Darcus Beese
Meredith TruaxDarcus Beese, who ran Island Records in the U.S. for two and a half years between mid-2018 and early 2021, has been named executive vp at Warner Music U.K., the company announced today (June 16). The new role will also see Beese become president of a new joint venture with WMUK, which will be announced later this year. His appointment is effective July 1, and he’ll report to WMUK CEO Tony Harlow.
Beese spent just about his entire career at Island over the past 30 years, starting out as an intern at the label’s London offices in 1989 before eventually rising to become co-president of Island U.K. in 2008, then sole president of the British label in 2013. In 2018, he was chosen to take over for David Massey running the U.S. iteration of the iconic label, which was founded by Chris Blackwell more than 60 years ago. His exit was announced in February, and a UMG spokesperson said at the time that Beese had resigned in order to return to his native England, amid a pandemic that had made it more difficult to return to the U.K., where his family is based.
In his new role at Warner, he’ll be working with Harlow on A&R initiatives -- his forte through the majority of his career -- and "helping guide the continued cultural and strategic change of the UK business," according to a release.
"Working at Island for as long as I did, I was never going to be comfortable working for another label," Beese said in a statement. "Talking to [Warner CEO of recorded music] Max [Lousada] and Tony crystallized that the natural next step for me was to head up my own label while still being part of a broader record company leadership team. I’ve known Max, Tony and the team for a long time, and their commitment to building a community that inspires and supports its artists is very much in line with my own philosophy, so I couldn’t be more pleased to be taking this next step with Warner Music. I’m looking forward to working together to create a label that puts artists at its heart, moves the cultural needle and delivers music that stands the test of time. I want to thank Max and Tony for this wonderful new opportunity."
During his time at the helm of Island over the past several years, Beese oversaw releases by Shawn Mendes, Jessie Reyez, The Killers, Skip Marley, Toni Braxton and more, and helped reshape the Island roster with a slew of new signings. He also oversaw the label’s year-long celebration of Bob Marley’s 75th birthday in 2020, which included reissues, new recordings and more. While leading Island U.K., he signed and worked with the likes of Amy Winehouse, Florence Welch, Taio Cruz and PJ Harvey, earning a reputation as an artist-first executive. He was named as one of Billboard's Change Agents, recognized as one of the music business' leaders who stepped up during a year of turmoil and action, in early 2021.
"For the entire time I’ve been in the music business I’ve heard about Darcus as a truly great music man -- a person who heard great music in every and any genre, and could care and nurture artists to bring the best out of them," Harlow said in a statement. "Darcus was a talent who could actually add to the legacy of a label as great as Island Records and who understood that labels need to build a culture both musically and of success. Darcus would sign smashes and then balance them with important records that needed to be made and voices that needed to be heard. I couldn’t be more pleased to have persuaded him to join us at Warner Music as he embodies so much of what we stand for and what we want to stand for. He’s going to help me shape the future of Warner Music and help us by bringing compelling, urgent music to us through his label."
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Lorde returned to Governor’s Ball for the first time in nine years and gave fans a unique take on her collaboration with Charli XCX, ‘Girl, So Confusing’.
The New Zealand singer made her long awaited comeback to the New York festival on Friday (June 5), where she headlined the opening night.
Speaking to the crowd about stepping back onto the Governor’s Ball stage after almost a decade away, Lorde admitted it was “the most nervous I’ve been for a show in a while”. She then treated fans to a string of beloved tracks including ‘Royals’, ‘What Was That’, and ‘Hammer’.
One of the standout highlights of the evening arrived near the end of her 21 song performance when she performed ‘Girl, So Confusing’, the track she later reworked alongside Charli XCX.
The song first appeared on Charli XCX’s hugely successful 2024 album ‘Brat’ without Lorde’s involvement, though it was inspired by her. In the lyrics, Charli reflected on the complicated feelings between the two artists and revealed she had once felt “super jealous” of the New Zealander’s achievements during her early career.
The pair later teamed up for a remix after Charli shared the song’s meaning with Lorde ahead of the release of ‘Brat’. Following that conversation, Lorde proposed creating a collaborative version together.
At Governor’s Ball, Lorde performed the remix adaptation during the closing section of her set and added her own personal touch to the track.
Charli was not present for the performance, leaving Lorde to deliver the song on her own. The moment stood out even more because the track had only appeared sparingly throughout Lorde’s recent ‘Ultrasound’ tour. More footage from the show can be seen below.
In addition to revisiting fan favourites and reimagining ‘Girl, So Confusing’, Lorde also surprised the audience with a preview of brand new material.
Early in the set, she introduced a portion of an unreleased song from the side of the stage. Standing behind a synthesizer setup, she sang: “Don’t look for me now that I’m gone/ Don’t look for me, I’m gone.”
Lorde’s festival appearances this summer follow her recent ‘Ultrasound’ tour, which was launched in support of her newest album, ‘Virgin’.
Released last June, the record earned a four star review from NME, which stated: “‘Virgin’ is a vibrant combination of Lorde’s best qualities, and then some.”
“With her newfound candour, the record combines the emotional whirlwind of ‘Melodrama’, the chilling minimalism of ‘Pure Heroine’ and the breezy freedom of ‘Solar Power’,” it added. “This might be called ‘Virgin’, but Lorde proves she’s not afraid to strip herself bare.”
While ‘Girl, So Confusing’ was not a regular feature during the ‘Ultrasound’ tour, Lorde did perform it at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles last October, where she surprised fans by bringing Charli XCX on stage.
Since releasing ‘Virgin’ and launching the accompanying tour, Lorde has contributed more than $200,000 from merchandise sales to Minnesota immigrant funds. She has also been announced as a headliner for All Points East 2026 in London, where PinkPantheress, Zara Larsson and additional artists are also set to appear.
