thomas Rhett’s Center Point Road reigned on the Billboard 200, Florida Georgia Line notched a No. 1 on Top Country Albums with Can’t Say I Ain’t Country, and Midland earned its inaugural peak on the same chart with Let It Roll. Jones’ recipe for success? “Always keep your ears, mind and eyes open for new talent and hit songs.”

Song That Inspires: “Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I Will Survive.’ The lyric says it all.”

Michelle JubelirerCOO, Capitol Music Group

Jubelirer, 45, helped Paul McCartney get back to where he once belonged, delivering a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 with Egypt Station, his first album since 2005 for Capitol Records, the label that launched The Beatles in America. She also saw Korean supergroup SuperM open atop the Billboard 200 with its self-titled debut after a 10-week setup with the group’s management company SM Entertainment. Lewis Capaldi went to No. 1 on the Hot 100 with “Someone You Loved,” and Halsey’s “Without Me” turned into “the biggest [solo] hit of her career,” says Jubelirer.

Advice for Next-Gen Women: “Get into this business for the right reasons. Love the music, be prepared to work hard, and overcome any and all obstacles that could appear in your path. Lots of people want to be in the music business, now more than ever. Talent and hard work and passion will always win.”

As her label continues to experience worldwide success with Dan + Shay — thanks to the duo’s recent collaboration with Justin Bieber on “10,000 Hours” — Lacy, 46, is most proud of her team’s recent successes with female artists. Ashley McBryde won new artist of the year at the Country Music Association Awards; fellow newcomer Ingrid Andress’ debut single, “More Hearts Than Mine,” reached No. 19 on Country Airplay; and American Idol alum Gabby Barrett earned her first Country Airplay hit with “I Hope.” “In three years,” says Lacy, “they will all be global household names.”

With Lindsey, 33, playing a key role in the label’s A Luke Combs’ What You See Is What You Get, This One’s for You and The Prequel EP; Brooks  Old Dominion’s self-titled third album; and Maren Morris’ GIRL, which broke the record for the largest streaming week ever for a country album by a woman, then won album of the year at the Country Music Association Awards. Says Lindsey: “I had a baby girl earlier this year, so Maren Morris’ GIRL is more meaningful than ever.”

Charity She Supports: “The Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. One in eight Tennesseans — and one in six children — struggle with hunger daily.”

Cindy MabePresident, Universal Music Group Nashville

For Mabe, 46, it has been a golden year. Although it was released in March 2018, Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour gained huge acclaim this year, including album of the year at the Grammy Awards. “Golden Hour changed perception, sound and influence in music and really established Kacey Musgraves as an arena touring act who cannot be contained or defined musically, creatively or culturally,” says Mabe. “She’s one of the most important artists in all of music.”

Most Urgent Issue: “The lack of development in uniqueness, purpose and authenticity in our artists and music. It’s a very stale sound-alike world out there right now.”

Jessie MaldonadoVP promotion operations, RCA RecordsVal PensaSenior vp pop and rock marketing, RCA Records

Maldonado and Pensa both enjoyed full-circle achievements this year. When the reunited Backstreet Boys hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with DNA, Maldonado recalled working with the group two decades ago at Jive Records. Pensa, 37, marketed Whitney Houston’s previously unreleased version of Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love,” as remixed by Kygo. “Whitney was one of the reasons that I wanted to work for Clive Davis,” recalls Pensa, who had previously worked with him at J Records. “[This] felt like a record that the world really needed.”

Most Urgent Issue: “Mental health. We have to really take care of each other and make sure [we’re] doing what we love, but in a healthy way.” – Pensa

Gabriela MartínezGM/senior vp, Warner Music Latin America

Song That Inspires: “ ‘I Am Woman’ by Helen Reddy. This song was a big hit when I was just [a young girl]. I remember singing it at the top of my lungs.”

Michele NadelmanCFO, Warner Records

With over half the artists at the rebranded Warner Records signed in the past two years, Nadelman, who joined the label in January from Concord, has been kept busy finalizing agreements with acts brought to the label by co-chairmen Aaron Bay-Schuck and Tom Corson. “Deals happen very quickly, and it requires making fast, strategic decisions,” she says. “This has allowed us to transform our roster.”

Where She Unwinds: “My backyard. Right now, there is no getaway… and no time for one.”

Anaid QuijadaMarketing director, Universal Music Latin Entertainment

Quijada, 38, leads all marketing strategies for UMLE’s acts in the United States and Puerto Rico. Her recent standout projects include Sebastian Yatra’s Fantasía, which “brought ballads back into the mainstream,” she says, and reached No. 1 on the Latin Pop Albums chart, and Luis Fonsi’s Vida, whose journey started with the release of “Despacito.” “Music is more volatile,” says Quijada, “and we need a different, more dynamic strategy.”

Have Attitudes Changed? “I got a promotion [two years ago from label manager] while on maternity leave. There’s still plenty of progress to be made, but leaders are taking into account the importance of women’s roles within the industry.”

Elyse RogersExecutive vp, Artist Partner Group

At Artist Partner Group, the joint venture with Warner Music Group founded by Mike Caren, Rogers sums up this year in three words: “global artist development.” “Working with our label partners, Artist Partner Group broke several new artists around the world: Bazzi, Alec Benjamin, Lil Skies and Ava Max — all in parallel with the U.S.,” says Rogers, adding: “We’ll have more coming in 2020.”

Advice for Next-Gen Women: “You will find some great partners on your path — some senior, some junior, some at your own ­company and some across the world. Value and protect them. There’s tremendous strength in building real trust. Make the time to do it.”

Jacqueline SaturnPresident, Caroline/Harvest Records

At Caroline, the indie distribution and label-services arm of Capitol Music Group, Saturn boasts of “a team that really knows how to put [its] foot on the gas at the right time.” She cites success stories like capitalizing on the appearance of “Trampoline” by Shaed (Photo Finish Records) in an Apple ad and “turning that into a bona fide radio smash.” The song rose to No. 13 on the Hot 100 and has drawn 217 million streams. Saturn also cites a new partnership with Korea’s SM Entertainment, which has brought NCT 127 and SuperM into CMG’s fold, while a deal with Mavin Records in Nigeria includes releasing the singer Rema, who, says Saturn, “we know is going to be a global superstar.”

Ayelet SchiffmanSenior vp/head of promotion, Island Records

After 24 years with Sony Music and hungry for new challenges, Schiffman took charge of Island Records’ promotion team in January, saying, “I wanted to take a chance on myself.” Her radio savvy behind Shawn Mendes garnered his first Hot 100 No. 1 with “Señorita” (with Camila Cabello), notching his sixth No. 1 on the Adult Top 40 chart and breaking Ed Sheeran’s record for a solo male artist.

Most Urgent Issue: “How [does] radio keep up in the streaming world. There are artists who break in the streaming world, but when you really dig into it, they’re not really broken globally until radio puts their stamp on it.”

Colleen TheisCOO, The Orchard

The Orchard has galloped to a 5.23% current market share so far in 2019, confirming its status as the largest independent distributor in the United States. Yet the company has also flexed its outsize international presence by “successfully executing a global, timed physical and digital release for BTS’ Map of the Soul: Persona album earlier this year,” says Theis, 50. So far, that title has shifted 608,000 equivalent album units in the United States and has topped charts in four countries, including the Billboard 200. Says Theis: “Our smart, empowered team keeps pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a distributor while breaking records.”

Charity She Supports: “Covenant House, which provides shelter to homeless teens. Everyone deserves a warm meal and a safe place to sleep, especially those too young to fend for themselves.”

Katie VintenCo-Founder, Facet Records/Facet Publishing; founder, Black Diamond Artist Management

After over six years in publishing at Warner Chappell Music, Vinten, 36, struck out on her own in January by co-founding Facet Records and Facet Publishing alongside prolific songwriter Justin Tranter (whom she also manages), in partnership with Warner Records. In June, Vinten also founded Black Diamond Artist Management, which includes songwriters Tranter, Boy Matthews, Caroline Pennell and Zach Skelton on its roster. “It’s like a full-circle moment, because my first No. 1 [“Good for You” topped the Mainstream Top 40 chart in 2015] was with Justin, Julia [Michaels] and Selena [Gomez], and now the first No. 1 of the next phase of my career [“Lose You to Love Me” topped the Hot 100 in November] will also be Justin, Julia and Selena.”

Advice for Next-Gen Women: “Trust your instinct and know that your voice and your opinion matter, no matter what the tone in whatever room you’re in tries to tell you.”

 

Alisa ColemanCOO, ABKCO Music board chair, Mechanical Licensing ­Collective; board member, RIAA; New York chapter president, Association of Independent Music Publishers

Coleman could win an industry award for most hats worn — or most acronyms claimed. In addition to leadership roles at ABKCO, the MLC and AIMP, she sits on the board of the RIAA. While her achievements are varied, she says, “the one thing that stands out is I’m the first person — if not the first woman — to sit on the boards of the recorded side and the publishing side, and give the indie perspective — a culmination of all the years of being an advocate for the indies.”

