Who Is Shellback? 5 Things to Know About Taylor Swift’s Producer

Music producer Shellback is making headlines after Taylor Swift revealed that she collaborated with him on her upcoming album The Life of A Showgirl.

This week, the pop star sent Swifties spiraling when she announced her 12th studio album, which will be released October 3. The songs were produced by Shellback and Max Martin, both of whom are Swedish and regularly collaborate with American pop artists from Swift and Britney Spears to Ariana Grande and Adele.

The last time Swift worked with Martin and Shellback was for 2017’s Reputation. 

Keep scrolling for five things to know about Shellback:

What Is Shellback’s History With Swift?

Born Karl Johan Schuster in Sweden, Shellback was a heavy metal guitarist before pivoting to pop music production and songwriting. He began working with Martin in 2007. Swift first tapped the duo to collaborate with her on 2012’s Red, where they cowrote “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” “I Knew You Were Trouble” and “22,” which are widely considered her first three pop songs and the tracks that kickstarted her shift from country music. 

She invited them back into the studio to produce a handful of songs for 1989, her official foray into pop in 2014. They partnered on chart-topping tracks such as “Shake It Off,” “Blank Space” and “Style,” and scored the coveted Grammy award for Album of the Year in 2016. The following year, they were listed as producers on some of her Reputation album, the edgiest record of her career up to that point.

Recently, Shellback and Swift teamed up to rerecord her albums 1989 (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s Version) after her former record company, Big Machine, sold her masters to another company. (Swift has since bought them back.)

Who Else Has Shellback Produced? 

With and without Martin, Shellback has collaborated with Spears (“If U Seek Amy,” “Criminal”), Pink (“So What,” “Raise Your Glass”), Maroon 5 (“Moves Like Jagger”), Ariana Grande (“Problem”) and Justin Timberlake (“Can’t Stop the Feeling!”), to name a few.

Swift and Shellback Are Both Millennials

Appearing as a guest on an August episode  of boyfriend Travis Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast, Swift reflected on working with Shellback and Martin on Reputation more than eight years ago. 

“Shellback and I were both in our early twenties when we started working together, the three of us. And so it was very much like we were the ingenues and Max was the mentor,” said the singer, who called Shellback and Martin “geniuses in different avenues, in different ways.”

Swift Loved Working With Shellback on ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ 

As Swift told “New Heights,” the trio’s recent reunion for Showgirl felt different than their experience on Reputation. “[This] time,” she said, “was the time where it felt like all three of us in the room were carrying the same weight as creators. It was really special. It meant the world to me to have this creative experience where we knew we had to bring the best ideas we’ve ever had. I also know the pressure I’m putting on this record by saying that, but I don’t care because I love it that much.”

Harry Styles Follows Shellback on Instagram

The producer values his privacy and keeps his personal life out of the spotlight. He’s got a private Instagram account, and his 1,000-plus followers include Harry Styles.