Saweetie set for virtual Super Bowl gig on Roblox
Hip-hop artist Saweetie is to star in a free virtual concert as part of the NFL’s Super Bowl LVII event lineup.
The Saweetie Super Bowl Concert Presented by Intuit on Roblox will take place in Warner Music Group’s Rhythm City, a music-themed social roleplay experience on the online game platform.
The American rapper will perform a family-friendly, fully motion-captured concert to celebrate the 2023 Super Bowl and promote a message of female empowerment. The show, which premieres on Friday 10 February at 7pm ET and will re-air every hour on the hour until 12 February, will also be paired with a collection of digital items that will be sold on the Roblox marketplace.
“I’m really excited to bring this iconic moment to the metaverse and share my music with a whole new audience in such a unique way,” says Saweetie. “As an artist, innovator, and football fan, to be able to perform during Super Bowl LVII weekend in this new world – Rhythm City on Roblox – is something I never imagined that I would be involved in. I am very grateful and happy about this opportunity.”
“The Saweetie Super Bowl Concert Presented by Intuit will be an anchor entertainment event bringing fans together in the metaverse”
The Philadelphia Eagles will face off against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII in State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona on Sunday 12 February. Rihanna is scheduled to headline the coveted Halftime Show.
“The Saweetie Super Bowl Concert Presented by Intuit will be an anchor entertainment event bringing fans together in the metaverse and further cementing the tradition of content innovation at the Super Bowl,” says Ed Kiang, VP of video gaming at the NFL. “Working with Roblox has enabled us to create interactive shared experiences.”
The Saweetie Super Bowl Concert and Rhythm City are experiences developed in partnership with gaming and content company Gamefam.
“Bringing a cultural moment like the Super Bowl to the metaverse with such innovative partners marks a shift in how brands are coming together to create the next generation of metaverse gaming experiences,” adds Gamefam chief business officer Ricardo Briceno.
As previously announced, Paramore, Dave Matthews Band and Imagine Dragons will top the bill at the fourth Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest at Phoenix’s 18,000-cap Footprint Center from 9-11 February 2023.
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Mariah Carey to bring Winter Wonderland to Roblox
Mariah Carey will deliver a series of virtual concerts on Roblox’s Livetopia platform this month under the name ‘Mariah Carey’s Winter Wonderland’.
The virtual shows will take place over four consecutive nights, from 21–24 December, each starting at 7 pm ET (12 am GMT).
Carey will perform an array of old and new hits across the concerts, wrapping up with her holiday classic ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ as the grand finale.
In addition to the musical entertainment, the singer’s ‘Winter Wonderland’ experience will also feature a Christmas-themed treasure hunt designed by her twin boys, as well as item drops and more.
“My kids and I live for Roblox, and we couldn’t be more excited to create this festive metaverse experience for everyone”
“Christmas is my absolute favourite time of the year!” says Carey. “This year, I wanted to do something different to ring in the holiday season. My kids and I live for Roblox, and we couldn’t be more excited to create this festive metaverse experience for everyone!”
The singer will be performing two other Christmas-themed concerts this month, at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena on Sunday 11 December and New York’s Madison Square Garden on Tuesday 13 December. The latter show will be televised a week later as a two-hour primetime special on CBS.
Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ has become a signature holiday song since it was released in 1994. Last December, the track topped the Billboard Hot 100 for the third year in a row, making it the first song in history to top the charts three separate times.
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Roblox enlists Elton John for immersive experience
Elton John has become the latest artist to launch an immersive experience on online gaming platform Roblox.
‘Elton John Presents: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road’ allows users to follow a yellow brick road through an interactive world inspired by the singer-songwriter’s life and legacy.
The experience includes digital fashion designed by 20 Roblox community creators, photographs, interactive challenges set to his greatest hit songs, daily scavenger hunts and trivia quizzes.
In addition, there will be a series of ten-minute virtual performances made up of Elton’s best-loved songs, starting on 17 November, with additional performances re-airing hourly through 20 November.
The special performances will coincide with Elton’s run of Dodger Stadium shows (17–20 November), which will see him make history once again as he returns to the iconic LA venue for the first time since his legendary performance in 1975.
