A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions and writes lyrics for songs. A songwriter can also be called a composer, although the latter term tends to be used mainly for individuals from the classical music genre and film scoring, but is also associated writing and composing the original musical composition or musical bed. A songwriter who mainly writes the lyrics for a song is referred to as a lyricist. The pressure from the music industry to produce popular hits means that song writing is often an activity for which the tasks are distributed between a number of people. For example, a songwriter who excels at writing lyrics might be paired with a songwriter with the task of creating original melodies. Pop songs may be composed by group members from the band or by staff writers – songwriters directly employed by music publishers. Some songwriters serve as their own music publishers, while others have outside publishers.
Auto-Tune is an audio processor introduced in 1997 by and registered trademark of Antares Audio Technologies, which uses a proprietary device to measure and alter pitch in vocal and instrumental music recording and performances. It was originally intended to disguise or correct off-key inaccuracies, allowing vocal tracks to be perfectly tuned despite originally being slightly off-pitch.
Richard Preston Butler Jr., better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American singer, songwriter, actor, and record producer. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, but split his childhood between Milwaukee, Wisconsin and New York City's Harlem neighborhood. He attended Florida A&M and, while visiting Atlanta, Georgia, worked his way into the music industry through connections with Usher, who would become one of Love's frequent collaborators.
In a Perfect World... is the debut studio album of American singer-songwriter Keri Hilson. It was released on March 24, 2009, through Zone 4, Mosley Music Group and Interscope Records. Originally planned for a 2007 release, it was pushed back numerous times into 2008, amid her label's budget issues and minor single releases. The production on the album was handled primarily by Timbaland, Polow da Don and Danja, among others.
"Looking for the Perfect Beat" is a song by Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force. The song was produced by Arthur Baker and John Robie and was the follow-up track for the group following "Planet Rock". The track took much longer to develop than "Planet Rock" with Baker experimenting with cocaine and the pressure involved with creating a follow-up single. The group was developed for months in Robie's apartment while Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force were touring.
Harvey Jay Mason Jr. is an American record producer, songwriter and movie producer. He has written and produced songs for artists including Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Chris Brown and Taemin. In addition, he has produced music for television and films, including Dreamgirls, Sparkle, Pitch Perfect, Sing, Straight Outta Compton, and The Wiz Live!. He was elected as chairman of The Recording Academy in June 2019, and became its interim President and Chief Executive Officer on January 16, 2020.
"Feels Just Like a Love Song" is a song co-written and recorded by American country artist Sara Evans. It was released to country radio in July 2009, and as a digital download on August 18, 2009. "Feels Just Like a Love Song" is the twenty-third single release of Evans' career.
xx is the debut album by English indie pop band the xx. It was released on 14 August 2009 by Young Turks, an imprint label of XL Recordings. After signing a record contract with XL, the xx recorded the album from December 2008 to February 2009 at the label's in-house studio in London. The audio engineer Rodaidh McDonald worked with the band during the recording sessions and attempted to reproduce the intimate, unembellished quality of their demos. The band's Jamie Smith produced xx on his laptop and created electronic beats for the songs, which he then mixed in a detailed process with McDonald.
"Beat Goes On" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Madonna for her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy (2008). The song features American rapper Kanye West and background vocals by Pharrell Williams. It was co-written by West in collaboration with its producers, Madonna and The Neptunes. The song was leaked in August 2007, featuring only Williams and different lyrics than the album's version, which was released a year later, having additional vocals by West. "Beat Goes On" is a disco song with hip-hop influences, featuring instrumentation from bells, handclaps and whistles.
Steven "Lenky" Marsden is a Jamaican-born music producer and musician who specializes primarily in dancehall reggae music. He also arranges and remixes pop and hip hop songs. Marsden is the founder of the Jamaica-based label, 40/40 Records and was a former member of singjay Buju Banton's band.
Cannibal is the first extended play (EP) by American recording artist Kesha, released on November 19, 2010. The EP is a follow-up companion to her debut album, Animal (2010). Originally, the record was thought to be released as a deluxe edition of Animal titled Animal + Cannibal, but was instead sold and released as both an EP and a deluxe edition of Animal. Kesha worked with a variety of producers and writers such as executive producer Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco, Ammo, Max Martin, Bangladesh and others. Musically, the songs on Cannibal are of the dance-pop genre, with some songs incorporating elements of electro and electropop in their production and beats. Throughout the album, the use of Auto-Tune and vocoders is prominent. Lyrically, the songs on Cannibal speak of ignoring judgement or hate and experiences based on love and heartbreak.
