Kevin Parker, the musical mastermind behind psych-rock band Tame Impala, has sold all his past and future music to Sony Music Group.
The deal expands Parker’s relationship with SMP, which has published him since 2009, and includes all of his musical works released as Tame Impala as well as his writing credits for other songs. Parker also expanded his publishing deal with Sony to include his current full catalog as well as all future works.
The Australian musician and producer has made a significant impact on pop music since launching Tame Impala in 2008. Parker has released four albums as Tame Impala —InnerSpeaker (2010), Lonerism (2012),Currents (2015) and The Slow Rush (2020)—all of which were solely written, produced, recorded and mixed by Parker.
Parker has also written and produced for music for a galaxy of musical stars, including Travis Scott, Dua Lipa, Mick Jagger, Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Gorillaz, Mark Ronson, The Weeknd, Lady Gaga, Kid Cudi, Flaming Lips, A$AP Rocky, Lil Yachty, and Daft Punk.
Rihanna covered his hit Tame Impala single “New Person, Same Old Mistakes” (which she retitled “Same Ol’ Mistakes”) on her 2016 album ANTI. And most recently, Parker contributed to Dua Lipa‘s new album Radical Optimism, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 this week, reports Billboard.
“The idea of passing on ownership of my songs is one that I don’t think about very lightly, at all,” Parker said of the deal in a statement.
“They are the fruit of my blood, sweat and creativity over all the years I’ve been a recording artist and songwriter so far. I have a lot of love and trust for the Sony publishing family and have only had great experiences with Damian Trotter and the rest of the gang worldwide. I don’t think my songs could be in any safer hands than Sony’s, and I’m excited for the future and happy I can keep working with them on whatever the future brings.”
Jon Platt, chairman and CEO of SMP, said: “I have always admired Kevin Parker and I believe he is one of the most versatile songwriters of our time. Kevin has built a catalog of songs with incredible range and enduring power, and he has always stayed true to his vision. It is a privilege to represent his music, and we are committed to broadening his legacy of success.”