Clover Music

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Clover Music
Parent companyWarner Music Group
Founded2017; 4 years ago (2017)
FounderJoJo
StatusActive
Distributor(s)
Country of originUnited States

Clover Music is an American record label imprint founded by American recording artist JoJo. Clover Music albums are distributed by Warner Records, a division of the Warner Music Group. Warner Records took over distribution from Interscope Records in September 2018 following Aaron Bay-Schuck's departure from the label as president of A&R and his new appointment as co-chairman and CEO of Warner Records. The label will exclusively distribute all of JoJo's future recordings.

As a gift to fans, and due to JoJo not owning the masters of her first two albums, JoJo re-recorded versions of her debut album JoJo (2004) and its follow-up The High Road (2006) and release it through Clover Music on December 21, 2018, for both digital download and music streaming. The labels first original release Good to Know was released on May 1, 2020. The latest studio album release from the label was JoJo's first Christmas album December Baby on October 30, 2020.

History[]

2016-2017: Formation[]

Following an exhaustive multi-year battle with her former record label Blackground Records and its imprint DaFamily Entertainment, JoJo was finally released from her original recording contract in December 2013 and signed her new record deal that same month with Atlantic Records.[1][2][3][4] Senior Vice President of A&R at Atlantic Records at the time, Aaron Bay-Schuck orchestrated the deal and was instrumental to JoJo's signing with the record label.[5][6][7][4] JoJo then began working on her third studio album for the label which would eventually become Mad Love. (2016), However, on November 9, 2014, it was announced that Schuck would be leaving his position at Atlantic and was appointed the new president of A&R for Interscope Geffen A&M Records thus leaving JoJo without an A&R at the label, prolonging the albums development.[8][9][10]

Two years after her signing to Atlantic, JoJo finally released her third studio album Mad Love on October 14, 2016. It served as her first major official release in a decade following 2006's The High Road. The album achieved a moderate success with little to no commercial promotion it still managed to debut within the top 10 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart at number 6 selling 25,000 album-equivalent units, of which 19,000 were traditional album sales, However the album completely fell off the chart in its third week of release.[11] JoJo supported the album by embarking on the Mad Love World Tour for four months that begun on January 15, 2017, and concluded on May 26 2017, thus fulfilling her contractual obligations with the album cycle.[12][13] The tours conclusion left JoJo craving more control over her career after being halted from releasing music for so many years. On July 27, 2017, during an interview with Dawn Richard on her JonLee Drive radio show JoJo states "This album was not indicative of my freedom, this album was absolutely necessary for me to give my fans something, it was my first label album I've put out in ten years... this was still me considering I think a bit too much of what other people wanted from me and I think once I turned 25 I felt a lot more sexier and confident".[14] In the interview JoJo mentioned she had begun work on her new album and also hinted exciting news that would be mentioned off air.[14]

On August 18, 2017, JoJo officially announced that she had left Atlantic Records and had reunited with Aaron Bay-Schuck by launching her own record label imprint Clover Music through a joint venture with Interscope Records.[6][7] In an official press release, JoJo states, "I'm reunited with Aaron Bay-Schuck, my original A&R at Atlantic, who was instrumental in signing me there. One of the hardest things I’ve had to do in my career was leave the Atlantic family. It was a decision I seriously struggled with, but felt I owed it to myself to fulfill my ultimate goal, which was ownership".[15]

2018-present: Move to Warner[]

On October 3, 2017, just over a month following the announcement it was reported that Bay-Schuck would be leaving his post as president of A&R at Interscope Records and would be appointed the new co-chairman and CEO of Warner Records.[16][17] Bay-Schuck waited out the remainder of his contract with that label until September 2018 before commencing at Warner, with his move Clover Music was re-homed and will now be housed and distributed through Warner Records.[18][19][20]

On December 19, 2018, JoJo teased the imminent release of new music through a phone call with her manager.[21] Two days later, on December 21, 2018, JoJo surprised fans with the re-release of her debut album JoJo, her sophomore album The High Road and singles "Demonstrate" and "Disaster".[22][23] The new 2018 editions include re-recorded vocals and slightly new arrangements.[24] The decision to re-record the albums came from Blackground Records' removal of both of JoJo's albums from all streaming and digital selling platforms as Blackground owns the master licensing to the original recordings.[25][26][27] JoJo fought to get the original albums back online, but would never come to an agreement with the label. JoJo's lawyer stated they’d reached the end of the statute of limitations on the re-record clause which gave her the rights to “cover” her own music.[28][29][30] The next release is scheduled to be JoJo's upcoming fourth studio album, Good to Know on May 1, 2020. Following the release of the album, JoJo expressed interest into signing new artists to the label.[30]

Title[]

Born and raised in Foxborough, Massachusetts, a heavily Irish state.[31] JoJo's family background includes Irish heritage which has always carried significance in JoJo's life as she has a four-leaf Clover tattooed on her right ring finger.[32][33] The label is aptly titled “Clover Music,” as JoJo's track “Clovers” on her third album was notably all about her personal struggles with depression over her life, her inability to release her own music, all the time she missed out on in her career, along with her determination to stay positive, and to get better.[34] JoJo sings "What makes me mad / All of the lost time / Only left here to realize / What makes me mad / Can't open up my eyes". In the song's chorus, JoJo talks about visualizing being "in a field of Clovers" and "running forward back to life" as a form of therapy and self-care, with the bridge and outro elaborating on these ideas even further, "Sitting, pretty, steady, picking Clovers / Finally I feel I'm getting closure".[34] The new imprint will give JoJo the freedom, creativity and ownership she has desired in her career.[35][36]

