Ilya Salmanzadeh (/sɑːlmənˈzɑːdə/; born 19 September 1986 in Stockholm), known mononymously as ILYA, is a Swedish-Persian[1] songwriter, producer and singer. He rose to prominence outside of Sweden after co-writing and producing Ariana Grande's "Problem" and Jennifer Lopez's "First Love".[2][3]
ILYA | |
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Birth name | Ilya Salmanzadeh |
Also known as | KnocDown |
Born | (1986-09-19) 19 September 1986 (age 36) |
Origin | Stockholm, Sweden |
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In 2005 at the age of 19, Ilya signed with Warner/Chappell Music in Stockholm, Sweden. In 2009, he graduated from the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, California. "Miss Me", Mohombi & Nelly's song in 2010, was Ilya's first internationally acclaimed production.[4][5] In 2011, he produced "Mama" and "Reba" from The Lonely Island's Grammy-nominated album, Turtleneck & Chain.[6][7] In 2013, he produced Cher Lloyd's song, "I Wish", and Fifth Harmony's award-winning song, "Me & My Girls".[8][9]
Alongside Max Martin, he co-wrote and produced Ariana Grande's "Problem" and Jennifer Lopez's "First Love" in 2014.[2][10][11][12] "Problem" went on to become one of the fastest-selling singles in iTunes history before winning a Teen Choice Award, VMA and EMA months later.[13][14][15][16] In June 2014, Ilya was nominated for the Denniz Pop Awards, an annual prize handed out to up-and-coming musicians.[17][18][19] "Bang Bang", co-produced by Ilya, was released as a joint single by Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj on 29 July 2014 to universal acclaim.[20][21] In January 2015, Ellie Goulding's "Love Me Like You Do", co-written by Ilya, was released for the soundtrack album to the motion picture, Fifty Shades of Grey, becoming the most-streamed song in a week on Spotify.[22] In May 2015, he remixed Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood" with Kendrick Lamar, which became his first No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100.[23][24]
He co-wrote and produced large parts of Ariana Grande's later albums Sweetener and Thank U, Next. In 2019, Salmanzadeh co-wrote and produced Beyoncé's Grammy-nominated song "Spirit". He also worked on the production of Labrinth's singles "Miracle" and "Oblivion" (which features Sia), both taken from his sophomore solo album, Imagination & the Misfit Kid.
Ilya's works include:[27][28][29][30]
Year | Title | Album | Songwriter | Producer |
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2008 | "Karma" (featuring David Jassy) | Darin Zanyar – Flashback | ![]() |
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"Road Trip" | ![]() |
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2010 | "Miss Me" (ft. Nelly) | Mohombi – MoveMeant | ![]() |
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2011 | "Alienized" | Linda Pritchard – Alive | ![]() |
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"Crying in the Rain" | ![]() |
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"Dance Your Tears Away" | ![]() |
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"Erase & Rewind" | ![]() |
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"Glorious" | ![]() |
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"Miracle" | ![]() |
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"Not Even Hello" | ![]() |
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"On Time" | ![]() |
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"Rise Again" | ![]() |
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"Satellite" | ![]() |
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"Stuck in a Riddle" | ![]() |
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"Got It Like That" | Lazee – Supposed II Happen | ![]() |
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"Explosive Love" | Eric Saade – Saade Vol. 2 | ![]() |
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"Feel Alive" | ![]() |
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"Mama" | The Lonely Island – Turtleneck & Chain | ![]() | ||
"Reba (Two Worlds Collide)" (ft. Kenan Thompson) | ![]() |
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"Finally Free" | Kimberley Locke – Four for the Floor | ![]() |
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2012 | "Get Started" | David Lindgren – Get Started | ![]() |
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"Bastard" | Amanda Fondell – Bastard | ![]() |
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2013 | "Can't Hold Back" | Anton Ewald – A | ![]() |
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"We Are a Crowd" | The Lonely Island – The Wack Album | ![]() |
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"Me & My Girls" | Fifth Harmony – Better Together | ![]() | ||
"I Wish" (ft. T.I.) | Cher Lloyd – Sorry I'm Late | ![]() |
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2014 | "One Last Time" | Ariana Grande – My Everything | ![]() | |
"Problem" (ft. Iggy Azalea) | ![]() |
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"First Love" | Jennifer Lopez – AKA | ![]() |
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"Bang Bang" (Jessie J with Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj) | Jessie J – Sweet Talker
Ariana Grande – My Everything |
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"Dreamers" | Mohombi – Universe | ![]() |
