Teddy Swims, the singer-songwriter behind “Lose Control,” has signed a new global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music.
The RIAA platinum-certified single “Lose Control” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the latest tracking week after spending 32 weeks on the chart. Swims released his debut studio album, “I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1)” via WCM’s sister label, Warner Records, last September, which peaked in the top 25 on the Billboard 200.
“Thrilled to be teaming up with Warner Chappell as my publisher,” said Swims. “Songwriting has always been the core of who I am as an artist and it will continue to be. It’s my therapy and having a team behind me that gets that means the world to me. So excited to keep it in-house with Warner Music Group and in the family with the best company on the planet! Let’s take over the world gang.”
Swims is best known for a blend of R&B, soul, country and pop music. He signed a record deal with Warner Records in 2019 and began to release his original music, including a series of EPs from 2021 – 2022. His third EP, “Tough Love,” gave him his first entrance on the Billboard 200 as an artist and included his hit songs “Love for a Minute” and “911.”
“Teddy has stayed true to himself every step of the way since we first met in 2020, and now he’s one of the most important new artists in music,” added WCM Katy Wolaver, senior vice president of A&R, and VP of A&R, David Goldsen. “His timeless voice, incredible knack for songs, and unrelenting work ethic make him such an exciting songwriter for us, and we’re so happy he’s chosen Warner Chappell as his publishing home.”
“We’re super proud to be working with Teddy as he takes on this next chapter,” said Ryan Press, WCM’s president of North America. “He’s in a league of his own with one of the most unique voices we’ve heard in a while, and his music both moves and inspires people of all backgrounds. Here’s to many more No. 1’s!”
+ Universal Music Publishing Group has tapped Adriana Ramos as its new managing director of UMPG Brazil, effective immediately. based in Rio de Janeiro, she will report to Alexandra Lioutikoff, president of Latin America and U.S. Latin. Ramos replaces longtime Brazil MD Marcelo Falcao who has decided to step down from the role.
Ramos joined UMPG in 2013 and most recently served as head of UMPG Brazil’s creative team – A&R and Sync. As senior manager, she was responsible for overseeing creative and licensing music operations for advertising, film and TV, and games. She also worked closely with the company’s A&R team in building diverse avenues to promote UMPG’s writers.
Lioutikoff said, “With tremendous vision and dedication, Adriana has been instrumental to the success of UMPG Brazil and her promotion is much-deserved. As we look to the future, I am confident that Adriana will bring enormous value and energy to UMPG Brazil, both furthering our creative strategy and continuing to ensure that our songwriters are treated with the best care in the world.”
Ramos added, “I am excited to mold the future of Universal Music Publishing Brazil alongside our outstanding team, creating new possibilities for our songwriters and pushing UMP forward as the most innovative, proactive and creative-driven publisher. It is also a historical moment and I’m very proud to extend UMP female leadership to Brazil. I would like to thank Jody Gerson and Alexandra for their trust and support in giving me this opportunity that I take with honor, respect, and commitment to always keep our songwriters first!”
+ Artist Publishing Group has promoted Matt MacFarlane and Olly Sheppard to senior VPs of A&R. Together, MacFarlane and Sheppard will continue to oversee the publishing company.
Over the past few years, MacFarlane has overseen A&R for Taz Taylor and Rio Leyva (Internet Money). MacFarlane, who started as an intern at APG over nine years ago, will continue to drive publishing signings while continuing to develop the A&R team.
In collaborating with the APG Publishing team, Sheppard played a critical role with his team in the signing of Pink Slip, Faangs, JBach and Cate Downey, as well as Inverness and M Phazes, in partnership with Cirkutbreaker.
+ Paulo Londra has signed a new label deal with Argentine label Dale Play Records. Dale Play Records is also home to Duki, Bizarrap, Nicki Nicole, Rels B, Milo J, among others.
With his first album, “Homerun” (2019), Londra amassed enormous international attention and after two years, he released his latest “Back to the Game.” The album featured collaborations with such artists as Ed Sheeran, Travis Barker, Timbaland, Feid and Duki.
In 2022, Londra also performed “The World is Yours To Take,” the official song for the FIFA World Cup alongside rapper Lil Baby.
+ Chingy has signed a new deal with full-service entertainment company Action Entertainment Collaborative (TLC, Billy Ray Cyrus) headed by Nick Meinema.
Chingy charted on the Billboard Hot 100 over eight times after achieving success with his double-platinum RIAA-certified debut album, “Jackpot.” He has also appeared in TV series including “My Wife and Kids,” “One on One,” “George Lopez,” “Yo Momma,” as well as cameos in several films, including “Scary Movie 4” and “Speed Dating.”
