Producer Spotlight: Ilya Salmanzadeh Opens the Workshop Behind the Hits
Ilya Salmanzadeh is the focus of this week’s Producer Spotlight, with a recent And The Writer Is… episode offering a detailed route into his songwriting and production work. Hosted by Ross Golan, episode 268 was released October 13th and follows the Swedish hitmaker from early experiments to major collaborations.
The episode’s published description and chapter guide trace a start with music software from a cereal-box demo CD, a radio contest that led to a publishing opportunity at 17, and a long wait for a first hit. They also map his connections with Shellback, Wolf Cousins and Max Martin.
Start with the process
For aspiring writers, the useful question is how an idea becomes a finished record. The chapter at 16:22 covers teaching himself production, while 37:26 turns to the decade before a breakthrough. Together, those sections offer a practical starting point for listeners more interested in development than celebrity anecdotes.
The interview guide also flags an extended discussion of the “Into You” pre-chorus at 1:14:31. That makes the episode useful as a listening assignment: hear the record, then follow the conversation about the decisions behind a specific part of it.
Follow the Ariana Grande chapters
Later sections address Ariana Grande’s role as a producer, alongside chapters on “No Tears Left to Cry” and “God is a woman.” The episode closes with further discussion of work habits and recent projects, giving listeners several ways to navigate its roughly two-hour conversation.
This spotlight is a guide to the original interview, rather than a claim that a single formula explains every hit. A memorable hook, a vocal decision and a revised section are different parts of the job; listening for those differences can make familiar records feel newly instructive.
Open the full And The Writer Is… episode for the original conversation and its chapter markers. The publisher’s summary and timestamps provide the roadmap used here.
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