Writing "Halo," Hits for Beyonce and Eminem, and the Inside Story of How the World's Biggest Songs Get Made
Evan Kidd Bogart is the songwriter behind some of the most iconic songs of the last two decades. He co-wrote Beyonce's "Halo" -- one of the defining ballads of the era -- and has written hits for Eminem, Jordin Sparks, and scores of other major artists. He is also the son of Neil Bogart, the legendary founder of Casablanca Records, which gives him a perspective on the music business that runs unusually deep.
In this conversation with Elmo, Evan goes deep on the craft of hit songwriting -- the specific creative decisions behind "Halo," what it's like to write for artists as different as Beyonce and Eminem, and what his father's legacy has meant for how he understands the industry. This is one of the most specific and illuminating conversations about professional songwriting you will find anywhere.
"A great song doesn't feel written. It feels discovered. Your job is to get out of the way."
The full story of how "Halo" came together -- the session with Ryan Tedder, the specific melodic and lyrical choices that made it what it is, and what it felt like to hear Beyonce record it. His account of what the song went through from first draft to final version, and what changed and what stayed exactly the same.
What it actually means to write for two artists as different as Beyonce and Eminem -- the tonal range, the craft requirements, and what each one demands from a writer in the room. His account of what he has to set aside and what he has to access when moving between worlds that most songwriters never enter at all.
Evan's developed philosophy of what makes a song work at the highest level -- the structure, the emotional logic, the specific techniques he uses to find the hook inside a session. Not generic advice but the actual framework of a working professional who has done it repeatedly across genres.
What it meant to grow up as Neil Bogart's son -- the music business education he got at home, what his father understood about hit-making that most people didn't, and how that legacy has shaped the way he approaches his own career. One of the most unusual music business educations ever given, explained by the person who received it.
His honest account of how the business of being a top-level songwriter actually works -- the publishing deals, the co-writing politics, the royalty structures, and what separates the writers who build lasting careers from the ones who don't. Practical and specific in a way that most industry conversations aren't.
His account of where he is still growing as a writer and as a person in the industry, and what the last few years have taught him about the things he thought he already knew. The honest answer from someone at the top of the craft about what the craft keeps revealing.
The "Halo" session: Evan's specific and detailed account of the day the song was written -- what the room was like, what Ryan Tedder brought, what Evan brought, and the specific moment when they both knew they had something extraordinary. One of the most granular accounts of a hit's creation you will find from any songwriter who has actually done it.
On writing for Eminem: what it actually requires to write in a voice as specific and technically demanding as Eminem's -- the syllable counts, the rhythmic precision, the tonal authenticity -- and how Evan approached a writer's room where the bar was set that high.
His father's lessons: the specific things Neil Bogart understood about music and about the music business that Evan absorbed growing up, and how he sees them playing out in his own career now. A conversation about legacy that is unusual in its specificity and honesty.
Advice for aspiring songwriters: Evan's direct and practical answer to what it actually takes to build a career writing songs for other people -- the patience, the craft development, the relationship-building, and the specific mindset you need to survive in rooms where you are always at the service of someone else's vision.