Shawn Desman is not back. He’s still here.
“It’s not a comeback, it’s a continuation,” he tells Billboard Canada.
In the past year, the Canadian pop singer has played sold-out shows across the country, signed a lucrative songwriting deal with Anthem Entertainment and popped up all over NXNE with exclusive performances for his most dedicated fans. “Body,” his collaborative track with Jamie Fine, is climbing the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 chart, sitting at No. 87 after five weeks on the chart. It’s a hit on radio too, now in the top 10 of the Canada Hot AC Airplay chart.
Not bad for a singer who’s been performing for well over 20 years.
Desman was the soundtrack to the childhood and adolescent years of many Millennial and Gen Z-aged Canadians. With bona fide hits like “Shook” and “Electric,” he was a pop radio and MuchMusic mainstay in the early 2000s with the total package — catchy, upbeat songs, hypnotic dance moves and good looks.
He’s had multiple hits, but has been dropped by labels twice, most recently in 2015.
“It was hard and devastating, and made me hate the business,” he recalls. “Success has many parents, but failure is an orphan. When you’re hot, everybody’s on you and wants to be a part of it, but as soon as something goes wrong and you’re not hot, everybody forgets your number.”
In 2022, after a seven-year break, Desman’s life would change. He received a call from Drake, asking him to perform at the All Canadian North Stars concert at OVO Fest.
The crowd went wild for Desman’s nostalgic hits. Afterwards came a heartfelt moment with Drake that subconsciously prompted his return to music.
“He thanked me and said he grew up watching me perform, and I was a big part of his career, which felt crazy. When you’re young, you’re not thinking about creating a legacy and inspiring people,” he recalls. “He told me the crowd loved me and I needed to start making music again.”
Read more about his unique comeback here. – Heather Taylor-Singh
Spotify Reports Francophone Music Is One of the Top Genres On The Platform
Francophone music is thriving on Spotify — and Quebec is playing a key role.
Spotify has shared new data that highlights French-language music and content as one of the top-performing genres on the platform. One hundred million global users are listening to French content, according to the report, while French music streams are up 192% since 2019.
The data follows the release of Spotify’s Loud & Clear streaming report earlier this month. While Francophone music’s reach is global — a staggering 100 million users reside outside of traditionally French-speaking countries, it reported — Quebec is a major amplifier. Nearly half of Quebec Spotify users regularly listen to media content in French, Spotify says.
In May 2025 alone, Quebecers listened to nearly 10 million hours of Francophone music — and the number only continues to go up. The consumption of Francophone content on Spotify has grown almost 20% year over year among local users, boasting 130% growth since 2019.
The province’s Francophone listeners are getting younger, too. Nearly 40% of Quebec-based Spotify users who engage with Francophone content are under the age of 29, which is seen as a powerful signal that the French language continues to resonate deeply with the next generation of music listeners.
That data is translating into dollars. According to Spotify, French music royalties generated globally are up 15% from 2023. This includes many Quebecois artists, whose musical richness appeals nationwide and internationally. Last year, indie artist Patrick Watson’s “Je te laisserai des mots” was the most popular Francophone track on Spotify — and the first French track to surpass a billion streams. The Montreal native’s track was added to over 6.6 million playlists last year, showcasing its global appeal.
Last year, almost the entire top 10 list of the most popular Francophone songs among Quebec’s users on Spotify was performed by Franco-Quebecois acts. Beloved artists like rock band Les Cowboys Fringants, singer-songwriters Watson and Charlotte Cardin and rapper Enima are mainstays on the Spotify charts in their home province.
Read more here. – HTS
Oak View Group Announces New Name for Hamilton, Ontario Arena: TD Coliseum
Hamilton’s splashy new arena project has a new name: TD Coliseum.
When the former FirstOntario Centre was taken over by venue giant Oak View Group (OVG), it was referred to by the generic name of Hamilton Arena.
The courtship of sponsors is over with the announcement on Wednesday (June 25) that TD Bank Group (TD) has entered into a multi-year naming rights agreement with OVG.
The name TD Coliseum hearkens back to the building’s original incarnation as Copps Coliseum. Built in 1985 for $42 million, the 18,000-capacity arena hosted multiple Juno Awards, major national and international sporting events and concerts from A-list Canadian and international musical stars. It became FirstOntario Centre in 2014 when the credit union of that name paid for naming rights.
The arena is currently undergoing a major transformation under the leadership of OVG, one budgeted initially at $290 million. Construction began in May 2024 and the work is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. The first shows are already booked: Andrea Bocelli (Dec. 9) and Brad Paisley (Dec. 12). TD Coliseum will also host the 55th annual Juno Awards next year, on March 29.
In conjunction with the naming rights announcement, Tom Pistore, president of OVG Canada and a 2025 Billboard Power Player alongside OVG chairman/CEO Tim Leiweke, led a tour of the venue following the announcement this morning.
“Naming rights is always the longest process,” Pistore said. “Sponsorship and finding the right partner is always a challenge, but we know we have a great partner in TD. They’re the sixth largest bank in North America and they share our vision for what this venue is for Hamilton and the Golden Horseshoe.”
Pistore did not give specifics as to the length of this partnership and the dollar figures involved, other than noting “it is commensurate with a $300 million investment” and that the figure exceeds the $350,000 per year paid by FirstOntario over a decade ago. “It is a multi-year significant investment by the bank,” he said.
Read more here. – Kerry Doole
