The New "It" Producer for Rock Icons

Andrew Watt has made pop hits with everyone from Justin Bieber to Shawn Mendes to Selena Gomez. Now he's become the go-to studio collaborator for legends like Iggy, Ozzy, and Eddie Vedder.

- MADISON VAIN

ANDREW WATT CAN'T SAY WHAT HE'S working on. It's mid-December in London, and the record producer behind hits by Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, and Post Malone is feeling a little tongue-tied. It's not his news to share, you see.. But it's important-"the most excited I've ever been about anything," he says about the mysterious project. What can he mention? First off, that it's freezing outside. Really fucking cold. Every day is just a bundled-up shuffle from the hotel to the studio and back again, keeping quiet when people like me ask what he's up to in the Big Smoke. Except Watt isn't feeling stifled by the secrecy. Instead, he's downright giddy. "It brings me to tears sometimes," the 32-year-old admits. "It's overwhelming to work with people who are part of your musical DNA."

The star power of his Rolodex may not have lost its luster for Watt yet, but his high-profile bookings come as no surprise to anyone who's followed popular music in the past decade. Beyond collaborating with a who's who of mainstream hitmakers-Selena Gomez, Lana Del Rey, and Camila Cabello also feature on his résumé-Watt serves as the go-to soundboard whiz for rock 'n' roll legends. Pearl Jam. Morrissey. Elton John. He's partnered with all of them, and it's working. Watt has been credited with Ozzy Osbourne's resurgence in recent years, spearheading the Black Sabbath frontman's well-reviewed 2020 LP, Ordinary Man, as well as his 2022 album, the Grammy-nominated Patient Number 9. And last fall, Iggy Pop logged his first rock-radio hit in more than 30 years (!) with "Frenzy," which Watt cowrote, produced, and played guitar on. Eddie Vedder's Earthling, which Watt produced in its entirety, hit number one on the charts. In 2021, Watt won a Grammy for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical.