Who gets singing credit on a song and who doesn't can sometimes lead to an awkward conversation. But at Billboard's Latin Music Week 2024, that topic got the spotlight in the riveting (and informative) Why Are There 50 Writers on My Song? panel on Monday (October 14).
Coordinator Pierre Hajarmanaging partner at The Hachar Law Group, panelists included regional Mexican singer-songwriter Eden Muñoz, renowned producer-songwriter Sergio George and Colombian songwriter Keityn. At one point during the conversation, the group pondered why, nowadays, even managers can get songwriting credit.
“I think it's clear that the composers deserve credit,” Keityn said while discussing the issue. “Credit goes to the one who deserves it and that is the real composer.”
The discussion also touched on how nuanced the concept of songwriting can be, particularly when someone is in the studio who doesn't technically write the song, but contributes in some way to the idea or inspiration of the lyrics.
Below, find the best quotes from the panel:
Eden Muñoz: “Credit must go to whoever is involved in the writing process. When you're in a studio, you know who's a composer and you know who's not. It's something you can almost feel. You can't just sit in the session and wait for credit. It is extremely important to set boundaries in the studio. This is how I work today. I separate the songwriters and take them to a different table and they're the only ones in that room.”
Sergio George: “In my opinion, whoever contributes to the process should be given songwriting credit. I remember being at a songwriting camp, there were about four or five of us, and there was one person who gave some ideas of what the song could be. This person actually had nothing to do with my music, but she got the credit because if it wasn't for her, the song wouldn't have been made. This goes for the arranger, because some arrangements are so iconic that they make the song. We must be fair everywhere.”
Keithyn: “The 50 songwriter thing isn't even about the artist, the songwriter or the producer, to be honest. Platforms like Spotify, when they do the analysis of who gets credit on their platform, it's always based on actual separation and they label them as songwriters. I don't understand why everyone is on the split [gets listed as] as a songwriter”.
Muñoz: “Today, we are in a business where managers [have the] sin of arrogance and wanting to be everywhere and get songwriting credit. I remember back in the day, the manager would sometimes hide, but now they seem to be stuck with each other. Sometimes the manager behaves more like an artist.”
Billboard Latin Music Week 2024 coincides with the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards airing at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 20, on Telemundo. It will be available simultaneously on Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app and in Latin America and the Caribbean through Telemundo Internacional.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/billboard-latin-music-week-2024-songwriter-credit-panel-best-moments-1235799082/
