Hello and welcome to The Five Spot, your place to see five of the biggest music stories of the past couple of weeks. Here's what's going on in the world of music.
1. CD's are still in.
Just this past week, I came across an article that said that Rihanna was the biggest selling digital artist of all time. With infectious pop singles that automatically climb the charts, it is definitely not a shocking record. However Rihanna's album sales are modest in comparison. According to an online report, it seems like in people still like the physical product. Reportedly, two-thirds of all albums purchased in the U.S. in 2011 are albums reaching an impressive 223.5 million out of 330.6 million total. In the UK, 76.1 percent of albums sold were CD's. These physical albums still being sold can contribute to department stores like Target, Walmart, and Best Buy push sales of albums with advertisements and signs. The general public may just also like the idea of having a physical album to keep of their favorite artist. It is almost like merchandise in a way that provides a tangible product of their purchase. Whatever the reason, CD's are still selling...for now.
2. Nickelback is ruining rock? Says Black Key.
Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney had some harsh words against Nickelback's music. Carney quotes saying that "rock & roll is dying because people became okay with Nickelback being the biggest band in the world." He goes on to state that his passion of rock is being "watered down" and is disappointed that bands like the Black Keys are being lumped together with Nickelback. In my opinion, I prefer the Keys work to Nickelback but in the Canadian band's defense I have to say that there are different kinds of every genre. Hip hop artists like Lupe Fiasco and Common are very different from rap stars like Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne. Soulful artists like Adele are lumped into the same category as Ke$ha or Britney Spears. We are a people of generalization and convenient categorization and music is not any different. Yes I would regard Nickelback and Black Keys as rock but they are different kinds of rock. Everything is watered down to make sales but there are the purists and the indies that add variety. Adele, an arguably gimmick-less talent based on song over sex, was the biggest selling artist of 2011 with her album 21. Five years ago it was the High School Musical 2 cast selling over all the artists of that year. Take that as you will, but then again people like what they like.
3. Could Black and Yellow cause Wiz to give up the green?
A Pittsburgh rapper and writer named Max Warren is suing rapper Wiz Khalifa for allegedly ripping off his own song "Pink and Yellow" in Wiz's Hot 100 #1 hit "Black and Yellow." Max is reportedly seeking $2.3 million in damages. Both songs are posted on YouTube and many fans and passerbys have offered commentary. It would be interesting to see how all this pans out. In the industry, copyright lawsuits are nothing new and are surely not going away. It definitely keeps entertainment lawyers with food on the table.
4. Beyonce gives birth to "Blue"
On Saturday night, January 7th the Roca-world welcomed their youngest member daughter Blue Ivy to entertainer Beyonce and rap mogul Jay-Z. Delivered in Lenox Hill Hotel in New York City, this is the couple's first child. Congrats to the proud parents!
5. The-Dream got $15 million for "Umbrella": That's a Half A Million for Every "Ella!"
Hit writer and producer, The-Dream, who co-wrote hits such as Beyonce's "Single Ladies" and Justin Bieber's "Baby," says that he got $15 million from Rihanna's smash hit "Umbrella." If The-Dream had just written that one song, he'd be set for life still. It just goes to show that it only takes one hit song to have a writer pretty much set for life as they can sit back and collect royalties. The hard part is getting there thought. So much is music life.
Sources:
Two-Thirds of All Albums Purchased In the US Are Still CDs...
The Black Keys: Nickelback helping to kill rock
Exclusive: Wiz Khalifa accused of stealing "Black and Yellow" in $2 million dollar lawsuit
Beyonce And Jay-Z Welcome Baby Girl
The-Dream Got 'Around $15 Million' for Writing Rihanna's 'Umbrella'
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