International musicians Face Financial Burden as U.S. Visa Fees Soar

The U.S. Government has recently announced a significant increase in the fees for O and P visas, which are non-immigrant temporary worker visas granted by the United States. The changes are set to take effect from April 1, 2024. The new fee for an O visa, granted to an individual who possesses extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics, is $1,055, up from $460.

On the other hand, the P visa, which is often utilized by independent artists, athletes, and entertainers, has seen its fee rise from $460 to $1,015. This type of visa is particularly important for those who wish to perform at specific events, competitions, or performances in the U.S.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) stated that the increase is necessary to cover operational costs and avoid future backlogs. This suggests that the USCIS is aiming to improve its services and reduce processing times by increasing its resources. However, this decision has been met with criticism from various quarters, with many arguing that it will deter artists from applying for these visas.

For those needing to expedite the processing of O or P visas, the USCIS offers the Premium Processing Service. This service guarantees 15 calendar day processing for a fee of $2,500. The Premium Processing Service fee is separate from the base filing fee.

While fee waivers or reductions are typically reserved for certain humanitarian or other special situations, for O and P visas specifically, there isn’t typically a fee waiver available. However, some applicants may be eligible for a fee reduction or waiver based on their specific circumstances. For example, non-profit organizations, schools, or individuals with financial hardship might be eligible for a fee waiver. Additionally, people under the age of 14 may have their fees waived.

The increased fees could pose a significant financial burden on artists, particularly independent artists or those from countries where the exchange rate makes the fees even more costly. This could make it unaffordable for many artists to work and perform in the U.S. The increased costs could potentially wipe out over a third of any potential profits a tour might make. This could lead to changes in tour planning, with artists potentially choosing to perform in fewer cities or forgoing a U.S. tour altogether.

While the USCIS has justified the increase in visa fees as a necessary measure to cover operational costs and avoid future backlogs, the move has sparked concerns among artists and industry bodies. The increased fees could potentially deter artists from applying for these visas, thereby limiting the cultural exchange and diversity that foreign artists bring to the U.S. The impact of this on the U.S. entertainment industry in the long run remains to be seen.

Russell Simmons Faces Defamation Lawsuit Over Sexual Assault Allegations

Russell Simmons, the co-founder of Def Jam Records, is facing a new lawsuit. This time, it’s for defamation. The lawsuit has been filed by Drew Dixon, a former music executive who alleges that Simmons sexually assaulted her and then defamed her by labeling her a “liar” when she made the accusations public, as per court documents that Rolling Stone obtained.

Dixon, who served as an A&R executive at the label from 1993 and left shortly after the alleged assault in 1995, initiated the lawsuit in New York on Thursday. She is seeking both compensatory and punitive damages.

Dixon’s lawyers refer to a December interview in which Simmons minimized the allegations of harassment and sexual assault, stating “Yeah, [rape is] a serious word, but I think they’ve changed the meaning.” He also insinuated that his accusers might be “thirst[ing] for fame” and asserted that all his relationships were consensual.

The court papers allege that Simmons “has gone on a concerted and malicious campaign to discredit Ms. Dixon and to so damage her reputation” to the extent that her claims would not be believable. They further state that “this defamation has exacerbated the paralyzation of Ms. Dixon professionally.” (A representative for Simmons did not immediately respond to a request for comment.)

In a statement given to Rolling Stone, Dixon’s lawyers, Sigrid McCawley and Kenya Davis of Boies Schiller Flexner, said, “Ms. Dixon has taken enough abuse. Not only was she violently raped by Russell Simmons – profoundly disrupting her personal and professional life – but after she tried to move forward and heal, he then further abused her by publicly proclaiming that she lied about the rape in search of ‘fame.’ Mr. Simmons has used his public platform to re-traumatize and terrorize Ms. Dixon, and the time has now come to hold him accountable for his defamatory statements and to end this cycle of abuse.”

