Jake Basden, Thomas Rhett & Virginia Bunetta (Photo Credit: Blue Highway Records)
HYBE's Blue Highway Records and Thomas Rhett Join Forces to Launch Fifty-One/Forty-Nine Records
As a diamond-certified artist, Rhett is well-suited to lead the new label's artist-first approach
Today (October 6), HYBE America is launching its latest imprint, Fifty-One/Forty-Nine Records. This new entity will stem from the South Korean music giant’s longstanding country label, Blue Highway Records.
The details:
Like Blue Highway, Fifty-One/Forty-Nine will focus on country and roots music.
Country star Thomas Rhett will be in charge of Fifty-One/Forty-Nine.
HYBE described Rhett’s leadership as “a new artist-led partnership” and part of its “artist-first approach.”
Rhett is a diamond-certified artist with his single, “Die A Happy Man,” clearing over 10 million sales.
Rhett has also accrued over 16 billion collective streams and 25 #1 singles.
What they said:
Rhett: “When we started talking about what the next chapter could look like, I knew I didn’t simply want to make another deal. I wanted to build something that reflected the legacy and shaped the future of my music. From my initial conversations with Jake and the leadership team at Blue Highway, it was clear they, too, were thinking differently about what a record company can be for an artist today. This allows me the opportunity to own the body of work I’ve spent my entire career creating, while still having an ambitious team and global infrastructure around me for my future recordings. I am incredibly excited about building this next chapter together.”
Blue Highway Records CEO Jake Basden: “Thomas Rhett has always been an artist, a songwriter, a performer who brings the best of what being a progressive country artist is today: someone who is willing to explore how other genres merge with Nashville without losing his roots, without sounding calculated or forced. His musical fluidity is matched by his sense of lyrics, songs, and what people feel, creating an honest kind of country that finds its way into people’s lives, wherever they are. Having watched Thomas Rhett come into his own and then achieve major success, I am honored to be his partner going forward.”
👋 Disclosures & Transparency Block
This article was written from a press release provided by HYBE America.
We covered it because HYBE is a major music company.
