20 famous musicians who started as songwriters before hitting it big

Victoria Monét definitely catapulted her career with the release of her debut album Jaguar II and one of 2023’s biggest hit songs, “On My Mama.” However, Monét  had been releasing music and writing songs for other artists for nearly a decade. Throughout her songwriting career, she wrote songs such as Chloe x Halle’s “Do It,” Brandy’s “Rather Be,” Chris Brown’s “Drunk Texting,” and Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next.” 

Bruno Mars may be known as one of the biggest pop stars today, but his career started as a songwriter and producer. Before making it big, Mars wrote for several artists, including Adam Levine, Brandy, Flo Rida, and CeeLo Green.

Before Muni Long was winning awards for her hit song “Hrs & Hrs” or blazing the radio airwaves with “Made For Me,” the singer was a central piece in writing for other artists. Throughout her career, she’s written songs for artists such as Rihanna, Kelly Rowland, Chris Brown, Fifth Harmony, Nick Jonas, Ariana Grande, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, and so many more. 

Many people know that the music business is a tough industry to be in for creatives. For Sia, that wasn’t any different when she went through label woes as a solo artist and then turned her creativity into writing songs for other artists. Before she saw mainstream success for her own music, she was the pen behind hits for artists like Rihanna and David Guetta. 

Before Ne-Yo was cranking out hit songs like “So Sick” and “When You’re Mad,” it was his songwriting abilities that helped him gain recognition in the music industry. In addition to being the brains behind hits like Mario’s “Let Me Love You” and Marques Houston’s “That Girl,” he also wrote songs for Teedra Moses, Christina Milian, B2K, and Mary J. Blige. 

When Ed Sheeran got his start with the release of independent EPs and then his debut album, he was also getting recognized by other artists. Early in his career, he wrote songs for artists such as One Direction and Taylor Swift. 

Keri Hilson might have released her debut album In a Perfect World… in 2009, but she was already making a name for herself well before then as a mastermind songwriter. Throughout her career, she wrote hit songs like Britney Spears’ “Gimme More,” Omarion’s “Ice Box,” The Pussycat Dolls’ “Wait a Minute,” and Ciara’s “Like a Boy.” 

When people think of who Lady Gaga is today, it’s kind of hard to believe that early in her career, she dealt with the dreaded case of being dropped from a music label, until folks actually saw her potential. As she was still building her career as an artist, she wrote songs for the likes of Fergie, Britney Spears, and the Pussycat Dolls.

Before Frank Ocean became part of the Odd Future collective and eventually breaking out on his own, he lent his hand at writing songs for other artists. Some of the songs he wrote included Justin Bieber’s “Bigger,” John Legend’s “Quickly,” Brandy’s “Scared of Beautiful,” and Beyoncé’s “I Miss You.” 

Before Jessie J was cranking out her own hits like “Do It Like a Dude” and “Bang Bang,” she contributed to hit songs for other artists. To help jumpstart her career, she wrote songs such as Chris Brown’s “I Need This” and Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A.” 

It’s safe to say that if artists really want a hit song, just call on Ester Dean. Some of the tracks that really pushed her recognition was Rihanna’s “Rude Boy,” Katy Perry’s “Firework,” and Nicki Minaj’s “Super Bass.” 

Songwriting is the type of career that can truly break an artist into the music industry. Country star Chris Stapleton knows this all too well as he became a prolific songwriter before releasing his debut album. Throughout his career, Stapleton wrote songs for artists such as Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, George Strait, and Darius Rucker. 

Sevyn Streeter may be known for her songs like “It Won’t Stop” and “Don’t Kill the Fun,” but it’s her songwriting that’s really pushed her stardom to another level. Throughout her career, she’s written hit songs like Ariana Grande’s “The Way,” Alicia Keys’ “New Day,” Tamar Braxton’s “All The Way Home,” and Chris Brown’s “Fine China.” 

In addition to auditioning on several TV music competition shows like American Idol and The Voice, Maren Morris was also making a name for herself as a songwriter. Before releasing her major label debut album Hero, she contributed to songs like Tim McGraw’s “Last Turn Home” and Kelly Clarkson’s “Second Wind.” 

Before country singer Lee Brice released his 2010 debut album Love Like Crazy, he started his career as a songwriter. Brice penned hit songs for artists including Jason Aldean, Keith Gattis, and Garth Brooks. 

There’s no doubt about it that Eric Bellinger is easily one of the most sought-out songwriters in R&B and he has the resume to show for it. Before he ventured his career into a solo artist, he started in the industry as a songwriter and hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down since. Throughout his career, he’s written hit songs such as Chris Brown’s “Fine China,” Wale’s “On Chill,” Usher’s “Lemme See,” and Justin Bieber’s “Right Here.” 

Before Carole King chose to have a solo career as an artist, she teamed up with her former husband Gerry Goffin as a songwriting duo. Some of the songs they wrote included Bobby Vee’s ”Take Good Care of My Baby,” Little Eva’s “The Loco-Motion,” and The Shirelles’ “Will You Love Me Tomorrow.”

Ever since Lucky Daye released his debut album Painted in 2019, he’s become one of the most prominent voices in R&B. However, years before he was captivating audiences with his smooth vocals and winning Grammy Awards, he established himself as a songwriter for other artists. Throughout his career, he wrote songs including Ella Mai’s “10,000 Hours,” Mary J. Blige's “U+Me (Love Lesson),” Boyz II Men’s “Believe Us,” and Ne-Yo’s “She Got Her Own.”

It was back in 2017 when Julia Michaels released her breakout single “Issues.” However, before she truly came onto the scene as a solo artist, she contributed to songs by other artists. Some of the songs she wrote included Zedd’s “Daisy,” Britney Spears’ “Do You Wanna Come Over?,” Demi Lovato’s “Fire Starter,” and Selena Gomez’ “Good for You.” 

Before Kacey Musgraves released her 2013 debut album Same Trailer Different Park,  she was making a name for herself as a songwriter. Some of the songs she wrote included Deana Carter’s “That’s Just Me,” Martina McBride’s “When You Love a Sinner,” and Miranda Lambert’s “Mama’s Broken Heart.”