AGP Executive Report

Streaming/TV Deal Shift: Broadcasters are teaming up with streamers as the old TV divide breaks down, with TF1 putting its channels and TF1+ inside Netflix to reach more viewers and protect content financing. Chart Power (Country): Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” stays at No. 1 on Billboard’s Songs of the Summer for 2026, extending a massive Hot 100 run and keeping country dominating the top ranks. Tour News (Legend): Stevie Wonder announces an 18-date 50th anniversary “Songs in the Key of Life” tour, with the U.S. leg starting Nov. 19 at Madison Square Garden. Hip-Hop Spotlight: Lil Durk’s murder-for-hire trial heads toward closing arguments in Los Angeles. Live Music Tech: Luminate will track “Smart Media Album” sales in CONNECT starting Oct. 2, with these QR/NFC physical releases counting toward Billboard rankings. Community & Culture: A Mexican cultural music and dance show brings “México en el Corazón” to Lafayette, while East LA’s 80th Mexican Independence Day Parade readies a big weekend broadcast.

BTS Spotlight: Jung Kook’s self-written “Still With You” just topped 500 million Spotify streams, adding to his growing solo milestones as BTS prepares for its South America “ARIRANG” tour kickoff in Bogota. Pop/Radio Milestone: Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You” hits No. 1 on U.S. country radio, marking her 13th solo chart-topper there. Tour Controversy: Macklemore is doubling down after backlash over his “Free Palestine” remarks and “Hind’s Hall” performance during Ed Sheeran’s MetLife Stadium shows, insisting his criticism of Israel isn’t aimed at Jewish people. Live Music Disruption: Rosanne Cash postpones three September shows due to an unexpected medical emergency, with rescheduled dates pending. Local Stage & 9/11 Commemoration: A local production of “Come From Away” is set to debut on the 25th anniversary of 9/11, bringing its hopeful ensemble story to a U.S. audience. Community Music Events: Delta’s Barnside Harvest Festival returns Sept. 11-13 with headliners Marianas Trench and Smash Mouth, plus multi-stage programming.

9/11 Commemoration Through Music & Theater: Southeast Michigan communities are planning fall events to remember Sept. 11 victims and honor first responders, with the musical theater hit “Come From Away” seeing renewed interest at school and community productions. Streaming Spotlight: Spotify says Ariana Grande’s “hate that i made you love me” was its most-streamed Song of Summer 2026, with Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” and other major collaborations rounding out the list. Country Radio Moment: Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You” hits No. 1 on country radio, marking her 14th career chart-topper there. Tour Economics: Ariana Grande’s “The Eternal Sunshine Tour” reportedly grossed $107.9M on 638,000 tickets across just nine U.S. cities, reflecting the trend toward fewer stops with multiple shows. Pop vs. Politics Backlash: Olivia Rodrigo criticized the Trump administration for using her music in ICE-related videos, calling it a distraction tactic. Concert Controversy: Macklemore’s Palestine remarks at Ed Sheeran’s MetLife shows sparked a petition urging his removal from remaining Loop Tour dates. Local Fall Music Calendar: Southwest Ohio and Clarksville are rolling out fall festival lineups, including tribute shows and community events.

Tourism Boost: Northeast Tennessee hit $1.01B in visitor spending in 2025, up 8.9%, with lodging, food, and transportation driving the gains. Immigration Pressure on Culture: In Indianapolis, ICE protest rallies followed a record-high July arrest count; in Passaic, the Mexican Independence Day Parade was postponed indefinitely over ICE concerns—both stories show how enforcement is reshaping community life and local foot traffic. Live Music & Community Pride: The HBCU Labor Day Classic battle of the bands drew big crowds in Jackson, Miss., with regional schools and colleges bringing performances and momentum back to the city. Pop Culture Clash: Macklemore’s “Free Palestine” message during Ed Sheeran’s MetLife tour has sparked calls to remove him, while backlash from public figures continues to swirl. Physical Music Comeback: U.S. CD sales surged in 2026’s first half, with RIAA reporting a 45.7% volume jump to 17.5M units. K-Pop Crossover: NiziU will release its first Korean EP, “Sour Grapes,” on Sept. 28.

