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In just two months, MEOVV has leaped onto the K-pop scene by showcasing a promising range and bold artistry set to claw out a legacy all their own.
The five-member girl group is the first-ever launched by THEBLACKLABEL, the agency founded by legendary producer Teddy with over 25 years in crafting K-pop classics by the likes of BIGBANG, 2NE1, PSY and BLACKPINK, that now houses top talent like Rosé, Taeyang, Jeon Somi and more. The excitement around MEOVV’s debut translated into a record deal with Columbia Records, millions of views on the group’s intriguing, fashion-forward teaser visuals, and bold debut single “MEOW” roaring onto Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart at No. 10 in September.
Despite the ultra-polished visuals and Teddy’s guiding hand, MEOVV balances raw confidence and relatability as seen in their two new singles: the energetic anthem “BODY” and emotionally charged “TOXIC.” The songs establish the five-piece’s immense range of potential, effortlessly transitioning from a fierce, pump-up track to a throbbing, electro-pop midtempo with universal emotional resonance.
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MEOVV members Sooin, Gawon, Anna, Narin and Ella’s impressive multilingual abilities — able to communicate in English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and Spanish — are matched by an undeniable warmth and relatability. Speaking with Billboard from Seoul during an evening Zoom call, the members spoke mostly in English but flowed seamlessly between languages, exuding a genuine camaraderie that belied their relatively short time as a group. Even with just months under their belts as a team, the group spoke about the pride they had in their music (especially as “TOXIC” was co-written by Gawon and Narin) and hoping to be a place of comfort for fans (emphasizing how they want to be relatable and authentic).
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As MEOVV continue to prowl forward on their journey together, get to know the K-Pop Rookie of the Month for November 2024 as they share details about how they formed, advice from BLACKPINK, their inner cats and more.
MEOVV just debuted in September with two new singles in November. How have these past couple of weeks and months been for you?
GAWON: Wow. Super hectic, but very exciting.
ELLA: Where we came out with our debut only about a month ago, we got to see a lot about how we kind of are on stage in front of people so it was really a good learning period of time to see what we could do better, what we could maybe work on or keep doing. It was like a good time to learn and grow. And now we’re ready for our next release.
Can you tell us how MEOVV formed and what it was like when the five of you came together?
NARIN: We all come from different backgrounds and have lived very different lives. So when we first met at THEBLACKLABEL, we were like complete strangers. But I think we also had that strong connection to each other since we all love music — we have a strong, shared passion for music, shared vision, common interests and everything. I think it was very natural for us to connect to each other and really become a team.
GAWON: Yeah, I think that just brought us together. And then one day we just found ourselves recording “MEOW,” filming videos, preparing, and rehearsing. SOOIN unnie and I knew each other from a few years back and then we reunited at THEBLACKLABEL and it was like, “Oh my God, what the heck, you’re here!”
NARIN: And I think when we first started recording our first debut song, “MEOW,” we all have so different voices and it’s very unique, but when recording, it was all just like becoming one song.
GAWON: And I think we started to feel like, “Oh, this makes so much sense.” Like, when we were also in the studio, we just sonically made sense. At that time, we didn’t really like, know each other on a deeper, deeper level so I think through those kind of processes and preparing for our debut, we got to know each other and we bonded over that. I think it just felt right. Yeah, it felt right.
You are the first group from THEBLACKLABEL, millions of people have viewed just your trailer teasers, the “MEOW” music video earned over 30 million views. Did you feel pressure to live up to any expectations?
ELLA: I think there definitely was times of pressure, but I think it was mostly, like, excitement — we were excited to finally put out music now. But when there were moments of pressure, I think we channeled it well into working hard.
GAWON: Yeah and when there were moments of pressure, it was mostly just excitement. Like, “Yeah! We’re gonna debut! Yeah!” I think we were able to turn that into motivation and just fuel for the fire that we had while preparing to be out in the world.
MEOVV is the newest girl group produced by Teddy, a legendary producer. Were you Teddy fans or fans of any of the artists he worked with in the past?
SOOIN: We were all definitely fans.
GAWON: I came from the States, but I was still surrounded by his music growing up. It’s just everywhere.
