Stargate

One of the most successful production and songwriting units throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Stargate originated in Trondheim, Norway as a partnership between Mikkel Storleer Eriksen (aka Mikkel SE), <a href="spotify:artist:7BwWmXxaUFHTL8f8IeszOZ">Tor Erik Hermansen</a>, and Hallgeir Rustan. The trio made a splash in Europe with a 1999-2004 run that spawned hits for S Club 7, Billie Piper, <a href="spotify:artist:1kMfh3vEY0iWX9SDVjvdsd">Hear'Say</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6JMHws5haIO6V35YNYDnDw">Atomic Kitten</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:7L12TqJ0fbwtFljTbwfwRI">Samantha Mumba</a>. Eriksen and <a href="spotify:artist:7BwWmXxaUFHTL8f8IeszOZ">Hermansen</a> set up business in New York -- Rustan opted to remain in Norway with his family -- and a chance meeting with <a href="spotify:artist:2oS5CAsmWR1acAATvUQlY1">Shaffer Smith</a> (aka <a href="spotify:artist:21E3waRsmPlU7jZsS13rcj">Ne-Yo</a>) helped catapult Stargate to prominence in the U.S., where their biggest hit -- to that point -- was <a href="spotify:artist:6csA2rxNLkQJXeEa7lyGXn">Mis-Teeq</a>'s Top 40 single "Scandalous." After linking with <a href="spotify:artist:2oS5CAsmWR1acAATvUQlY1">Smith</a>, Stargate rattled off a succession of moderately popular and ubiquitous hit singles. Eriksen and <a href="spotify:artist:7BwWmXxaUFHTL8f8IeszOZ">Hermansen</a> became one of the premier pop-R&B production teams, successors to the likes of <a href="spotify:artist:4ZaXj4ZrqscgpfqJolMfib">Jimmy Jam</a> and Terry Lewis, and <a href="spotify:artist:3aVoqlJOYx31lH1gibGDt3">Babyface</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:3qEzkkBwK5vKVggMiZYOWa">L.A. Reid</a>. They reached the Top Ten four times in 2006 with <a href="spotify:artist:21E3waRsmPlU7jZsS13rcj">Ne-Yo</a>'s "So Sick" and "Sexy Love," <a href="spotify:artist:5pKCCKE2ajJHZ9KAiaK11H">Rihanna</a>'s "Unfaithful," and <a href="spotify:artist:6vWDO969PvNqNYHIOW5v0m">Beyoncé</a>'s "Irreplaceable," the last of which received a Grammy nomination for Record of the Year. From 2007 through 2009, Stargate notched an additional nine Top Ten songs, occasionally collaborating with other artists and songwriters instead of <a href="spotify:artist:2oS5CAsmWR1acAATvUQlY1">Smith</a>. <a href="spotify:artist:2AQjGvtT0pFYfxR3neFcvz">Jordin Sparks</a>' "Tattoo," for instance, was written with <a href="spotify:artist:0rjLyXKeVYdI1Xd2sNtyX0">Amanda Ghost</a> and Ian Dench.

Stargate's biggest year yet was 2010, fostered somewhat ironically by a reversion to their Euro-pop roots. <a href="spotify:artist:5pKCCKE2ajJHZ9KAiaK11H">Rihanna</a>'s "Rude Boy," "Only Girl (In the World)," and "What's My Name?," along with <a href="spotify:artist:6jJ0s89eD6GaHleKKya26X">Katy Perry</a>'s "Firework," all topped the Hot 100 with high-gloss dancefloor and radio appeal. These hits involved collaborations with the artists and a number of other songwriters, including Esther Dean, Traci Hale, and Crystal Johnson. Among the duo's biggest hits during the next few years were the stylistically dissimilar likes of <a href="spotify:artist:137W8MRPWKqSmrBGDBFSop">Wiz Khalifa</a>'s "Black and Yellow," <a href="spotify:artist:5pKCCKE2ajJHZ9KAiaK11H">Rihanna</a>'s "Diamonds," and <a href="spotify:artist:2lEOFtf3cCyzomQcMHJGfZ">Ylvis</a>' "The Fox." Eriksen and <a href="spotify:artist:7BwWmXxaUFHTL8f8IeszOZ">Hermansen</a> continued to branch out in 2015 as co-producers of <a href="spotify:artist:4gzpq5DPGxSnKTe4SA8HAU">Coldplay</a>'s A Head Full of Dreams. By 2017, the duo made their move to the forefront as primary artists, releasing the single "Waterfall" under the Stargate moniker. The track featured <a href="spotify:artist:1KCSPY1glIKqW2TotWuXOR">P!nk</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:5WUlDfRSoLAfcVSX1WnrxN">Sia</a>, as well as songwriting assistance from <a href="spotify:artist:5fMUXHkw8R8eOP2RNVYEZX">Diplo</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:4ZJVpxn4vy9Nr6TwxzZuK1">Jr. Blender</a>. The single "1Night," featuring <a href="spotify:artist:1URnnhqYAYcrqrcwql10ft">21 Savage</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3CbYyyd8wH3RT6t0jwpdzC">Murda Beatz</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:2HPaUgqeutzr3jx5a9WyDV">PARTYNEXTDOOR</a>, appeared in April 2018. ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi