L-R: Melissa McAleer, head of music licensing, Warner Chappell Music Australia, Stu McCullough, manager, Amplifire Music, Sam Hales, John Halstead, senior A&R manager, Warner Chappell Music Australia, and Dan Rosen, president, Warner Music Australasia
Entertainment
Warner Chappell Music Signs Sam Hales: Exclusive
BRISBANE, Australia — Sam Hales is the latest signing to Warner Chappell Music, striking a global deal with the music publishing giant.
With the new arrangement, the celebrated Australian songwriter’s entire catalogue and future works will be represented by Warner Chappell, Billboard.com can exclusively reveal.
“I am thrilled to welcome Sam Hales to our international roster of songwriters and producers at Warner Chappell,” comments Dan Rosen, president of Warner Music Australasia, in a statement. “Sam is an exceptional talent with a global vision. His songwriting has not only shaped the Australian music landscape but continues to make an impact on a global scale. At Warner Chappell Music, we’re excited to support the next chapter of Sam’s creative journey.”
Hales is a busy man. He’s the vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter of Brisbane indie band The Jungle Giants, whose fourth and most recent album, Love Signs, opened at No. 1 on the ARIA Chart following its release in July 2021.
His co-writing credits include tracks with Australian Music Prize winners Hermitude and Mexican breakout star RENEE, and remix collaborations with the likes of Odd Mob, Joe Goddard from Hot Chip, Chromeo and Tom Trago. Also, Hales recently produced the lead single for Love Fame Tragedy, the solo project of The Wombats’ Matthew Murphy.
Hales was a regular contributor to Confidence Man, leaving the electro-pop act some two-and-a-half years ago. The new deal is understood to cover his works with ConMan for Australia and New Zealand only.
“Sam is a phenomenal songwriter. His ability to craft songs that feel both deeply personal and universally anthemic is rare,” adds John Halstead, senior A&R manager at Warner Chappell Music Australia. “We’re proud to welcome him to Warner Chappell and excited to help take his music to even greater global heights.”
On signing with the music publisher, Hales says the timing couldn’t be better to “delve into more global co-writing. This has been a dream of mine for years, and the team couldn’t be more perfect.”
The publishing pact has a strong focus on the future, explains Stu McCullough, manager, Amplifire Music, and leans into more co-writing and producing opportunities for the talented creative. “We have waited for well over a decade to do a publishing deal for Sam and it feels like the right time and right team to take this next step in Sam’s career,” he tells Billboard. “We are all excited at the possibilities ahead of us.”
The Warner Chappell deal caps an eventful year for Hales, who was hospitalized in March following a motor accident. That didn’t prevent him from hitting the road with The Jungle Giants for the national Hold My Hand tour, in support of the January release “Hold My Hand,” their first in more than a year.
Entertainment
Anuel AA & Blessd’s ‘Pórtate Bonito’ Skyrockets to No. 1 on Latin Airplay Chart
Anuel AA returns to the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart with “Pórtate Bonito,” his first team-up with Blessd. The track flies 9-1 on the Nov. 8-dated list, Anuel’s first champ in over three years.
Released August 21 on Real Hasta La Muerte, “Pórtate Bonito” was initially announced on Anuel’s Instagram account on August 6, alongside news that Blessd would join him on his RHLM 2 tour.
The collab, produced by Ovy on The Drums, surges 9-1 in its seventh week on the chart with the Greatest Gainer weekly honors, after a 32% boost in audience impressions, to 7.6 million, logged during the Oct. 24-30 tracking week, as reported by Luminate.
The new win marks Anuel’s first No. 1 in over three years, since “Ley Seca,” with Jhayco, ruled for one week in February 2022. In sum, he’s placed 11 rulers, here’s a recap of those since “Ella Quiere Beber,” with Romeo Santos, in 2019:
Title, Artist, Peak, Weeks at No. 1
“Ella Quiere Beber,” with Santos, Feb. 2, 2019, one
“Secreto,” with Karol G, May 4, 2019, one
“Baila Baila Baila,” with Ozuna, Daddy Yankee, J Balvin & Farruko, May 11, 2019, one
“Otro Trago,” with Sech, Darell, Nicky Jam, & Ozuna, Aug. 31, 2019, one
“China,” with Daddy Yankee, Karol G, Ozuna & J Balvin, Sept. 21, 2019, two
“Aventura,” with Lunay & Ozuna, Nov. 9, 2019, one
“Keii,” May 2, 2020, one
“Fútbol & Rumba,” with Enrique Iglesias, Aug. 8, 2020, one
“Location,” with Karol G & J Balvin, April 10, 2021, one
“Ley Seca,” with Jhay Cortez, Feb. 5, 2022, one
“Pórtate Bonito”” with Blessd, Nov. 8, 2025, one
Colombian star Blessd adds his third No. 1 on the overall Latin radio ranking. “Medallo,” with Justin Quiles and Lenny Tavarez, and “Si Sabe Ferxxo,” with Feid, each led for one week in 2022 and 2024, respectively.
Beyond its Latin Airplay coronation, “Pórtate Bonito” ascends 3-1 on the Latin Rhythm Airplay chart. Plus, it gains traction on the Hot Latin Rhythm Songs chart, where it narrowly misses the top 10 with an 18-11 leap.