Most Urgent Issue: “It’s the same issue that has been facing the music industry since I started in this business: fair licensing for songwriters, music publishers and artists.”

Elizabeth CollinsCo-president, The Azoff Company

Since closing the $125 million buyout of Madison Square Garden’s 50% stake in what was then called Azoff MSG Entertainment in December 2018, Collins and co-president Susan Genco are focused on growing all divisions of the newly minted Azoff Company. “Most of our businesses we grew from scratch,” she says, citing Full Stop Management (Harry Styles, Eagles), performing rights organization Global Music Rights, arena developer Oak View Group and its venture LaneOne, a premium experiences company.

Song That Inspires: “I love Lizzo and her song ‘Good As Hell.’ She is the embodiment of female empowerment. Her success reflects the power of great music and that there is no formula to becoming a hit.”

Tracy NurseFounder, Tracy Nurse Consulting

In a four-decade career that began in 1981 at CBS Records, spanned 30 years at Sony Music International and continues with her consultancy, Nurse has guided global strategies for Barbra Streisand, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Beyoncé and David Bowie, among others. For three decades, she has worked alongside Bruce Springsteen’s managers, Jon Landau and Barbara Carr, most recently on Blinded by the Light, director Gurinder Chadha’s film about a Pakistani writer inspired by Springsteen’s songs, and the Toronto Film Festival debut in September of Springsteen’s film Western Stars. “To look back on it all,” says Nurse, “it was like one long, busy day. I just kept going because I was too busy to stop to think about it.”

Charity She Supports: “I’ve been involved with the Kristen Ann Carr Fund since it began over 25 years ago,” says Nurse. Honoring the life of the daughter of Barbara Carr and writer Dave Marsh, who died in 1993 of sarcoma (a type of cancer), the fund supports research, education for young physicians and efforts to improve the quality of life for cancer patients. “Kristen was a remarkable young woman who would be so proud of the fund.”

Lisa BarbarisOwner, So What Management

Through 20 years of managing client Cyndi Lauper, Barbaris and the singer have remained committed to True Colors United, the foundation they co-founded in 2008 that works to end homelessness among LGBTQ youth (40% of homeless youth in the United States are gay, according to one study). Barbaris was part of the team that struck the deal for Lauper to join actress Jane Lynch in a new Netflix comedy series shooting next spring.

Song That Inspires: “That’s an easy one — ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun’ by Cyndi Lauper.”

Virginia BunettaManaging partner, G-Major ­Management

For management client Thomas Rhett, Bunetta, 39, in the past year supervised his tours including dates in the United States and Australia (he has sold 670,000 tickets in 2019); saw him sell out Madison Square Garden and play Saturday Night Live; helped launch his album Center Point Road, which topped the Billboard 200; and cheered as he won male vocalist of the year at the Academy of Country Music Awards — all while caring for her infant daughter, who was born in the past year. “It all goes together in one massively coordinated effort,” she says.

Advice for Next-Gen Women: “Invest in yourself. You are your own most important asset. Treat yourself as such.”

Martha EarlsOwner, EFG Management

Most Urgent Issue: “The continued siloing of genres. Completely unnecessary.”

Ann EdelbluteOwner, The HQ

Kerri EdwardsPresident, KP Entertainment

Edwards represents all four artists — Luke Bryan, Cole Swindell, Jon Langston and DJ Rock — who were featured on Bryan’s 2019 Sunset Repeat Tour, which has grossed $30.2 million and sold 550,000 tickets to 34 shows since May. “I’m not sure that will ever happen again,” she says. “It was so amazing to watch them all perform each night.”

Charity She Supports: “A special one is the Brett Boyer Foundation, in honor of Luke and Caroline Bryan’s niece.” (Having been prenatally diagnosed with Down syndrome and a congenital heart defect, she died at 7 months.) “She was a special baby girl, and I love how their family is helping others through her.”

Allison KayePresident, SB Projects; partner, Ithaca Holdings

As president of SB Projects, Kaye, 38, shared in the success of client Ariana Grande as the singer topped the Billboard 200 twice in six months with Sweetener and Thank U, Next, mounted a world tour and set a new record among female artists with 11 simultaneous top 40 hits on the Hot 100. But within the past year, Kaye was also named partner in Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings. The firm has since “acquired Atlas Music Publishing, Big Machine Label Group and taken a position in [label/marketing firm] 740 Project,” she says, summarizing an eventful year.

Most Urgent Issue: “It becomes very easy for people to fall in love with a song without investing any time or real money into the artist — making it harder for new artists to build sustaining businesses.”

Marion KraftCEO, ShopKeeper Management

Charity She Supports: Kraft notes that sales of Lambert’s MuttNation-branded dog beds, dog toys, collars and leashes benefit the singer’s MuttNation Foundation, which works to promote adoption of pets from animal shelters.

Rebeca LeónFounder/CEO, Lionfish Entertainment

León, 44, has managed the “meteoric” rise of Spanish star Rosalía. “It has been 18 months since we dropped ‘Malamente,’ ” says León, and the song has registered nearly 114 million views on YouTube. León signed Rosalía as a fledgling flamenco act and oversaw her signing to Sony Spain and Columbia, followed by her album El Mal Querer hitting No. 1 on Latin Pop Albums. León also previously managed Juanes and, until midyear, J Balvin, whom she helped book as a main act at Coachella and Lollapalooza, a first for a Latin artist.

Most Urgent Issue: “We need more Latin managers, more sophisticated Latin managers. Since artists are mainstream, Latin managers need to be thinking mainstream, too.”

Jeanine McLean WilliamsPresident, MBK Entertainment

Charity She Supports: “Bring the Noise, created by H.E.R., to bring much needed music [education] programs and instruments back into schools and after-school programs.”

Lynn Oliver-ClineFounder/CEO, River House Artists

“To think we are helping put out great songs that become the soundtrack to people’s lives might sound cliché, but it feels incredible.” So declares Oliver-Cline, 46, who co-manages Luke Combs with Chris Kappy of Make Wake Artists. Watching Combs’ debut album, This One’s for You, tie Shania Twain’s Come On Over as the longest-reigning title on the Top Country Albums chart “is truly unreal,” she says. As a music publisher, adds Oliver-Cline, River House is enjoying hits with Ashley McBryde’s “One Night Standards” (co-written by Nicolette Hayford), Jake Owen’s “Homemade” (co-written by Drew Parker) and Combs’ “Even Though I’m Leaving” (co-written by Ray Fulcher).

Have Attitudes Changed?: “I have been fortunate to work with great people — but I still know when something will mean more coming from one of my male colleagues rather than me.”

Joyce SmythManager, The Rolling Stones

Smyth, 62 (“But young at heart,” she adds), is nearing her 10th year managing The Rolling Stones, and she has a particular philosophy about her job. “They are the ones doing the work, not me, and they are still passionate about what they do,” she says. “I’m trying to steward everyone else around them, like being the conductor of a brilliant orchestra.” Smyth pivoted this year when the North American leg of the Stones’ No Filter Tour was delayed two months due to frontman Mick Jagger’s heart procedure. The show went on, however, with the 16 dates grossing $177.8 million for a tour total of $415.6 million over three separate legs. The Stones are working on their first new studio album of original songs since 2005’s A Bigger Bang, which Smyth calls “a work in progress,” with no release details established yet.

Song That Inspires: “Karen Carpenter’s ‘I Won’t Last A Day Without You.’ She is vocal perfection. Listen to the lyrics. When times are great, people are keen to share in the good times, and that’s wonderful. But when they’re not great, it’s so important to be grounded with our husband, partner, family.”

Ty StikloriusFounder/CEO, Friends At Work

Stiklorius, 44, combines management services and social activism at her 5-year-old firm Friends at Work. “We’re interested in positive change beyond a top song on the radio,” she says. One example: She helped marquee client John Legend land a gender stereotype-upending Super Bowl commercial for Pampers, which installed 5,000 diaper changing tables in U.S. men’s bathrooms. She also guided the Netflix rap competition series Rhythm Raphael Saadiq’s acclaimed album Jimmy Lee, which touches on addiction; and Tour Support, an initiative that offers therapy packages for touring professionals.

Where She Unwinds: “A lake in Maine is my go-to place, even in the winter. We went last winter, and I brought my kids and we were all ice-skating on the lake, which was so cool. They’re California kids, so they were like, ‘What is this?’ ”

Janet WeirOwner, House of 42; manager, Red Light Management

Weir, 45, saw management client Maren Morris lead the field of nominees with six nods for the Country Music Association Awards in November, taking home album of the year for her sophomore record, GIRL. When it was released in March, GIRL set the record for the largest debut-week streaming sum for a country album by a woman, logging 23.96 million on-demand audio streams.

