MXM and Wolf Cousins

MXM and Wolf Cousinsare a pair of Swedish songwriting and production organisations, founded and established by songwriter and record producerMax Martin.MXM Studiosand its affiliated producers are based in New York City,andWolf Cousins Musicare in Los Angeles.Both MXM and Wolf Cousins are headquartered inStockholm,Sweden, where their works originate, as they both derive from the works ofMaratone StudiosandCheiron Studios.

MXM and Wolf Cousins

Company type	Recording studio
Industry	Music
Founded	1992
Headquarters	Stockholm,Sweden/New York City,US(MXM Music) Los Angeles,US(Wolf Cousins Music)

Both of these studios together have formed a music collective around many of Max Martin's affiliates. The MXM team consists of Martin himself,Rami Yacoub,Savan Kotecha,Carolina Liarmembers Johan Carlsson, Peter Carlsson and Rickard Goransson,CardigansguitaristPeter Svenssonand Elvira Anderfjard.This also did includeDr. Lukeup until 2014.Wolf Cousins consists ofShellback,Oscar Holter,Jakob Jerlstrom and Ludvig Soderberg who produce together under the moniker The Struts (no relation to theBritish band),Mattman & Robinmembers Mattias Larsson and Robin Fredriksson,Ilya Salmanzadeh,Ali PayamiandOscar "OzGo" Gorres.

History

Denniz PoP and Cheiron beginnings

The origins ofCheiron Studiosbegan in Sweden with record producer and disc jockeyDenniz Pop.In 1986, Pop was part of an ensemble of Swedish producers who released remixes of songs for underground distribution on a self-established label Remixed Records.Eventually, their work got recognized in other European countries. Tom Talomaa, who was a nightclub owner and a host for some of their live events, supported the group and helped them advance to more complex equipment for music production. Soon enough, local recording artists came to the group wanting to be signed or have their tracks remixed or produced. This led to a decision to divide the group into two sectors, or labels, each having a different purpose: Basement Division, which took care of the underground side of their music, and SweMix Records, set up for commercial releases and signing new artists.

By 1990, SweMix Records had begun to sign several artists, includingKayo,Leila K,The Cool Runnings,DayeeneandDr. Alban,the latter of which granted Denniz Pop his first chart entry as a producer with "Hello Afrika",peaking at number 7 in theSwedish Singles Chart.The song was later made part of Dr. Alban's debut albumHello Afrika,which was entirely produced by Pop. In 1991, Remixed Records was sold and made into an official label, signing artists likeSolid BaseandSonic Dream Collective.Furthermore, SweMix was split in two: SweMix Productions and SweMix Record & Publishing. SweMix Productions most notably went on to sign on Swedish DJStoneBridgeand received international acclaim when he released his remix of "Show Me Love"byRobin S.and put Sweden on the international map for club music. SweMix Records & Publishing eventually got sold toBertelsmann Music Groupand became SweMix's parent label. As a result, Denniz Pop and Tom Talomaa took over as chairman and creative directors and renamed it Cheiron and began working in the studio.

In 1992, when Cheiron was established, Denniz Pop had parted ways with the SweMix collective, due to creative differences, and wanted to concentrate solely on the operations behind Cheiron. During that time, Pop received a demo from Danish companyMega Recordsof a song recorded by then-unknown bandAce of Base.He was not initially impressed by the demo, but was stuck with it for a while when he decided to listen to it over and over until he said "I gotta do something with this" and the solution was to make areggaetune out of it.The song was eventually recorded at the SweMix Studio and was given the title "All That She Wants".The track was an unexpected hit and catapulted both Ace of Base and Denniz PoP into stardom. Later on that same year, record producer Douglas Carr was employed at Cheiron Studios to help carry Denniz's initial sound and mix it with other genres, as well as just dance music.The music that they created together would eventually be used to form the basis ofLeila K's second albumCarouselin 1993, which was also when Cheiron was introduced to British songwriterHerbie Crichlow.

By 1993, Denniz's original idea of publishing and promoting records went downhill and decided to concentrate on what he was good at, which was writing and producing music. At the time, he was looking at producing music that had a more dance-heavy approach when Tom Talomaa recognized the work ofglam metalbandIt's Alive,who's frontman and founder was renowned record producer and songwriterMax Martin(known by his former stage name Martin White).The band was eventually signed to Denniz's Cheiron label and was the creative director behind the band's second albumEarthquake Visions.The album, along with its promotional efforts, added up to disappointing numbers and failed to meet success, however Denniz encouraged Max to write more songs and took him on as his mentor, giving him the name Max Martin to replace his stage name.From joining the team, Max stated that it took him around two years to get used to his surroundings and to learn from Denniz.

Mid-'90s success

Cheiron Studiosand its members became heavily involved in 1994 and the requests forDenniz PoP's expertise and services had experienced an increase from people worldwide as more new artists wanted to work with him. To handle the offers, he wanted to hire more people to work with him and the interested parties at the studio. AlongsideMax Martin,who, at the time, was experimenting in music production with him, Denniz hiredKristian Lundinand John Amatiello, who together produced music under the moniker Amadin,as songwriters andproducers,given that they were signed toDr. Alban's label Dr. Records and have had songs released through Cheiron beforehand. Two people that eventually became close affiliates with working at the studio wereDavid KreugerandPer Magnusson,who gave a hand at working closely with upcoming artists.As well as hiring new people, Cheiron also began working withZomba Label Group,owned byBMG,to expand their clientele and reach out to international artists.

Within the year, Denniz and Max produced their first song together, entitled "Pumping (To The Rhythm)" and was released through Cheiron under the moniker Draxx,which combined both of their stage names to make one name. This is considered to be one of Max's first credited appearances in music. Both Lundin and Amatiello joined Denniz to produce Dr. Alban's third albumLook Who's Talking!,which attained agold certificationin Sweden.Denniz also set up a meeting with Swedish musicianE-Type,where he and the entire Cheiron team agreed to produce his debut albumMade in Sweden,including the hit singles "Set the World on Fire"and"This Is the Way",the latter of which became Max's first chart entry to peak at number 1, as well as generally being his first entry.

In 1995,Herbie Crichlowwho had already been writing with the team a couple years prior, began writing material with Denniz and Max for his debut albumFingers,which included the songs "Right Type of Mood", "Big Funky Dealer" and "I Believe". The basis of the album formed a working partnership between Herbie and the Cheiron team in the years to come. They also produced the song "Wish You Were Here"byRednex,which reached number 1 in several countries around Europe and, therefore, became Max's first certified hit as a producer.This eventually led to Max leaving his bandIt's Aliveto pursue a full-time producing career under Cheiron.Around the beginning of the year, Zomba welcomed then-unknown boy bandBackstreet Boysand flew them to Sweden to record material at the studio.Three songs were recorded, one of these being their debut single "We've Got It Goin' On",produced by Denniz and Max. The song became a huge success and dominated European charts, peaking in the top 5 in several countries, and was only a minor success in the United States, peaking at a contrasting number 69.This led to most of the band's promotion being held in Europe.

Alongside the artists mentioned, Denniz was reunited withAce of Basewhen he had the chance to record and produce material with Max for their third albumThe Bridgeand also with singer-songwriterRobynon her song "Do You Know (What It Takes)".One of Denniz's dreams was to work withMichael Jackson,a dream at which he fulfilled with3T's song "I Need You"with Jackson providing featured vocals.In 1996, Cheiron helped record album material forPapa Deeand E-Typeand a few songs fromLeila K's third albumManic Panic,including the hit single "Electric".Most successfully, Max and Lundin produced"Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)"by Backstreet Boys, which kickstarted the boy band's success in their home country of United States, despite the poorly received debut. Additionally, Denniz and Max producedNSYNC's debut single "I Want You Back",which became an instant sensation.In 1997, then songwriterAndreas Carlssonwas hired to the teamand began working with them onDenise Lopez's second albumI Do.Cheiron also worked on other projects forSolid HarmoniEandRobyn,as well as Denniz and Max producing Backstreet Boys' song "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)",which was and currently stands as one of the band's most successful singles to date.

Max, Rami, and Maratone Studios

In November 1997,Denniz PoPrevealed that he had been diagnosed withstomach cancerand began to fall ill.At the time, he was working withMax MartinandKristian Lundinon material forFive,as well as his then-girlfriendJessica Folcker's self-titled debut album, who previously appeared as a backing vocalist in previously released Cheiron songs forAce of Base,Dr. AlbanandLeila K.In the turn of the year, Max began to take creative control for most of the records being produced in Denniz's absence, however, whilst in hospital, Max would frequently visit him to get feedback on the songs he was working on.When released, Jessica's album became an instant Swedish hit with the singles "Tell Me That You Like" and "How Will I Know (Who You Are)"and gained Folcker a nomination for Best Newcomer and Best Female Artist at theGrammis.Furthermore, Denniz and Max received a "Special Grammis Award" and "Special Honor Award" for restoring the world popoularity of Swedish pop music and making Sweden the third largest music exporting country in the world. Denniz however, could not attend the ceremony due to his illness.Denniz PoP died of cancer in August 1998, aged 35,and wasn't until after his death that people started to recognize his achievements over the years.

In an interview, Lundin opened up about how hard life became in and out of the studio since Denniz's passing, "...it's been difficult for all of us to get any work done here. It's taking us a lot longer than usual."In the wake of his death, Max took over as director ofCheiron Studios,alongside Tom Talomaa.

During the time that Denniz was absent from Cheiron, Max began getting closely affiliated with record producerRami Yacoub,who was already known for his work withLutricia McNeal,and was hired just before Denniz's death. Rami cited him as his music industry "godfather" and mentor throughout his career and stated that it was an honor to finally get to work with Max and the people we was surrounded by the most at Cheiron.Rami began working directly on numerous projects, beginning withSolid HarmoniE's single edit of "To Love Once Again"and also producing "...Baby One More Time"with Max, which kickstarted and skyrocketed the career ofBritney Spears.Some of the sessions with Britney in particular were done in collaboration with Denniz, recording a number of six songs for her debut album...Baby One More Time,but none of them made the final cut.The song became the most successful song in Max's career and in Cheiron history and peaked at number 1 in every country it charted in, which made it one of thebest-selling singles of all time,as well as the greatest debut single of all time.

