Richard Ashcroft wants to write for Rihanna.
The former Verve frontman has the desire to write big pop songs, and at the top of the list of artists he’d like to pen a hit for, is the ‘Work’ hitmaker.
Speaking to the Daily Star newspaper’s Wired column, the 50-year-old rocker said of his big aspiration: “A big thing I want to do is write for other people.
“I want to know who writes for Rihanna and get an introduction.”
The ‘Lucky Man’ star would even like to pen a tune for pop megastar Adele, but doubts that will be possible because she’s such a hot commodity.
He continued: “Adele would be great, but there’s big competition there. I like big hits.
“I write big melodies and big choruses.”
The ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ hitmaker insisted he doesn’t want to write for big names just for the pay packet.
He said: “I like singers where you know the chorus will be heard by billions of people.
“That’s not for the dough, but the idea that you can get your melody heard by so many people.”
Richard has been best mates with former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher for years now, and his pal recently jumped on a stripped-back rendition of ‘C’mon People’ for his latest project, the acoustic greatest hits collection ‘Acoustic Hymns Vol. 1’.
And he would love to get in the studio with the 49-year-old Britpop legend to record new material, but admitted it’s difficult to get their schedules to align.
Richard said: “I’d love to write a song with Liam.
“If he’s up for it, I’m up for it.
“I’ve got loads of ideas for what me and Liam could do and I’d love it if we had a bit more time to make it happen.”
Meanwhile, the Wigan-born musician just revealed Netflix wanted to make a TV show about ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’.
The Verve’s 1997 song was famously at the centre of a copyright row with The Rolling Stones over the use of a four-second sample of an Andrew Loog Oldham orchestral cover of their track ‘The Last Time’, which ultimately saw him have to give up all rights to the song.
But Richard – who regained the rights in 2019 and no longer has to give away royalties from the song – has claimed the streaming service wanted to make a docu-drama about the dispute.
He said in a recent interview: “The way [the song] has come back to me is fantastic.
“I saw an absolutely terrible script Netflix were going to do about ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’. It was an insight into just how far from reality these shows can go.”
The ‘Break the Night with Colour’ hitmaker hopes the “piece of garbage” never moves forward and makes it onto screens.
He added: “It was an absolute piece of garbage. It’s quite scary someone wanted to make it and make people believe it was the reality. I hope it doesn’t happen.”