Advice for Next-Gen Women: “The only thing I can offer is the way I started, which was interning, observing, learning, working hard, trusting your instincts, meeting the right mentors and sticking with it through the ups and downs with fortitude.”

Bridget BauerSenior vp, Messina Touring GroupStacy VeeVP festival talent, Goldenvoice; vp artist relations, Messina Touring Group

California’s preeminent country festival, Stagecoach hit a record attendance of 80,000 in April thanks to Vee and her team at Goldenvoice. “We had that number in the back of our heads and pushed every single day to get there,” says Vee, who added her role at Messina Touring Group in May. Bauer, 44, worked with Eric Church for his first headlining stadium show that brought 56,521 fans to Nissan Stadium in Nashville, breaking the venue’s attendance record, according to the company. She also works with George Strait, who made $31.3 million in combined stadium grosses in New Orleans and Atlanta, and at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. “Having the continued experiences working with George Strait will never get old,” she says.

Most Urgent Issue: “Secondary resale continues to be problematic. Eric Church and his management team have gone to great lengths to fight back against scalpers over the last five years.” – Bauer

Becky ColwellRegional booking director, West ­region; gm, Greek Theatre, ASM GlobalDana DuFineVP global content and development, ASM Global

Colwell and DuFine, formerly executives of SMG and AEG Facilities, respectively, now work with ASM Global, which formed through an October merger of those two companies. Colwell played a critical role in the team effort to renew a management contract for Los Angeles’ prestigious Greek Theatre and oversees 13 venues in her West Coast region. DuFine worked on the merger, uniting the GMs, bookers and marketers for the first time in November. The new standalone venue management mega-company’s portfolio of 310 venues includes the United Kingdom’s Manchester Arena and Chicago’s Soldier Field. “We have so many venues/facilities globally that we are going to be able to really help artists, managers, agents and promoters be able to create routing for tours in not just major markets, but secondary and tertiary markets,” says DuFine.

Song That Inspires: “ ‘Nick of Time’ by Bonnie Raitt. It reminds me of the women in my life, all navigating the ups and downs life is throwing them in careers, families and friendships.” – Colwell

Donna DiBenedettoVP global touring, AEG PresentsBrooke Michael KainChief digital officer, AEG PresentsMelissa OrmondCOO OF festivals, AEG Presents

Ormond helps AEG Presents stand out in the saturated festival market with a mix of multigenre events, as well as genre-specific properties like Day N Vegas, which debuted in November. The hip-hop festival that featured J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar sold out within hours of going on sale. Kain oversees nine departments that maximize the data and marketing information AEG collects to benefit both the company and consumers. “I’m incredibly proud of the people I have hired and the young stars I have grown and built up,” she says. “The entire focus in my group is teamwork, teamwork, teamwork.” DiBenedetto has done bookings for Hugh Jackman, Carrie Underwood (a “female powerhouse performer”) and Elton John’s farewell tour, which has brought in over $265.5 million.

Advice for Next-Gen Women: “You belong here. As women, we bring meaningful qualities and capabilities to the table.” – Ormond

Ali HarnellPresident/chief strategy officer, global, Women Nation/Live Nation ­EntertainmentHeather LoweryPresident/CEO, Femme it Forward, Live NationKelly StricklandSenior vp U.S. tour marketing, Live ­NationKathy WillardCFO, Live Nation Entertainment

Have Attitudes Changed?: “It’s very clear in the last year or two, there’s an awareness so the way that [men] behave has shifted, and that is a great start.” – Harnell

Laurie JacobySenior vp New York concerts and entertainment, Madison Square Garden

Madison Square Garden ranked as the No. 1 venue worldwide in its capacity class in Billboard’s midyear recap — and debut concerts by rising stars contributed to that success. “It has been incredibly rewarding to be a part of so many artists’ first headlining shows at Madison Square Garden,” says Jacoby, citing dates by Robyn, Brandi Carlile, Khalid, Vampire Weekend, Vulfpeck, Slayer and Tyler, the Creator.

Where She Unwinds: “Hawaii, the Big Island. There’s something very spiritual in the air that erases a year’s worth of the New York City hustle and grind.”

Patti-Anne TarltonChairman, Ticketmaster Canada; ­Executive vp venues and promoters for North America, Ticketmaster

Under Tarlton, Ticketmaster’s partnership with Montreal-based sports entertainment giant Groupe CH, the parent company of promoter evenko, “has added multiple millions of tickets” to its inventory for fans. Evenko manages over 1,500 events annually across 20 venues, including the critically acclaimed Osheaga Music and Arts Festival. “As I was born in Montreal and kicked off my career at [promoter] Donald K Donald Concerts, it goes without saying that this partnership is both a personal and professional highlight of my career.”

Most Urgent Issue: “We have made an impact — with a combination of technology, legislation and industry best practices — to fulfill our mission of getting tickets in the hands of fans [instead of scalpers].”

Jenna AdlerAgent, Creative Artists AgencyEmma BanksAgent/Co-head of international touring/co-head of CAA Music London, Creative Artists AgencyAlli McGregorAgent, Creative Artists AgencyMarlene TsuchiiAgent/co-head of international ­touring, Creative Artists Agency

Tsuchii, as CAA’s Los Angeles-based co-head of international touring, helped plot U.S. and European dates on Ariana Grande’s Sweetener world tour, which will wrap Dec. 22, having so far earned $118.3 million from over 1 million tickets sold to 77 shows through Oct. 16. Tsuchii also helped spearhead CAA’s deal to represent Korean music powerhouse SM Entertainment and its groups NCT 127 and SuperM, for whom she booked a breakout U.S. arena tour. For her London counterpart, Banks, the year’s highlights included March’s Red Hot Chili Peppers concert in front of the pyramids in Giza, Egypt; two shows by Florence + The Machine in Athens, Greece; and Katy Perry in Mumbai, India. McGregor orchestrated Grande’s American Express deal for her Sweetener world tour and initiatives surrounding her Coachella and Lollapalooza headlining sets earlier this year. Adler helped client Jennifer Lopez bring in $101.9 million from her record-breaking Las Vegas residency in 2016-18 while setting the stage for her It’s My Party summer tour that grossed $54.7 million from 31 shows. Next up is Green Day’s 2020 Hella Mega Tour with Fall Out Boy and Weezer, which has so far earned nearly $50 million, she says.

Advice for Next-Gen Women: “Forget about being a woman — be a person, work hard, listen to people, get over yourself and just do it.” – Banks

Sara BollwinkelAgent, Paradigm Talent AgencyLori FeldmanChief marketing officer, Paradigm Talent AgencyCorrie Christopher MartinCo-head of music, West Coast, ­Paradigm Talent Agency

Bollwinkel, 35, has worked for the past three years with Billie Eilish (who is now 17), helping the breakout superstar sell out her first arena tour in October, she says. Over a half-million tickets worldwide sold in under an hour, says Bollwinkel. Martin, 42, who has worked with Imagine Dragons for a decade, reports that the band surpassed 1 million tickets sold in 2018, while client Janet Jackson launched her first Las Vegas residency. She’s a board member of the Loveloud Foundation, created by Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds to support LGBTQ youth. In September, Feldman joined Paradigm as the agency’s first chief marketing officer after a long, successful tenure at Warner Records, where she was able to “find white space in the market and build businesses to fill it.” She’s now building brand partnerships and more for Paradigm artists.

Most Urgent Issue: “Our industrywide mental health issue is definitely something every company needs to address immediately.” – Bollwinkel

Most Urgent Issue: “Climate change is the most urgent issue facing every industry. Freak storms and unusual weather patterns make traveling unpredictable and can put the safety of artists and fans at risk.” – Martin

Lucy DickinsHead of U.K. Music, WMEBecky GardenhirePartner/co-head of Nashville office, WMESamantha Kirby YohPartner/head of East Coast Music, WMESara Newkirk SimonPartner/co-head of music, WME

Song That Inspires: “ ‘Stronger’ by Kelly Clarkson.” – Gardenhire

Cara LewisFounder/Agent, Cara Lewis Group

Lewis, an entrepreneur who left Creative Artists Agency in 2016 to open her own agency, reports that her eclectic roster enjoyed a banner year. Eminem swept through Australia (five concerts with 304,000 tickets sold), Khalid sold out 45 arena shows globally and played Coachella and other festivals, Travis Scott drew 808,000 to his Astroworld — Wish You Were Here Tour, and Chance the Rapper debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in July with The Big Day, setting up a 2020 tour. “I take a lot of pride in being able to say that I have spearheaded many artists in this genre to build long-lasting careers,” she says.

Have Attitudes Changed? “The ability to grow [my firm] with support from other professionals across the industry has signified a major change. This would have been called impossible a decade ago.”

