1. Biography
RedOne's life and career progression illustrate a journey from his early musical aspirations in Morocco and Sweden to becoming a globally recognized music producer and executive.
1.1. Early life
Nadir Khayat was born on April 9, 1972, in Tétouan, Morocco. He was the ninth and youngest child in his family. At the age of 19, in 1991, he immigrated to Sweden to pursue a career in music. He chose Sweden due to the significant amount of "good music coming from there," citing influential bands like ABBA, Europe, and Roxette as his inspirations. Initially, he engaged in musical activities by singing and playing guitar in various local bands.
1.2. Career in Sweden (1991-2006)
In 1995, RedOne shifted his focus from performing to songwriting and producing for other artists. This transition was significantly aided by Rami Yacoub, a fellow ex-rock musician. Yacoub, an already successful and established Palestinian-Swedish songwriter and producer, invited RedOne to work with him in the studio, teaching him about "programming and how the software works." The two collaborated on several songs, including "Funky" and "Joyful Life" for the Swedish girl band Popsie, where RedOne was credited as Nadir K. During this period, he adopted the alias 'RedOne', a pseudonym derived from the name of a friend, Redouan. After about a year of working together, Yacoub joined Cheiron Studios, leading to their separation, with Yacoub going on to work with major artists like Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Westlife, and Céline Dion.
RedOne continued to produce various Swedish and European pop acts. In 2001-2002, he co-produced two follow-up albums, Teen Spirit (2001) and Pop 'Til You Drop (2002), for A-Teens, an ABBA tribute band. He contributed original songs like "...to the Music," "Slam," and "Singled Out" to help them evolve beyond being a cover band.
His efforts began to gain significant recognition in 2005. He wrote "Break Free" and "My Love Won't Let You Down" for Daniel Lindström's chart-topping self-titled album. RedOne then achieved his first number one on Sverigetopplistan with Darin Zanyar's "Step Up." This song, co-written with Darin and frequent collaborator Bilal Hajji, earned them a Swedish Grammy and the "Scandinavian Song of the Year" award. He subsequently co-produced Darin's albums The Anthem and Darin. RedOne also found crossover success with Canadian singer Carl Henry, producing hits like "I Wish" and "Little Mama," which were nominated for a Juno Award for Recording of the Year. In 2005, he worked with pop singer Britney Spears and songwriter Michelle Bell on a track titled "Money Love and Happiness" for her unreleased album "Original Doll." The track remained unreleased until 2012 when Bell leaked it online.
In 2006, RedOne continued to produce for various European artists, including the Dutch pop band Ch!pz, the Mexican teen group RBD (for their album Rebels), American artist Christina Milian (a remix of "L.O.V.E."), Dutch singer EliZe, and Swedish singer Ola Svensson (including "Go Go Sweden" for the Swedish national football team).
1.3. International breakthrough (2006-2009)
RedOne's international career began to take shape in 2006 when he produced the single "Bamboo," which was designated an "Official Melody" for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. "Bamboo" was extensively used for branding and promotion during television broadcasts, advertising campaigns, and cross-promotions as part of the World Cup Official Music Program, providing him with significant global exposure. FIFA also appointed him as the main producer and songwriter for the 2006 World Cup Official Music Program. He also produced a mash-up remix of Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie" featuring Wyclef Jean and his own "Bamboo." This remix was performed by Shakira and Wyclef Jean before the 2006 FIFA World Cup final in Berlin, reaching an estimated worldwide television audience of over 1.2 B people.
Despite the global exposure from "Bamboo," RedOne felt the song did not have the impact he desired, particularly in the United States, stating that it "opened a few doors that closed quickly after." This led him to decide to move to the United States to establish his career there. In 2007, he relocated to Jersey City, New Jersey, with his wife, viewing it as a "now or never opportunity." Initially, the move proved challenging; he struggled to secure any production work and depleted his savings. Facing financial difficulties and contemplating a return to Sweden, his wife encouraged him to persevere for a few more months.
His breakthrough in the American market came when he met with Epic Records to present a song for Kat DeLuna's upcoming debut album. After playing his song "Whine Up", RedOne recounts that label president Charlie Walk interrupted him, exclaiming, "Stop, you're a genius!" This pivotal moment led to RedOne being given a Jennifer Lopez song to remix and several demos for Menudo. He was also entrusted with the production of Kat DeLuna's debut album, 9 Lives (2007).
1.3.1. Collaboration with Lady Gaga
In 2007, RedOne was introduced to Alan Melina and Laurent Besencon of New Heights Entertainment, the management company for Lady Gaga. This introduction marked the beginning of a highly influential partnership. RedOne co-wrote and co-produced Gaga's debut studio album, The Fame (2008), and its reissue, The Fame Monster (2009). This collaboration yielded several top-five singles, including "Just Dance", "Poker Face", "LoveGame", and "Bad Romance", which significantly propelled both their careers to international stardom. He continued to work with Lady Gaga on her second studio album, Born This Way (2011).
