A weekly update on all things music, advertising, and technology coming straight to you from Anthony Vanger at MassiveMusic. #TWIM
ARTIST OF THE WEEK: LANA LUBANY “SOLD”
When cultures clash you sometimes achieve alchemy. In this case, rising star Lana Lubany blends her Palestinian-American heritage to perfection, swapping Arabic and English in the same song to create an alluring and original sound. It would be unfair to label Lubany a TikTok star, but the platform was responsible for igniting her career when her mother’s reaction to Snake, the first track she had ever sung in both Arabic and English, went viral. As the brooding alt-pop tune played out in the clip, her delighted mum declared: “Finally! You see? It’s on a whole other level.” Since then, her music has racked up seven million Spotify streams, while hundreds of TikTok videos have been soundtracked by the tune. She has followed up with another single, “Sold”, which has continued her success and paved the way for her forthcoming album, “The Holy Land”. Lubany, 24, grew up in Palestine before settling down in the UK. You can hear the London influence in her music production – more brooding and edgier than US counterparts – and the decision has served her well. “I feel like there’s a future for a person like me,” she explains of being in London. “There’s not many places that feel like there’s a future for a musician, unless you want to be broke or whatever the stereotype is”.
@lanalubany #lanalubany #thesnake #sold #beatnickcreative https://www.youtube.com/c/LanaLubany/videos
AD OF THE WEEK: THE WOOLMARK COMPANY
It is not easy to keep banging on about climate change. Clothing manufacturing is one of the worst culprits, with an Olympic pool’s worth of crude oil used every 25 mins to produce synthetic clothing, which amounts to almost 350 million barrels a year. The spot, co-written and produced by Park Village, 20something, and Studio Birthplace, and directed by Sil Van Der Woerd & Jorik Dozy, tackles this issue in a visual and impactful way, without preaching. The Woolmark Company’s environmentally focused new global brand campaign ‘Wear Wool, Not Fossil Fuel’ aims to educate consumers about the hidden impact of synthetic fabrics on the environment and how choosing natural fibers such as wool can be a solution to reducing fashion’s impact. Good spot.
#20something #thewoolmarkcompany #studiobirthplace #parkvillage #silvanderwoerd #jorikdozy
YOUTUBE SAYS IT PAID THE MUSIC INDUSTRY OVER $6BN IN THE PAST YEAR
YouTube says it still has its sights on overtaking Spotify as the music rights industry’s biggest partner by 2025 – although right now the two firms appear to be just about keeping pace with one another.
Today (September 13), YouTube’s Global Head of Music, Lyor Cohen, has announced that YouTube paid music rights holders over USD $6 billion in the 12 months to end of June 2022.
That figure is significant for a number of reasons, not least that it’s a $2 billion increase from the $4 billion contribution to music rights holders that YouTube said it paid out in the prior-year period (the 12 months to end of June 2021).
It’s also double the size of the money that YouTube said it paid to the music industry in the calendar year of 2019 ($3 billion).
VINYL OVERTAKES PLAYSTATION GAMES AS UK’S SECOND BIGGEST SELLING PHYSICAL FORMAT
Vinyl has overtaken Playstation games, DVDs and CDs as the second most popular form of physical entertainment in the UK.
New data from Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) shows that rapid increases in vinyl album sales revenue are quickly making it one of the most popular forms of physical entertainment in the UK.
The sale of vinyl albums is bringing in more revenue than the sale of Playstation 4 and 5 games combined, as the ERA reports that vinyl records have brought in £80.9 million so far this year.
APPLE UNVEILS NEW AIRPODS PRO
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During its “Far Out” event last Wednesday, Apple unveiled the next generation of the popular AirPods Pro, offering improved sound quality and increased noise cancellation.
Now equipped with the H2 chip, the latest earpiece supplies high-bandwidth connectivity for “exceptional sound quality.” The device is built with a low-distortion audio driver and a custom amplifier for empowered, detailed sound across a wider range of frequencies. Taking the listening experience to the next level, the new earbuds also supports Spatial Audio, and users can create a personal profile for the feature using the iPhone’s camera.
The new AirPods Pro model operates with a new active noise cancellation configuration with “advanced computation audio” on the H2 chip, offering up to double the amount of noise canceled. Additionally, new Adaptive Transparency dynamically reduces harsh environmental noise.
The updated device arrives with adjustable ear pieces, ranging in sizes from large to extra small. And for streamlined usage, a new capacitive layer lets users swipe controls on the stems themselves. Plus, the new earbuds arrive with a new charging case that supplies more precise Find My location services with a built-in speaker.
The AirPods Pro with H2 are available now for £249
Written by Anthony Vanger
Additional research and reporting by Adam “Badger” Woolf