Varietys 2022 Hitmakers and Hitbreakers Revealed

Who are the people responsible for making and breaking the biggest songs of the year? Varietys list of 2022s Hitmakers includes the creators, executives and connectors in the music industry who can spot a magical combination of talents and turn it into a smash.

Who are the people responsible for making — and breaking — the biggest songs of the year? Variety’s list of 2022’s Hitmakers includes the creators, executives and connectors in the music industry who can spot a magical combination of talents and turn it into a smash.

How we choose the Hitmakers: The music editors at Variety analyze each song’s merits — including structure, melody/hook, lyrics, cultural relevance and commercial performance — and dissect who played a role in bringing the song to life, from idea to writing to production to execution and out to the marketplace. All data used in Hitmakers is courtesy of Luminate.

  • Traci Adams, Dontay Thompson

    Adams: Exec VP, Promotion, Epic Records

    Thompson: Senior VP, Promotion, Epic Records

    Future’s “Wait For U” featuring Drake and Tems

    The radio success of “Wait For U,” Future’s first-ever Hot 100 No. 1 as a lead artist, came down to a “full court press at both the Urban and Rhythm formats,” says Thompson, who’s nearing five years at the label. “Future and Drake: those two together never miss. Add Tems’ sample from ‘Higher’ along with her recent success and it was a formula that couldn’t lose.” Adds Adams: “I’ve worked all of Future’s singles since he was signed nearly 12 years ago. ‘Wait For U’ only took eight weeks to get to No. 1 and it’s still the top-searching record in some major markets.”

  • Sandra Afloarei, Scott Dimig

    Senior VPs, Promotion, Epic Records
    Future’s “Wait For U” featuring Drake and Tems

    On first listen, Dimig and Afloarei recognized the universal appeal of “Wait For U” and saw an opportunity for crossover success. “Future was in a bubble of the Urban Rhythmic genre,” says Dimig. Adds Afloarei: “It was a very unusual undertaking, particularly this year, [because] the sound of music at pop radio was not Future.” Epic took a stab at launching in new markets with a hands-on approach; encouraging potential partners to see the rapper at festival appearances and continually showing off the song’s range in popularity. “This was the biggest crossover record of 2022,” says Afloarei. “It took [years of] building and perseverance to push this all the way through.”

  • Jon Borris

    Senior VP, Top 40 & Adult Promotion, Republic Records
    Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves”

    The long tail of “Heat Waves” — four billion in radio audience impressions and counting — is thanks in no small part to Republic’s persistence. “The song had peaked [on the] Top 40 at No. 16 and was being moved to ‘recurrent’ status, not considered an active single that was gaining airplay any longer,” says Borris. But the label didn’t back off. “Every department saw signs that told us there was still an enormous amount of potential left to be realized. We turned it around on airplay charts, started gaining back momentum, re-added to ‘current’ status across the country, and began its ascent again … ultimately capturing the No. 1 spot.”

  • Samantha Brenner

    VP, Promotion, Columbia Records
    The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber’s “Stay”

    “The song was a total earworm from the start,” says Brenner of “Stay.” “Twelve seconds in and you were hooked.” Released during the pandemic, the 2021 track already had strong metrics from its video release, but Brenner worked daily, utilizing Zoom to make an impact at radio. “Watching programmers’ faces on first listen was such a thrill,” she says. “They loved and believed in it.” “Stay” would hit No. 1 for a run of seven non-consecutive weeks, “experiencing multi-format success while we were all in our home-office bubbles,” Brenner adds. “To see Laroi perform ‘Stay’ live at his first radio show and watch thousands of fans sing along, that is a feeling and a sight that never gets old.”

  • Michelle Burden, Motti Shulman

    Burden: VP, Rhythm Promotion, Atlantic Records

    Shulman: Senior VP, Rhythm Promotion, Atlantic Records

    Jack Harlow’s “First Class”

    In Shulman’s 32 years working in radio promotion, he’d never seen a record reach No. 1 at Rhythmic in just five weeks. But “First Class” was a steamroller since it first debuted in April, remaining in the top spot for eight weeks. “This only happens with a select few songs,” says Burden, who credits the nostalgia factor of the song’s nod to Fergie’s 2006 hit “Glamorous” as well as a “collaborative effort between all platforms and our departments joining forces.” Adds Shulman: “It came out of the gate smoking with 54 million streams in the U.S. its first week and we all knew the people wanted it.”