Virtual experience visitors are also able to earn and collect yellow bricks, as they explore interactive challenges, allowing them the chance to gain VIP access to hear a dedicated message from Elton and have their avatar appear on stage with him at his final show at Dodger Stadium on 20 November.
After the Dodger Stadium concerts, ‘Elton John: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road’ will live on – with new experiences, music, fashion and more – as an immersive capsule in the metaverse.
‘Elton John Presents: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road’ was created by Elton John and Rocket Entertainment with Roblox creators, with support from Universal Music Group.
“Beyond the Yellow Brick Road’ is the next step on [my] journey as I prepare to step away from live touring”
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be launching ‘Beyond the Yellow Brick Road’ on Roblox,” says Elton John. “I’ve seen the joy that Roblox has bought to my boys and the possibility it creates by the ability to interact with fans in such an exciting, and forward-looking way has been mind-blowing to me. I’ve always been myself and used my image, eyewear, and music to express myself, and Roblox really encourages that self-expression.
“Now my fans can do the same, and that’s really exciting. At every step of my career, I’ve always wanted to push forward and look to the future, and ‘Beyond the Yellow Brick Road’ is the next step on that journey as I prepare to step away from live touring after 50 years on the road. It’s genuinely thrilling, and I can’t wait to see the response from my fans and the Roblox community.”
David Furnish, CEO of Rocket Entertainment, adds: “Elton is a visionary creative with a life full of major music and fashion moments significant to the culture of then and now and lived his life like an avatar! ‘Beyond the Yellow Brick Road’ is an extraordinary collection of some of these moments that we have had a lot of fun recreating with the Roblox community since Rocket Entertainment began this project. As Elton says farewell to touring at Dodger Stadium, we’re excited for the opportunities that spaces like Roblox offer to ensure Elton’s music and legacy may continue to bring joy to the world.”
Sir Lucian Grainge, chairman & CEO of Universal Music Group, comments: “In the decades we’ve worked together, my commitment to Elton has been to build the largest global audience for his creative genius, spanning his recorded music, songwriting, fashion and performances. As Elton wraps up his monumental final tour, we are extremely excited to help bring ‘Beyond the Yellow Brick Road’ to life so that new generations of fans, now and for years to come, will continue to be entertained and inspired by his songs and music.”
Roblox has previously hosted immersive experiences and/or virtual concerts with the likes of The Chainsmokers, Charli XCX, Lizzo, Gayle, Lil Nas X, Twenty One Pilots, 24kGoldn, Royal Blood, David Guetta and Ava Max.
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The Chainsmokers launch metaverse world on Roblox
The Chainsmokers are hosting an exclusive virtual concert to celebrate the launch of persistent metaverse world Festival Tycoon on online gaming platform Roblox.
The fully motion-captured performance will start on Friday 9 September at 4pm PT, and will be repeated every hour on the hour throughout the weekend, up to the last showing at 11pm ET on Sunday.
The US duo – Drew Taggart and Alex Pall – are set to perform a five-song set with hits from their So Far So Good album, with each song “transporting fans within its own interactive environment”.
Described as “the first persistent, 24/7, 365 days a year, progression-based artist experience on Roblox”, Festival Tycoon will invite fans to learn the intricacies that go into a festival by unlocking items such as stage design, lighting, lounges, pyrotechnics, merch booths, and music, to build their own stages, campsites, VIP areas, amusement park rides and helipads. Users can also perform on stage virtually alongside The Chainsmokers and other music acts.
“We developed both a concert and a game that allows users to not only watch the concert but create their own music festival”
The experience has been created by one of the leading Roblox developers, Gamefam, alongside the tentpole concert event, marking the first time a concert experience will extend beyond the concert itself and be used to support a persistent Roblox music world.
“Delivering an authentic experience to both a Chainsmokers fan and an avid Roblox user is what Gamefam does best,” says Gamefam CEO Joe Ferencz. “In partnership with the Chainsmokers and our team of citizen creators we developed both a concert and a game that allows users to not only watch the concert but create their own music festival. The result is a first-of-its-kind experience that can reach a massive audience around the world.”
In recent months, Roblox has launched a Spotify Island featuring virtual performances from the likes of Charli XCX, Lizzo and Gayle. Artists including Lil Nas X, Twenty One Pilots, 24kGoldn, Royal Blood, David Guetta and Ava Max have delivered virtual performances on the platform.
Roblox has also made a wave of recent hires, including former executives from Spotify and Meta, in a bid to “push the boundaries of creativity.”
Meanwhile, earlier this summer, it was revealed The Chainsmokers are set to become the first music act to perform at the edge of space after signing up for one of space tourism company World View’s inaugural flights, planned for 2024.
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Roblox poaches executives from Spotify and Meta
Roblox has announced a wave of new hires, including former executives from Spotify and Meta, in a bid to “push the boundaries of creativity.”
Among the new hires is Karibi Dagogo-Jack, Spotify’s former head of music development. He joins the gaming platform as head of music partnerships, essentially taking over from Jon Vlassopulos who left in April.
Also new to the team is Todd Lichten, in the new role of head of entertainment partnerships. He joined the gaming platform last month after leaving his role as head of emerging content at Meta. Prior to that, he spent over three years at Facebook.
The two appointments are part of a revamped partnerships team, made up of Winnie Burke as head of fashion & beauty partnerships, Hayden Walling as head of sports partnerships, and Arvind Jayaram as head of account management, partnerships.
These new hires come as Roblox continues to expand its ambitions, with collaborations with artists, brands and platforms like Spotify.
“Our partnership work continues to accelerate as they experiment with new formats and discover new revenue streams”
“We’ve seen a lot of success with top brands coming onto the Roblox platform, and our partnership work continues to accelerate as they experiment with new formats, launch persistent social spaces, discover new revenue streams, and push the boundaries of creativity,” says Roblox’s VP of global partnerships, Christina Wootton.
“The growth in the number of persistent experiences especially signifies long-term commitment and showcases that brands view our platform as the next-generation immersive social place for ongoing community engagement vs. a place for one-time activations.”
In recent months, Roblox has launched a Spotify Island featuring virtual performances from the likes of Charli XCX, Lizzo and Gayle.
Artists including Lil Nas X, Twenty One Pilots, 24kGoldn, Royal Blood, David Guetta and Ava Max have delivered virtual performances on the platform.
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Roblox announces first music awards show ft Lizzo
Roblox will be hosting the first music awards show in the metaverse, featuring Lizzo’s debut performance on the platform.
The platform will bring into the metaverse Logitech’s second annual Song Breaker Awards, which honours “creators shaping pop music through dance challenges, memes and trends they have created and shared on social media, especially on TikTok and YouTube, over the past year”.
Hosted by popular YouTuber and influencer Bretman Rock, the show will see multi-Grammy Award-winning artist Lizzo make her metaverse debut with a performance of her new track ‘Special’.
“We’re always looking for new ways to bring unique, immersive experiences to our community,” says Jon Vlassopulos, Roblox VP and global head of music.
“Logitech hosting the first-ever music award show on Roblox is exciting as we continue to push the limits of creativity on our platform and celebrate creators worldwide.”
“We’re always looking for new ways to bring unique, immersive experiences to our community”
Other creators coming together for this year’s celebrations include the Peachy Princess of Roblox MeganPlays, Twitch streamer Shroud and musician and activist Jaden Smith. There will also be a music performance by singer-songwriter Gayle, best known for her Billboard number-one hit ‘abcde-forget-u’.
In the pre-show experience on Roblox, fans can ride a rollercoaster, collect Creator Coins, earn badges through gameplay to unlock special items, take a selfie XL photo with friends and buy exclusive merchandise – proceeds from which will go to MusiCares.
Honourees for the awards appeared on the Billboard Song Breaker Chart, a monthly music industry chart co-created with Logitech For Creators. See the full list here.
The Song Breaker Awards will premiere on Roblox on Saturday 30 April at 10:00 PST with three additional performances throughout the weekend. The pre-show experience opens today (26 April).
Roblox’s Jon Vlassopulos will be appearing in The Metaverse & Live Music session tomorrow at ILMC.
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Roblox secures 24kGoldn for next virtual concert
Roblox and Sony have announced a virtual concert experience starring Billboard chart-topping recording artist, 24kGoldn.
