Johan Åberg
Johan Åberg | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 17, 1972 Stockholm, Sweden |
| Occupation(s) | Music producer, songwriter, artist manager |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
| Known for | Writing and producing hit songs for Christina Aguilera and Cher; managing Ulrik Munther |
Johan Åberg (born 17 April 1972) is a Swedish music producer, songwriter, and artist manager. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, he achieved international success by writing and producing hit songs for performers such as Christina Aguilera with "Come on Over Baby (All I Want Is You)" and Cher with "A Different Kind of Love Song". Additionally, he managed the Swedish singer-songwriter Ulrik Munther, who secured third place at Melodifestivalen 2012 performing "Soldiers", a track co-written and co-produced by Åberg.
Musical career
Raised in Stocksund, a suburb of Stockholm, Åberg began his musical journey as a guitarist in various rock bands. He pursued his education at Södra Latin, a music-focused high school, followed by studies in fine arts within Stockholm. Shifting his focus from performing to songwriting, he co-established the production company Eclectic Music alongside Anders Hansson in 1998.
Collaborating with songwriter Paul Rein, Åberg co-created chart-topping songs for emerging artists like Christina Aguilera and Jessica Simpson. The single "Come On Over Baby", the fourth release from Aguilera's debut album, climbed to number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. That album sold over 17 million copies globally and was ranked 23rd on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums of the Decade. They also penned "I've Got My Eyes On You" for Jessica Simpson’s debut album Sweet Kisses, which reached number 25 on the Billboard 200 and earned double Platinum certification in the United States.
In 2002, Åberg contributed as co-writer and co-producer to Cher’s song "A Different Kind of Love Song" featured on her album Living Proof, which topped Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs chart. By 2007, the album had sold half a million copies in the U.S. His songwriting credits also include tracks for French girl group L5 and Chinese pop artist Wei Wei.
As Ulrik Munther’s manager—whom he discovered through Lilla Melodifestivalen—Åberg played a key role in guiding him to second place at the Metro Music Challenge in 2009 with a notable cover of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way". Later, Munther achieved third place at Melodifestivalen 2012 performing "Soldiers", which Åberg both co-wrote and co-produced.
Current business
At present, Åberg heads A26 Media AB, a digital agency dedicated to providing cutting-edge media solutions.