TMA Music Newsletter: February Edition
By Amanda Levine
Be sure to check out this month’s playlist, curated with some of our favorite music from current and past Super Bowl ads!
A lot has happened since we last brought the news to your screens! The Grammy Awards came and went, where Beyonce broke the record for most Grammy’s (23) with her win for best Electronic Album. You also saw some great emerging artists win first-time Grammy’s like Wet Leg (Best Alternative Album & Performance) and Samara Joy (Best New Artist). There were also fun performances by Lizzo, an accidental stage set malfunction during the Harry Styles performance, and an amazing collection of rap artists celebrating Hip Hop’s 50-year anniversary.
Last weekend, we finally got what we’ve all waited on for over seven years: a 13-minute Rihanna concert during SBLVII Half Time Show. She descended from the sky in scarlet red with dozens of dancers in hazmat style white puffer coats, which hit meme status. The dancers wore undergarments that can be purchased on the Savage x Fenty website. Just because halftime show performers don’t get paid to perform, they see the financial returns. Her quick makeup fix during the performance gave Fenty Beauty over 833% increase in web searches and an estimated $5 million in earned media. Her Spotify song streams exceeded 640% in over 24 hours. As far as the in-game commercials go, we saw nostalgia tracks (especially from the 90s) used in many of this year’s ads!
…and now back to our regularly scheduled program!
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN MUSIC?
Catalog acquisitions are at an all-time high: just in 2023, Justin Bieber sold to Hipgnosis, Dr. Dre sold his recordings to Universal, and The Doors sold to Primary Wave in nine-figure deals. Moves are also being made in the sale of Michael Jackson’s catalog. This trend is expected to continue, and could be for a variety of reasons: financial necessity, lack of desire to manage their own catalogs, and consideration of the value of assets now vs years from now. In other trending news, everything metaverse and Web 3.0! Warner Music and Roblox partnered up to do a Saweetie-headlined Super Bowl concert on the platform. And with sonic identity being a key ingredient for a brand’s identity IRL, it’s going to become just as important in the metaverse. Spotify gives us their 2023 artist watch list, many of them having harnessed their fans on platforms like TikTok.
WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH MUSIC & BRANDS?
Hospitality has always been a place for music and entertainment to thrive. Kimpton Hotels recently announced its 2023 lineup for Kimpton Off The Record, which highlights artists and other tastemakers from different communities across the country. Baileys announced they will be an official sponsor of the Eurovision Song Contest, and McDonald’s wants everyone to celebrate Valentine’s Day (and the days thereafter) with Cardi B and Offset by enjoying a limited-edition menu to help find “love at your first bite.” Text “HONDA HOT 16” to 310-356-9895 to submit your music for a new competition series hosted by Honda, in collaboration with Raedio. Moncler is making strategic movies by “co-creating” with Jay-Z/Roc Nation on TBD new projects; an indication that Moncler wants to expand/go bigger than clothing and make its mark in other industries impacting culture.
WHAT’S HAPPENING WITHIN TMA MUSIC?
P&G’s Downy launched its first ever Super Bowl ad where we licensed DMX’s “What’s My Name” playing behind Danny (Downy) McBride’s silly antics with Downy Unstopables. And if you check out Fall Out Boys’ new music video, you’ll see the guys sporting Ray-Ban glasses throughout.
WHAT’S INTERESTING?
–– Happy 25th anniversary to the School of Rock! (The actual school).
–– A new music game/app testing your music trivia.
–– How Afrobeats music is influencing today’s fashion trends.
–– It’s not just vinyl having a comeback – why cassettes and other physical CDs are all having a revival.
Stay tuned for next month’s newsletter with trends, stats, and more!