Hip-Hop Truce Moment: Lupe Fiasco and Kid Cudi appear to end their long-running beef with a backstage photo together at Kanye West’s Chicago homecoming show, after Cudi previously apologized and called for unity. Pop Culture Spotlight: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West attend their daughter North West’s solo concert debut in Chicago from opposite sides of the venue, keeping distance while cheering her on. Live Music & Theater: “Come From Away” cast members reunite for a free, one-time concert at PAC NYC in Lower Manhattan near the 9/11 Memorial, with performances timed for Sept. 13. Community Arts: Further Jazz Festival returns Sept. 12 in Normal, Illinois (free, 4–9 p.m.) with sets from the Illinois State University Jazz Ensemble, Jay Trio, Water Street Stompers, Carlos Vega Latin Jazz Ensemble, and more. Health & Sound: A hearing-test push highlights links between untreated hearing loss and dementia risk, urging more routine screening.

9/11 Commemoration Through Music & Community: Port St. Lucie’s #DoYouGiveARuck Freedom Festival and multiple Treasure Coast memorials are bringing families, veterans, and live performances into the 25th anniversary spotlight. Theatre as Living Memory: Texarkana Repertory Co. is opening “Come From Away” with a message of kindness after 9/11, while Norfolk’s Wells Theatre reopens the same show after two floods forced cleanup and repairs. Local Folk & Festival Culture: Eureka Springs’ 79th Original Folk Festival returns for Labor Day weekend with multi-day Americana and Ozark traditions. Small-Town Holiday Energy: Horseshoe Beach, Florida, marks Labor Day with a parade and an ’80s-themed party featuring live music. Music in the Spotlight Abroad: Jay-Z’s “Jay-Z 30” finale in London brought out Sampha and Dave during a career-spanning set. Industry & Rights Pressure: The DOJ Epstein-files controversy keeps escalating as partial releases under the Epstein Files Transparency Act collide with privacy and legal fights.

AI & Copyright: The U.S. Justice Department backed OpenAI and Microsoft in the New York Times copyright fight, arguing training large language models on news qualifies as fair use—an outcome that could reshape how American music and media build AI tools. Streaming Formats: CDs are surging again, with a big Gen Z and millennial pull and K-pop helping drive a mid-2026 sales jump that’s even outpacing vinyl. Live Music & Culture: Macklemore used a MetLife Stadium set to deliver a pro-Palestinian speech and perform “Hind’s Hall,” sparking mixed reactions from fans. Pop Charts: ENHYPEN’s “The Sin” hit No. 1 on the U.S. album chart, underscoring K-pop’s continued chart momentum. Tour News: Alex Warren shared a face-first concert tumble in Melbourne, posting the clip as a joke while continuing the tour. Local Music Scene: NYC’s East Williamsburg queer dive bar The Rosemont closed after nearly a decade, leaving staff and regulars scrambling for what comes next. Tech Meets Music: Tesla began public Cybercab rides in Austin, with the car’s onboard entertainment pitch including music—another sign of how vehicles are becoming media platforms.

AI Copyright Clash: The Seattle Times and Newsday sued OpenAI and Microsoft, accusing them of using their reporting to train chatbots and of generating misleading content tied to the papers’ brands. Music Tech & Streaming: Google launched Lyria 3.5 inside Gemini, letting users generate full songs with a watermark, as the AI-music legal fight keeps heating up. Chart Watch: Spotify’s 2026 Songs of Summer crowned Ariana Grande’s “hate that i made you love me” as the season’s top track, with Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” highlighted as a standout U.S. hit. Live Music Safety: A tour bus crush killed a worker at a Squeeze concert, and another Virginia show was canceled after a similar incident. Community & Culture: Penn State Master Gardeners grew native plants for the Flight 93 memorial, while Hosanna Lutheran celebrated paying off a 37-year mortgage with music at the service. Local Music Events: A Provo Canyon amphitheater plan (Vesper) hit pause after public pushback, with developers expected to resubmit a revised application.

