Strictly Business 'Apt.' Co-Writer Theron Thomas on the Competitive Business of Songwriting
Dec 5, 2025
Theron (T-R / Tiran) Thomas, a talented songwriter and artist known for creating hits for artists like Miley Cyrus and Rosé, shares his journey from St. Thomas to Grammy recognition. He discusses the dynamics of collaborative songwriting, the evolving nature of music placements, and the importance of crafting commercially viable songs. Theron also reflects on the lessons learned from early publishing deals and advocates for fair compensation in the industry, emphasizing the need for sustainability in songwriting.
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Why Hit Credits Look Inflated
- Large songwriting credits often reflect production contributions and multiple team passes, not 11 people writing lyrics together.
- Songs evolve as artists like Bruno or Rosé bring their teams to 'soup up' demos, expanding the writer list.
From Party City To Paid Songwriter
- Theron Thomas landed songwriting as a necessity after Akon paid $5,000 for a song he and his brother reworked.
- He used that money to support his newborn daughter and realized songwriting could be a real income path.
Finding Our City's Sound
- Our City struggled to find a consistent artistic identity despite songwriting success, until leaning into Caribbean-pop crossover.
- Their Adam Levine hit arrived when they embraced the sound labels already heard in their work.