World’s Greatest Songwriters

‘You’re talking to me after 10, 11 years while having a beautiful moment, but there’s a lot of tears behind that.’

Steph Jones, co-writer of Espresso, on her decade-long overnight success, helping new artists find their voice, the power of perfume and why the music industry has to improve its treatment of songwriters

Interviews

‘We were of that time, and everything was absolutely wonderful.’

Pete Bellotte on how he helped define disco and set the tempo for modern electronic dance music

Interviews

‘I’m not going to get embarrassed or feel awkward if someone begins weeping when they start talking about a story that becomes a song. If they start to cry, I don’t try to stop that.’

Dan Wilson, co-writer of Someone Like You and many other award-winning songs over the last 20 years, reflects on his time as an artist, why he's happier behind the scenes and never ruling out the waltz option

Interviews

‘No one understands the pressure of being labelled as a ‘hit songwriter’, then somebody puts you in a room with strangers and they’re like, ‘Hey, I need a smash!’’

Grammy-winner Theron Thomas talks about the childhood that inspired him, helping break Lizzo, his billion-stream hits, AI, TikTok, The Power Rangers and Mel Gibson

Interviews

Jack Antonoff talks Taylor Swift, AI, his new management – and how to avoid deals with the devil

MBW’s World’s Greatest Songwriters series meets Jack Antonoff, one of the most successful songwriters of the modern age...

Interviews

Teddy Riley on what it’s like to create a genre, write with Michael Jackson and nearly lose it all

The two-time Grammy winner talks new jack swing, Dangerous, My Prerogative, the key to collaboration and how the threat of jail can focus the mind

Interviews

‘It seemed very daring at the time – and it was.’

Sir Tim Rice talks about making Jesus Christ Superstar, his partnership with Andrew Lloyd Webber, working with Elton and writing for Elvis...

Interviews

He wrote megahits for Michael Jackson and Alanis Morissette. Now he’s taking on musical theater.

Glen Ballard discusses co-writing Jagged Little Pill, working with Michael Jackson, how AI is 'the ultimate threat to every writer in the world' and much more...

Interviews

‘There’s a safe room we go to where the two of us can say anything to each other.’

Boy (George Merrill) Meets Girl (Shannon Rubicam) discuss writing 1980s mega-hits How Will I Know and I Wanna Dance With Somebody, their experience as artists, divorce, trust and rediscovering their passion for writing...

Interviews

‘The objective is not just to have a hit, it’s to make people feel less alone, more loved, more alive, more thankful.’

Josh Jenkins talks about co-writing two very different country mega-hits, the effect they have had on his career, gifts from God, TikTok and the importance of 'a slow, peaceful creative space'

Interviews

‘We need to find a fair way to compensate songwriters, because we can’t survive. Well, I can survive, but I’m terrified for the next generation.’

Liz Rose on becoming a superstar songwriter by accident, Taylor Swift, telling stories, selling catalogs and why current payment models urgently need overhauling

Interviews

Music Business Worldwide

World’s Greatest Songwriters

‘You’re talking to me after 10, 11 years while having a beautiful moment, but there’s a lot of tears behind that.’

‘We were of that time, and everything was absolutely wonderful.’

‘I’m not going to get embarrassed or feel awkward if someone begins weeping when they start talking about a story that becomes a song. If they start to cry, I don’t try to stop that.’

‘No one understands the pressure of being labelled as a ‘hit songwriter’, then somebody puts you in a room with strangers and they’re like, ‘Hey, I need a smash!’’

Jack Antonoff talks Taylor Swift, AI, his new management – and how to avoid deals with the devil

Teddy Riley on what it’s like to create a genre, write with Michael Jackson and nearly lose it all

‘It seemed very daring at the time – and it was.’

He wrote megahits for Michael Jackson and Alanis Morissette. Now he’s taking on musical theater.

‘There’s a safe room we go to where the two of us can say anything to each other.’

‘The objective is not just to have a hit, it’s to make people feel less alone, more loved, more alive, more thankful.’

‘We need to find a fair way to compensate songwriters, because we can’t survive. Well, I can survive, but I’m terrified for the next generation.’

Jimmy Napes on Unholy, Sam Smith, and never taking success for granted

‘Songs are the engine of the music industry and sometimes people can lose sight of that’

‘I’ve made lots of money doing something I love, but there’s such a lack of respect.’

‘The hardest thing in the world isn’t writing your first hit, it’s writing your second.’