Natalia NastaskinGM, Global Music Group, UTACheryl PaglieraniMusic agent, UTA

Strategic bookings for clients like Post Malone, 21 Savage, Saint Jhn and Dominic FIke, as well as elite brand partnerships (Arnette, Hyper X and Dolby are just a few) continue to fuel global growth for UTA. “We are regularly signing and developing exciting festival artists and headliners,” says Nastaskin. “And we’re bullish on international markets thanks to the democratization of music discovery through streaming and social media.” Paglierani, 35, is the agent for Post Malone who’s having a “tremendously successful year,” she says. He has sold 850,000 tickets and grossed $89.6 million in grosses from arena dates in Europe, Australia and the United States. His second Posty Fest in Arlington, Texas, on Nov. 2 (with Pharrell Williams, Jaden Smith, Meek Mill and others) more than doubled its fan count to 45,000, says Paglierani.

Favorite Getaway: “My weekend home where I hike, meditate, do yoga and get my mind right for the week ahead.” – Nastaskin

Yves C. PierreAgent, ICM PartnersJacqueline Reynolds-DrummAgent, ICM Partners

Pierre and Reynolds-Drumm, 33, take pride in representing a diverse group of upcoming female artists, such as City Girls, Yung Baby Tate and Leikeli47. “It’s really important that the female voice is heard, especially for young women these days,” says Reynolds-Drumm. Along with booking established stars like Migos and Lil Yachty, Pierre also has been involved with ICM’s rising roster. “The streaming numbers indicate these artists are starting to hit benchmarks and grow.”

Most Urgent Issue: “Diversity and inclusion, both gender and racial.” – Pierre

Marsha VlasicPresident, Artist Group International

“I get around,” says Vlasic in a classic understatement. The veteran agent, who never misses client Neil Young’s annual September set at Farm Aid, guides her acts crisscrossing the globe. This year, that has included The Strokes’ comeback tour, the summer double bills of Cage the Elephant with Beck and Elvis Costello with Blondie, and Norah Jones’ first dates in tertiary markets. “And we’re always trying to develop new bands and get new things going,” says Vlasic. “We need to be able to look back and say, ‘There are the new headliners — massive new headliners.’ ”

Advice for Next-Gen Women: “Don’t worry that you’re a woman or a man; it’s what you’re qualified to do. Women have to think of themselves as equal and just go out there and do the job and earn that respect.”

Dominique CasimirExecutive vp repertoire and marketing for Continental Europe, BMG

Casimir, 38, reports that she has overseen growth of 30% in BMG’s recorded-music business revenue in Germany, Europe’s second-largest music market. The achievement reflects BMG’s success “in a market increasingly polarized between streaming and high-end physical product,” says Casimir. Her team has struck deals with some of the country’s “most relevant and successful recording artists, including Seeed, Adel Tawil and Trettmann,” says Casimir, who was promoted to her Pan-European role in April.

Have Attitudes Changed?: “Dramatically. I was recently at a conference in Bilbao, Spain, and was amazed by how many young female managers there were.”

Marni CondroSenior vp film and television, ­Universal Music Publishing GroupAlexandra LioutikoffPresident of Latin America/U.S. Latin, Universal Music Publishing GroupJoy MurphySenior vp/head of film and television music licensing, Universal Music Publishing Group

Advice for Next-Gen Women: “Be open, honest and true to who you are. If you have a question, ask it. If you have an idea, share it. If given a challenge or task, take it on and don’t be afraid to fail.” – Murphy

Knoepfle, 43, “proudly signed” rising pop artist King Princess and helped Jack Antonoff and Joel Little make history in collaboration with Taylor Swift on 12 of the songs from Lover, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with the biggest week for any album since her 2017 release reputation. Thanks in part to Hill, 36, songwriters Sarah Aarons and Greg Kurstin earned a Country Airplay No. 1 with Maren Morris’ “Girl” while Sean Douglas did the same with Thomas Rhett’s “Sixteen.” Cranford, 50, is leading the business teams responsible for the upgrades to the royalty-payment system for songwriters, helping launch Sony/ATV’s “Cash Out” service, which, she says, “will allow our songwriters to request some or all of their current royalty balance to be paid immediately, instead of having to wait until their next distribution.” Crowley, 46, and her team of 16 grew the company’s film synch business by double digits with the release of Bohemian Rhapsody and A Star Is Born. Crowley, who also pulls double duty as an independent music supervisor, was nominated this year for a Guild of Music Supervisors award for her work on the Sony Pictures film Peter Rabbit, which grossed over $350 million at the box office, according to Box Office Mojo.

Song That Inspires: “ ‘Natural Woman’ by Aretha Franklin. When I hear that song, it instantly makes me feel more confident and content.” – Knoepfle

Maria EganPresident/head of creative, Pulse ­Music Group

Pulse took home indie publisher of the year honors last December from the Association of Independent Music Publishers. Under Egan, 41, the company has enjoyed a string of successes including Maroon 5’s “Girls Like You” (featuring Cardi B), which set the record for the longest No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary radio airplay chart, and Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode,” which became the first hip-hop song to spend 30 weeks in the top 10 of the Hot 100. “We’ve had these massive cultural breakthrough songs with what’s really on the front line of music,” says Egan.

Where She Unwinds: “We work by the Silver Lake reservoir [in Los Angeles], so my daily ritual is I walk by the reservoir and listen to music and playlists — and try and get clarity.”

Most Urgent Issue: “An understanding of globalization in music. It’s not Los Angeles and London and New York the way it used to be. It’s Mexico City, it’s India, it’s Korea. It can come from anywhere.”

Golnar KhosrowshahiFounder/CEO, Reservoir

In Billboard’s latest publisher market-share rankings for the Hot 100, Reservoir came in fifth with a 3.96 share for the third quarter of 2019 — and has made that list in all three quarterly rankings since the tally launched. Khosrowshahi, 48, says company revenue also grew by 39% in fiscal year 2018 and 34% in the first six months of this year. She’s now reshaping this leading indie publisher as a full-service music company with the acquisition of Chrysalis Records, which boosted Reservoir’s recorded-music catalog to 20,000 masters.

Charity She Supports: “Silkroad, an organization rooted in cross-cultural collaboration via music and dialogue, founded by Yo-Yo Ma and on which I serve as board chair. The work Silkroad does to build a more hopeful and inclusive world is more important than ever.”

Carianne MarshallCo-Chair/COO, Warner Chappell Music

“The past 12 months have been quite the whirlwind,” says Marshall, who along with Guy Moot was named co-chair of Warner Chappell Music in January. Warner Chappell continues to dominate the Billboard rankings in country-radio market share, coming in at No. 1 on the top 10 Country Publishers airplay chart for the last 11 consecutive quarters. Says Marshall, “I’m so excited to build this next chapter at Warner Chappell with a partner who shares the same drive and passion for our songwriters.”

Advice for Next-Gen Women: “I’d tell both men and women beginning in the music business to really take pride in their work — no matter how big or small the request or project. It’s also important to follow through and honor your word. People really value working with others who are dependable and trustworthy.”

Sas MetcalfeChief creative officer, KobaltJeannette PerezChief experience officer, Kobalt

Metcalfe’s global creative team of nearly 40 members (65% of whom are female) had over 100 Kobalt-affiliated individuals and groups nominated for Grammy Awards in 2019, an all-time high for the company, says Kobalt. For the third quarter of 2019, Kobalt represented 16.59% of the songwriters on hits from Billie Eilish, Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes, Panic! at the Disco and Ed Sheeran. Perez, 40, who was named chief experience officer in November, has seen a year-over-year increase in global synch revenue of 22% and directed the negotiation of over 14,000 synch deals for songs by writers including Stevie Nicks, Trent Reznor, Max Martin, Dean Lewis and Sam Fender, according to Kobalt. Perez adds that the company’s increase in global synch revenue for the 2019-20 fiscal year is trending toward double digits.

Song That Inspires: “Beyoncé’s ‘Run the World’ because it’s the ultimate female empowerment song: ‘We run this motha!’ ” – Perez

Helen MurphyCEO, Anthem Entertainment

Murphy, who assumed leadership of the music publisher formerly known as ole a year ago, has transformed the company from one apparently on the verge of being sold, to renaming and reasserting it as one of the top indie music publishers in the world, while also boosting its recorded-music presence and expanding its array of music production and film/TV collection services. Most recently, Anthem has acquired the Ricky Reed catalog of co-writes from Boardwalk Music Group (Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts” and “Good As Hell”; Halsey’s “Bad at Love”; Leon Bridges’ “Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand”), along with a catalog from songwriter-producer Doc McKinney (The Weeknd’s “Wicked Games” and songs recorded by Drake and Khalid, among others). On the recorded-music side, Anthem plans a release early next year from legendary singer-guitarist José Feliciano.

Where She Unwinds: “I love Goldeneye in Jamaica. It’s a stunningly beautiful resort [with] the world’s best host, Chris Blackwell.”

Molly NeumanPresident, Songtrust

Since Neuman joined Songtrust two years ago, she has reshaped the company, hiring a quarter of the roughly 80 people on staff and reports helping the rights management firm reach 140% growth in revenue and 160% growth in clients (both year-over-year measurements). “To be able to have accomplished that in 18 months is something of immense pride,” says Neuman, who was promoted to her role as president of Songtrust in October.

