At one point in the spring of 2002, five songs on the Billboard Hot 100 featured production and songwriting by the Neptunes, including tracks by *NSYNC and Usher. In fact, it might be easier to list the hitmakers of the past couple of years who haven’t worked with the dynamic duo. “We have to schedule when the songs are going to come out,” says the Neptunes' Chad Hugo, to which his partner, Pharrell Williams, adds, “Otherwise, the airwaves could be in gridlock.”

Record labels and artists alike are eager — rabid might be a more accurate term — to hook up with the Neptunes; after all, practically everything they touch turns to gold. The twosome’s distinctive sound — syncopated, often synthesized rhythms hyped up by alternately terse and heavy beats — has enlivened more than one tune. It’s currently a given that, if you want a hit, you’d best make a call to the Neptunes one of your top priorities.

Williams and Hugo first met in a seventh-grade jazz band. Nothing if not eclectic in their tastes, the pair devoured everything from hip-hop to punk and arena rock via their parents’ record collections, and by the early 1990s were performing in various Virginia Beach-area venues. One such notable combo was a hip-hop outfit with the catchy moniker Surrounded by Idiots, wherein Williams played behind DJ Timmy Tim, who would eventually rename himself Timbaland and become a producer of no small repute himself.

Williams was also playing in a vocal group with Hugo and fellow high-school mate Shay, which hit the big time when it was discovered at a 1992 talent show by new jack swing pioneer Teddy Riley. Williams and Hugo learned production under Riley, working with such groups as Blackstreet and S.W.V. The rising stars soon took on the name the Neptunes — legend has it because, astrologically, Neptune rules water and the Earth is, after all, mostly water — and began producing their own songs.

But while the hip-hop and dance-music landscapes are littered with a thousand sound-alike producers, the Neptunes took a different, more organic approach, allowing the music room to breathe instead of being swathed in “production values,” and sometimes adding drum or synth parts that land in unexpected places.

“That’s how music was in the beginning,” Williams has said, “because it was played by humans. A live band would take it all over the place. Sequencers are perfect, humans are not, and that imperfection is perfection.”

Of course, taking a contrary approach to the conventional wisdom can become a convention of its own. To solve this, the Neptunes are determined to continue shaking things up. “We don’t want to be judged for our name, but for our work,” Hugo maintains. “In the future, we’re going to use a lot of different names and aliases on our records, so you may not even know it’s the Neptunes when you hear them.”

Such was the case with In Search Of…, the debut album by the production team as artists. Except the artist in this case wasn’t labeled the Neptunes, but N.E.R.D., for “No-One Ever Really Dies.” Comprising Williams, Hugo and Shay, the group took a predictably unpredictable approach to recording In Search Of…: when the original album dropped in Europe as a wholly sampled-and-programmed set, rock magazines were quick with their praise, while hip-hop publications’ reviews were mixed.

“The music felt constricted, layered through keyboards,” Williams explained. As a result, the group went back into the studio with live musicians and re-recorded every song. “Now it’s become . . . an eagle flying off of all these cliffs,” he said.

The album reflects the interests of a group who’s worked with both Alicia Keys and Limp Bizkit, mixing up hip-hop, electronica and ’70s-style rock into a heady stew. “We actually started out doing r&b,” Williams emphasizes, “but our heads and minds are wherever music is. It’s any and everything; I like Mr. Mister the way I like Earth, Wind & Fire just like I like Queen.”

The word is definitely out amongst both the hip-hop and rock cognoscenti. The Neptunes’ reputation has been nothing if not enhanced, and Williams’ growing habit of showing up in other acts’ videos — perhaps most notably alongside Busta Rhymes and P.Diddy in the “Pass the Courvoisier Pt. 2” clip — hasn’t hurt either.

When working as producers, the Neptunes will often write to order for the artist, as they did with Spears’ “I’m a Slave 4 U,” but they’re also sitting on a number of songs that didn’t work at a particular moment. “There are times the artist doesn’t like the track, so we just do it with someone else,” Williams avers. “Then you realize who the real artists are — not the guy that just wants the hit.”

