2. Kanye West & Jeff Bhasker
Kanye West isn't someone you'd necessarily associate with pop but looking over his back catalogue of songs, most of his albums (in particular
808s and Heartbreak which West himself has described to be 'a pop album') have the heart of a pop song at their core. Jeff Bhasker, one of the most popular and talented pop, R&B and hip-hop producers in the business, a stellar producer, uses this fact to great knowledge, helping craft impressive beats for every occasion. In
My Dark Sexy Twisted Fantasy, Bhasker crafts the chilly electronica beats and swathes West's strong vocals in a sheen of cinematic gloss that took the album (rightfully) to a peak in his career. His Bon Iver mashup 'Lost In The World' is an alterna-rap dream come true while 'All of the Light's is an epic exercise in furious rapping against a pulse-pounding beat with more guests than you could shake a stick at. Bhasker's beats are always on point, something quite frankly fantastic in the modern producing world where a lot of beats are recycled from one hit song to three more - no one can ever replicate his work with West, West's intelligent, forward-thinking vision helping elevate the songs into catchy, memorable and thoughtful tunes, something most songs should aspire to be.