Charity She Supports: “The Sound Thinking program to give women and girls in New York City public schools access to music companies for both production work and industry jobs.”

Mary Megan PeerDeputy CEO, peermusic

Mary Megan, 42, is a third-generation executive at one of the industry’s most successful global independent music publishers, representing over a half-million titles with 35 offices in 30 countries. It is also a firm with a legendary history, whose founder, Ralph S. Peer — Mary Megan’s grandfather — is credited with giving birth to the business of country music when he recorded the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers and others in Bristol, Tenn., in 1927. Ken Burns brought that history to some 34 million PBS viewers this fall in his documentary Country Music. Mary Megan is proud that Burns captured both Ralph’s ability to discover and nurture talent and his business acumen — “making sure people got paid,” she says — that still marks peermusic today. The family firm also offers a lesson in female empowerment; after Ralph’s death, Mary Megan’s grandmother Monique ran peermusic for 20 years before her father, Ralph Peer II (now chairman/CEO), took charge. Female executives, including company president/COO Kathy Spanberger, run peermusic offices in 10 countries. Burns’ history lesson notwithstanding, Mary Megan is very much focused on the present and future. Among the company’s recent achievements is its acquisition of MusicCube, a large independent publisher in Korea. “That added 40,000 Korean copyrights to our catalog [in a] territory we hadn’t been active in before,” says Mary Megan. And a long way from Bristol.

An Indie Global Publisher Without Compare: “We do have this 90-year history and are very lucky to represent a lot of older copyrights that are strong, and then at the same time, we’ve created this global footprint that pretty much gives us the same reach as a major publisher.”

Carla WallaceCo-owner/CEO, Big Yellow Dog Music

“It’s never about numbers, just quality,” says Wallace of the roster signed to her boutique publishing/artist development firm of creators who connect deeply with listeners. Daniel Tashian won two Grammy Awards for his work on Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour; Maren Morris achieved her third No. 1 on Country Airplay with “Girl,” breaking a 17-month hiatus for women in the top position; and newcomer Tenille Townes won four Canadian Country Music Awards. Townes, says Wallace, is “determined to make everyone feel connected through the heartache we all see or pain we endure.”

Where She Unwinds: “Dollywood.”

Elizabeth MatthewsCEO, ASCAP

Responding to the torrent of data in the streaming age, Matthews reports that ASCAP has tapped “bleeding edge technology” to scale up its global IT systems and infrastructure, and digital access for its songwriters, composers and music publishers. The performing rights organization has finalized over 40 deals with TV/cable broadcasters, radio networks and digital service providers. Says Matthews: “Making smart, strategic agreements with our licensees enabled ASCAP to return more than $1 billion in distributions to our members for the second year in a row in 2018.”

Where She Unwinds: “My couch. It’s close and cheap. Plus, I tend to find my kids there.”

Anjula SinghExecutive vp/CFO, SoundExchange

For Singh, who added executive vp to her CFO title at SoundExchange in September, the highlight of the past year came when “we were able to distribute $1 billion” to performers and record labels — 190,000 accounts in all — for U.S. digital performances. Adds Singh: “It’s important for us to do right by creators.”

Most Urgent Issue: “Data accuracy. It’s so important to get people paid. It’s core to where we are. There’s so much meta associated with a track. Does it matter that you’re getting [a royalty payment] out? Or does it matter that you’re getting it out as accurately as you can?”

Alison SmithExecutive vp distribution, ­publisher ­relations and administration ­services, BMI

Smith, 58, directed the BMI team that distributed royalties of nearly $1.2 billion to the performing rights organization’s songwriters, composers and music publishers. With her counterparts at ASCAP, she laid the foundation for Songview, the joint database that “will bring together and reconcile songs currently housed in both PROs’ proprietary databases,” says Smith. With final testing of the system underway, “we are extremely encouraged by the results we’re seeing.”

Advice for Next-Gen Women: “Love music, respect the creative process, listen and learn all the time, find a mentor or mentors, and trust your instincts. Always be kind, respectful and ethical in your dealings with others.”

Kelli TurnerPresident/COO, SESAC

In August, two-and-a-half years after SESAC was acquired by the private equity firm Blackstone, Turner oversaw SESAC’s refinancing of its capital structure. The PRO sold $530 million in debt and gained commitments for a $30 million revolving credit facility. As SESAC went on a “road show” to potential investors, says Turner, there was “significant over-demand for the offering and the pricing came in better than SESAC expected.”

Have Attitudes Changed?: “The #MeToo movement has provided women a more equal playing field. Issues have really come to light that helped get women recognition and opportunities that they deserve.”

Tami HurwitzVP global marketing, Amazon Music

“Since the advent of the MP3, digital music has prioritized convenience over [sound] quality,” says Hurwitz, 47, who led the marketing team behind the launch of Amazon HD Music, adding over 50 million tracks to the high-definition audio service, plus several million in Ultra HD. Amazon partnered with artists “including Neil Young, Halsey, Garth Brooks and Brittany Howard — with more to come — to celebrate the launch,” says Hurwitz.

Song That Inspires: “I listen to Brandi Carlile’s ‘The Joke’ at least once a day. She is such a powerful singer-songwriter with an amazing voice. I love the meaning and message of [that] song.”

Vivien LewitGlobal head of artist services, YouTube

To oversee and strengthen YouTube’s relationships with artists, Lewit has built a team to help acts worldwide take full advantage of the platform — from educating artists in Japan on how to target a global audience to working with Nigerian act Mr. Eazi on emPawa, an incubator that provides career guidance and funds music videos for up-and-coming artists in Africa. “We’re seeking ways to catalyze artists’ access and connection to fans near and far,” says Lewit.

Where She Unwinds: “Antiparos, Greece. A magical place, small enough to feel like a special secret but chock-full of beautiful nature on the island and in the waters around it.”

Rachel NewmanGlobal senior director of editorial, Apple MusicJen WalshSenior director, Shazam/Beats 1, Apple Music

Apple Music’s content team, led by Newman, has been on a roll in 2019, announcing a flurry of new Beats 1 shows, revamped playlists and working with artists like Camila Cabello to create one-off experiences around their albums. After Apple acquired Shazam in 2018, Walsh was tasked with integrating the audio recognition service into Apple’s corporate culture and structure, as well as taking over business leadership for Beats 1, focusing “on people and innovation when measuring our success,” she says.

Most Urgnet Issue: “Preserving the value of artistry and artists’ stories is one of the most crucial issues in the streaming era. We need to be really careful that we don’t turn music into a commodity.” – Newman

Dawn OstroffChief content officer, Spotify

Ostroff has led Spotify’s podcast movement in 2019, saying, “We acquired best-in-class podcasting companies — Gimlet, Anchor and Parcast — and we now have more than 500,000 podcast titles available on the platform, including exclusive titles and partnerships with President Barack and Michelle Obama, Jordan Peele and others.” But her proudest achievement? Over 50% of her music team identify as female. “It’s an enormous step forward not only for the company,” says Ostroff, “but for our industry.”

Advice for Next-Gen Women: “Be willing to work harder than anybody else and think outside the box to help differentiate yourself. Be an innovator — don’t just follow the tracks that have been laid out in front of you.”

Lizzie WidhelmSenior vp ad innovation, Pandora

When Widhelm, a 13-year veteran of Pandora and the broader Pandora team, tapped the company’s Music Genome Project data to place Lewis Capaldi’s “Someone You Loved” in front of new fans, the company reported that total Pandora streams of the song increased by 811%, helping drive the track to No. 1 on the Hot 100 in November. Says Widhelm: “Helping talent find their audience has always been our mission.” Her next challenge: “Cracking the code” for the best podcast ad format.

Song That Inspires: “It has to be Dolly Parton’s ‘9 to 5.’ Even on a tough day, that song is everything.”

Alessandra AlarcónPresident, SBS Entertainment, ­Spanish Broadcasting System

Promoted to her new role in March, Alarcón, 32, has been expanding the concert division of SBS Entertainment, adding a second night to the annual Calibash event in Los Angeles in January and launching the two-date summer concert series Megaton. “There is a lot of creativity and talent that needs and deserves exposure,” says Alarcón. “I want [us] to be a place where artists are supported across markets.”

Most Urgent Issue: “Recognition of the ‘explosion of the Latin genre’ in [the] general market. It’s a very exciting time for Latinos in the music and entertainment industry.”

Mary G. BernerPresident/CEO, Cumulus Media

Berner, 60, led Cumulus out of bankruptcy by June 2018 and has since launched its aggressive expansion. Now a multiplatform “audio first” company, she says that the radio giant reaches 250 million terrestrial listeners monthly in addition to marquee podcasts, streaming, smart speakers and digital channels. Says Berner: “First you fix it, so you can earn the right to innovate.”

