How Paul McCartney Promoted A New Album Without Relying On Traditional Media

BusinessMediaHow Paul McCartney Promoted A New Album Without Relying On Traditional MediaByAndy Meek,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I report on media as well as its intersection with news and culture.Follow AuthorJun 01, 2026, 05:47pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Paul McCartney performs live on stage at the Paris La Defense Arena during the 'Got Back!' Tour on December 04, 2024, in France.Getty ImagesIt feels like Paul McCartney has been everywhere during the rollout of his latest studio album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane.In addition to hosting his first-ever TikTok Live, the ex-Beatle also sat down with host Amelia Dimoldenberg for her YouTube series Chicken Shop Date. He revisited his favorite songs on the BBC Radio 2 show Tracks of My Years, chatted with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, filmed a short conversation with actor Paul Mescal for Amazon Music, performed on Saturday Night Live, and even turned up as Stephen Colbert's mystery guest during the now ex-late night host's final episode.McCartney also appeared on The Rest Is History podcast, in a special episode with host Tom Holland where they discussed his early life and previewed a track from The Boys of Dungeon Lane.What ‘The Boys of Dungeon Lane’ rollout says about media todayAbout the only media format that McCartney hasn’t seemed to prioritize is the one where musicians like him and his peers used to spend much of an album campaign's publicity cycle: The pages of music magazines, and really the traditional press in general.As of this writing, a cover story for Mojo magazine billed as a “world exclusive” plus interviews with The Guardian and The New York Times stand as the biggest exceptions to the updated McCartney media playbook — which is focused more than ever these days on live broadcasts, digital channels, and creators.“There was this...