The Universal Music Group’s proposed $1.9 billion takeover of EMI’s recorded-music business — which releases work by the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Katy Perry and Coldplay — is perhaps the music industry’s most significant deal in the last decade, and one of its most contentious.
Most major artists have been silent about the deal. But Katy Perry, who records for EMI’s Capitol label, referred to the merger briefly at an industry conference. While accepting the artist of the year award from the National Association of Recording Merchandisers, known as NARM, she said,
Long live EMI. You haven’t taken us down yet, Universal!
