HYBE AMERICA’s Nashville-based country, Americana, and roots rock division has been rebranded as Blue Highway Records (previously BMLG).
Veteran entertainment executive Jake Basden has been appointed as Blue Highway Records’ Chief Executive Officer.
Basden most recently served as President of Sandbox Management, where he oversaw all aspects of the talent division’s representation and business development, guiding the careers of multi-platinum and multi-award-winning talent, including Kacey Musgraves, Brandi Carlile, Kate Hudson, Kelsea Ballerini, Baby Nova, and Little Big Town.
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’s 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.
The announcement follows last week’s departure of Scott Borchetta, who had served as the CEO of Big Machine Label Group since HYBE’s purchase of Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings in 2021. Borchetta founded Big Machine Records in 2005. BMLG was acquired by Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings in 2019. The entirety of Ithaca, including BMLG and Braun’s SB Projects, was then acquired by South Korea’s HYBE in a $1.05 billion deal in 2021.
Last week’s announcement noted that Borchetta would continue to use the Big Machine Records brand for his future ventures, but that HYBE AMERICA would retain the BMLG assets, the distribution deal, the publishing company Big Machine Music, and a number of artists on the label’s roster.
The rebranded HYBE-run company in Nashville will now operate under the new label name of Blue Highway Records, effective immediately, led by Jake Basden.
The Valory Music Co. will be folded into Blue Highway Records.
The publishing company Big Machine Music will remain under HYBE AMERICA.
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.
While at BMLG, he worked with superstars Taylor Swift, Sheryl Crow, Tim McGraw, and Steven Tyler, and delivered award-winning music campaigns for Lionsgate’s “Nashville,” NBC’s “The Voice,” Fox’s “American Idol,” and Academy Award nominee recognition for Best Original Song for “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from the documentary Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me.
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.
“We’re excited for what’s ahead for Blue Highway Records and for all that Jake will do to further expand our company’s footprint in Music City.”
Isaac Lee, HYBE AMERICA
“As 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,” said Isaac Lee, Chairman and CEO of HYBE AMERICA.
“Jake’s 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’re excited for what’s ahead for Blue Highway Records and for all that Jake will do to further expand our company’s footprint in Music City.”
Commenting on his appointment, Basden added: “Country 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 – 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.”
“Blue Highway is going to deliver the sound for country for the coming years.”
Jake Basden
Basden added: “We 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.
“From Thomas Rhett, a superstar who’s 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.”
HYBE America noted on Tuesday (February 17) that Basden recently “orchestrated eight-time Grammy Award winner Kacey Musgraves’ further artistic evolution with Deeper Well,” which charted high in both the US and UK.
He also established multi-platinum vocalist Kelsea Ballerini’s Rolling Up The Welcome Mat 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.
Last month, HYBE America appointed veteran music exec Ethiopia Habtemariam as its new President of Music. She previously headed up Universal Music Group’s Motown Records.
HYBE AMERICA also named Gene Whitney as its new General Counsel last month, while Johanna Fuentes was appointed to the newly created role of Executive Vice President and Head of Communications and Public Relations.
The string of recent appointments at HYBE AMERICA follows last year’s leadership shakeup at the company, which saw Scooter Braun step away from his role as CEO of HYBE America in July.
Braun was succeeded by Isaac Lee, who had been leading HYBE Latin America as Chairman since November of 2023, and took on a wider Americas leadership role with oversight of HYBE AMERICA and its business units, including BMLG (Big Machine Label Group) in Nashville and QC Media Holdings in Atlanta, as well as remaining as Chairman of HYBE’s Latin American operations in Mexico, Miami, and Medellin.
Elsewhere at HYBE America, in October, the company formally launched HYBE LABEL SERVICE (HLS), a services unit the company says has been “specifically designed to bolster the growth of its artists in international markets”.
To lead HLS, Los Angeles-based Ryan Hyeong Woo Noh was promoted to Chief Business Officer (CBO) of HYBE AMERICA, having previously served as Chief Strategy Officer of HYBE’s US division.Music Business Worldwide
