Songwriter Kidd Bogart, the genius behind Beyoncé’s “Halo” and Rihanna’s “SOS,” has revealed a surprising secret about the creation of these iconic tracks.
Two of pop music’s most iconic songs, Rihanna’s “SOS” and Beyoncé’s “Halo,” have fascinating backstories, thanks to songwriter Kidd Bogart.
On the podcast Behind The Wall, a show that highlights behind-the-scenes creatives in music, Grammy-winning songwriter Evan ‘Kidd’ Bogart discussed the inspirations for Rihanna’s first number-one hit and Beyonce’s alluring sound, “Halo.”
Rihanna’s 2006 hit “SOS” was an upbeat anthem that combined ’80s influences with a modern pop sound. The song’s second verse was incredibly unique, as Bogart cleverly strung together #1 hits from the 1980s to form the lyrics. This risky move helped propel the song to the top of the charts, becoming 17-year-old Rihanna’s first number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
Speaking candidly about the writing process, Kidd Bogart opened up about his approach to Rihanna’s “SOS,” revealing a quirky fact: “I wrote it. I had no idea of what I was doing. The whole second verse of that song is ’80s song titles strung together as sentences because I thought it would be super clever. They are all #1 songs from the ’80s.”
Unnoticed to listeners, the lyrics make references to “Take on Me” by a-ha, “(I Just) Died in Your Arms” by Cutting Crew, “Head Over Heels” by Tears for Fears, “You Keep Me Hanging On” by Kim Wilde, and “The Way You Make Me Feel” by Michael Jackson. The single also includes a sample of Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love,” another 1980s hit.
Bogart didn’t stop there. He also dished on creating Beyoncé’s iconic love ballad, “Halo,” which was a pivotal track in her career. “They were looking for a love song for Beyoncé,” he said, reflecting on the secretive nature of her relationship with Jay-Z at the time. “It was like the world’s kept secret that Jay-Z and Beyoncé were together, and we were like, ‘What will people that big want in a love song?'”
An unforgettable moment happened as Bogart and producer Ryan Tedder (of OneRepublic fame) worked through sounds and concepts. “Ryan was going through sounds on his keyboard, and I was going through titles. As my finger literally hit the word ‘Halo,’ I was like, ‘Like a halo.’ And he hit the pads, and we looked at each other like, ‘Yeah.'”
After 18 years, Rihanna has had 14 number-one singles in the United States, performed at the Super Bowl, won nine Grammy Awards and 13 American Music Awards, and has over 12 billion Spotify streams.
Meanwhile, Beyoncé’s “Halo,” released in 2008, became one of her most beloved ballads, becoming a defining moment in Beyoncé’s career.
