Making the Cut.

SONGWRITING; REMIXES; CHILD consumers; POPULAR music; EMOTIONS

ALI "B" BIANCHI 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. NEELAM THADHANI Manager, Jack Harlow CHRIS THOMAS Manager, Jack Harlow Jack Harlow's "First Class", Lil Nas X and Harlow's "Industry Baby" A middle-school talent show and attempting a Fergie cover is where Harlow's fixation on "Glamorous" started. CLINT GIBBS Engineer, Mixer KALANI THOMPSON Engineer, Mixer 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. FEATURES ENGINEERS, MIXERS, PRODUCERS, SONGWRITERS ATL JACOB 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. SARA DAVIS 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. [Extracted from the article]

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