Weigel's new single 'Passcode' is produced by Ariana Grande's frequent collaborator, Hollywood producer Tommy Brown. Photo: Handout
Imagine working with a music producer who had a hand at making all five of Ariana Grande's albums.
It's easy to feel intimidated especially if you're just starting out.
Up-and-coming singer Jannine Weigel had the opportunity to do just that when she flew to Los Angeles early this year to work with Grande's frequent collaborator, Grammy-nominee Tommy Brown.
But the 20-year-old rising singer of Thai-German descent said she wasn't viewed any lesser than Grande or any of the US pop sensations Brown has worked with (Chris Brown, Fifth Harmony, Meghan Trainor) just because she was new.
"I'm aware that I'm a very small artiste yet they heard me and they respected me whenever I had any ideas," she tells StarLifestyle about her experience working with Brown and his team.
"They didn't brush me off. They wanted to know what my ideas were."
The result is Passcode – a dance-pop track slated for release on Sept 18.
"We were able to record a bunch of tracks there. So there's a lot of more music coming," she teases.
Asked why it was important to work with the LA-based producer, Weigel said she and her music label RedRecords are on a mission to take Asean music to a global level and believe Brown is also invested in that vision.
RedRecords A&R manager John O, also the former lead singer of local band Paperplane Pursuit, chimes in: "Definitely, we want to shine a light on the talent of South-east Asia but there's no doubt that having a name like Tommy Brown, the producer of Ariana Grande, opens doors and not to mention, the exposure the song will gain internationally because of his involvement."
Despite its international treatment, Weigel assures Passcode, co-written and co-produced by John besides Canadian singer-songwriter Jessie Reyez, has a strong South-east Asian influence.
"This whole project is predominantly created by people from South-east Asia. Even the music video, the entire crew is from South-east Asia."
Weigel was born in Steinfurt, Germany and moved to Thailand when she was 10. She got her start in showbiz by performing covers on YouTube.
Weigel is the first artiste signed to RedRecords, a music label jointly established by AirAsia and Universal Music Group.
