American hitmaker Benny Blanco is one of those rare songwriter-producers. He has his name credited next to the singers' in the hits he has created, for artistes like Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran and Halsey.
Blanco and Bieber's latest collaboration, Lonely, was a global pop hit and in the Top 10 charts here in October and November last year.
In December, Blanco released a song, Real S***, which he had done with rapper Juice Wrld. The rapper died in 2019 from an accidental overdose of painkillers.
Here are five things to know about the 32-year-old, who has also produced hits for pop artistes such as The Weeknd, Ariana Grande and Britney Spears.
1. JUSTIN BIEBER TRUSTS HIM
Blanco has written songs with the Canadian pop star since 2009 and they have become close over the years.
Their latest release together, Lonely, is a confessional song where Bieber sings about how finding fame at a young age has had a less than positive effect on him.
Speaking to The Straits Times over Zoom, Blanco says: "I'm not sure if we could have written that song if we didn't have this relationship and we didn't have this trust. I've been there from the highs to the lows, the mids.
"When you're writing a song with someone, you're kind of like a therapist so you're having to play many different roles."
Bieber was reluctant to release the song at first, but Blanco convinced him to do it.
"It's like a breath of fresh air, a lot of artistes don't talk about this stuff. And if one person goes, 'Wow, Justin Bieber is going through everything I'm going through and you know he's the biggest artiste in the world, so I guess I can do it', it's a win."
2. HE IS CLOSE TO ED SHEERAN
Blanco figures prominently in Songwriter, the 2018 film documentary on popular British singer-songwriter Sheeran. They are shown working on songs together when Sheeran was on a worldwide tour for his 2014 album x.
"He was bored, he was on tour for a year straight," says Blanco, who describes Sheeran as his "good friend".
"And I said, 'Well, why don't I come out on the road and we'll make some songs?' And then I came out and I never left.
"It was like having a playdate with your friend every day."
3. WORKING WITH ARTISTES IS LIKE A GYM SESSION
Blanco says the key to being a good producer is not just by inserting enough of his own sound, but also by listening to the artiste and not letting him or her lose his or her identity.
"It's like lifting weights. You know how there's the guy who holds up the weight to make sure you don't drop it?
"It's my job to be there and spot them when they need help and notice when they can do it themselves," he says.
4. HANGING OUT IS PART OF THE JOB
Blanco recalls how he wrote Love Yourself, a 2015 No. 1 hit for Bieber, after partying with hip-hop star Drake. "I had a night with Ed Sheeran. We stayed up really late after a Drake party. We were so tired and hung over, and then we wrote Love Yourself."
He also fondly remembers working with American singer Kesha.
"I was with Kesha in New York City and we were writing a song, and then she said, 'Oh, can we take a break and go get tattoos?'
"So we go and get tattoos and then come back," he says.
5. HE WANTS TO DO MORE THAN WRITE SONGS
He believes that songwriters and producers can do more than work in the background for other artistes.
"Before, when you give a song to someone, then it's over, you have no say in the music video, no say in the marketing."
In 2018, he put out a solo album, Friends Keep Secrets, that produced hits such as Eastside, a song with American singers Halsey and Khalid.
"For me, to be involved in all the creative work and pick out the video, the marketing and the way people are going to see the television performances has been so cool."
He adds: "So if people want to do that, then they should put their name on the songs and do it. It's a lot more work and it's really hard. But it's very gratifying to me."
