![]() Mosley, 35, is a production veteran who has also achieved success as a performer. Hills's rise has been propelled by his apprenticeship with Timbaland. For many rock and country tunes, the song still takes shape when a songwriter picks up a guitar or sits down at a piano, but for the hip-hop and R&B songs that dominate today's pop charts, the moment of creation is more likely to be when a producer fires up a drum machine. Hills offers an example of how radically the role of producer has shifted and the extent to which a hit hinges on the most basic ingredients, especially the beat. This year, album sales are down 14%, compared with the same period last year, according to Nielsen SoundScan.Īs he navigates this landscape, Mr. ![]() From 2000 through 2006, annual overall album sales dropped by 25%. The music industry has become especially dependent on such hit makers as it struggles to reverse an ongoing slide. If Beethoven's Fifth were a 21st-century pop production, the hook would be "da-da-da-DUM." What makes these producers so influential and bankable is that they typically craft songs from scratch, creating everything from the beats to the all-important melodic hook. Hills's mentor and collaborator for the past four years. ![]() Then there's Timothy Mosley, aka Timbaland, arguably the most prominent producer in recent years. Another key producer is Swizz Beatz, who has branched out from hard-core rap to work with Beyoncé and Alicia Keys. Grounded mostly in hip-hop, this elite group includes will.i.am (pronounced as three words), leader of the Black Eyed Peas, who has recently been in the studio with Michael Jackson. Hills is virtually unknown to music fans, he has joined the handful of producers who are behind the bulk of today's top-selling pop records. Hills's mark this fall: an album from 1980s stars Duran Duran.Īlthough Mr. 1 on the iTunes chart for more than a week. Spears and the first single released in her comeback attempt, has been No. 1 songs, for singers such as Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado. Hills has had a direct hand in crafting albums that yielded seven No. It will also mark the biggest test yet for Mr. In the coming months, the fruits of this session and others like it will make or break tens of millions of dollars in music sales. Spears's camp summoned him across the country (with me in tow) to assist her. Hills had been working in his studio in Miami.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |