London-based indie label Isekai Records and New York-based broke Records, a label within Create Music Group’s portfolio, have signed UK R&B artist Season 25 to a deal for his single “Shotta’s.” The labels describe the agreement as a “landmark seven-figure” deal.
According to the labels, the agreement is “believed to be one of the largest single-song agreements in UK music history.”
Release and chart performance#
The track was released independently via TuneCore on September 25, according to the labels. Season 25 first shared a snippet on his TikTok account, where the song began to gain traction, the companies say.
- Four weeks at No. 1 on the Official R&B UK Chart, compiled by the Official Charts Company
- Four weeks in the Top 40 of the Official Singles Chart so far, peaking at No. 30
- No. 2 on Spotify’s chart in Germany
- Charted in more than 18 countries
Streaming and social media reach#
As of October 25, “Shotta’s.” was generating 1.4 million streams a day, according to the labels. Season 25 had 1.43 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
On TikTok, the song has been used in more than 150,000 videos, the labels add, and its main sound on the platform has drawn over 116 million views.
Production, licensing and deal terms#
“Shotta’s.” was produced by Tobiswag and Katzy. Apple Music’s listing for the single now credits the sound recording to Octo Blue Limited, under exclusive license to Isekai and broke.
Isekai and broke did not disclose the term of the license.
Label executives comment#
“The distinction between independent and major labels is becoming increasingly irrelevant when it comes to competing for the best talent,” said broke chief executive officer (CEO) Andre Benz.
“We’re here to take risks, make a statement and back artists whose music connects with youth and culture,” said Benz. “The moment we heard Shotta’s., we knew it was going to be a highly competitive signing and that we needed to make a significant commitment.
“We wanted to show Season 25 that we weren’t just the right partners for this record, but that we were prepared to invest in his long-term career as a global artist. Isekai and broke operate as one international team, and this deal demonstrates what we can achieve together.”
Jack Mangan and Ewan Jenkins, co-founders of Isekai Records, said: “We’re genre-agnostic at Isekai, and Shotta’s. is exactly the kind of record that excites everyone across the company.
“We’ve been following the new sounds coming out of the UK R&B scene, and when we first heard it, we had the same instinct we had with Embrace It and I Run. We knew there was something special.
“We also knew there would be significant competition for the record, so we had to demonstrate why Isekai and broke were the right partners. We believe Season 25 has enormous international potential, and we’re looking forward to building on the momentum he’s already created.”
Background on the labels#
Benz co-founded broke in 2023 with Brandon De Oliveira. The label was founded under Create after the company acquired a majority interest in The Nations in April 2022. The Nations is the YouTube channel network that Benz grew out of Trap Nation, a channel he launched in 2012.
Los Angeles-headquartered Create secured more than USD $450 million in new equity and debt capital in March, in a funding round that valued the company at $2.2 billion. Its founders retained majority ownership, while Ares Management, 2 Mile, and Flexpoint Ford held minority stakes. Create said at the time that it had invested more than $500 million in acquisitions, advances, and other growth initiatives over the preceding 12 months.
Isekai was founded in London in 2024 by Jenkins, Mangan, and artist RJ Pasin, and the companies describe it as broke’s “leading UK partner.” Isekai says its catalog of more than 800 songs generates approximately 12 million streams a day and has amassed more than two billion streams in total.
In addition to releasing records, broke operates as a publisher and distributor. It says it has earned more than 12 Gold certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and over 60 billion Spotify streams since launching. Its roster includes Tiffany Day, bbno$, Foster The People, sosocamo, and 9mice.
Previous releases by the labels#
Isekai previously released Ndotz’s “Embrace It,” which peaked at No. 20 on the Official Singles Chart and topped the UK Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart. According to the labels, “Embrace It” has surpassed 415 million Spotify streams.
The deal follows the two labels’ work on HAVEN. and Kaitlin Aragon’s “I Run,” which peaked at No. 9 on the Official Singles Chart. “I Run” also spent six weeks at No. 1 on the UK Official Dance Singles Chart, and the labels say it has passed 261 million Spotify streams. The track has been remixed by artists including David Guetta and James Hype.
In December 2025, “I Run” was the subject of a dispute with Jorja Smith’s label, FAMM, which alleged that artificial intelligence (AI) had been used to make the vocals on the track’s original version sound like Smith’s.
