Music Producer, Composer

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: As the music producer of "Been You," I can say that working on this song was both a technical and emotional journey. From the moment I first heard the demo with Justin and Poo Bear (Jason Boyd, the songwriter), I felt something special. There was a raw honesty in the lyrics—a sense of regret for a missed love opportunity—and I knew our mission would be to capture that emotion, yet wrapped in a vibrant pop sound. Indeed, there were moments in the studio when we got goosebumps listening to Justin pour his heart out in the recording booth. At the same time, we were excited to be creating an energetic, danceable track. This mix of melancholy and rhythm greatly motivated us throughout the process. From a musical production perspective, we approached "Been You" with great care in the arrangements and structure. We wanted the song to have a dance-pop approach with disco-funk tints, in tune with some retro influences, but still maintaining a modern essence aligned with the Purpose album. We started by building the rhythmic base: a four-on-the-floor drum pulse to give it that constant dancefloor groove. We added well-defined synthesized bass lines with a lot of "bounce" (that rhythmic rebound) to make the song feel danceable from the first second. On top of that base, we played with layers of bright synthesizers; I remember Oliver (Oligee) brought a classic analog synthesizer to the studio, and we created a warm pad that fills the background of the mix, giving it texture. We also incorporated rhythmic synth stabs and clean guitar with a funk effect in the breaks, small accents that add that effervescent "disco-pop" touch to the arrangement. The song's structure was polished until it felt like it told a story. It starts off relatively soft in the introduction and verse, letting the voice and melody take the lead with more minimalist instrumentation. In the initial verses, for example, we left space: the drums are filtered and more muted, the bass enters simply marking the harmony, and the keyboard chords are gently suggested. This was intentional to reflect the moment of reflection and nostalgia that Justin sings in the lyrics. Then, as we reach the pre-chorus, we start to ramp up the intensity: we added more percussion elements, sped-up hi-hats, and transition effects that build tension. We wanted the listener to feel that emotional crescendo, as if their heart was racing before exploding in the chorus. Entering the chorus, we released all the accumulated energy. It was key to achieve a catchy and powerful chorus, so here the production expands: the drums sound loud with a solid kick and snare, the bass rises in the mix giving that danceable hit, and the fizzing synthesizers perform open chords that fill the entire sonic spectrum. We even included a subtle melodic lead synth accompanying Justin's voice, to reinforce the main hook. The vocal melody of the chorus is simple but very effective: Justin repeats the phrase "If I would have known it could have been you" with genuine feeling that sticks in your head. As producers, we made sure to enhance that moment; we slightly doubled the main voice (Justin recorded several takes of the same line and we overlaid them) to give more thickness and presence to the hook without losing clarity. The result is a chorus that sounds big, emotive, and ready to be shouted out loud, at once joyful in sound but with lyrics loaded with regret. This duality gives the song a lot of magic. Speaking of melody and harmony, we worked closely with Justin and the songwriters to ensure that the music reflected the emotion of the lyrics. The song is in a minor key, which gives it a bittersweet tint: the chord progressions have melancholic moments despite the lively rhythm. For example, we used a descending progression that falls into a minor chord in certain parts, something that conveys that feeling of "this could have been different" that the verses tell. However, at the same time, the vocal melody is quite bright rhythmically, with phrases that flow agilely over the beat. Justin plays with his mid-high range in the chorus, even touching on falsetto in some notes to add vulnerability. It's beautiful because the melody achieves a balance: it's catchy enough to be pure pop, but also has melodic twists (like those "woah, woah" heard in the background of the chorus) that convey longing. For the texture, we combined electronic elements with the voice to create an enveloping atmosphere: you can hear wide reverberations and tempo-synced delays that make the voice float over the instrumental, almost as if it were in a large open space. This gives depth without overloading it with instruments; we wanted the track to have a subtle atmospheric background that supported the emotionality. The recording of Justin's voice was perhaps the most exciting part. His vocal performance in "Been You" is sincerely wonderful. I remember when we moved to record the vocals at Record Plant Studios, Justin arrived very focused. We asked him to really get into the mindset of the story he was singing—that nostalgia and regret for someone who was important to him—and boy, did he deliver. Each vocal take he did was charged with emotion; there were times when he came out of the booth with teary eyes, really immersed in the song. Technically, we worked hard to capture the best possible main vocal take. We focused on making sure that lead vocal was "the right one," without relying too much on backing vocals or chorus. Unlike some pop productions where many harmonies are stacked, in "Been You" we decided to keep Justin's voice upfront and almost naked, accompanied only by subtle doubles and some punctual backing. We wanted it to feel intimate and direct, as if he were telling you his regrets face-to-face. During vocal production, we employed some techniques to enhance his performance without losing naturalness. For example, we used delicate yet effective compression: we had a compressor set so that his voice maintained a consistent and powerful level in the mix, enhancing the emotional whispers and containing the peaks without crushing the dynamics. We also added a touch of Auto-Tune, very light, practically imperceptible, just to polish the tuning here and there; Justin sang incredibly in tune and with feeling, so we didn't want to interfere with the organic quality of his voice. One detail we were meticulous about were the vocal effects: for example, at the ends of phrases, we let a long reverb envelop his voice, creating a sonic tail that continues that feeling of emptiness and distance reflected in the lyrics (he says "the ghosts are alive" in a verse, and that echo almost lets you imagine those ghosts). We also used stereo delays that bounce to the sides at key moments, to give a sense of space and to make some words resonate in the listener's mind. In the most intense parts of the chorus, we added a hint of harmonic distortion to the voice (through a tube preamp in the mix) to add warmth and that emotive grain, almost imperceptible but helping the voice cut through all those synthesizers. And although, as I said, there isn't a large