Variety’s 2022 Hitmakers and Hitbreakers Revealed

A1 LaFlare, Kaine: Songwriters
Vaughn Oliver: Producer, Songwriter

Latto’s “Big Energy”

In early 2021, LaFlare and Kaine traveled to Hawaii with Dr. Luke and Theron Thomas for a writing camp. Though the group had already penned seven or eight songs that day, something stuck about the idea that would become “Big Energy.” When it came time to think of lyrics, the team looked to social media trends for inspiration. “‘Big dick energy’ was super popular going around on Twitter at the time, so we were like, ‘We need to capitalize and make this a moment for everybody,’” Kaine says. Meanwhile, LaFlare devised a melody for the track’s lush backing vocals — but little did she know that her voice would stay on the recording through its final version. “I was like ‘Wait, that’s me on the song?’” she says. “I didn’t know who was gonna sing it, but I wasn’t expecting to be left on it.” As for “Big Energy” co-producer and songwriter Oliver, he says sampling Tom Tom Club’s “Genius of Love” was always a “no-brainer,” seeing as the hook from 1981 was “the go-to party starter” during his DJing days. “I was proud that I got the record to sound close to the original while still giving it a modern sound,” Oliver says, crediting Latto’s “delivery, flow and confidence — it just hooks you in.”

Producer
Future’s “Wait For U” featuring Drake and Tems

Amid a recent breakup, the lush vocals of Nigerian singer Tems on her 2020 song “Higher” called to producer Jacob in an emotionally resonant way — one that inspired him to build out the vocal chop that has since become the addictive backbone of Future’s “Wait For U,” complemented by a Drake guest verse. Jacob says he felt a premonition in the studio that the track would soar: “I was like, ‘I think it’s going to be our first No. 1.’ ” Good instincts, Jacob — it topped the Hot 100 in its first tracking week.

Songwriter
The Weeknd’s “Save Your Tears”

The rapper and recording artist, and one of the Weeknd’s main longtime co-writers, says he can’t pinpoint his exact contribution to “Save Your Tears.” “Once we get in that room, I’m in a trance,” Balshe explains, calling it “musical possession.” But he does remember when he first heard the song’s tagline and could envision a crowd’s reaction. “It felt like I was standing in the stadium,” Balshe says. “[The Weeknd’s] voice cutting through the power of the words, the music, all of it. The way it came together in that moment was just … goosebumps.”

Producer, Songwriter
The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber’s “Stay”

After hearing an unfinished version of “Stay” over dinner with fellow producer Blake Slatkin, Norwegian DJ Magnus Høiberg — better known as Cashmere Cat — knew the song was an instant earworm: “I heard the chorus, and that synth line, the words and melody were instantly burned into my brain,” he says. “It’s really just a perfect moment in pop music.” Høiberg signed on to spend the next six months refining the pop track alongside Slatkin as a co-writer and co-producer. Sure enough, “Stay” hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 shortly after its debut. Adds Høiberg: “Kids were literally begging for it to be released every day. The song is so good it just sucks you in.”

Producer, Songwriter
Jack Harlow’s “First Class”

“It was originally Jack’s idea to sample Fergie’s ‘Glamorous’ and turn it into something different,” says Chahayed, who had a hand in every track on Harlow’s “Come Home the Kids Miss You” album. For “First Class,” Harlow “sent the idea to Angel Lopez, who then pitched the song down and chopped it up … We took a very organic approach to the music, which goes nicely with the harder drums, and created something very different to what we hear a lot nowadays.” Chahayed’s proudest moment for “First Class” was seeing it performed live. “Watching the reaction of the crowd and absorbing their energy and excitement was something else,” he says. “I also got to meet Fergie after Jack’s show in L.A. and she was incredibly sweet and thanked us for what we created together.”

Songwriter, Producer
Jack Harlow’s “First Class,” Morgan Wallen’s “Wasted on You” and “You Proof”

Handsome has proven himself a chameleon, able to transcend the worlds of hip-hop, country and Latin music. Credited on five songs from Harlow’s “Come Home the Kids Miss You,” including the Grammy-nominated “First Class,” Handsome says it was Harlow’s idea to flip Fergie’s “Glamorous,” after which Handsome added drums, 808s and keys. “I was just lucky to be around to help him achieve his vision,” says Handsome (whose given name is Ryan Vojtesak). As for his work with Wallen, both “Wasted on You” and “You Proof ” “was more of a pandemic play,” he says. Of the former, “Morgan, Ernest and Josh Thompson were writing together in Nashville and I was in L.A.,” Handsome explains. “‘You Proof ’ also began during COVID. I was sitting alone in a home studio where I made the beat, did a couple freestyle passes on the mic, and came up with the hook and concept. Months later, I played the idea to the guys. Morgan, Ernest, and Ashley Gorley finished the lyrics, Morgan made some key melody changes and that really set the shit off.”

Songwriter
Dua Lipa’s “Levitating”

“I don’t believe anyone can ever really know the singular reason why things like this happen,” says Coffee of the multi-year streaming and global radio phenomenon “Levitating,” which he co-wrote. “All the musical components of ‘Levitating’ — the lyric, the melody, the track and the message — were factors that played into listeners embracing it. The one thing I feel really resonated is the love energy embedded in the song — ‘Levitating’ was created by friends who truly love each other. And when real love is given the opportunity to be experienced by the people, it spreads like a wildfire.”

CuBeatz
Producers, Songwriters

Tay Keith
Producer, Songwriter

Vinylz
Producer, Songwriter

Drake’s “Jimmy Cooks” featuring 21 Savage

Cooking up Drake’s latest hit came in two parts. First was producer Vinylz’s merging of samples between Memphis rapper Playa Fly’s “Just Awaken Shaken” and soul singer Brook Benton’s “You Were Gone.” “I added drums, a bass line and sent it to Drake,” Vinylz recalls. “He said he loved it and wanted to get a verse from 21 Savage, but felt the beat was missing something.” Enter Keith, who is responsible for the gritty beat switch that introduces 21 Savage on the track’s second half. “We have this chemistry that creates this synergy of sound that pulls in all parts of what makes a hit today,” says Keith of the collaboration. The sensibility cohered in particular around a love of Memphis rap, starting from the Playa Fly sample. “I feel like Drake wanted to showcase the true Memphis culture and sound in ‘Jimmy Cooks,’” Keith says. “From the samples to the darkness to the bounce.” As for the contributions of CuBeatz, aka twin brothers Tim and Kevin Gomringer, the pair observe, “We feel like we brought out the contrast in the record, sonically, by switching the chilled saxophone vibe on the first half of the beat to our darker, spookier strings heard on the latter end.”

Songwriter
Gayle’s “Abcdefu”

Best friends Davis and Gayle have been writing songs together since they were 15 and 12, respectively, so it was all the more special when “Abcdefu” became a smash hit and a Grammy nominee for song of the year. Nashville-based Davis, now 21, says the tongue-in-cheek take on the alphabet song came together in August 2020 after Gayle had gone through a breakup. “As a joke, we were just listing all the people that were enabling this specific ex to be a piece of shit,” she says. Soon enough, the spunky track dominated TikTok and radio. Adds Davis: “This was both of our first big anything — and we got to experience all of that together.”

Producer
“We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from “Encanto”

When Lin-Manuel Miranda asked Elizondo to help him produce music for Disney’s “Encanto,” he had no idea it would even get a theatrical release — let alone spawn a No. 1 hit that would not die. That song, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” first came to Elizondo via a Logic session. “The essential DNA was there,” he recalls. “Lin looked for me to take his vision to the finish line.” That involved playing up the song’s theatricality. “Each verse is a different character,” Elizondo says. “I wanted to highlight that by changing the music every time a new vocalist comes in.” As gratifying as its commercial success is, Elizondo is proudest of being part of a movie that “provides a mirror for a lot of families that usually don’t get to see themselves.”

Ernest
Songwriter

Joey Moi
Producer

Morgan Wallen’s “Wasted on You” and “You Proof”

Country stars TikTok, too, as the world learned when Wallen’s mastery of the app helped give his songs a turbo boost. “With ‘You Proof,’ TikTok did what TikTok does when Morgan posted a clip,” says co-writer Ernest, speaking of their latest Country No. 1. As for its equal-smash predecessor, which was the last single released off “Dangerous: The Double Album,” “I can’t remember if ‘Wasted on You’ was a social media post, but it didn’t hurt that it is on the biggest album in the Milky Way.” Wallen has dug in intensively with a small circle of friend-collaborators for his two albums to date, including Moi, whose vision for interpolating pop production into classic country writing helped “Dangerous” set a record for the most weeks as a top 10 album by any solo artist. Ernest — who headlined his own recent tour and had a top 10 hit with Wallen featured (“Flower Shops”) — gives almost all the credit to the star: “Morgan has one of those voices that brings a listener in immediately,” he says. “I ain’t gonna lie, the songs are catchy as hell, too.”

Producer, Songwriter
The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber’s “Stay”

“Stay” was a hit before the Kid Laroi released it, which raised the pressure for writer-producer Fedi. “One of the earliest versions of the song leaked and I would get all these messages asking when it drops,” the Israeli American says. “I’m like, ‘How does everybody know this fucking record?’” With “Stay” already viral, Fedi knew he had to deliver. “That was probably the hardest song I’ve ever worked on in my life,” he admits. “When I hear something in my head and can’t replicate it, I get frustrated.” It was worth it in the long run. For Fedi, seeing Laroi and Bieber perform the hit for a sold-out arena crowd is a “magical moment that I’ll never forget.”

Producers, Songwriters
The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber’s “Stay,” Future’s “Wait For U” featuring Drake and Tems

Australian production duo FnZ, comprising Michael Mule and Isaac De Boni, were on the hunt for samples when they came across a video of Afrobeats star Tems performing “Higher” live. “We threw it in Ableton and started chopping up all the parts,” Mule remembers. They shaped it into the demo that would become “Wait For U.” Ten months later, they learned that it would not only be cut by Future, but also feature Drake and serve as the lead single from the rapper’s album. De Boni puts the song’s appeal down to its unusual origins. “It was quite different sonically to everything else with the live sample and crazy snare,” he says. Of fellow Aussie Laroi’s “Stay,” De Boni describes the singer “freestyling super-spontaneously over a keyboard riff — crazy!” The duo was brought in to write the hyper-pop/ electronic elements. “We also manipulated his voice to give his background vocals a Vocoder feel.”

Songwriter
Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit”

For Fousheé, the singer-songwriter born Britanny Fousheé, stepping in to write with Lacy for his mainstream breakthrough, “Gemini Rights,” was nerve-wracking. “I was kinda tip-toeing,” she confesses. Though the duo had collaborated in the past, songwriting for others wasn’t second nature to her, and she wanted whatever came out to land. “One of the first lyrics I wrote was, ‘I bite my tongue, it’s a bad habit.’ That one line.” And it was that “one line” that went on to help shape Lacy’s second single, which began at the bottom of the Hot 100 and peaked at No. 1 on the day his Give You the World tour kicked off. Adds Fousheé: “It just all aligned.”

Mixer
Imagine Dragons’ “Enemy” featuring J.I.D, the Weeknd’s “Save Your Tears,” the Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber’s “Stay”

The more No. 1 hits Ghenea has, the more unassuming the mixer becomes. Ghenea takes his mixing cues from the songs themselves, going for maximum emotional impact in his approach. For “Enemy,” this was the energy with enough room for the explosive chorus. For “Save Your Tears” it was the vocal melody and synths. For “Stay” it was the punky vocal, and “meshing the hook melody with the synth line that created the magic,” he says. Of all the records, he adds, “I was really floored by the production quality and the performances. Each brought such an exciting, new energy. Their emotional impact was completely evident.”

Engineers, Mixers
Latto’s “Big Energy”

The interpolation of Tom Tom Club’s “Genius of Love” is at the core of “Big Energy,” but both Thompson and Gibbs, the engineers and mixers who worked the song, say it’s Latto’s performance that took it over the top and made the song ubiquitous. Whether it was in the car for Gibbs or at the gym for Thompson, hearing “Big Energy” popping up at various points in their daily lives sent both buzzing. Then the remix with Mariah Carey featuring DJ Khaled ramped up “Big Energy” even more. While thrilled to be recognized as hitmakers, proper credits are top of mind for the two. “It seems like Tidal is the only streaming service that includes engineers,” says Thompson. “I’m hoping Spotify and Apple Music jump on board and can give full credits to everyone that touched the record.” Gibbs agrees, “There is really no reason not to. Credits can be updated any time after a digital release.”

Songwriter, Producer
Latto’s “Big Energy”

As one of the most successful hitmakers of the past 20 years, with smashes by Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry, Doja Cat and others to his many names, Gottwald’s streak continues with “Big Energy.” However, he notes, the song was not a success out the gate. “It did not have great streaming numbers at the beginning — in fact, they released another single two weeks later,” says Gottwald. “The saving grace for this song was good old-fashioned radio: I noticed that it was only on one station in L.A., Power 106, but was the No. 1 most-Shazamed record in the whole city. That means it was beating every other record in the market. That was the point where it became obvious that the song was a hit, and proves that streaming or TikTok are not the only ones to break a record.”

Producer
Jack Harlow’s “First Class”

Grammy-winner Harris was part of the small inner circle of creators involved in “First Class.” The NYU Tisch School of Arts dropout, who has music-making in his genes thanks to his songwriter mother, feels it was the familiarity of interpolating Fergie’s “Glamorous” on “First Class” that captivated listeners. But it was finding the right pocket, modernizing the original and adding “the right sonic sprinkles” that took the song over the finish line. Having the song debut atop the Hot 100 is his proudest “First Class” moment. Says Harris, “Perhaps this is a bit cliché, but it was my first-ever No. 1, so it was extra-special for me.”

Producers, Songwriters

The Weeknd’s “Save Your Tears”

There are precious few songwriters and producers who can be considered “sure bets” when it comes to creating hits, but Sweden’s Martin and Holter are about as close as it gets to a sure thing these days. The pair co-wrote and co-produced the Weeknd’s 1980s-inspired “Save Your Tears,” which has remained huge in streaming, proving once again the MXM Music powerhouses have near-perfect ears for what pop music fans want to hear. IFPI — the organization that represents the recording industry worldwide — announced that “Save Your Tears” was the best-performing song of 2021, and it kept going into 2022, racking up nearly 1.3 billion to-date streams of the original on Spotify alone.

Songwriter
Dua Lipa’s “Levitating”

Love and joy are the key elements of “Levitating,” says co-writer Hudson. “I think people feel that infectious energy when they listen to it.” The latest of Hudson’s many hits over the past 15 years (among them: “Dark Horse” by Katy Perry and “Black Widow” by Iggy Azalea and Rita Ora), she credits the visual element — specifically “the stunning video” — for taking “Levitating” to another level. Hudson considers her collaborators family (worth noting: she’s the daughter of producer-musician Mark Hudson, who worked with Cher and Aerosmith), and inspiration comes daily. “I have new music inside myself every time I sit down to write, and I am humbled by that experience when it happens.”

Producer
Kodak Black’s “Super Gremlin”

The eerie piano keys that set the compositional scene of “Super Gremlin” — a co-production effort from Jambo and ATL Jacob — are accentuated by a pitched-up vocal sample of “Errror” by German indie rock group How to Loot Brazil. Kodak riffs on the sample with the song’s chorus, making it the hit record’s centerpiece moment. “The vocal sample is something everybody gets hyped about,” says co-producer Jambo, adding that Kodak himself boasted, “This song has crack in it.” “The original idea of this song was created in a moment when I was feeling kind of unmotivated and blue,” Jambo adds. “This melody will always remind me to make my best music when I put my emotions into it completely.”

Producer, Songwriter
Dua Lipa’s “Levitating”

Canadian music-maker Koz was on a 10-year mission to find a rare Roland VP-330 synth and when he finally did, he created the “little riff off the top of the song” that became “Levitating.” “It was literally the first thing I played and luckily my engineer was recording it, then we exported it to the desktop and I forgot about it,” Koz says. When he went to London’s Sarm Studios, he played the track and “Dua immediately just started voice-clipping some melodies and the song took shape pretty fast.” The energy in the studio was so much fun, he says, echoing his collaborators’ sentiments. “The song sounds like the day.”

Kal Lavelle
Songwriter

Steve Mac
Producer, Songwriter

Johnny McDaid
Producer, Songwriter

Ed Sheeran’s “Shivers”

Mac and McDaid share co-writing credits on several Sheeran smashes — including “South of the Border” (Mac), “Galway Girl” (McDaid) and “Shape of You” (both) — but the experience was all-new for Lavelle, who counts “Shivers” as her first hit. “To have my name alongside Johnny and Steve is a blessing,” she says. “They are super-lovely and talented.” Lavelle’s fun-focused approach clearly gelled with her veteran colleagues, whose glittering resumés have been further burnished by “=.” McDaid was also a co-author on “Bad Habits,” while Sheeran’s U.K. label boss, Ed Howard, praises Mac — also a co-writer for Anne-Marie, Rita Ora and Charli XCX — as “a critical part of Atlantic’s modern success.” Lavelle, meanwhile, hopes “Shivers” can energize a career that started alongside Sheeran, a friend for 15 years. “We’ve come a long way from playing in bars to 20 people!” she laughs. “I was thinking of giving up during the pandemic, then my life did a complete 180 — a reminder to everyone, keep going!”

Producer, Songwriter
Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow’s “Industry Baby”

The backbone of “Industry Baby,” one of the biggest songs of both 2021 and 2022, is the horn line. When songwriter-producer Lee sent the initial loop to executive producer duo Take A Daytrip, they tasked him with creating the song’s intro, saying it should sound like “a king entering a stadium” with a hint of “Shrek 2.” Despite the song’s incredible commercial success, Lee is most proud of hearing it played by marching bands across the country, as well as receiving an unforgettable message from a band kid: “Thank you for making the trombone cool again.”

Producer
Bad Bunny and Chencho Corleone’s “Me Porto Bonito”

“I knew this song was going to have that beachy vibe, I started creating with that in mind,” says Lennex of Bad Bunny’s breakout single. After securing the song’s infectious Dembow rhythm, Lennex shared the bones of what would become “Me Porto Bonito” with production duo Súbelo NEO, who then sent it to Bunny. It sat in his personal songs vault for two years until the creation of his “Un Verano Sin Ti” album, for which Bunny enlisted hometown hero Corleone as a featured artist. “It was one of the many ideas I sent to [Súbelo], but this was the one they liked the most,” says Lennex. “It just came together naturally but I could’ve never imagined it would get to where it stands today.”

Songwriter
Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow’s “Industry Baby”

Once the “Industry Baby” trombone loop was set, the “Old Town Road” artist immediately jumped into the vocal booth and got to work. “Nas rapped the whole song to us,” co-writer Lenzo remembers. “It was literally incredible.” The producer puts the track’s popularity down to its empowering message. “Anyone that has pursued a dream or dealt with people holding you back can relate,” he says. For Lenzo, it was the culmination of a journey that began when he was 12 making beats in his bedroom. His family has always been incredibly supportive, but his grandparents can’t quite wrap their head around his profession. “They think I teach music,” he laughs. “I tell them my students are good.”

Producer, Songwriter
Jack Harlow’s “First Class”

Lopez’s mentor Timbaland rang him after the No. 1 single “First Class” was all over the radio and said, “Man, y’all caught one bro.” Lopez knew it was “a superstar” from the album, which had gone viral from TikTok, but he hadn’t heard it on the air himself. “I was driving on the 101 with my wife and I was like, ‘I’m gonna turn on the radio, hopefully we get to hear the song,’” Lopez recounts. “I swear to you, I clicked on the first radio station and the song was playing. It was the craziest moment. And I’m so happy I got to share it with my wife.”

Producer, Songwriter
Bad Bunny’s “Me Porto Bonito” and “Titi Me Pregunto”

MAG, whose given name is Marco Borrero, spent a month in the Dominican Republic with Bad Bunny, where the duo laid out the floor plans and sound designs for the blockbuster “Un Verano Sin Ti.” “It was a very zen, family-like environment,” he says of the sessions that birthed the 23-track album, including its pair of chart-toppers, “Titi Me Pregunto” and “Me Porto Bonito.” “We’d set up the studios we’d be working in with a tropical vibe, lots of plants — creating the atmosphere he needed.” For MAG, ensuring the “nostalgia of classic reggaeton,” was both the driving force and challenge of the songs, which fuse elements of bachata, Dominican Dembow and trap. “The album has become a soundtrack for [Puerto Rico]. Hearing it played in every car, corner, house and party [is] very heartwarming for me. It’s a reminder of why these songs are so much bigger than us.”

Mixer, Producer
Gayle’s “Abcdefu”

Turning the alphabet into a breakup anthem may sound rudimentary, but it was no easy feat. “It’s literally a nursery rhyme,” says Nappi. “It’s hard to get something that simple to also be cool. The lyric was really clever, and she’s talking about something relatable to most people.” Recognizing the angst in the track, Nappi was eager to get Gayle’s emotion across — “to tell her ex to f-off, just in music form.” The viral hit turned radio powerhouse certainly resonated. “It’s one of the hardest things to do — to create something and have people react.”

Engineer
Jack Harlow’s “First Class”

As Harlow’s go-to engineer, Pabón has proven his worth to the greater “Come Home the Kids Miss You” project, sharing in Grammy noms for rap song, melodic rap performance and rap album. He’s also part of an elite group of audio influencers who increasingly have the ears of the talent. “Jack and I have been working together for almost five years,” he says. “I can’t describe how appreciative we feel to be Grammy-nominated for the third year in a row for ‘First Class,’ ‘Churchill Downs’ and our album as a whole. I couldn’t ask for a better person and artist to share this growth with.”

Producer, Songwriter
Gayle’s “Abcdefu”

The wickedly delicious empowerment anthem came together when producer and songwriter Pittenger was on his couch one night. “I was going through my titles list and trying out some new ideas,” Pittenger recalls. “I brought it to a session with Gayle and songwriter Sara Davis and it turned out to be the perfect title for Gayle to vent about her ex.” To date, the song has had more than 700 million global streams, and Pittenger credits Tik-Tok for being instrumental in helping the song reach far and wide. He says, “It became an organic trend which translated into massive streaming, prompting Atlantic to take the song to radio.” But while social media is integral to music discovery, the producer still favors live performances. “I wish more artists were discovered playing live in a dive bar on a rainy Tuesday night — there’s no substitute for learning to win that crowd over.”

Producers
Elton John and Dua Lipa’s “Cold Heart”

Australian production team PNAU, comprising Nick Littlemore, Sam Littlemore and Peter Mayes, had another stellar year in 2022, largely off the back of “Cold Heart,” which they remixed. “It all just felt right and there wasn’t really a song on the radio like ‘Cold Heart’ at the time,” says Nick of the tune’s genesis. Adds Sam: “There was a moment listening to the verse of ‘Sacrifice,’ where I realized it would make a perfect starting point for a new song … the verse ended in the phrase ‘Cold Heart.’” Mayes describes the epiphany as “like five lightning bolts hitting all at once.” But Sam says it’s all about the beat. “That’s what grabbed listeners: it has a unique disco-inspired rhythm.”

Producer
Dua Lipa’s “Levitating”

Price once again rode a wave of streams in 2022 from his involvement with Dua Lipa’s smash “Levitating” (he co-produced the track and worked across the record, from the synths to the beat). The song has now surpassed 2 billion streams on Spotify, between the original and remix versions. It’s literally everywhere. “Almost certainly in a passing car,” says Price, is a regular occurrence. “I live for those moments because as much as I’m noticing the one thing I could improve, I also realize that it’s out there with a life of its own.”

Songwriter
The Weeknd’s “Save Your Tears”

DaHeala, who is credited on nine songs from the Weeknd’s “After Hours” deluxe edition, says, “You gotta know what your place is in the session sometimes.” His contribution to “Save Your Tears” was small but significant. While demoing “some cool ideas” with the Weeknd at Max Martin’s L.A. studio, he says, “I was in a really toxic relationship and I came back from a phone call to the session. While Abel [the Weeknd] was recording [some mumbles], the amount of syllables matched something I had told the girl I was with at the time, which was: ‘You can save your tears for another day.’”

Producer, Songwriter
Lizzo’s “About Damn Time,” The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber’s “Stay”

Slatkin was in the studio with producer Ricky Reed when he accidentally hit some chords on the piano. Inspired, they quickly cobbled together a beat and called Lizzo. Ten minutes later, the singer was at the studio and “About Damn Time” was born. The collaborators would tinker with the song for four more months (shorter than the six months Slatkin spent fine-tuning “Stay”), until they had crafted the ultimate post-COVID banger. “I’m amazed by Lizzo’s and by Ricky’s process,” says Slatkin. “They will not stop working until it’s perfect, so that’s what we did. We had an entire horn section to do two hit parts and two baps that are on the record for two seconds. But it was important to get that perfect.”

Engineer, Mixer
Future’s “Wait For U” featuring Drake and Tems

Future’s lyric about loyalty and thick-and-thin love connected with listeners and mixing engineer Stevens believes the diversity of all three vocalists was a big part of the appeal. “You have someone like Future who is in touch with more of the streets and culture, then you have Drake who’s just a superstar and Tems, who adds that international aspect to the song,” says Stevens, who regularly works with Metro Boomin. “It just grabbed every aspect in every market. While mixing, he kept everyone “on the same level,” instead of adding crazy effects. “It was very organic and I think that’s why the song did so well.”

