History as you’ve never seen it: a journey in time through the albums, concerts and events that made history—this week in music. This week: Kim Petras’ groundbreaking single, Taylor Swift’s trademarks, Jay-Z and Nas’ feud, and more!
October 23: Carnival Ride Drops
On this day in 2007, Carrie Underwood released her second studio album, Carnival Ride. The album included singles “All-American Girl” and “Last Name,” which earned her a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. The album debuted at #1 in the US.
October 24: Fashion Cuts Ties with Kanye West
One year ago, multiple fashion brands decided to cut ties with singer and rapper Kanye West over the antisemitic comments he made on a podcast and on social media. Brands to take distance from the artist are The Gap, Balenciaga, CAA and, later on, Adidas. The latter economically suffered West’s departure, as Kanye’s Yeezy line accounts for an estimated 6% of their sales.
October 25: Trademarks to 1989
Nine years after its original release date, this week, Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) will see the light! In 2014, Swift applied to trademark several phrases related to her album 1989, giving her the exclusive right to use phrases on an array of items. The phrases include: “Party Like It’s 1989,” “This Sick Beat” and “Cause We Never Go Out Of Style.”
October 26: the U2 iPod
On this day in 2004, Apple introduced the U2 iPod, named after the Irish band. The U2, black with a red click wheel, was the first available in a color other than white.
To promote the release, Apple invited U2 to perform their new single “Vertigo” in a commercial. The event was groundbreaking, being the first time U2 allowed their music to be used in commercials. A good relationship began between the group and Apple, as 10 years later, the band also allowed the iTunes Store to share the band’s album Songs Of Innocence for the public to download for free.
October 27: Jay-Z and Nas’ Feud Changes its Direction Once and Forever
Following their longtime feud, New York rappers Jay-Z and Nas ended their ages of back-and-forth diss tracks by appearing on stage at Power 105.1’s annual concert in 2005. The duo decided to promote peace at the concert at New Jersey’s Continental Airlines Arena.
October 28: Jonas Brothers Split
On this day in 2013, American pop band Jonas Brothers’ Joe, Nick and Kevin Jonas split after performing together since 2005. The members took different roads for a while, even working on solo projects. Their paths eventually reconciled when, in 2019, they got back together.
October 29: Kim Petras Changes the Industry
One project at a time, Kim Petras is changing the music industry by breaking all the “rules.” In 2022, the artist once again marked history by becoming the first transgender singer to top the Hot 100 when her song “Unholy,” released in collaboration with Sam Smith, went to #1.
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