Dixon first disclosed her alleged encounter with Simmons to The New York Times in 2017. She claimed that she had to constantly ward off Simmons’ sexual advances while working at Def Jam. She alleges that he would often try to grope and kiss her and would expose himself to her. One night in 1995, while waiting for a car in Simmons’ apartment, Dixon alleges that he grabbed her from behind, pinned her to a bed, and sexually assaulted her. “The last thing I remember was him pinning me down to kiss me on the bed,” she told the newspaper, saying she “blacked out” and the next thing she remembered was being naked in a hot tub together. Dixon immediately informed a friend about the incident and later submitted a handwritten resignation letter, leaving her position at Def Jam.

Last December, Simmons responded to the accusations from more than 20 women who allege that the music mogul harassed or sexually assaulted them. (In addition to The New York Times article where Dixon and two other women came forward against Simmons, the 2020 documentary On The Record also featured multiple women who accused him of misconduct.)

In a conversation with journalist Graham Bensinger, Simmons confessed that he had been in “crude, compromising situations,” but insisted that he has “never been forceful in any of my relationships.”

Dixon’s attorneys underscored four statements from the interview to substantiate their claim of defamation, stating that in “their full context” Simmons has effectively accused Dixon of lying. Early in the discussion, Simmons admits that he’s slept with “thousands” of people but suggested only “six people” have come forward against him.

“I can simply tell you that I was in so many compromising situations, that people can have a recollection from 30 or 40 years ago, and it can be different from my recollection,” Simmons added. “And it could be one where there was perhaps a collaboration. If you had more foursomes than most guys at once, could someone leave and feel hurt? Could some reimagine a story out of thousands of people? Could someone want notoriety in the market where people thirst for fame, even infamous.” The lawsuit alleges that Simmons “has persisted in his efforts to discredit Ms. Dixon, referring to the ‘main accuser’ from On the Record and labeling her a liar for publicizing the account of the assault — defamation that began in December 2019 and has continued to this day.” The suit further claims that “this defamation has climbed the ranks to the apex of the leadership circle, encompassing not just Ms. [Oprah] Winfrey, but also other founding board members of Time’s Up, which includes some of our nation’s most influential women across various sectors from business to politics to entertainment.” (Winfrey had initially signed on as an executive producer of On the Record, but Simmons alleged she withdrew from the project “at his urging back” in late 2019.) This marks the second lawsuit against Simmons in the past week. A Jane Doe accuser lodged a lawsuit on Tuesday, alleging that after she joined Def Jam in the mid-1990s, Simmons “disrupted and derailed” her career following an alleged sexual assault at his New York apartment. (Simmons’ attorney refuted the allegations in a statement to Rolling Stone.)

Jane Doe’s lawsuit was filed under the provisions of New York’s Gender Motivated Violence Act, which offers a lookback window for survivors of gender-motivated violence until March 1, 2025. The music industry is currently undergoing a MeToo reckoning after both California and New York enacted laws to waive the statutes of limitations on sexual abuse allegations. Other individuals who have been sued include Sean “Diddy” Combs, Jimmy Iovine, Axl Rose, and the former CEOs of the Recording Academy, Neil Portnow and Mike Greene.

New Selena Documentary Faces Backlash from Quintanilla Family And Fans

Abraham Quintanilla, the father of the late Tejano icon Selena, has expressed his disapproval of a new documentary featuring Yolanda Saldívar on Oxygen True Crime. He stated that neither he nor any family member was involved in the production of the two-part series titled “Selena & Yolanda: The Secrets Between Them”. He also questioned the decision to interview Saldívar, who is currently serving a life sentence for Selena’s murder, arguing that she has a history of lying and will lack credibility with the audience.

Saldívar, who was in charge of Selena’s fan club, shot the Tejano star in 1995, just as she was on the verge of a mainstream commercial breakthrough. This happened after Selena accused Saldívar of embezzlement.

Promotional materials from Oxygen True Crime indicate that the documentary includes an in-prison interview with Saldívar, marking the first time in over two decades that the convicted murderer has spoken at length in English and on camera about the shooting. The series will also feature interviews with members of Saldívar’s family.

