Musicians are a transmissible force that can move into the deep cracks and corners of culture faster and with less friction than any other creative community. That’s why we’re seeing so many artists crossover into other areas of mainstream culture.
The number one box office movie this week is Bob Marley: One Love. Like Bob’s music, the film is destined to bring folks together worldwide. It’s already being deemed the second largest biopic ever, behind only Bohemian Rhapsody, while today’s announcement of Sony commissioning a Beatles biopic will shake things up even further. My question is: who’s going to make the Frank Sinatra film?!
The mega success of One Love is an example of how the catalog business and publishing world is driving the music industry these days. It’s notable that it’s a box office banger with the biggest opening of the year so far, but it’s also spiking Bob’s already valuable catalog and IP. A project like this takes massive upfront money that only the catalog business has right now, and so far it seems well worth the investment. I’m definitely bumping more Bob this week than last!
In TV world, Netflix has finally released their highly anticipated series, The Vince Staples Show. Vince is a creative force who really got on my radar when he styled out a bodega in NYC for Sprite back before Covid. I’ve always appreciated Vince’s interviews because they show his perspective and comedic chops. He thinks differently than the bulk of his contemporaries and it’s exciting to see the Long Beach native get a bigger stage to tell his stories as a kind-of-famous, sort-of-rich rapper and actor navigating the challenges and surprises of everyday life in his hometown.
Partnering with Kenya Barris was a great way to make this project come to life. From episode one, I’d describe it as Dave meets Atlanta. Both of those shows generated tremendous content, but neither had Netflix behind it. I’m anxious to see how Netflix helps or hurts Vince. One big difference is the release cadence. Netflix dropped the whole season in one shot for the binge lovers out there, which is very different from the approach FX took with Dicky and Donald. I don’t prefer it for this series as I’m two episodes in and wishing I had time on my TL and at the watercooler to discuss the details that Vince infuses into every ep.
Music’s relevance across the board gets me gassed. From the Daytona 500 to the NBA All-Star Game and the Super Bowl, it’s undeniable that music is a red thread in culture that is as relevant as ever. It’s always a great time to build on the many facets of the music business!
Also published on Medium.