Ep. 173 - POO BEAR ("What Do You Mean")

SUMMARY
Our guest on this episode of Songcraft is Poo Bear, who is known for his extensive collaborations with Justin Bieber, including the multi-platinum hits “Where Are U Now,” “What Do You Mean,” and “Despacito (Remix),” as well as for hits such as “Caught Up” by Usher, “I Can Transform Ya” by Chris Brown, and “10,000 Hours” by Dan + Shay. He joins us i to chat about his multi-platinum career as a behind the scenes writer, and his recent work as an artist. 

PART ONE
Scott and Paul chat about their elevator encounters with Ice Cube, Common, Kenny Loggins, Kelly Rowland, and Jermaine Jackson, and why random run-ins don't always result in amazing songwriting partnerships. 

PART TWO
Scott's in-depth interview with Jason "Poo Bear" Boyd

ABOUT POO BEAR
Song of the Year Grammy nominee Poo Bear is perhaps best known for his collaborations with Justin Bieber, including the multi-platinum hits “All That Matters,” “Where Are U Now,” “What Do You Mean,” “Company,” “Yummy,” and “Intentions,” as well as “Despacito (Remix)” (with Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee) and “I Don’t Care” (with Ed Sheeran). Other hits from the Poo Bear songbook include “Anywhere” and “Peaches and Cream” by the R&B group 112, “Caught Up” by Usher, “My Petition” from Jill Scott’s Grammy-winning Beautifully Human album, Chris Brown’s “I Can Transform Ya” and “She Ain’t You,” and Dan + Shay’s “10,000 Hours.” 

His catalog has registered sales of over 350 million records worldwide, dozens of multi-platinum certifications, and 100 billion streams and counting. He has collaborated with The Rolling Stones, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, P!nk, Faith Evans, Dr. Dre, Lupe Fiasco, Drake, Snoop Dogg, Yo Gotti, Rick Ross, Skrillex, DJ Khaled, Mariah Carey, Billie Eilish, Steven Tyler, and many others.

Not limited by any one genre, Poo Bear’s songwriting can be found on everything from J Balvin’s Latin Grammy award-winning Energía to Zac Brown Band’s #1 country album The Owl. As an artist, he co-founded the rootsy project Bear and a Banjo, which released a self-title debut in 2020 that was produced by T-Bone Burnett. Further stepping out from behind the scenes, Poo Bear’s most recent release is the single “The Day You Left.”