Earlier in 2002, the duo signed a deal with Arista Records to distribute material from new acts the Neptunes have signed to Star Treck, their own label, which will include, of course, both hip-hop and rock acts. In the meantime they’re continuing to work on a list of acts with whom they have not yet worked – almost unbelievably, such artists do exist – which includes Stevie Wonder, Bjork, Enya and America.

“It’s not a matter of wanting to have a million songs out there,” Williams insists. “It’s the freedom of knowing you can work with who you want to work with and have no creative limitations, except the ones you place on yourself. That’s why I don’t think we’ll ever get stagnant. It’s our nature to outdo ourselves.”

So it's no surprise that at the age of 19, Milian is making a serious bid for stardom with her eponymous debut album. Scheduled for release this January on Def Soul Records, this slick disc represents a fetching collection of Janet Jackson-type R&B-pop.

Milian's career was launched about a decade ago when she began appearing in commercials and the musical Annie Warbucks. A number of television and film roles followed, including appearances on The Steve Harvey Show, Sister, Sister and the film smash American Pie. Proving that she also had some journalistic talent, she worked as a Disney Channel correspondent.

But the Maryland native of Cuban descent began to get seriously noticed when she entered the music arena. She sang the chorus to Ja Rule's number one single "Between Me and You." It also didn't hurt that sheappeared in the song's video. People took immediate notice and a flurry of fan websites subsequently emerged.

Milian's debut solo single, "AM To PM," has already sailed to the top of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles Chart, and she's also toured with *NSYNC. Managed by Johnny Wright, the man behind teen titans 'N Sync and Britney Spears, the wholesome vocalist is vying for the same type of success.

Like Britney and the other Christina (Aguilera), Milian can sing and dance. But what helps to set her apart from most of her peers is her ability to write songs, particularly lyrics. She co-wrote many of the songs on her debut album and co-wrote the Jennifer Lopez hit "Play."

"I don't think there will ever be a point where I'll be able to say that I've truly made it," Milian told a reporter recently. "I'm always striving for more. Whether somebody's asking for my autograph or I'm performing with someone huge, I'll still think there's more work to do."

The American Music Awards, whose nominees and winners are determined by fan voting, will air live on ABC on January 9, 2002 from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles with Sean "P. Diddy" Combs as host. For the first time, the American Music Awards will present the Coca-Cola New Music Award to an unsigned band, which will get to perform at the show.

Complete List of BMI American Music Awards Nominees:

R. Kelly
Pop/Rock Favorite Male Artist
Soul/R&B Favorite Male Artist

Janet Jackson
Pop/Rock Favorite Female Artist
Soul/R&B Favorite Album (All For You)

'N Sync
Pop/Rock Favorite Band, Duo or Group
Pop/Rock Favorite Album (Celebrity)

Aaliyah
Soul/R&B Favorite Female Artist
Soul/R&B Favorite Album (Aaliyah)

Tim McGraw
Country Favorite Male Artist
Country Favorite Album (Set This Circus Down)

Brooks & Dunn
Country Favorite Band, Duo or Group
Country Favorite Album (Steers and Stripes)

Lonestar
Country Favorite Band, Duo or Group
Country Favorite Album (I'm Already There)

