Hitmakers Review
Date Created: 2025-07-24 14:01
2.5
Hitmakers Review: This docuseries reality show with a musical spin brings together some of the industry’s key players behind the biggest hits of the moment. The series chronicles Jenna Andrews, Tommy Brown, Trey Campbell, Ferras Alqaisi, Bernard Harvey, and James Abrahart, all veteran songwriters and producers for global pop stars including BTS, Beyoncé, BLACKPINK’s Lisa and many other legends. Shot in the format of a holiday diary and music camp, the six-part series takes the audience along to songwriting camps in four cities where these professionals work together to craft songs for superstars.
Hitmakers Review
Netflix’s Hitmakers is the perfect project for anyone who loves music. It brings together the songwriting brains responsible for the songs we all sing along to and never even know the artists’ names. With such an all-star talent roster and the promise of watching songs being written, I was excited to get into it. Having watched all of Hitmakers at the same time, though, I was let down. There is a lot of glamour and excitement at face value, but little depth in storytelling, feeling, or songwriting.
Let me begin with what I did enjoy. Most rewarding about Netflix Hitmakers is watching how well these writers write. As someone who listens to a great deal of pop music, I was amazed at how much sway these backroom individuals have on the industry. It is a reminder that the biggest hits are being created in rooms with songwriters you’ve never even heard of. That was an eye-opener and made me love the industry even more.
And also, the vibe of the show is just so chill and cool. The cast tours, parties, and writes in cool places. You get to experience a music camp where everyone’s a genius in their own right. There’s definitely some inspiration in watching people who are so passionate about something come together and make something. And I won’t lie—some of the songs we get to hear during the listening sessions do sound quite good.
But otherwise, the docu-reality show Hitmakers can’t keep my interest. The worst part is that the show never really lets us in on the process. We are informed that these writers are creating something historic, but much of the actual writing and production of the songs is off-camera or is seen in brief vignettes. If the entire exercise is to let us in on how a hit is created, then why are we not being let in on the most important parts? It left me a bit shortchanged.
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Another issue is that the cast drama of the members is not genuine and does not sound natural. Reality show occasionally requires a little drama to make one entertained, but for Hitmakers, the drama of the individuals—even that of the couple in the cast—is not genuine. It seems that the show overdid itself to come up with things that are not genuine. And when individuals are obviously going to work together once again after a silly argument, it is not something that feels genuine or worth us worrying about.
For a music reality show, Hitmakers also lacks a definite purpose. It’s not a competition show, so no one wins. And it’s not an educational show either, because we don’t exactly learn how to produce or make music. So the stakes don’t feel high. People are working their butts off to impress artists and have their songs selected, but because we never really get to see the finished product out and used by the artists, the whole process feels unsatisfying. Even if you like the songs while watching, there’s a good chance you won’t remember them a week later.
That being said, Netflix’s Hitmakers wasn’t totally terrible. It’s a fast watch. It’s something you can listen to in the background if you’re at work or you just want to relax. The production is sleek, the people are okay, and the songs—though not memorable—are nice enough. But if you’re the type of person who is actually interested in music production or would like to know what it takes to make a hit, you might be let down by this reality show.
Reality Series Hitmakers Review: Summing Up
As a music fan who enjoys seeing artists work their magic, I so desperately wanted to love Hitmakers. But what I did not do is that it promised to deliver and didn’t. There is glamour, there is talent, but not quite as much heart or depth. If Netflix does end up greenlighting season two, I hope they let us see more of the actual music-making itself and let the artists’ stories just come naturally.
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