How to Make a Hit Song (No Air by Chris Brown & Jordin Sparks)
Would you believe that you can make a hit song by purely using DAW Logic? It turns out it’s completely possible. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to make a smash record. “No Air” by Jordin Sparks ft. Chris Brown was the biggest record of 2018 and was nominated for a Grammy. Logic costs only $200, and surprisingly most of the sounds in “No Air” were created in that DAW. (50 mins course)
In this course, Erik Griggs will show you exactly how he made the track. You will learn the exact process of creating a hit record from scratch and all the details with his innovative & informative techniques.
You will discover that it doesn’t take a million-dollar studio to make a hit song. Discover the magic today!
About Erik Griggs
Erik Griggs, sometimes credited as Erik “Blu2th” Griggs, is a multi-talented musician and producer who played a key role in creating “No Air.” While he isn’t solely credited with producing the song, here’s what we know about his involvement:
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Collaboration: “No Air” was credited to a writing/production team called The Underdogs. This group consisted of Erik Griggs alongside Harvey Mason Jr., Damon Thomas, James Fauntleroy II, and Steve Russell. It appears they all contributed to the song’s production together.
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Songwriting: Public copyright information indicates Erik Griggs is listed as one of the songwriters for “No Air” (https://www.easysong.com/). This suggests he was involved in crafting the melody, lyrics, and overall structure of the song alongside The Underdogs.
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Musical Background: Erik Griggs is known for his skills as a musician, playing instruments like bass and keyboards. He’s also worked with various artists, including Aretha Franklin, Take 6, Babyface, and Dr. Dre (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p_-PjWts3nI). This experience likely brought valuable musical knowledge and production techniques to “No Air.”
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Recognition: “No Air” was a huge success, and while individual credits within The Underdogs aren’t widely specified, it certainly stands as a major achievement in Erik Griggs’ career. The song’s Grammy nomination further highlights his contribution (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_%28disambiguation%29).
About a song “No Air by Chris Brown”
“No Air” by Chris Brown featuring Jordin Sparks is a slow R&B ballad, produced by Erik Griggs, released in 2008. The song tells the story of two lovers who are so infatuated with each other that they can’t imagine life without each other. “No Air” became a massive hit, topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart and winning a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. It’s considered a classic love song, especially popular for slow dances and expressing strong emotions for a partner.
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Key and Chords: The song is written in F♯ Mixolydian mode. This is a mode closely related to the F♯ Major scale, but with a lowered 7th scale degree (E instead of E♯). This creates a feeling of yearning and incompleteness that aligns with the lyrics about needing each other.
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Chord Progression: The song relies on a relatively simple chord progression, primarily focused on the I (F♯m), V (B), and vi (D♯m) chords. This repetitive structure emphasizes the central theme of unchanging love and devotion.
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Tempo and Melody: “No Air” is a slow ballad with a tempo around 63 beats per minute. This slow tempo creates a sense of intimacy and vulnerability. The melody itself is quite smooth and flowing, mirroring the feeling of being swept away by love.
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Vocals: Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown deliver soulful vocal performances. Their voices complement each other well, and the use of call and response throughout the song reinforces the feeling of connection between the two characters.
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Production: The overall production is quite minimal, focusing on the vocals and piano melody. This allows the raw emotion of the song to shine through. Subtle elements like strings and light percussion add depth to the soundscape without overwhelming the core message.
By combining these techniques, “No Air” creates a powerful and relatable soundscape that perfectly complements the themes of love and dependence in the lyrics.
Erik Griggs’s Credits
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Dr. Dre, Chris Brown, Anderson Paak, Nas, Babyface, Jordin Sparks, Aretha Franklin and many more
Erik “Blu2th” Griggs is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, teacher, producer, recording engineer, singer, and mixing engineer and has worked with many artists, from playing bass and keys for Aretha Franklin to singing with Take 6, to producing and writing with Babyface and Dr. Dre. His discography includes “No Air” (Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown), the Dreamgirls soundtrack, and Compton the soundtrack. Erik’s musical influences include George Duke, David Foster, Mervyn Warren, and Keith Thomas.
