MELBOURNE, Australia — A new artist booking specialist opens for business in the land down under, CORE Talent Agency.

The agency is founded by Jaddan Comerford, CEO of UNIFIED Music Group, and Regan Lethbridge, co-founder of Lemon Tree Music, and emerges from Lonely Lands Agency (LLA), which Tash Sultana established with the pair back in 2019.

CORE operates as part of the broader UNIFIED Music Group ecosystem, and is led by co-general managers, Desiree Venuto and Adam Montgomery and boasts a roster that includes Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, The Terrys, Budjerah, Day We Ran, Emma Donovan, South Summit, Slowly Slowly, DEVAURA and others.

It’s mission: to focus on established independent Australian artists, as well as some of Australia and New Zealand’s “most exciting up-and-coming talent,” reads a statement, with its artists enjoying access to UNIFIED’s experience, infrastructure and connections.

Venuto joined LLA in 2019, and has been namechecked in The Music Network’s 30 Under 30 and Pollstar’s Impact International Next Gen Honorees lists, while Montgomery is an experienced professional who led boutique booking agency Four Tone Artists, representing the likes of Bec Sandridge, Didirri and Mia Dyson.

CORE’s dedicated launch team includes LaBelle Jackson, Victoria Kozbanis and Jo Syme.

“We are thrilled to officially unveil CORE. Having been a part of this journey since its inception, it is incredibly rewarding to step into this new role to lead the next iteration of the agency,” comments Venuto. “Artist creativity has always been our foundation, and we are stepping forward with a unified team backed by decades of shared industry expertise.”

Adds Montgomery: “Partnering with Desiree to lead this next chapter is a true career highlight. CORE is built around putting the artist at the heart of every decision, and we’re excited to bring this fresh energy into each conversation. “With the support of Comerford and Lethbridge, he continues, “we’re eager to champion our incredible roster and continue to expand our community.”

Visit cta.live for more.

Nicole Kidman may have needed a second to place the name, but once a fan mentioned Adéla‘s upcoming song titled after her, the Oscar-winning actress was all in.

At the London premiere of Practical Magic 2 on Wednesday (Aug. 26), Kidman was asked by a fan whether she knew Adéla, the Slovak singer/songwriter whose rapidly rising pop career is about to get an especially Kidman-esque addition.

“Do you know who Adéla is?” the fan asked in a video.

“No!” Kidman initially replied.

After the fan explained that Adéla is a singer with a song called “Nicole Kidman,” however, Kidman’s memory quickly kicked in.

“Oh, yes! She is! I do know!” Kidman exclaimed. “I think she’s Slovakian, right?”

When the fan confirmed that the singer was “amazing,” Kidman doubled down on her fandom and revealed she may soon be seeing Adéla herself in concert.

“I absolutely know who she is and she’s coming to Nashville and I’m going to go see her,” Kidman said.

The timing couldn’t be better for the ascending, pink-haired pop star. Adéla is set to release her debut album, PRIMA, on Sept. 4, and the newly revealed 11-song track list includes “Nicole Kidman” as its second track. The project will also feature her breakout single “Ain’t in LA,” which became her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, debuting at No. 85.

Adéla is currently bringing the PRIMA era to fans on her Red Bottoms Tour, which stops off in Nashville on Sept. 21 at The Basement East.

According to Adéla Instagram fan site @adeladiary, the pop singer reacted to Kidman’s kind words later Wednesday, commenting: “WOW OH MY GOD NICOLE WOW OH MY GOD HOLY SH– WOW.”

As for whether the actress has heard the song that bears her name? That’s a question the fan didn’t get to ask. But with PRIMA on the horizon, maybe Kidman will soon be able to report back.

Watch the full video below.

Jay Wheeler’s “De Lejitos” is no longer distant from the No. 1 spot, as the song jumps 2-1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart (dated Aug. 29). The new chart-topper arrives just five months after the Puerto Rican led the overall Latin radio ranking in March.

“’De Lejitos’ is a special song for me,” Wheeler shares with Billboard. “Today it’s a success because it went from being my daughter Aiunii’s favorite to becoming a favorite among all my fans, long before my team and I decided to officially release it. Every time I release music, I do it with the intention of getting everyone to dance, sing, and be happy listening to my songs, and reaching No. 1 on Billboard simply fills me with great pride.

“De Lejitos” lands at the summit on Latin Airplay with 6.7 million audience impressions earned in the United States during the Aug. 14-20 tracking week, according to Luminate; that’s a 4% growth from the week prior.

“De Lejitos” began its chart journey with a top 20 debut on the Hot Latin Songs chart in April, holding in the top 10 for nearly 11 straight weeks. Its only detour from the upper region came during Karol G’s blockbuster debut week (dated Aug. 12), when songs from her album No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto flooded the multi-metric tally, sending the song from No. 7 to No. 18, and back to the top 10 on this week’s chart, at No. 8, from streaming gain.

On Latin Airplay, “De Lejitos” spent three weeks in the top 20 before landing at No. 2 last week. With its new ruling result, Wheeler ups his chart-topping count to four No. 1s. It follows “Viendo El Techo,” “Dos Tragos,” and its latest “Si Te Vas,” with Jay Balvin, all one-week champs between 2021-26.

Band El Recodo Revives Antonio Aguilar’s 1958 ‘La Cama De Piedra’ For No. 1: Elsewhere on the Latin charts, Banda El Recodo de Cruz de Lizárraga picks up its 21st No. 1 on Regional Mexican Airplay with “La Cama de Piedra.” The new reworked version of Antonio Aguilar’s hit, released in 1958, was produced by his son Pepe Aguilar and Alfonso ‘Poncho’ Lizárraga, band leader.

“La Cama de Piedra” rises after a 10% gain in impressions, to 5.9 million, earned during the tracking week. The song trades places with Xavi’s “Dosis” which leaves the top spot after an equal 10% decline, to 5.6 million.

With its 21st Regional Mexican Airplay No. 1, Banda El Recodo now claims seven leaders in the ‘20s —the most that it has earned in any decade, following two in the 1990s and six each in the 2000s and ‘10s. The group also ties with Intocable for the fourth-most champs since the chart began in 1994. Here’s the list of champs:

No. 1s, Artist
29, Calibre 50
22, Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga
22, La Arrolladora Banda el Limón de René Camacho
21, Banda El Recodo de Cruz Lizárraga
21, Intocable
18, Los Tigres del Norte
17, Christian Nodal
17, Grupo Frontera