Producers
Bad Bunny and Chencho Corleone’s “Me Porto Bonito”

Jose Carlos Cruz (aka Phantom) and Freddy Montalvo Alicea, the production duo that goes by Súbelo NEO, laid down the foundation for Bad Bunny’s blockbuster “Un Verano Sin Ti” project. Of the song “Me Porto Bonito,” the rhythm for the reggaeton banger had been created during sessions for Bunny’s 2018 album “YHLQMDLG,” as an “attempt to make a reggaeton classic,” and as an homage to Plan B’s style of reggaeton — “pa’ la calle.” A few days before the album’s release, “Benito told us he had recorded the song with Chencho, and we knew it was going to be something massive,” says Cruz. Súbelo points to the song’s thumping rhythm — “less pop than the [reggaeton] born a couple of years ago” — as its X factor.

Producers
Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow’s “Industry Baby”

What sound would accompany a gladiator striding into a coliseum? That was the question that guided Denzel Baptiste and David Biral — otherwise known as Take A Daytrip — when they were combing through ideas for Lil Nas X. They found an answer in a horn loop that evoked regal fanfare. That session birthed “Industry Baby” and the exultant trombone march informed the entire rollout. According to Biral, Nas approached the song like a “king that’s meant to be crowned” — a confident swagger that was embraced by sporting teams, newlyweds and gym bros. “It truly impacts people and changes their perception on life for a couple minutes,” Baptiste says. Biral concurs: “Nothing beats the high of people interacting with your music.”

Mixer
Jack Harlow’s “First Class,” Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow’s “Industry Baby”

In-demand mixer Teezio had his hands on two of 2022’s hottest records. Of “Industry Baby” and its “80 tracks of horns,” Teezio says, “right off the bat, I heard an anthem. So the challenge was making sure the vocals and horns both felt prominent while keeping Lil Nas X as the focal point.” Of mixing “First Class,” he stresses, “my goal was to make a hip-hop record that could break as a pop song. I knew ‘First Class’ was going to be special when I saw it was viral on Instagram and I was still in between mix drafts. Making final changes during all the madness showed me the effects of my work in real time!”

Producer, Songwriter
Future’s “Wait For U” featuring Drake and Tems

The emotional core of “Wait For U” comes from its sample of Tems’ Tejiri-produced track. The Nigerian beatmaker, who has worked with Tems since 2019, took inspiration from a one-sided relationship in his own life while producing “Higher,” a “song of heartbreak” whose lovelorn quality he credits as the reason for the eventual success of “Wait For U.” “The message of the hook and lyrics is global because anyone in any culture can relate to missing somebody they care about,” Tejiri says. “The upbeat, bright guitar strumming bolsters the song’s optimistic hope to reunite with a loved one.”

Producer, Songwriter
Lizzo’s “About Damn Time,” Latto’s “Big Energy”

Though he’s been in the game for nearly two decades, working on tracks for the likes of Beyoncé, Rihanna and Ariana Grande, Thomas only recently achieved his first Hot 100 No. 1. As his collaborator would put it, it’s about damn time. “Lizzo is super musically inclined — she knows music in the sense of keys and notes; and she knows production,” says Thomas. “She has her own language — we literally call them ‘Lizzo-isms’ — things only she can say.” As for “Big Energy,” Thomas co-wrote the original demo and remembers the gatekeepers weren’t entirely receptive to the track originally. “I personally heard people say, ‘That song ain’t good’ or ‘Latto don’t need no shit like that’ and I stuck to my guns, saying they just don’t get it and this is going to take rap and female rap to the future.”

Songwriter
Imagine Dragons’ “Enemy” featuring J.I.D

Tranter’s ability to write hits across musical genres is uncanny, and Imagine Dragons’ latest, “Enemy,” is yet another addition to the veteran songwriter’s trophy case. They credit the band’s Dan Reynolds for “the meat of the chorus,” which was “falling out of” the singer’s mouth, says Tranter, noting the dichotomy of the melody being “casual and aggressive at the same time.” Tranter gives producers Mattman and Robin accolades for their “combination of refined and fresh” production. But it’s Tranter’s handling of the underdog lyrics that, as they say, “Strikes a chord when done right.”

Producer, Songwriter
Gunna’s “Pushin P” featuring Future and Young Thug

When producer Wheezy and Gunna are in the studio, they have two goals in mind: make history and make hits. With “Pushin P,” a co-production effort with Juke Wong, the longtime producer-rapper duo accomplished both — establishing an earworm hit that introduced “P” to the world. The slang term that caught on like wildfire at the top of 2022 was no accident. As Wheezy recalls: “When we made the song, we knew we wanted to turn the world onto our lingo — we already talk like that to each other and Gunna knew that people would catch on.”

Producer, Songwriter
Gunna’s “Pushin P” featuring Future and Young Thug

A lifelong basketball fan, Wong knew “Pushin P” had made it to the big time when he saw Gunna perform at the NBA All Star Weekend. With its melody in hand last summer while delivering for Jimmy Johns, an Instagram follow from co-producer Wheezy put Wong on a fast track to a major production credit. “I was at my parents’ house in my room cooking up melodies,” Wong recalls. “I was very inspired by smooth jazz and ‘The Life of Pi’erre 5’ by Pi’erre Bourne at the time. I didn’t really know what I wanted when I made the melody. I picked what sounded cool to me and built on it whatever idea came to my head. I honestly thought the melody wasn’t good, but I still sent it to Wheezy.” Talk about turning negativity into something uplifting, the very message of the song. Says Wong, “Everyone is pushing P in their own way as long as they’re making positive impacts on the world and on other people.”

President, Mercury Records
Morgan Wallen’s “Wasted on You” and “You Proof”

Recently named president of Mercury Records, Arnold not only signed Post Malone but also brokered the deal to bring Wallen’s blockbuster “Dangerous: The Double Album” and its breakout singles to Republic. With “Wasted on You,” and its parent album, Wallen became the first artist ever to simultaneously reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs and Top Country Albums charts. “‘You Proof ’ went viral pre-release and had a ton of momentum going into release,” says Arnold. “I was so proud to see Morgan get his first Top 5 single. It was an incredible accomplishment for the team.”

Senior VP, A&R, RCA Records
Latto’s “Big Energy”

An integral part of Latto’s team since she signed with RCA, Aroh helped to organize the Mariah Carey remix of “Big Energy,” which took the hit to entirely new heights. After connecting with the elusive chanteuse through Keith Naftaly, RCA’s president of A&R, Aroh made sure that the remix “was fleshed out the way they both saw it musically, and also visually.” As to why the song connected with listeners, Aroh says, “Latto showcased something I always knew she had — the ability to sound accessible to all ages, but still gritty and raw enough to connect with her core fans.”

Exec VP and Co-Head of Pop A&R, Atlantic Records
Lizzo’s “About Damn Time”

As Lizzo neared the end of making her fourth album, “Special,” Davis’ A&R radar went off. He felt it needed one more song and connected the singer’s longtime collaborator, Ricky Reed, with producer-on-the-rise Blake Slatkin, and “About Damn Time” was born. The trio’s chemistry was “immediate and undeniable,” Davis says, a feeling that translated because of how much thought was put into the groovy track’s lyrics. “Lizzo, Ricky, Blake and Theron spent months crafting the perfect lyric that encapsulated what everyone was feeling during such a strange time, while also offering hope and escape,” he says.

Justin Bieber A&R
The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber’s “Stay”

As Bieber’s personal A&R and longtime DJ, James knew “Stay” would be a smash after the band previewed it during a private playback party at L.A. hotspot Harriet’s. James, who had linked Bieber with Laroi years ago, was in the crowd as Bieber invited the Australian newcomer to debut their collab. “The song wasn’t even an out yet and people were already dancing to it,” says James. “The tempo, the melody, it resonates. It has a nostalgic feel.” Coming out of the pandemic, James adds that the energy of “Stay” connected, “and we saw it that night.”

President of A&R, Atlantic Records
Gayle’s “Abcdefu”

Ganbarg first saw Gayle perform in Nashville when she was just 14, and instantly saw potential, telling Arthouse label publisher Kara DioGuardi, “I’m in.” The teen “was so self-assured and confident on stage playing to an audience of two, like she was headlining an arena,” he says. Ganbarg, a 15-year veteran of Atlantic, proceeded cautiously letting Gayle figure out who she was as an artist. The first songs were released “offshore” without label branding, he explains, but with “Abcdefu,” she was “ready to go.” Next up: opening for Taylor Swift on the Eras stadium tour. Adds Ganbarg: “The old-fashioned stand-bys of touring and really connecting with people in-person are still such important parts of breaking an artist long-term.”

