In Canada: Beyoncé, Charli XCX Songwriter Lowell Pairs With Universal; Mgk to Play Grey Cup Halftime

Lowell is embarking on a new creative partnership with Universal Music Canada.

The Canadian songwriter and producer, born Elizabeth Lowell Boland, has struck up a strategic collaboration with the major label, fusing her creative knowledge and hitmaking prowess with UMC’s A&R team.

Lowell is a proven powerhouse in the music industry, working with artists like pop it-girls Beyoncé, Charli XCX, Tate McRae and homegrown talent including The Beaches, Lu Kala, Sofia Camara and more. From producing to writing to A&R, Lowell has a skilled hand in artist development.

Lowell was a part of the Grammy-nominated songwriting behind Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter hits “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “Bodyguard,” and she helped pen Camara’s charting hit “Girls Like You,” which has made waves across the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 and Billboard Canada airplay charts.

“Universal Music Canada and I have been unofficially working together all the way back to our joint work with bülow, and more recently, Valley, Sofia Camara, and more. I’m so excited to be able to be even more involved with the team and all their amazing artists,” says Lowell.

In this new partnership, Lowell will work alongside UMC’s A&R team, led by Amanda Kingsland and Shawn Marino, who were named co-heads of A&R this year.

“Her remarkable success as a songwriter and her ability to craft global hits speak volumes, but more than that, Lowell has an exceptional gift for finding and nurturing talent while helping artists grow into their best selves,” shares Kingsland.

UMC’s president & CEO Julie Adam (and Billboard Canada Women in Music Executive of the Year) emphasizes the label’s renewed mandate to sign, develop and elevate the next generation of Canadian artists globally.

“Lowell is a creative force,” says Adam. “Her incredible passion and fearless approach to music make her one of one. We exist to help artists achieve artistic and commercial success on a global stage out of Canada, and we are so excited, and grateful Lowell is joining us to supercharge that mission.”

Lowell echoes a similar sentiment, detailing her excitement to work with Adam, calling them “kindred spirits,” as she embarks on this new journey.

“I have so much respect for her, not only what she has already achieved in a short time in her position but what I know she will do moving forward,” she shared. “She has quickly shown me her uniquely immense respect for creatives, and in thinking outside of the box, which is imperative in this rapidly changing industry. Her willingness to grow and learn even from the top inspires me.”

Read more here. — Heather Taylor-Singh

MGK To Headline Grey Cup Halftime Show in Winnipeg

Mgk is headed to Winnipeg.

The rapper and singer will headline this year’s Grey Cup halftime show at Princess Auto Stadium on Nov. 16, the Canadian Football League (CFL) has announced.

The Grammy-nominated hitmaker, born Colson Baker, is known for defying boundaries and crossing genres to reach fans of hip-hop, pop, rock and alternative — making him a prime performer for the football crowd. Mgk’s work has been a success on the charts, with his most recent album, Lost Americana, reaching No. 9 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart.

“Canada has some of the best fans, so I’m excited to play the Grey Cup halftime show and to see some epic Canadian football,” the singer said in a statement.

While the CFL’s flagship game often includes Canadian performers, the last few years have seen American artists take the stage for halftime. Last year, the Jonas Brothers headlined the halftime show at the Grey Cup in Vancouver, while Green Day played the year before.

It’s clear Mgk has an affinity for Canada. In August, he played a surprise show at Toronto’s Horseshoe Tavern, debuting a couple of unreleased tracks before his seventh studio album came out.

Following his Grey Cup halftime show performance, Mgk kicks off his highly anticipated Lost Americana Tour in support of his seventh studio album of the same name, with stops in Calgary, Edmonton, Hamilton, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Billboard Canada Women in Music Global Rising Star Julia Wolf will join for select dates.

Joining Mgk as Grey Cup performers are Canadian alt-rockers Our Lady Peace, who are opening the festivities at the Grey Cup kickoff show, and emerging singer Catie St. Germain, who will perform the national anthem.

“We’re delivering a remarkable sound and atmosphere that will match the world-class action and entertainment on the field,” said CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston in a statement. “An iconic Canadian band to kick things off, a powerful Manitoban voice to honour our anthem and a rising megastar to electrify halftime. It’s going to be a show as unforgettable as the game itself!”

Read more here. — HTS

Canadian Music Organizations Raise Concerns About Artificial Intelligence at the House of Commons

Music industry stakeholders are speaking up about AI before the Canadian House of Commons.

On Wednesday, Oct. 8, representatives from some major music industry groups (SOCAN, Music Publishers Canada and Music Canada) appeared before the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, which is studying the effects of technological advances in artificial intelligence on the creative industries.

The committee is talking to many groups in the cultural and creative industries, but it is an especially hot topic within music, where the use of AI has exploded at a rapid rate.

One of the people who spoke in Ottawa was Music Publishers Canada (MPC) CEO Margaret McGuffin.

“The committee was very interested in hearing our perspectives,” she tells Billboard Canada. “Nearly every song ever written by a Canadian songwriter has already been scraped and stolen by these AI companies without consent, credit or compensation. Imagine that someone accessed your paycheque without permission and that this behaviour was normalized. This is an important issue for creators and businesses in the creative industries and it is wonderful that the Heritage Committee is listening.”

SOCAN CEO Jennifer Brown also spoke at the hearings. Along with MPC, the organization has major concern for fair compensation and royalties for rightsholders.

“The Standing Committee engaged in a good dialogue with the witnesses,” says Andrea Kokonis, SOCAN chief legal officer and general counsel.  “Jennifer Brown reinforced the importance of a healthy licensing market, as well as SOCAN’s long-standing expertise in licensing and royalty distribution — across every new technology that’s reshaped the music industry — positioning us to help ensure fair, practical solutions for both creators and AI companies.”

To McGuffin and MPC, the current situation is alarming.

“Unfortunately, the music industry has seen mass theft of copyright-protected songs by AI companies, both on the input side — for the purpose of training AI models — and output side — the development and publication of unlicensed generative AI models.”

“This poses serious risks for Canada’s creators and the companies that invest in them. To derive fair value for the use of this copyrighted material, the music publishing industry routinely grants licences to technology companies. AI developers should be no different. The emerging market for licensing music to AI developers should be encouraged, including by requiring AI companies to disclose and maintain records of all their training data,” she explains.

Read more here. — Kerry Doole