In 1999, they contributed to four other tracks from Britney's album, including the equally successful singles "(You Drive Me) Crazy"and"Born to Make You Happy",and worked on album material forGary BarlowandWestlife.Max, Lundin andAndreas Carlssonalso took part inBackstreet Boys' hit single "I Want It That Way",which became known as one of the boy band's mostsignature songsand was even quoted "genre-transcending", compared to their previously released hits,andCeline Dion's hit "That's the Way It Is",which sonically took to a different direction than most of her other hit songs over the century to where some critics labelled it as being" more uptempo ".In the turn of the century, Max and Rami recorded and produced more material for what would be Britney's second albumOops!... I Did It Again,spawning hits like "Stronger","Lucky"and, of course,its title track,which was made the lead single. Cheiron's final projects covered artists like Jessica Folcker, Westlife and Backstreet Boys until Max and Tom Talomaa decided that the studio should close its doors. In August 2000, they announced on the studio's website, "Cheiron was created with the intention of having fun, making a few hits and not getting too serious about it. We feel the 'hype' of Cheiron has become bigger than [the studio] itself and it's time to quit while we're ahead."

In the studio's last few months of life before its closure, the decision was made form a brand new production company calledMaratone Studios,where Max, Talomaa and Rami were to reside. Lundin left the company prior to its departure and formed his own studioThe Location,with his new production partner Jake Schulze and where Andreas Carlsson would work on further music.Kreuger and Magnusson started a third studio,A Side Productions,and continued their collaborations withJörgen Elofsson.The Maratone team eventually leased the Cheiron building toRoxy Recordings,which houses Anders Hansson, who replaced Max as lead vocalist of his former bandIt's Alive,and moved in toCosmos Studiosin January 2001, which was on the outskirts ofStockholm,Sweden. The site's former residence, being production team Kai Erixon andKent (Gillström) Isaacs,handed the studio to the team after they decided to split up after working together for ten years on numerous projects.

When Maratone Studios was established in February 2001, Max and Rami began to record material forBritney's self-titled third album,where they had the opportunity to write songs withDidoand Spears herself.Prior to these sessions, Max also had a daughter, to where most of his time was devoted to family.Not long after Britney's album released, Maratone experienced a slump in recording and producing demand, but still remained moderately active, working withNick Carter,Celine Dion andLambretta.Max explained how hard it was to try and create music that he was used to producing in a world where music was always evolving and, as a result, did struggle for the first couple years Maratone came into existence. He said, "The world moved on, which it should. That's what popular culture is about. But I didn't. I stayed in my Cheiron bubble. I had that epiphany where maybe I needed to start listening to new music and figure it out. So that's what I did."

Working with Dr. Luke

In the beginning of 2004,Max Martinstarted to get acquainted withrecording engineerMichael Ilbert, who is responsible for contributing to some of Max's future records, and introduced him to new artists that he hoped would help inspire him for more musical projects. Max eventually moved to New York City for a short while to help him find more inspiration and also learned the foundations of how to play a guitar.He then met record producerDr. Luke,who was deejaying at a house party at the time, and gave Max a tour of New York clubs.They both began to work on material together back inMaratone Studios,writing for the likes ofPinkandHilary Duff,when they were approached byKelly Clarksonand her team.She flew over to the studio inStockholm,Sweden to meet them both and recorded what would eventually be the song "Since U Been Gone".The song managed to peak at the top 5 in United States and was cited as a breakthrough for a song like it to be even in the top 40, especially considering its heavy rock influences.From that point on, Dr. Luke was hired by Max to join the Maratone team.

The following year, the Maratone team collaborated on projects withBackstreet BoysandMarion Raven.In the latter half of the year, they also launched the career ofThe Veronicaswith their hit debut single "4ever"and its follow-up"Everything I'm Not".In June 2005, Max had signed an exclusive worldwide deal withKobalt Music Groupthat would handle copyright administration for Max and the rest of the producers working under Maratone studios. This included any works from 2005 and onwards.

In 2006, the team worked on album material for Pink's fourth albumI'm Not Dead,which sonically followed in the footsteps of Clarkson's recent hits.Shortly after, Maratone welcomed Icelandic producerArnthor Birgisson,who was known for his work withBloodshyand working with artists, includingUltra NateandJanet Jackson.Upon joining, Arnthor became closely affiliated withRami Yacoub,with their first collaboration being the song "Mistake"byStephanie McIntosh.In the later months of the year,Kristian Lundin's studioThe Locationwas shut down and was due to be leased toRoxy Recordingsthe following year. One of their signees at the time,Savan Kotecha,was picked up and hired by Maratone and began working with Arnthor.

In 2007, Savan was writing material forShayne Wardand was recruited to write material for his second albumBreathless.He was assisted by Rami and Arnthor to produce and record the songs made and ended up writing almost every song on the album.The three also worked withWestlifeduring that time. Dr. Luke also began producing and writing without Max on records forAvril LavigneandSugababes.His sessions with Lavigne gave him his firstBillboardnumber 1 as a solo producer with the hit single "Girlfriend".Meanwhile, Max worked on songs withJames Blunt,Apocalypticaand old affiliateE-Typeto moderate success. In the turn of the year, Rami announced that he was breaking away from Maratone Studios and wanted to go on an indefinite hiatus from studio work to focus on himself. He said, "I know, it's a long pause. We were so close, but after ten years we became like an old couple. I was supposed to take one year off, but it became five."

Maratone's evolution and success in teen pop

Maratone Studioshad their most successful year on record in the late 2000s. In March 2008,Max Martinformed and signed a seven-piecealternative rockband calledCarolina Liar,which was fronted by Chad Wolf.He also executively produced their debut albumComing to Terms.A couple years previous and in the wake ofRami Yacoub's departure, Max also met then-16-year-oldShellbackthrough a mutual friend, who was working in the death metal scene and was not interested in mainstream pop music whatsoever. However, Max invited Shellback to record demos with him and was eventually made a member of the Maratone team in 2007.However, their first production contributions as a pair weren't made until 2008, when producing material for the likes ofPinkandBritney Spears.They also began working withSophia Somajoduring that time, who commented about the first time she encountered Shellback. "He was so young and brilliant and could play every instrument, and he talked non-stop. I was like, 'Is this some kind of savant wunderkind that Martin's found somewhere?'", she said.The biggest success of the year ended up being withKaty Perrywith her debut single "I Kissed a Girl".Worked on by Max andDr. Luke,the song became Maratone's biggest achievement and Max's biggest hit single since Britney's "...Baby One More Time",released ten years previous. The song in later years has also been praised as the beginning of LGBT awareness in music.

In 2009, Max worked with a variety of artists, includingAdam Lambert,Carrie Underwoodand even reunited withKelly Clarkson,after the success of "Since U Been Gone".This was just before claims had begun to surface about Clarkson having bad experiences with Dr. Luke and how she did not want to be associated with him on future projects.However despite the decision, "My Life Would Suck Without You"still charted and went straight to number 1 in theBillboardHot 100.The team also took part in producing material forLeona Lewis's second albumEcho,which ended up being the last sessions thatArnthor Birgissonhad done with Maratone Studios before he departed to focus on his own production company Aristotracks.He also met singer-songwriterIna Wroldsenwithin the year and both got together to form the duoAsk Embla.

During the year, Dr. Luke experienced his breakthrough year as a solo producer away from working with Maratone and, in terms of producing music, was specifically affiliated withBenny Blanco.He also worked very closely with singer-songwriterKeshasix years beforehand on album material and, once signed toRCA Records,began to expose her to mainstream attention with her featured appearances on songs withFlo Rida,PitbullandTaio Cruzand her debut hit single "Tik Tok".Luke also contributed to the song "Party in the U.S.A."byMiley Cyrus.Co-written byJessie J,the song became her highest charting song to enter the charts of the time, kickstarting Miley's professional music career.

In the turn of the decade, Kesha released her debut albumAnimal,which alongside Dr. Luke, also featured contributions from Max and Shellback.The album itself marked a significant milestone in the direction of Maratone's production style frompop rocktodance popandelectropopand, in some cases, a combination of the two.This was solidified when they worked withUsheron the song "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love",which became one of the team's first recordings that was influenced prodominantly around club music.Max and Dr. Luke had a hand in working with Katy Perry on her second albumTeenage Dream,after the success of her debutOne of the Boys,with Katy referring to the experience as "a wonderful collaborative effort",despite public concerns of Dr. Luke's work ethic with other artists. Max and Shellback also worked with Pink on the songs "Raise Your Glass"and"Fuckin' Perfect",which became instant hits. The pair follow a strong pop style, which was reminiscent in other releases contributed by the Maratone team.During the time that Shellback spent with Max, he also began to develop working partnerships with Benny Blanco andKristian Lundin.Shellback even worked with Blanco onMaroon 5's song "Moves like Jagger",alongsideChristina Aguilera,which was his first song he produced without Max and became an instant hit, topping the charts in over 18 countries.The song was alsocertified Diamondby theRecording Industry Association of Americain 2021.

In 2011, Max and Shellback worked with numerous artists, including Britney Spears,Cher LloydandAvril Lavigne.They also produced two original songs for the cast of renowned TV seriesGlee.Adam Anders,who executive produced the songs recorded for show, hired Max after being exposed to how popular Glee was, whilst working on Spears' seventh albumFemme Fatale.Anders said, "[Max Martin] owns radio right now. He's had, like, seven No. 1s in the last year, and so if we wanna go to radio with anybody tagging along, I think he's the guy you want. We've done like 30 of his songs on Glee."Maratone signees Carolina Liar also worked on their follow-up album with Shellback, prior to being dropped byAtlantic Records,which performed disappointingly after their debut. The instrumentalists of the group,Johan Carlsson, Peter Carlsson and Rickard Goranssonwere hired by Max after the album's release to write and produce music under Maratone. Meanwhile,Savan Kotechareunited with Rami Yacoub after the founding of Rami's Kinglet Studios, which he ran alongsideCarl Falk.The site of the studio used to be the site of A Side Studios, run byDavid KreugerandPer Magnusson,before it was shut down.They both began working on songs forOne Direction,including their hit debut single "What Makes You Beautiful",as well as half of the band's debut albumUp All Night.

