Tobias "Toby" Gad is a German music producer and songwriter based in Los Angeles. He is known for co-writing songs including John Legend's biggest hit, "All of Me", the fifth-highest certified single in RIAA history, and for co-writing and producing "Big Girls Don't Cry" by Fergie and "If I Were a Boy" by Beyoncé. Other notable works include "Skyscraper" for Demi Lovato, "Who You Are" for Jessie J, "Untouched" for The Veronicas, "A Year Without Rain" for Selena Gomez & the Scene, "Don't Hold Your Breath" for Nicole Scherzinger, "Love You More" for JLS, and "I Do" for Colbie Caillat.
Back to Life is the ninth studio album by German singer Sandra, released in 2009 by Virgin Records.
Echo is the second studio album by English singer Leona Lewis. It was released on 9 November 2009 including 16 November in the United Kingdom, and 17 November 2009 in the United States. Its worldwide release was through Sony Music. The album charted across the globe, including the US, UK, Canada, across Europe, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand, with commercial success.
"Safe" is a song by Irish pop group Westlife from their tenth studio album Gravity (2010) and this pop rock ballad was released on 14 November 2010 as the album's lead and only single in the United Kingdom. It was written by John Shanks and James Grundler, and the single version was produced by Shanks, Richard "Biff" Stannard, and Ash Howes. This song is the group's last physical single under the tutelage of Simon Cowell, having left Syco and Cowell in March 2011. "Safe" debuted at number four in Ireland. It charted at number ten in the UK, becoming their twenty-fourth and last top ten single, meaning that they had one top ten hit in three different decades. The song was featured in the 2011 movie Dolphin Tale starring Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, Kris Kristofferson and Morgan Freeman.
"Bang Bang Bang" is a song performed by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene, from their third studio album, When the Sun Goes Down (2011). It was written by Meleni Smith and Priscilla Hamilton, and the song's producer, Toby Gad. The song was released exclusively to the iTunes Store on June 7, 2011, as the album's first promotional single. Selena Gomez stated that the song is the most personal on the album. The song features lyrics directed towards a former boyfriend, as the protagonist declares that her new lover is much better. Musically, the song has a retro production style and is influenced by 1980s music, while deriving of the electro-disco genre. Critics gave the song positive reviews, with several complimenting its sassy attitude and retro feel. The song charted in the lower regions of the Billboard Hot 100 and Canadian Hot 100, at number 96 and 94, respectively.
"Lolita" is a song recorded by Australian duo the Veronicas, released on 27 July 2012. It was written by the Veronicas, together with Laura Pergolizzi and Toby Gad, while production was handled by Gad. The song was released as the lead single for what was meant to be their third studio album, Life on Mars. However, due to complications with their label, Warner Bros. Records, the album was shelved. They were subsequently signed to Sony Music and the album was retitled The Veronicas, but "Lolita" did not appear on the record. The song was later included on their Spotify compilation album Untouched.
John Matthew Shanks is an American songwriter, record producer and guitarist.
Bachata #1's, Vol. 2 is a compilation album released by Machete Music. The recording features tracks performed by several artist from the bachata genre, such as Aventura, Xtreme, Toby Love, Óptimo, Monchy & Alexandra, Leny, Domenic Marte, Zacarías Ferreíra, Frank Reyes, Carlos & Alejandra, Joe Veras, Yoskar "El Prabu Sarante", and Alex Bueno. It also features a bachata performed by Latin pop singer Luis Fonsi exclusive to this release.
Better Together is the debut extended play by American girl group Fifth Harmony. It was their first release after placing third on the second season of American televised reality show The X Factor, and was released on October 18, 2013 through Epic Records. Lyrically, the extended play discusses themes of love, heartbreak and empowerment. Throughout the recording process, the group worked with a variety of music producers including Savan Kotecha and Harmony Samuels as well as Julian Bunetta who served as the executive producer of the extended play. Better Together is primarily a pop record with elements of funk, pop rock, power pop, dance, bubblegum pop, acoustic guitar, R&B and minimalist urban influences.
Baptized is the fourth studio album by American rock band Daughtry, released on November 19, 2013, by RCA Records. It was preceded in September by electropop-influenced lead single "Waiting for Superman". It is the final album to feature drummer Robin Diaz and first album to include keyboardist/guitarist Elvio Fernandes. The album departs significantly from the group's hard rock sound present on their first three albums, instead introducing a more pop rock musical style with strong synthpop influences.
"Midnight Memories" is a song by the English-Irish boy band One Direction from their third studio album of the same name. It was co-written by Julian Bunetta, Jamie Scott, John Ryan and band members Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson.
Alex & Sierra were an American duo consisting of Alex Kinsey and Sierra Deaton, who won the third and final season of The X Factor US. They were mentored by Simon Cowell. Their debut album It's About Us was released on October 7, 2014, on Columbia Records. Their EP As Seen on TV was released on September 30, 2016.
Four is the fourth studio album by English-Irish boy band One Direction, released on 17 November 2014 by Columbia Records and Syco Music. The album was preceded by two singles, "Steal My Girl" and "Night Changes", both achieving platinum status in the US, and scoring the band their tenth and eleventh UK top-ten hits. The album was also One Direction's last with member Zayn Malik, who announced he was leaving the band on 25 March 2015.
John Henry Ryan II, also known as John the Blind and JRY, is an American songwriter, singer and record producer from Rochester, New York. He is best known for co-writing and co-producing One Direction's last four albums and many of their singles. He has written songs for many acclaimed artists. His compositions and productions have sold over 30 million units worldwide.
III is the seventh studio album by English pop band Take That. It is their first studio album since 2010's Progress and the first to feature the band as a trio, following the departures of Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. The album was released on 28 November 2014. According to Gary Barlow, the album's sound is an "amalgamation of the past eight years" of Take That material.
"Fireproof" is a song by English-Irish boy band One Direction. The song was released on 8 September 2014, as the first promotional single from their fourth studio album, Four. The song was written by One Direction members, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson, along with John Ryan, Jamie Scott and Julian Bunetta. The track sold over 1.1 million downloads worldwide in 24 hours.
"Joan of Arc" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Madonna from her thirteenth studio album Rebel Heart (2015). It was written by Madonna, Toby Gad, Maureen McDonald and Larry Griffin Jr., with production being done by Madonna, Gad, AFSHeeN and Josh Cumbee. The song's demo was leaked onto the internet on December 17, 2014, with twelve other tracks from the album. Its final version was released on February 9, 2015 with two other tracks on the iTunes store. "Joan of Arc" is the eighth track on Rebel Heart and has similarity to the demo version, but with a lift in its tempo during the chorus. It is a guitar-led pop and electro-folk ballad, with drums and guitars being added as the song's instrumentation.
"Hold Tight" is a song recorded and produced by American singer Madonna from her thirteenth studio album, Rebel Heart (2015). She co-wrote the track with Diplo, MoZella, Toby Gad, Ariel Rechtshaid, and MNEK. A demo of "Hold Tight" was leaked onto the internet on December 22, 2014, while its final version was released by Madonna on February 9, 2015 on the iTunes Store. The song was later sent to Italian radio on July 24, 2015, as the third single from Rebel Heart in that country.
Love Stuff is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Elle King. It was released physically and digitally in the United States on February 13, 2015, and on vinyl on March 3, 2015, through RCA Records. The album was mastered by Stephen Marcussen at Marcussen Mastering, which is located in Hollywood, California.