Co-President, Republic Records
The Weeknd’s “Save Your Tears”

Veteran A&R ace Goldstein was the link between the Weeknd and co-writer/co-producer Max Martin, and also Ariana Grande, bringing the three together nearly a decade ago for the song “Love Me Harder.” She clearly saw how much Grande could bring to a remix of “Save Your Tears,” which was already a standout track from the Weeknd’s blockbuster 2020 album “After Hours.” The Grande version was released as a single and topped the charts in 18 countries, including the U.S. “The song has persisted as a phenomenon,” says Goldstein. “The Weeknd gave an incredible performance at the [2021] American Music Awards, closed out his TikTok virtual concert with it, and it was also a high watermark of his Super Bowl Halftime Show. All of those moments, combined with the Ariana remix, contributed to it becoming a phenomenon for two years.”

Co-President, Atlantic Records U.K.
Ed Sheeran’s “Shivers”

“Shivers” was the first song written for 2021’s “=” album, but last to be completed — evidence, Howard says, of Team Sheeran’s never-ending quest for perfection. The group was “working to make it 10% better, because the bar’s set so high,” Howard says, noting Sheeran’s streaming supremacy means he’s often his own biggest competition. “Shivers” accepted that challenge, replacing Sheeran’s own “Bad Habits” as a U.K. No.1. “Ed writes a lot, and works on songs until they’re the best they can be,” says Howard, who nurtured the star since he was 18.

Senior VP, A&R/Marketing, RCA Records; Founder, 88 Classic
Latto’s “Big Energy”

“Big Energy” may stem from a raunchy expression, but Latto had every- one and their mom rapping along to the song, even if they didn’t know exactly what it meant. The song reached No. 1 on Rhythmic airplay, and getting it radio-ready was essential in order for “Big Energy” to become as, er, big as it was. “It’s a song for everybody,” says Grand. “It’s an anthem of confidence for all ages. Even the clean version, which she took good care in delivering, exudes phenomenal energy, which is not always easy to do.”

Manager, A&R, RCA Records
Latto’s “Big Energy”

When Latto released her sophomore album “777” in March, it served as a reintroduction to her already ardent fanbase — and to the world — that here was a bonafide rap and pop icon. Following a strategic rebrand, Latto made it clear that “Big Energy” encapsulated confidence for people of all genders through catchy melodies and clever wordplay. “I wish more artists moved like Latto,” says Jones. “She’s hands-on with everything. Hungry. Self-aware. The most authentic. She keeps it interesting. She’s a professional from start to finish. … She’s not in the studio playing around.”

Lewis: EVP and Head of A&R, Epic Records
Pegues: VP, A&R, Epic Records

Future’s “Wait For U” featuring Drake and Tems

Lewis and Pegues first heard “Wait For U” in the studio right after Future recorded his verse. Pegues says it was the obvious single for “I Never Liked You.” “We got with our amazing team and started planning to have everything lined up prior to release from marketing to radio to video,” Pegues says. The foresight set the track up to debut at No. 1, a feat that was buoyed, in particular, by a music video that knowingly winked at Future’s public image, the pair notes. “There was already a surge of renewed awareness on the internet around him outside of the music,” says Lewis. “We had a strong sense that the song would capitalize on that awareness. In the video, he is referred to as the ‘toxic king.’ Future is a master of craft and understands when to not take things too seriously. Our team took all of that in and shined the spotlight right where it belonged.”

Exec VP and Co-Head of A&R, Interscope Geffen A&M
Imagine Dragons’ “Enemy” featuring J.I.D

“The combination of the Dragons and J.I.D’s performance on the record mixed with the reach and community of the League of Legends ecosystem was an explosive synergy,” says Riback, whose A&R role at the label includes shepherding the records of roster acts including Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish. With “Enemy” adding to the parade of hits in Imagine Dragons’ extensive canon, it is another “great moment on their path to becoming one of the biggest bands in the world.” Riback sees this as the band at its best. “From the edgy production, chanting chorus, to J.I.D’s masterful verse, the song has a feel that matched perfectly with the emotion and world they were creating in ‘Arcane.’”

Manager, A&R, Atlantic Records
Gayle’s “Abcdefu”

Working hand-in-hand with Gayle on her breakout smash, Sayer served as a trusted adviser during the music-making process, including spending time in the studio with producer Pete Nappi. Sayer’s seasoned A&R guidance, and engineering chops, proved invaluable for a young, brave female artist finding her voice “fearlessly,” she says of Gayle. “The blunt lyricism and play on words is what makes the hook to ‘Abcdefu’ so infectious. The alphabet is one of the first songs any child learns, so there’s an immediate familiarity in the lyrics, but the switch of the letters then grabs your attention because it’s unexpected.”

Co-President, 300 Entertainment
Gunna and Future’s “Pushin P” featuring Young Thug

The word “organic” and Kim Kardashian may not seem like complementary concepts, but when it came to pushing “Pushin P,” the social-media impact she provided was enormous. Still, Bass had to ensure that use of the blue “P” emoji, which spread by Gunna’s fans, led back to the track. “I’m reading the comments, like, these people have no idea where the connection is,” she says. “So I asked the team to reformulate the promotion strategy on TikTok to have pop-culture creators break down Kim’s post — pointing back to Gunna, the song and the overall movement.” The strategy worked as brands including Nike signed on as partners expanding its reach to fashion and sports. “I’ve marketed these types of movements in my career so I understand the tactics that move the needle,” adds Bass. “The window of relevancy for viral trends is getting shorter. You have to give meaning to the movement and make it timeless.”

Bay-Schuck: Co-Chairman & CEO, Warner Records

Corson: Co-Chairman & COO, Warner Records

Dua Lipa’s “Levitating,” Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God),” Zach Bryan’s “Something in the Orange”

Bay-Schuck has personally shepherded Bryan’s development since signing him in 2020, when the artist was serving a second stint in the Navy. After two prior mid-level hits, the stars aligned on “Something,” a platinum, Top 3 smash on both the Rock and Country charts that Bay-Schuck calls “poetry set to song. Zach’s voice carries so much emotion. You can hear the pain and the loss, but you can also hear the optimism and the hope.” And while “Something” is still gaining steam at radio, Warner has already enjoyed long-tail success with the Dua Lipa and Bush tracks. Thanks to “Stranger Things,” the latter was the first catalog song to ever land on Spotify’s Today’s Top Hits en route to becoming the biggest hit of Bush’s career, while the former spent 77 weeks on the Hot 100, a record for a female artist. “It inspired good vibes at the height of the pandemic and created just the right upbeat connection for the listener,” Corson says of “Levitating.”

Vice Chairman, Interscope Geffen A&M
Elton John and Dua Lipa’s “Cold Heart”

“It’s so rare that a song captures the importance of the past, but is all about today and this current moment,” says Berman of “Cold Heart,” which he “knew was something very special” from the moment John and his husband-manager, David Furnish, presented it to the label. Berman has been the steward of Interscope’s relationship with the Rocket Man for more than 15 years. “Working with Elton and his entire team is something that I value and cherish,” he says. “I’m so honored to be on this ride.”

Co-Founders/CEOs, Generation Now

Jack Harlow’s “First Class”

Generation Now’s co-founders have Jack Harlow’s own ambition to thank for the wild ride they’ve all been on the past two years. But it’s “First Class” that proved the Kentucky rapper had truly arrived. “We’ve been pushing this envelope — or he’s been pushing — to get in the lane of a Justin Timberlake and to reach the people who listened to Black Eyed Peas, Missy Elliot, A Tribe Called Quest,” says Cannon. The Fergie sample was the hook, but Drama suggests “that a lot of Jack’s fanbase wasn’t all the way familiar with ‘Glamorous.’ For a lot of younger fans, it was their first time hearing it.” Adds Lake, “I don’t think it carried the record but familiarity always helps.” The song was an 11th-hour add to Harlow’s “Come Home the Kids Miss You” album, with Atlantic’s Craig Kallman’s encouragement to make the most of the sample. “Craig was in the studio and he tapped us, like, ‘Yo, if you’re going to use a sample as major as this, you might as well use all of it,’” Cannon says. “We all put our heads together and got it in the nick of time.”

Co-Founder and CEO, Big Loud
Morgan Wallen’s “Wasted on You” and “You Proof”

Wallen was inarguably the biggest star in country music over the past year. After a public timeout in 2021, he returned with back-to-back breakup songs that easily went No. 1 in airplay at the format and broke into the top 10 of the Hot 100. Driving it all — in partnership with Republic — is England, who’s seen Wallen turn into the closest thing this country generation has to a Garth in just two albums. “With both songs, fan demand made the difference,” says England. “We saw reactivity almost instantly when Morgan teased the music on socials” — which drove “Wasted” to No. 1 on the all-consumption country chart its first week out in ’21, a year before it resurged at No. 1 with radio. “These are country songs at their core — strong lyricism and storytelling — but also have pop sensibilities in melody and production. That recipe proves potent for us.”

