Latest news with #Songwriting
CBC
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
10 songs with surprising Canadian connections
Social Sharing Some of the biggest hits in the world, spanning genres such as hip-hop, rock, pop, dance and country, have been shaped by Canadian musicians in some way. Whether it's the production, mixing, engineering, sampling or the songwriting, a number of tunes by some of music's biggest names have unexpected Canadian ties. To celebrate Canada Day, we're looking back on songs by Sabrina Carpenter, Bonnie Raitt, Kendrick Lamar and more to shine the spotlight on the Canadians behind the hits. 1. Anybody Seen My Baby?, The Rolling Stones When Keith Richards penned the Rolling Stones' 1997 song Anybody Seen My Baby?, the chorus sounded very similar to a Grammy-winning 1992 Canadian song: Constant Craving by country star k.d. lang. "My daughter Angela and her friend were at Redlands, and I was playing the record, and they start singing this totally different song over it. They were hearing k.d. lang's Constant Craving," Richards explained in his biography. "It was Angela and her friend that copped it." Lang and her co-writer, Ben Mink, were later given writing credits, and on BBC's Something For the Weekend, lang explained, "I got a phone call from my lawyer saying, 'Would you like 25 per cent of the Rolling Stones' new single, for the publishing? And I said, 'Yes! Sure!' It's like I won the lottery." 2. Cheers (Drink to That), Rihanna Rihanna's bold party anthem, Cheers (Drink to That), was released in 2010 and samples Canadian pop royalty, Avril Lavigne. Lavigne's 2002 hit I'm With You is sampled on the chorus, using Lavigne's "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeahs." Rihanna had originally wanted Lavigne to sing on the song, but her producers had already finished it. However, according to MTV she was happy Lavigne's vocals were still used for the track: "I'm just glad that we could use her sample, because it became such a huge part of the instrumental that if it were not in the song, it would change the whole vibe of it," she said. Lavigne also weighed in on being sampled, telling Entertainment Weekly, "It was really exciting because I'm With You is one of my favourite songs that I've done, I always love performing it. And I think Rihanna's awesome, she has great songs, she's a really great singer, so yeah I was excited." In the Cheers (Drink to That) music video above, Lavigne makes a cameo around 1:07 when she is pushed into a swimming pool. 3. Butter, BTS BTS's pandemic hit, Butter, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the dance-pop track was co-written by Calgary songwriter Jenna Andrews, who has penned songs for Drake, Sabrina Carpenter, Jennifer Lopez, Benee and more. When Andrews was working on the song, she played it for Columbia executive Ron Perry, who told her: "I want it to be something like Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson." That phrase clicked, and the song's hook was born: "Then, I don't know why, and this happens a lot as a songwriter, it just sort of popped into my head. It made me think, 'Smooth like butter, like a criminal undercover,' and I sang that lyric and melody and we were like, 'Oh, this is it'," Andrews told Forbes. 4. Shutdown, Skepta British rapper Skepta's 2015 song Shutdown is a boisterous grime track about sitting front row at fashion week, selling out Wembley Stadium and more. The track received a Canadian touch on the intro and outro, thanks to a sample featuring a familiar voice: fans can hear a clip of Drake saying, "Man's never been in Marquee when it's shutdown, eh? Truss mi, daddy," at the beginning, and the audio is from a Vine the Toronto rapper made in 2014. During the track's closing, Skepta samples Drake's short film, Jungle around the 13:22 mark where Drake says, "Link up, daddy, alright, yo, tomorrow I'm gonna come scoop you, eh? We'll go to Biz's." Then in 2015, at Wireless Festival in London, Drake brought out Skepta to perform the song live with him. 5. Please, Please, Please, Sabrina Carpenter Recording engineer Serban Ghenea mixed Sabrina Carpenter's 2024 hit Please, Please, Please, which appeared on her Grammy-winning album Short n' Sweet. He also worked on five other tracks on the album including Taste and Bed Chem. Ghenea has mixed other projects for Carpenter including her 2016 album Evolution and her 2019 album Singular Act II. Aside from his work with Carpenter, Ghenea's credits include albums and songs by Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars and more, and he has 21 Grammys to his name. 6. The Blacker the Berry, Kendrick