Martin Karl Sandberg, known professionally as
Max Martin, (born 26 February 1971) is a Swedish
music producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and songwriter. Raised in
StenhamraStenhamra is a locality situated on the island Färingsö in Ekerö Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden, with 3,280 inhabitants in 2005....
, a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden, he broke through as a producer and songwriter in the mid to late 1990s after crafting a string of hits for pop artists like the
Backstreet BoysThe Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys...
,
Britney SpearsBritney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
, *NSYNC and
RobynRobin Miriam Carlsson , better known by her stage name Robyn, is a Swedish recording artist, singer, and songwriter. Robyn became known in the late nineties for her worldwide dance-pop hit "Do You Know " from her debut album Robyn Is Here . She co-wrote the song "Du gör mig hel igen" for...
. Some of his earlier hits include "
I Want It That Way"I Want It That Way" is a song by the Backstreet Boys, and their first single from their 1999 album Millennium. It was written by Max Martin and Andreas Carlsson along with other producers. The song was highly played on the radio and the video, directed by Wayne Isham, was well played on television...
", "
...Baby One More Time"...Baby One More Time" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. It served as Spears' debut single from her debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time . Written by Max Martin and produced by Martin, Denniz Pop and Rami Yacoub, "...Baby One More Time" was released on September 30, 1998,...
", "
Larger Than Life"Larger than Life" is a song by the Backstreet Boys, released as the second single from their 1999 album, Millennium. It was written by Max Martin, Kristian Lundin and Brian Littrell and is mainly a tribute to the group's fans. The song broke the record for longest running #1 on MTV's Total Request...
", "
Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely"Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely" is the third single off Backstreet Boys' 1999 album, Millennium. It is a significant hit, second only to the first single I Want It That Way from the same album, becoming one of the most successful singles of the boy band...
", "Oops!...I Did It Again", "
Everybody (Backstreet's Back)"Everybody " is the first single from the Backstreet Boys' second international album Backstreet's Back in 1997, and the third single and fourth track from their debut US album in 1997. It is one of their signature songs. The US debut was originally released without the song, which references the...
", "That's the Way It Is", and "
It's My Life"It's My Life" is Bon Jovi's first single from the album Crush. It was released on May 23, 2000. It was written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Max Martin. The song hit #1 across several countries...
".
His
trademarkA trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
during the second half of the 1990s and the early 2000s was a danceable, keyboard-laden
popPop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
sound that blended music styles such as
funkFunk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
,
heavy metalHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
and
europopEuropop refers to a style of pop music that first developed in today's form in Europe, throughout the late 1970s. Europop topped the charts throughout the 1980s and ’90s...
. However, with
Kelly ClarksonKelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
's 2004 and 2005 hits "
Since U Been Gone"Since U Been Gone" is a song written and produced by Max Martin and Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald for American singer Kelly Clarkson. The song was released as the second single from her second album, Breakaway in the US and Australia and was released as the first single in Europe...
" and "
Behind These Hazel Eyes"Behind These Hazel Eyes" is the third single from Breakaway, the second album by pop singer Kelly Clarkson.-Song information:...
", Martin stepped back into the spotlight after reinventing himself with a heavier, rock-tinged sound.
Since 2008, he has written and co-written more than 10 number-one hits, including "
So What"So What" is a song written by American pop rock singer Pink, Max Martin and Shellback. It was released as the first single from Pink's fifth studio album, Funhouse. Pink performed "So What" at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, on September 7, 2008, and the song was used to promote the 2008 MTV...
" and "
Raise Your Glass"Raise Your Glass" is a song by American recording artist and songwriter Pink, released as the lead single of her first compilation album, Greatest Hits... So Far!!!...
" by Pink, "
Hot n Cold"Hot n Cold" is a song by American singer Katy Perry. The song was written and composed by Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Perry for her major mainstream debut album, One of the Boys. The track was released as the album's third single...
", "I Kissed a Girl", "
E.T."E.T." is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry taken from her third studio album Teenage Dream . The song was written by Katy Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, and Joshua Coleman, while the production was handled by Gottwald under his stage name Dr. Luke, Martin and Ammo. "E.T." was...
", "
Teenage Dream"Teenage Dream" is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry. It was released as the second single from her third studio album of the same name on July 23, 2010 through digital distribution. Perry and Bonnie McKee wrote many songs with a youthful theme in mind, but they were rejected by...
", "
California Gurls"California Gurls" is an electropop song by American singer-songwriter Katy Perry and is the lead single of her third studio album, Teenage Dream. The song features rapper Snoop Dogg, and was produced by Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Benny Blanco. According to Perry, the song is an answer song to...
", and "
Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)"Last Friday Night " is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry. The song was produced by Lukasz Gottwald and Max Martin, who also co-wrote the song with Perry and Bonnie McKee for Perry's third studio album, Teenage Dream. Perry stated that she was inspired to write the track after a night...
", by Katy Perry, "
My Life Would Suck Without You"My Life Would Suck Without You" is a song performed by American pop rock singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson. It is the first single from her fourth studio album, All I Ever Wanted. Dr. Luke and Max Martin, writers of her hit "Since U Been Gone", co-produced and co-wrote the song. Claude Kelly also...
