Meet Max Martin: The 'invisible man' behind some of the biggest pop hits in a generation

Adele has summed up who Swedish producer Max Martin is – and his influence over the music industry – quite perfectly.

The singer, who has worked with Martin in the past, once said in an interview with NPR: "I was unaware that I knew who Max Martin was. I Googled him, and I was like, 'He's literally written every massive soundtrack of my life.'"

From some of every millennial's favourite hits, including Britney Spears' hit songs ...Baby One More Time and (You Drive Me) Crazy, to Katy Perry's catchy Teenage Dream and the Backstreet Boys' iconic I Want It That Way, there's a man that links them all.

In fact, he's the man behind a number of hits for some of the world's biggest stars, who has helped define the music and songs for a number of generations.

The West End pop musical called & Juliet even features a soundtrack of his music.

Despite all this, you might not even know his name.

Music mastermind Martin, born Karl Martin Sandberg, 54, is who Swifties are going into a tailspin over at present.

So, who is Max Martin?

Martin might be rubbing shoulders and producing tracks for some of the world's biggest stars – and is said to have 27 No.1 Billboard Hot 100 songs to his name – but he's rather elusive.

Of course, he's made a number of red carpet appearances at major events over the years, but he doesn't even have social media, or at least, a public social media account.

He started his music career in a band called It's Alive, before moving to producing.

He hails from Stockholm, Sweden, and is married to Jenny Petersson and they share one child together.

According to Prestigeonline, he has a net worth of $US400 million (approx. $610 million) and co-owns Maratone Studios.

A new Taylor Swift era

In the leadup to Taylor Swift's album announcement this week, diehard fans had speculated Martin and producer Shellback (who he regularly works with) worked on the upcoming record, called The Life of a Showgirl.

The singer recently dropped a new playlist on Spotify, called And, baby, That's Show Business For You, which featured a selection of songs from her back catalogue including 22, Bad Blood and ...Ready For It?

The one common link was they were all composed and produced with the help of Martin and Shellback.

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After much speculation, Swift herself confirmed in an Instagram post on Thursday, as she shared her new album cover, that The Life of A Showgirl was indeed produced by herself, Martin and Shellback.

So, we can't wait to hear it, and we're expecting some good things!

Who has he worked with?

Some of the biggest names in the business, that's who. Think: Pink, Britney Spears, The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, Avril Lavigne, Coldplay, NSYNC, Bon Jovi and Kelly Clarkson.

READ MORE: Here's everything we know so far about Taylor Swift's The Life of a Showgirl

Pink's hit So What was co-written by Martin, Shellback and Pink, and he's even collaborated with Ed Sheeran in the past.

With Grande, he helped compose and produce some of her hit tracks and albums including We Can't Be Friends (Wait For Your Love) and Yes, and?

Just last year, Grande shared a video of Martin in the studio appearing to edit some music.

"This goes on and on, it never stops. It's like you're writing a novel," he says as Grande laughs.

"I just believe in collaboration," he told Popjustice in 2009.

"I mean, I've written songs on my own, you know, but I think if the artist has something to bring to the table – someone like Pink, for instance – where the have something to say, it makes your job easier and more special."

When asked to choose his "perfect" song from his work, he said: "You're asking me which of my children I love the most! That's hard. I can't!"

From the charts to the stage

In 2019, some of Martin's biggest hits were turned into a jukebox musical titled & Juliet, which has been performed on Broadway, London's West End and here in Australia.

"I was insecure about how this is going to [be]," he reportedly said about the show, according to New York Theatre Guide, which seemingly got rave reviews from critics.

"I really wanted it to be a great story, not just a bunch of songs — to have a purpose, so to speak."

The musical follows the story of Juliet's life after Romeo with Martin's soundtrack.

Accolades

In 2016, Martin took home the Polar Music Prize and said in his acceptance speech that now everyone knows who he is.

"I've managed to hide between two speakers in a basement for over 20 years, but you got me!" he joked, according to Polarmusicprize.org.

Speaking of the music making process and writing a pop song, he joked one secret is "to steal".

"To steal. Yes. I confess. I have through the years ripped off giants like Abba, Kiss, Prince … and of course Lasse Holm."

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