Ryan Tedder says hit songs shouldn’t "need a lot of thought".
The OneRepublic frontman has written catchy tracks for numerous singers as well as his own band and he insists great pop should sound easy to create.
In an interview with the new issue of FAULT Magazine – out on July 18 – the singer-songwriter explained: "You have to have hits all the time: that is your currency. You have to have the most cutting edge, innovative, driving, fantastical songs that the world instantly reacts to. They don’t need a lot of thought, and you don’t have to dig deep."
Among Ryan’s hits are Leona Lewis’ worldwide smash ‘Bleeding Love’, which he co-wrote with Jesse McCartney, and ‘Halo’ which he penned with Beyoncé and Evan Bogart.
However, he insists not all musicians share the same passion for the craft as he does.
When asked if he’s ever met or worked with pop stars who aren’t as involved in their music as he is, the 35-year-old star shared: "Yes. If the artist is part of the machine then they’re too busy to really artistically care, they just say, ‘Give me the biggest hit.’ "
Admitting he finds it harder to write songs for OneRepublic than for other artists, he added: "OneRepublic songs are a lot harder for me. I compare it to theatre. A OneRepublic album is a play written, directed, produced, performed by us, by me, but when it’s for another artist I feel like I wrote the dialogue, but I don’t have to stand on stage and deliver it, so I’m not the one getting tomatoes thrown at ’em if it doesn’t go well."
OneRepublic’s new single ‘Love Runs Out’ is out August 3 and appears on a new version of the album ‘Native’ out August 11 on Mosley Music/Interscope Records.
Ryan Tedder: Hit songs don’t need a lot of thought
