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Not only is Ryan Tedder the lead singer of One Republic, but he’s also known for his outstanding songwriting abilities. Heck, he even helps songwriters may their own work better on NBC’s Songland, an “authentic” series — according to Adam Levine — about songwriters trying to get an established singer to record a song they wrote. Keep reading to learn which songs the 40-year-old has penned for other musicians. 

1. ‘I Know Places’ – Taylor Swift

Tedder co-wrote not one but two songs on Taylor Swift’s massively popular 1989 album. He penned the first track, “Welcome to New York,” along with “I Know Places.” During an interview with Ryan Seacrest, Swift talked about the writing process with her and Tedder, specifically on the latter song. 

“I sent this voice memo to Ryan Tedder, because I always wanted to work with him,” Swift told Seacrest according to Rolling Stone.  “And finally, we scheduled some studio time. … I just sat down at the piano, put my phone on top of the piano and just kind of explained to him where I wanted to go with the song, how I saw the melody sitting in, and we ended up recording the song the next day.” 

1989 won a Grammy for Album of the Year in 2015 earning Tedder his second of three Grammy wins. 

2. ‘Halo’ – Beyoncé

Tedder wrote “Halo” for Beyoncé in 2008 while he nursed a torn Achilles heel.  He got together with fellow songwriter and friend, Evan Bogart, to write something for Queen Bey.  The father of two recounted the songwriting experience with Billboard. 

Ryan Tedder on 'Songland'
Ryan Tedder on Songland | Justin Lubin/NBC/NBCU Phot Bank

“He [Bogart] was having his explosion as a songwriter, and I texted him and said, ‘My wife’s gone for three hours, will you come over? Let’s write one song’ … I had this idea for a patch of this weird choir of angels thing, started playing it and within three hours we had ‘Halo,'” Tedder explained. 

On Beyoncé’s Grammy-nominated album, I Am… Sasha Fierce, the track made it into the running for Record of the Year in 2009.

That wasn’t the only time Tedder teamed up with Beyoncé. He worked with her again in 2013 to create the love song, “XO.” 

Learn how many Grammy awards Beyoncé has here.

3. ‘Burn’ – Ellie Goulding

“Burn” by British singer Ellie Goulding is one of her most widely known songs. It came about when Tedder and Brent Kutzle spent time songwriting on a tour bus. 

“I was so ecstatic about the song that our show was probably delayed five minutes because I couldn’t stop listening to it,” he said. “Ellie cut the vocal, killed it, she didn’t mess around. And then it sat for a year.” 

4. ‘Rumor Has It’ – Adele

Tedder has written not one but three songs for Adele. He wrote, “Rumor Has It” and “Turning Tables,” tracks from her 2011 album 21, as well as “Remedy” from 25. 

Tedder later gave the origin story on the “Rumor Has It” saying he made time to work with Adele because he “thought she was the best singer in the world.” 

“She walked in, and she was already pissed off from a conversation she had the night before with her ex,” Tedder said. “She came up with this great phrase, ‘Rumour Has It,’ because people were saying that this was why they broke up – this happened, that happened – and she was sick of hearing all the rumors. That was the catalyst.” 

He continued: “I started playing this dirty, Louisiana-porch-stomping blues riff on the guitar. She just started singing. A few hours later we had the song.”

Tedder’s favorite song he wrote for another artist

At the Citi Summer Concert series with Today, Tedder revealed his favorite song he’s ever written for another musician. He picked “Rumor Has It” by Adele for “the experience of doing it.” 

“We wrote in 45 minutes and she did it one vocal take,” he said. “We didn’t do any more takes, that was it.”

Find out why fans lost it over a comment Tedder made about a collaboration between Adele and Beyoncé.

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