Establishing MXM/Wolf Cousins

In the late months of 2011,Max Martingot acquainted with one ofShellback's old friends Julius Petersson, who is a consultant andA&R executiveforWarner Chappell Music.He expressed a mutual interest in expandingMaratone Studiosand its team of producers and wanted to help Max find more people to hire and work with long term.He offered him a publishing deal with the label, which lead to the decision to rebrand Maratone as MXM Music & Productions at the start of 2012.From that point, the team began to grow exponentially. In the early months of 2012,Peter Svenssonwas signed toKobalt Music Groupand, shortly after, was hired by Max after working together previously forCarolina Liar.They both wrote together forVicci Martinez's self-titled album and, later on, contributed toOne Direction's second albumTake Me HomewithSavan Kotecha.Shellback was also introduced to the work ofOscar Holterwhen recording the song "Let There Be Love"byChristina Aguilera,who was being mentored by Swedish record producer T.I. Jakke. This was also when he met recently signed production duo The Struts, composed of Jakob Jerlstrom and Ludvig Soderberg, when they started working with long-time MXM affiliateAlexander Kronlund.With all artists sharing a publishing deal withSony Bertelsmann Music Groupin common,Julius Petersson followed their work and slowly started working with Shellback during their spare time.

During the same year,Katy Perryreleased her two hit singles "Part of Me"andWide Awake",which were worked on with Max andDr. Lukeduring the 2010Teenage Dreamsessions,and later both contributed toKesha's second albumWarrior.Max also collaborated with DJ and producerZeddon the song "Beauty and a Beat"byJustin Bieber,which was originally going to be a part of Zedd's debut albumClarity.He stated that it did not fit the album's style, so he, Max and Savan Kotecha re-wrote the song and gave it to Justin.Not long after, Max and Shellback worked withTaylor Swifton the songs "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together","I Knew You Were Trouble"and"22",after her label persuaded Swift to have a few" pop-oriented "songs on her fourth albumRed.

In 2013,Carolina Liar's Rickard Goransson began working with numerous artists, such asZara LarssonandFifth Harmony.The MXM collective as a whole also worked on material for the bandEmblem3.In the later half of the year, The Struts began working with singer-songwriterTove Lo,after being recruited and signed to Warner Chappell by Julius Petersson.For her first project, they were both introduced to fellow Swedish production duoMattman & Robin,who were being mentored by producer Jason Gill, and began working frequently with Julius' team of newly hired producers. Shellback also got acquainted with two producersIlya SalmanzadehandOzGofrom production trio Crossfade, alongside Ferari Zand,and worked with him frequently on new material – their first being withCher Lloydon her song "I Wish".Additionally, in the early months of the year, the Denniz Pop Awards were founded and established by former members, co-workers, friends and family of the lateCheiron Studioswith the goal of helping new songwriters, producers, and artists continue the legacyDenniz Poponce started.Max Martin was automatically made a member of the jury, alongsideJorgen Elofsson,Per Magnussonand John Amatiello. Max's daughter Doris "Daga" Sandberg is also among those who decide the winners.

Max and Dr. Luke contributed to the majority of Katy's fourth albumPrism,with the sessions with Dr. Luke being in California, United States and the ones with Max inStockholm,Sweden.When the album was released in late 2013, two of its singles "Roar"and"Dark Horse"experienced a horrific amount ofplagiarismandcopyright infringementallegations, which carried on into the following year and sparked the beginning of Dr. Luke's downfall. Furthermore, after Dr. Luke contributed to Kesha's hit collaboration withPitbull"Timber",he was accused of stunting Kesha's growth as an artistand, in the new year, she was admitted to rehab forbulimia nervosa,something which was said to have been imposed on Kesha by Dr. Luke.Throughout 2014, Kesha began suing him for countless abusive behaviours and, as a result, caused his music career to sink and MXM Music decided to ban him from working with the collective and was stripped off from any future mentioning of his co-written contributions with Max Martin.

On 5 November 2013, Max and Shellback established a production team called Wolf Cousins, which was described to be a place where new talents could be mentored, connected and work with members under MXM Music. Shellback and Julius Petersson became the company's chairmen and Oscar Holter, The Struts, Mattman & Robin, Ilya Salmanzadeh and OzGo all signed a joint publishing deal with Warner Chappell that would, therefore, make them members of Wolf Cousins.Upon founding the team, Petersson met DJ and producerAli Payami,who became the last person to be recruited to the Wolf Cousins team.

Success in adult pop

Going into 2014, it was revealed that MXM Music had already begun working alongside top artists, putting the team on track for one of their biggest years to date.One of the first songs that marked this milestone was "Problem"byAriana Grande.Max MartinandShellbackoriginally contributed to the song, with additional help fromIlya Salmanzadeh,who started working directly with Max throughout Ariana's music career. The team also worked on the songs "Break Free",being the team's second collaboration withZedd,"Bang Bang",a collaboration withJessie JandNicki Minajan became the third largest sales debut so far that year,"Love Me Harder",which becameAli Payamifirst breakout recording with MXM Music,and "One Last Time",worked on by Ilya Salmanzadeh andSavan Kotecha.All of these songs ended up making Ariana's second studio albumMy Everything.Max and Shellback also worked withTaylor Swifton 12 tracks for her fifth studio album1989,marketed as the musician's "first documented, official pop album".As well as Max and Shellback, the album also delivered additional contributions from Wolf Cousins producersMattman & Robinand Payami.After the success of her previous album, her management wanted to ensure a smooth transition to pop and, since working with them previously, Max and Shellback were hired to produce more material with her. Swift described them both as "absolute dream collaborators", due to pushing her ideas to a different direction, which in turn challenged her as a songwriter.

In late 2014, Wolf Cousins team contributed to the majority ofTove Lo's debut albumQueen of the Clouds.She skyrocketed into the music scene when her single "Habits (Stay High)",recorded by The Struts, was remixed byHippie Sabotagewithin the early months of the year, which got the song charting in countries that original did not, including the United Kingdom and Sweden.Shellback produced the single "Talking Body",alongside The Struts, which became a hit in both United Kingdom and United States.

