SANTA MONICA, CA - Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) has signed an exclusive worldwide music publishing agreement with Mark “Pelli” Pellizzer, songwriter and guitarist of the band Magic!, it was announced today by Evan Lamberg, President, North America, UMPG and Donna Caseine, Senior Vice President U.S. and International Creative Affairs, UMPG.
The deal encompasses Pellizzer’s future works and his entire catalog, including the No.1 hit single “Rude.” Since its release, “Rude” has become an international smash, topping charts in major countries including the U.K. and U.S., where it has sold over two million units to date. The single is currently in its sixth week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. In addition to “Rude,” Pellizzer co-wrote five other tracks featured on Magic!’s debut album, Don’t Kill the Magic (RCA), and has been steadily climbing up The Billboard 200 chart.
In making the announcement, Lamberg said: “Magic! have proven themselves to be one of the few global new artist-songwriter breakthroughs of the year. Mark Pellizzer is an incredibly schooled musician and songwriter and we are beyond happy that he has chosen Universal Music Publishing as his home. Kudos, as well, to Magic! manager, Charles Chavez, who has one of the best set of ears in our business and really knows how to identify special global hits.”
“Congratulations to Pelli for co-writing a worldwide hit with his group Magic! – and the success he’s having right now is just the beginning. Pelli's musicality and prolific musicianship makes him a unique writer as he is able to span across multiple genres. We’re thrilled he has chosen the UMPG family,” added Caseine.
Before joining Magic!, Pellizzer co-wrote and produced Chris Brown’s hit “Don’t Judge Me,” Shakira’s single “Cut Me Deep,” and her 2014 FIFA World Cup theme “This Is Our Time,” which was used extensively during the games and is featured on the event’s compilation album, One Love, One Rhythm. In addition to Chris Brown and Shakira, Pellizzer has also worked with artists such as Usher, Trey Songz, and JoJo.
"I've been extremely blessed to work with such amazing talent! When Nasri and I started this group, we had a strong feeling we were on to something special, but the immense success of "Rude" has far exceeded our expectations, said Pellizzer. “Artistically, this has been a very fulfilling project and our manager Charles Chavez is simply the best in the business. I'm really excited to work with my friend Donna Caseine at Universal Music as well as the rest of the team."
Pictured (L to R): Donna Caseine, Senior Vice President U.S. and International Creative Affairs, UMPG; Mark “Pelli” Pellizzer.
