Jeanette Olsson, who describes herself as a 'session singer, 'is a singer-songwriter from Stockholm, Sweden. She has provided accompanying and backing vocals on various chart-topping songs for artists such as Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion, and Ariana Grande throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s.
(Source: Wikipedia)
1. (You Drive Me) Crazy - Britney Spears, 1999
2. One Last Time - Ariana Grande, 2014
3. What U See Is What U Get - Britney Spears, 2000- Features Jeanette, Max Martin, Nana Hedin & The Fan Choir 2
4. I'm Not a Girl (Not Yet a Woman) - Britney Spears, 2001
5. I'll Never Stop Loving You - Britney Spears, 1999
6. Gotta Tell You - Samantha Mumba, 2000; debut singer from an Irish pop star, it was written by Bag & Arnthor
7. Baby Come on Over - Samantha Mumba, 2000
8. All Nite (Don't Stop) - Janet Jackson, 2004
9. Deep in My Heart - Britney Spears, 1999
10. I Didn't Want You Anyway - Hear'Say, 2001
11. Santa Tell Me - Ariana Grande, 2014
12. Walk on By - Britney Spears, 2000
13. Beautiful Morning - Ace of Base, 2002
14. It's The Way You Make Me Feel - Steps, 2000
15. To Live and To Die For - Play, 2002
16. Emotional - Agnes, 2005
17. I'll Remember - Kurt (Glee cast version), 2012 - a cover of the song by Madonna featured on Glee's Graduation Album
18. Papi - Jennifer Lopez, 2011
19. First Time - Jennifer Lopez, 2011
20. Life - E-Type, 2001
21. Closer to Perfection - A*Teens, 2002
22. That's The Way My Heart Goes - Marie Serneholt, 2006
23. It's The Hard Knock Life - Play, 2004; everyone is pretty familiar with Jay-Z's version, but who knew Play had their own version of the song? Not me until now
Atlanta-based Christopher Stewart, also known as Tricky, is a four-time Grammy Award-winning producer, music publisher, and songwriter with credits including Beyoncé and Rihanna. Along with fellow writer and producer Terius 'The-Dream' Nash, they have racked up various hit singles and played a significant role in pop and contemporary R&B during the past 30 years. Stewart was rather quiet in the early 2000s, but momentum soon picked up come the mid-2000s.
Some of their record-breaking singles include Mya's Case of the Ex - which Tricky co-wrote and produced, Britney Spears' collaboration with Madonna on Me Against the Music, and big hitters in Justin Bieber's Baby, Rihanna's Umbrella and Beyonce's Single Ladies. Tricky is also one of the original founders of the label Red Zone Entertainment, alongside his brother and artist manager, Mark E. Stewart, which started way back in 1995 and later enlisted Frank Ocean as one of their artists.
As part of Red Zone, Tricky Stewart and The-Dream became one of the biggest music producers and songwriters of all time.
Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It), 2008 - Beyonce; part of a double-A side to If I Were a Boy, is considered one of the best songs of the 2000s decade
If I Were a Boy- Beyonce, 2008; more in the vein of a pop ballad, Beyonce explained it was not a traditional R&B song. First real ballad that was later followed up with Broken-Hearted Girl, cowritten by Stargate, Babyface and Beyonce
Break My Soul- Beyonce, 2022; Beyonce's comeback hit taken from the Renaissance album and first hit record in over 10 years or so when it was released in 2022, it samples Big Freedia's Explode and Robin S's Show Me Love; more like a club banger, it is unlike anything Tricky Stewart has put out before Break my Soul as it leans more towards dance music, rather than soul or r&b
Case of the Ex (Whatcha Gonna Do) - Mya, 2000
Everything - B2K, 2003
Umbrella - Rihanna featuring Jay-Z, 2007
Touch My Body - Mariah Carey, 2008; one of many bangers courtesy of Mariah and one of several produced by the duo of Tricky and The-Dream for the songstress. Lyrically, they sure know how to write a great pop/r&b song with mainstream appeal
Outrageous - Britney Spears, 2004
Angels Cry (Remix) - Mariah Carey feat. Ne-Yo, 2010; one of my favourite Mariah ballads and collabs/duets, lyrics are honestly beautiful, melodies are smooth and fluid-flowing
Obsessed - Mariah Carey, 2009; perceived by the press as an Eminem diss track, if you listen to the lyrics, you can understand how it was related to the whole Mariah vs Eminem furore that blew up in the music world. The record slaps
Cookie Jar - Gym Class Heroes, 2008
Just Like Me - T.I. featuring Jamie Foxx, 2008
Hard - Rihanna featuring Jeezy, 2010
Baby - L.L. Cool J featuring The-Dream, 2008