  • Mike Chester

    Exec VP, Promotion & Commerce, Warner Records
    Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God),” Zach Bryan’s “Something in the Orange,” Dua Lipa’s “Levitating”

    Working new artists is old hat for the veteran exec, and 2022 was no different as “Levitating” refused to give and “Something in the Orange” shot into the consumption strato- sphere. But it was the 1985 Bush classic, and its new life at radio and DSPs in the wake of its prominent placement in “Stranger Things,” that was far more unexpected — and hugely satisfying. “We watched alternative, Top 40, Hot AC and Triple A radio formats growing rapidly at the same time,” says Chester, who is looking to its success as a roadmap for future catalog revivals. “The haunting beat sounded like nothing on the radio at that time. Rarely do you see a song transcend formats and playlists in that way. It was unbelievable.”

  • Tim Dalbec

    VP, Promotion, Atlantic Records
    Ed Sheeran’s “Shivers”

    Dalbec already had success taking Sheeran’s “Bad Habits” to No. 1 at the Hot AC format, but “Shivers” was a whole new level of radio embrace, amassing a U.S. airplay audience of 2.5 billion. The song’s 25-week run on the charts is due to the strength of Sheeran’s songwriting. “‘Shiv- ers’ is all hook from the first note,” says Dalbec. “Ed has such a masterful way of connecting with lyric, rhythm and melody.” While radio is still a big driver of hit records, Dalbec says discovering new music is “wherever your ears are. Seems like every day we add more outlets and opportunities for exposure.”

  • Brett Dumler

    Senior VP, Top 40, Republic Records
    Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves”

    It was a pivotal show at L.A.’s storied Troubadour where Dumler first saw the power of Glass Animals. “It was just before COVID, and the entire club was shaking from the crowd dancing,” he recalls. Calling “Heat Waves” “a magical song,” the song’s story at Top 40 radio began in February 2021 and built through the pandemic. “I think lockdown and the feel-good energy of the song was the perfect combination. It’s what people yearned for during that unique and isolating time for us all. Pure joy.” Dumler takes particular pride in “knowing we broke a new artist — it’s the goal of everything we do as a business.”

  • Andrea Ganis

    President of Promotion, Atlantic Records
    Ed Sheeran’s “Shivers,” Gayle’s “Abcdefu,” Lizzo’s “About Damn Time”

    With a career at Atlantic so illustrious that the title “president of promotion” was created for her, Ganis oversees the label’s pop/rock promotion team from the trenches, relentlessly working the phones and hitting the road for the company’s artists. She calls Sheeran “a true superstar — an extraordinary artist with an unparalleled work ethic, unwavering humility and respect for radio”; Gayle a “rocker to the core who holds her own beautifully onstage, and had her first single go to No. 1 before she was 18!”; and Lizzo a “lyrically inspirational” star who “drives the message of ‘We are in this together, we got this’ in just three minutes, creating a universal energy that is empowering and entertaining at the same time.”

  • Kevin Holiday, Damon Lott

    Holiday: Exec VP, Black Music Promotion, Atlantic Records

    Lott: VP, Black Music Promotion, Atlantic Records

    Jack Harlow’s “First Class,” Kodak Black’s “Super Gremlin”

    The tag-team of Holiday and Lott saw enormous potential in the infectious hooks in both “First Class” and “Super Gremlin,” but, says the pair, “It took all stations moving in the same direction at the same time. The feedback on both records was astounding and allowed these smashes to be No. 1 for a multitude of weeks — ‘Super Gremlin’ for 13 weeks and ‘First Class’ for five weeks at the Urban Mainstream format consecutively.” Once major markets were on board, “social media and short-form content platforms assisted in these songs becoming larger than life.”

  • Mike Horton

    Exec VP, Republic Records
    Drake’s “Jimmy Cooks” featuring 21 Savage

    The first rule of a Drake record? Leave the credit to the world’s biggest rapper. “The song took on a life of its own, and we essentially followed its lead,” says Horton of the single from Drake’s June album, “Honestly, Nevermind.” “After it became a favorite on DSPs, we aggressively, yet strategically, focused on radio.” Those “classic” Drake bars and 21 Savage’s “perfect counterpoint” guest vocals, as Horton describes the track, sent the song to No. 1. “Drake replaced himself [on the Hot 100 chart] again, and extended a historic run that will be hard to top.”

