WARNER CHAPPELL'S STATE OF GRACE

Warner Music's buzzing dance-music star/producer-songwriter Kenya Grace has deepened her ties with the company, inking a worldwide administration agreement with Warner Chappell Music. Seen here toasting the pact—and wishing we could be turned way down in the mix—are (l-r) Day One Entertainment manager Nick Shymansky, WCM Co-Chair/CEO Guy Moot, Kenya Grace, WCM Co-Chair/COO Carianne Marshall, WCM VP of A&R Gabz Landman and WCM Sr. Director of Urban A&R Xavier Champagne.

The South African-born, U.K.-raised Grace's streaming behemoth "Strangers," released through Warner's Dance imprint Major Recordings, recently became the first dance chart #1 written, produced and performed solely by a female artist. The single spent multiple weeks atop the Shazam Dance chart and pealed at #3 peak on Spotify’s Global roundup. Shazam just selected "Strangers" as one of 50 tracks it expects to break even bigger in 2024.

In a joint comment, Landman and Champagne enthused, "Kenya has set a remarkable path for herself, writing and producing her own music in its entirety. To be a record-breaking female producer, songwriter, artist and DJ is a special and rare achievement."

Having made her U.S. performance debut at Brooklyn’s Elsewhere in December, Grace will release her Warner debut album at some point this year and will tour internationally beginning in the spring. She's booked by Scott Schreiber and Samantha Kirby Yoh at UTA.

In a related story, we wish we had a name like Champagne. But we are sparkling plonk at best.