StarGate is a European record-producing and songwriting duo made up of two Norwegians, Tor Erik Hermansen and Mikkel Eriksen, originally from Trondheim, who currently resides in New York City. They first started out writing songs for artists in 1997 in Norway.
The team's earlier successes originated in the UK market with songs like 'S Club Party' for pop act S Club 7, Hear'say's 'The Way To Your Love' and 'One Night Stand' for Mis-Teeq. During the late 1990s to early 2000s, their records leaned more towards Euro-pop, rather than R&B, harking back to Swedish hitmaker, Max Martin and Cheiron Studios. Stargate were best known for producing material for the UK boyband, Blue on every major album of theirs.
Since 2006 and their worldwide breakthrough hit, Ne-Yo's 'So Sick', the pairing has set the U.S. & global charts alight with their brand of R&B music. Their sound changed dramatically (and for the better), once they moved to the U.S. with a more American- sound to them, thanks to a meeting with Shaffer Smith who goes by the moniker of Ne-Yo. In the last few years, musically Stargate's signature sound has gravitated more towards reggae & Caribbean- soca -beats fused with Electropop, due to the influence of Reggaeton. They are heavily noted for their extensive work with Ne-Yo and Bajan pop songstress, Rihanna.
The New York Times Ben Sisaro described Stargate's musical production style as 'sugary, lilting R&B in the style of Michael Jackson, leavened with a melody-rich European pop'.
Their work carries on from the tradition of Scandinavian pop artistry that goes as far back as ABBA, Ace of Base and Max Martin. Whilst Max Martin has since made the transition from bubble gum teen pop to rock/contemporary pop, StarGate has stayed true to its Scandinavian R&B roots.
In the midst of an R&B scene that is and has been constantly dominated by Black African- American music producers, Eriksen and Hermansen offer something completely different to what is already out there, not just in contemporary and mainstream R&B, but R&B and music in general.
I was familiar with some of their work at the time, and as enjoyable as their UK efforts were, many of them weren't groundbreaking, nor were they huge hits. There were a couple of hit songs making it to #1 and the top 10, but they were not at the same level as the songs that later came out during the mid-2000s from this team. By that point, they reached the top 10, four times with Ne-Yo's So Sick and Sexy Love, Rihanna's Unfaithful, Beyonce's Irreplaceable.
Since 2006 and their worldwide breakthrough hit, Ne-Yo's 'So Sick', the pairing has set the U.S. & global charts alight with their brand of R&B music. Their sound changed dramatically (and for the better), once they moved to the U.S. with a more American- sound to them, thanks to a meeting with Shaffer Smith who goes by the moniker of Ne-Yo. In the last few years, musically Stargate's signature sound has gravitated more towards reggae & Caribbean- soca -beats fused with Electropop, due to the influence of Reggaeton. They are heavily noted for their extensive work with Ne-Yo and Bajan pop songstress, Rihanna.
The New York Times Ben Sisaro described Stargate's musical production style as 'sugary, lilting R&B in the style of Michael Jackson, leavened with a melody-rich European pop'.
Their work carries on from the tradition of Scandinavian pop artistry that goes as far back as ABBA, Ace of Base and Max Martin. Whilst Max Martin has since made the transition from bubble gum teen pop to rock/contemporary pop, StarGate has stayed true to its Scandinavian R&B roots.
In the midst of an R&B scene that is and has been constantly dominated by Black African- American music producers, Eriksen and Hermansen offer something completely different to what is already out there, not just in contemporary and mainstream R&B, but R&B and music in general.
Rihanna featuring Ne-Yo - Hate That I Love You (2007)
Ne-Yo - Sexy Love (2006)
Rihanna featuring Drake - What's My Name? (2011)
Rihanna - Te Amo (2010)
Beyonce - Broken-Hearted Girl (2008)
Chris Brown - With You (2007)
Ne-Yo - Mad (2008)
Sean Kingston feat. Nicki Minaj - Letting Go (Dutty Love) (2010)
Sean Paul feat. Kelly Rowland - How Deep is Your Love? (2012) - I like this one slightly more than Got 2 Luv U
Sean Paul feat. Alexis Jordan - Got 2 Luv U (2011)
Keri Hilson feat. Nelly - Lose Control (Let Me Down) (2011)
Coldplay featuring Beyonce - Hymn for the Weekend (2015)
Mary J. Blige - I Am (2009)
Fifth Harmony featuring Kid Ink - Worth It (2015)
Fifth Harmony - Write on Me (2016) - part-produced by Kygo
Rihanna - Good Girl Gone Bad (2007)
Jordin Sparks - Tattoo (2007)
Charli XCX Feat. Lizzo - Blame It on Your Love (2019)
Beyonce - Irreplaceable (2006) - written by Ne-Yo and Stargate & Beyonce
Rihanna - Cry (2007)
Samantha Mumba - Always Come Back to Your Love (2001)
Brandy and Ray J - Another Day in Paradise remix (2001)
Ester Dean - Take You to Rio (2011)
Stephen Gately - Stay (2000)
Hearsay' - The Way to Your Love (2001)
Khalid - Better (2018)
En Vogue (2000) - Riddle (StarGate Radio Mix)
Alexis Jordan - Shout Shout (2011) - interpolates Shout from Tears For Fears
Tinashe - All Hands on Deck (2015)
Billie Piper - Day & Night (2000) - has shades of Britney Spears' You Drive Me Crazy
Notable mentions: Sometimes You Hit, Sometimes You Miss - Girl Thing, You Can Run But You Can't Hide - Girl Thing
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