  • Dave "Davey Dee" Ingenloff

    Senior VP, Rhythm Promotion, Republic Records
    Drake’s “Jimmy Cooks” featuring 21 Savage

    Ingenloff calls “Jimmy Cooks” the “fan favorite” from Drake’s “Honestly, Nevermind” album, citing the rap superstar’s “great chemistry” with 21 Savage, which resulted in the recently released duo album, “Her Loss.” 21 Savage is the only feature on Drake’s latest, which saw the song debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100 four months before its official release as a single. That falls in line with what the promotion vet describes as “waves” in consumption, “from social media to streamers and finally to radio,” creating a groundswell of listeners along the way.

  • Jon Lewis, John McMann, Deb Urbont

    Lewis: Exec VP, Pop Promotion, Atlantic Records

    McMann: Exec VP, Pop and Rhythmic Promotion, Atlantic Records

    Urbont: Senior VP, Promotion, Adult Formats, Atlantic Records

    Gayle’s “Abcdefu,” Lizzo’s “About Damn Time,” Ed Sheeran’s “Shivers,” Kodak Black’s “Super Gremlin”

    Team Atlantic had a slate of great story-songs to work. “Shivers,” says Urbont, was “quintessentially relatable with heartstring-pulling lyrics for every demographic.” Equally relatable, but on the other side of love was “Abcdefu” from Gayle. Lewis calls it “an anthemic break-up song that everyone can appreciate,” the tune “a labor of love for the label from day one.” Adds Urbont: “What we didn’t realize at first was what a huge moms and daughters anthem it would turn out to be.” Lizzo’s appeal also proved universal with “About Damn Time,” an “emotional and honest message of togetherness coming out of the pandemic,” adds McMann, whose role included working “Super Gremlin” to Pop and Rhythmic formats. Kids’ voices on the Kodak Black record made it an “instant classic,” McMann notes. “Kodak had tapped into a moment and we rode it to No. 1 at Rhythmic. You couldn’t get in an Uber, scroll through TikTok, or turn on the radio without hearing it everywhere.”

  • Brenda Romano, Chris Lopes

    Romano: President, Promotion, Interscope Geffen A&M

    Lopes: Exec VP, Promotion, Interscope Geffen A&M

    Imagine Dragons’ “Enemy” featuring J.I.D, Elton John and Dua Lipa’s “Cold Heart”

    Getting “Enemy” to No. 1 at Top 40, Hot AC and Alternative radio was the husband-and-wife team of Lopes and Romano. The Imagine Dragons cut, the theme for the animated Netflix series “Arcane,” resonated thanks to “a combination of big foundational pieces growing together steadily,” say the execs. Additionally, “J.I.D’s feature gave the song another dimension — Top 40 could play either version or both.” As for “Cold Heart,” “great vocals by superstar Dua Lipa, who means so much to the format and younger audiences,” helped catapult the track. Returning John to the charts marked a poignant win for the couple, who first worked with him on 1994’s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.” “It was incredibly rewarding to achieve this level of success three decades later,” they say.

  • Lucas Romeo, Gary Spangler

    Romero: Senior VP, Promotion, Republic Records

    Spangler: Exec VP, Republic Records

    The Weeknd’s “Save Your Tears,” Morgan Wallen’s “Wasted on You”

    Spangler notes that “Wasted on You” was “a smash from the moment it was released,” crossing from country to pop powerhouses like New York’s Z100 and L.A.’s KIIS-FM. The turning point for the Weeknd hit, per Romeo, was his halftime Super Bowl performance. “It provided the second wind,” he says of the follow-up to the smash “Blinding Lights.” Spangler admits both songs “met with a lot of skepticism for their own reasons, but the tenacity of the team brought them home.” The success of Wallen’s record, despite the controversy that threatened to derail his career, was particularly sweet. “The lyrics are incredibly relatable and the way he meshes country tones with pop melodies and hard-hitting beats is truly unique,” says Romeo. “Country music at Pop radio is never an easy pitch, but we have grinded away using the data to close stations one at a time, fitting a square peg into a round hole.”

  • Manny Simon

    Senior VP, Adult Formats, Republic Records
    Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves”

    “From the lyrics to the production, the song was so different from anything on the radio at that time,” says Simon of “Heat Waves.” “We knew there was so much more room to grow.” Seeing the track’s massive TikTok surge after what seemed to be a peak at radio, Republic seized the moment. “We initiated a station-by-station campaign to educate programmers on all the activity and continued significance of this song.” It worked, and in February, “Heat Waves” hit No. 1 on the Hot AC Chart, and has since garnered nearly 1 billion in audience impressions in the format. Simon’s proudest moment? “That we never gave up.”