The broadcast date is approximately a year before Saldívar is eligible for parole. The documentary will include a series of prison interviews with her, as well as interviews with some of Selena’s family members and previously unseen documents. Fans are far from understanding the purpose of the documentary. One fan commented on X/Twitter, “It’s pointless. I can see something with something like the docuseries for Mckamey Manor, or how they did for some of the more prolific serial killers. Where they aren’t giving them excuses.” Others are calling for a boycott, saying, “I’m Boycotting it. Everybody should too. She took a Valuable, Irreplaceable life.” Another fan criticized Oxygen, saying, “Shame on you! This is so unbelievably disrespectful to Selena’s family. Those poor people have had to grieve the loss of their loved one and you’re allowing her killer to have a platform.” Selena’s father told TMZ, “No one’s gonna believe what she has to say anyway. Everyone knows there’s zero truth to anything that comes out of her mouth.”

Selena Por Vida

Killer Mike Responds to Grammy Night Arrest

Apart from the buzz around Taylor Swift, the 2024 Grammy Awards were marked by the arrest of Killer Mike. Footage of the rapper’s detention, which occurred shortly after his triple Grammy win, circulated widely on social media that Sunday night. He was subsequently released, but the reasons behind his arrest remained largely undisclosed. A source for Rolling Stone has now revealed that the arrest was a result of a dispute with a security guard following his victories.

The source detailed that the artist, whose real name is Mike Render, was halted by a guard who requested his tickets and guided him towards a security checkpoint. Render attempted to bypass her, leading to a second halt, during which she claimed that Render knocked her to the ground. The guard reportedly sustained injuries from the alleged assault, prompting her to summon additional security and contact the police. She received medical attention and filed a citizen’s arrest for misdemeanor battery.

This explains why the authorities didn’t postpone the matter until after the Grammys to address it discreetly: because “it was a private citizen, and she had everything she needed to exercise her rights to make a citizen’s arrest,” as the source clarified to the outlet. “And we are bound by law to make that arrest.”

Killer Mike, on the other hand, refutes the accusation. A representative from his team informed Rolling Stone that the “situation has been overblown, but we are confident that the facts of the case, when laid bare, will show that Mike did not commit the alleged offense, and he will be exonerated.” In his personal statement, Render expressed, “As you can imagine, there was a lot going and there was some confusion around which door my team and I should enter. We experienced an over-zealous security guard, but my team and I have the upmost [sic] confidence that I will ultimately be cleared of all wrongdoing.”

In the aftermath of his awards, he stated, “We are incredibly proud and are basking in this moment.” He also shared his gratitude for a personal blessing: “I am also grateful that one of my prayers has been answered—the day after my Grammy win—I learned that my son, who has been on the list for a kidney for years, finally has a match. Obviously, we are elated.”

Notorious Music Leaker, King Bob, Indicted On Federal Charges For Stealing $800k In Crypto

A recent indictment reveals how Noah Michael Urban, a 19-year-old from Palm Coast, is alleged to have stolen a total of $800,000 from five distinct victims. Urban, who is also known by various pseudonyms including “King Bob,” has been widely shared on social media, with thousands of users posting his mugshot and identifying him as a notorious music ‘leaker.’ He is known for posting unreleased music from various artists under the social media username King Bob. A large number of X users have linked Urban to leaked tracks from Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti, and Ariana Grande. However, at present, Urban does not face any charges related to music theft. Urban, who uses several other aliases besides King Bob (‘Sosa,’ ‘Elijah,’ and ‘Anthony Ramirez’), was arrested on Tuesday. The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office booked him, according to jail logs, and he was charged with being a fugitive from justice.

On Thursday, he was indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, eight counts of wire fraud, and five counts of aggravated identity theft. Aggravated identity theft differs from regular identity theft in that it involves the accused stealing someone’s identity and then using that information to commit another crime.

The United States Attorney’s Office Middle District of Florida suggests that the fraud may have started earlier, but Urban’s alleged crimes were committed from at least August 2022 to March 2023. He is charged with both actual fraud and conspiring to continue to defraud victims.

The indictment charges Urban with wire fraud conspiracy because he attempted to “obtain personally identifying information” from additional victims and use it to access their cryptocurrency exchange accounts. The document also mentions that Urban had co-conspirators.

The indictment states that Urban defrauded his victims “by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises.” It also outlines each of the eight counts of wire fraud that Urban faces and how he used “wire communication” to carry out his “scheme and artifice.”

