Episode 288: Manufacturing The Song Of The Summer

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There's a secret battle every year. The battle is over creating the song of the summer, the music industry's holy grail.

It starts long before the song hits the airwaves with "writing camp" - a pop-up version of the old hit factories that produced pop songs.

Writing camp is expensive. But the real money doesn't start flowing until after the song is done.

Note: Today's show originally aired in July 2011.

Music: BOPD's "Ain't No Thing," Rihanna's "Umbrella," The Black Eyed Peas's "I Gotta Feeling," Katy Perry's "California Gurls," R. Kelly's "If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time," Jennifer Lopez's "I'm Real," and Fetty Wap's "Trap Queen." Find us: Twitter/ Facebook/ Spotify/ Tumblr.

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