I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with legendary pop songwriter Bonnie McKee. She’s co-written ten number-one hits (tied with Janet Jackson and Stevie Wonder!), for artists including Katy Perry, Britney Spears, and Taio Cruz.
In our conversation, Bonnie pulled back the curtain on her songwriting process, sharing how she crafts hooks that get stuck in your head for years (hint: there’s a secret pop “math” behind it). She also opened up about her journey from struggling artist to hitmaker, the imposter syndrome that came with early success, and how pop music—often dismissed as fluffy—can be deeply personal and even life-saving, especially for the queer community.
Some highlights:
🎤 The story of how Katy Perry literally inspired the lyric for Britney Spears’ Hold It Against Me
📓 A peek into Bonnie’s songwriting notebooks, where she still writes lyrics by hand
🎶 How Dynamite secretly started as a song about surrendering to sobriety
🌈 Why she always writes with the queer community in mind
We also talked about her long-awaited album Hot City (finally released after a decade!), her new Substack Pop City and what she’s up to next.
Let me know what you think in the comments—what’s your favorite Bonnie McKee anthem?
Don’t forget to subscribe to Pop City for more of Bonnie’s songwriting secrets!
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