" by Kelly Clarkson, and "
3"3" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, from her second greatest hits compilation The Singles Collection. It was released on September 29, 2009, as the only single of the album by Jive Records. The song was produced by long-time collaborator Max Martin and Shellback, and recorded...
" by Britney Spears. Since 2010, he has co-written 10 top-10 singles, including "
Dynamite"Dynamite" is the fourth single from English recording artist Taio Cruz's second album Rokstarr. It was written by Cruz, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, and Dr. Luke, and produced by Dr. Luke and Benny Blanco for the international version of Rokstarr. In the UK, the song was released as the first single...
" by Taio Cruz, "
DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love"DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" is a song by recording artist Usher and features guest vocals from American rapper Pitbull. It was written by Savan Kotecha, Pitbull, Shellback and Max Martin, with the latter two producing it. It is the first single from Usher's EP, Versus...
" by Usher, "
Whataya Want From Me"Whataya Want from Me" is the second mainstream single by American pop vocalist and American Idol season eight runner-up Adam Lambert. It is the second radio single release off his debut album, For Your Entertainment and his first ever top 10 single on the Billboard Hot 100.The song was written by...
" by Adam Lambert, "F**kin' Perfect" by Pink, "
What The HellMostly positive, critics have noted similarities between "What the Hell" and Lavigne's previous single, "Girlfriend". Gil Kaufman of MTV.com stated "What the Hell" has "rousing cheerleader energy" and an "infectious groove and peppy vibe". Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone magazine said "the music is...
" by Avril Lavigne and "
Hold It Against Me"Hold It Against Me" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, released as the first single from her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale. It was written and produced by Max Martin, Dr. Luke and Billboard, with additional writing by Bonnie McKee. Luke explained that he wanted "Hold It...
", '"
Till the World Ends"Till the World Ends" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, released as the second single from her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale. It was written and produced by Dr. Luke and Max Martin, with additional writing by Kesha and Alexander Kronlund, and additional production by...
" and "
I Wanna Go"I Wanna Go" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, released as the third single from her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale. It was written and produced by Max Martin and Shellback, with additional writing by Savan Kotecha. Spears first posted a snippet of the track in February...
" by Britney Spears.
Early life and career
Martin grew up in
StenhamraStenhamra is a locality situated on the island Färingsö in Ekerö Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden, with 3,280 inhabitants in 2005....
,
Ekerö MunicipalityEkerö Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. The name comes from the island Ekerö, and literally means "Oak Island". Its seat is located in the town of Ekerö....
, a suburb of Stockholm. As a teenager he sang in a variety of bands before joining a
glam-styleGlam metal is a subgenre of hard rock and heavy metal that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene...
metal band called
It's AliveThe glam-style metal band It's Alive was formed in 1985. Martin "Max Martin" Sandberg was one of the founding members of the band...
in 1985 as their singer and frontman. It's Alive were formed by ex-LAZY members
Per AldeheimPer Henrik Aldeheim, is a Swedish guitarist, songwriter and producer. He started out in the business with the band LAZY, also featuring Kim Björkgren. In 1985 they quit the band and started a new, It's Alive, together with among others Max Martin as their singer and frontman. It's Alive ceased to...
and Kim Björkgren on guitars, and John Rosth who had been a member of Lineout. Martin eventually dropped out of
high schoolHigh school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
to pursue a career in music with his band under the nickname "Martin White". In 1988 they participated in the national rock championships and played as the in-house band at a disco in Cyprus. The band got a breakthrough in 1991, as Dave Constable of Megarock Records offered them to make a demo-record. The later debut album was originally pressed in 1,000 copies and later on given away as a free cover tape in the UK by the
Metal ForcesThe British publication Metal Forces emerged during 1983 and aided greatly in the promotion of metal and rock genre music. The magazine was well known for its coverage of unsigned bands through its Demolition feature and championed the likes of Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, HellsBelles, Overkill,...
magazine.
The decision to focus on a music career paid off as they landed a record deal on producer
Denniz PoPDag Krister Volle , better known under the artistic name Denniz Pop , was a Swedish DJ, music producer and songwriter....
's label Cheiron Records, a
BMGBertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
affiliate. After recording their second album
Earthquake VisionsEarthquake Visions is the name of the album that the glam-style metal band It's Alive recorded for Cheiron Studios in 1994. Earthquake Visions eventually sold a disappointing 30,000 copies, but furthermore established the contact between Cheiron and the band's vocalist Martin White – better known...
, they released three singles in conjunction with the record and toured through Europe in 1994 supporting
Kingdom ComeKingdom Come is a hard rock band fronted by Hamburg-born vocalist Lenny Wolf. The group's first album, Kingdom Come was that band's only international hit. It currently consists of an entirely German line-up.-History:...
.
Earthquake Visions eventually sold a disappointing 30,000 copies, despite being released in as many as 30 countries. More importantly though, Martin also began collaborating on songs with PoP. Recognizing a talent for writing pop songs in the young rocker, PoP renamed his new protegé Max Martin and eventually became Martin’s mentor.
Working with Cheiron and Denniz Pop
"I didn't even know what a producer did, I spent two years--day and night--in that studio trying to learn what the hell was going on." - Max Martin, March 19, 2001.
In 1993 Martin was hired by
Cheiron StudiosCheiron Studios was a recording studio located at Kungsholmen, Stockholm, Sweden founded in 1992 by Denniz PoP and Tom Talomaa. Cheiron Studios was apart from being a recording studio, also a label Cheiron Records in affiliation with BMG for a while, and the music publishing service Cheiron Songs...
and spent some time learning the basics, before the first production collaboration between Pop and Martin: the
RednexRednex is a Swedish techno/folk/bluegrass band. They had an international novelty hit with the song "Cotton Eye Joe" in 1994. Although extremely popular in Germany, where the band holds the record of most total weeks at No.1 on the German singles chart over the past 30 years—scoring such hits as...
song "
Wish You Were Here"Wish You Were Here" is a ballad by the Swedish band Rednex, off their first album Sex & Violins.Although not a hit in the United States, unlike "Cotton-Eye Joe", "Wish You Were Here" was a hit in Austria, Germany, Norway and Switzerland, even managing to reach number one.-Cover versions:* The song...
" in 1994. They both worked on
Ace of BaseAce of Base is a pop band based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Its original lineup consisted of Ulf "Buddha" Ekberg, and three siblings, Jonas "Joker" Berggren, Malin "Linn" Berggren and Jenny Berggren...
's second album
The Bridge-Japan:# "Beautiful Life"# "Never Gonna Say I'm Sorry"# "Lucky Love "# "Edge of Heaven"# "Strange Ways"# "Ravine"# "Perfect World"# "Angel Eyes"# "My Déjà Vu"# "You and I"# "Wave Wet Sand"# "Que Sera"# "Just 'N' Image"...
shortly thereafter, as well as on albums by
3T3T is an American R&B / Pop music group featuring the three sons of Tito Jackson and Delores "Dee Dee" Jackson. The band members include, from eldest, Tariano Adaryll Jackson II , Taryll Adren Jackson and Tito Joseph Jackson .-Career:3T released their debut album Brotherhood in 1995...
,
Army of LoversArmy of Lovers are a Swedish dance music group formed in 1987.The name of the band alludes to a documentary Armee der Liebenden oder Revolte der Perversen about the German gay rights activist Rosa von Praunheim, the title of which in turn alludes to the Theban Band.-History:The founding members,...
and
Leila KLaila El Khalifi better known by her stage name Leila K, is a Swedish Eurodance singer and former rapper of Moroccan descent.-Biography:...
. To date,
The Bridge has sold more than six million copies worldwide, including one million in the United States. When Martin eventually left his band
It's AliveThe glam-style metal band It's Alive was formed in 1985. Martin "Max Martin" Sandberg was one of the founding members of the band...
in late 1995, he was replaced by Anders Jansson.
In 1995, the Cheiron Studios was hired by Zomba to work on Backstreet Boys' self-titled debut album
Backstreet Boys. Zomba became the main working partner since the success in 1995. Martin took part in the production of "
Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)"Quit Playing Games " is the fourth single from the Backstreet Boys' international album. It was recorded in June 1995 in Stockholm, Sweden and released in 1996. It reached #1 in Switzerland and Austria, #2 in the United Kingdom, and #7 in the Netherlands. It was subsequently included on the band's...
", co-written with
Herbie CrichlowHerbie Crichlow is a 4-time ASCAP-awarded English music producer and songwriter. Born in England, raised in Barbados. He is Best known for his Multi Diamond, Platinum and Gold awarded works. He is also known for his penned collaborations with Max Martin , RedOne, Grammy award winner David Franks...
, a single which quickly went platinum and climbed to #2 on the
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, as well as the singles "
As Long As You Love Me"As Long As You Love Me" is the second single by the Backstreet Boys from their debut album in the United States and the second single from Backstreet's Back internationally. It was released in September 1997 internationally and in October of the same year in the United States. It is one of the...
" and "
Everybody (Backstreet's Back)"Everybody " is the first single from the Backstreet Boys' second international album Backstreet's Back in 1997, and the third single and fourth track from their debut US album in 1997. It is one of their signature songs. The US debut was originally released without the song, which references the...
". The album was not released in the U.S. until 1997, but was released overseas and caught on all across Europe, eventually selling around 8 million copies worldwide. This led to the Backstreet Boys being relaunched in their home country later on, this time more successfully. Later that year, Martin co-produced
RobynRobin Miriam Carlsson , better known by her stage name Robyn, is a Swedish recording artist, singer, and songwriter. Robyn became known in the late nineties for her worldwide dance-pop hit "Do You Know " from her debut album Robyn Is Here . She co-wrote the song "Du gör mig hel igen" for...
’s hit "Show Me Love" which ended up on the Billboard top 10.
In 1998, Cheiron Productions worked on albums by
FiveFive were an English boyband put together in 1997 by the same team that managed the Spice Girls before they launched their career. The five members were Scott Robinson, Ritchie Neville, J Brown, Abs Breen and Sean Conlon. Signed by Simon Cowell, they were a manufactured band and held several...
,
Bryan AdamsBryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
and
Jessica FolckerJessica Folcker born , is a Swedish singer.-Biography:Folcker was born as Jessica Elisabeth Angelique Folcker in Täby, a Stockholm suburb, on . Her mother is Swedish and her father is from Senegal....
. Jessica Folcker had first been hired as a backing singer for tracks with Ace of Base and
Dr. AlbanAlban Uzoma Nwapa , known by his stage name Dr. Alban, is a Nigerian, Sweden-based musician and producer with his own record label dr-records. His music can best be described as a Eurodance/hip-hop reggae with a dancehall style. He is most famous for his worldwide 1992 hit "It's My...
, and her debut album
Jessica became an instant hit with singles like "Tell Me What You Like" and "How Will I Know Who You Are" which both sold platinum. After Denniz Pop died of cancer that same summer, Martin took over as director of Cheiron Studios. He soon started working with writer/producer
Rami YacoubRami Yacoub is a Swedish music producer and songwriter of Palestinian descent, and former member of the successful songwriting/production houses Cheiron Studios and Maratone...
, who has been his partner since.
Backstreet Boys
1999 was a big year for Martin. He wrote, co-wrote and co-produced 7 out of the 12 songs on the album
MillenniumMillennium is the third album by American boyband Backstreet Boys. It was a highly anticipated follow-up to both their United States debut album, and their second internationally released album. It was their first album to be released in both the U.S...
by the Backstreet Boys. "
I Want It That Way"I Want It That Way" is a song by the Backstreet Boys, and their first single from their 1999 album Millennium. It was written by Max Martin and Andreas Carlsson along with other producers. The song was highly played on the radio and the video, directed by Wayne Isham, was well played on television...
", a hit song Martin co-wrote with Andreas Carlsson and co-produced with Kristian Lundin, became the group's biggest single to date and it is still popular today ("I Want It That Way" was voted #10 in the
MTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
/
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
list of the "100 Greatest Pop Songs.").
A VH1 special, 100 Greatest Songs of the '90s, ranked the song at number 3, making it the highest ranked boy-band single and pop song.
Millennium sold over 1.1 million units in its first week in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, setting a record for most albums sold in its debut week (that record was later beaten by
'N Sync'sN Sync was an American boy band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich, *NSYNC consisted of JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick...
No Strings Attached), and was the #1 best-selling album in the world in 1999.
When working on her own solo album, to be released in 2001 on
Stockholm RecordsStockholm Records is a Swedish subsidiary of Universal Music Group.The boutique label was originally launched in 1992 as an independent record company by its Swedish founders Ola Håkansson and Alexander Bard in partnership with the original distributor and investor Polygram in London.Håkansson and...
,
Lisa MiskovskyLisa Miskovsky is a Swedish musician. Her mother is Finnish and her father is from the Czech Republic.-Biography:...
wrote the text for Backstreet Boys new hit single "Shape of My Heart" with Max Martin and Rami. The song, originally written for Miskovsky’s own album, was passed along to the Backstreet Boys by Max Martin when Miskovsky determined it did not fit her style. The song became the first single off the group's new album
Black & BlueBlack & Blue is the follow-up album to the Backstreet Boys' 1999 studio release Millennium. It is their fourth album and their third American release. In the United States, Black & Blue sold 1.6 million discs in its first week of release, making them the first group in Soundscan history to have...
. In the first week of release, "Shape of My Heart" immediately jumped into the Top Five in Sweden (#1), Norway (#1), Canada (#1), Germany (#2), Switzerland (#4), Austria (#5) and Holland (#5).
Black & Blue, containing several songs produced and written by Martin, sold 1.6 million units in its first week in America. Martin again received ASCAP's award "Songwriter of the Year" both in 2000 and 2001, and is the first songwriter ever to receive the award three years in a row.
Britney Spears
In 1998, Martin wrote Spears' hit "...Baby One More Time" for her album with the
same name...Baby One More Time is the debut studio album of American recording artist Britney Spears, released on January 12, 1999, by Jive Records. In June 1997, while Spears was in a negotiation with manager Lou Pearlman to join female pop group Innosense, her mother asked family friend and entertainment...
, (the hit single was originally offered to both the
Backstreet BoysThe Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys...
, who turned it down, and TLC, who passed because they were 'taking time off'). On Vh1's "100 Greatest Songs of the '90s", it was ranked at number 7, making it the third highest song by a female.
...Baby One More Time has sold over 15 million copies in the U.S., certifying
Diamond StatusMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
. Also, within a year of its release,
...Baby One More Time had become the best-selling
LPThe Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
by a teenager in history, selling over 25 million copies. The debut hit single remains Spears' biggest international hit to date (Note Womanizer is Spears' biggest selling US digital single [4 million copies sold]). Martin was the first non-American citizen ever to win ASCAP's prestigious award "Songwriter of the Year" in 1999.
Martin worked on Spears' first three studio albums which were made in the style of
teen-oriented popTeen pop is a subgenre of pop music that is created, marketed and oriented towards teenagers. Teen pop copies genres and styles such as pop, dance, R&B, hip hop, country and rock....
