{{Short description|American-Dutch producer and songwriter duo}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Mel & Mus | alias = | origin = {{hlist|Washington, D.C.|Holland}} | genre = {{hlist|R&B|pop|hip-hop}} | occupation = {{hlist|Songwriters|producers}} | label = | current_members = * Melvin Hough II * Rivelino Raoul Wouter | years_active = 2009–present }} '''Mel & Mus''' are a Grammy-nominated Dutch songwriting and production duo best known for writing and producing the R&B/hip-hop hits "Don't Think They Know", "Barbie Dreams" and "Good Good".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://grammy.com/artists/mel-mus/7922|title=Mel & Mus |publisher=The Grammys |access-date=March 8, 2024|archive-date=March 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240308042315/https://www.grammy.com/artists/mel-mus/7922|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Career== In 2010, their song "Hit It Like This" received special recognition from the music magazine ''Rap-Up'' as a "must-hear song" on the Jamie Foxx album, ''Best Night of My Life'', for its "club-primed" sound.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.rap-up.com/2010/12/08/5-must-hear-songs-on-jamie-foxxs-best-night-of-my-life/ |title=5 Must-Hear Songs on Jamie Foxx's 'Best Night of My Life' |website=Rap-Up |access-date=March 8, 2024 |archive-date=August 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220819212317/https://www.rap-up.com/2010/12/08/5-must-hear-songs-on-jamie-foxxs-best-night-of-my-life/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The Rihanna and Nicki Minaj collaboration, "Raining Men" from the 2010 album ''Loud'', was their breakthrough, appearing on various charts in both the United States and United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=rihanna|chart=R&B/Hip-Hop Songs}}|title=Rihanna Chart History - R&B/Hip Hop Songs|magazine=Billboard|access-date=April 26, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/r-and-b-singles-chart/20101121/114/|title=2010 Top 40 R&B Singles Archive - 27th November 2010|publisher=Official Charts Company|date=November 27, 2010|access-date=February 6, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RsAnJ7Zx_qgC&dq=mel+%26+mus+rihanna&pg=PA40|title=54th Grammy Awards: And The Nominees Are...|magazine=Billboard |date=7–21 January 2012 }}</ref>
Mel & Mus next contributed two songs to the Chris Brown album ''X'': "Songs On a 12 Play" and "Don't Think They Know" in 2013, which posthumously paired the noted R&B artist Aaliyah with Brown.<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/chris-brown-shares-sneak-peek-of-new-album-first-single-fine-1554482/ |title=Chris Brown Shares Sneak Peek Of New Album: First Single 'Fine China' Bows April 1 |first=Gail |last=Mitchell |date=March 26, 2013 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=March 8, 2024 |archive-date=December 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230143323/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/chris-brown-shares-sneak-peek-of-new-album-first-single-fine-1554482/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
In 2023, they reached #1 on US Urban Radio with "Good Good", the lead single from Usher's ninth studio album, ''Coming Home''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://ratedrnb.com/2023/09/usher-good-good-no-1-urban-radio/ |title=Usher's 'Good Good' Reaches No. 1 at Urban Radio |first=Antwane |last=Folk |date=September 30, 2023 |website=Rated RnB |access-date=March 8, 2024 |archive-date=December 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231227004008/https://ratedrnb.com/2023/09/usher-good-good-no-1-urban-radio/ |url-status=live}}<br>- {{Cite web |url=https://thisisrnb.com/2023/08/thisisrnb-fresh-finds-fridays-some-of-the-hottest-new-rb-music-releases-of-the-week-5/ |title=Fresh Finds Fridays: Some Of The Hottest New R&B Music Releases Of The Week |first=Flisadam |last=Pointer |date=August 5, 2023 |website=This Is R&B |access-date=March 8, 2024 |archive-date=September 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230926200922/https://thisisrnb.com/2023/08/thisisrnb-fresh-finds-fridays-some-of-the-hottest-new-rb-music-releases-of-the-week-5/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The single was Usher's first top 40 Billboard Hot 100 hit since 2016, and stayed on top of the ''Billboard'' Adult R&B Airplay chart for five weeks.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://ratedrnb.com/2023/12/usher-good-good-adult-r-and-b-airplay-chart-number-one-fifth-week/ |title=Usher's 'Good Good' Holds No. 1 for Fifth Week on Billboard's Adult R&B Airplay Chart |first=Antwane |last=Folk |date=December 19, 2023 |website=Rated RnB |access-date=March 8, 2024 |archive-date=March 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240308042317/https://ratedrnb.com/2023/12/usher-good-good-adult-r-and-b-airplay-chart-number-one-fifth-week/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The song was included on the ''Vibe'' "20 Best R&B Songs of 2023" list, praised for its "sexy, empathetic, and smooth southern bounce [coupled] with modern trap-tinged R&B".<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.vibe.com/lists/best-rnb-songs-2023/ |title=The 20 Best R&B Songs Of 2023 |date=December 29, 2023 |work=Vibe |access-date=March 8, 2024 |archive-date=January 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240117174038/https://www.vibe.com/lists/best-rnb-songs-2023/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2025, Mel & Mus produced and co-wrote "Bae", the comeback single from Keri Hilson.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ratedrnb.com/2025/03/keri-hilson-new-song-bae-we-need-to-talk-tracklist/|title=Keri Hilson Shares New Song 'Bae,' Unveils 'We Need To Talk' Album Tracklist|first=Keithan|last=Samuels|date=March 28, 2025|website=Rated R&B}}</ref>
==Selected songwriting and production credits== Credits are from ''Discogs'','' Tidal'', ''Spotify'' and ''AllMusic''.
