Pop songs rarely begin life with the voice we associate with them. Writers and producers usually pitch a track to a specific singer first, and plenty of those first choices say no.
Sometimes it’s bad timing. Sometimes a label simply doesn’t hear it. These ten songs all went somewhere other than where they were first headed.
1. “Umbrella” by Rihanna
Tricky Stewart and The-Dream, who wrote “Umbrella,” first sent it to Britney Spears, one of Stewart’s former collaborators. Her label rejected it because she already had enough material for her upcoming Blackout album.
It then reached both Rihanna and Mary J. Blige, though Blige was too busy with Grammy obligations to listen. Rihanna recorded it in 2007 with a verse from label boss Jay Z. It made her a household name.
2. “Toxic” by Britney Spears
Britney’s own signature hit was a hand-me-down too. Co-writer Cathy Dennis has said it was written in Sweden with Janet Jackson in mind. It didn’t end up with Jackson, and was then offered to Kylie Minogue, who also passed.
Minogue said she heard a snippet in the record company offices and decided against it. Spears’ version reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed on the chart for twenty weeks. It also won Best Dance Recording at the Grammys in 2005.
3. “…Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears
Britney’s debut single has its own near miss. It was reportedly offered to TLC, who chose not to record it. That’s a striking footnote for a song that launched one of pop’s biggest careers.
Britney is no stranger to singing songs written for other people, and this debut is the clearest example. Her version is the one that defined the late nineties teen pop wave.
4. “I’m a Slave 4 U” by Britney Spears
The track marked a turning point as Spears moved toward a more mature sound. It was actually written by The Neptunes for Janet Jackson.
Jackson didn’t pick it up, so Spears took it on. It’s a good reminder that image shifts can hinge on a pass from someone else.
5. “Milkshake” by Kelis
Kelis made “Milkshake” her own, but it wasn’t written with her in mind. The Neptunes suggested it for Britney, but her label didn’t want it.
It was recorded by Neptunes affiliate Kelis for her third album, Tasty, and became her first commercial hit. Britney appears on this list more than once, and not always as the one who missed out.
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6. “Telephone” by Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé
“Telephone” was originally written for Britney Spears’ album Circus, and she even recorded a demo before passing. The song went on to become a Lady Gaga single with Beyoncé.
That makes Britney the rare artist who both turned songs down and picked up other people’s rejects. Her catalog is full of those crossovers.
7. “Rock Your Body” by Justin Timberlake
Pharrell Williams wrote a batch of songs for Michael Jackson’s comeback album, but Jackson’s manager said the singer preferred a different sound. Pharrell showed the tracks to Timberlake, who was working on his debut solo album Justified and used some of them.
One reported reason for the pass is that Jackson already had a similar song titled “You Rock My Body.” Timberlake got permission to put it on his first solo album instead.
8. “Happy” by Pharrell Williams
Before Pharrell made “Happy” a global sensation, the song was offered to CeeLo Green. CeeLo recorded a version, but his label decided not to release it.
Pharrell kept the track for himself, and it became one of the best selling singles of all time. A shelved recording turned into a worldwide earworm.
9. “Love Me Like You Do” by Ellie Goulding
Goulding’s anthem from the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack was originally written for Tove Lo. Tove Lo passed on it, and it was offered to Goulding.
The song became the defining hit of the film’s soundtrack. Few people hearing it today would imagine a different voice.
10. “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” by Kylie Minogue
The songwriting team first offered the song to S Club 7, who declined it. Kylie took it from there.
She turned it into one of the most recognizable pop songs of the 2000s. It’s a nice twist given she had passed on “Toxic” a couple of years later.
The Takeaway
Every song here found its audience after someone else walked away. The final voice on a record isn’t always the first one a songwriter had in mind.
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