. However, when Spears recorded her 2003 album
In the ZoneIn the Zone is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Britney Spears, released on November 16, 2003, by Jive Records. Following the end of the Dream Within a Dream Tour in July 2002 and her break-up with Justin Timberlake, Spears announced she would take a six-month break from her...
, she decided to move away from the teen-pop genre. The duo ended up parting ways, and Martin had no input on that album nor on her 2007 album,
Blackout. At the request of Spears, Martin produced and wrote for Spears' new album
CircusCircus is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Britney Spears. The album was first released on November 28, 2008 by Jive Records. Spears started work on the album in early 2008 with a range of producers including long-time producers Bloodshy & Avant and Danja...
, released December 2, 2008. The track Martin co-wrote and entirely produced is called "If U Seek Amy", which was chosen by fans to be the third single off the album. Different than Martin's previous produced tracks for Spears, "
If U Seek Amy"If U Seek Amy" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her sixth studio album, Circus. It was released on March 13, 2009 by Jive Records as the third single of the album, and was chosen by a poll on Spears's official website. "If U Seek Amy" was co-written and produced by Max...
" is an electro-pop dance song, in which even the lyrics shows a different, more dance-oriented direction from Spears and Martin's previous work.
In July 2009, Spears stated on her Twitter account, that she was in the recording studio in Stockholm, Sweden with Martin. Later on September 29, 2009, it was announced that Martin had worked with Spears on her upcoming compilation album. Martin produced "
3"3" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, from her second greatest hits compilation The Singles Collection. It was released on September 29, 2009, as the only single of the album by Jive Records. The song was produced by long-time collaborator Max Martin and Shellback, and recorded...
", the song debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Martin was the executive producer (along with
Dr. LukeLukasz Gottwald , better known as Dr. Luke, is an American songwriter, record producer, and remixer. Luke performed with the Saturday Night Live Band for ten seasons until 2007. He has co-written and co-produced a string of commercially successful songs...
) of Spears' new album
Femme FataleFemme Fatale is the seventh studio album by American recording artist Britney Spears. The album was released on March 25, 2011 by Jive Records . Recorded between 2009 and 2011, the album featured Spears working mainly alongside longtime collaborators Max Martin and Dr. Luke, who served as the...
set to be released March 29, 2011. During a 2011 interview with
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, Spears stated that Martin "gets exactly what I am saying when I tell him what I want and don’t want musically. His melodies are incredible and he is always coming up with weird sounds, which I love." later adding there "There is nobody I feel more comfortable collaborating with in the studio." In January 2011, "
Hold It Against Me"Hold It Against Me" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, released as the first single from her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale. It was written and produced by Max Martin, Dr. Luke and Billboard, with additional writing by Bonnie McKee. Luke explained that he wanted "Hold It...
" was chosen as the lead single off Spears' new album, the song later debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Becoming Spears' second single to debut at #1 and her fourth overall, Max also co-produced the album's second single "
Till The World Ends"Till the World Ends" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, released as the second single from her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale. It was written and produced by Dr. Luke and Max Martin, with additional writing by Kesha and Alexander Kronlund, and additional production by...
", respectively peaking at #3. As well as co-producing "Hold It Against Me" and "Till The World Ends", Martin co-produced the songs "Inside Out", "
I Wanna Go"I Wanna Go" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, released as the third single from her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale. It was written and produced by Max Martin and Shellback, with additional writing by Savan Kotecha. Spears first posted a snippet of the track in February...
", "Seal It with a Kiss", "
Criminal"Criminal" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale. The Radio Mix of the song was released as the fourth single from the album. "Criminal" was written and produced by Max Martin and Shellback, with additional writing by Tiffany Amber...
" & "Up n' Down". In May 2011, It was announced "I Wanna Go" would serve as the 3rd single from "Femme Fatale". This marked the second time Martin has produced on all first 3 singles of a Britney Spears album, the first being with "Oops!... I Did It Again".
Céline Dion
In late 1999
Céline DionCéline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
released "That's the Way It Is," a song co-written by Max Martin to promote her
greatest hitsA greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
album
All the Way... A Decade of SongAll the Way… A Decade of Song is the first English greatest hits album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on November 12, 1999. It is her 7th English album and 27th in total. All the Way... A Decade of Song was extremely successful, selling over 22 million copies worldwide...
. The song became a hit, going to number 1 on the adult contemporary charts in the United States and Canada, and reaching top 10 all over the world. Since the song was released in November 1999, it has cycled 500,000 times on almost 1400 radio stations across Canada and the U.S.
In 2003 Martin co-wrote and produced three songs for Céline Dion's album
One Heart-Charts:-Certifications:1Most certifications are under old criteria, with higher certifications levels than the current ones.-Awards:-Release history:...
. One of them called "
Faith"Faith" is a song by Céline Dion, released on October 27, 2003 as the third, and very rare single in Canada from her album One Heart....
" was released as a promotional single in
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and reached number 4 on the Quebec Airplay Chart and number 37 on the Canadian Adult Contemporary Chart.
