Music Biz Headlines: Taylor Swift Breaks Records with 'The Life of a Showgirl,' Sean 'Diddy' Combs Faces More Jail Time
Making news this week: OVO brings Vybz Kartel to Toronto for three sold-out dates, Zach Bryan draws notice of U.S. Homeland Security, Toronto's Mustafa among submissions for Best New Artist Grammy & more.
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift's dominance of the headlines returns with the release of her new album, The Life of a Showgirl. It sold an astonishing 2.7 million copies in the U.S. on its first day of release, despite receiving a mixed critical reaction. Canadian fans who caught the final show of her blockbuster tour last December have had their response featured on the title cut.
Elsewhere, disgraced former hip-hop mogul Sean Diddy' Combs faces more jail time after being convicted of sex-related offenses and country superstar Luke Bryan sparks controversy with a lyric about ICE.
Read these stories and more in this week's collection of music biz headlines.
Canadian Biz Headlines
Vancouver Eras Tour Crowd Featured on Title Track of Taylor Swift’s New Album
The Canadian city was the final stop of Swift's record-breaking tour in December 2024, and now it's immortalized on her new album. – Heather Taylor-Singh, Billboard Canada
Drake Says Vybz Kartel Performing Isn’t for OVO Fest, Adds Third Show
Jamaican dance hall artist Vybz Kartel will be performing in Toronto for the first time as a headliner in Drake’s OVO Fest next month. – Daysha Loppie, Toronto Star
Music-Publishing Veteran Jennifer Beavis Shares Insights Into CMRRA’s Dynamic 50-year Evolution
Industry veteran Jennifer Beavis has spent more than three decades on the frontlines of the ever-changing music business, including several pivotal years at CMRRA as Director of Copyright.– Tabassum Siddiqui, CMRRA The Pulse
Allison Russell Says she Feels ‘Galvanized’ by Public Outcry to Kimmel Suspension
Allison Russell says the swift public outcry to Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension has given her hope that people will continue to fight for free speech. – David Friend, Canadian Press
Five Canadian Pianists Taking Part in Elite Piano Competition in Warsaw
One of the world’s most prestigious classical piano competitions opened last week, with 84 participants from 20 countries, including five Canadians. The International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition has been held every five years since 1927.– Paul Waldie, Globe & Mail
Toronto’s Promise of Music Festival Offers Ideas on Cultural Diplomacy and Music Education
In Toronto this week, orchestras, soloists, artists, thought leaders and change-makers from more than 20 countries will unite at the Promise of Music: The First World Congress on the Social Impact of Music, presented by the Glenn Gould Foundation at venues throughout the Greater Toronto Area. – Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail
Daniel Caesar’s Trout Lake Pop-Up Concert was Messy, Chaotic, and Absolutely Worth Doing
It was about 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday night when Daniel Caesar posted on his Instagram account that he would be holding a surprise pop-up concert at John Hendry Park (aka Trout Lake) at 5 p.m. Caesar pulled similar stunts with very little notice recently in Toronto and Montreal. – Georgia Straight
Homegrown shows like "Open Mike," "90 Minutes Live," "Canada After Dark" and "Friday Night!" couldn't compete with their U.S. counterparts. – Bill Brioux, Toronto Star
Nine Inch Nails, Twice, Cardi B All Announce Concerts at Hamilton’s Soon-To-Open TD Coliseum
The newest arena in Canada doesn't open until next month, but has just announced some big shows from artists including MGK, Jonas Brothers and more. – Kerry Doole, Billboard Canada
From Paul McCartney to Madison Violet, Here are the Fall Concerts Worth Catching
David Byrne and Loverboy also make the list. – Brad Wheeler, Globe & Mail
30 Can't-miss Vancouver Concerts for October 2025
The list of shows includes Blue Rodeo, 54-40, Halestorm and bbno$, – V.S. Wells, Georgia Straight
International Biz Headlines
Taylor Swift Sells 2.7 Million Copies of ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ on First Day of Release in U.S.
After one day, Showgirl has the second-largest sales week for an album in the modern era. – Keith Caulfield, Billboard
Taylor Swift Breaks Adele’s Streaming-Era Record With ‘The Life of a Showgirl’
The Life of a Showgirl surpasses a major 10-year-old consumption record held by Adele, and continues to near the modern-era single-week album sales record. – Keith Caulfield, Billboard
Country Superstar Zach Bryan Criticized by U.S. Homeland Security Over ICE Lyrics
Government department taunts chart-topping artist who sang of scared children and Ice raids on unreleased new song. – The Guardian
The Screening Committee's oft-stated aim is to include rather than exclude, and they demonstrated that this year. – Paul Grein, Billboard
Diddy Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Prostitution Convictions
The judge said the star had "irreparably harmed" his victims, but that a decade-long sentence sought by prosecutors was "not reasonable." – Bill Donahue, Billboard
Parton's manager said the country icon is awaiting a procedure to deal with kidney stones. – Keith Caulfield, Billboard
- The Curtain Finally Rises on Taylor Swift’s ‘The Life of a Showgirl’: Stream It Now ›
- Music Biz Headlines: The Weeknd's Major Streaming Milestone, Drake's 'Degrassi' Days Explored on Film ›
- Taylor Swift’s ‘Life of a Showgirl’ Has Already Broken a Spotify Record Just Hours After Its Release ›
- Taylor Swift’s ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ Breaks Spotify Record Weeks Ahead of Release ›