Chairman and CEO, Universal Music Publishing Group
Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit”

When Gerson signed Steve Lacy 2 1⁄2 years ago, she did so for one reason: “I was a fan,” she says. While Lacy was in the studio making what would eventually become “Gemini Rights,” he’d send Gerson rough ideas of songs. “[They] were so raw and brilliant, incredibly melodic and musical but lacked structure and finished lyrics,” she says. Though introducing Lacy to songwriters helped with his lyricism and “the confidence that what he was writing was dope,” Gerson ultimately saw herself in the role of simply “believing that he could make an important album.” Of the nearly 200 songs he penned in the process, “Bad Habit,” made the cut and ended up inspiring nearly 500,000 videos on TikTok alone. “Great art takes time with great artists, that’s how it goes.”

Chief Revenue Officer, Global Head of Streaming & Strategy, Interscope Geffen A&M
Elton John and Dua Lipa’s “Cold Heart”

Elton John’s biggest U.S. hit since 1997 deftly attracted younger listeners discovering catalog music on TikTok and DSPs for the first time. “When you combine elements of a hit from the past from one of the biggest artists ever and mix in one of the generation’s biggest stars in Dua Lipa, it created this incredible song that resonated deeply with fans across the globe,” says Kelly, who credits a global playlisting and radio strategy with U.K. partner EMI for keeping “Cold Heart” top of mind for more than a year. Indeed, the song spent 378 days on Spotify’s Today’s Top Hits and is featured in John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour set.

Chairman and CEO, 300 Elektra Entertainment
Gunna and Future’s “Pushin P” featuring Young Thug

Liles fondly recalls watching Gunna live out the concept of his platinum single. “We were in St. Maarten listening to the album and he said, ‘I’m pushin’ P this time, I’m pushin’ P.’ This was before the song was made. We had the ‘Too Easy’ record out with Future — we didn’t get the video shot because everybody was traveling.” Liles recalls Gunna later phoning him with manager Ebonie Ward, “He said ‘Yo I got it,’ and played the record.” Within 24 hours, Gunna, Future and Young Thug created a video from their alliteratively extravagant exploits in Miami. “He was at a point in his life where everything had to be P,” says Liles of the artist’s positivity. “Everybody started asking what it meant and started to say it. They all bought into his movie.”

President, Elektra Records
Ed Sheeran’s “Shivers”

Nadel has overseen U.S. marketing for Sheeran since the start of his career, a role he continues to perform in tandem with his Elektra presidency. For eventual Adult Top 40 chart-topper “Shivers,” the challenge was how to effectively promote it with Sheeran unable to appear in person due to the pandemic and his own bout with COVID-19. Luckily, he recovered in time to play in person on a November 2021 episode of “Saturday Night Live,” which Nadel calls “a moment that connected the airplay and streaming back to where Ed always shines — with a live performance. It was great to see people in a room reacting to it for the first time.”

Chairman and CEO, Epic Records
Future’s “Wait For U” featuring Drake and Tems

Rhone recognized in “Wait For U” the rare quality you look for in a hit record. “Future sent me a rough cut of the song from the studio and it sounded like lightning in a bottle — one of those one listen songs,” says Rhone, who began her career at Buddha Records in 1974 and went on to run major frontline labels including Elektra and Universal Motown before joining Epic in 2013. “The lyrics are universally relatable, clever and nuanced. The dynamic between Future and Drake is always next level,” she adds. “And then the Tems sample is immediately recognizable and a genius move.” Once the song was completed, what transpired was a “laser-focused” effort led by management, Epic staff, and the artist himself — who leaned into TikTok and socials more than ever before. “He wasn’t afraid to be a little self-deprecating by joining the digital conversation about his ‘Toxic King’ persona,” says Rhone. The end result? “A No. 1 song; No. 1 album; No. 1 video. It doesn’t get better than that.”

Co-President, Republic Records
Drake’s “Jimmy Cooks” featuring 21 Savage

“It’s signature Drake,” says Roppo of the latest big radio record for the Toronto rapper that identified itself as a potential single because “the fans championed it from the beginning on streaming platforms.” But its rollout was paced more methodically, with a video released ahead of a collaborative album by Drake and 21 Savage, “Her Loss.” “‘Jimmy Cooks’ was an audience-powered record,” Roppo adds. “There are so many lines that people were quoting on social media — and they still are — but it’s also got this incredible confident chorus. Drake always delivers.”

GM, Epic Records
Future’s “Wait For U” featuring Drake and Tems

The veteran promotion exec takes delight in Future’s accomplishments at radio, which helped propell “Wait For U” to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100. Adding to the accolades, the rapper was named most streamed artist worldwide by Spotify and the top-achieving gold and platinum rapper of all-time, with RIAA certifications totaling 95 million in sales. Sackheim cites Future’s “distinctive sound, a melodic beat and engaging hook” for the song’s appeal, calling it an “instant classic” thanks to the participation of Drake and Tems. In Sackheim’s point of view, what it takes to score a hit record is straight out of Tolstoy: “The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.”

Founder, Airaudi Management
Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit”

With “Bad Habit,” Lacy went from being a longtime, diehard indie to signing with RCA just before his “Gemini Rights” album dropped; it was a late decision, but hardly rash. “We’d been talking with [RCA chairman and CEO] Peter Edge for years,” says Airaudi. “You need a partner that can help pull the trigger globally. Our partners need to operate the same way I do, which is putting infrastructure in place to allow Steve’s vision to become bigger, as opposed to trying to impose a vision.” Airaudi, a former Interscope exec, has been with Lacy since the artist was a Grammy-nominated 15-year-old member of the group the Internet. “It’s riffs and hooks, babies, riffs and hooks — on top of this unmistakable cool. That’s what this business has been about since the blues.”

Co-Founder, XO Records
The Weeknd’s “Save Your Tears”

“Cash” has been a vital member of the SalXCo and XO Records family for some 20 years, bringing both the Weeknd and Canadian rapper Nav into the fold and playing a key role in its dealmaking and promotion. He saw the potential in “Save Your Tears” and pushed for it as a single even before the song was released. “People connected to something that felt familiar and also new,” he says. “It was so amazing to see sold-out stadiums around the country this summer singing along with every word.”

President, SB Projects
The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber’s “Stay”

Talk about staying power. The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber’s collab hit was Variety’s “Song of the Summer” in 2021, and, a year and a half later, it still holds strong on the Hitmakers list. Kaye, a powerhouse manager and president of Scooter Braun’s SB Projects, says “Stay” was built on Laroi and Bieber’s “natural friendship” and snowballed after a few unexpected joint performances. On keeping the song relevant for so long, she adds: “We used to build plans toward explosive release dates, but records are building on the backend now, so we have to completely change how we market.”

Managers, Lil Nas X
Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow’s “Industry Baby”

“Industry Baby ” launched Lil Nas X into the stratosphere in summer 2021, topping the Hot 100 and six other genre charts. “The horns and drums are triumphant, which reflect the meaning of the song perfectly,” says Leber. As part of an ingenious campaign that touched every department at Columbia, the accompanying video was a viral smash playing off of the “Satan Shoes”/Nike controversy from the earlier “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” video. More than a year later, the song has come to represent Nas’ hard-earned place amid the most boundary-pushing artists in pop. “It’s a rallying cry to believe in yourself,” says Roberson. Adds Leber: “We’ll be hearing it for decades at major sporting events. It’s an underdog anthem.”

Manager, Gayle
Gayle’s “Abcdefu”

The relationship between manager and artist can be very personal. For Russo, it’s heading to Waffle House with Gayle, or driving together to a tour destination, during which they undoubtedly hear “Abcdefu” on the radio. For Russo, who has worked with the 18-year-old Gayle since the singer-songwriter was 14, those were some of the many surreal moments she shared with the artist, including “her appearance on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,’ the song getting playlisted on Pop Rising, her first billboard in Times Square, her first show on tour opening for Winnetka Bowling League.” Most “unreal,” adds Russo: “Confirming her opening slot for the Taylor Swift ‘Eras’ tour next year.”