Producer role for Cheiron
The traditional division of work in the record industry typically has the artist writing the songs and then hiring a producer to help shape the sound. At Cheiron it was the other way around; the producers wrote the songs, played the instruments, engineered and mixed the recordings and the artist was only brought in near the end of the process to do the vocals. For example, on Britney Spears's second album
Oops!… I Did It Again, Cheiron had already written seven songs and had proceeded to record the layers of music before Britney even arrived at the studios in early November 1999. It took her only one week to do the vocals. Martin and his team worked more like a band that alternated singers. Martin explained his working method:
Startup of Maratone
Despite the success,
Cheiron StudiosCheiron Studios was a recording studio located at Kungsholmen, Stockholm, Sweden founded in 1992 by Denniz PoP and Tom Talomaa. Cheiron Studios was apart from being a recording studio, also a label Cheiron Records in affiliation with BMG for a while, and the music publishing service Cheiron Songs...
was closed down in 2000. The reason behind the decision to close it down was, according to the press release on their homepage, that the heart and soul of the studio had been lost with the death of
Denniz PopDag Krister Volle , better known under the artistic name Denniz Pop , was a Swedish DJ, music producer and songwriter....
. Another reason for closing the studio down was for the people at Cheiron Studios to be able to do more experimental music work without the weight of the now famous name Cheiron upon their shoulders.
Max Martin and Tom Talomaa started a new production company together named
MaratoneMaratone is a music production company, started by two music producers and songwriters, Max Martin and Tom Talomaa. Based in Stockholm, Sweden, it was started in January 2001 after the closing of the Cheiron studios...
in January 2001 and moved in to the famous
Cosmos StudiosCosmos Studios former Abbey Road Studios / EMI - studios in Skärmarbrink on the outskirts of Stockholm, Sweden, has been since the early sixties a landmark of Swedish and international music.-External links:* *...
that had house the production team Kai Erixon and
Kent (Gillström) IsaacsKent Isaacs, a Swedish producer, mixer, musician and entrepreneur, is owner and operator of Cosmos Music Group, an independent Scandinavian music company...
whom been very successful at the Swedish pop/hiphop-arena with numerous gold/platinum-selling artist. Also,
David KreugerDavid Kreuger is a Swedish songwriter.David Kreuger began at Cheiron Studios in the spring of 1993. During the period 1993-1997, he worked with Per Magnusson on several projects....
and
Per MagnussonPer Magnusson is a Swedish music producer and songwriter. His musical career took off in 1994 as one of the original team members of the now-legendary Cheiron Productions, meeting great international success working with Boyzone, Britney Spears, Westlife and the Backstreet Boys.Shortly after...
started A Side Productions and
Kristian LundinKristian Carl Marcus Lundin is a Swedish composer, music producer and songwriter.-Biography:Beginning his career as a member of the Swedish duo Amadin , Kristian's writing and production talents were quickly recognized by music industry icon Denniz PoP, who invited him to join the Cheiron Studios...
started the production-company
The LocationThe Location is a recording studio in Stockholm, Sweden. It was a follow-on to Cheiron Studios, which despite its success, was closed down in 2000. Following this, Max Martin and Tom Talomaa started a new production company together named Maratone in January 2001...
and the publishing-company
Location SongsLocation Songs is a music publisher in Sweden. It was a follow-on to Cheiron Studios, which despite its success, was closed down in 2000. Following this, Max Martin and Tom Talomaa started a new production company together named Maratone in January 2001...
together with
Jake SchulzeJacob "Jake" Schulze is a songwriter/producer from Sweden. He was a member of the songwriting/production crew of Cheiron Studios. Together with other songwriters and producers, he has worked with acts such as 5ive, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Jessica Folcker, N'Sync, Westlife and E-Type. In...
and
Andreas CarlssonAndreas Carlsson is a Swedish music producer, composer, and pop songwriter.-Biography:Carlsson was part of the Cheiron Studios team until the studio was closed down in 2001....
(both also members of Cheiron's production team) at the same location as Cheiron Studios. The first songs to be written and produced at Maratone were four tracks for Britney Spears' third album
BritneyBritney is the third studio album by American pop singer Britney Spears. The album was released worldwide on November 6, 2001 by Jive Records, and one day after in the United States...
. The Maratone production crew now consists of producers/songwriters Max Martin, Rami, Alexandra, Arnthor and young sensation Shellback. Following the work with
Celine DionCéline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
on the album
One Heart-Charts:-Certifications:1Most certifications are under old criteria, with higher certifications levels than the current ones.-Awards:-Release history:...
in 2003, few new hits appeared from Maratone until 2005. More recently 2009 has seen a string of hits from the studio including the hits "My Life Would Suck Without You" from Kelly Clarkson and "3" from Britney Spears.
Kelly Clarkson goes to Sweden
In 2004, former
American IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
winner
Kelly ClarksonKelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
traveled to Sweden to collaborate with Max Martin and Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald on songs for her album
Breakaway. They decided to create songs that were rockier than anticipated by the fans, as can be heard on the hit singles "
Since U Been Gone"Since U Been Gone" is a song written and produced by Max Martin and Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald for American singer Kelly Clarkson. The song was released as the second single from her second album, Breakaway in the US and Australia and was released as the first single in Europe...
" and "
Behind These Hazel Eyes"Behind These Hazel Eyes" is the third single from Breakaway, the second album by pop singer Kelly Clarkson.-Song information:...
". "Since U Been Gone" became a huge hit and remains one of the biggest hits of Clarkson's career, and one of the biggest hits of 2005. The next single, "Behind These Hazel Eyes", actually reached the Top 10 of the
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
while the single "Since U Been Gone" was still on the chart. In 2009 he also co-wrote Clarkson's single "
My Life Would Suck Without You"My Life Would Suck Without You" is a song performed by American pop rock singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson. It is the first single from her fourth studio album, All I Ever Wanted. Dr. Luke and Max Martin, writers of her hit "Since U Been Gone", co-produced and co-wrote the song. Claude Kelly also...
", which has the record for the highest Billboard hot 100 jump to #1, jumping from #97 in its first week on the chart.
Collaborations with Marion Raven
In 2005 Max Martin collaborated with the Norwegian singer
Marion RavenMarion Elise Ravn, born 25 May 1984 in Lørenskog, Norway, is a Norwegian singer-songwriter, and former child actress. Her surname is of Norse origin, with Ravn meaning Raven, which she adopted as her stage name Marion Raven as well as her trademark raven logo. She was one-half of the now defunct...
for the release of her debut album entitled
Here I Am on what may be his first mainstream Rock work, writing the song "
Break You"Break You" is a pop rock song written and produced by the combined efforts of Max Martin and Lukasz Gottwald, a.k.a "Dr. Luke", for Raven's international debut studio album Here I Am...
" and co-writing with Raven many songs, including "
End of Me"End Of Me" is a pop rock song written by Marion Raven, Max Martin and Rami for Raven's internationally released album Here I Am . It was released as the album's lead single in Southeast Asia in 2005 and was very successful in the region, reaching the top ten in many countries that include Malaysia...
," "Here I Am," "Little By Little," "In Spite of Me," and "Six Feet Under." "End of Me" and "Break You" were big hits in
AsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. In 2007 "Break You" was included again in Raven's North American and European debut album called
Set Me Free. The American singer Megan McCauley did a cover of "Break You" in 2006 but the song are not included on any McCauleys albums.
Pink and Backstreet Boys
In 2005, Martin collaborated on 4 of the 12 songs on Backstreet Boys' comeback album
Never GoneNever Gone was the eagerly awaited comeback album by US vocal group Backstreet Boys. Originally to be released in 2004, the release date was pushed back to June 14, 2005 for unknown reasons. The album varies musically from their previous albums, with a rock sound to the album...
, including "Climbing the Walls", "
Just Want You to Know"Just Want You to Know" is a rock/pop song performed by the Backstreet Boys. It was released as the second single from the group's fifth studio album Never Gone...
", "Siberia" and the melancholy love song "
I Still..."I Still..." was the third international single and the fourth and final overall single from the Backstreet Boys' fifth studio album, Never Gone, but was not given a US release. The US single was "Crawling Back to You"...
", a trademark song for the Backstreet Boys. Martin wanted the album to be more of a contemporary, alternative pop album with a little R&B. The resulting album had a more organic music style with more live instruments, and a departure from The Backstreet Boys' earlier work.
Martin also co-wrote and produced songs with
PinkAlecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
's very successful and critically acclaimed platinum selling fourth album
I'm Not DeadI'm Not Dead is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Pink. The album was released on April 4, 2006 in the United States....
. Worldwide the album was the sixth biggest selling album of 2006, going top 5 in the UK, platinum and top ten in the United States, and number one in Australia and Germany. In Australia the album had 5 top five singles, and spent a record 63 weeks in the top 10. As of July 2009 it is presently 10 times Platinum and has been charting in the Australian Top 50 for 146 weeks. Martin also collaborated with Pink for her fifth studio album, "
FunhouseFunhouse is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Pink, released by LaFace Records worldwide in October 2008. Upon its release, the album reached number one on the charts in 6 countries including Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands and United Kingdom, while debuting at number two in...
," released October 2008. Martin co-wrote the first smash hit single, "So What", plus the tracks "
Please Don't Leave Me"Please Don't Leave Me" is a song from American pop rock singer Pink and the third single taken from her fifth studio album Funhouse. It was released on January 31, 2009. The song received strong airplay in Australia and New Zealand, as well as being added to the BBC Radio 1 A-List playlist in the UK...
", "I Don't Believe You" and "It's All Your Fault".
Avril Lavigne
Max Martin worked with
Avril LavigneAvril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...
on several songs for her 4th album
Goodbye LullabyGoodbye Lullaby is the fourth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne. The album was first released on 8 March 2011 through RCA Records . Recording sessions began in November 2008, and took place over a period of almost two years, concluding in October 2010...
including the lead single “
What the HellMostly positive, critics have noted similarities between "What the Hell" and Lavigne's previous single, "Girlfriend". Gil Kaufman of MTV.com stated "What the Hell" has "rousing cheerleader energy" and an "infectious groove and peppy vibe". Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone magazine said "the music is...
”, which was released on January 10, 2011.