SZA on Feeling Frustrated Regarding Rihanna's Usage of "Consideration" on Her Album "Anti"

In a time long past, before SZA became one of the most streamed artists on Spotify in 2023, she was compelled to relinquish her song “Consideration” to a more renowned artist of that period — Rihanna. Rihanna incorporated the song into her 2016 album Anti. Initially, it was a hard pill to swallow for the “Kill Bill” vocalist, but she now expresses gratitude for the occurrence. “I cared so much,” SZA mused during a video interview with Variety released on Wednesday (Nov. 29). “I was so, just, frustrated. And I felt like, ‘I’ll never have anything this cool again.’ I’ll never make anything this cool again, and that was so crazy and so wrong.”

SZA had initially recorded “Consideration” for her 2017 album Ctrl and even produced a music video for the song, she informed the magazine. However, just days before its launch, she says Rihanna requested the song for Anti and arrangements were made without SZA’s knowledge. “It was already done,” the Grammy recipient remembered. “Whatever the conversation, label-wise, was already done. It was just a matter of accepting.”

“[The song] was like the centerpiece to my album at the time,” she further explained. “And for her, it was just, like, part of her album. And I was like, ‘Please, no.’”

“Consideration” eventually became the introductory track on Anti, with SZA credited as a guest artist whose vocals can be heard echoing the song’s chorus amidst Rihanna’s verses. The publicity she received from this unexpected turn of events proved to be a hidden blessing, despite the initial difficulty in accepting it.

“Now I’m so glad that that happened, and that it didn’t cost me anything,” SZA expressed. “If anything, I gained a bunch from it. And I thank God that I made cool music outside of that. I don’t know why I just really thought my creativity would just stop, and this was the pinnacle of what I could make.”

'Weird Al' Yankovic Takes a Dig at Spotify's Artist Payment System in Year-End Wrapped Video

Yesterday (November 29), the streaming platform rolled out its 2023 edition of Wrapped, a feature that allows users to discover their most played songs of the year. While some artists send video messages to their biggest fans, Yankovic utilized his to express dissatisfaction with the platform’s compensation structure.

“Look, I’ll make this really quick,” Yankovic stated in the video. “I just want to thank you all for your amazing support. It’s my understanding that I had over 80 million streams on Spotify this year so, if I’m doing the math right, that means I earned $12. Enough to get myself a nice sandwich at a restaurant.

“So, from the bottom of my heart, thanks for your support, and thanks for the sandwich.” The platform stirred controversy earlier this year when it decided to modify its royalty model. Now, songs will only start generating income after they have been streamed 1,000 times.

Spotify’s data reveals that out of approximately 100 million songs on the service, only about 37.5 million meet the new criteria to earn revenue.

This implies that roughly 60 percent of the songs will not meet the new threshold, although Spotify noted that these songs account for less than one percent of the service’s total streams.

Moreover, labels and distributors will face penalties for supplying content linked to fraudulent streams. Furthermore, functional tracks, such as white noise or ambient sounds, will need to be played for a longer minimum duration than music tracks to qualify for royalties.

Despite these modifications, Spotify’s third-quarter profits and subscriber growth exceeded expectations. Given the revenue that Spotify is poised to take from independent artists, it’s reasonable to anticipate that their next quarter will be even more lucrative.

Find the the vdeo of Al HEre:
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Daryl Hall’s Legal Action Against John Oates: A Restraining Order Explained

The enigma surrounding Daryl Hall’s decision to secure a restraining order against John Oates has been partially unraveled, as a portion of the case has been made public by a Tennessee judge who had previously mandated that all details remain confidential. It has now come to light that Hall is trying to prevent his long-term musical associate from selling his stake in their shared venture to Primary Wave Music.

On Friday afternoon, the Associated Press was the first to disclose the actual rationale behind the restraining order, after the judge discreetly unsealed some parts of the case two days prior, on the eve of Thanksgiving.

As per the AP report, Hall is opposed to Oates’ intention to sell his portion of the duo’s Whole Oats Enterprises to the investment firm, which had already acquired a “significant” interest in their catalog rights 16 years ago. Hall has expressed regret over not owning all his publishing.

Chancellor Russell Perkins concurred to temporarily prevent Oates from executing the sale, in response to Hall’s lawyers’ assertion that such action seemed imminent, given that Oates’ team had signed a letter of intent with Primary Wave.