NARIN: And his music is just so iconic.
GAWON: With the legacy that he created in music, we’re just so excited to be able to continue that as MEOVV. I love everyone and everyone he worked with — even 1TYM!
K-pop fans may have knew ELLA’s background and being close with the BLACKPINK members. How did you get to know them?
ELLA: It just came naturally because when I first came to THEBLACKLABEL, I met them when I was really young, just one time in the studio when they were working. Then while we were preparing for our debut, we got a lot of tips and advice from them so they’re really supportive. It’s kind of crazy thinking like, “Oh, I met them kind of doing what we’re doing now.”
GAWON: It really puts things into perspective. They’re so sweet and give such such great advice.
ELLA: They’ve been doing this for so long — it’s like, what better person to get advice from than them? They know it best.
In September, “MEOW” debuted at No. 10 on the World Digital Song Sales chart. Did you see the news?
NARIN: I definitely remember the moment when GAWON unnie found it out and then she told us — I think we were in the elevator, yeah —
GAWON: I was just scrolling and I was like, “Huh? What?”
ELLA: We didn’t believe her at first!
NARIN: We said, “What do you mean Billboard? What do you mean?” And then we all started cheering.
ALL: Yay, Billboard! [Cheering and laughing]
Let’s discuss the new singles “TOXIC” and “BODY.” What do these songs mean to MEOVV?
GAWON: Well these two new releases are very different from “MEOW.” The two songs are very contrasting to each other. But at the same time, they’re able to simultaneously compliment each other in a way where it just balances everything out.
NARIN: “TOXIC” is very emotional and very honest; it’s more vulnerable. We’re also more emotionally attached to this one because we wrote the lyrics. It’s been a minute since we wrote, but GAWON and I were in the studio and they just put on a random song, which was just the beat and maybe melodies for the chorus on “TOXIC.”
GAWON: Yeah, melodies for the chorus and a theme of “toxic.” This song is about being toxic and then, um, he [Teddy] left us in the studio. He was like, “Oh, I have to go do something. You guys do whatever you want with it. Have fun.” [Laughs]
NARIN: I love how the emotions that we had while writing lyrics are now for everyone to share with us.
GAWON: It shines in the music video too, it’s just a lot of shared emotions. It’s kind of like a full circle moment. We love “TOXIC.”
Would it be safe to say “TOXIC” is everyone’s favorite single over “BODY”?
NARIN: Oh, that’s very tricky because “BODY” feels like one of our members now — it’s like our friend. It’s always there in the practice room…
ELLA: It’s always there…
GAWON: …in the car. It’s this kind of energy that we just hold with us everywhere we go. Especially moments before stage, we’re like, “Let’s go, let’s go!”
How was shooting the music videos?
GAWON: Oh my god, it’s so special…both videos for each of the songs hold a very special place in our heart because It was very natural; it was very pure. Like us in our purest forms [for “TOXIC”].
ELLA: It wasn’t even like a music video shoot. It was just like, “Oh, it was like a hangout moment” and they were just capturing the moment. And then with “BODY” it’s just like, we just had so much fun; we just had so much fun having a party. We were bonding after that.
ANNA: There was a scene [in “TOXIC”] where we were just like running around the street, just playing like little girls, Everyone was watching us. Actually. It wasn’t like a set, It was just [outside] on the street and when the light green, It was like, “Let’s just go!” and then we started running, jumping, lying down. It was really nice.
ELLA: It wasn’t a [traditional music video] set, we were outside and when recording started, it was like, “Let’s just go!” and we started running, jumping, lying down.
What messages do you want to share with “TOXIC” and “BODY”?
NARIN: They’re both about our raw emotions and our authenticity.
GAWON: They’re very honest so I feel like people could look forward to that and we hope that a lot of people can resonate with both songs in these different aspects of being confident but also at the same time being able to be more vulnerable about your true emotions and your experiences.
ELLA: I hope that when people watch the music video, they’re entertained by watching us and our sort of vulnerability and emotion, but they are also like they also can kind of find that with themselves.
GAWON: Yeah, I hope they see themselves in us.
As a fun question about your concept, I’d love to know what kind of cat your members identify with one another.