In early 2015, Savan Kotecha contributed toMadonna's thirteenth albumRebel Heartfrom sessions withRami YacoubandAvicii.The team collaborated heavily on album material for artists, such asDemi Lovato,Ellie GouldingandTori Kelly,and executive producedAdam Lambert's third albumThe Original High.Mattman & Robin got acquainted withJustin Tranter,after he signed toWarner Chappell Music,who later metJulia Michaels,and all started writing music together for the likes ofSelena GomezandHailee Steinfeld.After the success of Ariana andThe Weeknd's collaboration the previous year, Max and Payami started working regularly for the latter and contributed to the hit single "Can't Feel My Face",which became The Weeknd's most successful release so far, alongside two other songs for his second albumBeauty Behind the Madness.Oscar Holterbegan to get affiliated with more Wolf Cousins producers through Shellback and, when Ilya started working with Max, got together withOzGo,producing songs forDNCE,and Mattman & Robin onCarly Rae Jepsen's "Run Away with Me"andHailee Steinfeld's "Love Myself".In the later months of 2015, Max and Shellback contributed toAdele's song "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)",after Adele expressed interest in working with them when overhearing their work with Taylor Swift. They worked on the record that Adele said was a song she wrote when she was 13 years old.

The following year saw album material recorded for the likes ofSabina Ddumba,Britney Spearsand The Weeknd. In the early months of 2016, Max Martin served as executive producer for Ariana Grande's third albumDangerous Womanand recorded the backbone of the project with Ilya Salmanzadeh.Its title track and lead single was worked on by Max, alongsideJohan Carlsson.However, before given to Ariana, the song was pitched to many other artists, includingRihannaandAlicia Keys.Johan Carlsson got hugely affiliated withMeghan Trainorwhilst recording her second albumThank Youand wrote together for other artists, such asJason Derulo,Michael BubleandLittle Mix.The Wolf Cousins team contributed to the majority of DNCE'sself-titled debut albumand Tove Lo's second albumLady Wood.Tove's album spawned moderately successful hits, including its hit single "Cool Girl"and"True Disaster",which was the first published song produced and recorded entirely by Oscar Holter.Towards the middle of the year, Max and Shellback were recruited byJustin Timberlaketo record material for the soundtrack of the 2016 filmTrolls,with one of these songs being the hit single "Can't Stop the Feeling!".Upon release, it became Timberlake's biggest best-selling song of 2016.

In 2017, MXM Music worked on comeback albums forPink,Katy Perryand Taylor Swift, all of which peaked at number 1 onBillboardHot 100.Mattman & Robin and Justin Tranter worked on numerous projects, includingImagine Dragonson their breakthrough single "Believer",which became the band's first top 5 hit in the United States since their 2013 single"Radioactive",and on Julia Michaels' major-label debut extended playNervous System.OzGo began to get acquainted with songwriter James Alan Ghaleb, who previously worked with Ilya on material for DNCE, and began writing together for the likes ofThe ScriptandMaroon 5.Additionally, both members of The Struts started to work with other artists independently, with Ludvig Soderberg going by the moniker "A Strut".More specifically, Soderberg started frequently working with production duoJack & Coke,after producing alongside each other for Tove Lo's third albumBlue Lips,and also worked with artistsDagnyandPrettyMuch.Going into 2018, MXM and Wolf Cousins worked with various new artists, as well as affiliates. OzGo and Oscar Holter worked on material withTroye SivanandLelandfor a week, one of the songs being "My My My!".During that time, both producers also metAllie X,who together worked on music for Troye and alsoThe Vamps.Max Martin and Ilya Salmanzadeh contributed to Ariana's fourth albumSweetener,including its lead single "No Tears Left to Cry",which was made in response to a concert she held at the night and location of theManchester Arena bombing.Ariana said that she hoped it would bring light and comfort to everyone the song touched and encouraged people to dance and "live ya best life!".Johan Carlsson also got affiliated withCharlie Puthwhen working on his second albumVoicenotesand went on to produce further material in the year forMacy Gray,Michael Buble andSabrina Carpenter.

Oscar Holter affiliation, Elvira and Rami's return

After working with5 Seconds of Summeron their third albumYoungbloodin 2017 and going into 2018,Rami Yacoubtook a break from music to focus more on family and looking after his son and expressed toMax Martinthe interest of wanting to come back to MXM and Wolf Cousins Studios. He said, "I took time off with my wife and to look after my son. But then I felt I wanted to come back to the family and Max is like 'the door is always open'. They had a great group of people, 95% of whom are Swedish, so it felt like home!"As a result, Rami andCarl Falkdecided to shut down operations and productions at Kinglet Studios in 2018, after running for almost ten years, and both went their separate ways. Rami started getting familiar at working with Wolf Cousins and made his first contributions with the team in 2019, writing the song "Don't Worry Bout Me"byZara Larsson,in sessions withTove Loand The Struts.He also participated in the soundtrack of the 2019 filmCharlie's Angels,which was executively produced byAriana Grandeand the MXM/Wolf Cousins team.

