Shellback (record producer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shellback
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Shellback in 2015
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| Birth name | Karl Johan Schuster |
| Born | 1 February 1985 Karlshamn, Blekinge, Sweden |
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| Years active | 2003–present |
Karl Johan Schuster (born February 1, 1985), known as Shellback, is a talented Swedish record producer and songwriter. He was named the top producer of 2012 by Billboard magazine. He also topped their list of "Top 10 Songwriters Airplay Chart" in the same year. Shellback has won four Grammy Awards for his amazing work.
Shellback started his music journey playing heavy metal guitar. Later, he switched to creating and writing pop music.
Shellback often works with another famous songwriter, Max Martin. Together, they have helped create songs for many popular artists. These include P!nk, Taylor Swift, Adam Lambert, Britney Spears, Usher, Avril Lavigne, Ariana Grande, Adele, and Maroon 5. Shellback has also worked with producer Benny Blanco. He has produced songs on his own too, like "Want U Back" by Cher Lloyd and "Animals" by Maroon 5. He also helped write and produce the song "Can't Stop the Feeling!" with Max Martin and Justin Timberlake. This song was for the animated movie Trolls (2016). It was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2017!
Life and Music Journey
Karl Johan Schuster grew up in Karlshamn, Sweden. He began his music career as a drummer in local indie rock bands. He also played all the instruments on a black metal demo called ...Turn Him Your Other Cheek in 2003. In 2004, he joined a hardcore-metal band called Blinded Colony as a singer. He recorded two projects with them before leaving in 2007. In 2005, he also played as a guest musician on the Faith album Sorg.
When he was 16, Schuster met Max Martin through a friend. At that time, Schuster was mostly interested in indie rock and death metal. He wasn't really into pop music. But his friend kept sending Schuster's demos to Martin. Martin became curious about what kind of pop music Schuster might create. So, in 2006, Martin invited Schuster to his studio in Stockholm to record a demo. Since 2007, Schuster has been signed to Martin's music company, Maratone.
Some of the first songs Schuster co-wrote with Martin were "So What" by Pink (2008) and "If U Seek Amy" by Britney Spears (2008). In 2012, Schuster won the STIM Platinum guitar prize, which is a special award for songwriters.
In 2014, Schuster produced the song "Problem" with Martin and Ilya.
In 2015, Shellback worked with the Swedish hardcore punk band Refused. He was a big fan of their music and friends with their drummer, David Sandstrom. Sandstrom sent him some songs that Refused had recorded. Shellback then made his own versions of these songs. The band's lead singer, Dennis Lyxzen, said that Shellback's versions sounded "far more Refused" and were "better" than their original recordings. These two songs, "Elektra" and "366," appeared on Refused's album Freedom, which came out in 2015.
Music Projects
Shellback has been part of several music projects throughout his career.
- With Meriah
- ...Turn Him Your Other Cheek (Demo) (2003)
- With Blinded Colony
- Promo Demo (2005)
- Bedtime Prayers (2006)
- As a guest musician
- Faith - Sorg (2005)
- Refused - War Music (2019)
Awards and Achievements
Shellback has received many awards for his contributions to music.
- Album of the Year - 1989 (This was Taylor Swift's album)
- Best Pop Vocal Album - 1989
- Album of the Year - 25 (This was Adele's album)
- Best Song Written for Visual Media - "Can't Stop the Feeling!" (from the movie Trolls)
See also
In Spanish: Shellback para niños