Leavin' - Jesse McCartney, 2008; a departure from his teenpop roots and is still McCartney's biggest hit single in the U.S
Uh Huh - B2K, 2001
If I Never See Your Face Again - Maroon 5 featuring Rihanna, 2008
H.A.T.E.U - Mariah Carey, 2010
Rockin' That Thang - The-Dream, 2009
Only Want You - Skylar Stecker, 2017
Lonely Girls Club - Mario, 2009; penned by Ne-Yo but never featured on any of Mario's albums. Pity because this is a great song
Favorite Girl - Justin Bieber, 2009; early Bieber offering from the late 2000s; has a similar-ish beat to 'Baby', another Justin song
Don't Walk Away - Mario, 2009; taken from his album, DNA, this mid-tempo ballad-like effort is solid and is something that could have been penned by songwriting production duo, Stargate
Sexual Capacity - Color Me Badd, 1996; taken from the original motion picture soundtrack of Striptease, the Demi Moore movie, this is slick 1990s' r&b as we know it. Was written by Robin Thicke, who had the famous hit, Blurred Lines with Pharrell Williams
Oh Santa! - Mariah Carey, 2010; Christmas pop r&b track this features Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson. Whilst All I Want for Christmas appeals to mainstream audiences, Oh Santa! is more for Mariah enthusiasts and those who prefer something different to the 1995 hit song
Red Hair - Shawn Desman, 2004; Canada's answer to Justin Timberlake, Keri Hilson provides some of the backing vocals to this song, as well as co-writing Red Hair. Interestingly, it has the same interpolation as Your Body by Pretty Ricky
Fashion Killa - A$AP Rocky, 2013
I'm Not Okay - Lionel Richie, 2009
Nivea - Watch it, 2006; taken from the album Animal, which was a Japan exclusive.
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.
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
Formed in Orlando, Florida, N*SYNC were named after taking the last letter of the initial members' names: JustiN, ChriS, JoeY, LaNce and J.C to create the acronym as I take a look at my favourite *NSYNC songs from one of the best-selling boy bands of all-time. The group tore up the charts in the late 1990s when I Want You Back was released in Germany in 1996, right through to the early 2000s with their second studio album effort, No Strings Attached, which clocked over 2 million copies in its first week. Working with Max Martin, they enjoyed immediate success. The follow-up, Celebrity became the second fastest-selling album of all-time. After the release of Celebrity in 2001, N*SYNC went on indefinite hiatus. Justin Timberlake went on to purse a solo career, thus finding success & eventually became a 10-time Grammy-award-winner. In 2018, the group achieved a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1. That Girl (Will Never Be Mine) (2001) - some would argue this is their best song, it hits hard right from the start and is my favourite. A bonus track on the European version of Celebrity, it should have made the cut on the North American edition too. It screams single every way and it is disappointing it didn't get a look in in that department. It would have been a top 10 hit for sure. It's Bye Bye Bye part II
2. It's Gonna Be Me (2000) - the only *NSYNC song to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, with an effortless five-part harmony bridge. It was released at the very peak of their pop success and was the follow-up hit to the edgy, Bye Bye Bye when NSYNC were huge & they were pitted against their boyband rivals, the Backstreet Boys. It was written by Max Martin and produced by Rami Yacoub, who also wrote some of the Backstreet Boys songs from their debut album all the way through to the Black & Blue era
3. I'll Never Stop (2000) - I was only 19 when this came out, and it is still a belter over 20 years on; has flashes of Tearin' Up My Heart as it has a similar beat. When the Backstreet Boys released The One off Millennium with a music video containing excerpts from concerts, NSYNC did just that with I'll Never Stop as a single release; in fact, if you listen to both songs, The One and I'll Never Stop they do have a not- to- similar chord structure
4. Just Don't Tell Me That (2001) - when it comes to upbeat songs, *NSYNC has some of the best ones for a boy band, and Just Don't Tell Me that is no exception and is overlooked. From start to finish, this is another great uptempo number. They have so many songs that get you dancing to choose from in contrast to other boybands that came before and after them.
