From St. Thomas to the Top of the World: How Theron Thomas Co-Wrote a Global Phenomenon

By JOHN McCARTHY / V.I. Free Press Entertainment Reporter

CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Theron Thomas is having a moment, though if you ask him, he’ll tell you it’s more like a beautifully timed avalanche. As one half of the acclaimed St. Thomas production duo Rock City (alongside his brother Timo Makaveli), Thomas has transitioned from a struggling artist to one of the most prolific behind-the-scenes powerhouses in modern music.

When the Grammys introduced the Songwriter of the Year category, Thomas found himself over the moon to be nominated—standing tall as the sole Black nominee in a highly competitive, historic lineup.

The Genesis of ‘Seven’

While Thomas has engineered smashes for heavyweights like Miley Cyrus (“We Can’t Stop”), Rihanna (“Man Down”), and Lizzo (the Billboard number one “About Damn Time”), his biggest milestone came from a truly global collaboration. “Seven” by BTS’ Jungkook (featuring Latto) became a record-smashing juggernaut, holding the title as the fastest song to eclipse one billion streams in music history.

The inspiration for the hook didn’t happen in a high-tech studio or an executive boardroom. It happened in an Atlanta basement with his ten-year-old son sitting on his lap.

Producer Andrew Watt had called Thomas, pitching a fiery new beat originally intended for Justin Bieber. Eager to bring his absolute best for a star of Bieber’s caliber, Thomas sent over an initial draft. Watt’s feedback was blunt: “It’s not that good, bro. Make it more simple.”

Looking down at his son, Thomas realized nothing is more universally understood or fundamentally simple than the days of the week. He began penning the iconic cadence: “Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday…”

An Unexpected K-Pop Connection

Interestingly, Thomas didn’t even realize the massive scale of who would ultimately record the track. When executives called to tell him that Jungkook was cutting the song, Thomas admittedly wasn’t deeply familiar with the K-pop star’s solo work.

“I pride myself in being like that,” Thomas shared. “I like real human experience. You’re a person, and I’m a person. What do you want to do today?”

It wasn’t until a couple of weeks before the release, during a meeting with an A&R representative from HYBE, that the gravity of the release truly hit him. “Seven” would go on to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, catching Thomas entirely by surprise and cementing his status as a global hitmaker.

‘Minding Our Business’

Despite an incredible multi-year run of hits—including co-writing the chorus for Lil Durk and J. Cole’s massive track “All My Life”—Thomas treats his success with humility and a strict code of industry discretion. His company is appropriately named Minding Our Business.

Whenever he works on a project, whether he is producing, writing, or singing background vocals, he avoids bragging about his exact contributions on social media. By simply tagging his work with “minding our business forever,” he ensures artists feel secure, leaving the politics of credit behind to focus entirely on the music.

While the rise of streaming has made the songwriting profession notoriously difficult for many creators, Thomas remains deeply grateful for his current hot streak. He joked that it feels like God is playing favorites, but he’s more than happy to enjoy the ride for as long as the industry keeps inviting him into the room.