After Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa & Justin Bieber, Andrew Watt Talks Latest Collab

Watt and Bieber go back a long time, before the music producer committed to his current career path. Back in 2015, the New York native -- who had been a band-touring rocker since college -- was still playing guitar with Cody Simpson and Bieber for his Purpose album.

According to Bloomberg, Watt was inspired to become a producer after making music with the Canadian singer, who was also featured on Watt's first smash hit, “Let Me Love You” by DJ Snake, released in 2016.

“That song ended up being a really big song, and it was the first time I heard an arena full of people sing lyrics that I had written about pain, my own pain and that it meant something to them and it was just this really amazing thing. And it changes you. You know, it changes what you think is capable,” Watt reminisced about his beginnings in the industry.

Now one of pop music’s most sought-after hitmakers, Watt worked with a slew of famous artists, including Post Malone, Camila Cabello, Selena Gomez, Bebe Rexha, Rita Ora, Cardi B, Juice Wrld, Halsey, and Lana Del Rey, before teaming up with Cyrus and Lipa last year.

Ahead of their collaboration, he even produced Ozzy Osbourne's 12th studio album, Ordinary Man, released in February 2020, after connecting the heavy metal star with Malone for the rapper's 2019 hit, “Take What You Want."

Watt and Lipa co-wrote "Break My Heart" off of her 2020 Future Nostalgia album, with the producer singing the English musician's praises in a EW interview.

"That song was made in a few hours. It was just a one-day fell swoop because when an artist comes in with that kind of confidence and can tell you exactly what they want to do, who they want to be, and where it should go, it's the most freeing, amazing feeling in the world. And it was a really inspired, awesome session," he said.

Watts also produced Cyrus' Plastic Hearts album, with Lipa guesting alongside Stevie Nicks and Billy Idol.

"I have known Miley for a long time, and I've known her work and paid really close attention to all the stuff she was doing because I was such a fan. When she and her team came to me saying that she wanted to lean into her rock vibes a bit more, it was a dream," said Watt.

The talented producer continued: "She's another artist who, without a doubt, always knows what she wants to do. You're on Miley's ride when you're there. And she connects to her lyrics so hard."

Watts and Cyrus co-wrote the second song on the album, with the producer disclosing: "What was important to me is I wanted the music to have really modern sonics, but really cool chord changes so she could reach that Chris Cornell part of her voice. And I think that song really has that aspect."

Watt's work on Osbourne's Ordinary Man led to a collaboration with none other than Elton John, who guested on the album. The duo worked on The Lockdown Sessions, which saw John team up with Stevie Wonder for "Finish Line."

“These guys are masters at their craft — like masters, they wrote the book," said Matt. "And so every time I get to be in the studio with them, I learn something and I take it into the next thing I’m doing, and I watch very carefully. And it’s like being a student.”

One thing Matt vividly remembers about working on the album, which came out this late October, was FaceTiming with Wonder at 2:30 a.m. before rushing to his house to create "Finish Line."

“I got to watch Stevie Wonder put down a harmonica track and how hard he pushed himself, and how many times he went over one note to make sure he hit it right. And again, again, again, again, again. It’s athletic almost,” he recounted.

Perhaps in Watt's most anticipated-ever collaboration, the music producer recently partnered with Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder -- a childhood icon for Watt. After learning how to sing by listening to Vedder's music at age 7, Watt leaped at the chance to produce the star's forthcoming solo album, Earthling.

“Getting a chance to sit in the same room with him and talk music, it’s like an exam I’ve been studying for my whole life,” said Watt, who also worked with Young Thug and Ed Sheeran this year.

Speaking about Vedder's powerful voice, Watt said “he is like a feral animal in the studio.”

“When he gets up on the microphone, it’s insane. I’ve never seen someone give so much emotion to a vocal before, brings you to tears,” he added. “Making a record with Justin Bieber and making a record with Eddie after that is like, it’s completely different kind of music. You don’t get bored.”