Universal Music’s global artist services division Virgin Music Group has partnered with 3AM Entertainment, a new label founded by British artist Jay Sean, producer Jeremy Skaller, and talent manager Jared Cotter.
3AM Entertainment will focus on developing South Asian artists across all genres, Virgin Music Group said Thursday (March 28).
The collaboration kicks off with the upcoming release of Heartless, a new single by Jay Sean featuring Toronto-based Punjabi hitmaker Ikky. The song drops on April 5, with a full album to follow.
Jay Sean‘s career spans two decades. Virgin Music Group noted that he holds the distinction of being the first Indian and South Asian artist to achieve a No. 1 on Billboard’s charts, secure a No. 1 Latin single, and perform on Top of the Pops.
On Spotify, Sean has over 9.6 million monthly listeners, and on YouTube, his channel has 1.45 million subscribers.
Additionally, he is the first British Asian artist with simultaneous Top 10 Billboard singles in the US. Sean is widely regarded as the most influential Indian music figure globally, said Virgin Music Group.
“3AM Entertainment will focus on supporting artists from the South Asian diaspora on their journey to becoming global stars.”
Jay Sean, 3AM Entertainment
“When I started my career 20 years ago, there was almost no representation of South Asians outside of their home region,” said Sean. “Today’s music business is truly global, and 3AM Entertainment will focus on supporting artists from the South Asian diaspora on their journey to becoming global stars.
“It is my goal and dream to see our culture be appreciated on mainstream platforms and resonate with global audiences in the same way that Latin music, K-pop and Afrobeat have found audiences outside their native culture. Virgin Music Group, with its powerful global footprint and team of experts around the world, is a perfect partner to join us on this mission.”
Jeremy Skaller, Co-President of 3AM Entertainment, will spearhead global strategy. Skaller, known for his label The Heavy Group, boasts a career exceeding 75 million records sold through his work as a producer, writer, manager, publisher, and remixer.
“The challenges and cultural barriers that Jay Sean faced while becoming the first Indian global music star left an indelible impression on me,” said Skaller.
“We will utilize all the powerful services that Range [Media Partner] has to offer, to shine more light on 3AM Entertainment’s artists.”
Jared Cotter, 3AM Entertainment and Range Media Partners
“It has been and will continue to be a great privilege to help kick down doors that should not stand and shine a light on artistic greatness, regardless of an artist’s cultural background. The creation of this label is an important moment in the ascension of South Asians in popular culture, which is long overdue.”
Jared Cotter, Co-President of 3AM Entertainment and VP of A&R at Range Media Partners, brings further expertise to the table. Cotter’s recent successes include Paul Russell’s Top 5 radio hit Lil Boo Thang and the rise of country music phenomenon Shaboozey. He also manages pop star Bazzi.
“While working with Jay Sean and Jeremy over the last 2 decades, I have developed a real love and appreciation for the music of the amazing and diverse South Asian Diaspora,” Cotter said.
“Through many years of success with Jeremy at the Heavy Group and my experience now being at Range, it became clear that this was an opportunity to bring us all together to support and uplift the incredible artists from the South Asian global community. We will utilize all the powerful services that Range has to offer, to shine more light on 3AM Entertainment’s artists.”
“The creation of this label is an important moment in the ascension of South Asians in popular culture, which is long overdue.”
Jeremy Skaller, 3AM Entertainment
The 3AM Entertainment team also includes additional prominent members. Sean’s longtime manager, Thara Natalie, joins as Chief Operations Manager. Madison Bickel steps into the role of General Manager, while Mahima Sharma takes on A&R responsibilities based in New Delhi, India. Aayushman Sinha, Sean’s co-manager, and his Represent team will contribute their expertise in A&R and strategy from their Mumbai base.
Nat Pastor, Co-CEO of Virgin Music Group, said: “No single artist has done more to bring South Asian music and culture to a global audience than Jay Sean.”
“Jeremy and Jared have been with Jay on that journey, and together the three executives have a strong track record in supporting and nurturing South Asian artists in their native countries and beyond.
“Through our partnership with 3AM Entertainment, we are creating a platform to increase our presence in this fast-growth market to support and expand the reach of South Asian music.”
For Virgin Music Group, the partnership expands its reach into South Asia. The company provides a dedicated team, global infrastructure, and local expertise to independent music companies and artists across key music markets worldwide.
Back in October, Virgin Music Group combined its subsidiary Virgin Music (previously known as Virgin Music Label & Artist Services) with Ingrooves, a music distribution and marketing firm acquired by Universal Music Group in 2019. Ingrooves already has a presence in South Asia, expanding into India in late 2021.
Music Business Worldwide