Katy Perry
Max Martin worked with
Katy PerryKaty Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
on several songs on two albums. On
One of the BoysOne of the Boys is the second studio album by American recording artist Katy Perry and her major-label debut. Her change in record label and adoption of a pseudonymous surname accompanies a notable shift from the Christian gospel rock of her self-titled debut album. The album was released on June...
including the number-one single "I Kissed a Girl", and Top 5 hit single "
Hot n Cold"Hot n Cold" is a song by American singer Katy Perry. The song was written and composed by Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Perry for her major mainstream debut album, One of the Boys. The track was released as the album's third single...
", and following-up album
Teenage DreamTeenage Dream is the third studio album by American recording artist Katy Perry. It was released on August 24, 2010, through Capitol Records. The album's inspiration came from dance, pop, and rock by 1980s artists, including ABBA and The Cardigans. Perry worked with several writers and producers on...
, including the
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
numbers-ones hits singles "
California Gurls"California Gurls" is an electropop song by American singer-songwriter Katy Perry and is the lead single of her third studio album, Teenage Dream. The song features rapper Snoop Dogg, and was produced by Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Benny Blanco. According to Perry, the song is an answer song to...
", "
Teenage Dream"Teenage Dream" is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry. It was released as the second single from her third studio album of the same name on July 23, 2010 through digital distribution. Perry and Bonnie McKee wrote many songs with a youthful theme in mind, but they were rejected by...
", "
E.T."E.T." is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry taken from her third studio album Teenage Dream . The song was written by Katy Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, and Joshua Coleman, while the production was handled by Gottwald under his stage name Dr. Luke, Martin and Ammo. "E.T." was...
", "
Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)"Last Friday Night " is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry. The song was produced by Lukasz Gottwald and Max Martin, who also co-wrote the song with Perry and Bonnie McKee for Perry's third studio album, Teenage Dream. Perry stated that she was inspired to write the track after a night...
" and the
Hot 100 top ten hit "
The One That Got AwayThe One That Got Away is a 1957 World War II film starring Hardy Krüger and featuring Michael Goodliffe, Jack Gwillim and Alec McCowen. It was directed by Roy Ward Baker with a screenplay written by Howard Clewes...
".
Others
4th runner up of the eighth season of
American IdolThe eighth season of American Idol premiered on January 13, 2009, and concluded on May 20, 2009. Judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson continued to judge the show's contestants, along with Ryan Seacrest as host. The season introduced Kara DioGuardi as the fourth judge on the Idol...
,
Allison IrahetaAllison Iraheta is an American singer from Los Angeles, California, who was the fourth place finalist on the eighth season of American Idol. Prior to Idol, Iraheta won the Telemundo competition Quinceañera: Mamá Quiero Ser Artista. Following the conclusion of Idol, Iraheta was signed to a record...
has been collaborating with Max Martin on her debut album. Her first single, "
Friday I'll Be Over U"Friday I'll Be Over U" is a song by American recording artist and American Idol season eight finalist Allison Iraheta from her debut album, Just Like You. The song was written by Max Martin, Shellback, Savan Kotecha and Tiffany Amber...
" is confirmed to be written by Martin.
On August 17, 2009,
American IdolThe eighth season of American Idol premiered on January 13, 2009, and concluded on May 20, 2009. Judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson continued to judge the show's contestants, along with Ryan Seacrest as host. The season introduced Kara DioGuardi as the fourth judge on the Idol...
runner-up
Adam LambertAdam Mitchel Lambert is an American singer, songwriter, and actor from San Diego, California. In May 2009, he finished as the runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol...
announced via
TwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
that he was in New York City with Martin recording a song for his debut album. It turned out to be the song "
Whataya Want From Me"Whataya Want from Me" is the second mainstream single by American pop vocalist and American Idol season eight runner-up Adam Lambert. It is the second radio single release off his debut album, For Your Entertainment and his first ever top 10 single on the Billboard Hot 100.The song was written by...
", that was also written by
PinkAlecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
.
Martin also co-wrote "
Into the Nightlife"Into the Nightlife" is a song written by Cyndi Lauper, Peer Åström, Johan Bobäck and Max Martin, and produced by Lauper, Åström and Bobäck, for Lauper's tenth studio album Bring Ya to the Brink. It peaked at #1 on the U.S Billboard Hot Dance Club Play and on the Cashbox Top Dance Singles...
", a popular club track recorded by
Cyndi LauperCynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
in 2008.
Martin also co-wrote "
Loser Like Me"Loser Like Me" is a song performed by the cast of American television series Glee, taken from their sixth soundtrack album, Glee: The Music, Volume 5. The song was written by the series' music producer Adam Anders, Swedish pop music producer Max Martin, and Peer Åström, Savan Kotecha, and Johan...
" and "Light Up the World", two original songs for the popular TV series
GleeGlee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
.
Awards
- Swedish Dance Music Awards 1996
- Swedish Grammis
The Grammis Awards are the Swedish equivalent of the Grammy Awards. The awards ceremony is generally held each year in February in Stockholm.The awards were established in 1969 and awarded until 1972 when they were cancelled....
Award in 1997
- ASCAP's Songwriter of the Year in 1999
- ASCAP's Songwriter of the Year in 2000
- ASCAP's Songwriter of the Year in 2001
- ASCAP's Songwriter of the Year in 2011
External links