Industry Insights

Benny Blanco is tied to big names in music and major record breaking songs but how did he become one of the most popular producers? Article Contributed by Monica Soriano Benny Blanco at the pre-Grammy show via Gilbert Flores for Getty Images Influenced by Cassette Tapes It happens often that incredibly successful musicians were introduced to music at an early age, for Benny it was as early as 6 years old by cassette tapes that contained music by Nas and All-4-One. Benny Blanc

Photography by Ivan S. Why artists are being asked to be everything, everywhere, all at once — and why smaller artists need us now more than ever. Article Contributed by LJ Portnoy, Editor-in-Chief Visibility Has Become Survival Somewhere between soundcheck and stage time, musicians became full-time content creators. Before the show even starts, the work has already begun. Artists are filming TikToks backstage, posting setlist teasers, editing recap videos in the green room,

She’s the songwriter behind Grammy Award winning songs and a voice within this industry striving for real change. Autumn Rowe posing in press photo via Spirit Music Group Article Contributed by Monica Soriano It is always admirable to see artists, songwriters or producers spread their knowledge and guide the new generation. Autumn Rowe is a bright example of not only expanding one’s skills but using every bit of knowledge to move everyone forward and advocate for a better tom

An in-depth look at Blake Mills and his journey, filled with in-depth music exploration and incredible collaborations.

Jessie Jo Dillion in beige suit stands indoors with soft lighting. She has long blonde hair and looks to the side. A green plant is in the background.

Disney Channel viewers were impacted by the show, the music, and Miley’s career; to this day, Hannah Montana remains embedded in pop culture. There was a time in which kids and teens everywhere were begging for a blonde wig with bangs and a microphone. They needed to be the most famous pop star with a secret normal life - Hannah Montana. 20 years later, the impact of the series is celebrated.

Meet the talented person behind Kendrick Lamar’s hits like “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe”, “Not Like Us” and “All the Stars” featuring SZA. Article Contributed by Monica Soriano Sounwave is one of Kendrick Lamar’s biggest collaborators when it comes to the production side of things, his talent has grabbed the attention of fans and industry professionals worldwide. Born Mark Anthony Spears, Sounwave had a strong interest in music at an early age and was discovered by Terrance “Pu

Article Contributed by Monica Soriano Nickelodeon made many people laugh through its quirky series, cartoons and movies. There are various familiar faces in mainstream media within music that were able to reach unexpected (or expected) success after their time with the network. Some cultivated strong fan bases and have established their names among the biggest artists. While most of the cast in Victorious have gone on to gain a large amount of popularity and varying success w

Article Contributed by Konstantina Buhalis Houston rap star, Lebra Jolie, prepares for a new album, Better Than Yesterday, through Interscope Records. In the meantime, Jolie released “Whole Thang” with an accompanying music video featuring iconic visuals, and a “Better Than Yesterday” docuseries, in which she digs into the creation of the album's inspiration and her history as an artist. Lebra Jolie portrait by Interscope Records Lebra Jolie Let’s Us In In 2022, Jolie release

Article Contributed by Monica Soriano Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter and The Jonas Brothers have become names that circle the media often. Sometimes it is due to Olivia and Sabrina’s success internationally as beloved pop girls and other times it is The Jonas Brothers’ continuous release of projects while tapping into infectious nostalgia. Disney Channel was a starting point for these artists but what came after was entirely up to them. Olivia Rodrigo’s Penmanship & Huge D

There’s a long list of superstar names Cirkut has produced and co-written songs for including Katy Perry, The Weeknd, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and more. Article Contributed by Monica Soriano Photo from Instagram via @cirkut Before Cirkut, There Was Henry Russell Walter He created his own opportunities, was it luck or possibly a lot of perseverance? Cirkut was born in Canada and given the name Henry Russell Walter. While he didn’t grow up in a music filled environment he said in an

Laura Veltz has earned her Grammy nomination in the category Songwriter of the Year through her lengthy career. She has written for artists such as Demi Lovato, Dan + Shay and Maren Morris. Article Contributed by Monica Soriano Photo from @ lauraveltz on Instagram A Family of Musicians Laura Veltz spent over 10 years touring and singing in her and her family’s band Cecilia. The band was composed of Laura and her family including her mother Jeannie, her father Kenneth and her

The multi-talented singer-songwriter is known in the music industry for writing with some of the biggest names including Justin Bieber, Dua Lipa and Niall Horan. Article Contributed by Monica Soriano Photo from https://tobiasjessojr.com/ His Journey In Music From a non musical family to bringing music to many households. The Canadian-born musician unknowingly planted seeds for his successful career early on in his teens. It was in his 20s that his career started to sprout. So

Songs that were almost Number 1 on the charts but couldn’t get there…..why? The list of songs that could've gone number one but didn’t could be endless, but here are a few songs that were so close to being number one that they peaked at number one. They each have a reason as to why they didn’t reach the top spot.

There used to be a time when buying merch felt simple. You grabbed a tour tee, wore it like a badge of honor, and let it mean exactly what it was supposed to mean: I was there. It was about fandom and a souvenir rolled into one, no second thoughts required. Now, merch comes with baggage. Hot Take: Merch has become the backbone of an artist’s paycheck, and as that pressure has grown, so have the prices. Artists make slivers of what they once did through streaming platfor

For years, the Grammys struggled to hold attention beyond highlight clips and post-show discourse. Performances blurred together, categories felt preordained, and the experience increasingly asked audiences to endure rather than engage. This year’s Grammy Awards marked a noticeable shift. Not through spectacle alone, but through sustained intention. The show operated less like a checklist of obligations and more like a curated conversation about where music is right now an

Loving something for twenty years gives you perspective you can’t rush. When fandom spans decades, it stops being about moments and becomes about seasons. There are years when music is everything. Years where it’s background noise. Years where it disappears entirely, only to return when you least expect it. That kind of longevity teaches you something important early on: intensity and depth are not the same thing. That distinction is the hot take.

There was a time when missing a show meant missing it. You heard about it later through your friends, the blurry photos and videos, and their voices still hoarse from singing along. But the thing is, you didn’t scroll through it in real time. You felt the absence. And that feeling made being there matter. Live music used to live in the room. Between bodies, lights, sweat, and sound. It was fleeting by design. One night. One crowd. One version of the song that would never

If you had a MySpace back in the day, you already know the feeling. One click and suddenly a song was blasting through your speakers before the page even finished loading. That was how music entered your life back then. Loud. Immediate. Slightly chaotic. You’d land on someone’s profile and just sit there listening. Maybe scrolling. Maybe clicking through their friends. Maybe doing absolutely nothing except letting the song loop again and again while it slowly rewires your

If you’ve ever been a fangirl or fanboy, you know this feeling all too well. Somehow, seeing your favorite band or musician has become a competition. People are fighting at the barricade, on the internet, and what was once an uplifting community and a safe space has turned into a place where adults in their 30s and 40s bully each other until someone is crying to the algorithm for help. And alas, the cycle continues. But when does it end?