On January 30, BMI hosted a special How I Wrote That Song® session in celebration of the 2026 GRAMMYs at The London West Hollywood.
The panel gathered some of the year’s biggest GRAMMY-nominated songwriters and producers, including Rogét Chahayed (who worked on “APT” with ROSÉ and Bruno Mars), INK (known for “luther” with Kendrick Lamar and SZA), JID (famous for “Wholeheartedly” with Ty Dolla $ign & 6Lack), and Edgar Barrera and Laura Veltz, both nominated for Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical.
The event was moderated by BMI’s VP of Creative, Catherine Brewton.
Over the course of the two-hour discussion, the panelists reflected on their creative processes and shared stories behind their biggest hits.
DJ Faucet played hit songs from each panelist to set the mood for the audience of music fans, creators, and industry executives.
INK opened up about the experience of working with Kendrick Lamar. She spoke about how meeting him inspired her to “Ink it out,” focusing on the power of melody and aiming to complete the work in one take.
The producer also revealed how, despite feeling intimidated when meeting Beyoncé, going back to her roots helped her tap into the creativity needed to collaborate on “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold Em,” which dropped on Super Bowl Sunday 2024.
Laura Veltz recounted the serendipitous moment when she fell in love with BigXthaPlug’s music, hearing it during her son’s little league games. After learning that BigX was interested in collaborating with country artists, Veltz pitched a hook to his team, which they loved.
The rapper built his verses around the hook, and the result was the hit song “Long Nights.” Veltz expressed her admiration for BigX’s revolutionary 2025 album, I Hope You’re Happy.
Edgar Barrera shared the story behind his global hit “Unx100to,” a collaboration with Grupo Frontera and Bad Bunny. He highlighted how a chance meeting at the BMI Latin Awards led to the partnership and discussed his ability to blend genres, drawing inspiration from his upbringing on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Barrera explained how incorporating Latin rhythms into his work helped shape his collaborations with artists like Camila Cabello and Ed Sheeran on “Bam Bam.”
Rogét Chahayed shared insights into his collaboration with Yeti Beats on Doja Cat’s “Kiss Me More.” He explained how the anime-inspired theme of Planet Her led him to draw on his jazz roots, specifically the 2-5-1 chord progression, which helped shape the track.
Despite initial pushback from Doja Cat, the song eventually became a massive hit, and Chahayed offered advice to aspiring creators: “Keep creating without too much pressure, and you might just get that call.”
JID reflected on his track “Surround Side” and how collaborating with 21 Savage helped bring different perspectives to the song’s narrative. He discussed how TikTok’s viral “Ceiling Challenge” propelled the song to fame, reminding the audience that viral moments can’t be bought—they have to come organically.
JID also expressed his respect for music legends like Aretha Franklin, sharing that when sampling from such icons, he feels it’s an honor to introduce their music to new generations.
The panel also included a surprise appearance by gospel legend Kirk Franklin. Invited to the stage by Brewton, Franklin shared how his hit “I Smile” came to be, noting that the song’s melody and lyrics came to him while he was dropping his kids off at school.
He shared his thoughts on vulnerability, remaining open to critique, and staying grounded through his “built-in church audience,” which has kept him humble throughout his career.
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