Eshak and Majid, who’ve bustle Columbia’s A&R division as a team since 2018, worked carefully with Hozier, Leon Bridges, Lil Tjay, Powfu and Kina. In most contemporary weeks, the designate has grew to change into heads by luring Miley Cyrus far from RCA and signing Grimes, even supposing these efforts were led by Columbia’s chairman and CEO, Ron Perry
Since 2018, when Perry took reigns of Columbia, the designate’s market share has grown regularly. After dropping to three.31% market share on fresh releases that twelve months now no longer including distributor RED (down from 4.89% the twelve months sooner than), it grew to 4.76% in 2019 and 5.68% in 2020 — a four-twelve months excessive. To this level in 2021, the designate’s market share is suitable down to 4.86%. (Most modern releases are defined as launched in last 18 months or if the song continues to be fresh at radio or within the tip half of of Billboard 200 chart.)
Eshak and Majid can have their work slice back out for them working Island. A powerful smaller designate, whose leading acts encompass Demi Lovato, Prick Jonas and Shawn Mendes. The past 5 years, the designate’s market share has hovered below 2%, lowering since 2018. Island currently holds a 1.72% market share to this level in 2021.
Irrespective of its breakout hits in 2020 — including Harry Styles’ “Watermelon Sugar,” BTS’ “Dynamite” (segment of a co-venture with Huge Hit Leisure) and “Savage Fancy (Laxed – Siren Beat)” by Jawsh 685 and Jason Derulo — Columbia’s A&R division has recently seen some adjustments. A&R star Shawn Vacation — who served within the dual role of co-head, city song at Columbia and head of city song at song creator Sony/ATV — partnered with Beefy Cease Management’s Irving and Jeffrey Azoff to start out a brand original document designate and song publishing firm. A win for Columbia Records acknowledged, nonetheless, that Vacation “continues to be very powerful a segment of the A&R staff and can continue to work with Polo G. and Chloe X Halle, among other artists. She declined to comment extra for this memoir.
Last week’s announcement that Def Jam Recordings had partnered with Emmy-winning TV producer and actor Lena Waithe (The Chi) to start out Hillman Grad Records, included the news that Tebs Maqubela had joined the designate from Columbia. Maqubela had previously worked in A&R for Misplaced Rings, the gaming and song mark that Columbia established within the summertime of 2019.
Sources also converse that Columbia A&R director Wes Donehower has exited the designate for Republic Records.