ELLA: Starting with GAWON unnie, she’s such a big cat — like a leopard.
SOOIN: Or a cheetah! She has long legs too, she’s big and tall.
ELLA: And she likes cheetah print so it’s your vibe.
NARIN: And Anna Jang?
ELLA: She’s like a kitten!
NARIN: You’re like a little, white English Shorthair; that’s what you are!
ELLA: But it has to be a baby,
SOOIN: A small, shy baby, kitten.
ANNA: I agree with that. [Laughs]
NARIN: I feel like SOOIN needs blue eyes, because she loves blue, she’s obsessed with blue…
SOOIN: I love blue. [Shows blue accessories, notebook and blue phone case]
ELLA: So, a Siamese cat with blue eyes.
SOOIN: I like it.
ELLA: And for NARIN, I think you’re not a regular cat but from The Aristocats animation, what’s the one with the pink bow’s name? Marie from The Aristocats, yeah.
GAWON: She is so Marie.
NARIN: Thanks, I like that.
GAWON: You know what you are, ELLA? You are Puss in Boots — like a tabby cat.
NARIN: With the smirk.
ELLA: Yeah, I like the orange ones — that’s my personality too. I like it.
Thank you for the very satisfying answers across the board. To wrap up, looking at MEOVV overall, what are your goals and dreams as a group?
ELLA: I just hope that people will get inspired listening to our music and maybe discover more about themselves and their emotions.
GAWON: Being able to connect with more people through our music, I just want people to feel something when they see us. Whatever emotion that may be, just to share experiences and feelings together. In terms of goals, I think we just want to establish MEOVV further and just create our identity and while also keeping our own individuality.
What else should we look forward to, or do you want to share with fans now?
SOOIN: We have so many songs that we’re working on and we picked the best out of the best for this release. So, it’s just only a bit of what they’re about to show to the world. We hope that people are looking forward to us in the future!
ANNA: This time, our songs are really good so I want to show a better performance while preparing for it. In the future, I hope I can show it to the fans around the world soon.
GAWON: One last thing I would like to say is that we’ll just thank you for your continued support — all the fans and everyone who is tuning into our music.
In just two months, MEOVV has leaped onto the K-pop scene by showcasing a promising range and bold artistry set to claw out a legacy all their own. The five-member girl group is the first-ever launched by THEBLACKLABEL, the agency founded by legendary producer Teddy with over 25 years in crafting K-pop classics by the […]
Bruno Mars is a supportive friend! The superstar took to his Instagram Stories on Wednesday (Nov. 20) to share a series of accomplishments from his latest collaborations with Lady Gaga (“Die With a Smile”) and BLACKPINK’s Rosé (“APT.”). “My girls Gaga and Rosie out here making history,” he wrote on the final slide, which you […]
Billie Eilish claims the top two spots on Billboard’s Top TV Songs chart, powered by Tunefind (a Songtradr company), for October 2024, thanks to synchs in two different series: Agatha All Along and Heartstopper.
Rankings for the Top TV Songs chart are based on song and show data provided by Tunefind and ranked using a formula blending that data with sales and streaming information tracked by Luminate during the corresponding period of October 2024.
Eilish’s “You Should See Me in a Crown” reigns as the No. 1 for October 2024. One of her breakthrough songs, it was the lead single from her debut full-length When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, peaking at No. 7 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart in 2018.
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“You Should See Me in a Crown” was featured in the fifth episode of Disney+’s Agatha All Along miniseries, which premiered Oct. 9. It earned 6.8 million official on-demand U.S. streams and sold 2,000 downloads in October 2024, according to Luminate.
Eilish’s “Blue,” from 2024’s Hit Me Hard and Soft, is No. 2 following a synch in the third season of Netflix’s Heartstopper, all of which premiered Oct. 3. The song racked up 14.1 million streams and 1,000 downloads in October.