Entertainment
Flavor Flav Says He Gave Alix Earle a Lower ‘DWTS’ Score on ‘Accident’: ‘That Girl Deserved Perfect 10s’
Alix Earle’s performance on the latest episode of Dancing With the Stars may have been a nine on Flavor Flav‘s scorecard, but in his heart, it was a 10.
In a couple of Wednesday (Nov. 5) posts on X, the Public Enemy rapper — who served as a guest judge on the program’s broadcast the night prior — explained that he had intended to give the influencer and pro dance partner Val Chmerkovskiy a perfect score for their routine set to Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer.” Instead, Flav says he plugged in the number nine by mistake.
“As a judge on #DWTS,,, you hit your score on a computer first,,, then hold up the sign,” he wrote. “I accidentally hit 9 for someone and told the crew I meant to hit 10,,, and they said they can’t change it and there’s nothing I can do. That girl deserved perfect 10s.”
In a second post, Flav went on to point out that the snafu was why he’d been captured on camera “looking down at the computer confused” after punching in his score.
“Couldn’t get the words out because I was watching the computer and then couldn’t find the other paddle cuz I was ready to go with my 10,” he added. “I found [Earle] afterwards and apologized and let her know what happen , she was cool.”
If the rapper had given Earle the score he’d intended, she and Chmerkovskiy would have received perfect numbers across the board for the first time this season. They’d also come close to the feat on last week’s episode, earning 39/40 for a performance set to Billie Eilish’s “Bury a Friend.”
Flav also spoke about the situation while still on the DWTS set, telling People, “I gave them a nine which was an accident. I really wanted to give them a 10, but they wouldn’t let me change it.”
Billboard has reached out to the TV show for comment.
Despite not getting the best possible score, Earle can still celebrate knowing that she’s advancing to the next round. This week’s episode — which had a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame theme — resulted in Danielle Fishel getting sent home, while Jen Affleck and former Taylor Swift backup dancer Jan Ravnik were eliminated the week before that.
Also still in the game are Dylan Efron, Andy Richter, Whitney Leavitt, Elaine Hendrix, Jordan Chiles and Robert Irwin. The next episode will air on Nov. 11 and celebrates the 20th anniversary of DWTS.
Entertainment
Streaming Playlist That Funds Conservation Projects Is Now Accepting Submissions From All Artists
Sounds Right, a charitable cross-DSP playlist featuring music that incorporates the sounds of nature, will now allow any artist to submit their music to the project, it was announced Wednesday (Nov. 5).
Sounds Right initially launched in April 2024 with a playlist featuring new and older tracks with sounds like bird calls, waves, wind and other greatest hits of the mother nature soundscape, woven into music by artists like David Bowie, Brian Eno, Hozier and Ellie Goulding. Royalties generated by this music, which includes 36 original songs that were added this past April, are directed to conservation efforts.
Now, as scientists and activists from around the world gather in Belem, Brazil for the COP30 UN Climate Conference (Trump administration officials recently announced that no high-level representatives from the U.S. government will attend the event), Sounds Right has announced an update that allows artists to help fund conservation work by officially crediting “Nature” in their music and submitting it for inclusion on the playlist.
Accepted submissions will be incorporated into the Sounds Right playlist, with 50% of royalties raised from any given song going to the artist and the other 50% going to environmental causes. Submissions are open now.
This past Saturday (Nov. 1), Sounds Right announced that the project has so far raised a total of $400,000 for Indigenous and community-led conservation in the Amazon and Congo Basin regions, building on $225,000 it directed to projects in the Tropical Andes in 2024. The funds were announced on stage at Saturday’s Global Citizen Amazonia concert in Belem, which was broadcast throughout Brazil.
Sounds Right has now added 14 new tracks to the playlist, all of which celebrate the natural world of the Amazon and Africa. The Amazonian contributions come from artists Alexia Evellyn, Pedrina, Antonio Sanchez, Chancha Via Circuito, Systema Solar and Monte (aka Simon Mejia), while the music of artists Juls, Phila Dlozi, Olivetheboy, Bien, Blinky Bill, and Lady Donli showcases the sounds of the Congo Basin region.
“This collection of tracks is a powerful expression of how artists can use their creativity to celebrate and protect the natural world at such a critical moment for our planet,” EarthPercent co-executive director Cathy Runciman tells Billboard. “From Alexia Evellyn recording the rhythms of the Amazon’s rivers and birds to Juls blending Congo Basin forest ambience into Afrobeats, and Antonio Sánchez turning birdsong into percussion, it’s inspiring to see such diverse artists uniting to honor these vital ecosystems and leading a movement to bring nature back into music and culture.”
“It’s an honor and a thrill to be part of Sounds Right,” adds the Grammy-winning Sanchez, whose contribution “Drumming with the Birds” explores the percussive rhythms of Amazonian birdlife. “I believe it’s vital to keep opening new avenues for people to connect with the importance of preserving and protecting Mother Nature. This collaboration, inspired by the Amazon and its remarkable avian life, celebrates that connection. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed creating it.”
Brazilian producer Alok will also soon release a special track for the Sounds Right project, with the artist saying in a statement that “nature has always played an essential role in music, and the time has come for it to be recognized for that.”
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