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BILLBOARD CANADA FYI
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Beth Garrabrant
Taylor Swift
FYI
Music Biz Headlines: Taylor Swift And Toronto's Other Biggest Mega-Concerts, Canadian Creators React to TikTok's Forced Closure
Other stories making headlines this week: arrests are made in connection to Liam Payne's death, news on the murder of Teenage Head's Gord Lewis and more.
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Taylor Swift's impending invasion of Toronto for six stadium shows continues to dominate the news in the country's largest city. This week brings more stories on TaylorMania, plus stories on previous mega-concerts in Toronto, reaction to the closure of TikTok operations in Canada, another huge transaction for Blackstone's Hipgnosis and much more.
This Week's Canadian Music Headlines
Toronto Has Always Loved a Good Gig. Here are the City's 10 Biggest Concerts of All Time
The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and U2 are a few of the artists who drew the largest crowds. – Nick Krewen, Toronto Star
Toronto’s Tourism Industry Hopes Taylor Swift can Help Shake Off Slump With Eras Tour Concerts
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Toronto’s sagging tourism industry is hoping for a Taylor Swift lift, as the pop superstar’s six shows starting this week attract hundreds of thousands of fans expected to spend more than $150-million on hotels, food and friendship bracelets. But the long-term effects of Swiftonomics remain questionable. – Jeff Gray, Globe and Mail
Most Events Geared at Swifties Are Not Officially ‘Taylor’s Version’
Though it may seem like a sheen of Swift is coating the city of Toronto, only some of the hoopla can really be counted as “Taylor’s Version. Some events are both literally and figuratively adjacent to the pop star and her mega-popular Eras Tour. – Nicole Thompson, Canadian Press
I had a real on-again, off-again relationship with So Long, Marianne, the limited series about Canadian poet Leonard Cohen and his Norwegian lover Marianne Ihlen that concluded on Crave on Friday. – JK Nestruck, The Globe and Mail
Son Who Killed Teenage Head Guitarist Granted Limited Release
Some family members surprised by decision after they were left out of review hearings for Jonathan Vader Lewis, who killed his father in 2022. – Nicole O'Reilly, Hamilton Spectator
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Canadian TikTok Creators Say Closure of Local Operations Will Hit Them Hard
Wallace Wong is one of several Canadian TikTok creators who worry that the closure of the platform’s Canadian arm will erode their support system and limit their earning potential. – Alex Nino Gheciu, Canadian Press
How a Disgruntled Calgary Journalist Created a National Music Magazine
Music Express enjoyed national and international success in Toronto, but its humble origins are in the Calgary Herald newsroom circa 1976. – Eric Volmers, Calgary Herald
International Music Headlines
Blackstone's Hipgnosis Closes $1.47bn Asset-backed Securities Transaction
The ABS deal, referred to as Lyra 24-2, sees investment giant Blackstone raise $1.47 billion in debt financing backed by royalties from the 45,000-song Hipgnosis Songs Fund portfolio it acquired in July. – Music Business Worldwide
The Beatles, ‘BRAT’ Summer, Country and More: All of the 2025 Grammy Nomination Snubs and Surprises
Beyoncé leads the nods with 11, bringing her career total to a record-breaking 99 nominations. Who didn’t make the cut? What were the best surprises of all? Let’s take a look. – Associated Press
Taylor Swift Wins Big and Rita Ora Pays Tribute to Liam Payne at the MTV EMAs
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Taylor Swift came out top at the 2024 MTV EMAs on Sunday, walking away with best artist, best U.S. act, best live act and best video for “Fortnight” (featuring Post Malone). – AP
Pitchfork Music Festival Will Not Take Place in Chicago in 2025
The star-studded festival had called Chicago home for 19 years. – Consequence
The Latin Grammys Return to Miami for Their 25th Anniversary. Here’s What to Know
Latin music has taken the world by storm, sparking industry conversations for the past few years. Across platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, numbers have skyrocketed, making it the fastest growing streaming genre in the United States. – Maria Sherman, AP
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‘Almost Like Imprisonment’: The Shocking Truth About Life for Boybands in Their ‘Golden Era’
Mobbed, groped, overworked, paid a pittance and given little time off … ahead of a major TV series about boybands, former members of 5ive and 911 reveal what success was really like for many. – The Guardian
Three People of Interest Charged in Connection to Liam Payne’s Death
The star died on Oct. 16 after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. – Billboard
Wrangling with Abba, Risking Jail for The Stone Roses … The Lawyer Behind Pop's Big Spats
John Kennedy sparred with the Swedes over Mamma Mia! and took on the Rolling Stones for Richard Ashcroft – he tells us why he’s still arguing with Bob Geldof after 40 years. – Eamonn Forde, The Guardian
Paul Weller, Kneecap, Primal Scream and More to Play Palestine Fundraiser Gig in London
All proceeds from the show will go to charities Medical Aid For Palestine and Gaza Forever. – Sophie Williams, Billboard
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