Said Meinema, “Chiny is a celebrated globally beloved entertainer – we’re thrilled we got the call to represent him exclusively for all areas of live booking.”
+ Downtown Artist & Label Services has signed singer-songwriter Beto Vega and announced it is expanding a current partnership with Mexican record label Kartel Music (Luis R. Conriquez, Tony Aguirre)
Nominated in 2018 for best regional Mexican music album at the Latin Grammy Awards for “Volveré A Ser El Rey,” Vega will benefit from Downtown’s global distribution and marketing offering. He will also be able to utilize the company’s catalog management and full-service campaigns for future releases, including the forthcoming track, “Los Brothers” with Edgardo Nuñez.
Carlos Santos, label manager of Kartel Music commented, “The industry vets at Downtown have been a great team for us to distribute and market our artists’ music, and we’re always happy to work with them. The work they have done for projects like Luis R. Conriquez makes us feel comfortable and confident in their skills – we always feel prepared, and know that while working with them, we’re always ready for what’s next.”
As part of their expansion into música Mexicana, Downtown has added Lorena Cabral to the company as senior manager of A&R for the territory. Cabral reports directly to the Global Vice President of A&R, Bryan Mooney. Cabral also joins Daniella Gutiérrez, who was promoted to senior marketing manager for the region. Also growing the local workforce are Yusim Aladro and Frida Bolio, Latin project manager and regional account manager respectively.
+ Transgressive Records continues its growth in North America with artist manager Moriah Berger joining the company as A&R / marketing manager for the region.
Berger began her career at Paradigm Talent Agency before moving on to Mick Management and later helped launch Other Operation. During her time in management, she worked directly with breakout artists including Muna, Sharon Van Etten, Of Monsters and Men, and Angel Olsen, amongst others.
+ Rimas Publishing has extended its exclusive publishing agreement with multi-platinum singer-songwriter and producer Lyanno.
In a press release, Rimas said the deal “marks a significant milestone in Rimas Publishing’s dedication to modernization,” as it prioritizes its “older contracts to better align with the evolving needs of its clients, prioritizing the empowerment and satisfaction of music creators.”
Lyanno, the Puerto Rican-born hitmaker, first signed with Rimas Publishing in 2017. He has co-written songs and collaborated with top artists, including Anuel, Eladio Carrión, Cazzu, Lenny Tavárez, Rauw Alejandro, Wisin, Young Miko, and more.
“We are ecstatic to continue our successful relationship with Lyanno for many more years and are deeply honored by his decision to continue placing his trust in us. In an industry that is constantly evolving, we understand the significance of ensuring that our artists’ contracts remain adaptable to the creator’s needs,” said Emilio Morales, managing director of Rimas Publishing. “This reaffirmation underscores our unwavering dedication to modernization, emphasizing our steadfast support for our artists. We strive to foster genuine partnerships that prioritize their individual needs and aspirations.”
+ George Kalivas, A&R head at Warner Music Canada, has left the company to launch Swing, a Toronto-based management company. The first artist signed to Swin is Diamond Cafe, who Kalivas discovered and signed to Warner Music Group.
Kalivas is a Toronto-based music executive, who currently serves as the head of A&R at Warner Music Canada. Kalivas has created creative campaigns for artists including Jack Harlow, Roddy Ricch, A-Boogie wit da Hoodie, Ali Gatie and more. He has also signed unique talents such as Crash Adams, Diamond Cafe, and AR Paisley among others.
+ Hallwood, a full-service record label and management company, has added Roderick “PushaRod” Bullock to the company as VP of A&R/management.
PushaRod was formerly A&R of Urban Music at Interscope, Geffen, A&M Records, where he cultivated a roster of talent including Rich The Kid, Moneybagg Yo, Kamaiyah, Ian Connor, Neechie, Arin Ray, Mitch, and Co Cash. His vast experience led to the spearheading of record labels 4Hunnid and 10Summers and his contributions extend to albums and focus tracks, including YG’s “Stay Dangerous” and “My Krazy Life,” Ty Dolla $ign’s “House on the Hill,” and Moneybagg Yo’s “43vaHeartless,” among others.
As VP, PushaRod will continue to build Hallwood’s roster of talent and work hand in hand with its robust roster of songwriters and producers.
+ Merlin and Deezer have renewed their partnership in an effort to integrate Deezer’s royalty model across Merlin’s membership of independent record labels, distributors, and other rights holders.
Deezer’s new royalty model, which is currently being rolled out in France, includes an incentive for artists with a consistent and engaged fan base, rewards engaging content, and reasserts a focus on music, as well as enhanced fraud detection measures.