Lamar The second single from Kendrick Lamar's critically-acclaimed 2015 album, To Pimp a Butterfly, was produced by a trio including two Canadians: Toronto's Boi-1da, Whitehorse's Koz and Terrace Martin. Koz presented a rough version of the song to Boi-1da, who added in breakbeat drums over the guitar melody. The result gives the song its boom-bap energy. "Being a part of To Pimp a Butterfly was another dream come true. Kendrick's one of my favourite artists. It was a pleasure working with him…I was just happy to make a very impactful record with him," Boi-1da told DJ Booth in a 2018 interview. And there's another, lesser-known Canadian connection to The Blacker the Berry: Boi-1da was looking to add an " aggressive hip-hop idea" to the track and reached out to Kardinal Offishall for suggestions. He came back with Assassin, whose eviscerating patois snarling gives the song's chorus its propulsive edge. 7. One Kiss, Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa Calvin Harris's collab with Dua Lipa was a certified song of the summer in 2018, and gave Lipa the second No. 1 single of her career. The lively dance-pop song was penned by Toronto R&B singer Jessie Reyez, so we have her to thank for the infinitely earwormy chorus: "One kiss is all it takes/ Falling in love with me/ Possibilities, I look like all you need." The song went No. 1 on charts across the world, in more than 20 countries including the. U.K., the U.S., Lebanon, Mexico, Croatia, Germany, Ecuador, Australia and many more. Reyez told the Fader that it felt "surreal" to have written such a colossal summer hit. Harris had been in touch with Reyez since the release of her debut single Figures in 2016, and invited her to Los Angeles for a songwriting session that turned into a weeklong extravaganza, where One Kiss and other songs were written. Reyez has worked with the Scottish producer a handful of times, writing Promises featuring Sam Smith, Potion featuring Lipa and Young Thug, Faking It featuring Kehlani and Lil Yachty and Hard to Love. 8. Made Up Mind, Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Raitt's Grammy-winning song Made Up Mind is actually a cover of a 2013 track by Winnipeg duo the Bros. Landreth. The brothers first met Raitt in 2014, at the Winnipeg Folk Festival. They were already buzzing at the prospect of being on the same lineup as the blues and country great and then she invited them to her green room after their set where they spoke for hours. Raitt liked what she heard from them so much that she asked if they could send over any songs they thought may be a good fit for her. Fast forward to 2021 and the Bros. Landreth found out she wanted to cover Made Up Mind for her 2022 album Just Like That. During Raitt's 2023 Grammys acceptance speech for best Americana performance she shouted them out: "I wanna thank the Bros. Landreth for writing this kick-ass song." In an interview with CBC Manitoba's Information Radio, Dave Landreth told host Pat Kaniuga that: "It's just the best, best news ever, we're so happy. The entire journey of this song has been utterly mind boggling and so surreal and so wonderful." 9. End of the World, Miley Cyrus The lead single from Miley Cyrus's new album Something Beautiful is a disco-pop burner about the end of times. It's a far cry from the heady shoegaze we're accustomed to hearing from the Toronto by way of P.E.I. band Alvvays, which is why it was an unexpected surprise to see its lead singer (Molly Rankin) and guitarist (Alec O'Hanley) on the songwriting and production credits for End of the World. The song was co-produced by Albertan superproducer Shawn Everett, who also produced Alvvays's 2022 album, Blue Rev. 10. Mad Love, Sean Paul and David Guetta feat. Becky G Fusion records were all the rage during the tail end of the 2010s — think Luis Fonsi's Despacito remix featuring Justin Bieber or the reggae version of Ed Sheeran's I Don't Care featuring Chronixx, Koffee and again, Bieber. 2018'S Mad Love was one of many pop radio offerings that had a taste of island flair, and Sean Paul's signature partystarter energy mixed with David Guetta's penchant for big dance breaks and Becky G's irresistibly hooky "Love me, love me like that" were a recipe for success. The now-platinum single was produced by a large team, including Montreal duo Banx and Ranx. Their first time working with the Jamaican superstar was on his 2016 single Crick Neck, and they have since produced nine different songs for him. Ghenea (who mixed Please, Please, Please) was also responsible for mixing this juggernaut hit.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dolly Parton adds honorary Oscar to her trophy shelf: A look back at her legendary awards history
