Entertainment
Britney Spears Cashes in on Legacy; Sells Music Catalogue Rights
Pop superstar Britney Spears has sold the rights to her entire music catalogue, the BBC has learned.
Spears, 44, is said to have sold to independent music publisher Primary Wave on 30 December for around $200m (£146m).
The singer – whose protracted conservatorship long dictated her personal and professional life – is known for the hits …Baby One More Time, Oops!… I Did It Again, Toxic and Gimme More.
Primary Wave did not immediately respond to the BBC’s requests for comment. Representatives for Spears declined to comment.
In January 2024, the singer said she would “never return to the music industry”. Her last song was a duet released with Elton John in 2022.
Primary Wave has also acquired rights to the estates of Notorious BIG, Prince and Whitney Houston.
Details of the sale and the exact price of Spears’ catalogue have not been made public.
High-profile artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake, and Shakira recently sold their catalogues too.
Springsteen sold his back catalogue to Sony in 2021 for $500m, and Bieber reportedly signed a $200m deal with Hipgnosis Songs Capital in 2023.
The publisher was founded 20 years ago by music executive Lawrence Mestel after purchasing 50% of Kurt Cobain’s portion of the Nirvana catalogue.
Spears is one of the best-selling female artists, with more than 150 million records sold worldwide. Her catalogue includes nine studio albums since her 1999 debut.
The sale comes after a tumultuous few years for the singer, who in 2021 ended a 13-year-long conservatorship – a legal guardianship that saw her finances and personal life controlled by her father.
The singer published her memoir, The Woman in Me, in 2023, which detailed her struggles under conservatorship.
Her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, released his own memoir, You Thought You Knew, at the end of 2025.
Entertainment
[VIDEO] Richardson Commey Fio Endorses KESSBEN Entertainment as a Creative Arts–Focused Show
Special Aide to the Minister of Tourism culture and Creative Arts, Mr. Richardson Commey Fio has endorsed Kessben Entertainment hosted by Kojo Preko Dankwa as the best entertainment show that has the welfare of creatives at heart.
Mr. Commey fio who is an ardent listener of the show, made an appearance to analyse and make clarification to some of the issues within the creative arts industry. With so much to say about say, Mr. Fio emphasises that Kessben Entertainment remains one of the few shows that don’t thrive on sensationalism, but rather focuses on relevant industry matters of national interest among creatives.
He further expressed his admiration for the Panel for their unbiased analyses, in-depth knowledge of the subject matter and accurate submissions.
Entertainment
No Need for Creative Arts SHS; Kumasi Mayor Demands STEM Teacher Training School
Entertainment
Ghana Loses Music Icon as Highlife Maestro Ebo Taylor Dies at 90
Legendary Ghanaian highlife musician Ebo Taylor has died at the age of 90, the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) has announced.
Taylor passed away early on Saturday, 7 February 2026, at the Saltpond Hospital, the Ghana Music Union said in a statement. MUSIGA president Bessa Simons said: “Ghana and indeed the world has lost a great son.”
Taylor’s passing comes just a month after he celebrated his 90th birthday, and a day after the launch of the Ebo Taylor Festival, an event set up to honour his musical legacy. In its statement, MUSIGA said: “Uncle Ebo Taylor Rest in perfect peace.”
Born Deroy Taylor on 6 January 1936 in Cape Coast, he became one of Ghana’s most influential guitarists, composers, bandleaders and producers. For more than six decades, he helped shape highlife and Afrobeat music in Ghana and beyond, blending traditional rhythms with jazz, funk and soul to create a signature sound.
Taylor first rose to prominence in the late 1950s with the Stargazers and the Broadway Dance Band. In 1962, he took his Black Star Highlife Band to London, where he worked with Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti and other African musicians before returning home to produce recordings for major Ghanaian artists, including Pat Thomas and C.K. Mann.
His music later found new audiences across the world. In the 21st century, international producers sampled his work, including Usher on “She Don’t Know” featuring Ludacris from Taylor’s song “Heaven.” He also released acclaimed albums such as Love and Death (2008), Appia Kwa Bridge (2012) and Yen Ara (2018).
Taylor continued to perform and record into his late 80s, most recently with the Ebo Taylor JID022 album released as part of the Jazz Is Dead series in 2025.
MUSIGA’s tribute described him as “Saltpond’s light … Ghana’s legend … the world’s icon” and noted he had formed and led more than a dozen bands, with his final ensemble being the Ebo Taylor and Family Band.
Taylor’s death is mourned by musicians and fans across Ghana and the global music community, many of whom credit him with raising the profile of West African music.
-
Politics2 weeks agoProphet Bernard El Bernard Apologises for Failed Prophecy on NPP Primaries
-
Entertainment1 week agoRenowned Gospel Music Icon Ron Kenoly Passes On at 81
-
Entertainment5 days ago[EDITORIAL] Why Ghana Should Dedicate a Special Day as World Fugu Day: Projecting Culture and Inspiring the Diaspora
-
Politics2 weeks agoNPP Issues Strict Voting Guidelines Ahead of January 31 Presidential Primary
-
Business2 weeks agoBank of Ghana Cuts Gold Holdings by Half to Boost Reserves and Liquidity
-
General News2 weeks agoMahama Commissions 263 Officer Cadets, Reaffirms Commitment to National Security and Welfare of Armed Forces
-
Sports2 weeks agoCoach Otoo Addo meets Midfielder Thomas Partey in London
-
Politics3 days agoPresident Recalls Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria Over Alleged Vote Inducement
