Also this week: Charting UK rapper EsDeeKid's hype comes alive in Montreal, Diljit Dosanjh and Karan Aujla announce major Canadian concert dates and more.
The two biggest stories of the week were the Grammy Awards on Sunday and the appearance of The Boss and Tom Morello at an anti-ICE rally in Minneapolis. The events were linked thematically, given that many of the Grammy-winning stars added their voices to the protest against ICE violence.
Read these stories and more in this week's roundup of music biz headlines of the week from Canada and beyond.
Four songs featuring a noticeably different voice appeared on the Canadian music legend's Spotify catalogue before being taken down days later. – Stefano Rebuli, Billboard Canada
The viral Scouse rapper returned to the stage for the second leg of his Rebel tour after his major viral rise and chart breakthrough at Montreal's Théâtre Fairmount on Friday night (Jan. 30). – Stefano Rebuli, Billboard Canada
Justin Gray is the first Canadian to ever be nominated in the best immersive album category — for a project brought to life with 38 Toronto artists from his own orbit. – Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press
After extensive upgrades to the flooring, the Music Hall in New Vision United Church will be ready to take a major role in Juno Week events. – Demar Grant, Hamilton Spectator
The Punjabi star will return to Vancouver's BC Place and Toronto's Rogers Centre in April and May, where he first made history two years ago. He will also go to Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg plus U.S. dates at iconic venues like Madison Square Garden and Crypto.com Arena. – Peony Hirwani, Billboard Canada
Joni’s music is one of stylistic turns, but her acoustic guitar playing reveals an affection for jazz even in her earliest works. – Cassidy Sollazzo, Paste
The Calgary-born pop singer stars in the U.S. news network’s “Legendary February” campaign, representing America in advance of the Olympics opening ceremony on Feb. 6. – Heather Taylor-Singh, Billboard Canada
History always has a way of informing the present, and Aquakultre has perfectly captured that feeling throughout his new album, 1783. Lance Sampson, the mind and soul behind Aquakultre, has wholeheartedly embraced his family’s history. – Brendyn Creamer, The Coast
Jarring as the alliance has seemed, it grew from a certain attitudinal resonance between the rapper and the president, each raised in Queens and bearing a sense of persecution, as well as some increasingly overlapping social circles. – Dan Adler, Vanity Fair
A PR battle appears to be breaking out between the world's most prominent AI music company and the world's largest music rights company. – Music Business Worldwide
Later that night, he would take the stage to perform his unapologetically political songs in his home country for the first time without the Assad dynasty in power. – Omar Sanadiki & Kareem Chehayeb, AP
Bruce Resnikoff has been promoted to Chairman of Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), the global catalog division of Universal Music Group., "Through more than 40 years of excellence at UMG," Resnikoff is "widely considered the architect of global recorded music catalog marketing," read the statement. – MBW
