| Available to premium subscribers, CMU Trends digs deeper into the inner workings of the music business, explaining how things work and reviewing all the recent trends. | |
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TOP THREE MUSIC BUSINESS TRENDS IN JANUARY For the super busy music business professional, CMU Trends helps you keep up to speed on the most important developments in the music industry in recent weeks with a concise summary of the top three trends of the last month: mechanical rights in the US; agent of change; YouTube and safe harbour. [READ MORE] |
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REVIEWING THE SALES V LICENCE DEBATE It's four years now since CMU Trends last looked in on the sales v licence debate. But a new lawsuit filed by Enrique Iglesias against Universal Music is set to pose the question anew, this time very much from a streaming perspective. With that in mind, CMU Trends reviews the debate to date and what might happen next. [READ MORE] |
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AGENT OF CHANGE - THE STORY SO FAR The UK government has announced that it will add the so called 'agent of change' principle into the framework which local authorities must follow when considering planning applications by property developers. With that announcement made, CMU Trends reviews what agent of change is all about and how we got to this point. [READ MORE] |
| TOP STORIES | Spotify adds songwriter credits to its desktop app READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| LEGAL | Man arrested over plot to kidnap Lana Del Rey Wiz Khalifa accused of rap-theft Beatles file $100 million lawsuit against unofficial merch sellers READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| ENTERTAINMENT RETAIL | US retailer Best Buy bailing on CDs READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| LIVE BUSINESS | Independent Venue Week to launch in the US this summer CTS Eventim takes majority stake in another Italian promoter READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| GIGS & FESTIVALS | Lady Gaga cancels final ten shows of world tour READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| ONE LINERS | Justin Timberlake, Albert Hammond Jr, Queen and Adam Lambert, more READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| AND FINALLY... | Spice Girls reunion is on READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| Check out all the latest job opportunities with CMU Jobs. To advertise your job opportunities here email [email protected] or call 020 7099 0906. | |
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ACADEMY EVENTS - TOUR MARKETING CO-ORDINATOR (LONDON) Academy Events is seeking a Tour Marketing Co-ordinator to co-ordinate the sales and marketing function for tours, liaising with promoters, agencies, marketing depts and PR, seeking creative marketing opportunities, maximising ticket sales and other such revenues by developing and managing key marketing campaigns. For more information and to apply click here. |
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WILDLIFE ENTERTAINMENT - FINANCE MANAGER (MATERNITY COVER) (LONDON) Finance Manager for a successful artist management company based in Parsons Green. Accounting for artists, in particular touring for multiple active acts. This is a part time role, three days a week, for a nine month maternity cover contract commencing April 2018. For more information and to apply click here. |
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THE MUSIC ROYALTY COMPANY - ROYALTIES ASSISTANT (LONDON) The Music Royalty Company provides financial and administrative services to many record labels, distributors, publishers and recording artists. We require a dedicated Royalties Assistant eager to progress their career alongside other talented people. For more information and to apply click here. |
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[PIAS] - IN-HOUSE LAWYER (LONDON) This is an exciting and broad in-house lawyer role within the music industry. Working within a team of four, you'll share responsibility for all legal areas of the [PIAS] business including: [PIAS]'s own Play It Again Sam and Different labels, [PIAS]'s roster of partner labels and its UK distribution business. For more information and to apply click here. |
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MANCHESTER STUDENTS' UNION - TECHNICAL MANAGER (MANCHESTER) The University of Manchester Students’ Union and Manchester Academy are looking for an experienced technical manager, with knowledge of everything important to make our events shine. You will be expected to have a keen eye for detail to enable first class delivery that involves working with a wide range of stakeholders. For more information and to apply click here. |
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FIRE RECORDS - WAREHOUSE/SALES & DISTRIBUTION ASSISTANT (LONDON) Fire Records is seeking an enthusiastic and hard-working entry level warehouse and sales assistant to maintain the smooth running of the warehouse, maintain and build relationships with distributers and customers, prepare stock for tours and events and assist in the increasing of sales. For more information and to apply click here. |
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[PIAS] - SYNC & BRAND MANAGER (LONDON) [PIAS] is seeking someone to maximise sync and brand partnership income by optimising opportunities to place repertoire and artists in TV show, advertisements, games, film, live brand events, brand partnerships and offering creative input to campaigns. For more information and to apply click here. |
