MATT STELL SIGNS WITH BLACK RIVER ENTERTAINMENT; NEW SINGLE WITH NE-YO OUT FRIDAY
(Nashville, TN — May 26, 2026) — Multi-platinum artist Matt Stell is now calling Black River Entertainment his label home as he confidently steps into a new season.
“I knew I wanted to sign with Black River Entertainment from the first time we all met. I’ve been blown away by their culture, character and support from the get-go. I think we were sold on each other very quickly, which is why this deal happened at warp speed. It’s already a great fit and I’m so excited about what the future has in store for all of us,” Matt says.
CEO Gordon S. Kerr said about the exciting addition to the roster, “From the moment we started hanging out with Matt, it didn’t take long for us to see he belongs at Black River. He’s an incredible artist with a unique voice and a vision for where he wants to go and now, we are proud to be part of that journey.”
“Matt is a fantastic artist and is surrounded by a great team, led by Brendan Rich. We’re all so excited about his new music and our future together,” says Black River EVP Rick Froio.
With over 1.1 billion streams and two country radio #1 singles among his many career highlights, Matt’s first release with Black River is a mid-tempo groove with famed R&B singer Ne-Yo that laments the feeling of having been deserted by one’s own guardian angels after a few bad decisions.
“It’s wild where songs can come from. Not too long ago I heard an Abraham Lincoln quote about the “better angels of our nature” somewhere. He was obviously talking about something completely different, but that phrase stuck with me. Somehow that turned into an early draft of “Better Angels.” That would be a cool enough story, but then Ne-Yo hears it, digs it and writes a verse on it. Then he lays down his vocal on the verse as well as the rest of the demo. It took the song to a whole new level. From there the stars kept aligning and now it’s turned into a collab with a hall of fame artist and writer. As you can probably tell, I couldn’t be more excited,”
Matt Stell
Shot in Atlanta earlier this year, the visualizer for “Better Angels” also drops May 29th.
Tags: Matt Stell, Better Angels, Ne-Yo, Black River Entertainment, country music, new single, album release, music video, Nashville