Where She Unwinds: “I am at my happiest when traveling with my family; second best is being transported by a great book, with my kids and pets right there with me.”

Amani DuncanSenior vp music, MTV

Since taking on her current role in 2017, Duncan has seen year-over-year spikes for songs performed during the MTV Video Music Awards. (Overall ratings for the show itself in 2019 were flat despite a 6% rise in ratings for the 25-54 demographic.) The 2019 show resulted in a 74% increase in song sales and a 12% increase in streams the week of Aug. 23.

Have Attitudes Changed?: “There have been countless studies that point to one conclusion: having women in the C-suite significantly impacts net margins. The music industry has been late to this discovery, but not all is lost — we are the change we seek.”

Leslie FramSenior vp music and talent, CMT

Fram has been at the forefront of the gender disparity conversation within country music. She has led CMT’s Next Women of Country franchise and the 2018 CMT Artists of the Year celebration of women, which was the No. 1 social cable special of October 2018, according to CMT. She’s also a co-founder of Change the Conversation, which aims to empower women and provide knowledge and mentorship.

Advice for Next-Gen Women: “Carry your passion, work ethic and desire to help others throughout your career. Remain true to yourself.”

Cindy HillVP content, industry and affiliate relations, Univision

Charity She Supports: “I discovered the St. Jude [Children’s Research Hospital] Heroes program a few years ago and have run a half-marathon annually for St. Jude ever since. It’s a wonderful feeling of community and connection.”

Tamara HrivnakVP music business development and partnerships, ­FacebookMalika QuemeraisHead of music partnerships, Facebook

As Facebook’s chief music strategist, Hrivnak leads a team (including numerous other female executives) that’s driving a string of deals with labels and publishers. Wherever possible, Facebook is leveraging its licenses to let 2.8 billion users across its family of apps personalize their posts with music content, according to the company. Quemerais, 34, leads music partnerships and teams focused on social impact for public figures. This year, that meant working with Kelsea Ballerini and Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman to put together the first-ever Women of Nashville event during this summer’s CMA Fest, as well as supporting She Is the Music, the nonprofit endeavoring to increase the number of women working in the music business.

Song That Inspires: “Brandi Carlile’s ‘The Joke.’ It’s about rising up and going against the grain. It’s about resilience and speaks to me deeply as a woman in ­business.” – Hrivnak

Thea MitchemExecutive vp programming, ­iHeartMedia; Program director, WWPR (Power 105.1) New YorkMarissa MorrisSenior vp artist relations, iHeartMedia

Mitchem guided WWPR (Power 105.1) New York to the best ratings in its 17-year history, reaching over 2 million listeners monthly, while the hip-hop station’s syndicated morning show, The Breakfast Club featuring Charlamagne Tha God, beams out to listeners of 80 stations and millions more on digital platforms, according to iHeartMedia. Morris, 33, guided launch campaigns for Taylor Swift’s Lover, among other projects, that leveraged an audience reach that iHeartRadio puts at a quarter-billion listeners. Her team also promoted and curated the lineup for such annual events as Jingle Ball, Fiesta Latina and the iHeartRadio Music Festival.

Have Attitudes Changed?: “We’re in a time when our voices and contributions to the music industry are starting to be recognized.” – Mitchem

Connie OrlandoExecutive vp specials, music programming and music strategy, BET Networks

Three years after Orlando was named BET’s executive vp/head of programming, she was promoted to her current title in October. In that time, she has led BET to a near double-digit upswing in growth, with this year’s BET Hip Hop Awards raking in 1.3 million viewers, up over 9% year over year, according to the company. “When I began, there was a dearth of women, and few of those held key positions,” she says. “My ascension, along with my peers, has helped reshape the landscape.”

Advice For Next-Gen Women: “Identify the sector you desire to impact, craft a plan and work hard toward your goal each day. Never feel as though you have to compromise or cower to your male counterparts. Be authentically you.”

Alter, who negotiates transactions involving the acquisition and sale of music assets, says this is a “golden age for music publishing” — and for the business in general. The total value of her firm’s deals during the past year and a half has just hit “the billion-dollar mark,” she says.

Song That Inspires: “Janis Joplin and ‘Piece of My Heart.’ She took the work of a male songwriter and made it her own. That’s so cool.”

A powerhouse litigator, Lepera is known for her fierce arguments and her determination to turn a loss or setback into an eventual win. Although a jury in July ruled against her clients in a copyright infringement suit over Katy Perry’s hit “Dark Horse,” Lepera is not giving up. “We are fighting this one — big time,” she says.

Most Urgent Issue: “How [copyright] cases are handled and the problems we have with music being [like] a foreign language and courts and juries not being able to evaluate these things in that setting.”

Most Urgent Issue: “Every minute of every day, the metadata and verification problem is getting worse. This is causing money to disappear into the ether or be claimed by third parties.”

White had a nonstop year providing legal and business counsel to a roster of A-list clients: Big Hit Entertainment, BTS, Tencent, The Who, Regina Spektor, Melanie Martinez, James TW, Diane Warren, Young the Giant, Friends at Work, Christie Brinkley, Citi, Uber and Ultimate Fighting Championship. “Watching BTS win group of the year at the Billboard Music Awards was something I will never forget,” she says. “When the boys stood on that stage as the winner, I felt like a proud mom.”

Where She Unwinds: “Harbour Island in the Bahamas. Since it’s hard to get to, you don’t run into the entire music industry.”

Marcie AllenFounder/president, MAC Presents

Allen this year celebrated the 15th anniversary of her music partnership and experiential agency MAC Presents with programs for Citi, Uber and Swisher Sweets. Her latest coup was ATLive, a three-day veterans benefit concert at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium in November, headlined by Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, Eric Church, Sam Hunt, Luke Combs and others. “For a first-year event to sell over 90,000 tickets with the hottest country artists out there, I’m very proud,” she says.

Have Attitudes Changed? “We’re starting to get women in the C-suite who are absolutely in charge, but I would like to see more women who own their own businesses. That’s somewhere we have room to improve.”

Julie BoosChairman/business manager, FBMM

Like many financial advisers, Boos, 50, keeps FBMM’s client list confidential. But her stature within the Nashville community was affirmed last year when she was named business manager of the year at the Country Music Association’s 2018 touring awards. The accolade is nice, but Boos takes greater satisfaction from a client recently reaching a lifetime financial goal after 12 years of her guidance. “For a business manager,” she says, “that’s the holy grail.”

Charity She Supports: “I’m passionate about children in foster care and the challenges these kids face. I had 16 kids through my home in two years. Each story was different, but they each face the same struggles to survive and overcome the hand they’ve been dealt.”

Jennifer BreithauptGlobal consumer chief marketing officer, Citi

With the launch of its social impact and mentorship program #SeeHerHearHer on NBC’s Today in March, Citi joined the fight against gender bias and disparity in the music industry, committing to “50/50 gender parity” in its advertising and to bring 50 other brands into the fold. Artist partners have included Maren Morris, Sheryl Crow and Brittany Howard, with more scheduled for 2020. “It’s really a commitment to accurately portray women and girls in our advertising, storytelling and the media that we purchase,” says Breithaupt, whose international team oversees 12,000-plus events and experiences globally through the Citi Entertainment program.

Artist That Inspires: “I always point people back to Ella Fitzgerald as one of the groundbreakers for women in music.”

Deborah CurtisVP global brand partnerships and ­experiences, American Express

While boosting American Express’ global brand platform (“Powerful Backing: Don’t Do Business/Live Life Without It”) and giving customers priority access to tours (the latest: Jennifer Lopez, Lizzo and Oprah Winfrey), Curtis’ focus has been the continued expansion of the company’s music partnerships with “over 40 venues in seven countries, eight music festivals across the U.S. and London, and presale access in 17 countries,” she says. Curtis also pioneered AmEx’s annual Women in Music Leadership Academy, a three-day workshop dedicated to empowering the next generation of female music industry professionals, which took place for the second time in June.

Most Urgent Issue: “For the next generation of fans, how you’re able to connect with them in new and different ways and the complex media landscape to get there.”

Martha HendersonExecutive vp/manager of entertainment banking, City National Bank

Henderson has run the entertainment division of City National Bank for 36 years, managing a team of over 250 entertainment bankers in New York, Nashville, Miami, Atlanta and Beverly Hills, Calif., and overseeing more than $7.3 billion in loans and $11.5 billion in deposits. She recently guided a new partnership between the bank and fintech company CASHét to provide business managers with new credit and payment tools designed for the touring industry. “For me, it’s trying to look ahead,” says Henderson. “What else can we do to help the music community?”

Song That Inspires: “If you ever feel down and you need to pick yourself back up, go get Tina Turner’s ‘Simply the Best’ and sing that out loud.”

Lou TaylorCEO, Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group

“We put together many deals this year, which total in the hundreds of millions of dollars, that were unique and out of the box,” says Taylor, 54, one of the music industry’s most high-profile business managers. One client, Travis Scott, has cut a string of deals with Nike, General Mills and Netflix. Tri-Star doesn’t limit itself to working within the music business, counting actors, athletes, coaches and creatives among its clients.