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BALLANTYNE COMMUNICATIONS - MUSIC PR & COMMUNICATIONS CO-ORDINATOR (LONDON) Here at BC HQ we are going through a period of growth and are looking to find a highly motivated and passionate person to join the team and to play a key role in our PR work. For more information and to apply click here. |
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SOLAR MANAGEMENT - ACCOUNTS MANAGER (LONDON) Busy London based artist and producer management company Solar requires an Accounts/Finance Manager. For more information and to apply click here. |
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KOBALT MUSIC GROUP - SENIOR CREATIVE SYNCHRONISATION MANAGER (LONDON) Kobalt has a unique opportunity to be an integral part of Kobalt’s quickly growing, London-based sync team, working with a diverse catalogue and a passionate team dedicated to our commitment to bring transparency and the highest possible level of service to our clients. For more information and to apply click here. |
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SNAPPER MUSIC - ACCOUNTS ASSISTANT AND ADMINISTRATION (LONDON) Snapper Music is an Accounts Assistant. This role is an ideal position for a school leaver looking for a career in the music industry. For more information and to apply click here. |
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LIVE NATION UK - SOCIAL AND CONTENT MANAGER (LONDON) Live Nation UK's Social and Content Manager is responsible for managing and building the LN UK social channels and LNTV publishing platform. You will also support the shared team goal to grow reach, engagement and first party data. For more information and to apply click here. |
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IDOL - HEAD OF DISTRIBUTION (PARIS) To keep abreast with the current business and technological expansion, IDOL is creating this position. The main purpose of this role is to manage, co-ordinate and optimise IDOL’s core activity. For more information and to apply click here. |
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ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT FESTIVALS - MEMBERSHIP & PROJECTS CO-ORDINATOR (LONDON) The Association Of Independent Festivals is looking for a new Membership and Project Co-ordinator to assist the General Manager of AIF with the day-to-day organisation and administration of the association. For more information and to apply click here. |
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THRILL JOCKEY RECORDS - DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & PROMOTIONS, EUROPE (LONDON) Thrill Jockey Records is seeking an experienced person for Director of Marketing and Promotions for Europe to be based out of our East London office. For more information and to apply click here. |
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PROPER MUSIC - ROYALTY ADMINISTRATOR (DARTFORD) Working as part of the overall Finance and Business Affairs team, reporting to the Head of Department, the successful candidate will oversee royalty processes and reporting for all group companies. For more information and to apply click here. |
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WARP RECORDS - INTERNATIONAL MARKETING & PROMOTIONS CO-ORDINATOR (LONDON) Warp Records is looking for an energetic and enthusiastic individual to join its international team based in London. Your role will be to help us deliver great campaigns for our artists internationally. For more information and to apply click here. |
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INVOLVED GROUP - ROYALTY & ACCOUNTS ASSISTANT MANAGER (LONDON) Owned and managed by global DJ trio Above & Beyond and James Grant, Involved Group is looking for an experienced Royalty & Accounts Assistant Manager to join our busy and growing Finance Team. For more information and to apply click here. |
| CMU Insights provides training and consultancy to music companies and companies working with music. Find out about our seminars, masterclasses and primers here... | |
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CMU SEMINARS: MAKING MONEY FROM MUSIC COPYRIGHT Mondays 5, 12, 19 Feb 2018 at 6.30pm in London These three CMU Insights seminars together provide a user-friendly guide to how music copyright works and how music rights make money. You can book into each individual session at £49.99 per seminar or you can book a place on all three at the special price of £125. CLICK HERE FOR INFO. |
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CMU SEMINARS: BUILDING A FANBASE AND FAN BUSINESS Mondays 26 Feb, 5, 12 Mar 2018 at 6.30pm in London These three CMU Insights seminars together provide an overview of how to build a fanbase for new artists and new music. They also look at how artists can use these channels to build a direct-fo-fan business. You can book into each individual session at £49.99 per seminar or you can book a place on all three at the special price of £125. CLICK HERE FOR INFO. |
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CMU PRIMER: KEY MUSIC BUSINESS TRENDS 2018 These are courses we can run in-house at your company As we head into 2018, CMU Insights is now offering music companies a special two-hour primer session reviewing five key areas of the music business, summarising important developments from the last twelve months and looking at the challenges that lie ahead in the next year. Including: the streaming business, piracy, safe harbour, ticketing and data. CLICK HERE FOR INFO. |
Spotify adds songwriter credits to its desktop app
Spotify announced a new songwriter credits feature on Friday, which it will be hoping can address at least one of the main gripes about streaming within the songwriter community. Although it conceded that its credits may be "incomplete or contain inaccuracies" at launch.