chorus of voices behind, we did record a few discreet backing vocals made by Justin's own voice: very soft harmonies in the background during the pre-chorus and chorus, to support certain key words and give emphasis. He himself did those harmonies, playing with thirds and fifths above his main melody, but we mixed them low; they're felt more than they are clearly heard, fulfilling their function of providing support without stealing the spotlight from the lead vocal. Regarding tools and production techniques, "Been You" was an effort that combined the best of modern technology with the human touch. We primarily worked in Pro Tools, which was (and is) the standard platform for producing big pop records. There we programmed many of the base elements: for example, the electronic drums were sequenced with high-quality samples—deep, round kick drums, snappy snares, and hi-hat cymbals we added for the groove. Many of these sounds were designed with virtual synthesizers. I remember that for the bass we used a synthesizer plugin that emulated the sound of 80s classics, adjusting it to have a modern punch; we also applied a sidechain technique (compression coupled to the kick) where every time the kick hits, the volume of the synthesizer pad subtly drops and then rises again, creating that "breathing" rhythmic effect. This trick, typical in electronic music, gave "Been You" a nearly hypnotic pulse that makes you involuntarily want to move to the beat. On the other hand, not everything was digital: we also incorporated real instruments. We had some clean rhythm guitar lines recorded with a light phaser to give it that funky color in certain fills. We even experimented with hand claps and finger snaps recorded live to add them to the percussion, adding a human element in the midst of electronic production. For the voice in particular, we used a high-end studio microphone (a Neumann U87, if I recall correctly) and valve preamplifiers to capture a warm and detailed timbre. In the mixing stage, we collaborated with an excellent engineer (Manny Marroquín) who applied his magic: he balanced each element with precision, equalizing the synthesizers so they wouldn't clash with the voice, giving space to the bass without covering the kick, and ensuring that Justin's voice remained up front, clear and surrounded by the right ambiance. The final mix had some subtle tricks, like volume automations to raise specific emotional moments, and filters that open in the instrumental bridge to give a sense of expansion before the last chorus. In the end, the mastering (handled by Randy Merrill) put the finishing touch, making the track sound powerful and polished on any speaker, without losing the dynamics that make Justin's performance shine. The stylistic and sonic approach of "Been You" feels unique within Purpose, yet consistent with the album's journey. Purpose in general is a very eclectic album: we had everything from sincere acoustic ballads like "Love Yourself" or "Purpose" (the title track), to hits with tropical house influences like "What Do You Mean?" or "Sorry," to mid-tempo R&B like "No Sense" or "Company." In that mosaic, "Been You" contributes the retro danceable pop facet: it's perhaps the most openly pop-disco song on the record. In fact, many describe it as a track with a modern disco-funk vibe, due to that moving bass and those bright synths we mentioned. This aligns it with the energy of tracks like "Sorry" in that it's lively and gets you dancing, but it differs in style, since "Sorry" leans more toward tropical dancehall and "Been You" leans more toward classic disco mixed with electronic pop. At the same time, it contrasts with the slower, more emotive tracks on the album: for example, just before in the standard tracklist comes "Purpose," which is a super emotional piano ballad, and then you enter "Been You" (in the deluxe version) and it's like turning on the disco lights again, even though the lyrics continue with the theme of personal emotions. In that sense, "Been You" balances the album's scale: after introspective moments, it brings a breath of rhythm and sonic optimism, without straying from the emotional theme. Lyrically, it remains connected to the thread of Purpose, because Justin on this album opens his heart about regrets, personal growth, and lost love, and "Been You" is precisely him confessing that, had he known, that person would have been "the one." So although it sounds more cheerful musically, it shares the honest heart that is common in all the album's songs. Working on "Been You" was a true privilege and one of those projects where you feel the magic in the air of the studio. We not only created a catchy song; we also helped Justin tell a personal story in a way that millions of people could dance to and feel at the same time. I remember when the album Purpose was released in 2015 and people started listening to "Been You," many fans pointed it out as one of their hidden favorites, despite it being a bonus track! For me, as a producer, that is incredibly gratifying. And when later Purpose was nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards, I realized how special it had been to be part of this project. In that interview for the Grammy Awards, they specifically asked me about "Been You," and I shared how proud I am of how the song turned out. I told them that every time I listen to it, I can still feel that night in the studio when we hit the perfect groove, or that vocal take where Justin put his whole soul into it. It's a track that encapsulates the essence of why we make music: to connect emotion and sound. In summary, "Been You" was an emotional roller coaster in its creation, a labor of love, technique, and passion that, I believe, is reflected in every second of the recording. As a producer, I couldn't be happier to have been part of that song and the legacy of Purpose. It was an unforgettable experience and the audience continues to enjoy it, which is the most important thing!

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Just working on music for myself, for improve my skills and learn more about music production.

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: Yes, Serranow and Bryan Dotel two ''kids'' with so much talent in the Dominican Republic.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I usually use analog compressors, to add the warmth that the tubes of a 737 give to the voice, and I also use digital EQs like the Pro Q3 that gives more precision when working with the frequencies, so personally I use the better of the two worlds

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: What i like?? that it's not a job.

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: 13 years already

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: Hope to share with Poo Bear again and re-connect anytime soon.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Take a week or two of break after you complete a song project, i know it's most a mental health tip, but for me it's the most important to have a break for your ears, just chill when it's possible for you.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: EDM, Pop Latin, Reggaeton