‘The Hitmakers’ panel at the 2026 ASCAP Experience at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles featured heavy-hitting songwriters, James Fauntleroy (Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars, Rihanna, Justin Timberlake), Nova Wav (Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Kehlani), Mark Sonnenblick (“Golden” and  “Your Idol” from KPop Demon Hunters), and Justin Tranter (Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Chappell Roan).

Moderated by Mauricio Ruiz, founder and host of The Manager’s Playbook, the panel offered ASCAP members experience-driven insight into building longevity in an ever-changing industry.

Tranter, a co-writer of Chappell Roan’s mega-hit, “Good Luck, Babe!” reflected on his career trajectory, noting that he didn’t land his first hit until age 33, after being dropped from four record deals. “Their loss,” he reflected.

Emphasizing his work ethic, he said “After so many quote-unquote failures, I was just like, ‘Well I’m just going to work harder than anyone I’ve ever met.’ To this day, I still write minimum eight songs a week.”

Nova Wav, the songwriting duo of Brittany “Chi” Coney and Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, spoke about the disappointment of missing out on working on Beyoncé’s Lemonade, only to later contribute to her 2022 album, Renaissance.

“A lot of our biggest records come from just really bopping with the artist,” they shared. “Especially like women because it provides a safe space and a lot of women in the industry don’t have that.”

Fauntleroy detailed the four-year journey behind “Die with a Smile” with Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga. He praised Mars’ musicianship, noting that many of his songs begin on the piano, and added that it was Mars’ idea to collaborate with Gaga.

For the KPop Demon Hunters chart-topper “Golden,” Sonnenblick explained that his process often begins with a story. “A lot of what I work on starts with the vision, of in this case, the directors, Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans.”

When asked whether they can predict a hit, the panelists offered varying perspectives. “Pre-TikTok, I always knew,” said Tranter. “Post-TikTok if anyone thinks they know what a hit is, they’re lying to you.”

Nova Wav added, “Nine times out of ten, no, but there are ones that raise the hair on your back,” while Fauntleroy shared, “I know when a song is good… I think that a hit song is something that costs money.”

Ultimately, the consensus centered on talent, trust and relationships as the foundation for success.

“If you have a decent conversation with someone you’re writing with,” Tranter stated, “there’s no such thing as writer’s block.”