In Canada: The Weeknd’s Creative Director, La Mar Taylor, Is Billboard Canada’s 40 Under 40 Visionary Award Honoree

La Mar Taylor has been named the first-ever Billboard Canada 40 Under 40 Visionary Award honouree. It’s a recognition of the work he’s done over more than a decade with The Weeknd, and the impact he’s had on Toronto’s creative community.

This summer, Taylor stood inside a packed Rogers Centre watching The Weeknd’s sixth sold-out hometown show. For him, it felt like a full-circle moment. He and Abel Tesfaye met as teenagers in Scarborough, dropped out of school together and built their careers from scratch. Taylor shot the cover of House of Balloons, helped shape the early XO era and has been behind the creative direction of The Weeknd’s albums, videos, tours and even the Super Bowl halftime show.

The After Hours Til Dawn Tour, now the biggest R&B tour in history, is the latest chapter in that run. Taylor says the aim is always to push ideas further than the last project.

Outside of XO, he co-founded HXOUSE, a Toronto incubator offering space, mentorship and community for young creatives. He’s vocal about the challenges facing Canadian talent but believes persistence and strong ideas can still break through.

Taylor will receive the Visionary Award at the Billboard Canada 40 Under 40 event at the W Toronto on November 20.

Read the full interview here.  — Richard Trapunski

Cameron Whitcomb’s Country Hit ‘Options’ Rises on Billboard Canadian Hot 100

Cameron Whitcomb is hitting a new peak.

After nine weeks on the chart, the Canadian country singer’s track “Options” rises 69-64 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100, dated Nov. 15.

“Options” is an energetic folk anthem from Whitcomb. It describes his sobriety journey, and finds Whitcomb reflecting on the various paths he could take.

“I won’t but I could / pull that bottle off that shelf / it helps me cope knowing I could be that version of myself,” he sings, supported by powerful backing vocals that lift him up along the way.

The B.C.-native is having a major year. Whitcomb first broke out as a contestant on American Idol in 2022, and has since landed four straight singles on the Canadian Hot 100 — all before his debut full-length album, The Hard Way. It’s an impressive track record for a young artist at this stage.

Read more on the chart feat here. — Heather Taylor-Singh

Live Nation Report Finds Canadians Prefer Live Music as Favourite Form of Entertainment

When it comes to entertainment, Canadians prefer live music.

In a new report by Live Nation, titled Living for Live, they found that nearly four in 10 people (37%) would choose live music as their preferred form of entertainment, ranking higher than both sports and movies.

Based on a survey of 40,000 people across 15 countries, the report captures a shift in how people spend their time, express their identities and connect with others through live music experiences.

The report noted that fans in Canada build their livelihoods around live music — 83% said a concert is one of their most memorable life moments, while 72% claimed to plan their calendars early to catch a certain artist’s show.

Live music is a major part of the Canadian music industry. Earlier this year, the Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) revealed that live music contributes billions to the Canadian economy — $10.92 billion in 2023 — to be exact.

However, it’s not just consumers who are reaping the benefits. Two years ago, live music in Canada produced $3.73 billion in tax dollars and generated more than 101,640 jobs, contributing $5.84 billion in labour income.

Read more here. — Heather Taylor-Singh