by Diamond Brown
Earlier this year, we reported on the exciting new management deal between upcoming singer Chloé Abadi and Branndet Marketing Group. Unfortunately, that deal fell apart last weekend. As part of their agreement, Chloé was set to release her debut single, "Hello," on October 24, 2024, and later on four other songs for the Fiona Gold Series: Book 1 Soundtrack.
The deal included marketing, management services, and more. However, during the cover shoot for She’s SINGLE magazine, a rep from Branndet shared, "She was just being very difficult to work with, and it was proving to be an unpleasant experience for us all." We’re told, "At one point, she complained so much about her hair that she fiddled with it until it was messed up. Then she became upset when the creative director chimed in on one of the styles—her signature look, by the way—and because she was unhappy with the hair, her performance throughout the shoot declined, giving a lackluster performance at best."
Photography by Kawaun Davis
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Once the shoot wrapped, Abadi expressed her frustration to both the photographer and her manager from Branndet. The young star was reportedly upset and even demanded the raw images from the photographer. However, the photographer did not comply, explaining that since she was not fiscally responsible for the production, she had no ownership of either the final or raw images. This did not sit well with Abadi, who then contacted her manager, demanding compensation for her participation.
However, it had been made clear from the beginning that Abadi would be marketed through the publication for her lead single, which had already been provided and paid for. As a result, she owed money and could not be compensated at the time. Her work-for-hire agreement for the Fiona Gold Series: Book 1 Soundtrack also did not go smoothly.
Photography by Kawaun Davis
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Despite Branndet fulfilling their end of the deal—providing paid vocal lessons, music compositions, lyrics, melodies, and the complete demo of the track—Abadi was reportedly "overconfident in her ability to perform the song in the studio despite having never been to a studio or having any experience working with an engineer," according to her previous manager.
"But we tried to remain optimistic and allow her space to be creative. When we asked her to send a recording of her singing the song with the instrumental—minus the songwriter’s demo vocals—we never received it. Had we been given what we asked for beforehand, all of this could have been avoided. We would have known then that the song was something she could not perform."
Photography by Kawaun Davis
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Abadi was given the demo on July 14th, along with revised lyrics on July 24th, providing her ample time to share the requested materials, yet it was never done. Her manager traveled from New York to Florida to attend one of her vocal lessons—paid for by BMG—during which she still did not rehearse the song, despite being asked. "It was a nightmare," said a source. "And now, with the magazine complete and the images released, she’s threatened to sue us and the photographer if she’s accused of blackfishing, claiming that she is, in fact, not Black!"
Since this situation unfolded, the publication announcement has been delayed, with no social media posts or YouTube videos added to the publication's channel. As of now, Abadi is dissatisfied with the images and has gone on to lie, defame, discredit and criticize both the publication and Branndet Marketing Group. However, no legal action has been taken, despite her owing the company over $1,000 and being in breach of the BMG agreement.
Photography by Kawaun Davis
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"We have other artists interested in working with us, many of whom are just as talented. It's unfortunate that things ended this way, but perhaps it’s for the best. There are no hard feelings on our end, and we plan to handle the matter professionally," said CEO Lisa K. Stephenson.