It shouldn't be a surprise - many K-Pop songs aren't made in only Korea anymore! A lot of other producers, such as BTS' popular American producer/lyric composer Melanie Fontana, have joined the K-Pop scene and turned it into something even more fresh, alive, creative and fun! Of course, TWICE gained popularity for many reasons but their hit songs sure did make loving them even easier!
Check out our latest interview with music producer David Amber, the genius behind hit songs such as TWICE's "YES or YES" and "Heart Shaker"!
David Amber has created numerous hit K-Pop songs, as well as J-Pop songs, for artists such as AOA, GFriend, EXO-CBX, B.A.P., fromis_9, Hyoyeon (Girls Generation), Up10tion,NCT, and Oh My Girl! Although we can't reveal what amazing groups and songs he is working on next, let's just say David has a few amazing tricks left up his sleeve.
>1. What was the first K-Pop group you listened to and felt, "I want to be a part of this?"
"SNSD's “I Got a Boy” was pretty mind-blowing to me. That song really made me think, “Wow, they really let the writers do whatever they want!” I mean, it's so crazy. It's like the “Bohemian Rhapsody” of KPOP. So it was probably around that time that I started trying to get involved. It took probably almost two years before SM picked up one of my songs, which was Hyoyeon's “Mystery”. So it was pretty cool that the first artist I worked with was a member of the same group that got me into writing for KPOP."
2. When producing, how much of the process do you have control over or even contribute to the song? Do you only construct melodies or chorus-based lyrics?
"Everything's a collaboration, but I like to be involved in as much of the song as I can. In almost all cases, I'm the guy handling the tracks, which includes all the instruments and how the sections are mapped out. Once I create the track, I'll work with a topliner to write the melody and lyrics (in English). We'll record the full song and off it goes to the label! Once they decide to cut it, a Korean lyricist will come in and either adapt our lyrics, or they'll do something completely new.
3. Although an artist must love all of his creations, which song did you feel was your favorite and most personalized?
"Ahh, that's a tough one because they're all my babies! But if I had to choose, I'd say "Heart Shaker." It's got everything I want to hear in a pop song. Electric guitar, upbeat vibes, explosive chorus, and overall it just makes me feel good. I want to feel happy when I listen to music, and that's what I want when people listen to my songs."
4. Was there a K-Pop song you worked on and thought it would be the most popular song but shockingly wasn't?
"I wouldn't say I'm shocked that it wasn't more popular, but I think "Love Bomb" kind of flew under the radar. To me, it has all the elements of a hit and at the same time, it's bursting with unique personality. It definitely got recognized and I think it helped raise fromis_9's profile a bit, but it would have been nice for that song to go higher up the charts!"
5. How do you feel about the overwhelming success of TWICE's "Yes or Yes" ?
"It feels awesome! I mean, this is pretty much what any songwriter works for, to have their songs heard and loved by millions of people. Personally, it is a motivating factor for me to want to continue and push even harder. Because there's nothing better than when a song drops, and everyone's hearing this song for the first time that I've listened to it probably a million times and to get that real-time reaction is just everything. To see how it comes together with the group, the visuals, the choreography, and all the promo and live performances is very special. I feel very blessed that I've had this experience with “Yes or Yes” and hopefully I can have more like it in the future."
6. Is there anything you'd like to say to fans of K-Pop music?
"I think Kpop fans are seriously the best and most passionate music fans in the world, and I've been around a lot of different kinds of music fans. So I want to say a big “Thank You!” for supporting your favorite artists and their songs because without you there is nothing.
Interested in learning more about David Amber, facts about the creation of TWICE's music, and some of the other great K-Pop hit songs and artists David worked with? Check out the full interview here!
