Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman (aka Zendaya) is one of the biggest stars on the planet. She’s wowed fans in big films like Spider-Man and Dune, among many other projects. And in the HBO show, Euphoria, there is no one better.
Videos by American Songwriter
But while the 26-year-old California-born Zendaya is a star of the silver and small screens, she is also a talented artist when it comes to music. The former Disney kid knows her way around a recording studio, just as she does a sound stage.
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Below are three songs you likely didn’t know Zendaya wrote.
1. “I’m Tired,” Labrinth & Zendaya
Written by Labrinth, Zendaya, Sam Levinson
Released in 2022, “I’m Tired” by Labrinth and Zendaya was part of the soundtrack for season two of Zendaya’s signature HBO show, Euphoria. The song was written by the two performers along with Euphoria creator, Sam Levinson. Release after the show’s season finale, the song has gone on to garner millions of YouTube streams. Nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyris, Zendaya sings on the track,
Hey, Lord, you know I’m trying
Hey, Lord, you know I’m trying
It is all I got, is this enough?
Hey, Lord, I wanna stay
Hey, Lord, you know I’m fighting
Hey, Lord, you know I’ll find it
I don’t know when or how, today
Hey, Lord, I’m on my way
2. “Replay,” Zendaya
Written by Zendaya, Paul Phamous, Tiffany Fred, Mick Schultz
The opening song from Zendaya’s debut self-titled album, “Replay” was released as a single from the album in the summer of 2013 and it hit No. 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. Since then, it’s been certified platinum and garnered more than 200 million views on YouTube. On the track lively dance song, Zendaya sings effervescently,
Make it stop
Sounds so good, I just can’t take no more
Turn it down, turn it up, I don’t know
I don’t know (know)
But don’t stop (oh)
Don’t move (oh), just keep it there (right there)
Keep it right there (ooh)
Keep it right there
3. “Heaven Lost an Angel,” Zendaya
Written by Zendaya, Marcus Lomax, Clarence Coffee, Jordan Johnson, Stefan Johnson
This song, also from Zendaya’s 2013 debut, is bound to put a snarl in your step. Zendaya knows it and she flaunts her skills and no-fucks-given attitude on the track. As the bass pumps and the percussion hits, she brings her raspy pop voice to this number, singing,
I’m walking like a model
He watching like Movado
We act like where the spaces
Get down like where the bases
I’m real though, you want the deal though
You’re so hot, I’m so frozen
Got my heart in the choco,
Love on overload
4. “Only When You’re Close,” Zendaya
Written by Zendaya, Marcus Lomax, Jordan Johnson, Autumn Rowe, Coffee, Stefan Johnson
The seventh song from Zendaya’s 2013 debut, this song is soaking in drama. It’s as if Zendaya, the actor, became an actor for this one, putting on the personality of a Britney Spears-esque pop persona, headset microphone, smoke machine and neon lights buzzing. Opening the piercing, pulsing track, Zendaya sings,
Only when you’re close
Only when you’re close
All this time you weren’t even on my mind
Who would’ve know that you’d be
Be the one in a million I need
Won’t deny, I just want you by my side
Who would’ve thought that I’d be
Be so incomplete with just me
5. “Love You Forever,” Zendaya
Written by Zendaya, Nick Jonas, Paul Shelton, Fred, Marcus Kincy
The penultimate song from the artist and performer’s 2013 LP, this song includes writing credits from Jonas Brother, Nick Jonas, who also garnered a producing credit on the record. This is a celebratory song. The kind you listen to with a glass of champagne in your hand as you prepare for the night of your life. Everything glistens. Sings the glinting, devoted Zendaya,
So why’re you’re here acting like you don’t
Wanna be here, dancing on the floor
Don’t know really what you’re waiting for
For, for yeah
Boy, I came here to party
I just wanna keep pressing replay
So turn it up
I love the way it makes me feel
Let’s turn it up
‘Cause we live that life
6. “My Baby,” Zendaya
Written by Zendaya, Nicholas Balding, Bobby Brackins
The final song from the 2013 album, this track also garnered Zendaya tens of million streams (22 million on YouTube, alone). The video features Zendaya with many looks, from black-and-white filters to aqua-marine lipstick to more. She’s magnetic in whatever she does. Sings Zendaya on the pop track,
We should have listened to each other’s hearts
Falling in love in every part
We can make it happen if you ’bout that action
Now here we go again, here we go again
You know you wanna be my baby
Here we go again, here we go again
You know you wanna be my baby
7. “Parachute,” Zendaya
Written by Zendaya, Paul, Shelton, Pierre Heath, Nick Gross, Mike Rile,y Anthony Vasquez, Kimberly Dopson
This song, which was released on the 2013 album as a bonus track, was only on the United States albums released exclusively at Target. That’s power. Featuring a party beat and Zendaya giving her all, this song keeps the heart racing and the vibe going. It’s all about good energy. You could trust the then-burgeoning artist to do that seemingly at all times in her songs. On the track, she sings about breaking down walls, saying,
Like a message in a bottle
Put my heart out there, ooh, yeah
Tried to strum me like a guitar
Couldn’t play the part no, no, yeah, yeah
So I locked my heart away, built up my wall
Nobody could figure me out at all
Don’t know how you got me
Showed me like a prodigy
Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for HBO