Courtroom Drama: Missouri’s Supreme Court ordered a gerrymandered congressional map to go to a November voter referendum, blocking it for the general election and setting up an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Hip-Hop Reconciliation: Ye brought Big Sean onstage in Chicago at Soldier Field, publicly signaling reconciliation after years of public back-and-forth. Music + Healing: A new documentary, “The Bridge,” follows Israeli musicians coping with the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks through a Rock ’n’ Roll Fantasy Camp experience in Los Angeles. Country Politics: John Rich weighed in on Jelly Roll’s political commentary during his “Jimmy Kimmel Live” guest-host run, arguing the remarks reflect who Jelly Roll really is. Election Watch (Ohio): Ohio’s governor and U.S. Senate races are driving major spending and attention ahead of the Nov. 3 vote. Prince Estate: The estate defended the posthumous “Timeless” vault track “Calabama,” saying no AI was used and explaining how horn parts were overdubbed. AI Music Fight: Suno pulled a Mary J. Blige ad after backlash, with reports saying the wrong person claimed to represent her. Live Music Calendar: Tuscaloosa’s Oktoberfest returns Oct. 3 with German food, drinks, and live music. Pop Culture Clash: Beyoncé’s “B’Day” 20th anniversary re-release reignited debate over her “Como La Flor” sample, with Selena’s widow defending the choice. Local Nightlife: Manchester’s New Century is adding a 450-capacity club space, Locker, launching in October.

R&B Comeback: Mike “The Chosen” Mosley drops “After the Club” via Rocstar & ada/Warner Music, aiming to bring romance back to R&B with funk, gospel, and hip-hop edge. Pop Release: Ariana Grande returns with “petal,” telling Apple Music it’s “unfiltered rage,” and leaning into darker pop with standout tracks like “hate that i made you love me.” Country Legacy: Dolly Parton’s literacy work gets fresh attention as Kansas highlights its long-running Imagination Library partnership tied to her father’s reading struggle. Global Streaming Push: CJ ENM launches two free ad-supported FAST channels on Amazon Prime Video—“CJ ENM K-Stories” and “CJ ENM K-Pop”—bringing Korean drama and music programming to U.S. viewers. Concert & Community: Chattanooga’s Noontunes series continues in September with local acts, while Athens Area Council for the Arts brings American Patchwork Quartet to its Big Time Small Town series Sept. 25. AI Music Policy: Australia’s ARIA keeps tightening rules around AI-made songs, with chart eligibility hinging on whether tracks are “substantially human made.”

AI Music Rights Clash: Jason Isbell and other artists file a class action claiming Suno “exploits” musicians’ identities, while Sony Music Publishing and Warner Chappell sue Anthropic over alleged copyright scraping—another reminder that streaming-era creativity is colliding with training claims. Pop Chart Watch: Spotify crowned Ariana Grande’s “Hate That I Made You Love Me” its Songs of the Summer 2026 leader, as Olivia Dean and Sam Fender’s “Rein Me In” also racked up major chart runs. Tour Updates: Jill Scott postponed the final four U.S. dates after a COVID-19 diagnosis, moving Texas shows to mid-September. Live Music Spotlight: 156/Silence set Sept. 4 for From A Distance, and Liz Phair and Sleater-Kinney announced the Flannel and the Fury co-headlining run. Legacy & Community: Dolly Parton tributes kept spreading—New York lit landmarks pink and local memorial registers opened for fans to sign. Industry Legal Pressure: PPI urges a court to reject the Live Nation-Ticketmaster settlement, calling for a structural breakup.

AI Music Copyright Fight: SOCAN has sued Suno in Canada, accusing the AI platform of copying songs without permission or pay, as creators push back on how models are trained and streamed. Music Industry & Tech Policy: The U.S. Justice Department weighed in on a separate copyright dispute over training large language models, arguing the process can be fair use while tying AI to national security. New Album Era: Miley Cyrus is dropping her 10th studio album “Bass Persuades” and going mononymous as “Miley,” with Billy Ray calling it the natural evolution of an icon. Live Music & Touring: Iron Maiden and Lagunitas are teaming up for a Trooper West Coast IPA and “Eddie’s Dive Bar” fan meetups ahead of the North American “Run For Your Lives” run. Local Arts: Fairmount’s new “Creative Connections for Veterans” program brings free music, visual arts, and writing classes to Geauga County veterans. Jazz Loss: Cassandra Wilson, the two-time Grammy-winning jazz vocalist, has died at 70. K-Pop Momentum: Stray Kids’ “This & That” EP was certified gold in France, following its U.S. Billboard 200 No. 1 debut.

