Steve Berman

VICE CHAIRMAN, INTERSCOPE GEFFEN A&M

Janick counts the teamwork that met the challenges of remote work during the pandemic as his company’s greatest achievement, a collaboration that drove IGA’s multiple success stories, as well as a 2021 industry-leading year-end current market share of 11.05%. “It’s exciting to be firing on all cylinders with everyone working together,” he says. One example? Geffen drove its way back up the charts with newcomer Olivia Rodrigo’s “drivers license” — the first song to hit 1 billion global streams in 2021. “She’s the biggest breakout artist of the year,” Janick says of the singer-songwriter. “She’s an amazing talent who’s going to be around for decades.” Noting that Interscope is built on “strategic partnerships with great entrepreneurs,” he cites Moneybagg Yo as another win through the label’s joint venture with rapper-turned-executive Yo Gotti’s CMG imprint. On the Latin front, there is Kali Uchis’ global Spanish hit, “Telepatía.” Adds Janick: “Kali was already doing great prior to that. However, our teams in Miami and Los Angeles came together and have been able to take that song to another level.” Expanding into film, IGA teamed with Billie Eilish’s label, Darkroom, founded by Justin Lubliner, to produce the artist’s Apple+ film, The World’s a Little Blurry, and her now Grammy-nominated Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles for Disney+. “I talk every day about moving culture with our company,” he says. “For any creative company, that’s where the power lies. It has been at the heart of Interscope since day one. Moneybagg Yo, Olivia, Billie, Lady Gaga, Juice WRLD ... these artists are moving culture. And that’s what’s important.”