This week, the ever-controversial Kanye West (Ye) is at the centre of a political storm as his antisemitic past sees him banned from entering the U.K., a move that has seen the cancellation of the Wireless Festival he was set to headline.
Elsewhere, American musicians unions defend Bruce Springsteen against Trump insults, Pershing Square seeks to buy UMG for over $60 billion and more music biz headlines of the week from Canada and beyond.
Celebrating the release of her first-ever live album, Love or Lack Thereof, the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter shares the importance of human-created art in Canada’s music landscape. – Heather Taylor-Singh, Billboard Canada
The ‘90s rock band were set to play shows in Ottawa, Laval, Halifax and Moncton. This follows previous cancellations in Sault Ste. Marie, Oshawa and Hamilton, due to the frontman’s illness. – Heather Taylor-Singh, Billboard Canada
Experts weigh in on how the star was able to perform at the Roxy on Sunday despite Coachella's strict ban on playing local shows leading up to the festival. – Ariel King, Billboard
Dan Levy is ready to grab the attention of Netflix audiences with his first original scripted series since “Schitt’s Creek” and he’s combining his comedy prowess with the avant-garde sounds of Canadian electroclash musician Peaches for the score. – Craig Macrae, Canadian Press
As Drake appeals his case, law professors say he can't sue over a fight he picked himself: "Consent is an absolute defense to defamation." – Bill Donahue, Billboard
Multiple generations of music industry professionals gathered for the 10th edition of the Music Tech Summit hosted by the Association des professionnels de l’édition musicale (APEM), at Montréal’s Centre PHI. Artists, publishers, managers, and content creators mingled and discussed the growing role of AI in making music. – Thalia Chaput, SOCAN Words & Music
Understanding music revenue streams is key to making sure creators are properly paid for their work. In Canada’s music ecosystem, a single song can generate several types of royalties across different revenue streams, each tied to aspects of copyright. – CMRRA The Pulse
The president called the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame legend a "bad and very boring singer" while accusing Springsteen of having "Trump Derangement Syndrome" in a post on Tuesday (April 2). – Gil Kaufman, Billboard
Charley Crockett draws on the romanticism of the Wild, Wild West for his songs and persona. A new documentary, A Cowboy in London, follows his visit to the U.K. and three sold-out shows at Hoxton Hall. – Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail
After Sky Ferreira alleged her old demos were used on Charli xcx's Wuthering Heights album without credit, Charli's management team is sharing a statement on the situation.– Lyndsey Havens, Billboard
The Rolling Stones are preparing for the release of their twenty-fifth and final studio album, expected to be titled Foreign Tongues, following a cryptic teaser campaign across London. – Noise11
