Many songwriters have the ambition to perform their own songs but start out putting in the hard work for someone else. Here are nine ambitious writers who got a foot in the door by penning songs for others before they were able to shine as solo artists.
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1. Bruno Mars
When the Hawaiian native first moved to Los Angeles, he was paying his rent by working as a DJ. Mars was almost ready to move back home when he finally saw some success in 2008. A track called “Lost,” written with his buddy Philip Lawrence, which was meant to be Mars’ song, caught the attention of an A&R representative working with the band Menudo. They offered $20,000 for the song. After that, Mars continued to write songs with Lawrence and Ari Levine. The three were known as the production trio “The Smeezingtons.” After providing B.o.B. with the hit “Nothin’ On You” and Travie McCoy with “Billionaire,” Mars released his debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans in 2009.
2. Lady Gaga
Before she found fame as a solo artist in 2008, Gaga, often credited by her real name Stefani Germanotta, was writing songs for Britney Spears (“Quicksand”), New Kids on the Block (“Full Service”) and the Pussycat Dolls (“Elevator”). “Getting into writing for others happened naturally,” she told Billboard, “because at the time, I didn’t have a record deal.”
3. Julia Michaels
At age 16, Michaels was sitting in a classroom in her high school when she learned that a song she had co-written was going to be the theme song for the TV show Austin & Ally. Michaels’ sister was a singer and through her, the budding writer had met other people in the music industry. She quickly got more songwriting opportunities and worked behind the scenes for Demi Levato, Fifth Harmony, Shawn Mendes, and Britney Spears. She also had a hand in the two No. 1 hits “Sorry” by Just Bieber and “Lose You To Love Me” by Selena Gomez. In 2017, Michaels released her first single as a solo artist. Since then, she has earned Grammy nominations, placements in TV shows, and opening tour spots for Keith Urban, Shawn Mendes, and Maroon 5.
4. Jessie J
The song “Party In The U.S.A.” by Miley Cirus was released in 2009 and shot up to No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was co-written by Jessica Cornish, better known as Jessie J. Cornish co-wrote the song, initially thinking she would perform it herself but ultimately she decided it didn’t fit her style. Having seen success as a songwriter first, she later made a name for herself as a solo artist. Her debut album “Who You Are” came out in 2011 and the same year she appeared as the musical guest on the TV show Saturday Night Live.
5. Frank Ocean
In 2006, Ocean worked in fast restaurants making sandwiches. He had moved to Los Angeles to make it big in music but wasn’t seeing any success at first. Finally, he was able to connect to music producers and realized he could make money by writing songs. Under the name Lonny Breaux, he worked his way up to collaborating with major-label artists. Some of the songs he helped write include “Bigger” by Justin Bieber, “Quickly” by John Legend, and “1st and Love” by Brandy. In 2011, Frank Ocean was signed to Def Jam Records but the label was not supporting his work as a solo artist. He eventually self-released the mixtape “Nostalgia, Ultra” which quickly gained attention. He started collaborating with artists like Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Kanye West. His first official album, Channel Orange, debuted at No. 2 on the US Billboard 200 in 2012.
6. Kacey Musgraves
Musgraves was only eight years old when she wrote her first song. The singer-songwriter started producing her own songs in 2002 and worked with indie labels to release her music. Before racking up awards as a solo artist, Musgraves found success as a songwriter for other artists. In 2014, her two identities collided when she was nominated for a Grammy not only for co-writing Miranda Lambert’s song “Mama’s Broken Heart” but also for her own major-label debut album Same Trailer Different Park.
7. Chris Stapleton
After moving to Nashville in 2001, Stapleton quickly signed a deal with the publishing house Sea Gayle and started churning out country songs. He contributed to albums by Brad Paisley, Dierks Bently, Tim McGraw, and Josh Turner while also being a band member of the SteelDrivers and the Jompson Brothers. Finally, in 2013, Stapleton released his first single as a solo artist but it didn’t make big waves. Two years later, in 2015, his debut album Traveller landed a lot softer. It helped him win in six different categories at the Country Music Association Awards.
8. Robbie Williams
The UK pop star became famous in the early ’90s as one of the singers in the boy band Take That. Band member Gary Barlow was considered the main songwriter for the group. Williams finally co-wrote a song called “Sure” that was released on the album Nobody Else in 1995. That same year, Williams and the rest of Take That went their separate ways. After a short break, Williams started a successful solo career.
9. Sia
In 2010, Sia Furler had risen to a moderate level of fame but being in the public eye took a toll on her. She became addicted to drugs and even considered taking her own life. As a way to keep working while taking a break from being in the spotlight, Furler wrote songs for artists like Beyoncé (“Pretty Hurts”), Kylie Minogue (“Kiss Me Once”), Flo Rida (“Wild Ones”) and Rihanna (“Diamonds”).
Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images for iHeartRadio
