The Cadence: Six Degrees Of Sophie
by Joshua Glazer & Chris Monaco
The Cadence is a newsletter discussing all things Music x Content x Brands, produced by GoodLife Music and Content Curious.
We believe that the great reset to the music industry caused by COVID will usher in a new era where creativity sits at the head of the table and IP at the center of the conversation.
We intend to keep this Substack free for all of our global colleagues (i.e., you) and encourage you to share it. If you want to get in touch, email us: thecadence@contentcurious.com.
Words have been flowing like tears since the tragic death of SOPHIE this past weekend. We won’t even try to compete with Philip Sherburne’s thoughtful analysis of such a singular sound and career.
Leading up to SOPHIE’s performance at Coachella in 2019, Content Curious produced an animated short celebrating the artist’s reticulate network of collaborators. Such a discography would be impressive for any artist. The fact that it was achieved by an individual whose uncompromising sound and presentation was utterly avant-garde is nothing short of astounding.
TAKEAWAYS
The most salient statements from recent industry articles.
1. Why Did Sony Music Just Spend $430 Million on Indie Label AWAL?
Sony just took a big bite out of the indie distribution game, then went back for a serving of neighboring rights. Is the buffet big enough for major label appetites?
Takeaway: It suggests that the record-label giant has a firm grasp on the future of the industry — one in which a significantly larger number of artists will make decent commercial returns from their music… even if the majority of artists still remain unloved and unstreamed.
2. Ricky Powell, 59, Dies; Chronicled Early Hip-Hop and Downtown New York
Few chroniclers of pop culture become as well-known as their subjects, but Ricky Powell came close as a beloved character who captured New York hip-hop when the genre was still a toddler.
Takeaway: He hadn’t always been sure how to leverage his crucial archive of an underdocumented era. “He could have parlayed the connections into a profitable operation,” Mr. Swade said. “But you have to show up for that.”
3. Microsoft Killed The Zune, But Zune-Heads Are Still Here.
Before Bill Gates became pandemic cool, his company’s maligned MP3 offered a prescient look at a world outside of iTunes.
Takeaway: The Zune Marketplace offered a genuine streaming subscription — long before that became the dominant way people consumed music — which never caught on.
People Mover
Mute Records mainstay Seth Hodder is now A&R Manager at Phrased Differently (A Budde Music Company).
Jeff Bezos moves from Amazon CEO to Exec Chairman. We wish him lots of luck.