  • Matt Stevens

    Senior VP, Promotion, Columbia Records
    Harry Styles’ “As It Was”

    “The immediacy of it all was remarkable,” says Stevens of Styles’ 15-week Hot 100 run at No. 1 with “As It Was.” “Everything clicked: TikTok trends, virality on DSPs, huge video numbers, immediate passion and research across radio — discovery and familiarity was as fast as any song I’ve promoted.” The audience for the track ran the gamut, attract- ing “cool kids” and passive radio listeners, cementing Styles’ place as “a generational artist who transcends genres. Harry fans rejoiced. Non-Harry fans converted. It’s rare for a song to be both fresh and nostalgic. Harry delivered a piece of art seemingly personal to him but also very open to interpretation.”

  • Ian Holder

    Senior VP, Creative, Sony Music Publishing
    Jack Harlow’s “First Class”

    Without Holder, “First Class” may have never had the chance to exist. It was the exec who helped connect Harlow and co-producer/co-writer Charlie Handsome for the initial sessions. “Creatively, Jack was intentional about this record,” says Holder. “It was nostalgic for those aware of the sample’s origin — Fergie’s ‘Glamorous’ — yet his cadence, delivery and content made it palatable to a variety of listeners.” Holder’s proudest moment during the life of the song? “Seeing the success of the record open more doors for Jack,” he says. “From headlining his first arena tour this year to hosting ‘SNL’ for the first time, it has been wonderful to see the journey.”

  • Emilio Morales

    Publishing Director, Rimas Publishing
    Bad Bunny’s “Me Porto Bonito” and “Titi Me Preguntó”

    Morales managed the “nuances and intricacies of all contributors” on Bad Bunny’s “Un Verano Sin Ti” album — consisting of artists on the rise and global favorites, from Rauw Alejandro to Chencho Corleone. The rest, he says, was “a very organic process. … We have the benefit that the label and publishing divisions can work seamlessly together,” referencing the indie publisher’s relationship with Rimas Entertainment and its legal department. Morales’ team also put a spotlight on producers Súbelo Neo and Lennex in an attempt to “give fans and audiences another way to connect with the people behind the song.”

  • Lillia Parsa

    Senior VP of A&R, Universal Music Publishing Group
    Lizzo’s “About Damn Time,” The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber’s “Stay”

    A promotion in 2021 set up Parsa for a banner 2022. With a roster that includes in-demand producers Omer Fedi and Blake Slatkin, the rising A&R star helped “About Damn Time” and “Stay” come to fruition. Of Lizzo’s smash, Parsa recalls: “Everyone involved had such a clear idea of how they wanted the song to make you feel, sonically and emotionally.” As for “Stay,” the tune went through many transitions “for months on end,” she says. “Starting ‘Stay’ with the chorus gave the listener something to hold on to, and keeps them on their toes as they bounce from section to section. So much happens in 21⁄2 minutes.”

  • Katie Welle

    Senior VP, Creative, Sony Music Publishing
    Jack Harlow’s “First Class,” Latto’s “Big Energy”

    There’s no denying the hook to “First Class,” which Welle, who signed co-producer/co-writer Charlie Handsome to SMP, describes as “so smooth — the chorus is infectious; Jack is pure confidence.” The longtime Sony creative also had a hand in another sample-heavy hit, “Big Energy.” “With such an undeniable groove and bounce, it’s no surprise that it pulled in a whole new generation,” she says of the Tom Tom Club’s “Genius of Love,” which drives the melody. “Ultimately though, the concept of ‘Big Energy’ is so memorable and sticky and Latto’s playful but empowered stance is perfection — that sealed the deal,” she says.

  • Megan Wood-Petersen

    VP of Creative Synch, Prescription Songs
    Latto’s “Big Energy”

    Giving even bigger energy to the Latto hit was the song’s official remix, featuring Mariah Carey’s classic “Fantasy” fused with the Tom Tom Club’s “Genius of Love” in a throwback to 1995 and 1981, respectively, at the same time. Getting Carey to participate “was huge,” says Wood-Petersen, who typically steps in after the song is finished to seek out synchs. And there were many, like when “Big Energy” was used in a promo for the Fox show “Lego Masters. “They changed the lyric to say, ‘big brick energy,’” she says with a laugh. “We had great placements, but it’s the volume and variety of uses across all media that speaks to this song’s power and appeal.”

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