Have Attitudes Changed?: “I still believe that men will always stick together and help each other out — and worry that women are not there yet.”

Michele BallantyneCOO, RIAA

“Bringing people together and building trust” are Ballantyne’s priorities, which allowed the RIAA to push for the passage last year of the Music Modernization Act and, in February, led to the expansion of the RIAA’s board of directors “and the election of the most diverse slate of board members in the organization’s history,” she says.

Have Attitudes Changed?: “Every young woman who comes into the business today has a much wider set of options and a whole rich roster of role models and category breakers who have paved a lot of the way.”

Deborah DuganPresident/CEO, The Recording Academy

Starting in August as the new president/CEO of The Recording Academy, Dugan has a vision to invigorate the 21,000-member organization with service and activism, from fighting for embattled music education programs to advocating for the CASE Act to support copyright infringement claims. “Our North Star is the artist,” says Dugan. “Their work improves our lives, and our work at The Recording Academy is to improve theirs.”

Charities She Supports: “The Grammy Museum and the Music Coalition, because every child should have equal access to music education. And MusiCares [to] support music makers in time of hardship and great need.”

Most Urgent Issue: “We must drive change and tackle some of music’s greatest challenges — challenges like fair pay for creators, removing music-career barriers for women, and strengthening and protecting all students’ access to music education. We must collectively use our voices, our power and our influence to make some real change.”

Sarah TrahernCEO, Country Music Association

Trahern, 54, and her CMA team watched a yearslong marketing collaboration with Ken Burns come to fruition with the acclaimed PBS documentary Country Music, an eight-part series that debuted in September. “Our industry saw significant growth in consumption,” says Trahern, referring to the sales and streaming boosts for some of the nearly 500 songs featured in the doc. Among those, Patsy Cline’s “Crazy” garnered 4,000 downloads between Sept. 13 and 26, and Johnny Cash’s Nine Inch Nails cover “Hurt” earned 3.1 million streams alone in that period.

Most Urgent Issue: “Continuing to educate the country consumer on streaming and how consumers can utilize the platforms for music discovery in addition to finding their favorite artists.”

Methodology: Billboard editors and reporters weighed a variety of factors in determining the 2019 Women in Music executives power list, including, but not limited to, nominations by peers, colleagues and superiors; and impact on consumer behavior as measured by chart, sales and streaming performance, social media impressions and radio/TV audiences reached, using data available as of Oct. 21. (Data in profiles is updated as of Nov. 25.) Career trajectory and industry impact were also considered, as were financial results when available. Where required, U.S. record-label market share was consulted using Nielsen Music’s current market share for album plus track-equivalent and streaming-equivalent album-consumption units and Billboard’s quarterly top 10 publisher rankings. Unless otherwise noted, Billboard Boxscore and Nielsen Music are the sources for tour grosses and sales/streaming data, respectively. Nielsen is also the source for radio audience metrics. Unless otherwise noted, album streaming figures cited represent collective U.S. on-demand audio totals for an album’s tracks, and song/artist streaming figures represent U.S. on-demand audio and video totals.

Contributors: Rich Appel, Cathy Applefeld Olson, Megan Armstrong, Karen Bliss, Dave Brooks, Dean Budnick, Britina Cheng, Ed Christman, Tatiana Cirisano, Leila Cobo, Danica Daniel, Camille Dodero, Thom Duffy, Chris Eggertsen, Eric Frankenberg, Adrienne Gaffney, Bianca Gracie, Gary Graff, Sarah Grant, Lyndsey Havens, Steve Knopper, Katy Kroll, Carl Lamarre, Joe Levy, Brooke Mazurek, Taylor Mims, Gail Mitchell, Melinda Newman, Paula Parisi, Chris Payne, Glenn Peoples, Alex Pham, Bryan Reesman, Annie Reuter, Jessica Roiz, Claudia Rosenbaum, Dan Rys, Micah Singleton, Richard Smirke, Eric Spitznagel, Colin Stutz, Taylor Weatherby, Deborah Wilker, Nick Williams, Xander Zellner

This article originally appeared in the Dec. 14 issue of Billboard.

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Explore the Artist 100

You Belong With Me

ما معنى كلمه billboard

Taylor Swift

Shake It Off

Taylor Swift

Peaked at #1 on
06.09.2014

Love Story

Taylor Swift

Peaked at #4 on
17.01.2009

Teardrops On My Guitar

Taylor Swift

Peaked at #13 on
01.03.2008

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12/13/2019

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Rebecca Schiller

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Taylor Swift was the first-ever recipient of Billboard’s Woman of the Decade Award, and she was on hand to accept the prize at the 2019 Women in Music Event on Thursday night (Dec. 12) at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. You can read her full acceptance speech below.

I’m Taylor, good evening. I wanna first thank Billboard from the bottom of my heart for this honor…I wanna say thank you so much to Billboard for giving me this honor, for naming me as their Woman of the Decade.

So what does it mean to be the woman of this decade? Well, it means I’ve seen a lot. When this decade began I was 20 years old and I had put out my self-titled debut album when I was 16, and then the album that would become my breakthrough album, which was called Fearless. And I saw that there was a world of music and experience beyond country music that I was really curious about.ما معنى كلمه billboard

I saw pop stations send my songs ‘Love Story’ and ‘You Belong With Me’ to number one for the first time. And I saw that as a female in this industry, some people will always have slight reservations about you. Whether you deserve to be there, whether your male producer or co-writer is the reason for your success, or whether it was a savvy record label. It wasn’t.

I saw that people love to explain away a woman’s success in the music industry, and I saw something in me change due to this realization. This was the decade when I became a mirror for my detractors. Whatever they decided I couldn’t do is exactly what I did….Whatever they criticized about me became material for musical satires or inspirational anthems, and the best lyrical examples I can think of are songs like ‘Mean,’ ‘Shake It Off,’ and ‘Blank Space.’ Basically if people had something to say about me, I usually said something back in my own way.

And this reflex dictated more than just my lyrics. When Fearless did win Album of the Year at the Grammys and I did become the youngest solo artist to ever win the award, with that win came criticism and backlash in 2010 that I’d never experienced before as a young new artist. All of a sudden people had doubts about my singing voice, was it strong enough? Was I a little bit pitchy? All of a sudden they weren’t sure if I was the one writing the songs because sometimes in the past I had had co-writers in the room.

At that time I couldn’t understand why this wave of harsh criticism had hit me so hard. I believe a popular headline back then was, ‘A Swift Backlash,’ which is clever, you gotta give it to ’em. And now I realize that this is just what happens to a woman in music if she achieves success or power beyond people’s comfort level. I now have come to expect that with good news comes some sort of pushback. But I didn’t know that then.

So then I decided that I would be the only songwriter on my third album, Speak Now, and that I would tour constantly, work on my vocals every day, and perfect my stamina in a live show. I decided I would be what they said I couldn’t be. I didn’t know then that soon enough people would decide on something else I wasn’t quite doing right, and then the circle would keep going on and on and rolling along and I would keep accommodating, over-correcting, in an effort to appease my critics.

They’re saying I’m dating too much in my 20s? Okay, I’ll stop, I’ll just be single. For years. Now they’re saying my album Red is filled with too many breakup songs? Okay, okay, I’ll make one about moving to New York and deciding that really my life is more fun with just my friends. Oh, they’re saying my music is changing too much for me to stay in country music? All right. Okay, here’s an entire genre shift and a pop album called 1989.

Now it’s that I’m showing you too many pictures of me with my friends, okay, I can stop doing that too. Now I’m actually a calculated manipulator rather than a smart businesswoman? Okay, I’ll disappear from public view for years. Now I’m being cast a villain to you? Okay, here’s an album called Reputation and there are lots of snakes everywhere.

In the last 10 years I have watched as women in this industry are criticized and measured up to each other and picked at for their bodies, their romantic lives, their fashion, or have you ever heard someone say about a male artist, I really like his songs but I don’t know what it is, there’s just something about him I don’t like? No! That criticism is reserved for us!

But you know, I’ve learned that the difference between those who can continue to create in that climate usually comes down to this. Who lets that scrutiny break them and who just keeps making art.

I’ve watched as one of my favorite artists of this decade, Lana Del Rey, was ruthly criticized…in her early career and then slowly but surely she turned into, in my opinion, the most influential artist in pop. Her vocal stylings, her lyrics, her aesthetics, they’ve been echoed and repurposed in every corner of music, and this year her incredible album is nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys because she just kept making art. And that example should inspire all of us, that the only way forward is forward motion. That we shouldn’t let obstacles like criticism slow down the creative forces that drive us.

