Behind The Track (@behindthetrack_)

Long before 2hollis built his own following, he was already growing up around some of electronic music’s biggest names. His mother, Kathryn Frazier, co founded OWSLA with Skrillex, while his father, John Herndon, is the drummer for Tortoise. Archival OWSLA footage from 2013 appears to show a young…

A wild moment unfolded during Ken Carson’s show when what appeared to be a fire lit up the middle of the crowd—but the mosh pit never stopped. Instead of backing away, fans kept the energy at full throttle, creating one of the night’s most chaotic scenes. It’s moments like these that fuel the…

One Direction were still officially on hiatus when Harry Styles began building his solo career, and by 2017 he was in the studio making songs like “Carolina” for his self titled debut album. At the time, the group’s break had not been presented as a permanent split, but the members were beginning…

Released in 2006, Rick Ross’ “Hustlin’” became the record that introduced him to a mainstream audience. Produced by The Runners, the duo of Mayne Zayne and Dru Brett, the track helped spark a major label bidding war for Ross before becoming the lead single from his debut album, Port of Miami…

Never Felt So Alone” had already taken on a life of its own before Labrinth officially released it. An early version first appeared during Euphoria Season 2 in 2022, leaving fans waiting for a full release. Labrinth eventually finished the track with Billie Eilish, who contributed vocals, and…

Kendrick Lamar’s guest verses have become a major part of his legacy, with features that often feel like events of their own. From Kanye West’s “No More Parties in LA” and Travis Scott’s “goosebumps” to SZA’s “Doves in the Wind,” Vince Staples’ “Yeah Right” and Future & Metro Boomin’s “Like That,”…

In a 1986 interview, Grandmaster Flash reflected on the culture that had emerged from the South Bronx, where DJs, MCs, breakdancers and graffiti artists helped shape what became known as Hip Hop. By then, the movement had already travelled far beyond the neighbourhoods where it developed, with…

Before Pink Floyd turned “Time” into one of the defining moments of The Dark Side of the Moon, Roger Waters recorded an early home demo that stripped the song back to its core idea. The version that arrived in 1973 was dramatically expanded, with its famous opening clocks, Nick Mason’s rototom…

BabyChiefDoit called his shot early with “Ghetto Love Story,” predicting the record would take off while he was still recording it. Produced by Charley Cooks, the track was released on June 12, 2026 as part of Rise Against My Broken Odds and quickly gained traction across social media. The…

Christopher Nolan took an unconventional approach to The Odyssey‘s soundtrack, telling Ludwig Göransson before a single note was written that he couldn’t use a traditional orchestra because orchestras didn’t exist during the Bronze Age. At the time, Göransson had been working on The Mandalorian…

Written and produced by Madonna and Stuart Price, “Sorry” was created as part of the nonstop dance-floor journey of Confessions on a Dance Floor, where each track flows into the next like a continuous DJ set. The song opens with Madonna rejecting apologies in multiple languages before launching…

At the time of the interview, Slipknot kept the identities of most of its members secret. Fans only knew them by their masks and numbers, and Chris Fehn (#3) had not yet been publicly identified. During an interview, Nardwuar unexpectedly referenced Naughty by Nature’s “O.P.P.” and directed the…

When an artist dies, their music often sees an immediate surge in streams as fans revisit their catalogue and new listeners discover it for the first time. That spike can translate into a major increase in revenue for whoever controls the recordings, often the artist’s record label, alongside…

In 1987, DJ Pierre and Spanky of Phuture began experimenting with a Roland TB 303, a bass synthesizer that had been discontinued after failing commercially. By twisting its controls in ways Roland never intended, they created the squelching, warped bass sound behind “Acid Tracks.” Chicago DJ Ron…

Strawberry Guy’s connection with the Sandler family has come full circle. After Adam Sandler and his daughter Sadie used his song “Mrs Magic” in their film “Kinda Pregnant,” a friendship grew from the collaboration. Now Sadie Sandler stars in Strawberry Guy’s new music video for “Love Me Like You…

