The LA-based songwriter, rapper, and producer discusses the importance of injecting vulnerability into your music, how to assemble the right people in the room, and more.
Hit-making songwriter and producer Tommy Brown, known by the moniker TBHits, has worked with countless musicians, including Justin Bieber, Nas, Meghan Trainor, Blackpink, and Selena Gomez. He’s a frequent collaborator of Ariana Grande’s, starting with her first album, 2013’s Yours Truly, and continuing through all six of her studio albums.
Brown has proven he knows how to make magic in and out of the recording studio, and it all starts with creating a bond – one that ultimately impacts the music. Because so much time is spent in the studio, Brown organizes outside events to keep his team motivated and inspired. “Relationships are built outside of the studio,” says Brown. “You want to celebrate the successes and build a bond outside. [That outside bond] makes it even better for us on the inside. We have stories to talk about.”
That bond led to the blockbuster hit “7 Rings” off of Ariana Grande’s fifth studio album, thank u, next, which was written by Grande, Victoria Monét, Tayla Parx, Njomza Vitia, and Kaydence, with producers Brown, Charles Anderson and Michael Foster. “‘7 Rings’ was actually a song about what the girls did one day. And I remember they were like, ‘Let’s have breakfast at Tiffany’s,’” he recalls, quoting what ultimately became the first line of the song. ”The bond they built that day was able to carry into the studio to write that massive song.”
Read on for more of Brown’s advice from the new episode of our Co.Lab Sessions podcast.
Learn How to Be Vulnerable
“When you’re going through something or you’re having a happy moment, or whatever emotion you’re dealing with that day, don’t be afraid to be too vulnerable to put it in the music you create,” says Brown. “Truthful music is very important because we all live in our truths.”
Brown makes it his responsibility to create an environment where his artists can be vulnerable during their studio sessions. His advice to other producers and songwriters: “Make sure you have a comfortable place where somebody is able to feel safe to say what they feel. Make it cozy for the artist, the writers, and the producers. That’s very important.”
Tap Into Your Resources
Brown attributes much of his success to an ability to “put the right people” into his recording studio. “When artists are looking for the right producer – to be their equal, to be the yin to their yang – you have to be able to get along,” he explains. “Be aware of the vibe. One person doing mediocre activities in a room can throw the entire thing off.”
To ensure each session operates at the highest level of excellence, Brown taps into his resources and encourages producers to do the same. “Somebody told me one time, ‘You would be such a better producer if you knew how to play the guitar.’ And I’m like, ‘Why? I know the best guitar player in town. I bring the best guitar player in and make it work.’ You don’t have to be the best piano player [or] the best string player – bring in the people who are professionals and know what to do. Use your resources to build the greatest song of all time.”
Studio Trips Should Not Be Ego Trips
Brown is proud that he’s been by Grande’s side since her first album and has worked on a number of songs for all six of her studio albums. “A lot of the artists I’ve had success with are newer relationships, but a lot of them are very old relationships. When I was working with Ariana, I thought it was so great that we got to develop a friendship and a sound that grew with each other,” says Brown. “It wasn’t either of us coming in like, ‘I’m the superstar,’ or 'I'm the super-producer.’ It was great to grow with somebody.”
Though he admits it’s tempting to seek the “biggest producers in the world,” Brown challenges artists to not overlook raw talent. “People undervalue the new guy or the new girl,” he says. “It’s OK to go in with a new producer and build something. When you develop with somebody, it [creates] a bond. There’s nothing like getting that first number one together. Don’t be afraid to develop with somebody and not have the ego like, ‘Oh no, they aren’t big enough.’”
Spotify for Artists is committed to celebrating and uplifting Black culture, creativity, and community year-round, with special emphasis on the month of February in honor of Black History Month. We partnered with four Frequency ambassadors – Tommy Brown, Monique Blake, Archie Davis, and Eve Fairley-Chickwe – to inspire, connect, and elevate the next generation of Black voices and creators with four new Co.Lab Sessions podcast episodes.
Click here to see more of what’s happening on Spotify throughout Black History Month, and check out all of the Co.Lab Sessions podcast episodes here. Plus listen to the full episode below to hear more from Tommy Brown.