And I see that fire in the newer faces in our music industry whose work I absolutely love. I see it in Lizzo, Rosalia, Tayla Parx, Hayley Kiyoko, King Princess, Camila Cabello, Halsey, Megan Thee Stallion, Princess Nokia, Nina Nesbitt, Sigrid, Normani, H.E.R., Maggie Rogers, Becky G, Dua Lipa, Ella Mai, Billie Eilish. And so many other amazing women who are making music right now.

Female artists in music have dominated this decade in growth, streaming, record and ticket sales, and critical acclaim. So why are we doing so well? Because we have to grow fast. We have to work this hard, we have to prove that we deserve this, and we have to top our last achievements. Women in music, on stage or behind the scenes, are not allowed to coast. We are held at a higher, sometimes impossible-feeling standard. And it seems that my fellow female artists have taken this challenge and they have accepted it.

We now find ourselves fully immersed in a vast frontier that wasn’t around last decade, and that is the streaming world. In music, we’re always walking hand-in-hand with technology, and sometimes that is so awesome, like how now we’re able to just drop a song that we made yesterday.

I’ve spoken out in the past about the future of revenue flow for creators and the songwriters and producers who are being left behind due to these rapid shifts and changes. I still don’t think that record contracts or producers agreements have fully caught up, and I hope that in the next decade, we can keep searching for the right solution for producers, songwriters, and creators. Don’t you?

Lately there’s been a new shift that has affected me personally and that I feel is a potentially harmful force in our industry, and as your resident loud person, I feel the need to bring it up. And that is the unregulated world of private equity coming in and buying up our music as if it is real estate. As if it’s an app or a shoe line. This just happened to me without my approval, consultation, or consent.

After I was denied the chance to purchase my music outright, my entire catalog was sold to Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings in a deal that I’m told was funded by the Soros Family, 23 Capital, and the Carlyle Group. Yet to this day none of these investors have ever bothered to contact me or my team directly. To perform their due diligence on their investment. On their investment in me. To ask how I might feel about the new owner of my art. The music I wrote. The videos I created. Photos of me, my handwriting, my album designs. And of course, Scooter never contacted me or my team to discuss it prior to the sale or even when it was announced.

I’m fairly certain he knew exactly how I would feel about it though. And let me just say that the definition of the toxic male privilege in our industry is people saying, ‘But he’s always been nice to me,’ when I’m raising valid concerns about artists and their rights to own their music. And of course he’s nice to you. If you’re in this room, you have something he needs.

The fact is that private equity is what enabled this man to think, according to his own social media post, that he could buy me. But I’m obviously not going willingly. Yet the most amazing thing was to discover that it would be the women in our industry who would have my back and show me the most vocal support at one of the most difficult times, and I will never, ever forget it. Like, ever.

But to conclude, I will say that in 10 years I’ve seen forward steps in our industry, in our awareness, our inclusion, our ability to start calling out unfairness and misconduct. I’ve seen the advent of social media, the way it can boost the breakthrough of emerging artists and I’ve seen fans become more engaged and supportive than ever before.

I’ve leaned on that support and it has kept me in a place where, no matter what, I always wanted to keep making music for them. I was up on a stage in New York City in 2014 accepting Billboard Woman of the Year and I was talking about the future of streaming. How we needed to make sure that the female artists, writers, and producers of the next generation were protected and compensated fairly. This was before my record deal with Universal, last year, that would contractually guarantee that the artists on their roster be paid upon any sale of their Spotify shares unrecoupable. So thank you for that.

This speech I’m referring to was on my 25th birthday. I’m about to turn 30 tonight, woo! But my exact quote during the speech was, ‘I really just feel like we need to continue to try to offer something to a younger generation of musicians, because somewhere right now your future Woman of the Year is probably sitting in a piano lesson or in a girls’ choir “and today right now we need to take care of her.’

I’ve since learned that at that exact moment, an 11-year-old girl in California really was taking piano lessons and really was in a girls’ choir. And this year she has been named Woman of the Year at the age of 17. Her name is Billie.

And those are the stories we need to think about every day as we do our jobs within this industry. The ones where people’s dreams come true and they get to create music and play it for people. The ones where fans feel a connection to music that makes their day easier, makes their night more fun, makes their love feel more sacred, or their heartache feel less isolating. The ones where all of you in this room stand as an example for someone else in the next generation who loves the same thing that we love. Music. And no matter what else enters the conversation, we will always bring it back to music. And as for me, lately I’ve been focusing less on doing what they say I can’t do and more on doing whatever the hell I want.

Thank you for a magnificent, happy-free, confused, sometimes lonely but mostly golden decade. I’m honored to be here tonight. I feel very lucky to be with you, thank you so much.

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Billboard is celebrating the 2010s with essays on the 100 songs that we feel most define the decade that was — the songs that both shaped and reflected the music and culture of the period — with help telling their stories from some of the artists, behind-the-scenes collaborators and industry insiders involved.

Over the course of Tame Impala’s hypnotic, critically acclaimed 2015 album Currents, the protagonist stumbles through various symptoms of heartbreak — despair, paranoia, helplessness, optimism — in a way that suggests a personal metamorphosis. 

Then, in the final track, he’s nearly back to square one. 

“New Person, Same Old Mistakes,” the woozy, six-minute long kicker, cautions listeners to be skeptical of anyone’s well-intentioned ability to change — including that of the narrator himself. “I know that it’s hard to digest/ a realization is as good as a guess,” bandleader Kevin Parker sings, another tough pill to swallow from an album that might as well be a medicine cabinet. During the chorus, his past and current selves battle it out to the tune of distorted drums and a grumbling bassline: After the pompous “feel like a brand new person” comes the lingering, ominous echo, “but you’ll make the same old mistakes.”ما معنى كلمه billboard

In a 2015 interview with Billboard, Parker said he turned 29 while writing Currents, and became fascinated by the Saturn return, an astrology term for the massive life transition people often experience around that age. “I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting on my life in the past and what’s ahead of me,” he said. “I was halfway through ­making the album when I heard about it, and it gave what I was doing a lot more meaning; ­suddenly things made a lot more sense.”

While “New Person” ends Currents on a doubtful note, the album itself was transformative for Parker’s career. The band’s garage rock-driven debut Innerspeaker in 2010, and more smoothed-out sophomore album Lonerism two years later, had morphed the famously obsessive and elusive Parker into an indie hero. But it wasn’t just critics who revered his psycho-rock virtuosity: He also scored an unavoidable alt hit and a number of commercial syncs with the foot-stomping anomaly “Elephant,” which charged to No. 8 on Billboard’s Alternative Songs thanks to its chugging riff and spot-on analogy for, well, an egotistical jerk. 

But Parker has never been one to stand still, and so with his new album, he threw that all to the side for a totally fresh and different sound — and a new challenge. In addition to writing, recording, performing and producing Currents (as he did for the first two albums), Parker also mixed the music and recorded all instruments by himself for the first time. 

Rob Grant, the Poons Head Studio producer and engineer who has worked with Parker since his days in Mink Mussel Creek, served as an advisor. “I was promoting him to not be scared of taking risks,” Grant remembers of their sessions at Parker’s home studio in Australia. “It was important for him to make a brave statement on his own.”

“One of the beauties of Kev is the desire to push something different, and something new,” he adds. “As soon as you stay still, they can nail you to the cross. But if you keep the target moving, they fight pretty hard to nail you down.” 

The result was more polished, pop-leaning and commercially upfront than its rough-edged predecessors, painting a sheen over every note without losing any of Tame Impala’s trademark psychedelia. Compared to the crunchy guitar riffs of Innerspeaker, or ever-so-slightly pop turn of Lonerism, Currents beckoned listeners with layers upon layers of glimmering synths, vocal echoes and radiating bass to wade into — a producers’ masterpiece for the 2010s. Currents peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, was nominated for a Grammy and earned Album of the Year at the ARIA Awards, among five total honors for Tame Impala. 

And while “New Person” wasn’t a single — the disco-tinged jam “Let It Happen” became the critical favorite, while the antsy, schizophrenic “The Less I Know The Better” was the streaming hit (and remains Tame Impala’s most popular song on Spotify) — it captures everything Currents has to say about the impulse to change, the desire to live up to that ideal self, and the ways we delude ourselves into thinking we have.

The song found a somewhat unexpected (but logical) fan in Rihanna, who famously covered it smack in the middle of her most experimental album, 2016’s ANTI, retitling her version “Same ‘Ol Mistakes” but keeping everything else intact. Parker suggested in an interview with Billboard that SZA may have introduced Rihanna to the song, and it struck a chord with the pop superstar, who was herself experimenting with a brand new sound (and who had no doubt been disillusioned by the idea that someone can change in the past).  

The song’s anxious spirit also seems to mirror Parker’s tendency toward perfectionism with his work. Asked how he and Parker knew that Currents was done, Grant is at first silent — there’s no way to truly know. What mattered, or at least helped, was that their efforts were recognized in the end. 

“The fact that someone who is a perfectionist could be rewarded as such made me feel really good,” he says. “It’s not just being an idiot that never gets to sleep.”

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