The C Word, Nintendo Music Streaming + MORE.

Happy Tuesday SongsBrewers! (we know we are a few days early, but we couldn't help ourselves - there is a lot going on!).

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The C Word 

Yes, Christmas has been announced by the Queen of Christmas herself, Mariah Carey. Her annual video drops as soon as time is up on the month of spook is over. Not only has she let us all know it is time to get into the festive spirit. But she is taking it on the road.  

Mariah is bringing Christmas to the masses in the form of Christmas pop-up bars with an “All I Want for Christmas” theme at Virgin Hotels in partnership with Bucket Listers. Between November 15th and December 29th, fans can enjoy a magical experience in New Orleans, Nashville, New York, Dallas, and Chicago. 

Packed with interactive activities and plenty of festive fun, you can expect Cocktails made with Mariah’s Irish cream liqueur Obsessed.  

Candy cane-rimmed espresso martinis, edible flower-topped Irish coffees, or a martini flight. The flight consists of a salted caramel bourbon martini, a cinnamon-spiced tequila espresso martini, and a glitter and candy cane-topped white chocolate martini.  

Mariah has her Black Irish cream liqueur on hand to make the magic happen. Inspired by her heritage and linked to the festival season, it's the perfect choice.  

Aside from all the drinks, you’ll find a huge wreath – ideal for Instagram snaps, a Letters to Mariah station, a neon All I Want for Christmas is You sign, and plenty of photo booths.  

Tickets are $20 each for a 90-minute slot or $30 for New York, and each ticket includes a complimentary Black Irish welcome cocktail.  

Of course, with Mariah announcing the start of the Christmas period, it is the perfect time for streaming platforms to start offering up their curated playlists. Apple Music came straight out the gates with Carols Covered Collections, featuring artists like Pheelz, MENTISSA, Lizzy McAlpine, and Tade Dust.  

Amazon Music kept it classic, though, and opted for a partnership with the Christmas Queen Mariah. Dubbed ‘Christmas Time’ by Mariah Carey and Amazon Music, the store offers Christmas merch and music, as well as her Rainbow Collection and Celebration of Mimi Collection and books. This partnership kicks off her tour, which starts in Highland, CA, on November 6th.

Is it too early, or are you ready to deck the halls and sing along to carols? Let us know!

Deezer’s Q3 Revenue Pleaser  

While it isn’t unusual for streaming services to see significant bumps in revenue, 11% is not only impressive – but done without getting a higher subscriber base.  

Let’s look at how they did it:  

1. Deezer removed their inactive family subscriptions. This refines their subscriber metrics and improves profit margins. They can focus on active paying users instead. 

2. Partnerships have been golden in the revenue bump. With new partnerships ad-supported video streaming service TF1+, Titan OS smart TV platform and sports streamer DAZN additional revenue is generated.  

3. Reduction in free streaming in many countries, and gradual price increases over the last three years. In October 2021 the UK price went from £9.99 to £11.99, France and Germany got a price increase in early 2022 to €10.99, and this year in March the premium sub went from $10.99 to $11.99.  

All those adjustments have allowed Deezer to refine its offering and see this 11% revenue increase.  

It’s not just the revenue increase that Deezer is currently in the media for. They are the first music streaming platform to sign the Statement on the Training of AI.  

On the topic, Deezer’s new CEO, Alexia Lanterier, said:

This is a big step forward in a topic we have covered often. You may recall the lawsuits we reported on with Suno and Udio. These steps directly result from those legal battles and the recently passed AI Act.  

In a bid to stay on the right side of this AI argument, Deezer has said they are currently working on an AI detection tool and should launch it before the end of 2024.

One For Gamers 

Gamers know that music can be one of the best parts of a game. The boss music in Zelda, the flurry of Rainbow Road, or maybe you love a throwback to Star Fox or Metroid on the NES.   

Nintendo heard the call and released a new music streaming service packed with the best music from its gaming catalog.

The interface looks and feels a lot like Spotify’s, so it doesn’t take long to learn how to use it. Like other services, you can create playlists, download soundtracks, and browse different categories. Perhaps one of the best features is that you can hide spoilers if you haven’t completed a game yet, and you can loop your faves - ten hours of Animal Crossing music is yours for the taking.

They are slowly adding more of the Nintendo Music vault, and you can test out the service free for 7 days. It’s now available for Nintendo Switch Online members on the App Store and Google Play. 

Heritage and History

Only a few issues ago, we covered the rise of Nigerian music and artists. This week, we are shining the spotlight on sampling classic African songs, who did it, and why it matters.  

Kicking off with Tyler, the Creator, with the recent Chromakopia smash hit album. The 7th track on the album NOID samples Zambian rock band Ngozi Family, with the 1977 release Nizakupanga Ngozi. The original track has guitar slides that wouldn't have been out of place on mainstream US radio at the time of release. It’s not the first time he has sampled works by African artists; he previously sampled Nigerian artists Bibi Mascel’s Special Lady and Cameroonian instrumentalist Nkono Teles.  

Tyler isn’t the first and shouldn't be the last. Over the years, The Weeknd has paid homage to his Ethiopian heritage with a sample of Y’shebellu by Aster Aweke. Soul Makossa by Manu Dibango is likely to be the most familiar to you, and it is sampled by Michael Jackson, Beyonce, Rihanna, Jay-Z, and more. This track is the most sampled African song in history.

So, what makes these samples so important? And why do they matter? Nadirah Simmons, in a 2019 article published in The Gumbo says it best: “Music is characteristically communal especially within the context of Black communities."  

Thanks to technology, modern artists are in a unique position to reflect on their history and roots and incorporate regional and culturally rich music. They bring meaningful and underappreciated music and artists to the forefront, delivering them to the billions of music streamers.

Sampling brings the depth of cultural heritage into modern music, connecting past artistry with today’s sounds. Rather than changing the originals, it honors their legacy, introducing their richness to new audiences worldwide. 

Increasing revenue and notoriety for the original creators is one thing. However, the cross-section of nostalgia for many generations and newness for another generation is unique.  

Using these samples adds cultural layers and illuminates Africa’s foundational role in genres like blues, jazz, and Afrobeat. This connection brings contemporary music back to its roots, paying homage to the continent's profound influence on the global music landscape. 

November Releases

Here are our picks of releases we are looking forward to this month.  

• The Cure – Songs of a Lost World

• Willie Nelson – Last Leaf on the Tree 

• Primal Scream – Come Ahead

• Gwen Stefani – Bouquet 

• Opeth – The Last Will and Testament 

The team shares the music they love on our Instagram; we recently shared our top 5 2024 album drops. Share your favorites in the comments!

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Thanks for being part of the SongsBrew community, catch you next week!

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