Ovy on the Drums, producer of Bad Bunny, Shakira or Karol G: “I use artificial intelligence even for blood analysis” | Icon
OO-OVY ON THE DRUMS. I may have ever heard that phrase and may not know where, but most likely it has been at a party, commercial radios or the musical thread of a shopping center. That group of words is the Tag (signature) that Daniel Echevarría (Medellín, 1991) leaves at the beginning of his songs. It does not usually face, but Ovy on the Drums is the musical producer behind the greatest successes of the last five years. He is the most listened Latin producer in the world. Provence or TQG, of karol g –both accumulate more than 1,000 million reproductions – They are some of his greatest successes. With Cob, a hymn to sentimental ruptures, They got a historical milestone: the first time a woman placed a reggaeton song in the number one of Billboardthe almighty American success list ..
Right now, OVY is in the fifth position of Spotify global top, it is the most listened to in Spain and number 1 in Billboard with The full, His collaboration with the Colombian Beéle. His is collecting successes. He has achieved 200 million reproductions in Spotify in just days. It seems to have found the secret formula. “I do not like to wait for success. I am delighted that a theme works, but if you expect to stick, it is perverse when composing and you get unnecessary pressure,” he replies in an event organized in Madrid in collaboration with the brand of beer mourning for which he recorded his new song Guao Guao along with Venezuelan singer Micro TDH. “You can create a sound in the study that suddenly, thanks to the Internet sticks and globalized, but there is no formula,” he concludes.
But being relevant attracts the controversies. And he is so great that he has made the president of Colombia criticize him for the lyrics of one of his songs, +57, The country’s telephone prefix. HE He thought as an ode to Colombian music in collaboration with the most grenade of the urban of that country: Maluma, Karol G, Feid or J Balvin among others. However, Gustavo Petro, president of the country, did not like its content. “In each artistic genre there is art, but also ignorance. Art endures, ignorance lasts a second,” said the president.
The reason? A verse: “Mamacita from the Fourteen ”. The Colombian Family Welfare Institute ruled in this regard by pointing out that the song does not contribute to the struggle of that institution to eradicate the sexual exploitation of minors. Even its director He invited the authors to know the stories of sexual explanation and murder of 14 -year -old girls in Medellín. Shortly after leaving, in November 2024, the song was modified on platforms such as Spotify and YouTube replacing the Fourteen for the Eightteen. Come on, the age of majority.
“I feel they wanted to put problems and joined a fairly big guild to throw Haate To the song. If you analyze the song well, Mamacita from the Fourteen It’s nothing wrong, since she’s little she is a pretty girl, “Ovy defends himself.” It’s explicit, yes, but I think there are worse songs, with terrifying messages. I find what happened a bit sad, but I still believe that it is one of the greatest songs of my career. They criticized her, but everyone sings her, ”says the producer. And the issue gives him to reflect and continue claiming the evolution of his gender:“ If you incit hate, violence, strong things… I am not with that. It’s not because it’s my song. I see it as a normal reggaeton theme. As artists we have to be careful in what messages we give and we have to criticize certain songs, but the reggaeton and its message has been cleaned a lot. Before there were much stronger things for a child. ”
The Colombian producer has collaborated with the greats of its genre: Shakira, Bad Bunny, Nicki Minaj, Myke Towers, Becky G, Quevedo, Ozuna, Weight Feather or J Balvin. Any favorite? “They respect everyone very much. There is a mixture of artists legend, of others that are in the process and others that are achieving it. Participating in that process is incredible,” he says. “Every time I work with an artist I am looking for common aspects of his essence with mine. The full It is not the type of songs that Beéle does. We both get together to make a common sound, ”he exemplifies.
But Ovy on the Drums is not the only producer known today. Bizarrap, Metro Boomin or Tiny are some other big names. Far are the times in which the producers had to claim their weight in the songs or even the credits. Moreover, it seems that we live the Golden Age of the producers. Now they are still sitting on the computer, but the artist category is recognized. “To achieve that you have to build a name, have a good relationship with the singers … it is difficult. There are artists who start from the beginning and have their producer with which they started and hit, then they are already going together. They see that it is possible to live on it and the new generations do so from scratch.”
In the evolution of urban music also points out negative things. “The industry is saturated. It is no longer so easy for something to work now,” he says. According to Spotify data, more than 120,000 songs are uploaded to the platform. “Before I even felt pressure to have to upload songs constantly. The important thing is that the product is good. I see how many colleagues get collaborations or albums and go unnoticed. Before there was a Focus worldwide. It doesn’t feel the same anymore. But, the more difficult the better. ”And of challenges his story goes: he has the word tattooed perseverance in the neck.” It is the value that accompanies me since childhood and I have it there because in difficult times you have to know how to work, not only in those of glory, “he explains.
The use of artificial intelligence in music has also brought controversies. Mainly, because of the possible cuts that can bring to the income of the sector. He does not fear her, values her possibilities and hugs her: “I use it a lot. It is a tool that can help you and you have to Be active With updates. I use AI even for blood analysis. It has come to stay, ”he says. He knows that, beyond algorithms and automation, there are qualities that are not programmed, such as instinct, ear or sensitivity. When you are the best in something it is difficult for you to take away your position.