Dolly Parton, whose iconic career has spanned over six decades, will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 2025 Governors Awards this November. While this marks her first Oscar, the music icon has earned hundreds of accolades. Since debuting on the Grand Ole Opry stage at just 13, Parton has become a trailblazer, writing herself into the canon of American songwriting with hits like 'Jolene' and 'I Will Always Love You.' Over the years, she has extended her influence into Grammy, Emmy, Oscar, and even Tony territory. More from GoldDerby 'It was wonderful to be on that ride': Christian Slater talks his beloved roles, from cult classics ('Heathers,' 'True Romance') to TV hits ('Mr. Robot,' 'Dexter: Original Sin') 'Elio' reviews knock Pixar for 'repeating itself' with 'forgettable' space adventure 'F1: The Movie' reviews: Brad Pitt burns rubber with 'macho panache' in a high-octane thrill ride Parton's relationship with the Grammys is nothing short of historic. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards from 54 nominations, placing her among the most nominated female artists in the show's history. She won her first Grammy in 1978 for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for her Here You Come Again album. In 2011, she received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and two of her most beloved songs — 'Jolene' and 'I Will Always Love You' — have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Her 1971 classic "Coat of Many Colors" was selected for the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry. SEEDolly Parton: 15 best songs ranked In 2017, she returned to the Grammy spotlight with a win for Best Country Duo/Group Performance, joining forces with Pentatonix on an a cappella rendition of 'Jolene.' Though she has never won a competitive Oscar, Parton has been nominated for Best Original Song twice: for '9 to 5' (1981), the feminist anthem from the workplace comedy in which she also starred, and 'Travelin' Thru' (2006), written for the LGBTQ-themed drama Transamerica. On the television front, Parton has also made a significant mark. Her first Emmy nomination came in 1978 for The Cher... Special. Decades later, in 2021, she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie as executive producer of the Netflix holiday special Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square. She's also been recognized for other TV projects she produced and starred in, including Dolly Parton's Heartstrings: These Old Bones (2020), Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love (2017), and Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas (2023). On stage, she received a Tony nomination for Best Original Score for the musical 9 to 5, which premiered on Broadway in 2009. In the world of country music, few artists rival Parton's impact. She has won 13 Academy of Country Music Awards (from 44 nominations) and 10 Country Music Association Awards (from 45 nominations), including Entertainer of the Year in 1978 — making her the first woman to win the honor solo. Her accolades also include 13 CMT Music Awards, 48 BMI Awards, three American Music Awards, a GLAAD Media Award, and one Billboard Music Award, despite her many appearances across Billboard charts. Most recently, in 2024, Billboard named her the No. 1 Greatest Country Artist of All Time. She is a member of the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Her reach extends beyond Nashville. In 2022, Parton was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She has also received the National Medal of the Arts from the U.S. Congress and was a 2006 Kennedy Center Honoree. But not everything Dolly has done is golden: She received a Razzie Award for Worst Original Song for the track "Drinkin'stein" from Rhinestone. But we think she's recovered. "Now, when I was a little girl, I would sit around the radio, listening to the Grand Ole Opry and hearing all those great big stars like Hank Williams and Kitty Wells and Johnny Cash and I dreamed of what my life could actually become as well," she said when learning about her Billboard honor. "I take none of this for granted." Best of GoldDerby 'It was wonderful to be on that ride': Christian Slater talks his beloved roles, from cult classics ('Heathers,' 'True Romance') to TV hits ('Mr. Robot,' 'Dexter: Original Sin') 'It almost killed me': Horror maestro Mike Flanagan looks back at career-making hits from 'Gerald's Game' to 'Hill House' to 'Life of Chuck' Stephen King movies: 14 greatest films ranked worst to best Click here to read the full article.
