AGP Executive Report

Copyright: The Supreme Court left intact a ruling allowing songwriters to reclaim foreign rights covered by worldwide publishing deals, after four justices recused themselves and the court lacked a quorum. Charts: Taylor Swift’s “Patient Zero” holds the Billboard Hot 100’s top spot for a third week, while The Life of a Showgirl leads the Billboard 200 for a 15th week. Touring: Bon Jovi added 2027 stadium dates across North America and overseas; Rod Stewart, recovering from a heart procedure, says he feels “brilliant” ahead of his planned 2027 farewell tour. Live Music: Tini’s sold-out Miami show was canceled minutes before it began, with the tour’s producer blaming unmet technical and production requirements. Holiday Shows: Phil Wickham announced a five-night Christmas tour across Southern California.

Chart Watch: Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl remains atop the Billboard 200 for a 15th week. Copyright Dispute: Drake is facing a lawsuit from producer Aviel Calev Hirschfield, who claims he contributed lyrics, melody and cadence to “Janice STFU” without credit or payment; Drake’s team calls the claims fabricated. Live Music: Charli XCX surprised fans at the Kia Forum with Chappell Roan and PinkPantheress, performing new material alongside her hits. Music Policy: The American Music Tourism Act is now law, directing the Commerce Department to promote travel to U.S. music sites and events. Industry: BMI opened a Coral Gables office to serve creators in South Florida, Puerto Rico and Latin America.

Live Music: Miley Cyrus returned to the Hollywood Bowl for an emotional concert, paying tribute to Dolly Parton with “Jolene.” Iron Maiden also announced a 2027 North American tour. New Releases: Slipknot is recording “a lot of songs” for its next album, drummer Eloy Casagrande says, describing the process as natural and focused on making “real music.” KATSEYE’s “Gabriela” passed one billion Spotify streams, while Taylor Swift’s “Patient Zero” held the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for a second week. Music Industry: YouTube Music is labeling AI-generated tracks as synthetic, as Sony and Universal seek DistroKid data on AI uploads in a new legal action. Music Tourism: President Trump signed the American Music Tourism Act, directing the Commerce Department to promote travel to U.S. music sites and events.

Live Music: Miley Cyrus made a high-profile return at the Hollywood Bowl, honoring Dolly Parton with an emotional “Jolene” performance; Iron Maiden also announced a 2027 North American tour. Chart Watch: Taylor Swift’s “Patient Zero” held the Billboard Hot 100’s top spot for a second week, while Karol G celebrated “Bby Wow” topping Billboard’s global chart with a new video. BTS became the first group to surpass 10 billion Spotify streams in a single year. Artist Honors: Lin-Manuel Miranda received iHeartRadio’s Corazón Latino Award in Miami, recognizing his Puerto Rican heritage and work elevating Latino stories. Joni Mitchell became a U.S. citizen after more than 60 years in the country, saying she wanted to vote. Industry & Policy: Sony Music and Universal Music sued to compel DistroKid to disclose its AI-upload numbers, as disputes over AI tracks and removals continue. Universal also announced executive departures and layoffs. A bill promoting music tourism in the U.S. was signed into law.

Tour News: Iron Maiden has added a final North American leg to its 50th-anniversary tour, playing 2027 dates from Tacoma to New York before festival stops in Ohio and Maryland. Live Return: Miley Cyrus debuted four songs from her new album at her first Hollywood Bowl shows and first proper headline concerts in about four years, also remembering Dolly Parton. Chart Watch: Taylor Swift’s “Patient Zero” held the Billboard Hot 100’s top spot for a second week, with 17.4 million U.S. streams during the tracking period. Ticketing and AI: Raye says AI bots generated 1.8 million sign-ups for a 5,000-seat show; separately, Sony Music and Universal Music have filed a new legal action seeking disclosure of AI uploads on DistroKid. Jazz: Newark’s NJPAC named five finalists for its Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, selected from more than 360 entrants; they’ll compete Nov. 22.