Jennifer Lopez
Pop/Rock Favorite Female Artist

Lifehouse
Pop/Rock Favorite New Artist

Toby Keith
Country Favorite Male Artist

Travis Tritt
Country Favorite Male Artist

Sara Evans
Country Favorite Female Artist

Faith Hill
Country Favorite Female Artist

Blake Shelton
Country Favorite New Artist

Trick Pony
Country Favorite New Artist

She Daisy
Country Favorite Band, Duo or Group

Enya
Adult Contemporary Favorite Artist

LeAnn Rimes
Adult Contemporary Favorite Artist

Sade
Adult Contemporary Favorite Artist

Shakira
Latin Music Favorite Artist

Ja Rule
Rap/Hip Hop Favorite Artist

Linkin Park
Alternative Music Favorite Artist

Yolanda Adams
Contemporary Inspirational Favorite Artist

Steven Curtis Chapman
Contemporary Inspirational Favorite Artist

Donnie McClurkin
Contemporary Inspirational Favorite Artist

Robson began his career imitating Michael Jackson, and has now advanced to choreographing and remixing for Britney Spears's recent Pepsi commercial as well as her videos, live tours, and awards show performances. Other musicians who benefit from his talent and creative vision include his idol and mentor Michael Jackson, Mandy Moore, Usher, Mya, Pink, Tyrese, Janet Jackson, Youngstown and other notable artists. His latest efforts consist of helping *NSYNC develop their new album Celebrity and 2001 Pop Odyssey Tour. He co-wrote and produced several of the tracks, like the ballad "Gone," but Robson won't remain content with enhancing other artists' careers; he wants his time in the limelight as well.

Robson's first foray as a musician in the youthful rap group Quo left him unenthusiastic about returning to the recording studio as a performer, but seven years can transform apathy into aspiration. Describing himself as an edgier Will Smith, Robson draws on his experiences with hip-hop, r&b and rap to create a pop sound rivaling those of his current clients. The album will debut once his demanding schedule allows him to finish it.

As for the future, Robson hints at directing movies and possibly bringing the musical to a broader audience. But for now, the pop world has a hold of this 18-year-old entertainer and won't let go anytime soon.

BMI country artists the Dixie Chicks and Faith Hill, who both delivered stellar performances, also won four awards each.

Other show highlights included 3 Doors Down, who performed their smash hit "Kryptonite" complete with a flying Superman, and Creed, who performed their anthem "Higher" above the Vegas skyline on top of a neighboring hotel.

Complete list of BMI Winners

Dixie Chicks
Country Artist of the Year
Country Artist of the Year, Duo or Group
Country Album Artist of the Year
Country Album of the Year (Fly)

Faith Hill
Hot 100 Singles Artist of the Year, Female
Hot 100 Single of the Year ("Breathe")
Hot 100 Airplay Track of the Year ("Breathe")
Country Artist of the Year, Female

'N Sync
Album of the Year (No Strings Attached)
Album of the Year, Duo or Group (No Strings Attached)
Top 40 Artist of the Year
Special Billboard Award for biggest one week sales ever for an album (2.4 million units of No Strings Attached)

3 Doors Down
New Group of the Year
Rock Track of the Year ("Kryptonite")
Modern Rock Track of the Year ("Kryptonite")

Britney Spears
Album of the Year
Special Billboard Award for biggest one week sales of an album ever by a female artist (1.3 million units of Oops!...I Did It Again)

Rob Thomas
Hot 100 Songwriter of the Year

Toni Braxton
R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year, Female

Creed
Rock Artist of the Year

Like The Beatles and Madonna before them, *NSYNC is a pop act that inspires passionate debate. Their positive image and catchy songs have been embraced by a generation of adoring females and boyfriends smart enough to go along for the ride. They have received the support of respected r&b acts like Sisqo and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes of TLC, yet critics like rapper Eminem dismiss them as musical mediocrities.

The criticisms have had absolutely no negative impact on *NSYNC's fortunes. In fact, the group's new Jive Records album, No Strings Attached, has broken sales records. What's more, singles and videos like "Bye Bye Bye" and "It's Gonna Be Me" are oft-requested radio and MTV staples. And though some continue to dismiss *NSYNC as lightweight teen phenoms, closer inspection reveals them to be courageous risk-takers. Indeed, the quintet recently gambled with their multimillion-dollar careers, and won.

As the year 2000 dawned, many critics viewed *NSYNC as an innocuous Backstreet Boys clone. Comprising JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Chris Kirkpatrick and Joey Fantone Jr., the group shared the same manager, success strategy and musical philosophy as their rivals.
Yet despite their almost identical images, Backstreet Boys were the undisputed victors in the "boy band" wars. Their 1999 Millennium album had sold over 10 million copies while *NSYNC's self-titled debut disc stalled at 7.8 million.

