FEB. 20, 2021 • VOLUME 133^ NO. 3
Contents
ON THE COVER
Merck Mercuriadis
photographed by
Spencer Lowell on Feb.
in Los Angeles.TO OUR READERS
Billboard will publish its
next issue on March 13.
For 24/7 music coverage,
go to billboard.com.FEATURES
42
MERCURIADIS RISING
The founder of Hipgnosis has spent
over $2 billion to transform the business of
songs, making some creators rich
and infuriating rivals by forcing them
to spend more. Now he wants to rally
songwriters to raise royalties — a plan that
might even boost the fortunes of those
who call him Public Enemy No. 1.50
#NOFILTER
Her hilariously candid tweets have
made 80-year-old Dionne Warwick
an unlikely social media queen. Now —
with a little help from the manager who
calls her Mom — she’s setting a standard
for how to be a living legend.BILLBOARD HOT 100
1
Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License”
leads for a fifth week as Cardi B’s
“Up” launches at No. 2.THE MARKET
23
Nashville canceled Morgan Wallen.
His fans haven’t. How record labels
decide what stars to stand behind —
and which ones to drop.30
On the (wrong side of the) road again:
The concert business is coming back
in Australia and New Zealand.
THE SOUND
37
How falling in love helped Camilo
score his career-changing record deal
with a Latin music titan.40
“Drivers License” songwriter-producer
Dan Nigro on landing earlier
hits with Conan Gray, Caroline
Polachek and Claud.
THE PLAYERS
55
Touring income plummeted.
The value of song catalogs soared.
Government loans flowed fast.
How Billboard’s 2021 Top Business
Managers held it all together
for their superstar clients.73
Sony/ATV chairman/CEO Jon Platt
discusses the publishing giant’s 25th
anniversary amid its rebranding as
Sony Music Publishing.CHARTBREAKER
80
A TikTok campaign and major
brand deal slowly but surely helped
Ashnikko’s “Daisy” bloom.CORRECTION
In the Jan. 30 issue, the
cover story on The Weeknd
misstated that his Super
Bowl halftime performance
would be 24 minutes long.
As in previous years, it was
roughly 13 minutes long.18 BILLBOARD • FEBRUARY 20, 2021