Tribute: Harry Styles debuted “What Is Enough,” an unreleased song for Liam Payne, during his Madison Square Garden residency on the second anniversary of his bandmate’s death. Ticketing: The Justice Department sued San Diego-based REPS & Company, alleging it used bots to buy tickets in bulk and resell them at inflated prices, earning more than $120 million. AI and Copyright: Sony Music and Universal Music are seeking DistroKid data on AI-generated uploads, arguing it could help show how Suno music reaches streaming platforms. Industry Dispute: Chad Hugo says Pharrell Williams is trying to erase his contributions to the Neptunes in a copyright fight over work created by the duo. Music Tourism: President Trump signed the American Music Tourism Act, directing the Commerce Department to promote travel to U.S. music sites and events.

Ticketing: The DOJ and FTC sued San Diego broker REPS & Company, alleging it bypassed ticket-buying limits to snap up millions of seats—including Beyoncé and Post Malone tickets—for resale at steep markups. Touring: Zach Bryan announced a 23-show 2027 stadium tour with John Fogerty and Fey Fili; President Trump also signed a law directing the Commerce Department to promote U.S. music tourism. New Music: Alanis Morissette announced her first full-length holiday album, featuring Brandi Carlile and Steve Martin, while My Chemical Romance released an unreleased track from an upcoming Black Parade anniversary edition. Milestones: Joni Mitchell became a U.S. citizen so she can vote, saying she will keep her Canadian citizenship. BTS became the first group to surpass 10 billion Spotify streams in a single year. Industry Watch: Prosecutors say a man used AI-generated songs and 10,000 bots to fraudulently collect $8 million in music royalties.

Streaming Milestone: BTS became the first group to surpass 10 billion Spotify streams in a year, with Arirang alone topping 5 billion. Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl also held No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for a 14th week. Music Tourism: President Trump signed the American Music Tourism Act, directing the Commerce Department to promote travel to U.S. music sites and events. Ticketing Crackdown: Federal regulators accused a California company of unlawfully buying millions of tickets to concerts, including Beyoncé’s, for resale. Industry Shakeup: Universal Music Group is cutting staff and preparing executive departures as it restructures major labels, including Def Jam and MCA. New Releases: Zach Bryan dropped an eight-song EP featuring Lana Del Rey and Turnpike Troubadours, and announced a 2027 stadium tour. Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan teamed up on a new remix and game-show-themed video featuring David Byrne.

Music Tourism: President Trump signed a bill aimed at promoting music tourism in the U.S., a boost for a sector that draws fans and spending to live events. AI and Streaming: Artists say valid songs were caught up in DistroKid removals tied to Universal Music Group’s AI lawsuit, while YouTube is labeling AI-generated tracks as synthetic. The disputes intensify pressure on platforms to distinguish human-made music from AI output. Industry Shakeup: UMG is restructuring, with senior executives at Republic and Def Jam among those set to leave. Chart Watch: Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl returned to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for a 14th week, bringing her career total to 100 weeks at the top. Drake also set a new record with his 18th No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. On the Road: Calvin Harris announced his first North American headline tour, while Zach Bryan is planning a 2027 stadium run. Artist Milestone: Joni Mitchell celebrated becoming a U.S. citizen after living in the country for more than six decades.

Music Tourism: President Donald Trump signed the bipartisan American Music Tourism Act, directing the Commerce Department to develop a plan to attract more domestic and international visitors to U.S. music destinations. Joni Mitchell: The Canadian-born singer-songwriter has become a U.S. citizen after 62 years in the country, marking the milestone with the words, “A journey that began 62 years ago.” Zach Bryan: The country star announced a memoir, a companion EP and a 2027 stadium tour, with U.S. stops including Minneapolis, Chicago, Philadelphia and Atlanta. Industry Shakeup: Universal Music Group is restructuring, with senior executives at Republic and Def Jam among those departing. New Music: John Legend’s album Muse, produced and co-written by Pharrell Williams, is due Oct. 23. YouTube Music is also adding labels for AI-generated tracks as synthetic songs flood streaming.

Joni Mitchell: The Canadian-born singer is now a U.S. citizen, completing a journey that began when she moved to Detroit in 1965 to pursue music. Industry Shake-up: Universal Music Group is making the final cuts in its restructuring, with senior leaders departing at Def Jam, Interscope, Polydor and other labels. Republic Records chief Jim Roppo is leaving for a senior role at Warner Records. Physical Music: U.S. CD revenue jumped 58.6% in the first half of 2026, while vinyl rose 17.7%, as fans keep buying music they can own. Streaming Fraud: Prosecutors say a man used AI-generated songs and 10,000 bots to collect $8 million in fraudulent royalties. On Tour: Garth Brooks added two Seattle dates in November, extending his arena run.