5. If I'm Not the One (2000) - featured as a bonus track on the European version of No Strings Attached, it has a catchy mid-tempo sound and beat and is one of my favourites from this group
6. This I Promise You (2000) - stands asthe best slow jam of *NSYNC's by a long shot, written and with arrangements by Richard Marx who sang 'Right Here Waiting' and edges out I Drive Myself Crazy off their debut LP, with leads Justin and J.C delivering impressive vocal ranges on this song. Earned them their 5th top 10 on U.S Billboard Hot 100, although it didn't find much success internationally with the song only hitting #21 on the UK top 40
7. Could It Be You(2000) - B-side to Bye Bye Bye and was on the U.K version of No Strings Attached, that should have been a standalone single perhaps. A song that some NSYNC fans might be unfamiliar with but it is still a goody
8. I Don't Wanna Spend One More Christmas Without You (1998) - was on their Christmas themed album, Home for Christmas and is a slow modern ballad with a great chord structure. My personal pick from their LP with rousing vocals throughout
9. Girlfriend (2001) - produced by The Neptunes, penned by Justin Timberlake, Pharrell Williams, probably the first song of JT's he has recorded that he has written and it is a very mature- sounding record, so unlike anything they put out before with its pop- R&B sound. 2001 was peak *NSYNC taken from their final studio LP
10.Tell Me, Tell Me... Baby (2001) - follows in the same vein as Bye Bye Bye and It's Gonna be Me from No Strings Attached LP, Tell Me Tell Me is the follow-up from Celebrity
Honourable Mentions: Tearin' Up My Heart, Think About That, All I Do, Down to Earth, This is Where the Party's At, I Feel the Love, (God Must've Spent A Little)Time On You, I Drive Myself Crazy (Thinking of You) (J.C version), Everything I Own, Bye Bye Bye, No Strings Attached, If Only Through Heaven's Eyes, One in This World, I Want You Back, Down to Earth, Pop, Gone, Selfish, That's When I'll Stop Loving You, I Never Knew The Meaning of Christmas, Kiss Me at Midnight
Steps was formed in 1997 by Steve Crosby and Barry Upton after the members answered an advert in The Stage newspaper to attend an open audition for a 5-piece British line dancing pop group; originally with Ian ''H'' Watkins, Lisa Scott-Lee, Maddy Chan and two other male members, the latter three members left and were replaced with Tozer, Latchford-Evans and Richards. The final line-up consisted of Lee Latchford-Evans, Claire Richards, Scott-Lee, Faye Tozer and H; Steps got their name from the marketing premise that their songs were choreographed, and the steps would be included in the CD sleeves.
Having had a listen of their discography via YouTube and Wikipedia, it turns out that Steps are a pop group who are unfairly dubbed as being cheesy that caters to teenyboppers and kiddies alike; the general consensus may be that 5,6,7,8 and Tragedy is Steps, yet thorough listens of their other songs, including non-singles that didn't chart on the top 40, reveal Steps' discography is far more varied than what might one would imagine, and as such they have plenty of great material. For me, they are a guilty pleasure, much like listening to any Stock Aitken and Waterman- produced song.
2022 sees Steps celebrating 25 years of being in pop industry; the group's sting in the late 1990s/early 2000s', under the Pete Waterman partnership & through Max Martin's Cheiron studios musical output, is still etched in pop lovers' & Steps Fans' memory.
1. Say You'll Be Mine (1999) - one part of the double- A sided single with Better the Devil You Know as its sister counterpart, this was the better and chirpier single release compared to that of Heartbeat of Heartbeat/Tragedy. Still underrated today, complete with a video that has the group paying homage to, & re-enacting scenes from various Hollywood movies of the nineties.
2. Deeper Shade of Blue (1999) - surprisingly not one of the group's biggest chart successes, which is truly saying something; the song that even some of the biggest detractors and non-fans of Steps begrudgingly admire. Originally stated as a Tina Cousins' release, it came out of nowhere, but the biggest surprise was it came from a group that did the cover of Tragedy by the Bee Gees. Musically, with its club beat, this edgier- and superior bop is a world away from the cheesy 5,6,7,8 and Last Thing on my Mind. The most un-Steps song, and yet still one of their very best.
3. Here and Now (2001)- rarely considered by so many as one of Steps' finest & is one of the group's lowest selling singles, Here & Now is great than one would give credit to as a Steps' song; it definitely has that same up-tempo feel as Britney Spears' early 2000s output - it was penned by Andreas Carlsson (who did the Backstreet Boys' I Want it That Way) & Ali Thompson. Was part of the group's 4th double-A side single release when paired with You'll Be Sorry
4. Stomp (2000) - '70s disco-inspired bopper that riffs on Chic's 1978's Everybody Dance with a catchy chorus that became the group's second consecutive chart topper. Yes, that rhymes.
5. No More Tears on the Dance Floor (2017)- cowritten by ex-Savage Garden's Darren Hayes, No More Tears... is an Anders cover that deserved a single release and a music video to go with it. Vocally, Claire is at her peak, whilst it allows male counterpart, Latchford-Evans to step forward and deliver a verse on his own.
6. Paradise Lost (2000)- if Ace of Base's The Sign & Madonna's La Isla Bonita had a love child, then Paradise Lost would be it; this often-overlooked mid-tempo, Latino-inspired offering was performed as a medley on their tours with H & Lee's rendition of Luis Fonsi & Justin Bieber's Despacito and Summer of Love. Really impressive and one of the 'must've been single' releases.
7. Summer of Love (2000)- Euphoric Latin-fueled summer dance banger, which came out in the midst of the Ricky Martin, J-Lo and Enrique Iglesias dominance of the pop charts in the same year & reached #5 in the U.K with When I Said Goodbye as a double-A sided single
8. Happy Go Lucky (2000) - another Ace-of-Base-ish -sounding song; song featured on The Princess Diaries movie soundtrack; is incredibly infectious
9. Better the Devil You Know (1999) - cover version of the Kylie Minogue hit that whilst composition-wise and vocally, brings nothing new, it is still an overly decent song
10. To the Beat of My Heart (2021) - taken from their 6th studio album To the Beat of My Heart, this one was cowritten by Sarah Thompson, Brian Higgins, MNEK and The Saturdays' Molly King. A drastic change from their much earlier efforts of the 1990s, it is edgier, more club-based and hipper, and plus, it is not bad as a record.
Notable Mentions: Last Thing on My Mind, Love's Got a Hold of my Heart, To Be your Hero, You'll be Sorry, Buzzz, Too Busy Thinking 'Bout My Baby, Words Are Not Enough, Dancing With A Broken Heart, Human Touch, Scared of the Dark, Take Me For a Ride, Kiss of Life, The Slightest Touch, High, In It For Love, Turn Around
Considered one of the greatest and most legendary pop stars and divas of all time, Cher's startling career spans over 7 decades (crikey): with her beginnings as one half of Sonny and Cher, she later on pursued a solo pop career. A trendsetter in fashion, music, movies and an icon, she has consolidated her place alongside the likes of Madonna, Tina Turner and countless other female pop singers; alas, there are very, very few singers/performers who have sustained longevity through a back catalogue that goes as far back as the 1960s. In 2017, Cher nabbed the Billboard Icon Award. She also made history by becoming the only artist to have a #1 single on the Billboard chart in 6 decades.
1998's Believe was huge, but it was also autotuned. Her distinctive voice, - which in general without the dance beat and autotune-, is incredible - was autotuned; comparing that song to her efforts from the 1980s and 1990s where they were leaning towards soft-rock and she switched gears from soft-rock to Motown, briefly that is, to adult contemporary, dance and back to pop through her ABBA covers, the consensus is that her older, classic material still rules.
I've seen a lot of comments made about Cher in regard to her having plastic surgery, moreso than her vocals. Of all the female powerhouse pop vocalists of the 20th century, I would cite Cher, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, Donna Summer, and Aretha Franklin, but a couple in that list.