The subsequent court hearing has been scheduled for Nov. 30. This session will take place well before the current restraining order is likely to expire.

According to the AP report, Hall’s team states in the recently unsealed portion of the lawsuit that Oates’ team allowed Primary Wave to view the duo’s joint business agreement, which was supposed to have remained confidential. Consequently, “the entire Unauthorized Transaction is the product of an indisputable breach of contract,” Hall’s lawyers argue.

Hall initiated arbitration between the two singers’ teams on Nov. 9, but he still believed that Oates would immediately go ahead with the sale to Primary Wave, as indicated by the request for a restraining order. The lawsuit stated that an arbitrator had not even been selected yet.

Some parts of the lawsuit are still sealed, with the judge seemingly agreeing with Hall’s lawyers that it contains information that falls under the confidentiality agreement they allege Oates violated in his dealings with Primary Wave.

Neither Hall’s nor Oates’ representatives have responded to requests for comment since the restraining order became public knowledge. Variety has sought comment from Primary Wave, whose office is closed for the holiday weekend.

Back in February 2007, Primary Wave announced that it had acquired a “significant interest in the song catalog of Daryl Hall & John Oates.” The New York Post estimated the sale of a rumored half-interest in the catalog to Primary Wave at between $25-50 million for the duo. Shortly thereafter, the company also purchased the copyrights for about 70 songs penned by sisters Sara and Janna Allen, including their share of Hall and Oates hits like “Maneater,” “You Make My Dreams” and “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do).”

At that time, 16 years ago, Hall was quoted in the Post as stating he had been keen to sell to Primary Wave after being dissatisfied with their previous publishing company. “I didn’t feel my catalog was being addressed properly by BMG,” Hall told the Post in 2007. “Most publishing companies are administrative rather than creative in nature. Larry (Mestel, the founder-CEO of Primary Wave has) got a lot of creative ideas about what to do with my material.”

In a 2021 interview with Sky News, Hall expressed regret over having sold his publishing, although he referred to “the early days,” so it wasn’t entirely clear whether he was talking about BMG, Primary Wave or another deal.

“Oh, in the early days, it got sold off for me and I didn’t get the money,” Hall said in the two-year-old interview. “I have a bit of my publishing, but a lot of bad business was done in the early days – I’m a real rock and roll story when it comes to that kind of thing. Never sell your publishing — maybe if you’re, you know, 80 years old"

Jamie Foxx Sued for Alleged Sexual Assault at NYC Bar in 2015

A lawsuit filed on Wednesday accuses Jamie Foxx of sexually assaulting a woman at a New York rooftop bar in 2015.

The suit, which identifies the woman as Jane Doe, claims that Foxx dragged her to a hidden spot of the Catch NYC rooftop lounge, where he fondled her breasts and touched her genitals without her consent.

The suit says that the woman and a friend were sitting at a table next to Foxx and Mark Birnbaum, the bar’s owner. Around 1 a.m., the friend got up and requested a photo with Foxx.

Foxx consented, and they snapped a few photos. Foxx then started flattering the plaintiff, the suit says, telling her “Wow, you have that super model body” and “You smell so good.” He also said she resembled Gabrielle Union, according to the suit. She says that he then grabbed her arm and pulled her to a more isolated area of the rooftop, where he molested her breasts under her crop top. The suit says that she was surprised and attempted to get away, but that Foxx then shoved his hands into her pants and “put his fingers on and in Plaintiff’s vagina and anus.”

The suit claims that a security guard saw the molestation but did nothing. The woman’s friend then located her, and Foxx ceased touching her and left.

The lawsuit demands damages for pain, suffering, emotional distress, anxiety and humiliation. It claims that the woman was in pain and had to get medical help because of the assault.

The lawsuit also holds Birnbaum and Catch NYC responsible, claiming that they facilitated the assault and neglected to properly oversee their staff.

The suit is among many filed under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which created a one-year opportunity to file sexual abuse lawsuits that would otherwise be time-barred. The cutoff date to file such lawsuits is Thursday.

Spotify Officially Requires 1k Streams To Earn Royalties

Spotify confirmed a major shift in its royalty system on Tuesday, after weeks of speculation and industry reports. The company introduced several new policies that aim to fight streaming fraud and deal with the huge amount of content on the streaming platform.

