HYBE AMERICA’s Nashville-based country, Americana, and roots rock division has been rebranded as Blue Highway Records (previously BMLG).<\/p>\n
Veteran entertainment executive Jake Basden<\/strong> has been appointed as Blue Highway Records’ Chief Executive Officer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Basden most recently served as President of\u00a0Sandbox Management<\/strong>, where he oversaw all aspects of the talent division\u2019s representation and business development, guiding the careers of multi-platinum and multi-award-winning talent, including\u00a0Kacey Musgraves,\u00a0Brandi Carlile,\u00a0Kate\u00a0Hudson,\u00a0Kelsea\u00a0Ballerini,\u00a0Baby\u00a0Nova, and Little Big Town.<\/span><\/p>\n According to HYBE AMERICA, Blue Highway Records will be home to “some of the premier artists and songwriters in the industry,” with a number of “marquee” talent on the label\u2019s roster including Thomas Rhett, Brett Young, Midland, Justin Moore, Carly Pearce, Preston Cooper, Jackson Dean and Mae Estes, as well as distribution for Riley Green, Shaylen, The Band Perry and Greylan James under Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment.<\/p>\n The announcement follows last week’s departure<\/a> of Scott Borchetta<\/strong>, who had served as the CEO of Big Machine Label Group\u00a0since HYBE\u2019s\u00a0purchase of Scooter Braun\u2019s Ithaca Holdings<\/a> in 2021.\u00a0Borchetta founded Big Machine Records in 2005.\u00a0BMLG<\/strong>\u00a0was acquired<\/a>\u00a0by Scooter Braun\u2019s Ithaca Holdings in 2019. The entirety of Ithaca, including BMLG and Braun\u2019s SB Projects, was then\u00a0acquired by South Korea\u2019s HYBE<\/a> in a $1.05 billion deal in 2021.<\/p>\n Last week’s announcement noted that Borchetta would continue to use the Big Machine Records brand for his future ventures, but that HYBE AMERICA<\/strong> would retain the BMLG assets, the distribution deal, the publishing company Big Machine Music, and a number of artists on the label\u2019s roster.<\/p>\n The rebranded HYBE-run company in Nashville will now operate under the new label name of Blue Highway Records<\/strong>, effective immediately, led by Jake Basden.<\/strong><\/p>\n The Valory Music Co. will be folded into Blue Highway Records.<\/p>\n The publishing company Big Machine Music will remain under HYBE AMERICA.<\/p>\n This new appointment marks a return to the company for Basden, who previously served as Senior Vice President of Communications for Big Machine Label Group.<\/p>\n While at BMLG, he worked with superstars Taylor Swift, Sheryl Crow, Tim McGraw, and Steven Tyler, and delivered award-winning music campaigns for Lionsgate\u2019s “Nashville,” NBC\u2019s “The Voice,” Fox\u2019s “American Idol,\u201d and Academy Award nominee recognition for Best Original Song for \u201cI\u2019m Not Gonna Miss You\u201d from the documentary Glen Campbell: I\u2019ll Be Me.<\/p>\n Basden began his career with a significant tenure at Ogilvy & Mather in New York, as well as Edelman, where he served as a Director in the Sports & Entertainment Division, spanning fashion, artists, products, celebrities and key events.<\/p>\n “We\u2019re excited for what\u2019s ahead for Blue Highway Records and for all that Jake will do to further expand our company\u2019s footprint in Music City.\u201d<\/p>\n Isaac Lee, HYBE AMERICA<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cAs we were searching for a leader for our new Nashville record label, it was important to choose someone that thought of artists first. We found someone that would not only connect with our team and build our company culture, but has profound ties to this community,\u201d said Isaac Lee, Chairman and CEO of HYBE AMERICA.<\/p>\n \u201cJake\u2019s long history of devoted service to artists, his time with our company and his deep roots in Nashville, along with his fresh and modern take on what will make the label successful in the digital age made him the ideal candidate for this role. We\u2019re excited for what\u2019s ahead for Blue Highway Records and for all that Jake will do to further expand our company\u2019s footprint in Music City.\u201d<\/p>\n Commenting on his appointment, Basden added: \u201cCountry and American roots music is at such a dynamic place, and I can think of no better place to define what the future of these sounds can be than Blue Highway. With the power and global synergy of HYBE, there are no limits to what we can create \u2013 and I look forward to working with the current roster and future signings to deliver artists, songs and projects that speak to the heart of who we are as people.\u201d<\/p>\n “Blue Highway is going to deliver the sound for country for the coming years.\u201d<\/p>\n Jake Basden<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Basden added: \u201cWe are starting with a diverse roster of passionate creators. Each is singular in who they are, but also how they write and realize their sound.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom Thomas Rhett, a superstar who\u2019s still filled with unmet potential to Jackson Dean, a songwriter with raw charisma and a gritty sound, Blue Highway is a place where being yourself invites originality and inspires listeners to find their own path. For CMA and ACM Female Vocalist of the Year Carly Pearce, Western-leaning progressives Midland and staunch American Justin Moore, country music is the bedrock for labelmates who have defined their own lane. When you factor in Preston Cooper, Brett Young and Mae Estes, the tradition of being your own kind of country remains in strong hands. Blue Highway is going to deliver the sound for country for the coming years.\u201d<\/p>\n HYBE America noted on Tuesday (February 17) that Basden recently “orchestrated eight-time Grammy Award winner Kacey Musgraves’ further artistic evolution with Deeper Well<\/em>,” which charted high in both the US and UK.<\/p>\n He also established multi-platinum vocalist Kelsea Ballerini\u2019s<\/strong> Rolling Up The Welcome Mat<\/em> as “a critical triumph,” HYBE America said, earning a Best Country Album nomination at the 2024 Grammys, as well as nominations from the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association for Female Vocalist and Album of the Year.<\/p>\n Last month, HYBE America appointed<\/a>\u00a0veteran music exec\u00a0Ethiopia<\/strong>\u00a0Habtemariam<\/strong>\u00a0as its new President of Music. She previously headed up\u00a0Universal Music Group\u2019s Motown Records<\/b>.<\/p>\n HYBE AMERICA also named Gene Whitney<\/a> as its new General Counsel last month, while Johanna Fuentes was appointed<\/a> to the newly created role of Executive Vice President and Head of Communications and Public Relations.<\/p>\n The string of recent appointments at HYBE AMERICA follows last year\u2019s leadership shakeup at the company, which saw Scooter Braun step away<\/a>\u00a0from his role as CEO of HYBE America in July.<\/p>\n
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