Bonnie McKee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bonnie McKee
McKee in 2013
Background information
Birth name	Bonnie Leigh McKee
Born	(1984-01-20) January 20, 1984 (age 41) Vacaville, California, U.S.
Origin	Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Genres	Pop dance-pop electropop synth-pop pop rock
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter actress
Years active	2002–present
Labels	A&M Interscope Reprise Epic Kemosabe

Bonnie Leigh McKee (born January 20, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is well-known for writing many hit songs for other famous artists. She has written 10 songs that reached number one in the United States or the United Kingdom. These songs have sold over 30 million copies around the world.

Bonnie McKee also releases her own music. Her first album, Trouble, came out in 2004. In 2013, she released the popular song "American Girl". In 2015, she released an EP (a shorter album) called Bombastic.

In 2024, Bonnie McKee released a special album called Hot City. This album included songs that were originally planned for release in 2014 but were not put out at that time. Fans had waited a long time for these songs to be officially released.

McKee is famous for working with singer Katy Perry. Together, they wrote many big hits like "California Gurls", "Teenage Dream", "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)", "Part of Me", "Wide Awake", and "Roar". She also helped write "Dynamite" by Taio Cruz and "Hold It Against Me" by Britney Spears. Bonnie McKee has also written songs for artists like Cher, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, and Adam Lambert.

Early Life and Music Start

Bonnie McKee was born in Vacaville, California, and grew up in Seattle. She learned to play classical piano and joined the Seattle Girls Choir when she was 12. She traveled with the choir in North America and Europe. She recorded two albums with the choir.

When she was 12, Bonnie's mother shared a demo CD of her singing with a friend. This friend was a co-founder of the Sub Pop music label. He was very interested in Bonnie's songwriting skills. Bonnie realized then that she wanted to be more than just a singer; she wanted to write her own songs too.

Music Career

Early Career and Trouble

Bonnie McKee started writing and performing songs in Seattle when she was 15. A music executive named Colin Filkow heard her demo tape. He saw her talent and signed her to his management company. When she was 17, she moved to Los Angeles. Filkow helped her get a record deal with Warner Bros. Records.

Her first album, Trouble, was released on September 28, 2004. The record label worked with LAUNCHcast to promote her first song, "Somebody". This song became very popular with young female listeners. Bonnie performed "Somebody" on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and the song was used in the movie Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!. The music video was shown on MTV and VH1.

Even though Trouble received good reviews from magazines like Blender and Nylon, it did not sell many copies. Bonnie said it was "devastating" when the album was not successful. She started working on a second album, but it was never released. She later left the label.

Songwriting Success

After leaving her first record label, Bonnie McKee began working at a music publishing company. She spent many hours in the recording studio, learning how to create new songs. In 2009, she met music producer Dr. Luke. He signed her to his production company. Dr. Luke had worked with Bonnie's friend, Katy Perry.

Katy Perry wanted a co-writer she could work closely with. Perry and McKee, along with other songwriters, started writing songs for Perry's album, Teenage Dream. McKee helped write three hit songs from the album: "California Gurls", "Teenage Dream", and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)". All of these songs reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. For her songwriting, McKee won several awards in 2011 and 2012.

McKee also co-wrote two more number-one songs for Katy Perry: "Part of Me" and "Roar". "Roar" sold over 10 million copies. She also helped write other popular songs like Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me" and Taio Cruz's "Dynamite".

In 2012, McKee co-wrote two songs for Adam Lambert's album Trespassing. She also sang on the song "Thunder" from Rusko's album Songs. Around this time, she signed a new recording contract with Epic Records. She also became known for her unique fashion style. In 2013, she won more awards for her songwriting on Katy Perry's "Wide Awake" and "Part of Me", and Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me".

McKee performing at the KIIS Jingle Ball Village Stage in Los Angeles in 2013

McKee performing in Commerce, California in November 2013

McKee performing as a headliner at the 2014 Capital Pride Festival

McKee's first song with Epic Records was "American Girl", released on July 23, 2013. She released a video for the song on YouTube which got millions of views. The official music video came out on July 22, 2013. In October, she released another song called "Sleepwalker". This song was meant to be a special release for fans before her next official song. The music video for "Sleepwalker" came out on October 17, 2013. Bonnie McKee had planned to release her second album in 2014, but it was delayed. She later left Epic Records because she wanted more control over her music and career.

Independent Music and Bombastic

On December 18, 2014, Bonnie McKee released a song called "California Winter". In April 2015, she announced that she had left Epic Records. She said she wanted to be an independent artist so she could have more creative freedom. She planned to release her second EP, Bombastic, in June 2015. She also wanted it to be a "visual EP" with music videos for the songs.

