The Weeknd’s ‘Blinding Lights’ Breaks Record with 5 Billion Spotify Streams
In a remarkable achievement for The Weeknd, his track “Blinding Lights” has become the first song to hit 5 billion streams on Spotify, underscoring its enduring appeal on global charts such as IFPI’s annual global top-singles. Released in November 2019, this synth-driven anthem reached this milestone on August 31, marking a historic moment just under six years since its debut. “Blinding Lights” joins a distinguished list of tracks with over 4 billion streams, including Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” (4.53bn), The Weeknd’s “Starboy” (4.06bn), Lewis Capaldi’s “Someone You Loved” (4.03bn), and Harry Styles’ recently released “As It Was” (4.02bn). Amidst this success, The Weeknd’s robust back catalog continues to bolster his presence on Spotify where he stands as the platform’s second most-followed artist with an impressive 110.2 million monthly listeners. Meanwhile, industry speculation hints at a strategic financial maneuver as The Weeknd explores raising $1 billion by leveraging his publishing and recording rights.
StubHub Faces Revenue Fluctuations Amid Secondary Ticketing Changes
As StubHub anticipates its prospective IPO, the company has disclosed its financial results for the first half of 2025, reporting a revenue growth of 3% to $827.9 million from its extensive secondary ticketing operations. Despite achieving $4.38 billion in gross merchandise sales, representing an 11% increase, StubHub’s second-quarter performance saw a 2.9% revenue decline year-over-year. Contributing factors to this include the absence of a Taylor Swift tour during that period and changes due to federally mandated all-in pricing, which notably affected North American market growth by an estimated 10%.
Kahuna’s Strategic Seed Funding to Empower Independent Artists
Kahuna, an innovative artist-financing startup, has successfully raised over $1 million in its initial seed-funding round. This initiative empowers artists by providing financial resources while allowing them to maintain full ownership of their music. Kahuna supports over 250 artists with monthly listener counts ranging from 50,000 to 2 million, offering advances between $5,000 and $20,000. These advances are recouped through royalties, allowing artists to focus on creativity while Kahuna efficiently handles distribution, marketing, and promotional efforts using advanced tools such as AI-assisted content strategies. Kahuna’s unique model represents a vital shift in artist support within the independent music ecosystem, reflecting a growing trend towards direct artist empowerment without traditional label constraints.
As SONGLENS continues to chronicle such industry milestones and shifts, we remain committed to our mission of championing emerging music and fostering a community of credible voices within the independent creative sector.
