If there’s anything I’ve learned from covering pop music for over a decade, it’s that songwriters and collaborators are just as important as the artists themselves. Though they often work behind the scenes, this feature is a chance to shine the light on some of k-pop’s most innovative and accomplished producers and composers.

Bumzu

Years active: 2011-present

Associated Acts: Seventeen, Nu’est, Pristin, Bumzu (obviously!)

His sound: A base of classic funk with elements of more modern r&b, EDM and glitchy hip-hop. His songs tend to utilize complex percussion and sonic shifts, and often incorporate electric guitar.

Why you should love him: Bumzu has been almost single-handedly responsible for Pledis Entertainment’s resurgence. Not only is he an artist himself, but he’s co-written the bulk of the songs by Seventeen, Nu’est and Pristin over the past few years. His style has proven to be quite versatile, but always with a sucker-punch hook at its core. Few producers have churned out such a concentrated burst of consistently strong material in the space of only three years. And at only twenty-six years old, it feels like he’s just getting started.

Examples of his best work: