A judge has dismissed Drake’s lawsuit against UMG, and this part stood out to me: Judge Vargas made clear that if a song expresses protected opinion when it’s released, no amount of distribution or promotion can turn that opinion into fact.

It’s not a coincidence: as labels have parted ways with veteran executives, leaned into catalog acquisitions, and redirected resources away from the actual making of the records, artist development declined, release cycles shortened, and music became less sticky…