Superstar artist Ariana Grande is set to join HYBE-owned Superfan platform Weverse.
Representatives for the artist and HYBE also confirmed to MBW today (June 12) that Grande and HYBE America, led by CEO Scooter Braun, will be “continuing their long-standing partnership”.
Grande’s reps also confirmed that Brandon Creed will continue as her manager.
In March, Ariana Grande debuted at No.1 on the Billboard 200 with her album eternal sunshine, marking her sixth No.1 album. The album also debuted at No.1 on the Spotify Global Top Albums Chart, US iTunes Chart, US Apple Music Chart, Billboard Top Album Sales and Top Streaming Albums.
In a statement issued to MBW, reps for Ariana Grande and HYBE said: “Ariana Grande and Hybe, led by CEO Scooter Braun, look forward to continuing their long-standing business partnership and pursuing creative opportunities in Weverse and REM Beauty.”
The statement added: “Grande in this new chapter will continue to be managed exclusively by Brandon Creed/Good World Management.”
News broke in December that Grande had signed with Brandon Creed and his management firm, Good World Management.
Creed is an industry veteran whose past clients include Bruno Mars and Lizzo.
He officially launched Good World Management in July after six years under Jeffrey and Irving Azoff’s Full Stop Management, bringing with him Troye Sivan, Charli XCX, Mark Ronson, Orville Peck, Charlotte Lawrence, Emile Haynie, Jake Wesley Rogers, Brett McLaughlin and Tame Impala to his new company.
Grande’s move followed her departure from longtime manager Scooter Braun’s SB Projects in August.
HYBE’s global superfan platform, Weverse, brings together artist-related content such as music videos, teasers, movies and live streams.
It also has a merch platform known as Weverse Shop, a music player called Weverse albums, and a K-Pop-centric music publication called Weverse Magazine.
In an exclusive interview with MBW in March, Weverse boss Joon Choi revealed that Weverse has “extensive plans to expand [its] artist roster, including both established superstars and promising rising talents across various regions and genres”.
According to Weverse, 90% of the 130 artists currently on its platform as of April are signed to labels other than HYBE.
Thanks to an experimental deal inked between Weverse and Universal Music Group in 2020, a number of UMG artists are active on the Weverse platform, including the likes of Gracie Abrams (Interscope), Conan Gray (Republic), Jeremy Zucker (Republic), and Alexander 23 (Interscope).
Superstar Ariana Grande, who is set to join the platform, is also a Universal Music-affiliated artist. Her label partner is Republic Records.
Universal Music Group, with ‘superfans’ as one of its top priorities in 2024, recently invested directly in Weverse, as part of a new 10-year partnership between UMG and HYBE.
Ahead of Ariana Grande’s debut on Weverse, the biggest artists on Weverse, continue to have their roots in K-Pop.
Today, they include stars from HYBE’s own affiliated roster (Jung Kook, NewJeans, Tomorrow X Together, Seventeen etc.), plus stars from YG Entertainment (Blackpink, BabyMonster, Winner, Lee Soo Hyuk etc.).
And since 2023, Weverse has also hosted acts repped by HYBE’s fierce competitor, SM Entertainment (including EXO, Red Velvet, and aespa).
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