It’s no secret that most pop artists get a little help writing their songs, but sometimes the amount of “help” is outrageous. Entire teams of dudes wearing sunglasses indoors, slaving over their ipads trying to get another word that rhymes with “booty.” I’ve looked into the official songwriting credits of a few pop songs, and these are some of the most surprising. If Taylor Swift can write her stuff by herself, what are these people doing?
Starships – Nicki Minaj
Number of writers: 5
This isn’t just Nicki working here. It takes a few people to try and rhyme “on” and “zone.” Maybe one of the credited writers is the person who came up with “Twinkle Twinkle little star.”
Sample lyrics:
Starships were meant to fly
Hands up and touch the sky
Can’t stop ‘cause we’re so high
Let’s do this one more time
(Oh oh, oh oh)
Baby – Justin Bieber
Number of writers: 5
Whatever devil’s brew these five guys put together seemed to work, since this was Justin’s first big hit, and is the 2nd most viewed YouTube video of all time.
Sample lyrics:
And I was like baby, baby, baby, oh
Like baby, baby, baby, no
Like baby, baby, baby, Oh
Thought you'd always be mine, mine
Califronia Gurls – Katy Perry
Number of writers: 6
Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg (I’m sorry, LION) I can understand, but when did they invite the other 4 people over? Were they stuck finding a way for “greener” to rhyme with “water?”
Sample lyrics:
California girls, we're unforgettable,
Daisy dukes, bikinis on top!
Sun-kissed skin,
So hot we'll melt your popsicle!
Oh oh oh ohhhhhhh!
Whistle – Flo Rida
Number of writers: 6
To get the radio to play a song about being pleasured orally, one man isn’t enough. It takes TEAMWORK. Congrats guys, you did it!
Sample lyrics:
Go'on girl you can work it
Let me see you whistle while you work it
I'mma lay back, don't stop it
Cause I love it how you drop it, drop it, drop it, on me
Now, shorty let that whistle blow
Yeah, baby make that whistle blow
Run the World (Girls) - Beyoncé
Number of writers: 6
Who runs this song? 5 dudes and Beyoncé.
Sample lyrics:
Who run the world? Girls!
Who run the world? Girls!
Who run the world? Girls!
Who run the world? Girls!
Imma Be – The Black Eyed Peas
Number of writers: 6 (9 if you count the members of The Black Eyed Peas individually)
I was shocked that anyone would claim credit for this, but LOTS of people want to be known for writing one of The Black Eyed Peas’ most irritating songs.
Sample lyrics:
I'm a be, I'm a be I'm a I'm a I'm a be
I'm a be, I'm a be I'm a I'm a I'm a be
I'm a be, I'm a be I'm a I'm a I'm a be
Shake Señora – Pitbull
Number of writers: 9
Harry Belafonte got a credit for writing the song "Shake Señora" was based on, but what were the other 8 people doing? If these people really want to help Pitbull, they should get him to quit music.
Sample lyrics:
My girl got a big old booty, yeah
Your girl got little booty, oh no
My girl got a big old booty, yeah
Your girl got little booty, oh no
No, my girl got a big old booty, yeah
Your girl got little booty, oh no
Oh no, my girl got a big old booty, yeah
Your girl got little booty
Power – Kanye West
Number of writers: 10
This one is surprised me since POWER is kind of awesome (YOU try not getting attached to it after listening to this song whilst killing people in your jet fighter in ‘Saint’s Row the Thrid’), and Kanye is an experienced producer so he should know what he’s doing. Maybe the writers on this one spent a lot of time on the music track, while Kanye did the lyrics?
Sample lyrics:
I'm living in the 21st century doin' something mean to it
Do it better then anybody you ever seen do it
Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it
I guess every superhero need his theme music
Don’t Wake Me Up – Chris Brown
Number of writers: 10
This song is 80% just chorus. Did just one writer work on song while the other 9 went off and tried being a baseball team? Was this like a lyric potluck, where each writer brought one sentence worth of song, and they just made a song from that?
Sample lyrics:
Don't wake me up (no)
Don't wake me up,
Don't wake me up (yeah)
Don't wake me up up up up up up
Did any of these really surprise you? Let me know in the comments or on twitter @carpetislava.
