20 songs you didn’t know were written by other artists

When Rihanna released her third album Good Girl Gone Bad, she was ready to elevate her image and sound. That same year, The-Dream released his debut studio album Love/Hate. Rihanna teamed up with The-Dream on her hit song “Umbrella,” which is about lovers supporting one another through anything they face. Some cadences and vocal compositions on “Umbrella” is highly reminiscent of The-Dream’s solo work.

Before Jessie J released her debut album, she was a songwriter for a few artists. Jessie teamed up with Claude Kelly and Dr. Luke to write “Party in the USA” for Miley Cyrus. The track reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

When the BeyHive hears Beyoncé sing “To the left, to the left” on her hit song “Irreplaceable,” they’re actually singing lyrics written by Ne-Yo. At the time, Ne-Yo was a rising solo star in his own right as one of the industry's newest R&B singers, but he was in high demand as a songwriter for other artists. In “Irreplaceable,” Beyoncé sings about breaking up with a guy who doesn’t believe she’ll find someone better but knows she can replace him easily and quickly. 

In 2011, Britney Spears released her seventh studio album Femme Fatale and re-established herself as one of the biggest stars in pop music. At that same time, Ke$ha was an artist on the rise with her own hit songs like “Tik Tok.” For Spears, Ke$ha penned her hit single “Till the World Ends,” a track that highlights dancing until the world is over. 

Kelly Clarkson made headlines as the first winner of American Idol. In 2004, she released her sophomore album, Breakaway, which was led by the single of the same title. Rock singer Avril Lavigne wrote the lead single that highlights someone breaking away from what they know and spreading their wings. 

Although Estelle was on the brink of her sophomore album Shine, the album’s second single “American Boy” helped pushed the singer to mainstream status. She has Kanye West and John Legend to thank for it, as they co-wrote the hit single. "American Boy" won a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.

In 2005, The Pūssycat Dolls were on par to be a big girl group in the pop industry, thanks to their debut single “Don’t Cha.” Singer-songwriter CeeLo Green was the mastermind behind the song that details the perspective of a woman who taunts a guy about his girlfriend, in which the woman believes that he wishes his girlfriend was as hot as her. 

Australian rapper Iggy Azalea first came onto the scene in 2013 when she released her debut album, The New Classic. The album’s final single “Black Widow” was a collaboration alongside singer Rita Ora, co-written by pop singer Katy Perry. Perry originally recorded the track for her Prism album, but she handed it to Azalea once it was excluded from the album’s final track listing. The song reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Leona Lewis was already buzzing after she won the third season of The Ex Factor UK. However, she put the world on notice when she released her debut single “Bleeding Love.” Pop singer Jesse McCartney and OneRepublic lead singer Ryan Tedder penned the track about a woman who was so closed off from love until she met someone who truly allowed her to open her heart. “Bleeding Love” became 2008’s best-selling single globally. 

In 2010, there was no escaping CeeLo Green’s hit song “Forget You.” Co-written by Bruno Mars, “Forget You” tells the story of a man no longer being with a gold digger and having a little animosity towards the lady and her new lover. He’s giving the middle finger to his old flame and their past relationship. 

By the time Madonna released her sixth album Bedtime Stories, she wanted to change up her image with a softer approach. Babyface co-wrote and co-produced the album’s second single “Take a Bow,” a smooth ballad that finds Madonna reflecting on a requited love. It became Madonna’s 11th chart-topper on the Billboard Hot 100. 

In 2004, Usher cemented his iconic status in R&B with his magnum opus Confessions. Although the album garnered five singles, one of its standout tracks was “Can U Handle It.” Singer-songwriter Robin Thicke penned the sensual track, lyrically highlighting seducing a lover. The way the vocals are composed, the sound is reminiscent of Thicke’s solo work. 

In 2002, Christina Aguilera released her critically acclaimed album Stripped, which had a more mature sound and look than her debut album. On the second single, “Beautiful,” she worked with Linda Perry to pen the song that helped listeners deal with insecurities and low self-esteem. The self-love and affirmation in the song are things that are sure to be picked up by anyone listening.

Sometimes in the music industry, artists will record a song but realize it might be better suited for someone else. That was the case with Little Big Town’s song “Better Man.” Taylor Swift wrote the track with the intention to use it on her Red album but passed it to the group instead. “Better Man” tells the story of a person dealing with a breakup and reflecting on how they wished they were a better person for them. 

Mariah Carey’s 2008 single “Touch My Body” tells the story of sexual fantasies with her partner. Co-written by The-Dream and frequent collaborator Christopher “Tricky” Stewart, it helped Carey earn her 18th chart-topper on the Billboard Hot 100. 

In 2013, Ariana Grande released her debut album, Yours Truly. The lead single “The Way”  was co-written by singer Jordin Sparks, who the track was initially intended for. "The Way" became a top-10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. 

There’s no doubt that Babyface made quite a career for himself as a singer, but he’s also penned countless hits for other artists. One is Tevin Campbell’s hit single “Can We Talk.” On the track, Campbell tells the story of a young guy pushing his shyness to the side to talk to a potential lover who caught his eye. 

Ellie Goulding worked with OneRepublic lead man Ryan Tedder on her hit single “Burn.” Although the track was initially intended for Leona Lewis, the record was scrapped from her third album and sent to Goulding instead. "Burn" became the lead single for Goulding's sophomore album Halcyon and became a top-20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. 

In 2014, Chris Brown released his sixth album, X, led by the first single, “Fine China.” While the production and vocal composition is highly influenced by Michael Jackson, “Fine China” gives a metaphoric tale about a woman being delicate and precious like china. The song was written by fellow singers Eric Bellinger and Sevyn Streeter.

By the time P!nk released her sophomore album Missundaztood, she wanted to refocus her sound on pop rock. It was evident in the Linda Perry-penned single “Get the Party Started.” The infectious track is about going to a party and having fun, making it the perfect weekend song. "Get the Party Started" reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.