Billboard – August 10, 2019

(C. Jardin) #1

88 BILLBOARD | AUGUST 10 , 2 019


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Goldstein


photographed by


Michele Thomas on


J ul y 31 at Re p ub li c


Records in Santa


Monica, Calif.


QUEEN OF THE


COMEBACK


“Wendy is a true


visionary who brings


so much knowledge


and passion to


the table. We really


trust her perspective


and her track record.


She’s a force.”


—JONAS BROTHERS


Goldstein has watched Ariana Grande grow up. After


signing the now-26-year-old singer in 2011, the A&R


veteran steered her transition from Nickelodeon


star to pop-R&B provocateur. But it was Grande’s


Thank U, Next album — recorded during a cathartic,


five-week blitz in New York and released just six


months after 2018’s Sweetener — that took both


of their careers to the next level. The album scored


Grande her first two Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s, “Thank


U, Next” and “7 Rings.” And when follow-up “Break


Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored” hit No. 2 in


February, Grande became the first artist since The


Beatles in 1964 to occupy the chart’s top three spots


simultaneously. Now in her 10th year at Republic, the


recently promoted Goldstein — who has also had a


hand in the careers of The Weeknd, Hailee Steinfeld,


Julia Michaels and the Jonas Brothers — looks back


on the making of that record-shattering album.


After Mac [Miller] passed, Ari wanted to get into the


studio — not for the purpose of making an album,


because she had just put one out, but just to write


about her experiences. There was no pressure.


WENDY GOLDSTEIN


PRESIDENT, WEST COAST CREATIVE, REPUBLIC RECORDS


THE LEGACY


Y Three Hot 100 No. 1s for The Weeknd


with “Can’t Feel My Face,” “The Hills”


and “Starboy” (featuring Daft Punk).


Y Two 2018 Grammy nods for Julia


Michaels, including best new artist and


song of the year (“Issues”).


YJonas Brothers’ Happiness Begins


earned 414,000 equivalent album units


in its first week, according to Nielsen


Music, the biggest debut of 2019 so far.


It was real. Not that any of the Sweetener tracks


weren’t, but the world finally got to see who she is:


a beautiful, smart, funny, complicated person. This


record was her truth.


I always thought “7 Rings” was the bigger of


the two records, but “Thank U, Next” had to come


first. After the album hit No. 1, we celebrated at


Nobu in Malibu with Ari’s real people: friends,


family, management and her longtime vocal coach,


Eric Vetro. To go through what she had gone


through and put it all back into her work — I can’t


say how much I respect her.


The double-album strategy worked for Ari in


that moment in time because it was driven by a


significant event. Everything aligned. The industry


is moving so fast, but some of the care that I put into


Ariana, I put into the Jonas Brothers’ comeback with


“Sucker” — a group that had something different to


say about love, positivity, family and coming back. It


cut through differently. This has been one of those


times in my career where I’m getting it right more


than not — I’ve learned to let things unfold naturally.


—AS TOLD TO NICK WILLIAMS

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