In 2019, Max contributed to album material forAriana GrandeandPink.Max wrote and produced the lead single from theCharlie's Angelssoundtrack "Don't Call Me Angel"by Ariana,Miley CyrusandLana Del Rey,which was described as "lukewarm"and "less potent" when compared to that ofDestiny's Child'sownCharlie's Angelstheme.Max andShellbackworked withEd Sheeranfor the first time amongst other artists on his collaborative albumNo.6 Collaborations Project.Ilya Salmanzadehstarted working alongsideLabrinthon material for his second albumImagination & the Misfit Kidand alongsideSam Smithon his pop-infused song "How Do You Sleep?".Describing his change in direction musically from ballads to pop, Smith elaborated" I feel like I have recently shown a side of me which I normally keep to myself or for my family and friends. I showed everyone it and everyone loved it. It's almost given me permission to kinda' do what I've always dreamed of doing but I was always scared to do, which is pop music. "Johan Carlssoncontributed toAvril Lavigne's sixth albumHead Above Waterand also worked further, alongsideCharlie Puth,onKaty Perry's songs "Small Talk"and"Harleys in Hawaii".OzGocontributed toMarina's fourth albumLove + Fearand began working on album material withAllie X.British bandColdplaygot introduced to Max and his team when they worked together on two songs for the band's eighth albumEveryday Lifeand also started working exclusively alongsideOscar Holterfor the first time onThe Weeknd's hit single "Blinding Lights".,which went on to become to longest charting song onBillboardHot 100of all time.

In the turn of the decade, then-upcoming songwriter and musician Elvira Anderfjard graduated from the Songwriters Academy of Sweden at Musikmakarna and got signed directly to MXM Music to work with Max Martin.She started working with Tove Lo on material for herPaw Printsedition of her fourth albumSunshine Kitty,including the single "Sadder Badder Cooler",written alongside Max.Within the year, Max and Holter worked on four other songs for The Weeknd's fourth albumAfter Hours.Max also contributed to two songs for the soundtrack to the filmTrolls World Tour,which was also executive produced byJustin Timberlake.Savan Kotechawas made executive producer of the soundtrack to the filmEurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga,which included contributions from Rami, Johan Carlsson,Rickard Goranssonand even reunited the team with oldMaratone StudiosmemberArnthor Birgisson.Rami Yacoub saw his biggest credit since working withOne Direction,which was writing six songs forLady Gaga's comeback albumChromatica.This included all three of its collaborations. The song "Rain on Me",done in collaboration with Ariana Grande, was the first female-collaborative recording to debut at number 1 on theBillboardHot 100,as well as being the first female duet in history to win a Grammy at the63rd Annual Grammy Awards.Johan Carlsson contributed to the bulkhead of Katy Perry's sixth albumSmile,as well as Oscar Holter, OzGo and Elvira handing their assistance on a few other tracks. In the later half of the year, the team contributed to three singles from Sam Smith third albumLove Goes,being "I'm Ready","My Oasis"and"Diamonds".Both" I'm Ready "and" How Do You Sleep? "were intended to be on the album's original track list, then titledTo Die For,to be released in May 2020, before it got pushed back and renamed.

In 2021, Max Martin, with Oscar Holter, produced the entirety of Coldplay's ninth albumMusic of the Spheresand became Max's first album to do so. This included the hit single "My Universe",done alongside Korean boy bandBTS,which became the first recording by two co-billed lead groups to top the charts and the first song by a British group to debut at number 1 in United States history.Holter andMattman & Robinwrote and produced the song "Good Ones"byCharli XCXand, later on, she also teased a song called "Sweat" that she had recorded and co-wrote with Rami Yacoub as part of the soundtrack for her featuredPandora MEcampaign.Rami also began working frequently with Ilya Salmanzadeh for artists, such asJustin BieberandWestlife.Max and Ilya also teamed up with theJonas Brothers,with additional assistance from Rami Yacoub, to record and produce the song "Who's In Your Head"for their upcoming tour and became Rami's first new song to be credited alongside Max since he departed from Maratone Studios 14 years previous.WhenTaylor Swiftbegan to release new versions of her albums, Max, Shellback and Elvira Anderfjard were credited as writers on new material and producers on both new and re-worked material on her re-recorded albumRed (Taylor's Version).Specifically, the song "Message in a Bottle"was revealed as the first song she ever wrote in sessions with Max and Shellback back in 2012.In the later months of the year, Rami made two songs with Swedish DJ and record producerAlessocalled "Somebody to Use" and "When I'm Gone",in collaboration with Katy Perry.Alesso said about the collaborative record, "I feel like a song like this hasn't been made in a while. The world needs a fun energetic dance record again. We worked on this song for more than a year and are so pleased with how it came out."