Both songwriters and music publishers have become increasingly vocal in recent years about the lack of songwriter credits on the streaming platforms, which would tell subscribers who wrote the songs they are streaming. Record producers and sound engineers have also bemoaned the fact that the liner notes of physical music products have generally not been replicated on the digital platforms.
Aside from depriving digital music fans of important information that they may wish to use to help them navigate the millions of tracks available on the streaming services, the lack of credit on such platforms arguably infringes the moral rights of songwriters under the global copyright treaties. Most copyright systems provide songwriters with the moral right to attribution for their work, where such attribution is practical.
The main complication to date for the streaming services is that they rely on record companies to provide them with content and the accompanying metadata. Record companies don't work with songwriters and haven't generally provided that information as a matter of course in the past. Meanwhile, the lack of a publicly accessible industry-owned music rights database has made it tricky for streaming services to pull in accurate songwriter information based on the unique ISRC number assigned to each recording.
Outside the US, it's not been necessary for the streaming services to know who wrote any one song for the purposes of payment. The DSPs provide the big publishers and the collecting societies with a report on all the tracks that have been streamed, and then leave it to the publishers and societies to work out what songs have been utilised, and therefore who is owed royalties. Therefore, getting songwriter data into the system is more about moral rights and user experience than digital licensing.
Spotify's new songwriter credits feature will be relying, initially at least, on its label partners for the required data, hence the streaming service itself admitting there may be some limitations. The streaming firm said on Friday: "At launch, we're showing information we have from record label-provided metadata, and will also display the source of the credits so you know where it's coming from".
It added: "We realise some of the label-provided credits are incomplete or may contain inaccuracies, but this is just the first step in displaying songwriter credits on Spotify. The feature will continually evolve to become more efficient, provide better functionality, and incorporate more information from industry partners over time".
Spotify's commitment to adding songwriter credits, which will initially appear only on its desktop app, follow a recent move by rival Tidal to go big on liner notes within its platform. It comes, of course, as Spotify tries to improve its relationships with the songwriter community, particularly in the US, where all the hoo haa around unpaid mechanical royalties has only exacerbated wider concerns about how much writers earn from streaming.
Bigging up the new feature, Spotify's Global Head Of Songwriter Relations, Tiffany Kumar, said: "Songwriters are an integral force behind the music we love. With the newly launched credits feature, we aim to increase songwriter and producer visibility and, in turn, foster discovery among new collaborators, industry partners, and fans".
Meanwhile the firm's Director Of Music Publishing Operations, Annika Goldman, added: "The more we share information, the more opportunities we can help create for songwriters. This is just the beginning of making songwriter and producer credits more easily available to Spotify listeners, and we look forward to continually improving that information, in close collaboration with our music industry partners".
By the way, Chris Cooke wrote this story. Isn't it outrageous that the CMU Daily doesn't credit its writers? I might start a petition against CMU Daily publisher Chris Cooke.