1.3.2. Early international successes
Beyond his work with Lady Gaga, RedOne's early international successes included his productions for artists like Kat DeLuna. The success of "Whine Up" and her debut album 9 Lives solidified his reputation as a hitmaker. His ability to blend diverse musical elements and create catchy, chart-topping tracks quickly made him a sought-after producer in the global music industry.
1.4. Continued success and ventures (2010-present)
From 2010 onwards, RedOne continued to expand his influence in the music industry and beyond, venturing into record label management and high-profile collaborations with international organizations.
RedOne penned many songs for Alexey Vorobyov (also known as Alex Sparrow), who represented Russia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011. Vorobyov was later recruited to RedOne's record label.
1.4.1. Founding of RedOne Records
In 2010, RedOne established his record label, 2101 Records, as a joint venture with Universal Music Group. An affiliated publishing company, 2101 Songs, was administered by Sony ATV Songs (BMI). The label signed various artists, including Jennifer Lopez, Mohombi, Havana Brown, Midnight Red, Porcelain Black, and 7Lions.
In early 2014, RedOne rebranded 2101 Records to RedOne Records. The label continued to promote artists such as Midnight Red, Porcelain Black, Ahmed Chawki, Sophia Del Carmen, Kika, and Wayne Beckford. RedOne Records also became involved in promoting SuperMartXé event productions. In 2015, RedOne announced plans for his debut album, RedOne Presents, expressing a desire to collaborate with artists like Lady Gaga, Enrique Iglesias, Stevie Wonder, and Lionel Richie. That same year, he ventured into country music, co-writing and co-producing "Live Forever" for The Band Perry, the lead single from their third studio album.
In January 2016, RedOne signed a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records. His first single under this label, "Don't You Need Somebody", was released on May 20, 2016, featuring Enrique Iglesias, R. City, Serayah, and Shaggy. Reflecting on his transition from producer to artist, RedOne stated his desire to "be an artist in a new way, rather than the traditional one," by creating diverse sounds with various collaborators. In 2018, he supported Morocco's bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup under the hashtag #Maymkench2026 and produced the song "Festival" in collaboration with the Mexican YouTuber group Los Polinesios.
1.4.2. Collaboration with FIFA
In December 2021, RedOne was appointed Creative Entertainment Executive of FIFA. In this role, he has been instrumental in producing official soundtracks for major football events. He produced the official soundtrack for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, which included the song "Dreamers" by Jungkook. He also produced the official song for the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup titled "Welcome to Morocco," featuring Douzi and Asmae Lmnawar, for the tournament held in Morocco. Additionally, he wrote and produced the official anthem for the COP28 Summit in Dubai in December 2023.
2. Production and songwriting
RedOne has an extensive discography as a producer and songwriter, contributing to numerous hit songs across various genres, including pop, rock, R&B, house, hip hop, and dance. His production credits include work with:
- Artists: Akon, Marc Anthony, Justin Bieber, Birdman, Zander Bleck, Mary J Blige, Brandy, Alexandra Burke, Cassie, Cheb Khaled, Cher, Cross Gene, Taio Cruz, Kat DeLuna, Jason Derulo, Jade Ewen, Mylène Farmer, Livvi Franc, Sirusho, Selena Gomez, Ayumi Hamasaki, Enrique Iglesias, Inna, Jean-Roch, K'naan, Katia, Kika, Sean Kingston, KMC, Little Boots, Cher Lloyd, Pixie Lott, Austin Mahone, MIKA, Nicki Minaj, Mohombi, Nayer, Orianthi, Lionel Richie, Kelly Rowland, Paulina Rubio, Nicole Scherzinger, Space Cowboy, Usher, and Lil Wayne.
- Bands: RBD, Backstreet Boys, Cheetah Girls, Dive Bella Dive, Far East Movement, Flipsyde, Jada, JLS, Love Generation, Midnight Red, New Kids on the Block, One Direction, Sugababes, Now United, Talkback, and Ying Yang Twins.
