4Batz, Singer Behind Viral Track “act ii: date @ 8,” Sparks Major Label Bidding War

Singer 4Batz, whose track 'act ii: date @ 8' took social media and streaming services by storm over the Christmas week, has sparked a bidding war between several major labels, sources familiar with the negotiations say. Advertising sign.

Four years ago, it was routine for previously unknown artists with viral singles to land major label deals within weeks. But that path gradually slowed in 2023, and some record executives began to worry about a stagnant climate for new artists.

This explains why many A&R executives are now eager to sign 4Batz. One executive calls the singer's rapid rise “the most exciting thing that's happened in the last six months” in the music industry. Several major labels, including Republic Records, Atlantic Records and Warner Records, are in talks with 4Batz's team about a possible deal.

While he's only released two songs to date, they're already earning more than 9 million streams per week in the United States between them, according to Luminate. “act ii: date @ 8” leads the way, climbing to No. 76 on the latest Billboard Hot 100 chart. Because of that upward momentum, two sources familiar with the label's negotiations say it's sure to end up with a strong seven figure deal for 4Batz. When another R&B singer, Muni Long, enjoyed a viral breakout with “Hrs and Hrs” in late 2022, her next record deal came with an advance of about $5 million, according to a source with knowledge of the negotiations.

Legal counsel for 4Batz declined to comment.

In the heady early days of TikTok, it was common for half a dozen major labels to compete for a new act with a hot single. From 2019 to at least the end of 2021, this led to big deals for artists like Lil Tecca, Arizona Zervas, Ant Saunders and more. During that time, “it felt like every day another artist was signing a deal that was a billion dollars,” said a music attorney. Advertising sign last year.

But as 2022 rolled into 2023, fewer unsigned acts emerged behind singles streaming like crazy. Executives were concerned that virality on short-form video platforms was no longer driving the listening it once did. sometimes what happened on TikTok stayed on TikTok.

At the same time, many record executives were frustrated by the viral chase. Due to the intense competition surrounding these deals, they always ended up being expensive. (Though two of the acts who were able to translate viral energy into notable Hot 100 success in 2023, rapper Superstar Pride and singer Oliver Anthony, both ended up staying independent rather than take a big check from a major company.) The high cost of the deal put a lot of pressure on young artists to quickly replicate their initial success—to prove they were worth a huge investment in a bottom-line-focused business. Many of the signings were unable to make the leap from popular song to popular artist.

“We've all been burned to some degree” Nkhereanye tabsenior vice president of A&R at BMG, said last year.

As a result, labels have been more cautious when it comes to signing artists with viral singles over the past 18 months. They also try to connect with more acts earlier in their careers through low-cost distribution deals. That way, they have a pre-existing contractual relationship if one of those signings starts to take off. (“act ii: date @ 8” was released through Vydia, a music technology company it is now a part of Larry Jackson-Gamma with steering wheel. This marks another win for Vydia, who also brought Sexyy Red, one of last year's few original breakouts.)

But 4Batz has shown staying power in recent weeks, spending all of January to date near the top of Spotify's Global Viral 50. “act ii: date @ 8” is hypnotic and listenable, with feathery performances and a smooth bass ? It has already entered the top 10 of the Hot R&B Songs chart, surpassing established artists such as Brent Faiyaz (a clear influence on 4Batz).

R&B is on the rise right now, which is another factor working in 4Batz's favor. SZA and Victoria Monet dominated the latest Grammy nominations, with Janelle Monae and Coco Jones also getting nods in the Big Four categories. In R&B, “it's very unusual for an artist to hit the scene with the numbers and label interest” that 4Batz has, says an executive. “Normally an artist has to release more music to get that level of attention.”