And The Update Is...The Charts Are Country. The Industry Is AI. Now What?

Every week, And the Writer Is brings you the most important news moving through the music industry — straight, sharp, and no fluff. This week Ross Golan opens the weekly And The Writer Is… news update (week of April 20, 2026) by highlighting major chart wins:
• Swimf by BTS is #1 on the Global 200 for a fourth week
• Choose In Texas by Ella Langley holds #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a seventh week
• Her album Dandelion debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200
He teases an upcoming Stagecoach interview and notes a strong country music moment.
New music + industry highlights:
• Olivia Rodrigo dropped a new single Drop Dead, debuting at #1 on Spotify charts, co-written/produced by Dan Nigro
• The podcast re-released Dan Nigro’s episode to celebrate
Business + industry news:
• Paul Epworth sold his catalog for a massive (undisclosed) amount
• Streaming platform Deezer is now receiving 75,000 AI-generated tracks per day (44% of uploads), raising concerns about “AI slop”
• Splice introduced a new AI tool that pays sample creators, which Ross praises
Other updates:
• Massive Attack signed a new deal banning certain rules (brief mention)
• Miranda Lambert signed with MCA Nashville, signaling a major upcoming era
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