Ryan Tedder Writes for Friends

     Musical genius Ryan Tedder (and Stevie Wonder) may have lost a Golden Globe Award on Sunday night for their original song from the movie Sing, but he gained new friends. Tedder and his buddies from OneRepublic will be opening for U2 for several stops on their Joshua Tree tour this year. Stevie and Bono are hardly Tedder's most famous collaborators. American Idol contestants David Cook, Jordin Sparks, and Adam Lambert have all sang Tedder penned songs. Brits Leona Lewis, Adele, James Blunt and Ellie Goulding have also made big hits from Tedder's words. A few months ago, I wrote about his lyrical and rhythmic prowess for his own songs. Now it's time to review Tedder's most famous collaborations as a songwriter for American artists.

5. Colbie Callait Collaborations: 2011

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Both of Callait's collaborations with Tedder are beachy, reggae-style songs from the All of You album. Brighter Than the Sun peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 song chart. The music video plays like a tropical vacation sequence. The background beat is filled with clapping and repetitive guitar melodies, perfect for an afternoon of margaritas. Similarly, Favorite Song is Callait's song with rapper/actor Common. It was also co-written by Ryan Tedder. I would say this is one of Tedder's most different songs when compared to the others.


4. Kelly Clarkson Collaborations: 2009
     Clarkson and Tedder collaborated on most of her album All I Ever Wanted. Her biggest song
Already Gone is a beautiful, sweeping anthem about forgiveness. Like many of Clarkson's songs, it will bring on the tears by the last chorus. Here are the opening lyrics:

Remember all the things we wanted

Now all our , they're haunted

We were always meant to say goodbye

Even without fists held high, yeah

Never would have worked out right, yeah

We were never meant for do or die

    Clarkson's upbeat If I Can't Have You departed from Clarkson's other upbeat pop-rock songs. It's use of synthesized music  met with some critical reception, but it's typical of some of Tedder's other songs. Another ballad, Save You, is known as Tedder's nod to Mozart due to it's intricate piano melodies. Again it's another Clarkson tearjerker.

3. Gavin DeGraw Collaborations: 2011

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     Sweeter is the name of the album and the sexy single about DeGraw meeting a beautiful girl and stealing her away from her guy. A rocking piano captures the traditional Tedder "driving beat," as both writers are masters of the ivories. The the music video has the couple goofing around in Brooklyn. My favorite lyrics are from the bridge of the song:

You're like an angel, got me feeling like a devil 

And I wanna give you something-

 if you promise that you won't tell.

I just wanna take someone else's holiday,  

Sometimes the grass is greener,

And someone else's sugar's sweeter. 

     Their other collaboration is the hit that took DeGraw from the guy that sings the One Tree Hill theme to the guy that opens for Billy Joel and Shania Twain.  From the many live performances I've attended, I have heard that Not Over You is not about DeGraw's ex-girlfriend. The song follows a brokenhearted man that seems okay, but knows he is not over the relationship. The first performance of the song before the album was released is here. I fell in love with this song over and over again in 2011 and it becomes more endearing with every listen.

2. Taylor Swift Collaborations: 2014
     Tedder was one of the many collaborators working with T-Swiz on her first pop foray, 1989. He produced and co-wrote her synth pop hit Welcome to New York. Swift performed this love song to youth on Good Morning America when her album was released. Check out the video here to embrace the vibrancy of the city along with the pulsing background beat. Tedder also co-wrote with Swift on the haunting I Know Places, which Swift began as a voice memo. This information can be found on the bonus Target version of the album, where Swift gives commentary on several songs.

1. Maroon 5 Collaborations: 2012-2014
     Two of Maroon 5's albums included songs co-written and produced by Ryan Tedder. The first was Lucky Strike from the Overexposed album, a classic Tedder beat with a pounding percussion and bass. View a live performance here. The song has more lyrics than a Stephen Sondheim piece, but its incredibly tight with lyrics. The opening sequence of lyrics is as follows:

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You're such a motivator, I gotta get you here,

So sick of saying yes sir, yes sir.

You're such an instigator, wanna play the game

Take it or leave it, that's her, that's her.

  And I can't wait another minute,

I can't take the look she's giving.

You're body rocking, keep me up all night,

One in a million, my lucky strike.

     The band's biggest Tedder hit is 2013's Love Somebody. It's a simple concept, finding somebody to love a la Queen. It's a mid-tempo synth dance beat, similar to a Lady Gaga's early hits. The music video is oddly beautiful and full of half complete members of the band, emphasizing the song's desire. New Love is a lesser-known Tedder-penned song from the 2014 album V.  It is coincidentally also about forgiveness, a common theme here. The final song is V's Maps. The second the song premiered on the radio, I yelled out "Tedder's done it again," before I heard the production notes. The song has the driving beat and a haunting repetitive vocalization of the word following, following following..." Like some other M5 videos the scene plays out like a movie, jumping into flashbacks as front-man Adam Levine searches for his lady. She misinterprets a situation and he follows "the map that leads to you. " When he finds her in the hospital, and in a cruel twist of Tedder fate, it's too late to Apologize.

BONUS: Beyonce: 2009
     Even Queen B has made Tedder's songs super hits. Similar sounding to Clarkson's Already Gone, Beyonce's little song Halo is also a Tedder hit. As I Am... Sasha Fierce produced at least 5 major hits (like Single Ladies), Beyonce went on to sing another Tedder hit, XO in 2013. The song was covered in 2015 by John Mayer as a stripped-down acoustic version.

For the ever expanding list of Ryan Tedder songs, visit their Wikipedia page.