Lyrical Masterminds
Written By: Elainey Bass
Writing music is a gift that many don’t possess. Coming up with lyrics that touch the soul and challenge the way you think, all while combining it with beats and instruments, is a skill that professionals take pride in. That is why you often have numerous songwriters, or even ghostwriters, in the industry who may pick up where the artist may lack. There are many songwriters in the world that are the mastermind behind some of your favorite songs. Whether it be Hip-Hop, R&B, or even Pop, these songwriters listed below are some of the fiercest and most memorable in the game.
Coming up first, we have a Virginia-bred legend that is no stranger to the music industry. Missy Elliot has been making global waves since the late '90s. She most recently was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, making her the first female hip-hop artist to receive this honor. But before this accolade, Missy was also an artist herself and did not limit herself. Her songs like ‘Get Your Freak On’ and ‘Work It’ easily made her a household name. But what many don’t realize is that Missy has penned over 300 songs throughout her career. By working with artists like Aaliyah on “If Your Girl Only Knew” and “One In A Million,” “Need U Bad” by Jazmine Sullivan, and “Everything To Me” by Monica, she was easily putting many of the R&B girlies on the map just off her strong pen game. Missy Elliot deserves her flowers and much more.
Ester Dean is another talented songwriter who has made multiple contributions to artists in the industry. Some may recognize her from the film ‘Pitch Perfect’ or know her as the woman who wrote the song “Rude Boy” for Rihanna, which would become her first number one hit as a songwriter. But Ester has so much more under her belt. She has written songs across all genres as well as soundtracks for multiple films ('Trolls World Tour' and ‘Rio’). Pop artists like Selena Gomez (“Come & Get It”) and Katy Perry (“Firework”) have had the opportunity to work with the songwriter and saw tremendous results, reaching in the top ten on the Billboard charts. Aside from them, Ester also has worked with Beyoncé on “Countdown,” Nicki Minaj on “Super Bass,” and “Pills N Potions,” and Robin Thicke on “Sex Therapy.” Ester is very multi-faceted, and it is safe to say that she has her hand involved in many things.
This last name may be someone that many are unfamiliar with. Diana Gordon is a songwriter from Queens, New York. When she started out in 2005, she went under the alias name Wynter Gordon. Under this name, she penned "Gonna Breakthrough” by Mary J. Blige (Diana’s first professional writing credit) at only nineteen years old. As years went on she continued writing under that name, but a call from a global superstar would give her the confidence to change it to her real name. Beyoncé gave her the opportunity to write three songs on her ‘Lemonade’ album, with one of them being the mega-hit “Sorry.” Diana has also released music of her own and continues to make her own waves throughout the industry.
Besides these three, there are many other songwriters that have written many of the hits that you love. While it may be a rare occasion that the artist wrote and performed the song, these three women mentioned above do it all. Their passion is their purpose, and it shines through in all of their work.