Man arrested over plot to kidnap Lana Del Rey
A man was arrested in Florida on Friday over allegations he was plotting to kidnap Lana Del Rey. Michael Hunt was arrested near the Amway Center in Orlando where the musician was due to perform. He was in possession of a knife and a ticket to the music star's show.
In a statement online, the local police force said Hunt had been arrested "for aggravated stalking and attempted kidnapping with a weapon" after they received a tip off of a "credible threat" against Del Rey.
The statement from the Orlando Police Department said that its officers had "got to [Hunt] before he could get near singer Lana Del Rey last night at her show at Amway Center".
Reports suggest Hunt may have made "cryptic and threatening" posts on social media before his arrest. He is currently being held in the Orange County Jail.
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Wiz Khalifa accused of rap-theft
Here's your song-theft lawsuit of the day. Wiz Khalifa is being sued over allegations his 2016 track 'Most Of Us' rips off an earlier record of the same name by another rapper, Dustin Bennett, who performs under the name Cymple Man.
The lawsuit claims that Bennett met Khalifa at the Salt Lake City International Airport in 2012. During that meeting, it's alleged, Bennett gave Khalifa a copy of his debut album, and that included his 'Most Of Us' track, which dates from 2010. Khalifa's subsequent release, Bennett claims, "misappropriates" lyrical content from his earlier work.
Or in the words of the lawsuit itself, according to the New York Daily News: "Khalifa's hit song 'Most Of Us' unmistakably copies the essential elements of Bennett's 2010 copyrighted work 'Most Of Us', including by misappropriating both the essential lyrics of Bennett's work as well as the refrain and chorus".
The legal papers continue: "Both tracks have the same title, the exact words 'most of us' appear approximately 80 times throughout the Khalifa song and Khalifa used the exact lyrics in the exact manner as Bennett".
Bennett says that he has been seeking credit and compensation from Khalifa's labels since the 2016 release of the more famous rapper's eponymous album, but to no avail. Meanwhile, Bennett's lawyer got in an extra dig last week by stating "it's remarkable that Wiz does, time and time again, steal work from other lyricists".
Khalifa is yet to respond to the litigation.
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Beatles file $100 million lawsuit against unofficial merch sellers
The Beatles company Apple Corps last week filed a $100 million lawsuit in Florida against nearly 50 online operations over allegations of trademark infringement.
The defendants are accused of selling all sorts of products containing variations of the Fab Four's 'Beatles' and 'Yellow Submarine' marks without permission, either via their own websites, or marketplaces operated by the likes of Amazon and eBay.
And, of course, all the unofficial Beatles-related tat is definitely inferior to any products officially endorsed by the band. That's the main reason for going legal I'm sure, just think of all the poor Beatles fans buying inferior Yellow Submarine pillow cases.
Adds the lawsuit, according to the New York Post: "The natural and intended by-product of defendants' actions is the erosion and destruction of the goodwill associated with plaintiffs' respective famous names and trademarks and the destruction of the legitimate market sector in which they operate".
One IP expert who spoke to the Post, lawyer Scott Slavick, said that the lawsuit was a pretty standard trademark action, adding that it's not uncommon to go after multiple infringers through one lawsuit in cases of this kind. Though he did reckon that the damages sought - which work out at about $2 million per allegedly infringing seller - were "aggressively high".
The lawsuit itself concedes that many of the accused sellers are based out of countries where trademark enforcement is generally pretty slack, so it remains to be seen how many seek to defend themselves in the American lawsuit.
US retailer Best Buy bailing on CDs
American retailer Best Buy will bail on CDs later this year. According to Billboard, the retail chain has told its music suppliers that compact discs will disappear from its stores in July.
The consumer electronics chain was once a significant seller of CDs in the US market, and only increased in importance as the number of specialist music retailers started to decline in the 2000s. Though the retailer's commitment to musical discs has also been in decline for sometime now, with physical music sales slumping fast in the US than the UK.
Best Buy will remain committed to the good old vinyl revival, though, for the time being at least. Those records will be plonked next to the turntables being sold.