CBC
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Pup's Stefan Babcock is one of Canada's best songwriters — just don't tell him that
Stefan Babcock of the Canadian punk rock band Pup is his own harshest critic. With the release of the band's fifth and latest studio album, Who Will Look After The Dogs?, Babcock has proven himself to be one of this country's most sophisticated songwriters — and yet he can't take the compliment. "I think I would like to talk about what I'm bad at," Babcock tells Q 's Tom Power in a recent interview before immediately shifting the host's praise back onto his bandmates. "I play with three guys who are way better at music than I am, who are all insanely creative in their own ways, and who can just bring something exciting to songs that are sometimes lacking a spark." WATCH | Official video for Olive Garden: When Babcock initially wrote Pup's new song Olive Garden, he says it was just a "mediocre" acoustic demo until drummer Zack Mykula came up with an idea to make it heavier. "It completely transformed the whole meaning of the song," he says. "Those guys should be given all the credit in the world. Thank God. Thank God for them." On Who Will Look After The Dogs?, Babcock has tapped into his capacity for self-reflection and self-deprecating humour. While writing the album, he says he was going through a difficult time in his personal life as he contended with the end of a long-term relationship. "There's so much humour in the darkness for me," he tells Power. "I think a lot of the songs I write, what I'm doing is looking back on my worst moments from a much better place and trying to find them funny and make fun of myself." So what does Babcock like about his songwriting? "Not much," he says. "I think I'm pretty good at being honest with myself…. One thing I fought for on these songs and this record was let's not overthink these songs. When it feels good, that's when we stop. And that is a really hard thing for any of us to do because we're all over-thinkers. But I'm proud of myself for that — for being able to recognize when a song feels good and is finished." WATCH | Official video for Hallways: Interview with Pup produced by Mitch Pollock.
CBS News
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
North Texas mother writes song for military moms this Mother's Day
Moms will celebrate Mother's Day this Sunday, and for women whose children are serving in the military, the day can be especially tough without them. A North Texas mom wrote a song for other military mothers. It's debuting early on CBS News Texas. CBS News Texas The lights shine down brightly on singer Stacy Wynette during another day of rehearsal at a Dallas music recording studio. "I started singing in church when I was 12 or 13 years old," Wynette said. Wynette always had a love and passion for music. "I got married, had kids, sang in church for another 15 years or so, and then I just didn't pick it up again until my kids have chosen their own path," Wynette said. Her youngest son, Jon, found his path when he joined the U.S. Army. "As a mom, you're like, 'Will they feed him well, or will they take care of him? Or how's he going to make it?" Wynette said. The worry continued to grow when Jon served in combat, including in Eastern Europe in the response to the war in Ukraine. "They're your babies, and you just see them as the little toddlers that they were when they were little, even though they're grown," Wynette said. Wynette regularly drove six hours to Jon's base in Arkansas. Her emotions flowed into lyrics in her mind during those trips. "Military Mama is a song that was written as a hug from me to other military moms," Wynette said. Writer and producer Christian Chavarria helped Wynette bring her lyrics to paper. "I felt it was important to me to be a part of this because, I come from a single parent," Chavarria said. Wynette has already performed "Military Mama" several placed, including at the Downtown Dallas Arts and Music Festival. "She's performed it at an open my called 'The Love Mic,' which is a really cool thing," Chavarria said. "The Love Mic is a mental health advocacy event that happens every Monday at Sundown at Granada." Wynette hopes other military mothers can hear themselves in her song and see the reflection of support in a woman who understands what they're going through. "There's just such a huge common camaraderie between the military moms, which is where all the feeling of this came from," Wynette said. "It's very raw emotions. We feel each other's hearts, and our children are our heartbeat." "This is going to be very impactful, very heartfelt, and might bring healing," Chavarria said. Wynette helps other military moms heal and hones her own craft later in life. "I started writing songs and started playing the guitar at age 53," Wynette said. "I think that it's never too late to find and go after your passion," Chavarria said. The military mom hopes to show others in her shoes to pursue their passions while they hold their sons and daughters even closer. The song officially releases on Mother's Day on Mother's Day, May 11th, an 11:11 on all streaming platforms. You can hear it now by clicking Wynette's website here.
