AZTEC, the new independent label founded by Az Cohen as a joint venture with French music giant Believe, has signed its first artist: Beeson, an indie pop singer-songwriter from Arizona.
Beeson has been releasing music on her own since 2023, the year she graduated from BYU, and has been building a fan base through more than 100 shows around the state of Utah during that period. She released her first EP, Last Shot, in 2023 and her second, Ritual, in 2025; her latest single, “Going,” came out in July. Beeson’s first release for AZTEC will be the song “Worse Not Better,” due out Dec. 4.
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“AZTEC was founded with a laser focus on finding super-powered humans with a real sense of who they are and what they want,” Cohen, the son of YouTube global head of music Lyor Cohen, said in a statement about the new signing. “Beeson knows with clarity what things are supposed to look like, sound like, feel like, taste like and even smell like in the universe she is cultivating. Ultimately it is our privilege to support her in the everyday work that goes into building that out. She is one of the most powerful songwriters I’ve had the good fortune of working with. My team and I are so excited to show up and relentlessly share her gift with the world.”
Cohen founded AZTEC earlier this year after leaving 300 Entertainment, the once-indie label now owned by the Warner Music Group at which he spent more than a decade building out his A&R experience and working with artists such as Young Thug, Gunna and more. He was involved in Post Malone’s early career as well, and eventually took over 300’s distribution engine Sparta, which he ran until founding AZTEC.
The JV also notably marks Believe’s first label venture in the United States, after the company established itself firmly with divisions around the world over the past 20 years, having made the foray into the world’s largest music market in 2026. And now, Beeson is the first artist signed to Believe’s first U.S. label.
“I’ve always dreamt of landing with a team that could give my project a limitless ceiling while I hold the reins, and working with AZTEC has shown that I can truly have both, and have a good time while I’m at it,” Beeson said in a statement. “I’ve been totally indie up until now, and the thing that drew me to this team is that they are both scrappy and super legit. They aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty, but they know how to play in the big leagues because each of them already has. The squad is made up of humans who are both specialists and jacks of all trades; they are each true experts in their fields, but seriously down to help with whatever I need, whenever, the way you have to when you’re building something from the ground up. It feels really special to be working with a crew this dedicated, and I’m stoked for what we’re building together.”