“I’m very happy to see that Merlin and its members are embracing Deezer’s artist centric model and joins us in redefining artist remuneration in the streaming era, to make sure artists are paid more fairly for their music,” said Jeronimo Foglueira, CEO, Deezer. “From the start, our ambition has been that the new model should serve all artists with a consistent fan base, including the indie acts represented by the membership of Merlin.”
“Merlin’s mission is to ensure that the voices of its independent members are heard and that they have access to the most innovative opportunities in the digital marketplace while ensuring their artists are fairly compensated,” said Jeremy Sirota, CEO, Merlin. “We have worked with Deezer to ensure their new model works for the benefit of our members, representing a path forward in ensuring that high-quality music, and the artists who create it, are recognized and rewarded in the manner they deserve.”
+ Managment company The Familie has signed Warner Records artist Cecilia, artistically known as CIL.
The Denver, Colorado-born 22-year-old opened for Stevie Nicks at iconic venues, including Madison Square Garden. She is currently working on her first complete music project.
Nano Tissera, senior VP of music for The Familie, shares, “We’re thrilled to welcome Cil to our familie. After meeting her, it was a no-brainer; we had to be a part of her journey. Cil’s talent has a unique and powerful way of drawing people in, and we’re eager to showcase her work to everyone. Ann Perkins, one of our talented young managers, will be leading the way for Cil. The whole Familie is excited to support and bring Cil’s work into the spotlight.”
+ Cinq Music has signed Lil Moseyand his label Love U Forever in a global distribution partnership, ahead of the release of his untitled forthcoming EP, to be released in Spring 2024.
Cinq Music, an indie distributor, record label and publisher, includes creators across hip hop/R&B as well as culturally significant performers in Latin music. They are set to amplify Lil Mosey to connect with and expand his global fanbase.
“Lil Mosey is a true superstar,” said Barry Daffurn, Cinq president and Co-Founder. “From our very first meeting, it was clear that Mosey possesses a unique talent and has a clear vision of where he wants to go. Supporting him on this journey and growing our partnership is paramount for us, and we’ve only just begun.”
“I’m excited to finally be able to release independently,” said Lil Mosey. “I’m grateful to have a partner like Cinq and Barry. I know that we will do great things together.”
+ Nova, a new, curated creative freelance network and marketplace, has launched and is now availble in the App Store.
Nova, which started as a private Instagram page, has been shepherded by a number of noteworthy advisors and creative ambassadors including Troy Carter, La Mar Taylor (the Weeknd, XO), Media Empire Ventures (Grimes, Mac Boucher, Daouda Leonard), Daniel Caesar, Sam Teller (SpaceX, Tesla) and Humberto Leon (Opening Ceremony/Burberry/Kenzo), among others.
Over the course of 2023, Nova soft-launched a private Instagram account where they built a grassroots community of creatives that, according to the company, has allowed them to staff “hundreds of jobs in the creative industry weekly. In less than a year, Nova has filled approximately 7500 jobs, ranging from one-off gigs to full time staff positions.”
+ The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) SonGS Foundation (Supporting Our Next Generation of Songwriters) has unveiled a new board of directors.
Founded in 2015 to help aspiring songwriters, the SonGS Foundation has offered scholarships and provided direct financial assistance in addition to other partnerships.
Songwriters joining the board include:
Oscar, Grammy, Tony, and Olivier Award-winning songwriters/producers Justin Paul and Benj Pasek (Kobalt); Grammy song and album of the year winner Dan Wilson (UMPG); Grammy nominee and BMI songwriter of the year Lauren Christy (Reservoir); Grammy-winning artist-songwriter Allison Russell (Concord); Grammy-winning songwriter Jordan Reynolds (Warner Chappell); Latin Grammy and Grammy Award winner Gaby Moreno (peermusic); and Grammy-nominated artist-songwriter Cam (Sony Music Publishing). Grammy-nominated artist-songwriter Jewel will continue her service on the board.
Industry executives joining the board include:
Sony Music Publishing Chairman and CEO Jon Platt; Warner Chappell Music Co-Chair and COO Carianne Marshall; Reservoir Founder and CEO Golnar Khosrowshahi; peermusic President and COO Kathy Spanberger; BMG General Counsel and Executive VP Keith Hauprich; Concord Chief Publishing Officer Jim Selby; Kobalt’s Head of Creative Alison Donald; and Universal Music Publishing Group Executive VP and Co-Head of A&R Jennifer Knoepfle. NMPA’s President and CEO David Israelite, Executive VP & General Counsel Danielle Aguirre, and Senior VP of External Affairs Charlotte Sellmyer will retain their positions on the board.
The board will officially launch during its annual fundraising golf tournament in Los Angeles on April 15.
