[INTERVIEW] A&R consultant enriches NCT DREAM, TXT's albums through foreign songwriters (2024)

Marion Van der wees says more songwriters these days want to work with K-pop stars

By Dong Sun-hwa

Marion Van der wees, a London-based A&R consultant / Courtesy of Marion Van der wees

K-pop bigwigs like NCT DREAM, Tomorrow X Together (TXT), Red Velvet and SEVENTEEN have one thing in common: all of them received a helping hand from Marion Van der wees, a London-based artists and repertoire (A&R) consultant, to place quality songs in their albums, which were composed by some of the world's most acclaimed songwriters.

From NCT DREAM's "Life is Still Going On" (2021) and TXT's "Ice Cream" (2021) to ENHYPEN's "Tamed-Dashed" (2021), Van der wees has delivered more than 15 songs for different K-pop stars so far, with "Tamed-Dashed" ― written by Ciara Muscat and Sam Klempner, among others ― making it onto the Billboard's Hot Trending Songs chart.

The A&R consultant, who jumped into the K-pop world in 2020, says a growing number of topliners are willing to produce music for Korean singers thanks to K-pop's worldwide popularity.

K-pop boy group NCT DREAM / Courtesy of SM Entertainment

"I am 110-percent sure that more songwriters are showing their interest in K-pop these days," she said in a recent email interview with The Korea Times. "In particular, everyone wants to work with BTS, a Grammy-nominated group with a string of Billboard chart-topping hits."

Van der wees became an A&R consultant by accident. After graduating from Belmont University in the U.S., she had to seek a job in Europe as her U.S. visa expired in 2019. A year later, she began working at Big Machine Label Group (BMLG), a record label in the U.K., and had a fateful encounter with Iren Coutiel, who introduced her to K-pop. Shortly after that, Van der wees landed a new job as an A&R consultant at Frank Music, and started interacting with writers and producers across the globe.

"I got so obsessed with K-pop and began doing a lots of research on the writers and producers behind the songs to connect with them," she recalled. "Then, I got hold of Korean labels and started sending them songs I have. Being part of the birth of a new tune that can potentially make an impact on somebody's life is very meaningful."

K-pop act Tomorrow X Together (TXT) / Courtesy of Big Hit Music

Revealing that she sometimes pitches nearly 60 songs in a day, Van der wees explained there are two different ways of pitching.

"Sometimes K-pop labels send me the briefs outlining what kinds of tracks they are looking for," she said. "Then I send them packs of songs to review. Other times, I pitch songs directly to the companies if I think a certain song is a perfect fit for a certain artist."

K-pop boy band ENHYPEN / Courtesy of Belift Lab

Working with K-pop labels might be a dream-come-true for those who love K-pop, but being an A&R consultant is not all glitz and glamour, according to Van der wees. Getting a "yes" or a nod from these companies is not a piece of cake and sometimes, the waiting seems endless.

"It can take three months to a year for them to review the songs, so I have to wait with patience," she said. "However, even if a song does not get placed after a long wait, this does not mean it is not good. It just means that the timing was not right or that it did not suit the concept or the image of a certain album."

She added, "Different labels have different standpoints and visions. Even if I love a song very much and believe it fits the concept of an album, getting a 'yes' is out of my control. One thing I can do is to remember that some A&R teams prefer listening to one song at a time, while others want to receive 30 tracks at once. And I always find ways to make things happen. If I hear 'no' for a certain thing, I will snooze that email for a few months later until I get that 'yes.'"

K-pop boy group SEVENTEEN / Courtesy of Pledis Entertainment

Van der wees believes everything is just a matter of time.

"It took Josh McClelland, one of my writers, a year to get his first placement ― or 'cut' ― in a K-pop album, but it was worth the wait because his single, 'Rock With You,' was included in SEVENTEEN's 'Attacca,' which grabbed the No. 3 spot on the 2021 global album sales chart for the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). Realizing my clients' dreams and getting their songs cut by their favorite artists are so rewarding."

Among all the projects that she has carried out to date, "Hello, Sunset" by Red Velvet is the most memorable one for her.

K-pop girl group Red Velvet / Courtesy of SM Entertainment

"I enjoyed working on this project a lot as I was part of the journey of that song from start to finish," she said. "I scheduled the session and matched the writers and producer. Then I pitched it to the quintet's record label SM Entertainment, which loved it for Red Velvet."

She added that major K-pop agencies like SM and HYBE are willing to work with her because of the quality of the songs that she sends them.

"I am very fortunate to be able to work with incredible producers and writers," she said. "I also believe that my work ethic plays a strong part. I am fond of creating meaningful relationships and try my best to be as efficient as I can in my work. I make sure my emails are all answered before I go to bed."

The fact that she is a K-pop fan adds more fun to her job and Van der wees hopes she gets the chance to join hands with more talented singers, such as MAMAMOO's Hwasa, Girls' Generations' Taeyeon, SHINee's Taemin and EXO's Baekhyun.

"My goal is to keep my clients happy and excited about their careers and the projects we are working on, as well as bringing more innovative changes to the music industry," she said. "I also want to set up my own publishing company in the future."