Ariana Grande’s ‘Written By’ playlist is live on Spotify — but she’s not the only star lending her talent to other celebs. Here, we round up a list of iconic pop songs that were actually not written by who you think they were.
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@arianagrande
How often do you take a minute while listening to your favourite song on a streaming platform to check out the track’s credits? Probably not often enough. Being a singer and a songwriter are two very different skill sets within the music industry — and definitely not every performer is responsible for writing their own songs. Songwriters are the industry’s most silent fuel, many of them never reaching stardom levels of performers, despite being the real deals behind a record-breaking track.
But at odd times, it happens that a big industry name — think Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, and even Harry Styles — is also a powerhouse behind the scenes, serving not only as songwriters for their own work, but also for other fellow stars. As Spotify releases a specially curated playlist with Ariana Grande’s biggest hits as a songwriter, we look at ten other bangers that you probably didn’t know were written by someone else. Keep scrolling…
“Little Things”
Artist: One Direction Songwriter: Ed Sheeran
One of One Direction’s second album’s biggest hits was actually written by Ed Sheeran when he was 17, with singer Fiona Bevan.
“Party In The U.S.A”
Artist: Miley Cyrus Songwriter: Jessie J
Your favourite karaoke hit? Written by Jessie J!
“This Is What You Came For”
Artist: Calvin Harris and Rihanna Songwriter: Taylor Swift
Initially credited as a songwriter under the pseudonym Nils Sjöberg, Taylor Swift not only wrote this hit, but can also be heard with backing vocals. She has since performed it live, and dare we say it, we might just love her version more than the hit single itself! Listen for yourself.
“Irreplaceable”
Artist: Beyoncé Songwriter: Ne-Yo
Imagine Beyoncé’s hit sung by Ne-Yo. Well, that was the original plan! After writing the track, however, he gave it to the star, who no doubt made it her own.
“Get the Party Started”
Artist: Pink Songwriter: Linda Perry
Written by 4 Non Blondes’ Linda Perry, the iconic party song was initially intended for Madonna. After she turned it down, Pink called Perry up — and thus the party was started.
“Breakaway”
Artist: Kelly Clarkson Songwriter: Avril Lavigne
It’s hard to imagine “Breakaway” by anyone other than Kelly Clarkson, but it was actually initially written by Lavigne for her debut album! Since then, she’s given us a treat and recorded her own version.
“Just a Little Bit of Your Heart”
Artist: Ariana Grande Songwriter: Harry Styles
While Ariana Grande has written tons of tracks for other artists, this one was actually written by Harry Styles (see him perform it here!).
“Elevator”
Artist: The Pussycat Dolls Songwriter: Lady Gaga
Written under her non-stage name, Stefani Germanotta, “Elevator” is, in fact, a Lady Gaga creation.
“Fuck You” (or “Forget You”)
Artist: CeeLo Green Songwriter: Bruno Mars
Personally, my favourite rendition of this track is the Glee Cast version.
“Hollaback Girl”
Artist: Gwen Stefani Songwriter: Pharrell Williams
This isn’t Pharrell’s only major behind-the-scenes songwriting hit, but it’s certainly a big one!
