Abracadabra! Halifax producer Cirkut on how Lady Gaga’s spell landed him Grammy noms

CITYnews halifax / By David Friend, The Canadian Press

TORONTO — While Henry Walter isn’t a magician, it’s clear Grammy voters believe he can work some real magic.

The Halifax-raised music producer, known by his alias Cirkut, found himself all over the Grammy nominations on Friday.

His work on Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra” and her album “Mayhem,” as well as Bruno Mars and Rosé’s “Apt.,” earned him a stunning seven nominations across many of the major categories.

Walter says he couldn’t have predicted how many nods he’d rack up, but he had a hunch Gaga’s seventh album might resonate.

“It had such a hold on this year,” he said by phone on Friday afternoon while travelling from San Diego.

“I had so many people reach out and say, ‘Man, I love this album,’ … sending me videos and pictures (from Gaga’s tour). I think so many people just really reacted to it.”

Walter’s fingerprints are all over the project, including its singles “Disease” and “Abracadabra,” the latter of which landed him nominations for record and song of the year, as well as best pop dance recording.

“I knew ‘Abracadabra’ was a special record, (but) you never really know exactly how it’s going to impact culture,” he said.

“I loved it, and sometimes that’s all you can do is go with your gut.”

The 39-year-old, who lives in Los Angeles, has built his career out of listening to his instincts.

Since he linked up with a young Toronto singer named the Weeknd in 2011, he’s been churning out a seemingly endless flow of pop hits, crafting earworms with the likes of Rihanna, Maroon 5, Sam Smith, Ava Max and Reneé Rapp.

Before this year, Walter held a total of six Grammy nominations that included ones for “Roar” by Katy Perry, “360” by Charli XCX and a win for the Weeknd’s “Starboy.”

This year, he more than doubled his career Grammy nods with the help of Gaga’s “Mayhem,” which he worked on alongside co-producer Andrew Watt.

“(He) is an amazing guitar player; he’s worked with a lot of bands,” Walter said.

“I’m coming in with some crazy electronic industrial beats and synths, and he’s got the guitars and the pop songwriting. When we come together, it just makes something magic.”

Walter describes playing a less tangible role in the creation of the global hit “Apt.,” for which he earned song and record of the year nominations. The high-energy pop tune was inspired by the chant of a South Korean drinking game and features an interpolation of Toni Basil’s 1982 single “Mickey.”

“When it was first brought up in the studio, I was like, ‘We should see that through,’” he said.

“You don’t always know there might be a great idea hiding somewhere … and it ends up just sitting on your hard drive. But sometimes half the battle is recognizing those great ideas and letting them come to life.”

Walter says sometimes it takes the feedback of listeners before he knows a song is a true success, as was the case for “Apt.,” which became a cultural and social media sensation upon its release.

“I can’t count how many times someone said, ‘That’s my daughter or son’s favourite song,’ who’s five years old,” he said.

“All the way up to parents … everyone’s just like, ‘I love that song.’”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 20025.

David Friend, The Canadian Press