Spotify said, “As Spotify payouts to the music industry continue to grow — over $40 billion and counting — we want to make sure that money is going to the people our platform is designed to enable: emerging and professional artists.” The company added, “However, as the royalty pool and catalog on Spotify have surged, three particular drains on the royalty pool have now reached a tipping point. So, we’re working in close collaboration with industry partners — artist distributors, independent labels, major labels, label distributors, and artists and their teams — to introduce new policies to (1) further deter artificial streaming, (2) better distribute small payments that aren’t reaching artists, and (3) rein in those attempting to game the system with noise.”

The most noticeable change is that Spotify will set a payment threshold starting from next year, where songs need to have at least 1,000 streams to earn any royalties. Spotify data shows that out of the 100 million songs on the platform, only around 37.5 million have more than 1,000 streams, which means that over 60 percent of all tracks on Spotify don’t reach the threshold. But those songs account for less than 1 percent of all streams on Spotify, indicating the large number of tracks that get few streams.

The policy has been understandably upsetting for indie musicians who fear that their already small share of the streaming pie will shrink even more. Streaming has largely rescued the record industry, which struggled for years after digital downloads ruined traditional sales. But many artists still can’t depend on streaming revenue, and artists see adding another hurdle for them to get even tiny earnings as adding injury to insult. That criticism is similar to issues some in the industry have with streaming services’ “pro-rata” model, which splits up all the collective streams on a platform and awards artists based on their individual percentage of the pie rather than their specific streams. Some streaming services have looked into whether the model should change to a more “user-centric” model where streams are credited directly to an artist, but it’s unclear how much of a difference that would make. But as the industry has moved to streaming and $11 a month (or no money for an ad-supported subscription) gives users access to more songs than they can possibly imagine, an individual stream is worth less than a traditional sale, and less than 1,000 streams in a year amounts to a few dollars at most. Spotify claimed that the affected songs earn about 3 cents per month on average. And with music distributors often requiring a minimum withdrawal amount — on DistroKid, for example, it’s $2 — some of those payments wouldn’t have been available anyway.

Those small payments may seem trivial individually, but Spotify said they add up to about $40 million that the company says it can instead spread out among the songs that do meet the threshold. While those higher streamed songs make up a minority of tracks on the platform, they also account for 99.5 percent of all streams on the service, Spotify said. Several indie music executives expressed their support of the new changes. In a quote supplied by a rep for Spotify, Denis Ladegaillerie — founder and CEO of Believe (the parent company of music distribution service Tunecore) — called the new policy a step toward incentivizing the artists.

Former Bad Boy President, Label Sued for SA, Negligence amidst diddy accusations

A longtime executive at Bad Boy Entertainment, Harve Pierre, is facing a lawsuit for allegedly grooming and sexually assaulting his assistant, just DAYS AFTER Sean “Diddy” Combs, the founder of the company, was sued for rape and sex trafficking by R&B singer Cassie.

The Jane Doe plaintiff claims that Harve Pierre, who met Diddy at Howard University and became the former president of Bad Boy, victimized her “on multiple occasions in New York City and other locations throughout the country,” according to the complaint filed in New York County Supreme Court and obtained by Rolling Stone.

“Pierre used his position of authority as plaintiff’s boss to groom, exploit, and sexually assault her,” the filing says. “Pierre engaged in a year-long pattern of grooming plaintiff, leading to sexual harassment of plaintiff, and sexual assault.”

The unnamed assistant says she endured physical, emotional, and psychological injuries, along with pain and suffering. She’s seeking damages that will “fully and fairly compensate” her. (Pierre did not immediately reply to a request for comment.)

The lawsuit also holds Bad Boy Entertainment, Bad Boy Records, and Combs Enterprises responsible, accusing the companies of negligence and gender violence. “Defendants knew or should have known that Pierre was unfit to be in a position of authority before Pierre sexually assaulted plaintiff,” the lawsuit asserts. It alleges the companies failed to “properly supervise” Pierre, especially considering his access to “individuals like plaintiff.”