Both songs are from series that boasted more than one appearance on the latest Top TV Songs chart. Agatha All Along also has the No. 3 with Seo Moon Tak’s “The Ballad of the Witches’ Road,” from Oct. 16’s sixth episode (734,000 streams, 2,000 downloads), and Heartstopper has five appearances in all, with “Blue” followed by Troye Sivan’s “Rush” (No. 5; 7.4 million streams) and Beabadoobee’s “The Way Things Go,” Tom Odell’s “Black Friday” and Grimes’ “Genesis” at Nos. 7-9, respectively.
HBO’s new series The Penguin takes up the chart’s other three spots via a flurry of songs from its Oct. 6-premiering third episode: Bob Moses’ “Broken Belief,” Gil Scott-Heron’s “Me and the Devil” and 6LACK’s “Switch.”
See the full top 10 below.
Rank, Song, Artist, Show (Network)1. “You Should See Me in a Crown,” Billie Eilish, Agatha All Along (Disney+)2. “Blue,” Billie Eilish, Heartstopper (Netflix)3. “The Ballad of the Witches’ Road,” Seo Moon Tak, Agatha All Along (Disney+)4. “Broken Belief,” Bob Moses, The Penguin (HBO)5. “Rush,” Troye Sivan, Heartstopper (Netflix)6. “Me and the Devil,” Gil Scott-Heron, The Penguin (HBO)7. “The Way Things Go,” Beabadoobee, Heartstopper (Netflix)8. “Black Friday,” Tom Odell, Heartstopper (Netflix)9. “Genesis,” Grimes, Heartstopper (Netflix)10. “Switch,” 6LACK, The Penguin (HBO)
Miley Cyrus has racked up over a billion Spotify streams on six of her songs — and over the years, some of the people who were listening ended up becoming big stars in their own rights, guided by the Hannah Montana alum’s influence.
And in a clip from her Billions Club: The Series episode shared exclusively with Billboard Thursday (Nov. 21), Cyrus opened up about what it means to have inspired the likes of Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Rodrigo — all of whom have professed their love of the 31-year-old superstar. “You never think about in the future, someone replicating what you do,” she tells sister Brandi in the video. “You’re just doing it because it’s honest in the moment.”
“Now to see that impacting culture — it’s something I didn’t know I wanted, but I guess I do,” Miley continues. “I have my own artists who have created who I am.”
Shouting out Dolly Parton, Stevie Nicks and Tina Turner as her own idols, the two-time Grammy winner went on to say, “Even though they look up to me the way I look up to these other women, it’s really important they do it their own way, because that’s what my career has represented above all else.”
“The freedom I’ve kind of given these other artists to be themselves, [to] do it proud and loud — it’s just amazing to watch that be so impactful and influential,” she added.
The clip comes one day ahead of the premiere of Miley’s Spotify Billions Club episode, which arrives as her 2013 Billboard Hot 100-topping hit “Wrecking Ball” becomes her sixth song to surpass a billion streams on the platform. Her previous entries include 2009’s “Party in the U.S.A.” — her first track to hit the milestone — and 2023’s eight-week No. 1 hit “Flowers,” which was her fastest song to break into 10-digit territory.
Spotify’s recognition of Miley comes as she’s hammering away at her next album, which will follow 2023’s Endless Summer Vacation. In a recent interview with Harper’s Bazaar, she revealed that the LP is heavily inspired by Pink Floyd’s The Wall, but with “a better wardrobe and more glamorous and filled with pop culture.”
The “Pink Pony Club” artist also came up in that interview, with Miley saying that she wishes “people would not give [Roan] a hard time” in response to some of the criticism surrounding the 26-year-old breakout star. “It’s probably really hard coming into this business with phones and Instagram,” Miley added. “That wasn’t always a part of my life, and I’m not a part of it now. I don’t even have my Instagram password.”
Watch Miley reflect on being a role model for younger stars above.
With the music world still grieving the loss of One Direction member Liam Payne, Culture Club frontman Boy George is taking some accountability for comments he made about the late singer.
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In the latest episode of the High Performance podcast, George expressed his regret over comments he left on a post of one of Payne’s performances. “I’d actually put a message under a post saying ‘he’s off his nut,’ which wasn’t very nice,” the “Karma Chameleon” singer said. “But I felt it. I felt like he was out of control.”