Here are my selections when it comes to Cher's songs:
1. Love and Understanding (1991) - one of the best songs written for her, produced by Guy Roche (Celine Dion's If You Asked Me To & Brandy's Almost Doesn't Count), and performed by Cher, it is hugely uplifting, and rousing, framed with orchestral strings and a rock beat; though it is not as widely known as Turn Back Time and Believe, Love and Understanding is, nonetheless, musically and lyrically fantastic. Yet it doesn't get enough praise and recognition, which is a shame. It is though my ultimate top Cher pick
2. If I Could Turn Back Time (1989) - a quintessential power ballad of the 1980s and written by one of the greatest songwriters, Diane Warren (who was also responsible for Love and Understanding) that still stands the test of time, 4 decades later. If I Could Turn Back Time was and still, is also the iconic & grandiose anthem that propelled Cher's pop career in a big way & it helped her gain worldwide recognition. After her disco-themed work of the 1970s, tracks such as If I Could Turn Back Time and You Wouldn't Know Love in the 1980s enabled Cher to break new ground in the soft rock-pop vein.
3. Not Enough Love in The World (1995) - the third single off It's A Man's World album originally performed by Don Henley as a soft rock song; production and vocal-wise, I prefer this one over the original. The LP itself contains several cover versions from male artists; the other notable one is Walking in Memphis. The 1995 version of Not Enough Love in The World has a more contemporary '90s- pop feel and as cover versions by Cher go, this is one of her best -yet also it is vastly (& criminally) overlooked; moving, swaying, very catchy, but also through It's A Man's World, it amounts to being what is, sound-wise, and arguably her most mature album to date.
4. The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss) (1990) - another cover made famous by Cher and was on the soundtrack of the comedy-drama, Mermaids, this version topped the charts. With her powerhouse vocals, she has always been able to belt out a song in a distinctive voice too. Motown-ish and harking back to the 1960s with the original by Betty Everett, The Shoop Shoop Song became Cher's first solo #1 song in the U.K
5. All or Nothing (1999) - the follow-up to the massive Believe and Strong Enough, it leans more towards the former as a dance-pop number and yet compared to those two songs, isn't and wasn't as massive although it charted at #1 in the U.S on the dance club songs and did extremely well in the Czech Republic, Finland and Hungary. However, it didn't chart on the U.S Billboard Hot 100. Whilst many will opt for Believe, it is All or Nothing as my pick out of her dance-pop efforts
6. Just Like Jesse James (1989) - one of Cher's least favourites, which is saying something as lyrically and musically, it is amazing. This country-style bop has a slower pace (it is very restrained) and it takes a while until it gets to the chorus but the production and musically, it is so polished. The title is in reference to the real-life wild West bandit, Jesse James
7. I'll Never Stop Loving You (1991) - Heart did a version of this song as well, one year earlier and did it first; a melodic power ballad and a hidden gem that shouldn't be slept on. Its composition sounds like something that is being sung at the Olympics or on presidential inauguration day
8. Walking In Memphis (1995) - a cover of the Marc Cohan track, released in the mid-1990s, this rendition rocks. Never quite understood the criticism Cher received for it. Cher's take is livelier and more listenable in contrast to the original.
9. Perfection featuring Bonnie Tyler and Darlene Love (1987)tied with Working Girl- this rocker is akin to Emotional Fire, the latter, Working Girl, remained an unreleased track, and another one that showcases Cher's vocal range
10. You Wouldn't Know Love (1989) - lyrics by Michael Bolton, who also recorded his own version, and sandwiched in-between Just like Jesse James and Heart of Stone, composition-wise. Bolton's rendition has a little bit of soul, whereas this one goes down the soft-rock MOR, power ballad route, laced with backing vocals & a booming and rousing chorus
Honourable Mentions: *Save Up All Your Tears, *Could've Been You, When Love Calls Your Name, *I Found Someone, *We All Sleep Alone, One by One (UK version), Believe, *Emotional Fire, Starting Over, Takin' Back My Heart, Alive Again, Real Love, Name of the Game, *Gypsies Tramps & Thieves, *Dangerous Times, Different Kind of Love Song, Still in Love With You, Starting Over, *Dov'e I'amore (remix), The Greatest Thing feat. Lady Gaga, *Woman's World, *Red, Love So High
