Tileyard Music MD Neil Hughes has credited "machine" Joel Corry after the chart-topping DJ's breakthrough year.
The former Geordie Shore star, who is managed by Tileyard, dominated the singles chart last summer with the MNEK collaboration Head & Heart, which was No.1 for six weeks. Latest single Bed, with David Guetta and Raye, meanwhile, rebounded into the Top 5 in the latest Official Charts Company midweeks.
Atlantic-signed Corry was a rare artist breakthrough in 2020, thriving despite the pandemic, and Hughes told Music Week the 31-year-old found a way to use the restrictions around international travel to his advantage.
Through all this, he's managed to show most of the world his personality, love of fitness and the fact he's an incredible DJ - and only left the country twice!
Neil Hughes, Tileyard Music
"He would have normally been averaging five shows a week around the world for most of last year, but being home all the time meant he was able to throw himself fully into doing every relevant piece of promo for all territories," the former RCA UK boss told Music Week. "The brilliant Warner International team showed Joel’s strong personality early on to the Warner teams around the world via a Q&A and him performing a livestream for them all. They all realised with confidence that you could put him in front of anyone and he would win.
"His reputation for turning around all promo requests so quickly obviously helps as well - he’s a machine! He’s done so many guest mixes, phoners, liners, video interviews, radio programmer calls, as well as the fitness videos with influencers like Pamela Reif and his own monthly livestreams. Through all this, he’s managed to show most of the world his personality, love of fitness and the fact he’s an incredible DJ - and only left the country twice!
"I should also add that Tristan Parsons, Joel's marketing manager, and Kevin Christian Blair, his A&R, have been incredibly vital to the success, as well as Perfect Havoc."
Corry was originally signed in 2018 to Perfect Havoc, which is affiliated with Warner Music’s ADA. Last April, Atlantic licensed Corry’s breakout single Sorry, which broke the record for the most Shazamed track in one 24-hour period with more than 41,000 tags. The track climbed the UK charts after a sync placement on ITV2’s Love Island, eventually peaking at No.6.
Corry received nods in three categories at Wednesday's BRIT Awards: for Male Solo Artist, Breakthrough Artist and Single Of The Year (for Head & Heart). Though the hitmaker ultimately went home empty-handed, his team were delighted to see him in the mix.
Recalling the moment Corry found out he had been nominated, Hughes added: "It was a really well done moment by Ed [Howard] and Briony [Turner] at Atlantic," he said. "They had given Charlie [Arme], Michael [Harwood], myself and George [Corton] the heads-up and called a teams meeting with us all and Joel. They started very seriously - so much so that Joel thought he had done something wrong - then proceeded to tell him that he had one nomination.
"Once he calmed down from the shock, they then told him about another and then did the same again. Ed and Briony’s comic timing was impeccable - they made a very good double act!"
By James Hanley