Some of his notable productions include:
- 2005: Darin - "Step Up"
- 2007: Kat DeLuna - "Run the Show"
- 2008: Akon - "Sunny Day"
- 2008: Darin - "Breathing Your Love"
- 2008: Enrique Iglesias - "Takin' Back My Love"
- 2008: Lady Gaga - "Just Dance", "LoveGame", "Poker Face"
- 2009: Lady Gaga - "Bad Romance", "Alejandro"
- 2009: Backstreet Boys - "Straight Through My Heart"
- 2009: Pixie Lott - "Here We Go Again", "Rolling Stone"
- 2009: Little Boots - "Remedy"
- 2009: Sean Kingston - "Fire Burning"
- 2009: Sugababes - "About a Girl"
- 2009: Alexandra Burke - "Broken Heels", "The Silence", "Dumb"
- 2009: Cassie - "Let's Get Crazy"
- 2010: Alexandra Burke - "Start Without You"
- 2010: Enrique Iglesias - "I Like It"
- 2010: Mika - "Kick Ass"
- 2010: Mohombi - "Bumpy Ride"
- 2010: Selena Gomez & The Scene - "Summer's Not Hot"
- 2010: Mylène Farmer - "Oui mais... non"
- 2010: Nicole Scherzinger - "Poison"
- 2011: Lady Gaga - "Judas", "Hair"
- 2011: Jennifer Lopez - "On The Floor" (featuring Pitbull)
- 2012: Nicki Minaj - "Starships", "Pound the Alarm"
- 2012: Havana Brown - "We Run The Night" (featuring Pitbull)
- 2022: Jungkook - "Dreamers" (Music from the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Official Soundtrack) (featuring FIFA Sound)
RedOne has also released singles as a lead artist:
| Year | Title | SWE | FRA | SPN | SWI | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | "Don't You Need Somebody" | 7 | 150 | 18 | 19 | Non-album singles |
| 2017 | "Boom Boom" | - | 170 | 33 | 90 | Non-album singles |
| 2018 | "One World" | - | - | - | - | Non-album singles |
| 2019 | "We Love Africa" | - | - | - | - | Non-album singles |
Other appearances as a featured artist or contributor to soundtracks:
| rowspan="2" Year | rowspan="2" Title | colspan="9" Peak positions | rowspan="2" Album | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUT | BEL (Fl) | BEL (Wa) | FRA | GER | ITA | NED | SPN | SWI | |||
| 2010 | "Kick Ass (We Are Young)" | 54 | 8 | 5 | - | 54 | 5 | - | - | 56 | Kick-Ass: Music from the Motion Picture |
| 2012 | "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Chimes of Freedom |
| rowspan="2" 2014 | "A-Ricky-Kee" | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Non-album singles |
| "¡Hala Madrid! ...y nada más" | - | - | - | 143 | - | - | - | 1 | - | Non-album singles | |
| 2016 | "La Roja Baila (Himno Oficial de la Selección Española)" | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | Non-album singles |
| rowspan="2" 2017 | "Voy a Bailar" | - | - | - | - | - | - | 13 | - | - | Non-album singles |
| "Love Is All That Matters" | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Non-album singles | |
| rowspan="2" 2018 | "Festival" | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Non-album singles |
| "Nos Fuimos Lejos (Arabic Version)" | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Non-album singles | |
| rowspan="2" 2021 | "Sahra Sabahi" | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Non-album singles |
| "Gaw Elbanat" | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Non-album singles |
3. Musical style and influence
RedOne's signature production style is characterized by its dynamic energy, catchy melodies, and a fusion of diverse musical genres. He is known for blending elements of pop, dance, R&B, rock, and hip hop, creating a distinctive sound that has resonated globally. His work often features strong rhythmic foundations, prominent synthesizers, and anthemic choruses, making his productions instantly recognizable and highly suitable for mainstream radio and dance floors.
He is frequently credited as a key architect of the sound that defined Lady Gaga's early career, particularly on her albums The Fame and The Fame Monster. His ability to craft infectious pop hits with a cutting-edge electronic edge significantly influenced the direction of contemporary pop music in the late 2000s and early 2010s. RedOne's innovative approach to songwriting and production has made him one of the most influential music producers of his generation, leaving a lasting impact on subsequent artists and the broader pop music industry.
4. Awards and honors
RedOne has received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, recognizing his contributions as a producer, songwriter, and artist.
He has won three Grammy Awards from eight nominations. His Grammy nominations include:
- 2009: "Just Dance" (Best Dance Recording)
- 2010: The Fame (Best Dance/Electronic Album)
- 2010: The Fame (Album of the Year)
- 2010: "Poker Face" (Best Dance Recording)
- 2010: "Poker Face" (Record of the Year)
- 2010: "Poker Face" (Song of the Year)
- 2011: The Fame Monster (Best Pop Vocal Album)
- 2011: The Fame Monster (Album of the Year)
- 2011: RedOne (Producer of the Year, Non-Classical)
- 2012: Born This Way (Album of the Year)
In 2011, RedOne was awarded the Moroccan Royal Award for "Intellectual Excellence" and was officially decorated by King Mohamed VI of Morocco in a ceremony held in Tangier. He also won Producer of the Year at the 2011 Grammis Awards, which are the Swedish equivalent to the Grammy Awards. In 2009, he was recognized as the number one producer on the Billboard Hot 100 and ranked number three as a songwriter, also winning BMI's Songwriter of the Year award. In 2010, the Swedish Music Publishers Association honored RedOne as Composer of the Year, and his song "Bad Romance" received both Song of the Year and Most Played Song of the Year accolades. He was also nominated for a Latin Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2011 for Euphoria.
5. Philanthropy
RedOne is actively involved in philanthropic efforts, primarily through the 2101 Foundation, which he established in 2011. This non-profit organization is dedicated to assisting disadvantaged youth and inspiring them to pursue their passions in life through music, arts, and education.
He also supports A Place Called Home, a safe haven located in South Central Los Angeles. This organization empowers underserved youth by providing programs focused on education, arts, and well-being, encouraging them to take ownership of their lives and make a positive impact in their communities and the world.
6. Personal life
Nadir Khayat is married to Laila Aziz, a creative designer who is currently involved with Kayat, a brand jointly owned by the couple.