Jake Basden Appointed CEO of HYBE America’s New Country Label, Blue Highway

HYBE America, the US branch of the South Korean entertainment powerhouse, has brought on Jake Basden to lead its new country and Americana label, Blue Highway. This will be HYBE's primary force out of Nashville now that Scott Borchetta has left HYBE and purchased the name of his longstanding country label, Big Machine Label Group (BMLG), back from the international conglomerate.

Background:

• Scott Borchetta was CEO of BMLG under the HYBE umbrella until he left HYBE last week.

• Upon exit, he purchased the BMLG name back to relaunch the label he founded in 2005 with such artists as Riley Green and Tim McGraw on the roster.

• HYBE retained essential aspects of BMLG, including its publishing company, Big Machine Music, and numerous label artists such as Thomas Rhett, Brett Young, Midland, Justin Moore, and Carly Pearce.

• All of these assets will be managed under Blue Highway moving forward.

• Basden was BMLG’s SVP of Communications for 12 years.

What they said:

• Isaac Lee, Chairman and CEO of 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. 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.”

• Basden: “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.”