Pop Albums: Recordings with big feelings and room for catharsis made the most powerful connections.Best Songs: A posthumous political statement and a superstar’s 10-minute redo are among the 66 best tracks of 2021.In addition to known quantities pitching songs on spec, major labels often convene so-called writing camps for their biggest artists, featuring an array of musicians from different worlds all gunning for the same finite track list.įrom Lil Nas X to Mozart to Esperanza Spalding here is what we loved listening to this year. In this age of carefully engineered hit-making, with upward of a half a dozen writers contributing to each potential smash, earning a song placement on a top-tier album is highly competitive. “They became my go-to writers so quickly because their batting average was so, so high,” said Aaron Bay-Schuck, the president of A&R at Interscope, whose job includes finding big artists their hits. Tranter were courted for sessions with established icons like Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Courtney Love and John Legend. After helping elevate newer stars beyond their tween die-hards, Ms. Michaels said), along with tracks for Demi Lovato and Fifth Harmony. The pair’s other successes included “Love Myself,” the self-care anthem by the Oscar-nominated actress Hailee Steinfeld (“It’s very clearly about masturbation,” Ms. Last year, the unlikely duo scored four Billboard hits together (and some apart), including “Good for You” by Selena Gomez and “Sorry” by Justin Bieber, both of which peaked in the Top 5 on the Hot 100 and topped the pop airplay chart. Tranter, a former glam-rock frontman, throughout their radio-dominating hot streak.
#TRANTER PROFESSIONAL#
Michaels, a professional songwriter since her early teens, and Mr. That fresh perspective, along with speed and precision, has been the modus operandi for Ms. “Hot butter on breakfast toast,” J-Roc said, approvingly. Michaels had delivered another melody wordlessly into her phone, citing Radiohead as inspiration. There were 10 minutes to spare before dinner, enough for J-Roc, the producer known for his work with Timbaland (Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé), to cue up a futuristic R&B track. Michaels’s life, but sung from the male viewpoint - and a simple, layered keyboard demo. Less than an hour later, they had a story of feminine renewal - taken from Ms. Tranter, 35, called out suggestions and encouragement.
The pair petted each other’s tattooed arms while volleying ideas, never separating by more than a few feet until Ms. Michaels’s lines, which alluded to liquor and Instagram. Tranter thumbed the words into his iPhone, fleshing out Ms. Michaels, 22, sang with finger-snapping pop-soul syncopation for maximum catchiness. LOS ANGELES - Ten minutes into a recent recording session with a Grammy-winning producer they had never previously met, Julia Michaels and Justin Tranter, the in-demand pop songwriters of the moment, had a bouncy new hook.
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