AI Copyright Fight: The Trump administration backed OpenAI in the New York Times case, arguing AI training can be fair use of copyrighted material—an outcome that could reshape lawsuits involving authors, publishers, and music labels. TV Dance Pop Culture: “Dancing With the Stars” season 35 cast is set, with ABC’s two-night premiere on Sept. 15–16 and a lineup spanning actors, Olympians, and viral creators. 9/11 Tribute in Light: ABC’s first-ever live broadcast of “9/11 Tribute in Light: Live From Lower Manhattan” will feature performances from Five For Fighting’s John Ondrasik and Lainey Wilson. Music Spotlight: Rick Springfield, 77, went viral for a shirtless Las Vegas performance that has fans marveling at his fitness. Hip-Hop Live Marketing: JAY-Z rolled out a London “Blueprint” immersive pop-up ahead of Tottenham shows, with limited merch and a time-capsule of the album’s era. Country Legacy Moment: Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” stage legacy is being honored in Kentucky just days after her death. Industry/Live Formats: Producer John Kinsner discussed how “Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: In Concert” brings the Bowie–Jones score to a live, more tactile concert experience.

Music Biz & Charts: Dolly Parton’s death sparked a major streaming surge, with Luminate data showing her becoming the world’s most-streamed artist and “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” re-entering the Billboard Hot 100. Legal/AI & Copyright: Alanis Morissette sued her former tour manager over alleged extortion and threats tied to airport drug claims, while a judge also dealt a blow to a massive reggaeton “dembow” copyright case involving Bad Bunny. Touring & Live: Ariana Grande wrapped her London run and confirmed a public break after the tour finale; Jimmy Eat World is set for a stadium run tied to “Bleed American”’s 25th anniversary. Industry Infrastructure: Purdue Fort Wayne opened the Surack–Sweetwater Music Industry Center, aiming to connect students with real pro-audio and music-industry careers. Community & Culture: Las Vegas PRIDE Festival announced a full-day entertainment lineup, and Indigenous culture drew thousands at Santa Rosa Days Lonewisxo with drum groups, dance competitions, and crafts. Local Music Events: A Bryson Tiller “Neo Trapsoul” tour stop is scheduled for Sept. 2 in the U.S., alongside ongoing regional calendars of free and low-cost live shows.

RIAA Report: U.S. recorded music revenue hit $6B in the first half of 2026, up 6.9% year over year, with streaming still leading at $4.9B and physical formats surging (vinyl up 17.7%, CDs up 58.6%). New Album + Tour: Miley (no last name) teases her 10th album, “Bass Persuades,” due Sept. 18, and announces U.S. Hollywood Bowl dates Oct. 16 and 18. Live Music Business: 3BallMTY is bringing its community closer with Sin Permiso Sessions, a smaller-venue, 360-degree live format. Catalog & Legacy: The Who expands “Who By Numbers” with a massive reissue featuring 92 unreleased tracks. Streaming Tech: PlayStation launches free, ad-supported Live TV on PS5 with 100+ channels. Local Scene: Greenwich High School senior Ella Burchill is highlighted for sports, leadership, and mentoring—another reminder that music culture starts in classrooms and communities. Hip-Hop Justice: Duane “Keffe D” Davis was convicted in the Tupac Shakur murder case, nearly 30 years later.

Hip-Hop Courtroom: A Las Vegas jury convicted Duane “Keffe D” Davis of orchestrating Tupac Shakur’s 1996 killing, the first conviction in the case after decades of mystery; prosecutors said Davis “went hunting” after a casino brawl, and the defense argued his shifting accounts were for notoriety. Pop Culture on TV: Kelly Clarkson marked the end of The Kelly Clarkson Show with a final “Kellyoke” performance of “Golden” from Kpop Demon Hunters, plus fan-requested hits. Live Music & Community: Cleveland Museum of Art’s MIX Party goes “Island Vibes,” celebrating 50 years of reggae’s global breakout with Carlos Jones and sets by DJ Maxafari. Tech Meets Music Listening: JBL launched JBL Cove, a whole-home Wi‑Fi audio system for multi-room playback via the JBL One app. K-Pop in L.A.: Los Angeles declared “BTS Week” ahead of the group’s Arirang tour dates, with City Hall lighting and a formal proclamation. Music Industry/AI: Sony Music Publishing and Warner Chappell sued Anthropic over alleged training on copyrighted songs, adding to the growing copyright fight around AI music.