Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish are the Most-Streamed US Pop Artists of 2024
It was a big year for music streaming, and female artists were at the forefront of the rush. According to Luminate’s year-end list, Taylor Swift finished 2024 as the most-streamed US pop artist by a longshot, with 12.8 billion streams, while Billie Eilish (4.46 billion) and Sabrina Carpenter (3.71 billion) took over the top three. Rounding out the top five are Ariana Grande (3.12 billion) and Olivia Rodrigo (2.76 billion). Swift, Eilish, and Carpenter each released albums in 2024, all of which topped the Billboard 200 at some point.
Pro Shop Launches Golf Studio Division, To Help Produce ‘Happy Gilmore 2’
As the game of golf grows, so too does coverage around it. Pro Shop, a golf media and commerce company, announced the launch of its entertainment division, Pro Shop Studios. It’ll serve as the preferred content house for the PGA Tour and “aims to captivate core golf fans and mainstream audiences alike with groundbreaking storytelling and events.” Pro Shop Co-Founder Mark W. Olsen, who is listed as an Executive Producer on the hit Netflix docuseries Full Swing alongside Pro Shop Founder and President Chad Mumm, will lead the studio. Olsen and Mumm have also been chosen as co-producers for the upcoming Happy Gilmore sequel.
‘Inside Out 2,’ ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Help Disney Finish as 2024’s Top Studio
Disney dominated the box office in 2024, claiming 25.5% of the movie studio market share last year thanks to the success of movies such as Inside Out 2, Moana 2, and Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine. Inside Out 2 got the year going right for Disney, becoming the highest-grossing film of the year and the first since Barbie to crack the $1 billion plateau mark. The trio of films fueled the company’s domestic sales total to $2.2 billion in 2024. Universal, Warner Bros., Sony, and Paramount round of the top five studios.
Jordan Brand Continues PSG Partnership with Latest Drop
In the latest iteration of their partnership that began in 2018, Jordan Brand and soccer giant Paris Saint-Germain released a new “Wings” collection on Wednesday. The capsule, highlighted by the team’s Jordan-branded kit for the 2024-24 season, contains both sneakers and apparel, including a cashmere blend varsity jacket. The Jordan x PSG Wings collection will be available for purchase on Jan. 22.
Drake Files Defamation Lawsuit Against UMG Over Kendrick’s ‘Not Like Us’
Drake is taking Universal Music Group to court, filing a defamation lawsuit on Wednesday that claims the company valued “corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists” with the release of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” Both Drake (Republic Records) and Kendrick (Interscope Records) are signed to UMG subsidiaries. The lawsuit, which comes two months after Drake claimed Spotify and UMG inflated the song’s streams, alleges that the longtime label “approved, published, and launched a campaign to create a viral hit out of a rap track.” UMG responded to the suit hours later, calling it “illogical” and saying Drake is attempting to “weaponize the legal process to silence an artist’s creative expression.”
Sephora Prepares for Massive Retail Redesign
Sephora is undergoing a makeover, as the beauty company announced its plans to overhaul its retail stores nationwide. President and CEO of Sephora North America Artemis Patrick confirmed as much at the National Retail Federation’s Big Show conference, saying some stores “will get major redesigns, and some will get minor.” For reference, Sephora, which uses company insights such as heat maps and shopping tracking data to help push the process along, boasts over 700 stores in North America.
Google & YouTube Donate $15M to LA Wildfire Relief Efforts
Google and YouTube are the latest Big Tech companies hoping to provide aid to those impacted by the wildfires that have taken over the Los Angeles area, donating $15 million to relief efforts. The donation will go toward organizations providing immediate relief, such as Emergency Network Los Angeles, the American Red Cross, and the Center for Disaster Recovery. The fires, which started on Jan. 7, are still ongoing and have kept 92,000 LA residents under evacuation orders.
Bode Teams Up with GQ for Fashion Show at Super Bowl LIX
We’re less than a month away from Super Bowl LIX, and while we still don’t know who will be playing in the Big Game, the week’s schedule in New Orleans is taking shape. The inaugural GQ Bowl will take place amid the week’s busy schedule. Global Editorial Director Will Welch announced the event on social media alongside Bode founder Emily Adams Bode Aujla, and promises an experience that “aims to blend the cultures of fashion and sport.” As part of the programming, Bode will showcase its 2025 Recreation sportswear-inspired line, which Bode Aujla promised will echo the “parade culture, festival culture” of the host city of New Orleans. The GQ Bowl will take place two days before the Super Bowl on Feb. 7 at Hotel Peter & Paul.