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"Grow Old With You" | ![]() |
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"Just Like That" | ![]() |
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"Save Me" | ![]() |
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"Comeback" | Ella Eyre – Feline | ![]() |
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"Santa Tell Me" | Ariana Grande – Christmas Kisses | ![]() |
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2015 | "Love Me like You Do" | Ellie Goulding – Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack | ![]() |
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"Things I Didn't Say" | Adam Lambert – The Original High | ![]() |
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"City Dove" | Tori Kelly – Unbreakable Smile | ![]() |
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"Back It Up" (ft. Pitbull) | Prince Royce – Double Vision | ![]() |
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"Back It Up" (ft. Jennifer Lopez & Pitbull) | ![]() |
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"Bad Blood" (ft. Kendrick Lamar) | Taylor Swift – 1989 | ![]() | ||
"Good Thing" (ft. Nick Jonas) | Sage the Gemini – Bachelor Party | ![]() |
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"Around the World" (ft. Fetty Wap) | Natalie La Rose – Around the World | ![]() |
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"One in a Million" | Hilary Duff – Breathe In. Breathe Out. | ![]() |
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"Confident" | Demi Lovato – Confident | ![]() |
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"Mr. Hughes" | ![]() | |||
"On My Mind" | Ellie Goulding – Delirium | ![]() |
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"Codes" | ![]() |
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"Pay My Rent" | DNCE – Swaay | ![]() |
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"Toothbrush" | ![]() |
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"Focus" | Ariana Grande – Dangerous Woman | ![]() |
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2016 | "Bad Decisions" | ![]() |
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"Everyday" (ft. Future) | ![]() |
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"Greedy" | ![]() |
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"Into You" | ![]() |
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"Side to Side" (ft. Nicki Minaj) | ![]() |
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"Sometimes" | ![]() |
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"Still Falling for You" | Ellie Goulding – Bridget Jones's Baby soundtrack | ![]() |
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"Don't Talk About It" | Tove Lo – Lady Wood | ![]() |
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"Fire Fade" | ![]() |
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"They Don't Know" | Ariana Grande – Trolls soundtrack | ![]() |
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"What U Workin' With?" | Gwen Stefani & Justin Timberlake – Trolls soundtrack | ![]() |
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"DNCE" | DNCE – DNCE | ![]() |
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"Pay My Rent" | ![]() |
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"Toothbrush" | ![]() |
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"Zoom" | ![]() |
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2017 | "Lions" | Skip Marley – Lions | ![]() |
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"Calm Down" | Skip Marley – Calm Down | ![]() |
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"Act My Age" | Katy Perry – Witness | ![]() | ||
"Ain't About What You Got" | Star cast – Star (season 1) soundtrack | ![]() |
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"Would You Mind" | PRETTYMUCH – Would You Mind | ![]() |
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"End Game" (ft. Ed Sheeran and Future) | Taylor Swift – Reputation | ![]() | ||
"Refugee" | Skip Marley – Refugee | ![]() |
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"Teacher" | PRETTYMUCH – Teacher | ![]() |
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"Open Arms" | PRETTYMUCH – Open Arms | ![]() |
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2018 | "Raindrops (An Angel Cried)" | Ariana Grande – Sweetener | ![]() | |
"God Is a Woman" | ![]() |
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"Everytime" | ![]() |
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"Breathin" | ![]() |
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"No Tears Left to Cry" | ![]() |
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"Close To Me" (ft. Swae Lee) | Ellie Goulding & Diplo – Brightest Blue | ![]() |
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"Last Goodbye" (ft. Tove Styrke & Stefflon Don) | Clean Bandit – What Is Love? | ![]() |
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2019 | "Bloodline" | Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next | ![]() |
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"Bad Idea" | ![]() |
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"Ghostin" | ![]() |
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"Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" | ![]() |
