Biography
Bonnie McKee, a pianist schooled in classical technique who also serves as a singer-songwriter with a defiant edge in pop music, passed her early years in California. An upbringing inside a household centered on music nurtured her affection for stage performance, and after the family relocated to Seattle the young artist began performing with the acclaimed Seattle Girl's Choir. At age twelve this early-developing songwriter laid down a demo consisting of familiar cover material. Although reactions were favorable, those involved advised her to create original songs, resulting in a second demo built entirely from her own compositions. A stretch of social discomfort and youthful defiance that ended with her removal from high school preceded the moment her material reached the ears of the Reprise label. Sessions began, and the single "Somebody" was placed on the soundtrack to the popular comedy Win a Date with Tad Hamilton. McKee also played a young Janis Joplin in an episode of the television series American Dreams.
Her first album, Trouble, arrived in 2004 containing twelve tracks she wrote herself and produced by Rob Cavallo of Green Day alongside Bob Power. Mixed reviews led McKee to concentrate instead on writing for other performers. In the years that followed she pursued acting, sharpened her studio skills, and worked on hit songs for Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Taio Cruz, Adam Lambert, and Rita Ora. Her contributions to Perry, including "California Gurls," "Teenage Dream," "Last Friday Night [T.G.I.F.]," and "Wide Awake," proved especially prominent and brought a 2014 Grammy nomination for the track "Roar." In 2015 she issued her second EP, Bombastic, whose sound favored the sleek, radio-focused dance-pop she had supplied to other artists over the singer-songwriter style of her debut. The four-track release included writing from Greg Kurstin, Charlie Puth, and John Newman and reached the Top 50 of the Billboard independent chart as well as number thirteen on the Heatseekers chart. She followed those recordings with the singles "Stars in Your Heart" and "Thorns."
Her first album, Trouble, arrived in 2004 containing twelve tracks she wrote herself and produced by Rob Cavallo of Green Day alongside Bob Power. Mixed reviews led McKee to concentrate instead on writing for other performers. In the years that followed she pursued acting, sharpened her studio skills, and worked on hit songs for Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Taio Cruz, Adam Lambert, and Rita Ora. Her contributions to Perry, including "California Gurls," "Teenage Dream," "Last Friday Night [T.G.I.F.]," and "Wide Awake," proved especially prominent and brought a 2014 Grammy nomination for the track "Roar." In 2015 she issued her second EP, Bombastic, whose sound favored the sleek, radio-focused dance-pop she had supplied to other artists over the singer-songwriter style of her debut. The four-track release included writing from Greg Kurstin, Charlie Puth, and John Newman and reached the Top 50 of the Billboard independent chart as well as number thirteen on the Heatseekers chart. She followed those recordings with the singles "Stars in Your Heart" and "Thorns."
Albums
Singles
