If the deal goes through, Blackstone-backed Hipgnosis Songs Capital would earn revenue from the Canadian pop star’s recorded music and songwriting royalty streams, which includes six studio albums, remix and compilation albums and dozens of singles. (The Wall Street Journal)

Talking point: While Hipgnosis, led by Canadian Merck Mercuriadis, has closed similar deals with the likes of Leonard Cohen and Kenny Chesney, this would be Hipgnosis’s biggest music-rights acquisition yet, and it’s for a young artist (Bieber is 28 years old). Typically, older music is a safer bet because the songs have already proven to have longevity. It’s no sure thing that anyone will still be listening to “Baby” decades from now. Interest in music copyrights picked up steam during the pandemic, with artists looking to bank on the rise of music streaming, low interest rates and a reduced capital-gains tax. On the investor side, many view music as a reliable asset since it doesn’t appear to be affected by market fluctuations. However, as the cost of borrowing has increased, buyers face more difficulty financing deals.