The world of popular culture has been producing some interesting news. On Oct. 10, the music industry prompted two shocking events. Radiohead released their first album since 2003 - In Rainbows - exclusively to the Internet in lieu of stores, deciding to part with its label Capitol Records in favor of self-promotion. The disc, which is available on InRainbows.com, is listed with a price of "it's up to you." The band has left it up to their fans to decide how much or how little they will pay for the disc, if anything.
The same day, Madonna ditched a 25-year partnership with Warner Bros. Records to sign what is regarded as a "360 deal" with Live Nation. The tour promoting company will handle every aspect of her career from touring to promotion to sales. Although Live Nation has never produced an album in its history, Madonna signed a $125 million deal over 10 years with the company.
Critic Rob Brunner revealed in Entertainment Weekly that these are special artists, since they have such large fan bases. While there are some artists, such as Maroon 5, who have gotten their starts from Web sites such as MySpace, most artists are not strong enough to work independently of a record company. To reflect on his points, the role of record companies will change in the upcoming years, but will not likely disappear anytime soon.
Also, author J. K. Rowling shocked the literary world 10 days later during a sweepstakes event sponsored by her U.S. publisher, Scholastic, for her fans and their parents. After reading from the seventh Harry Potter book, Rowling invited the audience to a question-and-answer session. After being questioned about the love life of Hogwarts' headmaster Albus Dumbledore, she admitted that he is, in fact, gay. This was a large shock to her fans, but with Rowling's large literary base, it should pave the way for much-needed acceptance in the world today.
is a member of the 
Be the first to comment on this article!