Ali Payami's return and #StemDrop

At the start of 2022, The Weeknd's released his fifth studio albumDawn FM,which was worked on byMax MartinandOscar Holter,in collaboration withOneohtrix Point Never.The album was described by the artist as "the album I always wanted to make".Rami contributed toBastille's fourth albumGive Me the Futureand later with singer-songwriterAnittaon her albumVersions of Me.Rami and Ilya Salmanzadeh also co-wrote a song on Charli XCX's fourth albumCrash,which eventually included her previously released song "Good Ones", and the album became her highest-charting album in her music career, reaching number 1 in theOfficial UK Chartsand debuting in the top 10 onBillboardHot 100.In May 2022, Italian bandMåneskin,who won theEurovision Song Contest of 2021,revealed that they had been working on their upcoming debut international album with the MXM and Wolf Cousins team extensively after meeting Max Martin in Los Angeles the previous year.The band's single "Supermodel",which was worked on with Max and Rami Yacoub, was premiered on the live final ofEurovision Song Contest 2022.Justin Tranter,who wrote the song alongside the band said that it was to be the "first of many" they had written together also.The band also teased another song, which is aimed to be on the album called "Gasoline", in support of theRussian Invasion of Ukraine,also made by the team.Additionally,Ali Payamiwho took a three year break from working on music, returned with the focus of expanding his clientele and trying to develop a signature sound, whilst still working under MXM and Wolf Cousins. This became official after working withSoranaon her second solo single "Karaoke"and later contributed toFletcher's debut albumGirl of My Dreams.

In the latter half of the year, MXM and Wolf Cousins contributed to three songs off ofLizzo's albumSpecial,including its promotional single "Grrrls",and, later, its second single "2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)".Additionally, the year saw the return of collaborative efforts between Ilya andOzGofor nearly eight years onMabel's albumAbout Last Night....Wolf Cousins also contributed to multiple songs onTove Lo's albumDirt Femme.In September 2022,Sam Smithreleased the single "Unholy",alongsideKim Petras,which was contributed by Ilya, and received a top position on the charts in nearly 20 countries worldwide. The song's explosive success was credited to the pair teasing the song onTikTokwith a video of them dancing in the recording studio a little over a month before its release.British house duoDisclosuremade a remix of the song and performed it live, posting their love for the song on social media as well.It was announced, simultaneously, that it is expected to appear on Smith's fourth albumGloria.Additionally, other notable contributions that took place by the collective include with acts, such asBeyoncéandAlma.Towards the end of the year, Max Martin partnered up withSimon CowellofSyco Music,as well as record labelsUniversal Music GroupandRepublic Records,to create a talent-searching project for TikTok called "#StemDrop". Simon elaborated on the purpose of the project, "Imagine if some of the biggest songwriters in the world wrote a brand new song and, instead of giving it to a well-known artist, you gave it to the world to record?"The first song of the project called "Red Lights" was released on 26 October 2022 and was written by Max, as well asSavan Kotechaand Ali Payami.

Towards the start of 2023, Max Martin contributed to several songs on Maneskin's international debut albumRush!,including "Supermodel". British artistLewis Capaldistated that he had written extensively with the MXM and Wolf Cousins team, including Elvira Anderfjard andOzGo.The song "Leave Me Slowly", scheduled to be released on Capaldi's second albumBroken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent,was written by Martin and Oscar Holter.Furthermore, Elvira and OzGo had begun working frequently together on numerous projects for the likes ofMaisie Petersand Alma.In March 2023, Max Martin announced that he, alongsideShellbackandFred Again,co-wroteEd Sheeran's single "Eyes Closed",which was released as the lead cut from his 2023 album- (Subtract).Around the same time, Max shared a photo of him in the studio withMadonna,which sparked a lot of hype on social media.

Personnel

Current members

MXM Music

• Max Martin(1994–present)
• Rami Yacoub(1997–2007; 2019–present)
• Savan Kotecha(2006–present)
• Shellback(2007–present)
• Johan Carlsson(2008–present)
• Peter Carlsson(2008–present)
• Rickard Goransson(2008–present)
• Peter Svensson(2012–present)
• Elvira Anderfjard (2020–present)

Wolf Cousins

• Oscar Holter(2012–present)
• Jakob Jerlstrom (2012–present)
• Ludvig Soderberg (2012–present)
• Mattias Larsson(2013–present)
• Robin Fredriksson(2013–present)
• Ilya(2013–present)
• OzGo(2013–present)
• Ali Payami(2013–2018)

Former members

• Denniz Pop(1992–1998)
• Kristian Lundin(1994–2000)
• Andreas Carlsson(1998–2000)
• Dr. Luke(2004–2014)
• Arnthor Birgisson(2006–2010)

Selected discography

Together,Cheiron,Maratoneand MXM and Wolf Cousins have garnered a huge backlog of artists throughout the years and will continue to do so as part of the entity's ongoing evolution with pop music culture. These are just a selected amount of artists and affiliates the organisations and their songwriters and producers have worked with:

• Dr. Alban
• Ace of Base
• E-Type
• Backstreet Boys
• Robyn
• Britney Spears
• Celine Dion
• Westlife
• Bon Jovi
• Kelly Clarkson
• Pink
• Shayne Ward
• Leona Lewis
• Avril Lavigne
• Danny Saucedo
• Katy Perry
• Lesley Roy
• Miley Cyrus
• Jessie J
• Adam Lambert
• Kesha
• Cher Lloyd
• One Direction
• Maroon 5
• Taylor Swift
• Emblem3
• Tove Lo
• Ariana Grande
• The Weeknd
• Carly Rae Jepsen
• Ellie Goulding
• DNCE
• Demi Lovato
• Selena Gomez
• Justin Timberlake
• Imagine Dragons
• 5 Seconds of Summer
• Skip Marley
• PrettyMuch
• Troye Sivan
• Charli XCX
• Sabrina Carpenter
• Julia Michaels
• Marina
• Ed Sheeran
• Sam Smith
• Allie X
• Labrinth
• Coldplay
• Bastille
• Måneskin