Yonatan "Johnny" Goldstein (Hebrew: יונתן "ג'וני" גולדשטיין; born January 29, 1991) is an Israeli record producer and songwriter specializing in pop, hip-hop, dance, and electronic music.
Early Life and Education
Goldstein was born in Motza Illit, Israel, to Yosef and Ora Goldstein. He developed an interest in music at a very young age, beginning to play drums at age nine and starting to write and sing at age 11. He was a member of a rock band during high school. He later graduated from Thelma Yellin High School of Arts.
Career
Early Career (2004–2010)
Using the nickname "Little Johnny" (ג'וני הקטן, Johnny haKatan in Hebrew), Goldstein recorded a song with the Israeli band Hadag Nahash. After sending a six-song demo to David Klemes (keyboard player for Hadag Nahash), they collaborated on a demo that was intended to become an album titled My Neighborhood (השכונה שלי), though the project never materialized. During this period, Goldstein worked with various artists including bassist Avishai Cohen, Dana Adini, Ania Bukstein, Sagol 59, and Corinne Allal.
In 2008, he released his debut album, The Johnny Show, through Helicon Records. The album featured 14 tracks and collaborations with Muki, Hadag Nahash, Rami Fortis, Useless ID, Shlomi Shaban, Avishai Cohen, Adi Ulmansky, Sha'anan Street, Cohen@Mushon, and Kutiman.
The Young Professionals (2011–2016)
Goldstein collaborated with Israeli pop star Ivri Lider to form the electro-pop duo TYP (The Young Professionals). Their debut album, 09:00 to 17:00, 17:00 to Whenever, was released in Israel in 2011 to critical and commercial success. TYP was named "Best Israeli Act" at the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards. The group signed with Universal Music Group/Polydor for international distribution and with Live Nation Entertainment for event promotion. In 2016, TYP released Remixes and Covers, which included official remixes for Lana Del Rey, Tove Lo, Moby, Imagine Dragons, and Zedd.
Television and Theater (2014–2015)
In 2014, Goldstein served as a judge on the teen-oriented show Band Project. In 2015, he was selected as musical director and music producer for the reboot of the musical Hair. The production received positive reviews and became the most viewed play of the year in Israel, with more than 250 showings. He later served as lead music producer and guest judge on The X Factor Israel for its first and second seasons.
International Breakthrough (2019–present)
In 2019, Goldstein began working alongside will.i.am on the Black Eyed Peas' eighth studio album Translation, producing twelve of its fifteen tracks. The album debuted at No. 3 on Billboard's Latin Albums Chart. His first global hit was his co-production on the Black Eyed Peas' lead single "MAMACITA" featuring Ozuna and J Rey Soul, which samples Madonna's "La Isla Bonita" (1986).
In 2022, Goldstein produced and co-wrote Coi Leray's single "Players," which became a Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 hit and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart. He executive produced Coi Leray's album COI (2023).
In 2024, Goldstein wrote and produced "Tell Ur Girlfriend" by Lay Bankz, which peaked at No. 26 on Spotify's global chart and was No. 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart for three weeks.
Goldstein has become a close collaborator of David Guetta, working on tracks including the Billboard No. 1 Dance Airplay song "Baby Don't Hurt Me" (with Anne-Marie and Coi Leray) and "Heartbreak Anthem" (with Galantis and Little Mix), which reached No. 1 on the UK Dance Singles chart and No. 3 on the UK Official Singles Chart.
He wrote and produced the end title song for Fast & Furious X ("Won't Back Down" performed by YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Bailey Zimmerman, and Dermot Kennedy) and the end title song for Bad Boys: Ride or Die ("Tonight" performed by Black Eyed Peas, Becky G, and El Alfa).
Notable Collaborations
Goldstein has worked with a wide range of artists including Sia, Major Lazer, will.i.am, Black Eyed Peas, Imagine Dragons, J Balvin, Shakira, Britney Spears, Madonna, David Guetta, Coi Leray, Jason Derulo, Ozuna, Daddy Yankee, Galantis, John Legend, Faouzia, NLE Choppa, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Latto, Flo Milli, Lil Wayne, Ava Max, ENHYPEN, Tomorrow X Together (TXT), ILLIT, Stray Kids, Charlie Puth, J-Hope, Miguel, and Sean Paul.
Billboard Chart Rankings
| Chart | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Billboard Hot 100 Producers | 6 |
| Billboard Rap Producers | 1 |
| Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Producers | 4 |
| Billboard Dance/Electronic Producers | 6 |
| Billboard Latin Producers | 9 |
Personal Life
Goldstein was born in 1991 and is of Israeli origin. He is also known by the stage name Johnny GOLD.
