Maddox Batson, a 14-year-old singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose breakthrough song, “Tears in the River,” reached the top 20 on Spotify's US Viral 50 chart earlier this year, has signed a deal with Warner. A record, says the company Bulletin board. On Thursday (Sept. 5), Batson also releases a new song, “X's” (video below).
“I just see what they did [Batson’s now-Warner labelmates] Zach Bryan, Warren Zeiders, all these people, it felt like a joke to me [to sign with Warner]says Batson Bulletin board via Zoom. “I could tell they were going to take care of me and not push me to do things I didn't want to do. They make sure I do everything right for my art and everything right for my fans.”
In March, Batson released a video for “Tears in the River” on TikTok. The clip has since grown to 12.5 million views and the impact has been streaming – the song, which Batson wrote with Nick Bailey, Josh Dorr, Benjamin Negrin and Elysse Yulo, has garnered over 6 million streams alone on the Spotify platform.
“It was one of my first writing sessions with more than one person,” says Batson. “We walked into the room and thought, 'What do girls want to hear?' They want to hear that you want to take care of them, maybe they came out of a bad relationship, they come to you and now it's going to be a good relationship. And that's what we wrote.”
Batson's next single, the slick pop-country track “I Wanna Know,” has more than 2 million streams on Spotify. But it's not just his music that connects with fans – so does Batson's popular, social media-savvy persona. A TikTok clip released in February showing him getting ready to attend a dance has garnered over 30 million views.
CEO/co-chairman of Warner Records Aaron Bay-Schuck he said Bulletin board in a statement, “Several members of our Warner A&R team were the first people to bring Maddox to my attention after seeing his growth online. We were immediately drawn to his strength and charisma, as well as his fantastic instincts for self-promotion. While the social metrics trumped the consumption story, what we found is that Maddox is a naturally gifted songwriter who sees an open lane for himself and has a clear vision of how to get it.
“We look forward to nurturing the artist's development process as he hones his craft, collaborates with those who will help him become better and solidify his sound, and continue to build a strong fan base that is with him for more than just his online persona of him but also because they love the music he makes and what he stands for. We are confident we have the next young Country and Pop star in Maddox.”
Batson was born in Nashville and raised in Birmingham, Ala. Growing up, he was inspired by country artists of the 80s and 90s, including Alan Jackson and George Strait, as well as the pop sounds of artists such as Justin Bieber. Last summer he played more than 20 shows, refining his sound and developing his musical skills playing with his musician father.
Maddox says he was inspired to write his new song, “X's,” after attending an Abby Anderson concert at the Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville.
“I walked in and of course, your boy is not old enough to drink alcohol, so the guard drew a big X on my arm. The show was great, and when I went to the studio the next day and this guy saw the X on my hand — I promise, I'm in the shower, it was just written in Sharpie — but he saw my hand and we just wrote this song in 15 minutes . It was one of the easiest writing experiences of my life.”
Recording the song, however, was not without a minor challenge or two.
“Watching this song come from the demo to the final version is pretty crazy because my voice changed while we were recording these two different versions [demo and master recording] of the song,” says Batson. “So I had to [record] it's in a completely different key. But seeing it come out will absolutely be money. I'm so excited.”
In addition to writing his own hits, Batson's song “Tough” — which he wrote about his father and grandparents — was recently recorded and released by Lana Del Rey (who is preparing a country album titled Lasso) and Quavo.
“I come from a long line of farmers,” Batson says of the song's writing. “My mum's dad was a tobacco farmer and my dad grew up on construction sites, so he really worked people with moral gravitas and I hope that comes through.”
Batson, who is signed to Prosper Entertainment for management, WME for bookings and Warner Chappell for publishing, says he expects a project to be released in 2025. In June, he teamed up with singer-songwriter Wyatt Flores to perform Flores Go's “Please Don't” during Nashville's CMA Fest. Days later, he also became the youngest artist to play Nashville's popular Whiskey Jam music series, with a capacity crowd that prompted Whiskey Jam to expand admission to the usually 21-and-over show to fans of all ages.
For now, Batson — who is starting ninth grade and homeschooled shortly before “Tears in the River” was released — balances school with a string of mostly weekend tour dates opening for the hitmaker's “I Hope Gabby Barrett.
“Yes, when I finish this interview, I will register for the new school year,” he says.
