March
Why the live album is back
The rise of pop and hip-hop almost killed in-concert recordings, but a few factors have led to a revival, with everyone from The Cure to Ed Sheeran releasing them.
February
ABC’s Pope Playlist imagines there’s no heaven … or religion too
From Ed Sheeran to Adele to Whitney Houston, ABC Local Radio’s internal playlist of “safe” songs to play should Pope Francis die is surprising.
January
Rolling Stones pocket $21m a show as ‘pensioner’ rock stars cash in
Keith Richards and Mick Jagger made $21 million each time they played live last year, multiples more than Brat star Charli XCX and Ed Sheeran.
January 2024
Does Singapore finally have global cool? Ask Taylor Swift
Singapore’s reputation is for supreme investment efficiency, not excitement. But a well-oiled government campaign can soon fix that.
December 2023
A $23b Canadian investor woos super funds with Ed Sheeran, Madonna
The investor is raising $763 million for the next frontier of private credit – asset-based financings backed by music royalties and legal finance.
September 2023
The Anna-Harvey texts behind a $2.5b Olympic boondoggle
Palaszczuk has a fun texting relationship with entertainment mogul Harvey Lister, whose ASM Global wants to run the $2.5bn Brisbane Arena.
How Oliver Anthony became a sudden superstar
The country singer has gone from living in a campervan to being a contender to perform at the Super Bowl within a month.
May 2023
Free tickets to woo politicians in battle for $2.5b Brisbane arena
Here’s how businesses deepened political connections amid a battle for a proposed stadium that is home to the Brisbane 2032 swimming program.
March 2022
Copyright lawsuits are ruining pop music – just ask Ed Sheeran
Cases against Ed Sheeran and Dua Lipa confirm the old adage, ‘where there’s a hit, there’s a writ’. Is it time to call an amnesty on songcraft?
December 2021
SNL drops audience, theatres go dark as latest wave hits NYC
The sketch comedy show announced on social media that the year’s final episode, featuring ‘Ant-Man’ star Paul Rudd as host, would tape without a live audience.
Pools are outdated. The rich are building swimming ponds in 2022.
Ed Sheeran has one and so do the Beckhams, signalling that next year will be all about your own clean, green lake – if you have a spare $280,000.
June 2021
England sheds agonising history by knocking out Germany
England is finally unburdened by the weight of its record against the Germans. This was a day more reminiscent of the 1966 World Cup final win over them on the same site.
May 2020
Warner IPO music to Blavatnik’s ears
Warner’s shares are only decent value for investors willing — like so many aspirant musicians — to cede control to a managerial Svengali.
January 2020
How pop music learnt to join the dots - the decade in review
Technology and creative talent have merged over the past 10 years to produce many firsts and quite a few lasts.
November 2019
Don't get TikTok? Here's an explainer
The Chinese-owned social media app is taking Gen-Z by storm – but how does it actually work, and what do the kids see in it?