Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge Is No. 1 On Billboard’s Power 100 List
Billboard has revealed their Power 100 list which acknowledges executives who have the most influence in the music industry. Universal Music Group's Lucian Grainge has landed the number one spot, after coming in at number two last year. Grainge is joined by Kanye West and Lana del Rey on the cover of the magazine. He can thank the growth of UMG's market share for his premier spot. The success of UMG new artists like Iggy Azalea, Ariana Grande and Sam Smith in 2014 played a big role in the company's second largest market share growth in years. UMG is hoping for the same success this year, as the company prepares to drop new projects from 'Ye and Lana del Rey.
Joining Grainge are Cash Money's Birdman and Slim at number 90, as well as L.A. Reid and Sylvia Rhone at number 61. Thirty one new executives make their debut on the list as well. What's surprising is that Jay Z and Beyonce are not on the list at all. They kept the number one spot warm last year.
Kanye West's upcoming album has sparked a lot of buzz in the social sphere. Fans haven't heard a full-length project from the rap mogul since Yeezus, but 2015 already looks like it'll be a big year for 'Ye. He dropped "Only One," featuring Paul McCartney earlier this year, and recently revealed the adorable video. Rihanna's "FourFiveSeconds," with Yeezy and McCartney is also supposed to appear on the upcoming project. We still don't have a name for the album, but we do know that Kanye may be touring this year with Rihanna. The tour hasn't been confirmed yet, however, you can catch Yeezy in NYC next week. In the meantime, we await the release of his recent collaboration with Adidas, which should be dropping any day now.
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