Hipgnosis signs up songwriter behind Adele and Stormzy hits
Music royalties investment firm Hipgnosis has announced the latest addition to its roster of musicians, signing up the brains behind hit tracks by Adele and Stormzy.
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The London-listed firm today said it has acquired a music catalogue from British songwriter and producer Fraser T Smith, who has co-written and produced a string of number one hits.
Smith’s biggest records include Set Fire to the Rain by Adele. The track, from her 2011 album 21, secured 13 number ones globally and has been streamed over 480m times on Spotify.
Smith was also co-writer and co-executive producer on Stormzy’s UK album Gang Signs & Prayer, which became the first grime album in history to reach UK number one.
Among the songwriters other big hits are Break Your Heart by Taio Cruz, Broken Strings by James Morrison and Number 1 by Tinchy Stryder.
“It’s an honour to welcome Fraser T Smith to the Hipgnosis family,” said Hipgnosis founder Merck Mercuriadis.
“Every time I hear one of Fraser’s songs they always feel special. He writes and produces enormously successful songs that make popular music not only special but culturally important.”
Hipgnosis has acquired 100 per cent of Smith’s worldwide writer share of performance income from a catalogue of 298 songs.
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It is the latest acquisition in an aggressive growth strategy for Hipgnosis as it looks to secure a £1bn valuation by next spring.