Music Biz Headlines, Aug. 4, 2022

By Kerry Doole

Drake hosts hometown hip hop celebration

Drizzy bursts with pride showcasing his T-dot musical influences. in a triumphant marathon show at History last week.  – Michael Hollett, NEXT

From Mendes to New Kids, concert cancellations prove a costly gamble for fans

First, Justin Bieber postponed his June concert in Toronto, then The Weeknd was sidelined by the Rogers network outage a few weeks later. Shawn Mendes pulled out of dates at the Scotiabank Arena several days before showtime, while the New Kids of the Block scrapped an appearance one week before. – David Friend, CP

Shania Twain’s life: More hurt than a hatful of country songs

I think about Shania Twain a lot. Not in that way. It’s just the trajectory of her life and the extraordinary twists and turns in it. You couldn’t make it up. Unless, that is, you were writing a bunch of country songs with emotional heft, about loss, fate, good luck and bad. Shania Twain: Not Just a Girl (streaming on Netflix) is about her life up to now. – John Doyle, Globe and Mail

Drake responds to criticism over his private jet’s short flights

According to reports, Drake’s plane flew from Hamilton to Toronto on three separate occasions in June, with trips ranging between 14 to 18 minutes. “This is just them moving planes to whatever airport they are being stored at for anyone who was interested in the logistics,” Drake stated. “Nobody takes that flight.”  –Toronto Star

Mother Mother's Ryan Guldemond was happy to take some personal inventory for Inside

One member of Mother Mother found it extra funny that the booze can was not only somewhat difficult to find, but in fact didn't seem to exist. As a coping strategy it was not only healthy but productive, that reality not lost on Mother Mother’s Ryan Guldemond as he reflects on the creation of new album Inside.  –Mike Usinger, Georgia Straight

75 concerts in Vancouver in August

From Thundercat to Wet Leg, we have something for just about everyone.  – Steve Newton, Georgia Straight

One Republic’s ‘Never Ending Summer’ tour stops by Toronto to deliver nostalgia and healing from the pandemic

The band performed Wednesday night at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage to fans of the past and the present. –  Annette Ejiofor, Toronto Star

Canada’s major arts and culture organizations fall victim to cyberattack

Top Canadian arts and cultural orgs are cautioning patrons that some of their personal data may have been exposed in a recent security incident involving their e-mail service provider. Clients of WordFly include the National Ballet of Canada, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Canadian Opera Company, Canadian Stage and The Musical Stage Company. – Zahra Khozema, Globe & Mail

Cecilia Concerts announces 34th season lineup

The classical and composer-centred concerts kick off in September in Halifax and have announced its upcoming slate for the 2022-2023 season. – The Coast

Charity concerts at Twisted Lemon blew in on the wind

A windstorm blew together the Hamilton restaurant owners with South African musician/anti-apartheid activist Sharon Katz. – Jeff Mahoney, Hamilton Spectator

Pop music used to push for climate action

An Ontario-based dance troupe is using pop music, afrobeat, drama and choreography to urge its audience to push for climate action. Dance Fachin presented several performances of The Fourth R. – Yakosu Umana,  Cape Breton Post

Indigenous musician aims to inspire with new song about identity

For Home on a Rainbow, LJ Tyson received a special distinction award of $1,000 from the SOCAN Foundation's TD Indigenous Songwriter Award. – Omar Sherif, Star-Phoenix

Country stars rev up championship weekend at Delaware Speedway Sept. 22

Two of Canada’s hottest country acts, James Barker Band and The Reklaws, will be at Delaware Speedway in September to launch the year's biggest car racing weekend. – Joe Belanger London Free Press

International

Sony generated over $2bn from recorded music and publishing in calendar Q2; recorded music revenues up 11.2% YoY

Sony's global music rights operation – across recorded music and music publishing – generated USD $2.03B in the three months to end of June 2022. That's according to MBW's calculations based on Sony Group Corp's calendar Q2 (fiscal Q1) 2022 results, as announced July 29). The $2.03B figure was up 11.7% year-on-year (vs. calendar Q2 2021) at US dollar-converted constant currency.  –MBW

Is old music really exploding on TikTok, or should we redefine 'catalog?

TikTok’s impact on the music business is hard to dispute, as the virality lottery has made global winners of acts behind music released decades ago. But just how old is the majority of popular ‘old’ music on TikTok really? A new report from respected digital data analysis platform Chartmetric suggests that it’s time to rethink how we define ‘catalog’.  –Murray Stassen, MBW

How electric vehicles could spell death for the oldest form of radio broadcasting

My neighbourhood is lousy with electric vehicles. They’re all loaded with so much fabulous spaceship tech that the mind boggles at what our driving experiences will be in the next 10 years. However, one piece of tech is missing from many of them: a good old-fashioned AM radio, a feature that goes back almost a hundred years. – Alan Cross, Global News

Shopify invests in music commerce app Single

Music commerce app Single has secured an investment from online shopping services platform Sh opify. The company has also launched token-gated commerce and content features to its app. Nashville-headquartered Single was founded in 2016 by Tommy Stalknecht as a collection of music-specific toolsets for online stores. – MBW

Shakira faces possible jail time as a tax trial will proceed

Colombian pop singer Shakira has opted to go to trial instead of accepting a deal offered by Spanish prosecutors to settle allegations she defrauded Spain’s government of €14.5-million ($15-million) in taxes, her public relations team said. Shakira, 45, “trusts her innocence and chooses to leave the issue in the hands of the law,” the PR firm Llorente y Cuenca said in a statement. – AP

Beyoncé’s ‘RENAISSANCE’ album just dropped. Here’s how the Beyhive is reacting

Moments after her new album release, Beyoncé shared a heartfelt post that addressed the numerous reports of her album leaking two days before the official release. – Ande Fraske-Bornyk, Toronto Star

Beyoncé escapes to dance world in ‘Renaissance’

Beyoncé has been reborn again; this time it’s on a shimmering dance floor. But in her seventh studio album, Renaissance, she has subverted the public’s perception of her hitmaking history. – Nardos Haile, Globe & Mail

Beyoncé to remove offensive word from new song

Beyoncé is removing an offensive term for disabled people from a new song on her record “Renaissance,” just weeks after rapper Lizzo also changed lyrics to remove the same word. The song “Heated,” which was co-written with Canadian rapper Drake among several others, uses the word “spaz,” which is considered a derogatory reference to the medical term spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy. – AP

Bob Dylan sexual abuse lawsuit dropped by plaintiff

81-year-old music icon was accused of grooming and abusing a woman in 1965 when she was 12 years old. Dylan's counsel stated "We are pleased that the plaintiff has dropped this lawyer-driven sham and that the case has been dismissed with prejudice.”  –Bang Showbiz

Interview: Linton Kwesi Johnson: ‘I certainly did not see myself as an angry young black poet’

The poet and activist’s life in verse has chronicled black British history as it was being made. He talks about remaining hopeful, integrity, and taking 20 years to find his voice. – Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian

Great records you may have missed: 2022 mid-year edition

This special edition of the column features some of Paste's favorite underappreciated albums of 2022 (so far). – Lizzie Manno, Paste

Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra review – tears and roars of delight for new national ensemble

Giving only their second ever performance, the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra was highly impressive and deeply moving in a programme of Silvestrov, Chopin, Beethoven and Brahms. – Fiona Willson, The Guardian