Meet the Teen Artists Beyonce Signed for $1.5 Million
Beyoncé is looking to expand her empire — and she's taking three aspiring young singers under her wing. The New York Post reports that the pop superstar has submitted a legal request to approve new recording deals inked for a total of $1.5 million.
Chloe and Halle Bailey (15 and 17, respectively) snagged over 8 million YouTube views with their viral "Pretty Hurts" cover in 2013, and now they'll bring their melodies to a five-year, million-dollar contract.
According to the New York Post, Mrs. Carter will get a 15 percent cut of the sister act's earnings and, as their father states in the court paperwork, "We cannot think of a better person to help guide the girls.” This isn't the Bailey family's first brush with Bey, either: Chloe also played a young Beyoncé in 2003's The Fighting Temptations.
14-year-old New Yorker Sophie Beem also signed a deal valued at $560,000. The blonde singer-songwriter's past claim to fame was landing in the top forty on The X Factor.
Bey asserted her "Queen" status at the Met Gala last night (May 4), breezing into the festivities three hours after other stars had made their red carpet rounds, and dropping jaws in a transparent Givenchy dress with strategically-placed jewels. Her bankability as a performer shows no signs of slowing down, but after nearly three decades in the game a female pop star must consider her legacy — and as Jay Z can attest, discovering new talent is a great way to maintain relevance.
Parkwood Entertainment, Beyoncé's production company, is best-known for producing the singer's music videos, TV specials and various film vehicles (Cadillac Records, Obsessed). Now she's taking a page (well, another page) from Madonna's playbook, specifically that magical period in the '90s when Madge had a record label and gave the world Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill. Breaking talent was a great look for Madonna, and one she's cast off in favor of attaching herself to already-hot acts like Drake. We hope Halle, Chloe and Sophie are just the first of many protégés we see Yoncé nurture in the future.
You can check out Halle and Chloe Bailey sing "Pretty Hurts" in the video above, and check out Sophie Beem below.