Discography[]

Studio albums[]

List of albums, with selected chart positions, sales figures and certifications
Title Artist Year Album details Peak chart positions
US
[37] 		US
R&B
Hip-Hop
[38] 		POR
[39] 		SCO
[40] 		UK
R&B
[41] 		UK
Album Sales
[42]
JoJo (2018) JoJo 2018
  • Released: December 21, 2018
  • re-issue of debut album
 — —[a] — — — —
The High Road (2018) JoJo
  • Released: December 21, 2018
  • re-issue of second album
 — — — — — —
Good to Know JoJo 2020
  • Released: May 1, 2020
  • Fourth studio album
 33 19 22 78 4 44
December Baby JoJo
  • Released: October 30, 2020
  • First Christmas album
 — — — — — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Notes

  • ^[a] Although JoJo (2018) did not chart on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, it did reach number 13 on R&B/Hip-Hop Album Sales chart[43]

Singles[]

List of singles by artist, with selected chart positions and certifications
Title Artist Year Peak chart positions Album
US R&B Digital Songs
[44] 		US R&B / Hip-Hop
Digital Songs
[45]
"Disaster (2018)" JoJo 2018 — — Non-album single
"Demonstrate (2018)" — —
"Joanna" 2019 14 —
"Sabotage" (featuring Chika) 18 —
"The Christmas Song" — — December Baby (2020)
"Man" 2020 6 16 Good to Know
"What U Need" 7 23
"The Change" — — Non-album single
"Wishlist" (featuring PJ Morton) — — December Baby
"December Baby" — —
"American Mood" 2021 — — Non-album single
"Creature of Habit" — —
"Worst (I Assume)" — — Trying Not to Think About It
"Anxiety (Burlinda's Theme)" — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

References[]

  1. ^ "Exclusive: JoJo signs deal with Atlantic Records - latimes". Articles.latimes.com. 2014-01-14. Retrieved 2019-01-28.
  2. ^ "JoJo Released from Blackground, Signs with Atlantic Records". Rap-Up. 2014-01-14. Retrieved 2019-01-28.
  3. ^ ByKyle Kramer. "JoJo Signs Deal with Atlantic Records". Complex. Retrieved 2019-01-28.
  4. ^ a b "JoJo Inks deal with Atlantic Records". The POWER Room. Retrieved 2019-01-28.
  5. ^ "Atlantic Records' Aaron Bay-Schuck Promoted to SVP, A&R". Hollywood Reporter. 2012-11-12. Retrieved 2019-01-28.
  6. ^ a b Vibe (2017-08-18). "JoJo Announces Music Imprint "Clover Music" With Interscope". Vibe. Retrieved 2019-01-28.
  7. ^ a b "JoJo Signs to Interscope, Launches Clover Music Imprint". Rap-Up. 2017-08-18. Retrieved 2019-01-28.
  8. ^ Billboard (2014-11-09). "Interscope Geffen A&M Records Appoints Aaron Bay-Schuck President, A&R". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-01-28.
  9. ^ Billboard (2017-09-29). "Interscope Geffen A&M President of A&R Aaron Bay-Schuck Will Move to Warner Bros. Records Next Year". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
  10. ^ Idolator.com (2016-10-06). "JoJo's Mad Return". Idolator.com. Retrieved 2019-01-28.
  11. ^ Caulfield, Keith (October 23, 2016). "Kings of Leon Score Their First No. 1 Album on the Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  12. ^ "[CANCELED] JoJo - Mad Love Tour". Liberty Hall. Archived from the original on February 27, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  13. ^ Sanchez, Omar. "JoJo forced to cancel Lawrence concert; reschedule details to come". Kansan. The University Daily Kansan. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
  14. ^ a b NTS Radio (2017-07-27). "D∆WN Presents: Jonlee Drive w/ Jojo - 27th July 2017 by NTS Radio". Mixcloud. Retrieved 2019-01-28.
  15. ^ Rachael Ellenbogen (2017-08-18). "JoJo Is Leaving Atlantic Records To Start Joint Venture With Interscope". Ibtimes.com. Retrieved 2019-01-28.
  16. ^ Jem Aswad (2017-09-29). "Aaron Bay-Schuck Leaving Interscope for Warner Bros. Records – Variety". Variety.com. Retrieved 2019-01-28.
  17. ^ Shirley Halperin (2017-10-03). "Aaron Bay-Schuck, Tom Corson Join Warner Bros. Records as Co-Chairmen – Variety". Variety.com. Retrieved 2019-01-28.
  18. ^ Ingham, Tim (2017-09-26). "After Tom Corson... is Aaron Bay-Schuck next on Max Lousada's hitlist?". Music Business Worldwide. Retrieved 2019-01-28.
  19. ^ Jem Aswad (2018-10-01). "Aaron Bay-Schuck Takes the Reins as CEO of Warner Bros. Records – Variety". Variety.com. Retrieved 2019-01-28.
  20. ^ "Aaron Bay-Schuck Officially Joins Warner Bros. Records as Co-Chairman/CEO". Billboard.com. 2017-10-03. Retrieved 2019-01-28.
  21. ^ "JoJo.'s Instagram post: "