Variety

Features breaking entertainment news, reviews, box office results, cover stories, photo galleries and features

Stephen Sondheim’s Adventures in Cinema

Uncovered

A Little Night Music • Friends, admirers and colleagues remember Stephen Sondheim, the theatrical legend who died last week at the age of 91

NETFLIX TIPTOES INTO GAMING

New Kids on the Block • Inside two ex-Disney execs’ $3 billion deal for children’s content player Moonbug to anchor their next-gen media venture

Gothams Set the Tone for Oscar Season • Streaming films win big at the in-person awards ceremony

Hold the Pickles • How artist-curated meals with fast-food chains became music’s hottest brand partnerships

Golan’s Globe: Podcast Host and Hit Songwriter Is a Fierce Advocate for Creators

The 12-Note Conundrum • Today’s songwriters and artists are plagued by ambulance chasers suing for ‘copyright infringement.’ Is the ‘Blurred Lines’ verdict to blame?

Interpolations: Homage, at a Cost

JUST FOR VARIETY

Elevator Up: Sunset Tower Boosts Jen Wade

Newborns & Nuptials

Celeb-Loved Sneaker Garden Grows L.A. Footprint

MUST ATTEND

Gifts That Strike a Chord

EXPOSURE

HITMAKERS

JACK HARLOW • Variety’s Hitmaker of Tomorrow tangles with fame, tends to his fans and looks to play the long game as a hip-hop star

The 25 Most Consumed Songs of 2021

MAKING THE CUT

Charts and All • Olivia Rodrigo notched three massive hits from her debut album

Omer Fedi

The People’s Choice • Tracking the yearlong journey of Polo G’s ‘Rapstar’ from YouTube video to TikTok phenomenon — to No. 1 single

Platinum Bond • Mike Dean has had a fruitful 2021, from Kanye West to Lana Del Rey to greater acclaim for Pop Smoke

Blake Slatkin

Producer-Writer Managers to Know • Now more than ever, representation matters in the hyper-competitive world of music-making

Churning ‘Butter’ • Songwriters reveal the smooth path to delivering BTS’ global hit

Shawn Holiday

One for the Record Books • Republic’s Wendy Goldstein traded a college degree for a career in music, to her mother’s consternation — and pop stars’ gain

Matt Morris

Global Reach • Max Lousada, Warner Music Group head of recorded music, brings an eclectic background to a diverse roster

Aaron Bay-Schuck

Theater of Gain • Lil Nas X singlehandedly revived the event video with 2021’s ‘Montero (Call Me by Your Name)’ and ‘Industry Baby’

Lydia Asrat, Gordan Dillard, Wassim “Sal” Slaiby, Josh Kaplan

Collective Action • Electric Feel Entertainment helped shape the sound of 2021 with Post Malone, 24kGoldn, Iann Dior and more

Jae Butt

Making Waves • Columbia Records artists have flooded the charts for much of 2021, and that was before the Adele album dropped

Taking Her Time • Normani thrives with help from some famous female friends

Girl Code • A stop-start ride makes success all the sweeter for JT, Yung Miami and those who’ll follow in their footsteps

Love Connection • A dreamy pop hit has helped Kali Uchis expand the boundaries of Latin music

The Del Rey Decade • Ten years after ‘Video Games,’ the illustrious Lana looks back at her body of work

WHAT THE CURATORS SAY

Picture This • With ‘No Time to Die,’ Billie Eilish and Finneas add award-winning Bond theme to their already illustrious resume

Thrill of the Chase • Steven Victor’s vision and conviction helped the executive make rapper Pop Smoke a star after his untimely death

Slow Burn • Glass Animals, a band with a strong connection to its fans, takes its time climbing the...