Founder/CEO, SalXCo
The Weeknd’s “Save Your Tears”

As the founder and CEO of the SalXCo empire, Slaiby has had a hand in every aspect of the Weeknd’s success since the two first joined forces in 2011. This year, the Canadian-by-way-of-Lebanon saw his client not only capitalize on a decade of career-building, with a blockbuster North American stadium tour that will cover the rest of the world in 2023, but also his dramatic series debut with HBO’s “The Idol,” premiering next year. Credited as Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, he co-wrote, co-directed and stars in the series. “The energy was electric and so powerful,” says Slaiby of hearing “Tears” live. “My brother Abel makes timeless music and this song is a big pillar to his legacy.”

Managers, Jack Harlow;
Thomas: Managing Partner, Range Media Partners / Thadlani, Artist Manager, Range Media Partners
Jack Harlow’s “First Class,” Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow’s “Industry Baby”

A middle-school talent show and attempting a Fergie cover is where Harlow’s fixation on “Glamorous” started. It wasn’t until he found the right creative partners, however, that he was able to see it through with “First Class.” Fast forward a year, and Fergie would take the stage with Harlow at the VMAs. “It was such a full circle moment,” says Thadhani. “To watch Fergie’s love and energy behind the song and performance, plus the reaction from the entire audience, it was truly surreal.” It’s a testament to “true artist development,” adds Thomas. “Many people are starting to lose focus of that. There is a race to the bottom, chasing trends and short-lived moments. We are seeing an incredible amount of churn and burn with new signings.”

COO, Nice Life Recording Co.
Lizzo’s “About Damn Time”

Wade’s investment in client Ricky Reed paid off handsomely in 2022. As COO of the busy producer’s Nice Life label, he “was a fly on the wall” during the creation of Lizzo’s hit “About Damn Time.” “The energy and lyrical message worked so well together,” says the executive, who was the go-between for Nice Life and Lizzo’s label, Atlantic Records. “It’s an up-tempo, feel-good record that embodies empowerment and positivity. Seeing fans lose their minds for it on the tour was the exact reason I’m in the music business.” The song marked Reed’s second chart-topping pop hit, and followed a Grammy win earlier this year for his work with Jon Batiste.

Head of Sales & Streaming, Elektra Entertainment Group
Ed Sheeran’s “Shivers”

Landing on top-tier editorial playlists on the major DSPs was key to the success of “Shivers,” posits Abramson, as well as the “smaller genre, niche and lifestyle lists” that propelled the song to evergreen status. The exec, who oversees all of Sheeran’s sales and streaming, scored over 125 key U.S. playlists for “Shivers,” hitting the pop, dance, acoustic, adult, workout, mood, gaming, party and even children’s markets. Of course, it didn’t hurt that the song features a “tremendous hook, incredible production and relatable lyrics about wanting and desire — and clearly his fans wanted and desired!”

VP, Marketing, Atlantic Records
Jack Harlow’s “First Class”

The summer smash “First Class” involved “marrying new school and old school to make something fresh and urgent,” says Bianchi of the song’s interplay between a Fergie sample and Harlow’s suave interjections. TikTok also proved vital in how it “allowed Gen Z to create their version of ‘Y.M.C.A.’” on the platform, where users discovered the “First Class” sound before the song was even released. Still, having an older demographic that grew up with Fergie’s “Glamorous” also helped. The secret when it comes to music discovery? “Mass marketing doesn’t work; find the niche,” says Bianchi.

Senior Manager, Digital Marketing, Atlantic Records
Lizzo’s “About Damn Time”

“Beyond just her amazing music, much of Lizzo’s success during the ‘About Damn Time’ promotion cycle could be attributed to how much her personality shines — be it through a music video, performance, interviews or social media,” says Cosgriff, who praises the singer for being the driving force behind the song’s success. As for the song’s audience, all demographics were targeted, and Cosgriff received personal confirmation that the team’s marketing efforts worked. “When my 80-year-old grandma called to tell me she had heard it,” he says, “that really made it feel like there had been no stones left unturned.”

Senior VP, Marketing Strategy, Republic Records
Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves”

The stats on “Heat Waves” have become the stuff of legend. Originally released in 2020, “Heat Waves” broke the record for the longest-charting Hot 100 single at 91 weeks. Over a year and a half into the campaign for this “anthemic unicorn,” the band, Republic’s team and management initiated “consistent small activations that when built up all together put the song over the top to land at No. 1,” Coslov says. “It proved that the whole was truly the sum of its parts and that Glass Animals created something truly special that shows emotion, creativity, empathy and an ability to laugh in the face of sadness.”

VP, Digital Marketing, RCA Records
Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit,” Latto’s “Big Energy”

Known to all as ADP, De Padua helped amplify two of the year’s biggest hits, though he says their respective rollouts were vastly different. The success of “Big Energy” was a steady climb, bolstered by a pre-release TikTok campaign and meme content on Instagram, Twitter, Cashapp and Snapchat that helped the song “seep its roots deep into the culture,” he says. On the other hand, “Bad Habit” “came out hot” on TikTok with record first-day streaming numbers. “This record was sticky from the jump,” adds De Padua. “We were like arsonists, running around the internet adding gasoline to the fire. We flooded the streets with ‘Bad Habit’ content and slept in them.”

Duran: VP, Marketing, Epic Records

Kasha: Senior VP, Digital Marketing and Social Media, Epic Records

Future’s “Wait For U” featuring Drake and Tems

“We didn’t walk into the war room talking about TikTok and goofy dance challenges,” says Duran of “Wait For U.” That’s because Future is a “real artist’s artist. … and he and Drake don’t miss whenever they collaborate,” Duran adds. With a clever music video, GQ cover and the inclusion of Tems (“the perfect ingredient to an already proven formula”), the marketing and social media tag-team figured out a way to devise a rollout for an artist who isn’t looking to compete with trends. Says Duran: “Some art is good for the current moment and some art is a small building block for something that will be around forever.”

Fuller-Tillman: VP, Marketing, RCA Records

Ho: Associate Director, Digital Marketing, RCA Records

Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit”

The chart success of “Bad Habit” makes Lacy one of only two Black queer men to hit No. 1 on the Hot 100. It’s no wonder: the song encapsulates a universal feeling. “It’s relatable, it’s tangible — if only you’d known, things would be different,” says Fuller-Tillman. “There’s no one of any age, race or gender identity that hasn’t experienced this in life.” Adds Ho: “LGBTQ+ representation in pop and R&B is growing every day, and Steve is one of many pioneering [artists in] the space. There is room for improvement, but it feels like the industry is taking strides to become more inclusive.”

VP, Digital Marketing and Sports Partnerships, Atlantic Records
Kodak Black’s “Super Gremlin”

The ominous production and pre-Halloween release date of “Super Gremlin” created optimal momentum for the track’s highly successful launch. In an industry where numbers matter but not all performance metrics can be tracked, Grant and his team utilized cultural currency to decide where to spend marketing capital. The exec was responsible for spearheading the influencer marketing and direct-to-consumer campaigns with YouTuber reaction videos and activity on Reddit/Discord, respectively. The single continued to rise when the San Franciso 49ers walked out to the song for a few weeks leading into the playoffs.

Exec VP, International, Interscope Geffen A&M
Imagine Dragons’ “Enemy” featuring J.I.D

Already known for their arena rock choruses, “Enemy” marks Imagine Dragons’ first Top 5 hit on the Hot 100 in five years, thanks to a massive sync. The track, featuring Atlanta rapper J.I.D, is the theme song in Netflix’s “Arcane” animated series, which is inspired by the “League of Legends” video game. Grebner began working on a plan for “Enemy” with Riot Games in 2020 to provide the initial platform for the song. Says Grebner: “It was the band’s long-authentic history with the ‘League of Legends’ community that turned this song into the billion-streaming monster hit it became.”

Senior VP, Digital Strategy, Republic Records
Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves”

“I think things started to turn when the internet really grabbed hold and made the song something individual for everyone,” says Hrycyshyn of “Heat Waves.” “A dancer, painter, gamer … you could fall in love with this tune many times over.” Using TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and other platforms to amplify the song, “Heat Waves” got another big boost in fall 2021 thanks to its appearance on the official FIFA soundtrack. Its run turned out to be a marathon, not a sprint, as “Heat Waves” inched its way up the Hot 100, finally hitting No. 1 in March after 59 weeks on the chart.

Director, Marketing and A&R, RCA Records
Latto’s “Big Energy”

“No matter where you discover your music, you were certain to come across Latto’s ‘Big Energy’ over the past year,” says Jackson, whose role at RCA straddles marketing and A&R. While the song was huge on radio and viral on TikTok, it was also featured in a multitude of TV shows and movies including “The Lost City,” “Loot” and “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.” Jackson points to the sample of “Genius of Love” by Tom Tom Club, by way of Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy,” for making the song so appealing for radio play and syncs. “It was a twist on a classic favorite,” says Jackson. “The chorus was super catchy and energizing and the overall message and lyrics made people want to listen to it.”

