Karl Martin Sandberg, known professionally as Max Martin, is a Swedish singer, songwriter and record producer. He rose to prominence in the late 1990s making a string of hit singles such as Britney Spears's "...Baby One More Time" (1998), the Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way" (1999), Céline Dion's "That's the Way It Is" (1999) and NSYNC's "It's Gonna Be Me" (2000).
Sweet Kisses is the debut studio album by American singer Jessica Simpson, released in the United States on November 23, 1999, by Columbia Records. Its lyrical and visual representations carry the common theme of virginal innocence, a continuation of the late-1990s teen-pop revival. It was produced to capitalize on the success of teen artists Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, who both debuted earlier that year. Sweet Kisses was a hit in the US, peaking at number 25 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and was certified 2× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of over two million copies. As of February 2009, it has sold 1.9 million copies in the US.
"I Wanna Love You Forever" is the debut single of American recording artist Jessica Simpson. The song was released on August 30, 1999, by Columbia Records as the lead single from Simpson's debut studio album, Sweet Kisses (1999). Written and produced by Louis Biancaniello and Sam Watters, "I Wanna Love You Forever" is a pop power ballad.
"Irresistible" is a song by American recording artist Jessica Simpson that Sony Music released in 2001, as the lead single from her second studio album of the same name. Its title and concept were proposed by singer-songwriter Pamela Sheyne, while Arnthor Birgisson, an acquaintance of Sony chief executive officer Tommy Mottola, and his partner Anders Bagge developed the melody and co-wrote the verses with Sheyne. It is more sexually suggestive than Simpson's previous songs.
"It Wasn't Me" is the first single from Jamaican-American reggae musician Shaggy's fifth studio album, Hot Shot (2000). The song features vocals from RikRok. The lyrics of the song depict one man (RikRok) asking his friend (Shaggy) what to do after his girlfriend caught him cheating on her with "the girl next door". His friend's advice is to deny everything, despite clear evidence to the contrary, with the phrase "It wasn't me."
"All for Love" is a song written by Bryan Adams, Robert John "Mutt" Lange, and Michael Kamen for the soundtrack The Three Musketeers: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. It is performed by Adams, Rod Stewart, and Sting. The power ballad was released as a CD single in the United States on November 16, 1993 by A&M and Hollywood. It was a worldwide hit, reaching number one across Europe, in Australia and in North America.
Agnes Emilia Carlsson, known mononymously as Agnes, is a Swedish singer. She rose to fame as the winner of Idol 2005, the second season of the Swedish Idol series. She was then signed to Sony Music, through which she released her self-titled debut album, Agnes, and follow-up, Stronger, both of which topped the Swedish Top 60 Albums Chart. In early 2008, it was announced that Agnes had parted ways with her record label, and was now signed to small independent label Roxy Recordings. Released on 28 October 2008, her third album, Dance Love Pop, reached number five in Sweden, 70 in Austria, 38 in France, 45 in Switzerland and 13 in the United Kingdom. With 200,000 albums sold worldwide this is her most successful album, 50,000 albums were sold in France, 40,000 in Sweden. Its first two singles, "On and On" and "Release Me" became international hits, reaching the top-ten in charts worldwide. "Release Me" topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs and peaked at three in the United Kingdom, selling over 900,000 copies worldwide.
Jessica Elisabeth Angelique Folcker, known professionally as Jessica, is a Swedish singer. Her debut album Jessica in 1998 used her mononym, whereas follow up album Dino credited Jessica Folker. Her following albums På svenska in 2005 and Skin Close in 2007 have used her full name Jessica Folcker. She is best known for her two international hits "Tell Me What You Like" and "How Will I Know " both in 1998 and for "(Crack It) Something Going On" that featured her vocals and was a big hit for Bomfunk MC's in 2002.
"U + Ur Hand" is a song by American pop singer Pink. It is the third single from her fourth studio album I'm Not Dead (2006). It was released on August 28, 2006, and ignited controversy due to its explicit lyrical content. The song was written by Pink, Max Martin and Dr. Luke, the same trio who wrote Pink's previous hit single "Who Knew"; the song is also co-written by Rami Yacoub. The two songs eventually became Pink's first two singles to receive Platinum certifications from Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the first two among a series of hits by Martin and Dr. Luke that followed, including Pink's first solo number-one hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, "So What".
"I Know There's Something Going On" is a song recorded in 1982 by ABBA singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad (Frida). It was the lead single from her solo album Something's Going On. The song was a hit around the world during 1982 and 1983.
"Mercy" is a song performed by Welsh singer Duffy, released as the second single from her debut studio album, Rockferry (2008). Co-written by Duffy and Steve Booker and produced by Booker, it was released worldwide in 2008 to critical acclaim and unprecedented chart success. As Duffy's first international release, the song is credited with firmly establishing her career and is now considered her signature song. "Mercy" received comparisons to Duffy's previous single, "Rockferry". Critical reviewers of "Mercy" noted similarities between the song to releases by Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield and the Supremes, as well as contemporaries such as fellow British singer Amy Winehouse.
