Music Biz Headlines: Paul McCartney Joins AI Music Protest, Canadian Rapper Tory Lanez In Contempt of Court
Also making headlines this week: A new documentary portrait of Bif Naked digs deep, queer country music artist Robert Adam makes a splash in Japan and MGK entertains at the Grey Cup.
Paul McCartney
AI issues continue to make headlines in the music industry. In the past week, these have included the chart placing of AI-generated artist Xania Monet, the efforts of some Canadian trade orgs to license AI-based music and the recording of a silent LP featuring Paul McCartney, Kate Bush, Sam Fender and more as a protest against AI music.
Elsewhere, American country heavyweights The Chicks and Rascal Flatts are named as 2026 Boots and Hearts headliners, Stevie Nicks still dazzles at 77 and Sloan display admirable longevity.
Read these stories and more in this week's roundup of the music biz headlines of the week from Canada and beyond.
Canadian Biz Headlines
Judge Holds Tory Lanez In Contempt After He Says: ‘I’m a Millionaire. I Don’t Care’
The order came in a civil case filed by Megan Thee Stallion against an influencer who allegedly helped Canadian rapper Lanez sow misinformation about the star's shooting. – Bill Donahue, Billboard
The Chicks and Rascal Flatts to Headline Boots And Hearts 2026 Festival
Set for Aug. 7-9 in Oro-Medonte, Ontario, the popular country fest will also feature Canadian country artists, including Brett Kissel, Savannah Jade, School House, Mitch Zorn and more. – Kerry Doole, Billboard Canada
Spreading Their Wings: Queer, NonBinary Artist Robert Adam Breaking the Mould of Country Music
Earlier this month, Calgary country singer-songwriter Robert Adam did a tour of Japan. It was their first trip beyond North America as a musician and Japan was a strategic choice. – Eric Volmers, Calgary Herald
Bif Naked Stares Down Her Darkest Experiences in Uplifting new Documentary
Bif Naked wasn’t exactly yearning to revisit her life’s darkest moments for a deeply personal documentary. The pop-punk singer initially balked when her longtime manager suggested putting those stories on film for “Bif Naked.” – David Friend, Canadian Press
Mended Rock Goddess Stevie Nicks Sang, Shawled, and Saluted Tom Petty in Toronto
At Scotiabank Arena on Saturday, Stevie Nicks generally bewitched a full building. The 77-year-old rock goddess and patron saint of the swinging SoCal soft-rock scene of the 1970s sang Fleetwood Mac classics (Dreams, Gypsy, Rhiannon and more) alongside solo hits. – Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail
With the Rise of AI ‘Slop,’ Canada’s Creative Sector Sets Sights on Licensing Regime
Xania Monet is the first AI-generated artist to debut on a Billboard airplay chart. – CP
10 Years Ago, Justin Bieber Confronted a Strange New Era On Purpose
Released 10 years ago this week, Justin Bieber's fourth album is a flawless relic of a time when the hedonistic EDM era and the public-accountability era muddied waters. – Daniel Bromfield, Paste
Former Great Big Sea frontman Alan Doyle serves as tourism guide in book about home province. – Ben Sigurdson, Winnipeg Free Press
Catching Up with Tegan Quin: What's Next for Tegan and Sara?
They decided to take 2025 off from their many pursuits. Well, kind of. – Eric Volmers, Calgary Herald
In Canadian Doc Mbira Talks, a Zimbabwean Musical Instrument Connects Two Worlds
The documentary Mbira Talks, about a Zimbabwean-Canadian musician’s relationship with an instrument once banned during colonization, took a long time to make. – Brad Wheeler, Globe & Mail
The new one’s called ‘Based on the Best Seller,’ but the beauty of the band’s deep discography is that it’s nearly impossible to tell if a particular record came out in 1996 or 2010 or 2025. – Stuart Berman, Toronto Star
MGK’s Grey Cup Halftime Show Thrills Football Fans
American rapper and singer-songwriter MGK rocked Winnipeg’s Princess Auto Stadium during the Grey Cup halftime show. Flanked by a backing band and CFL cheerleaders, the singer formerly known as Machine Gun Kelly performed a medley of his hits including “Don’t Wait Run Fast” off his latest album released this year. – CP
Ukrainian Music Project Gives Voice to Abducted Children in Halifax Concert
Songs of Stolen Children, performed by the group Daughters of Donbas, will have its Atlantic Canadian premiere on Nov. 20 at St. Andrew’s United Church. The 80-minute concert addresses the estimated 20,000 Ukrainian children who have been taken from occupied regions of Ukraine. – Emily Edwards, The Coast
Hamilton Music Makers You Should Know
This city is a musical powerhouse. Here are a few local standouts sharing what they love about the place they call home. – Hamilton City Magazine
Dawn Pemberton Celebrated the Amazing Grace of Aretha Franklin at VIFF
The acclaimed soul singer performed with a full band before two screenings of a 2018 restoration of a concert film, Amazing Grace, of Aretha Franklin at the VIFF Centre, focusing on the singer’s gospel side. – Allan MacInnis, Georgia Straight
The Golden Voice of Harrison Kennedy: At 83, He’s Still Singing the Blues
Kennedy has carried his golden gift into his golden years and become an important part of the city’s music and Black history. –Mark McNeil, Hamilton Spectator
International Biz Headlines
Paul McCartney Joins Music Industry Protest Against AI With Silent Track
Former Beatle and artists including Sam Fender, Kate Bush and Hans Zimmer record silent LP Is This What We Want. – Robert Booth, The Guardian
Michael Jackson Biopic Trailer Breaks Record With 116 Million Trailer Views
The teaser beat previous records held by Taylor Swift and Bob Marley films. – Jessica Lynch, Billboard
Man Who Grabbed Ariana Grande at Wicked: For Good Premiere Sentenced to Nine Days in Jail
Johnson Wen, who jumped over a barricade at Universal Studios Singapore and rushed at the Wicked star, has been convicted of being a public nuisance. – The Guardian
Ranking the 2026 Grammy Album of the Year Nominees From Least to Most Likely to Win
The winner is by no means certain, but here's how it looks right now. – Paul Grein, Billboard
The 'Great Meme Reset' is Coming
Everyone seemingly wants to go back to the internet of a decade ago. But is it possible to reverse AI slop and brain rot? – Angela Watercutter, Wired
Dwight Yoakam and ZZ Top Announce The Dos Amigos Tour 2026
Two giants of American music, Dwight Yoakam and ZZ Top, are teaming up for the Dos Amigos Tour 2026.The tour launches March 26 in Brookings, South Dakota, and wraps up May 23 in Huntington, West Virginia, covering major markets across the Midwest, South, and East. – Noise11
