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Freddy Wexler

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Freddy Wexler
Freddy Wexler in Palm Springs CA, 2012
Freddy Wexler in Palm Springs CA, 2012
Background information
OriginNew York City, U.S.
Occupation(s)Producer, songwriter
Years active2007–present
LabelsThe Brain Music
Websitefreddywexler.com

Freddy Wexler is an American songwriter, film and television producer, talent manager, and author based in Los Angeles, California. He is best known for co-writing Billy Joel's "Turn the Lights Back On", and the Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande song "Stuck with U", as well as his work with artists such as Selena Gomez, BlackPink, Post Malone, the Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, and Celine Dion. He has been nominated for a Grammy and Golden Globe award. He was born and raised in New York City, and began writing songs at age 13.[citation needed]

Early life, personal life and education

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Freddy Wexler grew up in New York City, where he learned to play piano by watching his mother play for cancer patients at Sloan Kettering hospital.[1] His parents introduced him to the work of musicians such as Chet Baker, Stan Getz, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, the Beatles, Paul Simon, and Billy Joel. He began writing songs at age 13.[1] Wexler studied English at the University of Pennsylvania.[1]

Wexler is married to Olivia Wexler a music executive.[2]

Career

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Music

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During an internship at Sony Music, Wexler enrolled in a music industry class at New York University (NYU).[1][3] During this period, he encountered a young performer named Stefani Germonatta in his NYU class. After hearing her perform, Wexler recorded her demo tape in his parents' apartment building laundry room.[1] He made an impromptu appearance at a meeting of Sony executives in the Sony Building on Madison Avenue to advocate for her signing, calling Stefani "the next Madonna".[1][3] Sony sent representatives to watch her perform at The Bitter End, but they ultimately did not sign her. Germonatta went on to become Lady Gaga.[1]

In 2006, Wexler signed a record deal with Virgin Records.[2][4][5] Some of Wexler's early music was featured on the television series Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelorette.[3][6]

Wexler performed at several venues in summer 2008, including Warped Tour in Dallas, opening for Good Charlotte at the House of Blues, and headlining the July 4th celebration at Toyota Stadium, then Pizza Hut Park.[6] He also shared stages with Maroon 5 and Gym Class Heroes.[6]

His music gained exposure through Dallas radio DJ Kidd Kraddick's morning show, which aired in more than 70 cities. After being featured on Kraddick's "Music that Makes You Cooler" segment, Wexler completed a five-day tour from Philadelphia to Dallas.[6][7] After being loaned a truck and piano by Kraddick, and having his tour documented by a volunteer film director, Wexler concluded his Dallas show by requesting help from Kraddick and the morning show to record his album. Over 50,000 listeners voted in an online poll, with 94% supporting Kraddick helping Wexler record an album.[6]

Wexler returned to the University of Pennsylvania to finish his senior year of college.[6] There, he met pianist Eric Wortham. After signing a management agreement with Wortham, Wexler facilitated Wortham's eventual position as Adele's pianist, a role he continued to maintain as of 2024.[1] Wexler signed Rachel Platten as a management client in 2009 and arranged for her to work with Swedish producers who had worked with 'NSYNC and Cyndi Lauper, leading to her first Billboard-charting hit "1,000 Ships".[8]

After moving to Los Angeles, Wexler founded a music management company called The Brain Music in 2012.[1][8][9] He also created The Brain House, an "experimental songwriting collective" in the Hollywood Hills, where he invited a group of writers, musicians, and artists to live and work together.[10][11] The arrangement allowed members to stay in exchange for publishing rights to songs created in the house.[1] The Brain became a successful venture, producing work for prominent artists including Jill Scott, Demi Lovato, Shakira, and Selena Gomez.[1] Eventually, Wexler earned writing credits on several notable songs, including "Slow Down" by Selena Gomez, "Be Kind" by Halsey and Marshmello, "Wolves" by Kanye West, "Novacane" by Lil Wayne, "Fire N Gold" by Bea Miller, and "Perfect Goodbye" by Celine Dion.[1][5][12][8]

In 2017, Wexler began releasing his own music under the pseudonym Jackson Penn, without major promotion or label backing.[1][13][5] His Penn releases included the songs "My Girl" and "Streetlights on Mars", with the latter reaching number 16 on Spotify's global chart. Wexler described Penn as an idealized version of himself that helped him reconnect with his own artistic voice after years of writing for others.[1]

Wexler cowrote the single "Stuck with U" by Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande, which hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and raised over $5.5 million for charity.[1][14] Proceeds from the song benefitted families of COVID-19 first responders.[1][15]

In 2020, he signed an administration agreement with Sony Music Publishing.[5]

As of 2025, Wexler has collaborated with artists including BlackPink, Post Malone, Pink, Laufey, Diana Ross, Zayn Malik, Steve Aoki, and Wyclef Jean.[1][13][3][16][2] He co-wrote the Golden Globe-nominated Robbie William song “Forbidden Road” for the soundtrack of Williams’ film, Better Man.[17] He was also commissioned to write original music for Emily in Paris season two by series creator Darren Star, including "Mon Soleil" and "Beautiful Ruins". His record label, the Freddy Wexler Company, released the show's soundtrack.[18][19]

Collaboration with Billy Joel

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Wexler played a role in Billy Joel's return to recording after a 17-year hiatus.[1][13] He began collaborating with Joel through an introduction arranged by his wife Olivia via a mutual connection with a doctor.[1][13] Wexler met Joel at Dockside Restaurant in Long Island, New York.[13] Their initial meeting extended from a planned 10 minutes to two hours, during which they discussed songwriting approaches and unfinished works.[13][20] Wexler's Penn songs played a role in his connection with Billy Joel, who praised them as sounding like Lennon-McCartney compositions during their first meeting.[1] Following this meeting, Joel shared some of his unfinished songs with Wexler.[13]