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"Tu Vecina" (ft. Ty Dolla Sign) | Maluma – 11:11 | ![]() |
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"Miracle" | Labrinth – Imagination & the Misfit Kid | ![]() |
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"Spirit" | Beyoncé – The Lion King soundtrack | ![]() |
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"How Do You Sleep?" | Sam Smith – Love Goes | ![]() |
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"Motivation" | Normani – TBA | ![]() |
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"Don't Call Me Angel" | Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, Lana Del Rey – Charlie's Angels soundtrack | ![]() |
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"How It's Done" | Kash Doll, Kim Petras, Alma, Stefflon Don – Charlie's Angels soundtrack | ![]() |
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"Bad to You" | Ariana Grande, Normani, Nicki Minaj – Charlie's Angels soundtrack | ![]() |
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"Nobody" | Ariana Grande, Chaka Khan – Charlie's Angels soundtrack | ![]() |
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"How I Look on You" | Ariana Grande – Charlie's Angels soundtrack | ![]() |
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2020 | "I'm Ready" | Sam Smith & Demi Lovato – Love Goes | ![]() |
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"Worry About Me" (feat. blackbear) | Ellie Goulding − Brightest Blue | ![]() |
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"My Oasis" (feat. Burna Boy) | Sam Smith − Love Goes | ![]() | ||
"High On Your Supply" | Katy Perry − Smile | ![]() |
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2021 | "Oh Na Na" (with Myke Towers and Tainy) | Camila Cabello - Familia | ![]() |
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"Alone Together" | Westlife − Wild Dreams | ![]() |
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2022 | "Lightning"[31] | Charli XCX - Crash | ![]() |
Year | Award | Category | Nominated Work | Result | Ref. |
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2012 | Grammy Award | Best Comedy Album | Turtleneck & Chain (songwriter & producer) | Nominated | [7] |
2014 | Radio Disney Music Awards | Best Song to Rock Out to With Your BFF | "Me & My Girls" (producer) | Won | [32] |
Catchiest New Song | "I Wish" (songwriter & producer) | Nominated | [33] | ||
Denniz Pop Awards | Rookie Songwriter/Producer | Himself | Nominated | [19] | |
Swedish Music Publishers Prize | Year's Breakthrough | Nominated | [34] | ||
Teen Choice Awards | Song: Female Artist | "Problem" (songwriter & producer) | Won | [35] | |
MTV Video Music Award | Best Female Video | Nominated | [36] | ||
Best Pop Video | Won | [37] | |||
Best Collaboration | Nominated | [38] | |||
Best Lyric Video | Nominated | [39] | |||
MTV Europe Music Awards | Best Song | Won | [40] | ||
2015 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Song | "Bang Bang" (producer) | Nominated | [41] |
Favorite Album | My Everything (songwriter, producer & programmer) | Nominated | [41] | ||
Grammy Award | Best Pop Duo/Group Performance | "Bang Bang" (producer) | Nominated | [42] | |
Best Pop Vocal Album | My Everything (songwriter, producer & programmer) | Nominated | [42] | ||
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Song of the Year | "Bang Bang" (producer) | Won | [43] | |
"Problem" (songwriter & producer) | Nominated | [44] | |||
iHeartRadio Music Awards | Best Collaboration | "Bang Bang" (producer) | Won | [45] | |
"Problem" (songwriter & producer) | Nominated | [46] | |||
Radio Disney Music Awards | Song of the Year | "Problem" (songwriter & producer) | Won | [47] | |
ASCAP Pop Music Awards | Writer Among the Most Performed Songs | Himself | Won | [48] | |
Billboard Music Award | Top Soundtrack | Fifty Shades of Grey (songwriter) | Nominated | [49] | |
MTV Europe Music Awards | Best Song | "Bad Blood" (producer) | Won | [50] | |
"Love Me like You Do" (songwriter) | Nominated | ||||
Latin Grammy Award | Best Urban Song | "Back It Up (Spanish Version)" (songwriter & producer) | Nominated | [51] | |
American Music Award | Top Soundtrack | Fifty Shades of Grey (composer) | Nominated | [52] | |
Collaboration of the Year | "Bad Blood" (producer) | Nominated | |||
2016 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Song of the Year | Nominated | [53] | |
"Love Me like You Do" (songwriter) | Nominated | ||||
Golden Globe Award | Best Original Song | Nominated | [54] | ||
Critics' Choice Movie Awards | Best Song | Nominated | [55] | ||
Grammy Award | Best Pop Solo Performance | Nominated | [56] | ||
Best Song Written for Visual Media | Nominated | ||||
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media | Fifty Shades of Grey (songwriter) | Nominated |
I wrote ‘Problem’ with Ilya and Max Martin a very long time ago and it was just about how I was feeling at the moment.
Hollywood Music in Media Award for Best Original Song in an Animated Film | |
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2010s |
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2020s |
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General | |
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National libraries | |
Other |
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