George continued, saying once he’d learned of the singer’s death, he was “hit” in a similar way to when Amy Winehouse passed in 2011. “It felt so senseless. I was up at five in the morning, and it came up on the American news, and I was literally just like, ‘What the f–k,’” he said. “Like, ‘No, this isn’t real,’ I could not take it in, and I think everybody felt like that.”
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The singer added his anger and frustration with some of the comments he read after he posted a short tribute to the singer on his Instagram. “Someone tweeted at me, ‘Oh, you only care because he’s good looking,’ and I was like, ‘F–k off,’” he said. “You’re an idiot … no, actually, I care about his family. I watched his dad [greet fans after Payne’s death], heartbreaking.”
Payne was laid to rest in a private funeral on Wednesday (Nov. 20). Among those in attendance were Payne’s former One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik, along with The X Factor host Simon Cowell and former late-night host James Corden.
Watch the full episode featuring Boy George below:
Billie Eilish is wrapping up 2024 with a major honor, as the nine-time Grammy winner was named Apple Music’s 2024 Artist of the Year on Thursday (Nov. 21). “Since day one, Apple Music has supported my music and artistry, and I am both honored and humbled to receive this recognition as Artist of the Year […]
Beyoncé‘s “Diva” nears the No. 1 spot on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart, but it’s Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Maps” that remains atop the Nov. 23-dated tally for a seventh week.
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The TikTok Billboard Top 50 is a weekly ranking of the most popular songs on TikTok in the United States based on creations, video views and user engagement. The latest chart reflects activity from Nov. 11-17. Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard charts except for the TikTok Billboard Top 50.
“Maps” again reigns over Alphaville’s “Forever Young”; the pair of tunes have been Nos. 1 and 2 for six weeks in a row, dating back to the Oct. 19 ranking.
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But while the top three had also been static for four straight weeks, with Akon’s “Akon’s Beautiful Day” at No. 3 during that span, the top three gets a shake-up in the form of Beyoncé’s “Diva,” which jumps 6-3 in its fourth week on the ranking (“Akon’s Beautiful Day,” meanwhile, drops to No. 8).
TikTok uploads showing off creators’ diva-esque behavior continues to drive the ascension of “Diva,” originally released on Beyoncé’s 2008 album I Am…Sasha Fierce.
In the week ending Nov. 14, “Diva” sported an 11% gain in official U.S. steams to 2.6 million earned, according to Luminate.
Aphex Twin’s “QKThr” rises back to its No. 4 peak (after initially attaining it on the Oct. 26 ranking), while Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” rounds out the top five, leaping 7-5. Carey returns to the top five at virtually the same time as she did last year, as the holiday standard first hit No. 5 on the Nov. 25, 2023, tally, the first holiday season of the TikTok Billboard Top 50’s existence.
Other holiday-related moves include Wham!’s “Last Christmas” (down 13-14) and Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (up 22-21).
Gracie Abrams’ “That’s So True” reaches a new peak within the top 10, rising 8-6 in the song’s third week on the list. Concurrently the multimetric Billboard Hot 100 chart’s greatest gainer in streaming (up 25% to 23.5 million streams, good for No. 1 on the Streaming Songs ranking), “That’s So True” remains driven by lip-synching content and other edits.
And one song hits the top 10 of the TikTok Billboard Top 50 for the first time: Grace McGuigan’s cover of “Amazing Grace,” which launches 21-10 in its second week. McGuigan’s cover of the religious standard, given a wide release earlier this month, has been used in a variety of ways on TikTok, from post-U.S.-election content to sports teams’ uploads and much more.
See the full TikTok Billboard Top 50 here. You can also tune in each Friday to SiriusXM’s TikTok Radio (channel 4) to hear the premiere of the chart’s top 10 countdown at 3 p.m. ET, with reruns heard throughout the week.
V is doubling down on holiday releases this year, with the BTS star announcing a new seasonal duet with Park Hyo Shin titled “Winter Ahead” Thursday (Nov. 21). Arriving Nov. 29 ahead of V’s highly anticipated “White Christmas” collaboration with Bing Crosby, “Winter Ahead” is described in a release as a jazz-pop collaboration inspired by […]
When it comes to pop music track records, Cirkut’s illustrious résumé in the genre speaks for itself.