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" ! scope="col" style="width:36em;"| Title ! scope="col"| Year ! scope="col"| Artist ! scope="col"| Album |- ! scope="row"| "Somebody" |2009 |Kristinia DeBarge |''Exposed'' |- ! scope="row"| "Raining Men" (featuring Nicki Minaj) | rowspan="3"|2010 |Rihanna |''Loud'' |- ! scope="row"| "Hit It Like This" |Jamie Foxx |''Best Night of My Life'' |- ! scope="row"| "Runaway Love" | rowspan="2"|Justin Bieber |''My Worlds: The Collection'' |- ! scope="row"| "Runaway Love (Kanye West Remix)" (featuring Kanye West & Raekwon) |2011 |''Never Say Never: The Remixes'' |- ! scope="row"| "I'm Legit" (featuring Ciara) | rowspan="2"|2012 |Nicki Minaj |''Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up'' |- ! scope="row"| "Get It Right" |Keyshia Cole |''Woman to Woman'' |- ! scope="row"| "Don't Think They Know" (featuring Aaliyah) | rowspan="3"|2013 |Chris Brown |''X (Deluxe Edition)'' |- ! scope="row"| "Beat of My Drum" |Zendaya |''Shake It Up: I Love Dance'' |- ! scope="row"| "Made Of" |Coco Jones |''Made Of EP'' |- ! scope="row"| "Can't Hold Back" | rowspan="3"|2014 |Zara Larsson |''1'' |- ! scope="row"| "Gone" |Alexis Jordan |''Shelved Second Album'' |- ! scope="row"| "Songs on 12 Play" (featuring Trey Songz) |Chris Brown |''X'' |- ! scope="row"| "Not Long" (featuring Usher) | rowspan="4"|2015 |Ludacris |''Ludaversal'' |- ! scope="row"| "Angels & Demons" |Tamar Braxton |''Calling All Lovers'' |- ! scope="row"| "Live By The Gun" (featuring Akon) |R. City |''What Dreams Are Made Of'' |- ! scope="row"| "It's Yo Shit" (featuring Wale) |Chris Brown & Tyga |''Fan of a Fan: The Album'' |- ! scope="row"| "First Take" (featuring Bryson Tiller) | rowspan="4"|2016 |Travis Scott |''Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight'' |- ! scope="row"| "Gimme Love" |Kelly Rowland |{{non-album single}} |- ! scope="row"| "Remember Me" | rowspan="2"|Jacob Latimore | rowspan="2"|''Connection'' |- ! scope="row"| "Love Drug" |- ! scope="row"| "Nowhere" | rowspan="2"|2017 |Chris Brown |''Heartbreak on a Full Moon'' |- ! scope="row"| "On & On" (featuring Tory Lanez & Belly) |Juicy J |''Rubba Band Business'' |- ! scope="row"| "Barbie Dreams" | rowspan="2"|2018 |Nicki Minaj |''Queen'' |- ! scope="row"| "Soho" |Jaden Smith |''The Sunset Tapes: A Cool Tape Story'' |- ! scope="row"| "Pass Me By" | rowspan="2"|2019 |Dinah Jane |''Dinah Jane 1'' |- ! scope="row"| "Melanin" (Featuring La La, City Girls, Ester Dean & Lupita Nyong'o) |Ciara |{{non-album single}} |- ! scope="row"| "That Old Man" | rowspan="2"|2020 |City Girls |''City on Lock'' |- ! scope="row"| "California" (Featuring Tyga) |Usher |{{non-album single}} |- ! scope="row"| "Riot" |2022 |Kane Brown |''Different Man'' |- ! scope="row"| "Good Good" (with Summer Walker & 21 Savage) |2023 |Usher |''Coming Home'' |- ! scope="row"| "Bae" |2025 |Keri Hilson |''We Need to Talk: Love'' |- |}
==Awards and nominations== {| class="wikitable" ! scope="col"| Year ! scope="col"| Ceremony ! scope="col"| Award ! scope="col"| Result ! scope="col"| Ref |- | 2012 | 54th Annual Grammy Awards | Album of the Year (''Loud'') | {{nom}} | <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://grammy.com/artists/melvin-hough/3373 |title=Melvin Hough |publisher=The Grammys |access-date=March 8, 2024 |archive-date=January 20, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240120214104/https://www.grammy.com/artists/melvin-hough/3373 |url-status=live}}<br>- {{Cite web |url=https://grammy.com/artists/ribelino-r-wouter/15707 |title=Rivelino R. Wouter |publisher=The Grammys |access-date=March 8, 2024 |archive-date=March 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240308042432/https://www.grammy.com/artists/ribelino-r-wouter/15707 |url-status=live}}</ref> |- |}
== References == {{reflist}}
{{US-songwriter-stub}}
Category:Dutch songwriters Category:American record producers Category:Dutch record producers Category:American songwriters Category:Songwriters from Washington, D.C.