"Always up, never down, spin that money," or something like that. That's the motto of the many songwriters in Netflix's latest docuseries, Hitmakers. As the title suggests, the series follows some of the brightest young minds in the pop industry today, who write for stars like Beyoncé, BTS, John Legend, and more. The group participates in an intense music boot camp that takes them to four different cities and, essentially, gives them a vacation while they write for some of the biggest stars of the moment. On the surface, this series seems exciting, but overall it's a bit boring because, even though it's about people producing together, we don't necessarily see the process behind it, as the episodes are quite short (though I appreciate the fast-paced approach). But the real problem is that, because everything is so basic, the pace is accelerated with a drama that feels very fake.
Now, these people are some of the most important songwriters in pop, because they've created so many hits, so you'd imagine they have a special personality. This kind of contradicts the idea that we should feel sorry for them, since they're the ones no one talks about when a song becomes a hit. It's always the stardom that takes precedence over the work. But watching this show has made me realize how much money there is to be made as a songwriter. It still shocks me because I had no idea. On the other hand, it confuses me that some of these people aren't stars.
Stars: Sevyn Streeter, Tommy Brown, Ferras Alqaisi
Obviously, some chose to produce and write songs instead of being pop stars, but when I see someone like Sevyn, I think, why isn't she an artist right now? But that's just me thinking she has the "it" factor, you know? Honestly, I picture Hitmakers as a regular show on VH1 or MTV because it's supposed to be about music. If it were on one of those platforms, I would have even considered it because maybe we'd see live how huge stars record these songs; however, what's wrong with Hitmakers is that we don't get to see the final result of this workshop yet. Personally, I think if we could see the final result, we'd feel more connected to the show as a whole. To be honest, while I enjoyed some songs when they were played at the listening parties, by the time they came on in the next episode, I'd already forgotten them. So, even if I listen to one of these songs a year from now, I won't remember it was from here, and this is, unfortunately, the future of pop music.
But this isn't the songwriters' fault. This is how we've progressed in music lately. It's categorical, prefabricated, catchy material that can go viral on TikTok today and be forgotten, only to be replaced by more of the same, and the cycle repeats. Yet this is what we expect from them, right? Hit after hit, until we've milked the cow. It's still pretty sad to see how the industry is going—I say that as an avid pop music listener (that's my espresso). And this is a bit off-topic, but some of these writers talk specifically about the songs they've written for some of the biggest K-pop idols in the world (yes, I'm talking about BTS) and how they've been massive hits, etc., but what they don't realize is that the popularity of those songs simply stems from the popularity of the artists. Honestly, most ARMY (true fans will know) will say they like BTS's Korean music much more, and that the English material is popular simply because they snubbed us. However, this isn't meant to hate on anyone; it's just my opinion. What I'm saying is, it's great that they've succeeded, but let's not keep bringing it up, you know?
Technically, everyone loves drama and fights between two people on reality shows, but when it feels half-hearted, I don't know if anyone will believe it. Interestingly, a lot of the drama is due to the only couple in the camp (oops!). Meanwhile, the rest of the show is just people getting along, having fun, getting excited, and then talking behind each other's backs about how bad things are going. Do you think I'm going to believe you when I know they'll probably end up working together again? No, I really don't.
But this mix of reality and documentary, which attempts to blend drama with a lucrative business, is quite disappointing because it doesn't really convince either side. So, if it were a VH1 or MTV show, it might have been fine to enjoy just in the background, but if you're going to spend your time specifically looking for entertainment, I have a feeling you're not going to like this show. Besides, if you're really interested in production, the only thing you'll learn from this show is how not to dislike some of these people and some of the big names in the industry; no.
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