Wexler moved his family to Long Island for a time to work more closely with Joel.[1] Their collaboration led to the creation of "Turn the Lights Back On" (2024), which Wexler co-wrote with Arthur Bacon and Wayne Hector.[1] The song was recorded at Boathouse Studios in Water Mill, New York,[1][2] and released on February 1, 2024. It debuted at number 1 on both classic hits and classic rock radio charts, reached number 2 on iTunes, and entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 62.[2] The song received praise from NPR, which called it “one of Joel’s most affecting”.[21] Wexler conceived and co-directed the song's music video. The video used AI tools in order to show versions of Joel spanning several decades.[13] Joel also hired Wexler's company to manage the song's release.[2]

Television, film, and theater

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As of 2022, Wexler co-produced and co-directed “Unfinished Business”, an NFL feature film about Keith Adams and the Riverside Cubs, an all-deaf high school football championship team, for MGM's Orion Pictures. Wexler acquired the exclusive life rights to the Adams family story for this project.[22]

In the same year, Wexler produced "Soul Superhero" with Westbrook Studios and "Grace" for Walt Disney Pictures.[22]

Wexler created Nickelodeon’s first ever original series made for YouTube, Kid Cowboy. Wexler served as one of the principal composers alongside co-executive producer Emilio Estefan. The animated series incorporates Spanish dialogue and was designed to encourage interactive problem-solving among its viewers. The show was originally released in January 2025.[23]

Wexler co-produced the 2025 Broadway adaptation of the musical The Last Five Years.[24]

Awards and recognition

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Discography

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Discography
Year Artist Song Album Record label Notes Ref.
2011 Lil Wayne Novacane (ft. Kevin Rudolf) Tha Carter IV Cash Money Records
[32][33][34]
2012 Bridgit Mendler City Lights Hello My Name Is... Hollywood Records [32]
Top of the World
Love’ll Tell Us Where to Go
Quicksand
Hold on for Dear Love
2013 Selena Gomez Slow Down Stars Dance Hollywood Records RIAA: 2× Platinum [32][35]
Demi Lovato Without the Love Demi [36]
Moxie Raia Buffalo Bill Non-album single Capital Records [32]
2014 Tiesto Footprints (All Over the World) A Town Called Paradise Republic Records [32]
Charles Perry Stranger to Love Non-album single Verve Records
2015 Bea Miller Fire n Gold Not an Apology Hollywood Records RIAA: 1× Platinum [32][37]
Prince Royce Lie to Me Double Vision Sony Music Entertainment RIAA: 2x Latin Platinum [32][38]
Steve Aoki & Moxie Raia I Love it When You Cry (Moxoki) Neon Future II Ultra Records Album debuted No.2 on Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums [32][39]
Martin Garrix Break Through the Silence Break Through the Silence (EP) Spinnin Records [32]
2016 Kanye West Wolves The Life of Pablo GOOD Music
  • RIAA: 3x Platinum
  • Album debuted No.1 on Billboard 200
 [32][40][41]
Moxie Raia On My Mind (ft. Pusha T) 931 Reloaded Def Jam Recordings [32]
2018 Zayn Malik Talk to Me Icarus Falls RCA Records RIAA: Gold [32][42]
DNCE Lose My Cool People to People (EP) Republic Records [32]
The Spencer Lee Band The Wolf Fifty Shades Freed (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Kissing Tree The Spencer Lee Band EP Independent
Jackson Penn California Non-album single The Brain
Babylon
2019 Jonas Brothers Like It's Christmas Non-album single Republic Records
[32][43][44]
Celine Dion Perfect Goodbye Courage Sony Music Entertainment No.1 Billboard 200 [32][45]
Pink My Attic Hurts 2B Human RCA Records Album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard 200 [32][46]
Jackson Penn Sick in the Head Non-album single The Brain [32]
My Girl
2020 Justin Bieber & Ariana Grande Stuck With U Non-album single Republic Records
  • Album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100
  • No. 1 on Digital Song Sales
 [32][47][48][49][50]
Halsey & Marshmello Be Kind Collabs (EP) Joytime Collective RIAA: 2x Platinum [32][51]
Manic (Deluxe)
Jackson Penn After All Non-album single The Brain [32]
2021 Justin Bieber 2 Much Justice RBMG Records
  • RIAA: 2x Platinum
  • No.1 Billboard 200
 [32][52][53]
Ashley Park Mon Soleil Emily In Paris Season 3 (Soundtrack from the Netflix Series) Milan Records [32]
Diana Ross Just in Case Thank You Decca Records Grammy nominee, Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album [32][54]
Majid Jordan Summer Rain Wildest Dreams OVO Sound [32]
2022 Blackpink Hard to Love Born Pink Interscope Records No.1 Billboard 200 [32][55]
2023 Laufey Must Be Love Bewitched AWAL
  • 66th Annual Grammy Awards winner, Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
  • No. 1, Billboard Jazz Albums chart
  • No. 1, Billboard Traditional Jazz Album chart
  • No. 1 Billboard Jazz chart
  • Debuted at No. 23 on Billboard 200
 [32][56][57][58][59][60]
Billy Joel Turn the Lights Back On Non-album single Columbia Records [32]
2024 Ashley Park Ruins Emily in Paris Season 4 (Soundtrack from the Netflix Series) Republic Records/The Freddy Wexler Company
Rosé Too Bad for Us Rosie Atlantic Records Debuted at No.3 on Billboard 200 [32][61]

References

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Bibliography

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