At the Billboard Music Awards in 2015, McKee shared that Charlie Puth helped write her next song. This song was "Bombastic," and its music video was released on May 26, 2015. The Bombastic EP was released on June 30, 2015. This was her first album release since her debut album Trouble in 2004.

In July 2015, McKee said she was trying to get the rights to her older songs from Epic Records so she could release them. For Christmas, she released a special video called "California Winter Extravaganza" on YouTube in December 2015.

On January 12, 2016, McKee released the music video for "Wasted Youth". She also released a cover of Prince's song, "When Doves Cry", in April 2016 as a tribute after he passed away. In September 2016, she released a video for her song "Stud Muffin," inspired by the movie Grease. In December 2016, McKee released her song "Stars in Your Heart" along with its music video.

On August 18, 2017, McKee released the song "Thorns". She was also featured on Norwegian DJ Kygo's song "Riding Shotgun" in November 2017. In May 2018, McKee released the song "Mad Mad World". In February 2019, she was featured on Armin van Buuren's song "Lonely For You". She also released a cover of Billie Eilish's song "Lovely" in June 2019. In October 2019, McKee released "Bad Girls Go To Heaven" with Eden xo. In 2020, McKee directed and starred in her first short film, April Kills The Vibe.

Hot City and Recent Releases

In 2022 and 2023, Bonnie McKee re-recorded songs that were originally meant for her 2013 album with Epic Records. Fans had been asking about these songs for many years on social media. She found out that fans had even named the unreleased project Hot City. In June 2023, she released "SLAY," a song that had been performed live years ago and leaked online.

The re-recorded Hot City album was officially announced on April 24, 2024. Another song, "Jenny's Got a Boyfriend," was released at the same time. Before that, she had released "Hot City" and "Don't Get Mad Get Famous" as singles. The Hot City album includes 15 songs from the original sessions, plus a new song called "Snatched" featuring drag queen artist Priyanka. The album also includes the original version of her 2013 song "American Girl", "Sleepwalker", and "Stars In Your Heart". Hot City was released independently on May 31, 2024. "Forever 21," another song that fans loved, was available for download when pre-ordering Hot City. The album version of "Don't Get Mad Get Famous" features Canadian artist Sophie Powers. Since its release, Hot City has received positive reviews.

McKee said she re-recorded and released Hot City because fans wanted it. She also wanted to see these songs released because they were some of her favorites. She mentioned that Epic Records was supportive of her independent release. During interviews for Hot City, she shared that she was already working on a new album. She described it as "darker" and "really raw and emotional."

During the Hot City promotion, McKee also released an EP for her 2013 song, "American Girl", on July 4, 2024. This EP included a remix by the DJ duo Oliver. Four days later, she released a music video for "Forever 21." To promote Hot City, McKee performed as a supporting act for Canadian artist Kiesza's Dancing and Crying Tour in October 2024. On October 9, 2024, Hot City became available on CD and vinyl.

On Halloween's Eve in 2024, McKee released an EP for her 2013 song, "Sleepwalker," which included a remix with American indie artist Mothica. This EP also featured five songs from her group project LVCRFT. On December 18, 2024, a Christmas EP called California Winter was released. It included her 2014 song "California Winter" as an original and a duet with Matt Rogers. It also had other Christmas songs, including a cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah."

On February 21, 2025, McKee released an EP for "Forever 21," similar to her "American Girl" EP. It included different versions of the song. On March 28, 2025, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Bombastic, McKee released a special pink vinyl version of the EP. On June 20, 2025, she released a remix for the song "Easy." This remix and others will be part of a 10th anniversary edition of Bombastic called "Play Hard Edition," released on July 4, 2025.

Bonnie McKee will tour again in the summer of 2025, supporting Kiesza. She has also hinted that a Deluxe version of Hot City will be released. On July 14, 2025, it was announced that Kiesza would be featured on a remix of "Electric Heaven," which will be released on August 1, 2025. This remix will kick off the release of the Hot City Deluxe version. As of 2025, McKee has signed with A&M Records.

Influences

Bonnie McKee has said that artists like Mariah Carey, Madonna, Tina Turner, Blondie, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, and Prince have greatly influenced her music.

Discography

Studio albums

• Trouble (2004)
• Hot City (2024)

Extended plays

• Bonnie McKee (2003)
• Bombastic (2015)
• California Winter (2024)

Tours

Opening act

• Ryan Cabrera (2005)
• Jonas Brothers Live (The Jonas Brothers) (2013)
• Pulses Tour (Karmin) (2014)
• Kids in Love Tour (Kygo) (2017–18)
• Dancing and Crying Tour (Kiesza) (2024)

Film and Television

Film

Television

Web series

See also

In Spanish: Bonnie McKee para niños

• List of songs written by Bonnie McKee