CJ Baran

Christopher John Baran (born February 13, 1990) is an American record producer and songwriter based in Los Angeles. He is known for his work with artists including Melanie Martinez, Carly Rae Jepsen, Panic! at the Disco, Marina, and Nessa Barrett, among many others. He is a founding member of theatre company Woolf and the Wondershow and co-writer, creator, and producer of their Los Angeles future theater musical Cages.

Early life Baran is originally from Melville, New York, where he took an early interest in music, learning several instruments and beginning his first band at 11, Kaution.

Career Baran joined Steve Scarola, Nick DeTurris and Derek Ries to form Push Play. Baran was lead vocalist, keyboard player, and rhythm guitarist for the Long Island-based band. They recorded their debut album in Baran's basement, before receiving a record deal from Wind-Up Records and Sony Music. Following a tour with the band, Baran realized he preferred to make music rather than tour and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in production. Baran went on to sign with Pulse Recording for his writing and production work in 2011. In 2013, Baran met producer Max Martin, who brought Baran on to his recording company, MXM. Baran was co-signed with both Pulse and MXM from 2015 to 2023.

Baran initially received critical acclaim for his work on Carly Rae Jepsen's Emotion album, which Billboard ranked as the second best pop album of the year, behind 25 by Adele. He wrote and produced Panic! at the Disco's "Victorious", which peaked at No. 89 on the Billboard Hot 100 in late 2015. The song is part of the Grammy-nominated album, Death of a Bachelor, which reached number one on the Billboard 200 in January 2016. Baran co-wrote and produced Melanie Martinez's "Pity Party", which was certified 2× platinum by the RIAA in 2021. The song was the lead single from Martinez's album Cry Baby, which peaked at number six on the Billboard 200. He also provided music for the TV series Empire, most notably his song "Do It" featuring Becky G.

In 2015, Baran and composer Benjamin Romans set out to combine forces and create a genre bending multimedia musical as Woolf and the Wondershow. They began performing their future theater show Cages in a converted warehouse in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles. Baran and Romans co-wrote the music and lyrics as well as co-directed. For the LA run, Baran performed live on stage as main character Woolf, while Romans performed the live score. The show was a first of its kind, blending ghost holograms interacting with live actors using projection mapping. The show was successful, enjoying a six-month run of sold-out performances, before being halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cages returned in late 2021, with the release of an official soundtrack recording and film. The show received an additional run of London performances in 2022. Cages has been noted as an innovative experience that blends Broadway, pop music and film, and was called "groundbreaking" by the Los Angeles Times. As described by Forbes, Cages "is breathtaking...one part Les Mis, another part Kanye West, a dash of Broadway here, and a sprinkle of cinema there - all mixed together in an entirely new kind of immersive blender complete with earth-shattering sound."

In 2023, Baran executive produced Melanie Martinez's third album, Portals, which reached number two on the Billboard 200. His work on Portals positioned him at number one on the weekly Billboard Alternative Producers Chart for two weeks. Following Portals, Baran also executive produced and co-wrote every track on Martinez's fourth album, Hades, released in 2026, which peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 and number one on Billboards Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart. His work on the album earned him a second top-five placement on the Billboard Alternative Producers Chart. Baran has expanded his creative partnership with Martinez, becoming her musical director for subsequent live engagements, most notably the 2026 Hades: The Sacrifice Tour. He also executive produced Marina's sixth album Princess of Power in 2025 and Nessa Barrett's albums Aftercare and Tough Love, as well as the EP Jesus Loves a Primadonna.

In 2023, Baran founded his own production and publishing company, VAMP, focused on world-building and creating niches in the alternative genre. The name is a multi-acronym for "very alternative music publishing" and "very alternative music production". In 2025, he signed a new deal with Sony Music Publishing in partnership with VAMP.

Selected discography