[LMich]

lol at this story:



Michigan can say 'thank u, Ariana Grande'; Her hit '7 Rings' boosts state pension funds

LANSING — Michigan pensioners get a little boost every time Ariana Grande's chart-topping song "7 Rings" hits the airwaves.

That's good news for the more than 530,000 people tied to the state's pension programs, most of which are not fully funded.

There isn't a direct line between "7 Rings" to pensioners' pockets, but it's pretty close.

Here's the connection: In the song, Grande puts a feminist spin on The Sound of Music's "My Favorite Things" by boasting about her ability to buy herself all of her favorite things. (While the musical's characters cherished brown paper packages tied up with strings, Grande prefers lashes and diamonds, ATM machines.)

"7 Rings" is at the top of the Billboard charts. It gets played a lot. Every time it does, 90% of the songwriting royalties go to the duo behind The Sound of Music, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, the music website Pitchfork reported.

A company called Concord Music acquired the copyrights to Rodgers and Hammerstein's collection.

Can you guess who owns the majority of Concord Music?

Michigan. Specifically, Michigan's pension funds. (thank u, Ariana Grande.)