Rihanna Signs With Sony/ATV Music Publishing

Jem Aswad and Shirley Halperin

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Rihanna has signed with Sony/ATV Music Publishing, a rep for the company confirmed to Variety, a move that reunites the singer with her longtime publisher, Jon Platt, who took the reins at the Sony Music company as chairman and CEO earlier this year.

The move comes as no surprise, as Rihanna, along with Jay-Z and Beyonce, have worked closely with Platt throughout much of their careers, but it is a bold one for the executive and a coup for the world’s largest music publisher. Sony/ATV is home to more than three million copyrights including hits by Frank Sinatra, the Beatles, Taylor Swift and Sia.

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Rihanna joined Platt at Warner/Chappell — where he was CEO from 2015 until taking the Sony/ATV post — shortly before the 2016 release of “Anti,” her most recent album. Sources say she has been working on two albums for the past couple of years, one a pop/R&B outing and the other a dancehall release, that could drop at any time. This move to Sony/ATV could presage the release of one of those albums.

“I’m proud to have known Rihanna since the beginning of her career,” Platt said. “Music, fashion, philanthropy and a heart of gold have solidified Rihanna’s position as one of the biggest icons in the world. It is an honor to be reunited with her at Sony/ATV.”

Platt received the Spirit of Life Award at the gala benefiting City of Hope charity in Los Angeles last fall — Beyonce performed during the ceremony and Jay-Z presented him with the award. “This man has worked his way up from a Denver DJ to be [a] highest-ranking black executive,” Jay-Z said in his introductory speech. “He’s the Obama of the music industry behind some of the biggest hits in the world.”

Platt and a large contingent of Sony/ATV execs attended Rihanna’s Diamond Ball last week, where another longtime Platt writer, Pharrell Williams, performed.

Sony/ATV is ASCAP’s 2019 Publisher of the Year for Pop while Warner/Chappell took the honor this year for Rhythm & Soul (shared with Universal Music Publishing Group).

Both companies declined comment.

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