Warner Records Beach Party attendees (l to r): Senior Director of Marketing Shawnae Corbett, Co-Chairman & COO Tom Corson, Saweetie, Co-Chairman & CEO Aaron Bay-Schuck, SVP A&R Eesean Bolden, Saweetie manager Monee Perry

At a swanky private estate in Malibu just north of Zuma Beach on 8/22, Warner Records held their 1st Annual Summer Beach Party. The entire label staff, including East Coast and regionals, gathered to watch three developing artists, eat and drink, and cavort in the ocean view sun. The event included performances by buzzing newcomer Chika, red-hot Saweetie whose hit “My Type” is exploding at radio, and the acclaimed alternative dance trio RÜFÜS DU SOL.

Half corporate-bonding retreat, half new-artist showcase, the beachy soiree was attended by Co-Chairman/CEO Aaron Bay-Schuck, Co-Chairman/COO Tom Corson, SVP A&R Eesean Bolden, EVP A&R Jeff Sosnow, SVP A&R Chris Morris, Sr. Director A&R Norva Denton, EVP Publicity Laura Swanson, SVP Publicity Aishah White, VP Publicity Bobbie Gale and more.

First up was new signing Chika from Alabama. She played her singles "High Rises" and "Can't Explain It" (twice!), to the crowd's delight.

Next, hailing from Oakland, was Saweetie, along with her DJ and fly-girl backup dancers. "My Type" and "ICY GRL" were standouts, and the assembled throng sang along to the very R-rated lyrics of each. During her set, Saweetie gave a heartfelt shout-out from the stage to Chika, who looked on approvingly from the second-floor balcony. Afterward, they said hello and shared an embrace; it was nice to see that level of sisterly closeness between artists on the roster.

The spirit of label and artist camaraderie was also palpable during Jeff Sosnow's rousing introduction to RÜFÜS DU SOL. The Australian trio took listeners on a sonic journey. Their set included “Underwater” and “Treat You Better” from their 2018 album, Solace, both co-written and co-produced by Jason Evigan, and even featured a special guest appearance in the sky by the Warner Records drone. Big on the EDM festival circuit, RÜFÜS had DJ’d a prior Warner Records gathering, and were so good they were invited back, this time for a lengthy live set, which closed out the shindig.

As the sun set over the sand dunes and the last scraps of Bludso’s BBQ brisket dwindled, the Warner Records team and their guests left elated and scurried into the night up to PCH to catch their respective Lyfts and shuttle buses east.

Fidel Castro’s crocodile was turned away at the door for not being on the guest list.

Rufus Du Sol group shot featuring the bandmembers, Corson, Bay-Schuck, EVP Promotion Mike Chester, SVP Alternative & Rock Promotion Rob Goldklang and lots more Warner execs and guests

Bay-Schuck, Chika and Corson

RÜFÜS DU SOL manager Danny Robson, drummer James Hunt, Corson, singer/guitarist Tyrone Lindqvist, Bay-Schuck, keyboardist Jon George and Sosnow

And from the "adventures in sunblock" department, here's HITS writer Jon Pikus rocking a Bradley Cooper-level of face protection, Chika and Chika's manager, Elena Awbrey.