But the drama took a curious turn in March when *NSYNC's long-awaited new album was released. No Strings Attached sold a staggering 2.42 million copies in its first week of release - more than double the previous record of 1.13 million set by Backstreet Boys just months earlier.

For the members of *NSYNC, the historic debut was a sweet triumph. The group had recently parted ways with their manager and in the wake of the split, *NSYNC seized control of their future. Chasez and Timberlake composed tunes for the group's highly anticipated sophomore album. They titled the new disc No Strings Attached in celebration of their newfound freedom.

By dramatically demonstrating their chutzpah, business smarts and musical skill, *NSYNC impressed even their staunchest critics.

'N Sync will be featured July 27 on the HBO special, "*NSYNC Live from Madison Square Garden."

Describing herself as always being a songwriter, Peiken's first big break came in the mid-'80s when Taylor Dayne recorded "Carry Your Heart." Though it wasn't a single, it did appear on Dayne's multi-platinum album and kick-started Peiken's career. Since then, Peiken has gone on to cross musical genres, writing or co-writing for artists including Celine Dion, Curtis Stigers, Abra Moore, Kelly Price and Reba McEntire, as well as international recording artists Viktor Lazlo (East West France), Ivan Matais (Arista U.K.), Louise Hoffsten (BMG Sweden) and Elisabeth (BMG Denmark).

Her most public songwriting breakthrough came with the song "Bitch," which she co-wrote with Meredith Brooks. "Bitch" became a gold single, received a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Song, was a #2 single on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, a #1 video on MTV and VH-1, and catapulted Brooks to pop/rock stardom.

Since then, Peiken has co-written with Brooks on her latest CD, as well as writing "Under My Tree" and "I Guess It's Christmas Time" for *NSYNC; the Grammy nominated "Almost Doesn't Count" for Brandy; the single "Human" for the Pretenders; the current #1 Billboard single "What A Girl Wants" for Christina Aguilera; and "Turn The Page" for Aaliyah for the Music of The Heart soundtrack. Coming up, she has tracks being used by Mark Wills, Aguilera, Brandy, Innocence (RCA), M2M (Atlantic), Devon (Sony), The Young Americans (Qwest), Colapsis (Cherry/Universal), Nobody's Angel (Universal), Vocal Point (Dreamworks) and Josh (RCA).

The bubbly ex-Mouseketeer, who turns 18 this month, is perhaps most visible stars of the current teen-pop explosion. She's also the youngest female in pop history to have a simultaneous #1 single and album on the Billboard charts - in the album's first week of release, no less. ...Baby One More Time - produced by Swedish pop mastermind Max Martin (Backstreet Boys, Ace of Base, Robyn) and Eric Foster White (Whitney Houston, Hi-Five, Boyzone) - has spawned three ubiquitous smashes in the title song, "Sometimes" and "(You Drive Me) Crazy," and the artist's popularity shows no sign of slowing down.

Britney's current stardom is the fulfillment of a lifelong affinity for show business. Growing up in Kentwood, Louisiana, she was already singing and dancing at the age of 2, miming to the Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston hits she heard on the radio. After spending much of her early childhood performing in talent shows, church choirs and gymnastics competitions, she studied at New York's Professional Performing Arts School, acted in TV commercials and the off-Broadway play Ruthless, and competed on TV's Star Search. At the age of 11 she began a two-season stint as a regular on TV's Mickey Mouse Club, alongside such future Felicity star Keri Russell and 'N Sync members-to-be Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez. After The Mickey Mouse Club was canceled in 1994, Spears began hatching plans for a recording career, and the rest is pop history.

The young star seems to be taking her current status as much-emulated idol in stride. As she stated in an interview with Rolling Stone, "You want to be a good example for kids out there and not do something stupid."

"I love performing more than anything," she recently told Billboard. "It's nice to know that after all this hard work, people really appreciate it. It's a really good feeling."