Elsewhere in US music retail news, there are reports that retailer Target is seeking to change its deals with the labels, so to shift more risk back to the record industry. The labels won't like that, though Target may be able to use Best Buy bailing on CDs to force through new terms that are more favourable to the retailer.
Independent Venue Week to launch in the US this summer
Following the latest edition of Independent Venue Week in the UK last week, organisers have announced that a US version of the event will launch this summer.
IVW founder Sybil Bell says: "Having run Independent Venue Week in the UK for five amazing years, we felt ready to explore an international territory. We've been speaking to the industry and partners across the US for around three years, and now finally feels like the right time to bring this celebration to America".
She goes on: "With five years under our belts in the UK, we've learned a lot about what the venues gain from the project and what matters to them. Speaking to the industry for the past few years, we believe that these same things matter in the US, so we're beyond excited to bring IVW overseas, and for the industry and public to celebrate the vital work the venues do".
The US version will be run under licence by PR form Marauder. The company's boss, Rev Moose, says: "Independent venues are the backbone of the American live music scene. They're where neighbourhoods go to support new artists that eventually turn into the hometown heroes in the national spotlight. For years we have seen the UK grow IVW from the seed of an idea into the monumental celebration it is now of these spaces. We are excited to bring that same spotlight to the small business owners that put on shows in the world's most competitive music market".
Independent Venue Week US will run from 9-15 Jul. Participating venues and artists will be announced in May.
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CTS Eventim takes majority stake in another Italian promoter
German ticketing and concerts business CTS Eventim has taken a 60% stake in Italian promoter D'Alessandro E Galli, as the company continues to rapidly grow its interests in the country's live industry.
In a statement, CTS Eventim CEO Klaus-Peter Schulenberg said: "With TicketOne, we have been the leading ticketing provider in Italy for more than ten years. Now we have progressed, within a very short period, to become the market leader in the live entertainment segment as well".
He continued: "This is a milestone in our internationalisation strategy. The Italian market is one of the most diversified and attractive in Europe, and there can hardly be a promoter that symbolises its creativity and vitality as much as D'Alessandro E Galli".
Last September, CTS Eventim acquired Italian promoter Vertigo, and subsequently took a majority stake in another, Friends & Partners, in November.
| Approved: Mija Starting out as a DJ in her late teens, Amber Giles - aka Mija - started moving into music production in 2014. After releasing a strong series of remixes and collaborations, she took the next step and began putting out her own solo material last year. She released EP 'Time Stops' - which also served as the soundtrack to her own short film of the same name - last summer. New single 'Notice Me' is another milestone in her career, seeing her sing on a track for the first time. A member of a touring choir as a child, it's not a massive leap of faith for Giles to give singing a go. Still, it marks a shift in her songwriting, she having relied on samples or other vocalists until now. Already an eclectic music maker both between and within tracks (in-keeping with the outlook poured into the Fk A Genre nights she started in 2015), her latest release has a Gallic pop feel running through it, but veers off pleasingly in various other directions throughout its three minutes. Stay up to date with all of the artists featured in the CMU Approved column by subscribing to our Spotify playlist. |
Lady Gaga cancels final ten shows of world tour
Lady Gaga has cancelled the final ten dates on her current world tour, including three UK shows, due to "severe pain that has materially impacted her ability to perform live".
A statement said that "with strong support from her medical team" the musician had "made the tough decision to immediately come off the road".
She added: "I'm so devastated I don't know how to describe it. All I know is that if I don't do this, I am not standing by the words or meaning of my music. My medical team is supporting the decision for me to recover at home ... I love this show more than anything, and I love you, but this is beyond my control".
Gaga had already postponed European shows last year as she sought treatment for chronic pain condition fibromyalgia. She had been due to perform at the O2 Arena in London and the Manchester Arena at the weekend, with another O2 Arena show scheduled for Thursday.
Justin Timberlake, Albert Hammond Jr, Queen and Adam Lambert, more
Other notable announcements and developments today...
• Justin Timberlake did the Super Bowl thing. You can watch it here.
• Albert Hammond Jr will release a new album, 'Francis Trouble', on 9 Mar. Here's first single 'Muted Beatings'.
• Iggy Azalea has released new single 'Savior'. "I've never really been this honest about the things I struggle with", she says of the track. "I always try to be really tough for everybody - especially women".
• Joan As Police Woman has released the video for new single 'Tell Me'. Her new album, 'Damned Devotion', is out this week.
• Tommy Genesis has released new track, 'Lucky'.
• Ängie will release her debut album, 'Suicidal Since 1995', on 6 Apr. Here's new single 'Dope'.
• Heilung will re-issue their debut album, 'Ofnir', through Season Of Mist on 20 Apr, making it available on physical formats for the first time. From it, this is 'Krigsgaldr'.
• Mahalia has released new single 'Proud Of Me', featuring Little Simz.
• Girlpool has released a new track, 'Picturesong', featuring Dev Hynes.
• Queen and Adam Lambert will play The O2 in London on 2 Jul. Says Brian May: "The almost unanimous reaction to our last round of dates in Europe was this is absolutely the best production we've ever mounted. So, while we're still physically able to perform at those high energy levels on this massive scale, we thought... 'YES! One more around the block!' It's live, it's dangerous, and it takes every ounce of fitness we can muster. But it's still fun!"
• Check out our weekly Spotify playlist of new music featured in the CMU Daily - updated every Friday.
Spice Girls reunion is on
The Spice Girls are reuniting in order to "explore some incredible new opportunities", they have confirmed.
All five members of the group, plus former manager Simon Fuller, met at Geri Halliwell's Hertfordshire home last week in order to discuss the possibility of working together again. While seemingly nothing has been agreed as yet, they are considering a TV show, various endorsements and another greatest hits compilation.
Speaking to Dermot O'Leary on BBC Radio 2 on Saturday, Mel B said: "The funny thing is, unfortunately, we can't do anything without it being all over the press. It's the worst kept secret in showbiz, isn't it?"
Yes, it must be a real pain to have the media constantly digging into your secret plans and ruining the surprise, especially when all you've done is post pictures of yourselves together, released an official statement and gone on the radio to talk about it. Anyway, Mel B's wrong, the worst kept secret in showbiz is Ed Sheeran's extra toe.
But she may have been right when she cautioned that reunion talks are in "early stages and there's nothing set in stone". She added that "there's no big announcement" to be made as yet.
Mel C, meanwhile, told the Mirror that the reunion was a reaction to the state of the world around them, saying: "We feel really positive about the Spice Girls legacy right now, because all the fans are women now. Some are parents, running their own businesses. Young girls are rediscovering the Spice Girls and it just feels like a really positive time, we need the girl power message more now than ever".
This is all a long way from the last attempt to get a Spice Girls reunion going. In 2016, plans to mark the group's 20th anniversary were called off - although Mel B, Geri Halliwell and Emma Bunton did later get together to make a video. Mel C then penned an essay on why she had no interest in returning to the Spice Girls, while it was rumoured that Victoria Beckham was taking legal action to block any partial reunion without her.
In that official statement on the latest attempt at a reformation, the group said: "We have enjoyed a wonderful afternoon catching up and reminiscing about the amazing times we have spent together. We are always overwhelmed at how much interest there is across the whole world for The Spice Girls. The time now feels right to explore some incredible new opportunities together".
They continued: "We all agree that there are many exciting possibilities that will once again embrace the original essence of The Spice Girls, while reinforcing our message of female empowerment for future generations".
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CMU supports the music community by providing news, business intelligence, training and education. CMU Daily covers all the latest news and developments direct by email. Setlist is a weekly podcast dissecting the biggest music business stories. CMU Premium gives you access to the weekly CMU Digest and CMU Trends. CMU Insights provides training and consultancy for music companies. CMU:DIY provides workshops and resources for future music talent.
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