Month: November 2022

Adidas says it is investigating allegations of inappropriate workplace conduct by the rapper formerly known as Kanye West that ex-employees made in an anonymous letter also accusing the German sportswear brand of looking the other way.

Adidas, which made his Yeezy line, cut ties with Ye last month over his offensive and antisemitic remarks after facing pressure to follow other brands and companies in ending partnerships with the rapper. It said it expected to take a hit of 250 million euros ($246 million) to its net income this year from the move.

Ye was suspended from Twitter and Instagram over his remarks but has been back tweeting this month.

Rolling Stone has reported that it spoke to more than two dozen former Yeezy and Adidas workers and obtained a letter from several former Yeezy employees to the sportswear company alleging that Ye created a toxic work environment by showing sexual photos and videos in meetings, making vulgar comments and bullying the people who worked for him. All the former employees spoke to the magazine on condition of anonymity.

The letter accused the company of knowing about the problematic behavior and failing to protect employees.

“It is currently not clear whether the accusations made in an anonymous letter are true. However, we take these allegations very seriously and have taken the decision to launch an independent investigation of the matter immediately to address the allegations,” Claudia Lange, head of media relations for Adidas, said in a statement Friday (Nov. 25).

She said the company was not sharing more details about the investigation for now.

Ye’s last known music and personal representatives didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

Adidas also addressed Ye’s previous remarks that led the company to sever its relationship with him, saying Friday that it “does not tolerate hate speech and offensive behavior and therefore has terminated the adidas Yeezy partnership.”

“We have been and continue to be actively engaged in conversations with our employees about the events that lead (sic) to our decision to end the partnership,” Lange said in the statement. “They have our full support and as we’re working through the details of the termination.”

The company, which named a new CEO this month in a sped-up timeline for a power transfer, said it owns the rights to product designs except for the Yeezy name and is developing plans for what to do with existing inventory.

Arthur Hanlon does it again. After thrilling audiences with his 2021 HBO Max special Piano y Mujer, the “gringo with a Latin soul” returns in time for the holidays with Piano y Mujer II, along with a diverse group of Latin female stars that includes reggaetón queen Ivy Queen and Mexican sibling duo Ha*Ash.

The special concert, which also features Costa Rican singer/songwriter Debi Nova, Colombian singer Catalina García (of eclectic popsters Monsieur Periné) and Mexican singer Lupita Infante, is out Nov. 25 in album format on Sony Music Latin, and will stream on HBO Max beginning Nov. 29.

“I’m extremely proud. When we filmed the first Piano y Mujer, it was like a tribute and a celebration of strong, intelligent and creative women, like the women in my home,” Hanlon told Billboard. “I grew up with three sisters, my mom and my grandmother in the house – five women who listened to me play the piano every single day, who pushed me and supported me. Now, with this second concert, I am so very happy.”

The first Piano y Mujer, where Hanlon had Kany García, Natalia Jiménez, Goyo, Evaluna Montaner and Nella as guests, is still streaming on HBO Max. This makes the piano virtuoso the only music artist currently with two concerts available simultaneously on the streaming service.

Piano y Mujer II was filmed on a stage decorated with an exuberant garden, where each female artist took turns to sing next to Hanlon, accompanied by an all-female band, performing both Latin standards and new versions of their own hits. The repertoire includes classics like “Bésame mucho” by Consuelo Velázquez (Catalina García), “Quizás quizás quizás” by Osvaldo Farrés (Debi Nova) and “Ya te olvidé” by Marco Antonio Solís and originally recorded by Rocío Dúrcal, performed here by Ivy Queen in one of her most sublime renditions. New takes on current hits include “Lo Aprendí de Ti” (Ha*Ash) and “La Canción” (García).

“The formula is a smash hit by each singer, and a second song that each of them have always wanted to sing,” explains Hanlon, who did all the musical arrangements and co-produced along with Eddie Pérez.

For example, Ha*Ash, the duo of Mexican-American singers Ashley and Hannah Pérez, harmonize beautifully on their hit “Lo aprendí de ti” and also on a gorgeous version of “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” And Lupita Infante shines with a powerful bilingual rendition of Harry Nilsson’s “Without You.” The ’70s star had recorded a little known Spanish version of the song, titled “Sin Ti,” before the English version became a hit in the 1990s when Mariah Carey covered the song.

Hanlon met Nilsson when he moved to Los Angeles as a young pianist fresh out of Manhattan School of Music who dreamt of a recording career in Latin music. Nilsson, says Hanlon, became a kind of mentor, and personally played him the Spanish version of “Without You.”

“He was way ahead of his time,” says the pianist. “I was very impressed […] And now, when we were looking for the right song, I remembered that one. I thought, now is really the perfect time to record this, with someone like Lupita who’s an amazing vocalist.”

Hanlon also performs two of his own compositions: The instrumental track “Toccata,” which he wrote in Colombia during the Feria de Cali, inspired by the music he heard late at night; and “We’re Going To Make It Tonight,” a bilingual song conceived especially to close the concert and performed by all the guests together onstage.

In the video, Hanlon says the seeds for Piano y Mujer were planted during his teen years in Detroit, where, as a 15-year-old, he played in a local band at events and parties. Often, when hosts couldn’t afford the full band, Hanlon’s agent would offer the pianist with a female singer. Being able to bring that concept to life in a big way with not one but two HBO specials “is a dream come true,” says Hanlon.

Piano y Mujer II took about six months to bring to life, from January 2021, when the project was approved, until July, when it was filmed in a Miami studio. Hanlon says it was important to him, particularly coming out of the pandemic, to take time to personally meet with every one of the singers and work on the arrangements.