Senior VP/Head of Marketing, Atlantic Records
Lizzo’s “About Damn Time”

Lizzo’s track record when it comes to monumental pop culture moments is unparalleled. “Good as Hell,” “Truth Hurts” and “Juice,” from her 2019 album “Cuz I Luv You,” made instant converts of a wide swath of listeners who eagerly awaited the singer’s return. Delayed due to COVID, “About Damn Time” took longer to gestate, but once it did drop, it signaled a welcome return to dancing and celebrating following two years of isolation. “It was that song that we all connected with,” says James. “We’re coming out, and not with the sadness that everyone experienced in 2020 and 2021. It really was the song that we felt encapsulated what she stood for.”

VP, Sales and Streaming, Atlantic Records
Jack Harlow’s “First Class”

Harlow told the streaming exec, “I’m not really into teasing music” when she suggested they post a studio clip on TikTok of “First Class,” with its intriguing sample of Fergie’s “Glamorous.” The strategy worked. Come release day, he landed covers on all the streaming platforms, and achieved his “personal milestones” like the highest first-day streams on Apple Music, the cover of Spotify’s New Music Friday and inclusion on the streamer’s Today’s Top Hits. “He has a checklist of what he wants each time a record and an album comes out,” Jones says. “That day alone got us through all the checkmarks. He ended up calling and screaming.”

Director of Digital Marketing, Atlantic Records
Jack Harlow’s “First Class”

A peek into the recording process goes a long way. For “First Class,” says Kenealy, “the studio clip was the moment that provoked everything. Jack doesn’t share a lot of his process normally, so it was really exciting for people to see.” As for what they’d hear, there was no doubt that the song’s Fergie sample from 2006 would click — and it did, to the tune of one million TikTok videos with over 3.5 billion views. “He teased the record on his own socials” before influencers hopped on and Atlantic ran a bigger campaign when the single dropped. Adds Kenealy: “But that first moment of ‘OK, people like this one,’ is definitely cool.”

Director, Digital Marketing, Interscope Geffen A&M
Elton John and Dua Lipa’s “Cold Heart”

“Cold Heart,” with its mash-up of Elton John tunes from the ’70s and ’80s and Dua Lipa’s stellar vocals, sent the PNAU remix into orbit. On the marketing front, “We did a deep dive into audiences for the song campaign,” says Kwasnik. “We built out ways to target different age and interest groups on different digital platforms.” “Cold Heart” became a TikTok phenom, amassing over one billion views, 62.5 million likes and almost two million shares. “I’ve heard the song across so many environments: workout classes, sporting events, the grocery store,” Kwasnik says. “That’s the beauty of Elton John. He’s been a phenomenal creator for decades.”

Digital Marketing Manager, Columbia Records
Harry Styles’ “As It Was”

“The internet was the backbone of this entire rollout,” says Landsberg of “As It Was.” Leading up to the single’s release, she helped launch YouAreHome.co, a website that acted as a “digital mood board for our whole campaign,” she says. Landsberg and her team were then able to receive direct fan feedback by creating a space for daily conversation on the website and via Discord. “Getting to work on an artist I am so deeply a fan of and giving fans exactly what I would’ve wanted is the most rewarding thing ever,” she says.SpokenlikeatrueStylesstan.

Exec VP, Global Commerce and Digital Strategy, Republic Records
The Weeknd’s “Save Your Tears”

A love of ’90s R&B inspired Lipson to pursue a career in music, so it’s fitting that “Save Your Tears,” which received a second boost in March 2021 via a remix featuring Ariana Grande, would count as a major victory for the exec. “Abel [Tesfaye aka the Weeknd] flawlessly weaved R&B and pop into a timeless duet,” says Lipson. “This massive song only became bigger when layering in both of their global audiences.” The Republic team utilized multiple activations with key partners for the song: Apple launched a Spatial Audio campaign, with the Weeknd as the marquee artist; Spotify provided resources across platforms to target super-fans and multiple audiences to drive repeat streams globally; and several direct-to-consumer products were key to increased consumption plus overall engagement.

VP, Sales and Streaming, Atlantic Records
Gayle’s “Abcdefu,” Lizzo’s “About Damn Time”

TikTok gave a huge boost to two artists at opposite ends of their careers. “Gayle came up with the concept of putting out the ‘angrier’ version of ‘Abcdefu,’ which ultimately helped open it up for additional looks in the more rock and alternative playlisting spaces,” says Maniscalco. “About Damn Time,” which climbed to the top of the charts following a dance trend by Jaeden Gomez, generated an increase of 10.6 million U.S. audio streams in its first four weeks. “People of all ages were discovering the song by way of the dance,” reflects Maniscalco, “which in turn helped push the song to the same mass scale of playlisting across DSP partners in all territories.”

Manager, Marketing, Columbia Records
Harry Styles’ “As It Was”

What’s in an album title? When it comes to Styles, the marketing campaign for “Harry’s House” and its lead single centered around “the concept of home,” says Pfeiffer. “That drove the narrative on the campaign and ultimately inspired the marketing behind the record.” Still, it wasn’t a singular moment that catapulted the song to the Hot 100 summit, where it would sit for 15 weeks. “Instead, it was a culmination of the amazing music, Harry’s dedicated fan base, and a tremendous effort around the world between Harry, Full Stop Management and the Columbia teams,” adds Pfeiffer.

Senior Director, Media Buying & Audience Development, Columbia Records
Harry Styles’ “As It Was”

There’s no denying the hook in “As It Was.” “The way the synth bounces around the more reverb-laden, contemplative verses catapults you through the song — from the first few seconds, you can’t help but dance through the uncertainty of it all,” says Pramberger. While Styles has long held a dedicated fan base, Pramberger worked to widen the net by super-serving “core fans while creating moments of entry for new and casual listeners,” he says. “The official announcement yielded among the highest reach ever on Harry’s profiles.”

VP, Digital Marketing, Atlantic Records
Ed Sheeran’s “Shivers”

“Shivers” was kick-started by global influencers and began trending immediately. Rosenberg, the exec behind the multi-format digital push that included YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, says they also “launched with a global homepage YouTube banner, and Ed performed it live for the first time during NFL kickoff, co-livestreamed with NFL’s Instagram.” Rosenberg is thrilled to see the infectious song still landing arrows to the heart. “New trends have popped up on TikTok — one line-dancing trend and another of parents dancing and embarrassing their kids, which is fun to see a year after release.”

Senior VP, Commercial Partnerships, Epic Records
Future’s “Wait For U” featuring Drake and Tems

“The fans spoke,” says Skarzynski. “Despite being seventh in the sequence of the album, ‘Wait For U’ jumped right to the top of Apple Music. Sometimes the charts don’t lie — this one raised its hand high.” Still, it bounced around, which only served to motivate Epic’s commercial partnerships team. “Sometimes a big release would come and it would fall in its wake, but watching it climb its way back time after time has been most fulfilling,” adds Skarzynski. “That, and a private moment that I had with Future and his manager when I was able to assure him we’d achieve his first No. 1 with this one, despite being in a tight race at the time. I’m a naturally competitive person and that was one battle we refused to lose.”

Senior VP, Marketing, Atlantic Records
Kodak Black’s “Super Gremlin”

“Super Gremlin” had already been “bubbling organically” for some time, but it was Kodak Black’s set at Rolling Loud L.A. in December 2020 that kicked it into overdrive. “We took that performance and seeded it everywhere,” says St. Hubert, who handles marketing for all things Kodak Black. “At the same time, the kids on TikTok started a trend with ‘we could’ve been superstars’ — we immediately started our influencer campaign around that trend.” The two-pronged effort maintained the track’s ascent through the new year, “so radio could come in and take it over the top.”

Senior VP, Video and Content Production, Sony Music Entertainment
Harry Styles’ “As It Was”

Leading the charge on the music video for “As It Was,” Younce took the song’s lyrics — “Holding me back / Gravity’s holding me back” — and lent a visual treatment that experimented with speed and direction. A recurring motif is a rotating centerpiece where Styles is stuck in a perpetual spiral, exchanging fleeting interactions with dancer Mathilde Lin, who plays his love interest. “The hope was to do something that felt emotional and grand without boxing the song into a strict narrative,” says Younce, who also produced videos for Styles’ “Watermelon Sugar” and “Late Night Talking.” With choreographer Yoann Bourgeois in the mix, “it felt like watching a personal experience unfold but through a kind of interpretive visual ballet,” adds Younce.