How Spotify Avoided an Expensive Pay Out, MEGJOON, and BRAT.

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Bon Voyage Brat Summer

In her own words, Charli wrote, “Goodbye forever brat summer.” And, as the queen of the brat movement, it is only fitting she gets to declare when it is officially over.  

The internet wondered if it was because the big brat trends were waning, so she called it to an end to get ahead of it. Charli took to Instagram to put an end to that speculation, posting a ‘gram packed with headlines all covering brat. Yet, days later, she decided it was over.  

But the question is, how do you move forward from such an explosive thing? 

Well, at the height of your popularity, you tease people that there is a new full-length project on the cards. To quote her, “it’s definitely in the bratosphere, so to speak”. She’s been in the studio with heartstring-pullers Bon Iver and Danielle Haim and sent out remixes featuring a Fleetwood Mac sample.  

Brat has been so big; Charli has her own collection on Roblox AND got a coveted spot on Obama’s summer playlist. 

No License, No Problem?

Eight Mile Style, a co-publisher of 242 of Eminem’s tracks, just lost a legal battle with Spotify. In short, the publisher claimed that Spotify had streamed the songs without permission, as they had no mechanical license. It should be pretty cut and dry—no license, no win, right? Well, not quite. The unexpected twist: Spotify won, even though they didn’t have a license.  

Yes, you read that correctly. They still won the case even though they did not have a license.  

Why? How? What? 

First off, evidence showed that if the ruling had gone against Spotify, Kobalt Music Group (who acted as Eight Mile’s collection agent) would’ve been on the hook to pay Eight Mile—not Spotify. A year into the proceedings, Spotify even filed a third-party complaint against Kobalt, claiming that Kobalt misled them into believing they controlled the rights to the Eight Mile catalog and indemnified Spotify if things went south. Turns out, Spotify had been paying royalties to Kobalt all along, under the assumption everything was legit.  

So, if money was paid and rights were waived, what was going on?

Kobalt wasn’t authorized to license Eminem’s music in the U.S. or Canada. That right had been transferred to Bridgeport in 2009, but Eight Mile Style never really made much of an effort to clear things up. Apparently, a simple "letter of direction" could have sorted this, but Bridgeport never sent one, and Eight Mile didn’t follow up  

The funny part? Eminem himself wasn’t even aware of the lawsuit until it was already underway. And thanks to the court’s application of equitable estoppel, Spotify was let off the hook, with Kobalt now responsible for paying Eight Mile's legal fees and expenses.

So, who must pay who? Spotify is off the hook; Kobalt is on it. Kobalt will pay reasonable attorney’s fees and expenses. These are likely high because it dragged on for years. Talk about an unexpected ending!

Crossword Time

Last newsletter inspired us to create a crossword. Do you think you can crack the code? Test your skills and check how much you remember from the last stories! 🫵🏼

Type your answers in the comment section at the very bottom ⬇️

1. This iconic band announced a 2025 Reunion Tour after 15 years.
2. Which genre has Post Malone announced he is exploring in his new album? 
3. Latin Music Week 2024 features this headlining Colombian superstar.
4. Post Malone's album "Beerbongs & ___" was one of his first Number One albums.
5."Not Like Us" is a song from this popular rapper.
6. This artist is also featured in J. Balvin's song "I Like It."
7. The biggest songs on the planet start ‘trending’ on this social media platform before the charts.
8. What month is Latin Music Week 2024?
9. This artist had a song named "Too Sweet".

More Espresso?

We’ve covered Sabrina Carpenter’s meteoric rise, and it is only fair to continue. Trends are trends.  

Sabrina Carpenter took the charts by storm, TikTok loved her, and recent video features Jenna Ortega caused an internet frenzy. What many people might not know is that “Short n’ Sweet” is actually her 6th studio album. So far, the opinions from the critics are mostly positive. The album has been described as:    

“a near-seamless pop experience” - Quinn Moreland, Pitchfork 
“seals her arrival as a pop superstar” - Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone 
“powerful next step in her evolution as an artist” - Jam Aswad, Variety 

While those are glowing, there are others who have a different take. “Despite boasting musical variety, ‘Short n’ Sweet’ gropes safely for brief romances and situationships,” and “inevitably trips into a grievously wobbly and inconsistent territory” - Tanatat Khuttapan, The Line of Best Fit.  

We guess you’ll have to listen for yourselves, let us know what you think in the comments!

Neva Play on Repeat 

Megan Thee Stallion, known for her knees and releasing hit after hit, has teamed up with one of the members of the world's hottest bands. The track dropped today, September 6th. Megan has always been one for sharing her love of Anime, kitsch, and Cartoons - and these releases explore that.

She has never shied away from music experimentation. This release comes fresh off the presses after Mamushi ft. Yuki Chiba, where she shows off her Japanese alongside Yuki, a Japanese hip-hop rapper.  

She teased first with a tweet of a purple heart, which sent rumors flying with BTS fans, and then, in true Meg style, we got a cartoon cover:

For those in the know with RM, he will need no introduction. But for those who are initiated, here are two tracks to start with:  Domodachi Ft. Lil Simz and RM Tiny Desk Concert, and then check out some of his other work, and you’ll find a unique and expansive artist.  

Let us know in the comments did you get it right. ⬇️

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