Accelerate is the seventh album released by British-Australian singer-songwriter Peter Andre.
"Nobody's Perfect" is a song by English singer-songwriter Jessie J from her debut studio album, Who You Are. The song was written by Jessie J, Claude Kelly and Andre Brissett, and it was produced by Brissett and Kelly, and refers to a struggle about perfection complex and regret over past indiscretions. It was released as the album's third single on 27 May 2011 after being served to radio stations on 20 April 2011. Its physical release was originally set to 23 May 2011, however it was pushed back to 30 May 2011 for an impact release. The single version was remixed by Tom Elmhirst and is slightly different from the album version with re-recorded vocals and a heavier beat. "Nobody's Perfect" peaked at number nine in the United Kingdom, becoming Jessie J's third top ten single. On The Voice, Jessie J and Vince Kidd sang "Nobody's Perfect" as a duet.
R.E.D., is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo, first released on October 31, 2012, in Japan. The album follows the disappointing commercial performance to 2010's Libra Scale and is Ne-Yo's first album with new label Motown Records after being appointed as the label's senior vice president for A&R. The album contains songs that crossover different genres of music, combining elements of R&B, pop and dance-pop.
Doggumentary is the eleventh studio album by American West Coast hip hop recording artist Snoop Dogg. It was released on March 29, 2011 with the record labels; Priority Records. The album was produced by Battlecat, The Cataracs, Gorillaz, David Banner, THX, DJ Khalil, Fredwreck, Jake One, David Guetta, Mike Dean, Jeff Bhasker, Lex Luger, Meech Wells, Mr. Porter, Rick Rock, Rick Rude, Scoop DeVille, Scott Storch, Warryn Campbell, Kanye West, DJ Reflex, among others.
"Perfect Stranger" is a song by the American rock band Cheap Trick, released in 2006 as the lead single from their fifteenth studio album Rockford. It was written by Linda Perry, Robin Zander, Rick Nielsen, Tom Petersson and Bun E. Carlos, and produced by Perry.
Dijon Isaiah McFarlane, known professionally as Mustard, is an American record producer, DJ, record executive, rapper, and songwriter. He is a frequent collaborator of fellow California-bred artists YG and Ty Dolla Sign; among various other records for the hip hop and R&B genres since his entrance into mainstream music with Tyga's 2011 single, "Rack City".
Dwane Marshall Weir II is an American hip hop/R&B producer and songwriter, professionally known as Key Wane. Wane has produced for artists such as Big Sean, Jazmine Sullivan, Beyoncé, Drake, Jhene Aiko, Wale, Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, Juicy J, Ariana Grande, Logic, Ty Dolla Sign and Meek Mill among others. He is best known for producing Drake's "All Me", Beyoncé's "Partition", Jazmine Sullivan's "Let It Burn" & "Insecure", Meek Mill's "Amen", Big Sean's "Guap", "Beware", "IDFWU" and an extensive amount of his albums including Hall of Fame, Dark Sky Paradise, and Twenty 88.
Leland Tyler Wayne, professionally known as Metro Boomin, is an American record producer, record executive, songwriter, and DJ managed by SAL&CO. Raised in St. Louis, Wayne began a production career while in high school and became known for his successful recordings with Atlanta hip hop and trap artists such as Future, 21 Savage, Gucci Mane, and Migos in the mid-2010s. In 2017, Forbes called him "easily one of the most in-demand hitmakers in the world", while Stereogum described him as "one of the most original, vivid, important voices in rap right now".
Navraj "Nav" Singh Goraya, is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer managed by SAL&CO. Nav began his career as a producer, eventually co-producing fellow Canadian rapper Drake's single "Back to Back" in 2015, and gained mainstream attention in 2016 when his song "Myself" went viral. Nav is signed to XO and Republic Records, managed by Wassim "Sal" Slaiby and Amir "Cash" Esmailian.