As a sought after electro-pop producer and songwriter, the 38-year-old artist born Henry Walter has spent the last two decades churning out hits for artists like The Weeknd (“Starboy, “Die For You”), Rihanna (“Where Have You Been”), Katy Perry (“Roar,” “Dark Horse”), Miley Cyrus (“Wrecking Ball”), Charli XCX (“360”) and dozens of others. But as he explains to Billboard, he goes out of his way to not get too comfortable with his success.
“I never want to rest on my past accomplishments, and that vibe of ‘Oh, do you know all my work? Do you know all my hits?’” he explains. “That doesn’t mean anything to me. Whether I’m working with the biggest star in the world or the newest artist, you have to prove yourself over and over again.”
By his own definition, Cirkut has done just that: Over the last month, the producer has helped launch two artists into the upper echelons of the Billboard Hot 100. His work with veteran hitmaker Lady Gaga on her dark pop single “Disease” sent the song to a No. 27 debut on the chart. Meanwhile K-pop sensation ROSÉ earned her highest-charting solo single with “APT.,” featuring Bruno Mars, arriving at No. 8, thanks in no small part to Cirkut’s catchy production. He earned writing credits on both tracks as well.
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The producer attributes the successes of both Gaga and ROSÉ to their singular ideas of what they want in their music — a trait he looks for in all the artists he works with. “When an artist doesn’t really know what they want to say, or is like, ‘I don’t know, just make me a song,’ that doesn’t interest me,” he says. “The best artists always have some kind of vision, whether it’s how they see the visuals coming together, how they want the guitar to sound, or how hard the kick drums hit.”
Below, Cirkut breaks down the writing processes for both “Disease” and “APT.,” why Lady Gaga stands out in a crowded field of pop stars, how an ad-libbed drinking game inspired ROSÉ’s hit song, and what he envisions for the future of pop music.
Let’s go all the way back to the beginning — when and how did you first get involved with Gaga and her team for this project?
It happened sometime last year — I had been working with [“Disease” co-writer/co-producer] Andrew Watt for a while. We [had] worked on a few different things together, and one day he called me and said, “What do you think about working with Gaga?” He said that we would be a great fit to do this project together. So, I met Gaga for the first time in the studio, and it was amazing. I was really excited to work with her, we were off to the races as soon as we met.
What immediately appealed to you about the prospect of working with Gaga?
I’ve been a fan over the years, she is just a legendary artist. There’s only one Gaga, and she has influenced so many of the artists who are out now. I think her music paved the way for so many people. Selfishly, I did want to see what I could accomplish with her. Just the thought of wondering what a Gaga record would sound like if I produced it was really exciting from the get-go.
When you look back on the inception of “Disease,” was there a stated goal with that song? What were you aiming to accomplish?
It was just one song in a collection that we worked on together, but fairly early in the process, we all loved it and knew that it would be some kind of cornerstone of this body of work. “Disease” [is] a daring record to me. It’s very aggressive. I wouldn’t say it’s a safe, “nice” song to ease you into things. I was spending some time with my mom the other day and she asked what I’d been working on — I threw on the music video for “Disease,” and she was just stunned and saying “oh my God” a lot. It’s a very in-your-face kind of record.
I do all kinds of music, but I love aggressive electronic music. When Watt and I get together, something just kind of happens — with his rock background, we end up bringing in a lot of heavy guitars, and I wanted to make it this cool, industrial synth dance record. When you listen to the final result, I’m pretty happy with how we melded those two things.
What do you remember from the studio sessions with Gaga here — were there any particular moments where it felt like things really locked in for you?
We all huddled up at the beginning to see if we had any common ground when it came to taste in music and the places we wanted to go with the sound. She was very instrumental in leading that discussion. We all wanted to make something that still felt like it was decidedly Gaga, but always asking the question of “What does that sound like today?” That’s always a challenge, especially with artists who have established themselves so firmly in pop culture, to figure out that balance. Do you do something so different that you move away from the things that you are known for? But if you just do the same thing that you’ve been known for, does that end up feeling like a “more-of-the-same” type situation? I wanted to make sure that we brought the essence of Gaga into this song and all of the things that are so great about her — the drama, the theatrics, that in-your-face sound — but still putting a fresh spin on it. That said, you also cannot overthink things too much on something like this. Ultimately, you just have to get in there and have fun.
We definitely had a synergy in the studio. In the beginning, it is kind of a trial run [with a new collaborator]. It felt a little bit like she was feeling me out, trying to figure out where I was coming from when it came to production. But then there was kind of a breakthrough moment — I had been working through something over my headphones, and when I played it out loud, she was just like, “Oh my God, Cirkut, that’s crazy.” And as soon as that happened it was like, “Great, I got through to her.” It’s not like she was difficult to impress, but I wanted us to be on the same page. I treat every project I work on like that — you have to approach it from the mind of being a student always, rather than a know-it-all. I’m always learning from new people.
You’ve worked on massive hits from artists like The Weeknd, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, Kesha and Charli XCX. As someone who has been in the room with so many of these major pop stars, how does Gaga stand out amongst that pack?
I think something all the great artists that I’ve worked with have in common is that they all have a vision. Whether it’s fully realized or not doesn’t matter — there is always intention and direction behind the art that they’re making. Even if that’s not fully fleshed out, I find that to be really important. There is always an opinion.
Gaga is very much like that — she is very interested in the sonics of everything. She would say, “Maybe try a different drum here,” or she would hop on the synths and start playing things. She’s a musician and a visionary, and she knew all about the attack, decay, sustain and release settings on a synth. She is all about the details, which definitely sets her apart from a lot of artists. Also, the passion that she puts into her work is amazing. She really lives and breathes and eats and sweats and bleeds this music.
“Disease” is not the only track of yours currently on the Hot 100 — ROSÉ’s “APT.,” featuring Bruno Mars debuted at No. 8 debut earlier this month. Tell me a little bit about how you got involved on that song, and what ROSÉ and Bruno were like to work with?
I don’t try to say, “Oh, I knew this would be a hit,” because I simply do not have that kind of foresight. But I thought this one was a really great, fun, catchy song, and I really loved working with Rosie. I was so excited when she had played the song for Bruno and I heard that he was getting involved, because I genuinely feel like he took it to another level.
We worked together probably three days in a row in the studio, and I think [“APT.”] was one of the last ideas we started. It was the end of the night, we had just done a song or two, and we were like, “Might be time to go home.” And Rosie was sitting there and just sort of chanting to herself, “apateu, apateu.” I think it was [co-writer] Theron [Thomas] who stopped her and asked what it was. She said, “It’s just a Korean thing, it’s basically a drinking game.” All of us were immediately like, “Why is that not a song?” We took that and put together a very quick hook. It was kind of random — I love it when stuff like that happens! It’s not always planned. It’s not always, “We’re going to get in the studio and make a mega hit featuring Bruno Mars.” Sometimes it’s a spontaneous session based on a drinking game. Sometimes somebody is whispering something in the corner, and it becomes this incredible hook.
As someone who has been as vital as you are in creating these massive pop moments throughout your career, how do you view the direction pop music is headed today? What are you seeing in the pop space right now that feels like something that will continue on into the future?
More than ever, almost anything goes. Nowadays, because there’s so much music out there, listeners are so discerning. They like what they like, and it is up to us — creators, producers, songwriters, artists — to show people fresh, new things that they haven’t heard 1,000 times already. Sure, there are trends that go in and out of style, but sometimes, it can be about just changing one thing, and all of a sudden you’ve got a fresh new sound.
Honestly, I try not to think about all of this too much because it can be a little overwhelming. The “next sound” could literally be anything. I really try to just create and not think about the future because that can ultimately remove the spontaneity of it. Messing around and stumbling upon something you love is kind of the random magic that happens. In the age of [artificial intelligence], I think that’s a tool that is here to stay, whether people like it or not, and I do think it could help when it comes to creativity in the studio. But, at the end of the day, it’s the human element of production and songwriting that succeeds. People care about authenticity, they want something that’s real, and listeners are not stupid.
A version of this story appears in the Nov. 16, 2024, issue of Billboard.