Music

FRIDAY MIXTAPE: The best of pop producer Max Martin Pt. 2 (2001-2012: Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry, Ke$ha, & more)

by Aaron Zorgel

For Part 1 (1994-2000) click here.

The death of Denniz Pop signified a new era for Max Martin. He felt that the heart and soul of of Cheiron Studios had died with Denniz, so in 2001, Max closed it down and opened his own shop (Maratone Studios) in Stockholm, where he still works to this day. The first project completed at Maratone was Britney, the third album by Britney Spears.

It wasn’t until 2004 that Martin updated his sound, leaving behind the polished, dated boy-band/girl-group sound for something bigger, and louder. Martin worked on Kelly Clarkson’s sophomore album Breakaway, penning and producing the hits “Since U Been Gone” and “Behind These Hazel Eyes” with a new collaborator named Lukasz Gottwald (a.k.a. Dr. Luke). Dr. Luke and Max Martin would work together on some of the biggest records of the decade (Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Britney Spears), and they still collaborate regularly today. Max Martin also took fellow Swede producer Shellback under his wing; the duo have worked together on songs for Pink, Ke$ha, Britney Spears, and Avril Lavigne.

For more on Max Martin, including a playlist of his best modern work from 2001-2012, head over to Pop Hunter.