Swedish duo BC Unidos
Good production is the core of a great song. The way the synths are arranged, the way the lyrics connect, the way the bass bumps, and the way the drums set the rhythm all play a part in the simplest of questions; is this song good, or wack? For decades, producers have made a living off of their flexibility and initiative to help craft an artists’ sound and curate a hit song, all for a small percentage of royalties and a credit in the album booklet.
In the years leading up to 2017 however, the role of the producer has transcended from behind their midi keyboards and into stardom. Producers now stand next to artists in the limelight, and instead of album credits, they make albums. Producers, whether they’re making a beat or writing a song, are today’s tastemakers. Their unique styles and formulas are just as recognizable as artists like Drake or Future, and have enough star power to curate and perform shows all on their lonesome.
In light of Swedish duo BC Unidos’ debut EP Bicycle, we’ve conjured a list of producers who have transcended from behind the decks into stardom. From masters of the MPC, all the way to multi-platinum pop stars, it’s clear the producer will continue to dominate into 2018.
BC Unidos
BC Unidos may be one of the newest names on this list, but they’re definitely not rookies. Markus Krunegard and Patrik Berger have respectively made a name for themselves as a singer – with five top 20 Swedish albums – and a producer, creating songs for the likes of Charli XCX, and Lana Del Rey. BC Unidos however, is the brainchild of their collaboration that blends elements of traditional pop with the more obscure sounds of indie, ambient, and electronic music. Their debut EP Bicycle sees them collaborating with the likes of Carly Rae Jepsen and Santigold as they curate a series of songs with sounds that aim to redefine the the contemporary climate. While they may not be on your radar yet, 2018 will see the inevitable rise of their stardom.
Kanye West
Probably the most obvious, but easily the most prolific. Kanye began his career in the early 2000s as a master of the MPC; producing for Roc-A-Fella artists like Freeway and Beanie Sigel, as well as being credited for revitalizing Jay Z’s career with his contributions to The Blueprint. However, Kanye started his journey to becoming a household name with his debut album The College Dropout. This found West not only showcasing his solid rap skills, but his unique brand of soul-sampling production. As of today, Kanye West is considered one of the most polarising artists of the 21st century, and has released eight critically acclaimed albums which range all the way from the grandeur of classical music, to the grimey minimalism of industrial.
Flume
Over the last 5 years Australian producer Flume has positioned himself as a tastemaker in the sound of EDM and beyond. Crashing into the mainstream in 2012 with collaborations like “Drop The Game”, Flume brought his own unique, wonky sound of synth-based EDM to the charts. Flash forward to 2017, he has two number one albums in Australia, two platinum singles, five Aria Awards, and one Grammy. Accolades aside, Flume’s synth-heavy, arena-ready production provided a much needed shift in the over-saturated dubstep scene that was prominent in 2012, and paved the way for producers like Baauer, RL Grime and more to bring their off-kilter ideas to contemporary audiences.
The Neptunes
Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo played a quintessential part in hip-hop throughout the 90s and 2000s as the The Neptunes. Their electronic, bass-heavy sounds provided the perfect alternative to the grimey boom-bap sounds of 90s hip-hop, and saw artists like Jay-Z, Clipse, Mase and more flock to it. However in 2001, The Neptunes teamed up with rapper Chad Haley to form a group called N.E.R.D, and released their album In Search Of… N.E.R.D was The Neptunes’ device to explore deeper elements of funk, rock, and electro, as well as a chance for Pharrell Williams to showcase his vocal abilities to their full extent. As of 2017, N.E.R.D have released five studio albums, Pharrell Williams has released two, and The Neptunes have continued to lay down their formula for various hits.
Diplo
Over his 15 years in music, Diplo has become a jack of many trades and a master of many sounds. Rising to fame in the early 2000s, most notably for producing M.I.A’s smash hit “Paper Planes” Diplo’s sound sourced inspiration from hip-hop and trip-hop, before moving into reggae-inspired territories as a part of the group Major Lazer and EDM as a part of Jack-U. By continuing to produce hit after hit, Diplo became recognized as one of contemporary music’s most noteworthy tastemakers, while also starting his own label Mad Decent, which brought acts like DJ Snake and Riff Raff to the mainstream. As Diplo continues to produce hits on his lonesome, and for acts such as Beyonce, he continues to reinforce his place as one of EDM’s biggest superstars, and he doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
Although she’s got 20+ years of experience when it comes to working in the music industry, it’s not until recently that Sia became a worldwide pop-star. For over a decade, Sia stayed behind the scenes as a songwriter and producer, penning hits such as “Diamonds” for Rihanna, and “Let Me Love You” for Ne-Yo. However, in 2014, she launched into the mainstream as a solo artist with her 5x platinum single “Chandelier”. Her strong, unique voice and undeniably catchy songwriting took the world by storm, and pushed her directly in front of the limelight. Since then, Sia has collaborated with The Weeknd, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar and more, and continued to ascend to the status of global superstar.
Julia Michaels
You might know Julia for her single “Issues”, but in the past, she’s had no issue working behind the scenes, helping craft a plethora of other worldwide smashes. Julia Michaels was a producer, and co-writer for “Sorry” by Justin Bieber, “Good For You” by Selena Gomez, and “Dive” by Ed Sheeran. Now, with “Issues” not only going 3x Platinum in both Australia and the United States, but also demonstrating her unique style of vocals and songwriting, Julia Michaels is well on her way to becoming the next big thing.
SOPHIE
SOPHIE’s style has been described as ‘hyper-kinetic pop’, fusing the sounds of industrial, hip-hop, trap, and electronic music. Since 2011, SOPHIE has used her off-kilter production style to curate songs for Madonna, Charli XCX, Vince Staples, and more. However in 2017 she took her obscure sound to the forefront providing both production, and vocals on her single “It’s Okay To Cry”. This represented her first time appearing in one of her videos, and her rawest, most emotional track yet. Since then, she’s released another gigantic single in the form of “Ponyboy”, and plans to release her new album Whole New World in 2018. SOPHIE’s eclectic approach to music over the last five years has not only resulted in a swift ascension to popstar status, but also solidified her as a cult hero.
Metro Boomin
For the last five years, Metro Boomin has been positioning himself at the top of hip-hop without spitting a single bar. Working with superstars like Young Thug, Future, Drake, Kanye West, and more, Metro Boomin has played a vital part in the rapid change of hip-hop, with his unique brand of eerie trap beats. His infamous beat tag ‘if Young Metro don’t trust you I’mma shoot you’ has become a staple intro for modern day bangers, and has lead him on multiple worldwide tours, five top 20 singles in 2017 alone, and acclaim as one of the most talented and notable producers in hip-hop today.