4 Famous Musicians Who Wrote Surprising Songs for Other People

Pop artists, hip-hop stars, and rock producers write music for people all the time. However, some songwriters decide to take on very… unique projects for other musicians. These four pop icons wrote some pretty surprising songs for other people, and one of them even penned a whole album for a band in a very different genre. Let’s take a look!

1. Mariah Carey Wrote ‘Someone’s Ugly Daughter’ for Chick

Rather than just pen one song for this rock outfit, R&B crooner Mariah Carey wrote an entire album for Chick. Carey wrote the alternative rock album Someone’s Ugly Daughter for the band Chick back in 1995, but she didn’t reveal that she was behind the album until mentioning it years later in her memoir, The Meaning Of Mariah Carey. She also produced the album as well.

According to Carey, she wanted to contribute vocals to the record. However, she was told not to by her label in fear of the genre switch damaging her image.

2. Sia Wrote “Pretty Hurts” for Beyonce

Sia wrote songs for other people countless times through the years. From “Perfume” for Britney Spears to “Invincible” for Kelly Clarkson, Sia is no stranger to penning tunes for other pop stars. 

One unlikely partnership Sia took on in 2013 was with none other than Beyonce. She wrote the song “Pretty Hurts” for Bey’s self-titled album, and it quickly became a huge hit for the star and an anthem for self-love.

3. St. Vincent Wrote “Cruel Summer” for Taylor Swift

St. Vincent is a solid songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist. And she’s written a song or two for other people. Known for her edgier pop-rock leanings, St. Vincent decided to switch things up back in 2019 by writing “Cruel Summer” for Taylor Swift’s album Lover. This one’s kind of a shocker, because the song definitely does not sound like an Annie Clark original.

4. Pharrell Wrote “I’m A Slave 4U” for Britney Spears

Pharrell wrote songs for other people throughout his career, even when he was just a teenager. He was only 19 when he wrote a verse for Wreckx-n-Effect’s 1992 song “Rump Shaker”. However, Pharrell has broken out from hip-hop to write a few pop songs through the years, one of which being Britney Spears’ 2001 hit “I’m A Slave 4 U”. He really can do it all!

Photo by Scott Gries/ImageDirect

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