It takes a lot to make a song. Traditional song structure usually consists of a chorus, verse, and a bridge. Most people automatically assume that the artist performing the song wrote every lyric of said song, but that is not always the case. Professional singers have supreme vocal ability but crafting elite level lyrics and melodies for a successful song is an entirely different expertise. That is where songwriters come in. Songwriters in music craft the melodic and lyrical elements of a song while the recording artist literally performs and records the song.
Songwriters are often times the true unsung [ironic] heroes of a song. Those songwriters are usually fine with flying under the radar while the recording artist gets the majority of the praise and recognition. This latest esLists post, though, takes a look at the songwriters of five very successful songs that you already know and love.
5. “Love Yourself” – Justin Bieber
Actual Songwriter: Ed Sheeran
Album: Purpose (2015)
In 2016, Bieber’s “Love Yourself” spent 23 consecutive weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Ed Sheeran, the very talented singer-songwriter, had actually penned this record for his own ÷ Album which was released in 2017. Sheeran felt that this record was a better fit for Bieber at that particular time in his career. “Love Yourself” is a simple record in that it only features a guitar and a trumpet midway through the song. It just goes to show you how a well written song still needs to be given to the right artist at the right time for it to achieve the most success.
4. “Work” (featuring Drake) – Rihanna
Actual Songwriter: PARTYNEXTDOOR
Album: Anti (2016)
Similar to Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself”, Rihanna’s “Work” also spent many weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 2016. “Work” is a dancehall record written by PARTYNEXTDOOR and produced by Boi-1da. Drake, who is on the final version of “Work”, was even featured on the reference track. The song is a fast, and upbeat record but PND explained to Rolling Stone that “Work” is not about what you might think.
People think ‘Work’ is a party song. It’s a breakup song. It’s blues. I went from braggadocios to blues.
PARTYNEXTDOOR told Rolling Stone
Listen to PARTYNEXTDOOR’S reference track for “Work” below.
3. “A Song for Mama” – Boyz II Men
Actual Songwriter: Babyface
Album: Soul Food (1997) and Evolution (1997)
“A Song for Mama” which was written and produced by Babyface, went on to become a very successful single from the Soul Food movie soundtrack in 1997. The composition of this record is entirely handled by Babyface and performed by Boyz II Men. This is not the only song that the singer-songwriter and group collaborated on. Babyface also wrote 8 other songs for the group including “End of the Road” and “I’ll Make Love To You”. Babyface has won 12 Grammy Awards in his career but I still think his impact is vastly under-appreciated.
2. “Irreplaceable” – Beyoncé
Actual Songwriter: Ne-Yo
Album: B’Day (2006)
Ne-Yo is largely known for his own chart topping hits such as “So Sick”, “Closer”, and “Miss Independent”; but he is also a talented songwriter with writing credits for other artists like Rihanna and Jennifer Hudson. “Irreplaceable” is a record that was penned by Ne-Yo and was originally written from a male perspective. Then Ne-Yo soon realized that the song would be better and more powerful from a woman’s perspective. After that, the song was originally intended for Chrisette Michelle but she turned it down. Stargate, which is a renowned songwriting and record production team out of Los Angeles, went on to build up the record to fit the style and aesthetic of Beyoncé’s 2nd solo album B’Day. “Irreplaceable” went on to become the most successful song on the album.
Listen to Ne-Yo’s reference track for “Irreplaceable” below.
1. “Confessions Part II” – Usher
Actual Songwriter: Jermaine Dupri
Album: Confessions (2004)
“Confessions Part II” might be the most surprising song on this list because the record fit the narrative of Usher’s personal struggles with his then girlfriend Chili of TLC. The song delves into how Usher had to tell the woman he was with that he had a child on the way with another woman. It’s all so real and so believable but Usher didn’t have his first child until 2007. The story of “Confessions Part II” is actually the real-life story of mega-producer and songwriter Jermaine Dupri. Dupri felt that this vulnerability in Usher’s music would take his career to another level. “Confessions Part II” is an R&B classic that many people do not know was actually written and inspired by the Jermaine Dupri’s real life experiences.
Listen to Jermaine Dupri explain the origin of “Confessions Part II” below:
Thank you for reading volume 1 of “Songs that You (Maybe) Didn’t Know Were Written by Someone Else”. Which of these songs surprised you the most? Let me know below in the comments and by voting in the poll.