In 2011, 17 year old French producer Madeon uploaded “Pop Culture,” a live mashup he performed using a Novation Launchpad, combining samples from 39 different songs in just over three minutes. The video quickly went viral, gaining millions of views and introducing Madeon to a global audience while…

Jungle celebrated the release of their new album “Sunshine” with an intimate DJ set at The Cause in London on August 12, 2026. During the set, they broke down the evolution of “The Wave,” explaining how slowing the track down from around 135 BPM completely changed its character, giving it the…

Before “Don’t Cha” became the Pussycat Dolls’ breakout hit, it belonged to Tori Alamaze. CeeLo Green wrote and produced the song, which Alamaze recorded in 2004 and released as her debut single. Her version gained some traction but never became the major hit her label hoped for, and the song was…

ScHoolboy Q has revealed that when he first heard Kanye West’s verse on “THat Part,” he thought Kanye was trolling him. Released in 2016 as the lead single from Blank Face LP, Kanye’s unconventional verse ended up becoming one of the song’s most memorable moments, particularly the repeated “okay…

Long before he was selling out stadiums and topping the country charts, Luke Combs was just an independent artist uploading acoustic performances to YouTube. In 2015, he shared this stripped-back rendition of “Hurricane”, showcasing nothing more than an acoustic guitar and the powerhouse voice…

In ear monitoring began appearing in live music before becoming far more common on major tours during the 1990s. One important breakthrough came in 1995, when sound engineer Jerry Harvey developed custom monitors for Alex Van Halen after the drummer struggled with traditional stage monitoring. As…

Hit Boy may have pulled off one of the most unusual sample clearances ever after calling Kid Cudi during a podcast to ask permission to use “Old School Caddy.” Rather than going through the usual behind the scenes process first, Hit Boy asked Cudi directly on air and got his approval in real time…

The “Llama Llama Red Pajama” freestyle became an unexpected hip hop tradition, with artists visiting radio stations and turning the children’s book into their own freestyle. Over the years, everyone from Migos and Lil Yachty to PinkPantheress has taken on the challenge, with some performances…

Before “Californication” became one of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ biggest songs, the band recorded a very different version during their 1998 Teatro Sessions at El Teatro in Oxnard, California. Anthony Kiedis, John Frusciante, Flea and Chad Smith experimented with a reggae and ska influenced…

After starring together in Michael Jackson’s iconic “Remember the Time” short film, Eddie Murphy and Jackson struck up a friendship that eventually led to an unlikely musical collaboration. In 1993, Jackson agreed to feature on Murphy’s single “Whatzupwitu,” giving the comedian what seemed like…

Nirvana and Pearl Jam may have become the two biggest names of the grunge era, but Seal’s personal favourite was Alice in Chains. Speaking on Amoeba Records’ What’s in My Bag? in 2023, he called them “by far” his favourite grunge band and explained what drew him to their sound. Seal praised Layne…

Sam Gellaitry expands his latest album ANYWHERE HERE IS PERFECT with a new deluxe edition, adding five new tracks to the project. “THE HIGHLIGHTS,” “LONGING,” “THE MOMENT,” “ROUND & ROUND” and “DEVOTION” extend the world of the album, with behind the scenes footage showing Gellaitry bringing the…

Rap shows have changed dramatically over the years. Back in the day, performances were often stripped back, with a rapper, a DJ and a microphone relying heavily on bars, crowd interaction and stage presence. Today, the biggest rap tours can look more like full scale productions, with huge screens…

released in 2012 as the lead single from Linkin Park’s fifth album Living Things, “Burn It Down” saw Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington combining electronic production with the heavier sound the band was known for. The track became a major success, reaching No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 while…

Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence” began very differently from the song that became a worldwide hit. Martin Gore originally wrote it as a slow, stripped back ballad, recording an early demo built around his voice and harmonium. Alan Wilder saw potential for something bigger and helped reshape the…