The 24kGoldn El Dorado Concert Experience will feature the rapper’s debut performance of new single In My Head, as well as metaverse-spanning pre-concert quests and exclusive verch (virtual merchandise).
The American rapper and singer follows in the footsteps of artists such as Lil Nas X, Twenty One Pilots, Royal Blood, David Guetta and Ava Max
“I grew up on Roblox and have been a big fan my whole life,” says 24kGoldn. “It’s been amazing to be a part of the full experience to make this virtual concert come to life. From coming up with the storyline and transforming my hometown to designing verch, I wanted to give my fans a one-of-a-kind experience.”
Jon Vlassopulos, VP, global head of music, Roblox, adds: “It was so exciting to see how passionate Golden was to extend his creative vision to Roblox where he also grew up playing.
“Roblox is changing the game for artists, freeing them to express themselves in a way they can’t do on any other platform and allowing them to connect with millions of fans who would never be able to get to see them play in the real world!”
“[Roblox allows artists] to connect with millions of fans who would never be able to get to see them play in the real world”
The 24kGoldn El Dorado Concert Experience will also feature a full storyline pitting 24kGoldn against an evil version of himself in a battle to save the city of ‘San Dorado’ which is inspired by a mashup of 24kGoldn’s hometown San Francisco and El Dorado, the city of gold.
During the concert, 24kGoldn will take fans through the overgrown city, perform at reimagined iconic locations, and give each song a unique, creative backdrop.
Pre-concert quests that include 24kGoldn-related themed challenges are available starting today. Fans can access the quests via portals to popular Roblox experiences where they can collect badges redeemable for prizes in the 24kGoldn El Dorado Concert Experience and acquire 24kGoldn’s unique verch items. Each day, two more portals will open.
Fans who collect all badges and attend the concert experience will get to unlock a special limited-edition emote after the premiere performance.
The virtual concert will kick off at 16:00 PDT on Friday (25 April) with additional performances re-airing every hour after over the weekend with the last show airing at 23:00 PT on Sunday (27 March).
Roblox’s VP, global head of music, Jon Vlassopulos, is due to appear at this year’s International Live Music Conference (ILMC) as part of The Metaverse & live music workshop.
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Foo Fighters, PinkPantheress to join the metaverse
Foo Fighters and PinkPantheress are the latest big name artists to announce virtual concerts in the metaverse.
The Foos will perform a free VR concert in partnership with Meta (Facebook/Instagram) via the Horizon Venues virtual space after the conclusion of the Super Bowl in the US this Sunday (13 February).
Directed by music video director Mark Romanek, the gig was shot specifically for VR, with multiple 180° cameras positioned around the stage and “XR elements blended into the concert scene”.
Additionally, the BRIT Awards has teamed with Roblox on a “virtual VIP Party”, which will feature an exclusive virtual performance from rising UK star PinkPantheress. Premiering in Roblox this Friday (11 February) at 6pm CET, and repeating hourly throughout the weekend, the show will feature PinkPantheress in avatar form in a neon lit underground London Virtual venue.
Created in collaboration with leading metaverse developer studio Dubit, the “concert experience” will take place in an immersive virtual world inspired by London, featuring neon-lit skyscrapers and landmarks such as the London Eye.
“Through our pioneering virtual concerts, we want to shine a spotlight on artists of all sizes”
“When planning the BRITs 2022 digital campaign we knew we wanted to enter the metaverse with Roblox,” says Luke Ferrar, innovation director, Polydor Records and co-chair of the BRITs digital committee. “What Dubit has built within the Roblox platform is an immersive BRITs experience. It has far surpassed our expectations with wonderful detail and flourishes in the world. It’s fantastic to have PinkPantheress, who reaches a huge Gen Z audience, perform in it.”
Ahead of PinkPantheress’ performance, fans can take part in scavenger hunts, collect hidden BRIT Award statuettes, browse exclusive virtual BRITs merchandise, and interact with artists and celebrities in virtual meet and greets.
“Through our pioneering virtual concerts, we want to shine a spotlight on artists of all sizes — from established stadium acts to up-and-coming viral stars — and connect them to millions of new and existing fans across the globe on Roblox,” adds Jon Vlassopulos, VP and global head of music at Roblox. “We’re thrilled to have PinkPantheress — one of the most exciting, innovative and groundbreaking young UK artists on the scene — perform in Roblox in celebration of the revered, iconic British institution that is the BRIT Awards.”
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Roblox secures David Guetta for first concert of 2022
Roblox is kicking off 2022 with the first DJ set performed by an avatar of international star David Guetta.
Created in partnership with Roblox developer Wonder Works Studio and Warner Music Group (WMG), the DJ set will premiere on 4 February at 16:00 PT and continue throughout the weekend.
Guetta will perform as his avatar self in an intergalactic themed set, where attendees can navigate the show through an “asteroid-traversing obstacle course”.
According to Roblox, the virtual universe will be decked out with crystals, neon lights, lasers, holograms, and thumping speakers.
Fans will be able to interact through DJ and dance battles, a secret puzzle used to unlock special abilities and archives, virtual merchandise for purchase and as prizes, Q&As with Guetta, and a 45-minute set for the Roblox community.
“We’ve built something that will play host to one of the most unique shows I’ve ever done”
Roblox VP and global head of music Jon Vlassopulos, says: “We’re thrilled to work with our friends at Warner to host another major virtual concert with one of the biggest stars to ever perform on Roblox.
“David has been engaging and inspiring music fans all over the world for over 20 years with his unique DJ performances, and now he can play, as his avatar, to millions of fans in one weekend in this fun, interactive, intergalactic DJ Party world on Roblox. It’s going to expose a new generation of fans to dance music and take clubbing to a whole new level!”
Guetta added: “Working on this concert has allowed me to bring an amazing new creation to life with design and production to suit the virtual world. We’ve built something that will play host to one of the most unique shows I’ve ever done and I can’t wait for everyone to experience it with me.”
WMG have previously brought stars including Twenty One Pilots, Royal Blood, Ava Max and Why Don’t We to perform in the Roblox metaverse.
The label has been making moves elsewhere in the metaverse too, penning a deal with gaming metaverse The Sandbox to create its first music-themed world.
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Modern Sky plans virtual version of China’s biggest festival
Chinese powerhouse Modern Sky Entertainment is planning to launch a virtual edition of its Strawberry Music Festival.
Launched in 2010, the annual event takes place across cities in China each spring. The Beijing edition is the largest music festival in the country.
The digital version of the festival will feature digital versions of real-life artists, as well as wholly virtual artists from Modern Sky’s new virtual artist label No Problem.
Virtual idols have been thriving in China over the years, with its market value reaching 3.46 billion yuan (US$540 million) in 2020, up 70.3% from the previous year, according to the consultancy group iiMedia. The metaverse hype was expected to push its market value to nearly 107.49 bn yuan ($16.8 bn) in 2021.
Modern Sky revealed that developing virtual artists will be a key part of its strategy for 2022 along with organising virtual music festivals and selling original digital works in the form of NFTs (non-fungible tokens).
Thc company, launched in 1997, already comprises a number of sub-labels, covering music publishing, artist management, live music, visual and product design, retail and performance venues, recording and production, media, design hotels and other sectors.
Tencent Music last month launched TMELAND – dubbed ‘China’s first interactive virtual music festival’
Modern Sky isn’t the only Chinese entertainment conglomerate making moves in the music metaverse. Tencent Music last month launched TMELAND – dubbed ‘China’s first interactive virtual music festival’.
The Chinese tech giant is also planning to acquire gaming smartphone manufacturer Black Shark in a move that could help the company build its own metaverse.
The company already owns a stake in video game company Epic Games – the maker of Fortnite which has hosted virtual concerts from the likes of Travis Scott, Ariana Grande, Marshmello, Steve Aoki, Deadmau5, Easy Life and J. Balvin.
The company also entered into a strategic partnership with Roblox, in May 2019, in which Tencent holds a 49% stake. Last year, Tencent filed for two Metaverse-related trademarks.
Modern Sky and Tencent follow in the footsteps of Decentraland and Roblox which have helped pave the way for festivals in the metaverse.
Virtual blockchain-based world Decentraland hosted the ‘world’s first multi-day festival in the metaverse’ last October.
In that same month, Roblox and event promoter Insomniac, meanwhile, brought one of the largest electronic music festivals in the world – Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) – to the metaverse.
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