Who should get songwriting credits on a song? That’s a question that leads to a conversation that almost seems taboo in the music industry but has been on many people’s minds. That question is the main topic of discussion in the new episode of Billboard‘s video series, Cultura Clash.
“People nowadays look at everything like who wrote and who produced the song. So, why would we lie and tell people that a person — who’s an executive — wrote a song when they actually didn’t?” an incredulous Cazzu asks her co-panelists — a group that includes Puerto Rican producer Tainy, singer-songwriter Guaynaa and executive Lex Borrero, who co-founded talent incubator NEON16 with Tainy in 2019.
“It’s a very wide topic,” says Guaynaa. “There’s people in the studio who are just talking and looking with their hands in their pocket and they want credit. Like, what did you even do? I can’t give you a percentage for just bringing us coffee or give a recommendation that was never even implemented.”
Who deserves credit on a song isn’t as murky, suggests Borrero — who’s credited as a songwriter on songs such as the Latin Grammy-nominated track “Agua” by J Balvin and Tainy. “The credit should go to the people that created the song. When a manager or an executive adds something to the song, they deserve credit,” he says offering examples of when he’s contributed creatively to songs and has gotten songwriting credit. “I don’t go in judging because every manager has a different relationship with their artist. Many split everything half way. And I value what an executive brings to the career of an artist.”
Now in its second season, Cultura Clash — hosted by Latin executive AJ Ramos — spotlights Latin artists and influencers who discuss trending topics within the Latin culture and music.
A new episode airs every Wednesday on Billboard.com, social media, and on Billboard‘s YouTube channel. Watch this week’s episode above.