Pierre joined Bad Boy in 1991, left the company but came back to eventually become its president until December 2017. He now identifies himself as a “partial owner” of the company that helped launch the careers of Notorious B.I.G., Craig Mack, Ma$e and Faith Evans, according to his LinkedIn profile. The suit was filed as a result of the Adult Survivors Act, which allowed a one-year window for those in New York to bring civil lawsuits alleging sexual abuse even if the statute of limitations had passed. It’s set to expire on Friday, November 24, 2023. According to the Associated Press, the legislation led to more than 2,500 lawsuits, with many – including Cassie’s suit against Diddy and a Jane Doe lawsuit against Russell Brand – being filed in the final days leading up to the deadline.

From Silverchair to FutureNever: BMG Signs Landmark Publishing Deal with Australian Music Icon Daniel Johns

BMG has signed a global publishing deal with Daniel Johns, the Australian music legend and former Silverchair frontman. The deal covers Johns’ solo work, including his 2022 ARIA No. 1 album FutureNever, as well as his Silverchair songs like “Straight Lines,” “The Greatest View,” “Ana’s Song,” “Freak,” “Tomorrow” and more, which will revert to BMG in 2025 (Sony Music Australia acquired the rights to Silverchair’s recordings in early 2021). The deal, announced on Tuesday, Oct. 31, builds on Johns’ existing recording contract with BMG, which he signed in 2017 before releasing FutureNever, the best-selling new Australian album of 2022. Johns says he trusts BMG with his songwriting catalog, which he values more than anything else without a heartbeat. BMG has supported Johns’ creative endeavors, such as the Spotify podcast Who Is Daniel Johns? in 2021 and the award-winning exhibition Past, Present and FutureNever in 2022. In 2023, BMG will release the film What if the Future Never Happened?, featuring Rasmus King as a young Johns. Johns is the most decorated artist in ARIA history, with 21 awards, and has also won six APRA Music Awards, tying the record for songwriter of the year. He has sold 10 million albums and had six ARIA No. 1 albums, including all five Silverchair albums. Silverchair was formed in 1992 by Johns and his school friends Ben Gillies and Chris Joannou. They achieved worldwide fame with their debut album Frogstomp in 1995 and its hit single “Tomorrow.” Frogstomp reached No. 9 on the Billboard 200, and its follow-up Freak Show peaked at No. 12. The band split up in 2011 at the height of their success. Johns also runs FutureNeverFund, a charity that helps people and animals in need. The non-profit has raised and distributed over A$100,000 from personal and public donations. Jodie Feld, BMG senior creative director Australia & New Zealand, says it’s an honor to work with Johns and his iconic publishing catalog.

The Billion-Dollar Pop Star: Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, Concert Film, and Re-Recorded Albums

Taylor Swift is not only one of the most popular and influential singers in the world, but also one of the richest. According to Bloomberg, her net worth is estimated at $1.1 billion as of October 2023. She is one of the few entertainers who have reached this level of wealth based on their music and performance alone.

How did she achieve this remarkable feat? The answer lies in her successful Eras tour, her concert film, and her re-recorded albums.

The Eras tour, which features songs from all her previous albums, has been breaking records and boosting the economy in the cities where she performed. The tour could gross $2.2 billion in North American ticket sales alone, making it the highest-grossing tour ever. Swift has been selling out stadiums and arenas across the continent, attracting millions of fans who want to experience her music live.

Her concert film, which premiered on October 11, 2023, earned about $96 million in the box office in the US and Canada in its opening weekend, becoming the highest-grossing concert film domestically for an opening weekend. The film captures the magic and spectacle of her Eras tour, with stunning visuals and sound quality. Fans who missed the chance to see her live or wanted to relive the experience could enjoy the film on the big screen.

Swift has also been re-releasing her old albums with new recordings, after her former label sold her master recordings in 2019. Her latest re-release is "1989 (Taylor's Version)", which came out on October 27, 2023. The original album earned 10 Grammy nominations when it was released in 2014. Swift has been reclaiming her artistic ownership and giving her fans new versions of her classic songs.

Swift is not only a billionaire, but also a cultural phenomenon. She has been rumored to be dating Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce, which has increased the demand for NFL tickets. She has also caused seismic activity in Seattle with her dancing fans. She is widely admired for her talent, creativity, and influence. She is truly a pop star who became a billionaire.