“I feel people know when something has been forced or rushed,” he says. “I totally believe in connecting over empanadas, coffee and wine.”

With so many great female Latin artists, and such a rich and wide songbook, he hopes for new renditions of the project.

“Some of my artist friends have said, ‘Ay Arthur, how cool, congratulations — and what about me?’” he says with a laugh.

“For me, the thrill of the music, is that the piano, more than an instrument, is a vehicle to transport people to another place, and with these women I have the opportunity to do so. This project is out of this world for me.”  

Y Mujer… The Guest Artists Speak

Catalina García: One of the beautiful things for me was to return to the origin of the song: The voice, accompanied by such a special instrument, which can create rhythm and harmony. And of course, knowing it’s a project that honors women as interpreters and composers, and of course, being part of a group of powerful women who have listened to each other during our lives.

Ha*Ash: It’s always a pleasure and a joy to work with Arthur and we feel honored to be part of this beautiful project with him and such talented women. We were able to perform “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” a song that is particularly significant for us, and that made the experience all the more special.  

Lupita Infante: When he brought me the song and he told me the story behind it and why it’s so special to him, I knew we were making history together. I’d never heard a Spanish version of “Without You” and when I did, it brought tears to my eyes.

Debi Nova: The experience of being part of Piano y Mujer II was wonderful. Not only is Arthur a musician I profoundly admire, but I also have the honor to be surrounded by women who greatly inspire me. Both songs I perform are very close to my heart.

Ivy Queen: For me it’s about listening to my songs in different way, from a different perspective, because I feel the piano is as pure as the guitar, as intimate and romance. And we gave my song a different twist here.

Editor’s Note: Hanlon is married to Billboard’s Chief Content Officer, Latin/Espãnol, Leila Cobo.

Submit questions about Billboard charts, as well as general music musings, to askbb@billboard.com. Please include your first and last name, as well as your city, state and country, if outside the U.S.

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Let’s open the latest mailbag.

Hi Gary, 

Bruce Springsteen debuts at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 chart this week with Only the Strong Survive, scoring his 22nd top 10 album. He has notched top 10s in each of the last six decades, from the 1970s to the 2020s. How rare is that feat, and are there any other notable chart achievements of his that we can celebrate this week?

Thanks, 

Raditya Gunardisurya 
Jakarta, Indonesia 

Hi Raditya,

Springsteen is one of only three artists with newly charting top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 in each of the last six decades, having joined James Taylor when the former’s Letter to You launched at its No. 2 best in 2020. Paul McCartney made the elite club a trio (including his work with Wings) in 2021.

The three Rock and Roll Hall of Famers’ Billboard 200 top 10 totals by decade:
Paul McCartney: ’70s: 10 / ’80s: two / ’90s: one / ’00s: four / ’10s: three / ’20s: one (21 total)
Bruce Springsteen: ’70s: two / ’80s: five / ’90s: three / ’00s: six / ’10s: four / ’20s: two (22 total)
James Taylor: ’70s: six / ’80s: one / ’90s: one / ’00s: two / ’10s: two / ’20s: one (13 total)

Per the breakouts above, Springsteen, with the debut of the aptly titled Only the Strong Survive, becomes the only act to have earned multiple top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 in the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, ’00s, ’10s and ’20s.

Notably, Barbra Streisand, if she can notch a pair of top 10s in the ’20s, would surpass Springsteen’s streak (and potentially McCartney and Taylor’s, if they can each add a top 10 this decade) of multiple Billboard 200 top 10s in each of six decades, as she tallied more than one in each decade from the ’60s through the ’10s, having most recently reached the region in 2016. Here are Streisand’s decade-by-decade totals – with the fellow superstar, who boasts the most top 10s among soloists (34, second overall only to the Rolling Stones’ 37) having notched at least four top 10s in each of those decades: ’60s: nine / ’70s: seven / ’80s: six / ’90s: four / ’00s: four / ’10s: four.

Meanwhile, Springsteen’s latest chart feat – with Only the Strong Survive also new at No. 1 on Top Rock & Alternative Albums – accompanies that of another legend: Elton John, who crowns Adult Pop Airplay with “Hold Me Closer,” alongside Britney Spears. Similar to Springsteen’s new Billboard 200 accolade, the song itself traverses decades, as it reimagines the hook of John’s 1972 classic “Tiny Dancer” and the verses of his 1992 Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit “The One.” John also upped his career Billboard Boxscore touring total to a near-record level, thanks to his three shows Nov. 17, 19 and 20 at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium.

Springsteen and John have long been linked on Billboard‘s surveys, even if they haven’t combined for any hits, dating to Springsteen’s first charted song. On the Hot 100 dated Sept. 20, 1975, Springsteen made his first appearance at No. 68 with “Born to Run.” One notch lower, John charted with an enduring single of his own: “Someone Saved My Life Tonight.”

Springsteen scored his first Hot 100 top 10, “Hungry Heart,” in December 1980, after John reached the tier that June with “Little Jeannie.” They also each earned top 10s in the same year in 1984-86, 1988 and 1994.

(As for their most-streamed songs in the U.S. to-date, according to Luminate, John’s “Rocket Man,” from 1972, has drawn 738 million official on-demand streams and Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark,” from 1984, 318.6 million.)

“He’s probably one of the nicest people in rock and roll I’ve ever met in my life,” John said of Springsteen in 1980 on the Australian TV show Countdown, helping introduce a performance of the latter’s “The River.” “One of the sweetest and sincerest people. At the moment in America, he’s the biggest cheese going and good luck to him, because someone that nice deserves it.”