"Cry for You", released as "Cry for You (You'll Never See Me Again)" on Hard2Beat, is a song by Swedish singer Petra Marklund, performing as September, from her second studio album In Orbit (2005). It was released in Sweden on 29 November 2006 as the third and final single from the album. The single version was also included on her third studio album Dancing Shoes (2007) as a bonus track, and it was released as a single from her various compilation albums that were released in Europe. Musically, "Cry for You" is a dance-pop and euro-pop track, with it lyrically being about getting out of a relationship.
"Electric" is a song recorded by Swedish artist Leila K. It is produced by Denniz Pop and Max Martin, and released as a single in late 1995. In 1996, it was included on her third album, Manic Panic. The chorus is sung by Swedish singer Jessica Folcker. The single peaked at number 2 in Finland, number 8 in Sweden and number 37 in Belgium. On the Eurochart Hot 100, it reached number 86. Outside Europe, it was a Top 20 hit in Israel, peaking at number 18.
Cheiron Studios was a recording studio located in the Kungsholmen district of Stockholm, Sweden. Founded in 1992 by Denniz PoP and Tom Talomaa, it was famous for being the place where popular music acts of the late 1990s/early 2000s such as Backstreet Boys, Boyzone, Robyn, NSYNC, Britney Spears, and Westlife produced many of their greatest hits. In addition, Cheiron Studios was also a record label in affiliation with BMG for a while, and a music publishing service, although those ventures were abandoned in favour of music production.
"Barbie Girl" is a song by Danish-Norwegian dance-pop group Aqua. It was released in April 1997 by Universal and MCA as the third single from the group's debut studio album, Aquarium (1997). The song was written by band members Søren Rasted, Claus Norreen, René Dif, and Lene Nystrøm, and was produced by the former two alongside Johnny Jam and Delgado. It was written after Rasted saw an exhibit on kitsch culture in Denmark that featured Barbie dolls. The accompanying music video was directed by Danish directors Peder Pedersen and Peter Stenbæk.
"Right Round" is a single performed by American rapper Flo Rida featuring guest vocals from American singer Kesha. It was released as the lead single from his second studio album, R.O.O.T.S. (2009). It was released to radio on January 27, 2009 and was digitally released on February 10 by Poe Boy Entertainment and Atlantic Records. The song heavily interpolates the chorus of the Dead or Alive song "You Spin Me Round " in its hook. According to one of the song's writers, the chorus refers to a stripper. Kesha contributed guest vocals to the song, but was uncredited in the United States and Canada during its run atop the charts.
"As Long as You Love Me" is a song by American boy band Backstreet Boys, from the group's eponymous debut studio album in the United States, Backstreet Boys (1997), and their second studio album worldwide, Backstreet's Back (1997). The song was written by Max Martin, who produced it with Kristian Lundin, and lyrically describes the reciprocity of a relationship. "As Long as You Love Me" was released by Jive Records as the second single from both albums in the United Kingdom on September 29, 1997, and in the United States on October 7, 1997. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised the production.
The discography of American singer, songwriter, and actress Ariana Grande consists of six studio albums, two compilation albums, one live album, two extended plays (EPs), fifty-four singles, and fifteen promotional singles. After signing with Republic Records, she released her debut single "Put Your Hearts Up" in December 2011. Throughout her career thus far, Grande has sold over 90 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), she has sold over 100 million units, across albums, singles, and features, and 10 million albums and 73.5 million digital singles units as lead artist in the United States. In the U.S., Grande has moved 19.4 million album units, and garnered over 23.6 billion streams across lead artist credits, according to Luminate. Having amassed over 105 billion consumed streams thus far, Grande is the most streamed female artist ever. She is also the most streamed female artist on Spotify and Apple Music. She has amassed 73 chart entries on the Billboard Hot 100—the fourth most entries for a female artist—including seven number ones and 20 top-10 hits so far. Grande was named the sixth top female artist of the 2010s decade, and was ranked among Billboard's Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Artists, at number 78. Grande is also one of the most certified female artists in the UK, with nearly 25 million units.
"I Want You to Want Me" is a song recorded by British-American girl group Solid HarmoniE, released in 1998 by Jive as the second single from the group's only album, Solid HarmoniE (1997). The song was produced by Swedish producers Kristian Lundin and Max Martin, who also co-wrote it, and peaked within the top 10 in Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden. Additionally, it was a top 20 hit in Denmark, Norway, Scotland and the UK. On the Eurochart Hot 100, it reached number 23 in April 1998. The accompanying music video for the song was directed by Roger Pomphrey.
"How Will I Know (Who You Are)" is a song recorded by Swedish singer Jessica Folcker, released in 1998 by Jive Records and Zomba Records as the second single from Folcker's first studio album, Jessica (1998). The song is written by Andreas Carlsson, Kristian Lundin and Max Martin, and produced by Lundin. Carlsson also provided backing vocals. Lyrically the song describes the hard feelings of letting go of a relationship and saying goodbye. It was an international hit and went platinum in Sweden, after reaching number seven on Sverigetopplistan. Additionally, "How Will I Know (Who You Are)" was a top 10 hit also in Austria (4) and the Netherlands (6), and a top 20 hit in Belgium (13), Denmark (11), Norway (20) and Switzerland (17). On the Eurochart Hot 100, the song peaked at number 33 in April 1999.
