There’s a strange truth hiding inside pop music history: some of the most iconic songs ever recorded were never meant for the artists who made them famous. They were written in a rush, tossed across a desk, rejected, passed around, and eventually landed with someone who turned them into something permanent. The process is less romantic than most people imagine.
What’s even more striking is how many of these songs were written in less than an hour. A stray beat on a laptop, a melody that arrived in a dream, a verse that poured out during a soundcheck – these were not labored masterworks. They were accidents that became anthems, often for someone completely different from the person who inspired them in the first place.
1. “…Baby One More Time” – Britney Spears (Originally for TLC)
Martin showed Spears and her management a track titled “Hit Me Baby One More Time,” originally written for American group TLC, who had rejected it. Songwriters Max Martin and Rami Yacoub thought the lyrics would be right on par with TLC’s sound and style – they were wrong about that, but right about everything else. The song is a textbook example of the right voice finding the right song entirely by accident.
Released as Spears’ debut single on September 29, 1998, it topped the charts in over 20 countries, was certified quintuple platinum in the US, and went on to become one of the best-selling singles of all time, with over 10 million copies sold. TLC, for their part, had no regrets. T-Boz explained: “Every song isn’t good for each artist, and when you’re a real artist you know what you believe in and what you really want to sing. I’m clear that it was a hit, but I’m also clear that it wasn’t for TLC.”
2. “Umbrella” – Rihanna (Originally for Britney Spears)
The song was written with American pop singer Britney Spears in mind, whom Stewart had previously worked with. According to The-Dream, “It took maybe 15 minutes to get out the song, it began like a rap freestyle and it just never stopped pouring, metaphor after metaphor.” They quickly wrote the lyrics, completing the first verse in 60 seconds.
Spears was working on her fifth album, Blackout, so they sent a copy of the demo to her management. However, Spears did not hear the song because her label at the time, Jive, rejected it, claiming they had enough songs for her to record. Following the management’s rejection of the track, Stewart and Nash dealt it out to other record labels. The song ultimately topped charts in Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
3. “Irreplaceable” – Beyoncé (Originally Penned for a Country Singer)
Beyoncé’s empowerment anthem “Irreplaceable” was initially penned by Ne-Yo, who thought the song would be a good fit for a female country singer like Shania Twain. The track’s catchy, relatable lyrics about moving on from a bad relationship were penned by Ne-Yo, a successful artist and songwriter in his own right. Ne-Yo originally wrote the song with a male perspective, but after some reworking, it became the female empowerment anthem that Beyoncé delivered with her trademark flair.
When Beyoncé released “Irreplaceable” in 2006, it quickly became one of her signature songs. The track’s catchy, relatable lyrics about moving on from a bad relationship were penned by Ne-Yo, a successful artist and songwriter in his own right. The speed of the songwriting session and the sharp pivot in intended audience make this one of the more remarkable detours in pop history – a song born in one emotional space that thrived in a completely different one.
4. “Shape of You” – Ed Sheeran (Originally Written for Rihanna)
Ed Sheeran’s global hit “Shape of You” was originally intended for Rihanna. The song’s tropical beat and catchy melody were written with her in mind, but Sheeran decided to keep it for himself. The decision paid off, as the track became one of the best-selling digital singles of all time. The switch happened mid-session, not after some long deliberation.
An odd thing happened while Sheeran was writing “Shape of You.” Half-way through the writing process, he knew that the song would not suit Rihanna, but would fit his own musical style. Sheeran explained how the turn came about: “…we were writing this song and I was like, ‘this would really work for Rihanna.’ And then I started singing lyrics like ‘putting Van The Man on the jukebox’ and I was like, ‘well she’s not really going to sing that, is she?’ And then we sort of decided halfway through that we were just going to make it for me.”
5. “Bleeding Love” – Leona Lewis (Originally Recorded by Jesse McCartney)
“Bleeding Love” was the song that launched Leona Lewis into international stardom, but it was originally written by OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder and pop singer Jesse McCartney. Interestingly, Jesse McCartney had also recorded his version of the song, but it was Leona’s rendition that took the world by storm. The song was completed quickly in a single writing session, with Tedder and McCartney locking into the hook almost immediately.
The journey from McCartney’s demo to Leona Lewis’s voice involved its own twists. Tedder said: “What I did was foolishly say to Leona’s camp, ‘I have it on hold for another A-list artist and I’m pretty sure they’ll take it, but if they don’t, I just want to know if you like it enough to consider it.’ I sent it to them and they flipped on it. They loved it and instantly said they wanted to do it. I was like, ‘Wait, wait, wait, no, it’s not free yet!'” Lewis’s version went on to become one of the biggest-selling singles of its era.
6. “Love Yourself” – Justin Bieber (Originally Written by Ed Sheeran for Himself)
Ed Sheeran is no stranger to writing hits, both for himself and others. “Love Yourself,” performed by Justin Bieber, is one of those hits. Co-written by Sheeran, the song stands out with its minimalist production and biting lyrics, which Sheeran initially penned for his own album. However, after deciding it was better suited for Bieber, the song became one of the most popular tracks from Bieber’s Purpose album, showcasing Sheeran’s knack for storytelling through music.
The handoff says something interesting about Sheeran as a writer – he doesn’t hoard material, he matches it. The stripped-down production and the song’s dry wit didn’t feel like a typical Bieber track at first glance, yet it fit perfectly once it landed. It’s a good reminder that a song written in under an hour can still carry a sharp emotional point that outlasts whatever artist it was first imagined for.
7. “Party in the U.S.A.” – Miley Cyrus (Originally a Jessie J Song)
Miley Cyrus’s “Party in the U.S.A.” became an instant pop anthem when it was released in 2009. What many people might not know is that the song was co-written by British pop star, Jessie J. Jessie teamed up with Claude Kelly and Dr. Luke to write “Party in the USA” for Miley Cyrus. The writing process was fast, with the track assembled in a single focused session before being handed directly to Cyrus.
The track reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Jessie J went on to release her own debut material not long after, meaning the song she passed along helped define Cyrus’s image during one of the biggest transitions of her early career. It’s a quietly fascinating swap: a British songwriter writing about American pop culture for an American artist, written quickly and delivered cleanly.
8. “Get the Party Started” – Pink (Originally Written for Madonna)
Pink’s blend of edgy and poppy music is well-characterized by one of her early hits, “Get the Party Started.” But the song was not originally meant for her. Linda Perry of 4 Non Blondes penned the song with Madonna in mind, but Madge ultimately declined. Shortly after, Perry received a call from Pink. Because Perry had “Get the Party Started” on hand, she sent the tune over. The upbeat song helped push Pink up in the charts and onto everyone’s radar.
Pop singer Pink was going for more of a pop-rock sound on her sophomore album Missundaztood, which was evident on lead single “Get the Party Started.” However, songwriter Linda Perry revealed in a Rolling Stone interview that the song was originally intended for Madonna. The song was written and assembled fast, without the expectation that it would define anyone’s career in particular. In the end, it defined Pink’s more than anyone could have anticipated – and Madonna moved on, probably without a second thought.
The pattern running through all eight of these songs is worth sitting with. Speed didn’t cheapen them. Being meant for someone else didn’t weaken them. If anything, the chaos of how they found their final homes seems to have sharpened them. A song written in fifteen minutes for the wrong artist can still land with the right one and become something that lasts decades. Music, it turns out, is fairly good at finding where it belongs.
