Monte Lipman

FOUNDER/CEO, REPUBLIC RECORDS

Avery Lipman

FOUNDER/COO, REPUBLIC RECORDS

Although 2021 marked the fifth time in the past seven years that Republic Records finished at No. 1 on Billboard’s year-end Top Labels chart, for the first time the label also placed atop the Billboard 200 Labels and Billboard Hot 100 Labels charts. Such dominance resulted from superstars such as Drake, Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande collecting No. 1 Hot 100 hits from Billboard 200-topping albums, as well as success stories like Pop Smoke’s posthumous blockbuster project, Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon, and the slow-growing Glass Animals smash “Heat Waves.” “Our core business remains breaking new acts,” says Avery. “It’s harder than it has ever been. Part of it is just the transition of our industry — we went from selling things to trying to keep people’s attention.” Fortunately, Republic boasts a roster of stars adept at keeping fans curious. Swift’s endeavor to rerecord her first six studio albums has paid off, with Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s Version) scoring two of the biggest No. 1 debuts of 2021. Meanwhile, Drake launched nine songs simultaneously into the top 10 of the Hot 100, including the chart-topping “Way 2 Sexy” from his September release Certified Lover Boy. While the Republic team has evolved in recent months — Wendy Goldstein and Jim Roppo were promoted to co-presidents in November, while Dave Rocco was brought in as chief creative officer in December — the Lipmans remain ultracompetitive. “We have a responsibility to our artists, to our executives, the corporation and the competition,” says Monte. “They want to know that we’re bringing our best every day.” FOR FELLOW 2022 BILLBOARD POWER LIST HONOREES,

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