EDISON, N.J., Aug. 11 (ZFJ) — Andrew “Dean” S. DeNicola, 55, band director at John P. Stevens High School for 50 years, died on May 20, 2024, after many years of battling heart disease.
“His devotion toward music, the band program, and his students was unparalleled, and anyone who had the pleasure of getting to know Andy knew he was having fun and living his life to the fullest,” wrote the Central Jersey Music Educators Association on Instagram.
Feb. 6 (ZFJ) — Universal Music Group, the world’s largest music corporation, has pulled all of its music from TikTok following the expiration of its previous licensing agreement on Jan. 31 after renewal talks collapsed.
That means that any TikToks containing music from Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, The Weeknd, Drake, Harry Styles, and many, many more artists have had their audio muted. Until a new licensing agreement is finalized, TikTok users won’t be able to add any music from Universal’s catalog to their videos.
Dec. 28 (ZFJ) — Taylor Swift became Spotify’s top global artist of 2023 with over 26.1 billion streams worldwide, announced the music streaming platform in its 2023 Wrapped campaign on Nov. 29.
She dethroned Bad Bunny, who’d held the title for the past three years. Coming in second place, he had a “standout year” with his new album nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana. The Weeknd, Drake, and Peso Pluma also made the top five.
