JonTheProducer Dishes on ‘Doctor,’ His Epic Collab With Mau y Ricky, Prince Royce and Piso 21

You may not yet know Jon Leone, better known as JonTheProducer, but if you can't get enough of Latin music, he's someone who must be on your radar.

The Latin Grammy-winning producer is no stranger to the industry, and in April, he released his sizzling debut single "Doctor" alongside frequent collaborators Mau y Ricky, as well as Prince Royce and Piso 21. The track documents the process of recovering from heartbreak, and its rom-com like music video will immediately have you hooked.

We were instant fans, which was why we had to ask Jon all of our most burning questions about the track and his work. Keep reading to find out what JonTheProducer had to reveal to us.

Sweety High: How did this collaboration with Mau y Ricky, Prince Royce and Piso 21 come about?

JonTheProducer: The song started out in a session at Royce's studio with Mau y Ricky, Camilo, Juan Morelli and myself. I had that song for a while in my hard drive, actually, but it wasn't until the pandemic that we started revisiting it, and that's when Mau y Ricky reached out to Piso to hop on the record. The rest is history.

 

SH: What was the recording process like?

JonTheProducer: We cut most of Royce's vocals and guitars the day we wrote the song and then we cut Mau y Ricky's vocals that same week at our studio, Kiss The Chief. About a year later, while we were working on Mau y Ricky's album Rifresh, we started revisiting this one and cut extra vocals. Piso 21 sent us vocals they cut while they were stuck in quarantine and then Royce sent over another verse. It was a really smooth process!

 

SH: What was the sound you wanted to capture with "Doctor," and how do you think it goes along with the feel of the song?

JonTheProducer: I really wanted to capture the sound of heartbreak infused with an intimate love and a sliver of hope. The way the guitar comes in with the lyrics at the start of the song really gives you that sensation of intimacy and the way the lyrics drive the song with a minimalistic track during the verse keeps your heart in tension until those bells/pads/flutes/synths come in the chorus and give you a bit of hope in love even through heartbreak.

 

SH: What does "Doctor" mean to you?

JonTheProducer: What "Doctor" means to me is that no matter how much we try to have control over love, it will always be this magical enigma that we spend our whole lives trying to capture in a bottle.

 

SH: How do you feel this song is different than what you've released in the past?

JonTheProducer: I feel that this song is so different than what I've done in the past because of so many factors, the slow BPM and dance of the song, the contrast between the big drums and the light music, and especially with how vulnerable these artists are on a latin pop/reggaeton record.

 

SH: What's your favorite lyric from the song?

JonTheProducer: My favorite lyric is in the pre chorus: "Karma, vivo con el karma, sin connotacion sexual te extrano en mi cama." It's something everyone lives and feels but we're all so afraid to say out loud.

 

Love Jon the Producer's work with Mau y Ricky? Click HERE to read our interview with the duo on their Refresh album.