Meet Rob Grimaldi, one of the minds behind some of K-pop's biggest hits

Behind every great song is a great producer/songwriter. And if we're talking great songs, there's been no escaping the most successful song of 2021, “Butter” by BTS. You might be surprised to learn the mastermind behind that viral bop is actually known for his behind the scenes work creating monster pop hits including “Love to Hate Me” by BLACKPINK, “GOT MY NUMBER” by Monsta X, “Karma” by Queen Naija, “Sadness” by Noah Cyrus, and many more. That mastermind is the talented multi-platinum songwriter/producer/composer Rob Grimaldi. 

“This record was special to me and I’m so happy and thankful to see it doing so well. It’s an incredible feeling,” Grimaldi told Etalk’s Lainey Lui in reference to the success of “Butter.” Doing "well" is an understatement.

“Butter” has smashed Billboard records, recently becoming the biggest number one hit in the history of Billboard’s Global Chart. The BTS ditty debuted at the number one spot on the Billboard Global 200 while amassing 289.2 million plays on streaming platforms and 249,000 copies sold during its first week, which is unheard of. The tremendous milestone was previously held by the K-pop group’s 2020 track “Life Goes On.” Call it the "BTS Effect."

“The beauty of hit songs is that it depends on a lot of different things for the song to take off.” Rob credits BTS’ charisma and incredible work ethic for the track's unbelievable success. 

Rob Grimaldi grew up in Bergen County, New Jersey, with a love for music. He is a multi-instrumentalist with a degree focused on classical and jazz music. Rob consumed music from all different genres growing up, including everything from the likes of Duke Ellington and the Beatles, to Tupac and Usher. He always knew that music was something he saw doing for the rest of his life. 

His producing style is described as “diverse and distinct” and he considers himself as a “chameleon in the studio.” With R&B tracks and K-pop smash hits under his belt, it just reflects Rob’s love for a vast array of music from a young age. He even showcased his penchant for country music on the track "Made for These" by Jimmie Allen featuring Tim McGraw. 

So what's the "secret sauce" is for creating a smash hit? Rob swears that “professionalism and knowing how to write great songs” is key. “Whether it’s BTS or BLACKPINK, I think my role in the room is just to be a pro and make sure the record sounds like the radio.” And those made-for-radio tracks sound like hits to us -- the millions of streams on his songs speak for themselves.

Rob says that collaborating with artists is the coolest part of his job adding, “every artist comes in with something to say and my job is to turn that story into a hit. When you wake up every day with that in mind it’s the coolest job in the world, I wouldn’t do anything else.” 

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