Artist Milestone: Joni Mitchell has become a U.S. citizen after a 62-year journey, sharing the news alongside an American flag. Streaming Charts: BTS’s “Arirang” has passed 5 billion Spotify streams, making it 2026’s most-streamed album so far; BLACKPINK’s Rosé is set to perform at LACMA’s Art+Film Gala on Nov. 7. Music & Justice: Duane “Keffe D” Davis was sentenced to 40 years to life for Tupac Shakur’s murder. In a separate case, a man was jailed for using AI-generated songs and 10,000 bots to steal $8 million in music royalties. Onstage Politics: Kacey Musgraves blasted Christopher Columbus during a concert, drawing attention with her profane remarks.

Country & Politics: Kacey Musgraves fired back at Kristi Noem after the former official criticized the singer and Texas Senate candidate James Talarico. Musgraves, Willie Nelson and the Chicks have all backed Talarico. Tour News: Calvin Harris announced his first headlining North American tour, an 18-date arena run from Boston to Los Angeles in spring 2027. Kelly Clarkson will co-headline Brandi Carlile’s Girls Just Wanna Weekend festival in Mexico in January. Live Events: Rosé will perform at the Nov. 7 LACMA Art + Film Gala in Los Angeles. Bluegrass star Missy Raines joins Sarah Jarosz and others for a Mountain Stage taping in Boone, North Carolina, on Oct. 16. Music Industry: A man was jailed for using AI-generated songs and 10,000 bots to fraudulently collect $8 million in royalties. On Tour: Olivia Rodrigo’s Chicago show drew praise for its flower-filled staging and relationship-themed production.

Music Industry: A man was jailed for using AI-generated tracks and 10,000 bots to fraudulently collect $8 million in royalties, prosecutors said. Pop Releases: Britney Spears has released “She’ll Never Be Me,” an unreleased song co-written with Justin Timberlake, ahead of a 25th-anniversary edition of her 2001 album. Charts: Taylor Swift’s “Patient Zero” held No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a second week, while The Life of a Showgirl logged its 14th week atop the Billboard 200. Touring: Usher and Chris Brown canceled four remaining dates on their R&B Tour, including Cincinnati; the promoter cited the touring party’s health and well-being. Arts Funding: San Mateo County voters will decide on an $848 million community-college bond that would fund campus upgrades, including repairs to Skyline College’s fine arts building, where water damage has ruined sheet music.

Tour News: Julieta Venegas will bring her Norteña Tour to El Paso’s Plaza Theatre on March 17, 2027, with tickets going on sale this week. Charts: Taylor Swift’s “Patient Zero” holds No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a second week; Drake and Don Toliver debut at No. 5 with “Solar Eclipse.” New Music: Britney Spears has released “She’ll Never Be Me,” a previously unheard 2001 track co-written with Justin Timberlake. Tour Updates: Chris Brown and Usher canceled four stadium dates, with organizers citing the demands of the tour; the move comes ahead of Brown’s Oct. 26 court date in London. TLC’s Chili says T-Boz is recovering from a sickle cell crisis and taking time off their U.S. tour. U.S. Access: Jamaican dancehall star Popcaan has secured a U.S. visa, opening the way for American performances, though no dates have been announced.

Chart Watch: Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl has spent 14 weeks atop the Billboard 200, while Swift joins The Beatles as the only acts to log 100 weeks at No. 1. Onstage: A Beach Boys legend, 85, has returned to performing despite health struggles; Bruno Mars’s sold-out Levi’s Stadium show also brought major concert traffic to Santa Clara. New Music: Remi Wolf says she is prioritizing healing after touring burnout on her new album, Mud. Kid Rock has also discussed an unexpected Eminem collaboration for a Christian album. Touring: Def Leppard and the Goo Goo Dolls have announced a 2027 North American tour. Arts Access: U.S. senators Mazie Hirono and Ben Ray Luján introduced legislation to expand arts education for young learners and other groups.