Where would pop music be without queer songwriters?
We love a queer singer, but we also love it when a queer songwriter writes some of the biggest hits for cis, straight artists to sing! Some of the best songs we've been dancing to for decades have been written by LGBTQ+ songwriters, and we appreciate them!
Many of the biggest artists in the world, including Rihanna, Beyoncé, Ariana Grande, and Katy Perry, all rely on these songwriters to help them get their most iconic bops.
These nine songwriters are all members of the LGBTQ+ community and have all written some of the biggest hits of the last half-century. Here are some of the LGBTQ+ songwriters behind your favorite hits!
1. Justin Tranter
Justin Tranter was the lead singer of Semi Precious Weapons before they became a songwriter for artists including Julia Michaels, Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Kelly Clarkson, Selena Gomez, Justin Beiber, DNCE, Kesha, Fifth Harmony, Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Demi Lovato and Dua Lipa.
"Sorry" by Justin Beiber
Some of his hits include “Love Myself” by Hailee Steinfeld, “Cake by the Ocean” by DNCE, “Hands to Myself” and “Lose You to Love Me” by Selena Gomez, “Sorry” by Justin Bieber, “Issues” by Julia Michaels, and “911” by Lady Gaga.
2. Victoria Monét
Monét is a bisexual singer and songwriter from Sacramento, California. She released part one of her debut album, Jaguar, in 2020, and is releasing Jaguar II this summer. She’s been nominated for two Grammys for working with Ariana Grande on the album Thank U, Next.
"Thank U, Next" by Ariana Grande
She’s written songs for Diddy - Dirty Money, T.I., Fifth Harmony, Machine Gun Kelly, Blackpink and Selena Gomez, and Chloe x Halle, but she’s most known for her hits with Ariana Grande. She wrote “Thank U, Next,” “7 Rings,” “NASA,” “34+35,” and several other songs from Thank U, Next and Positions.
3. Sia
Sia is famous on her own for her singing, with hits like “Cheap Thrills” and “Chandelier,” but she’s also written hit songs for artists like Christina Aguilera, Katy perry, Jessie J, Kylie Minogue, Zayne, Shakira and Britney Spears.
"Pretty Hurts" by Beyoncé
She also wrote several songs for Beyoncé, including “Pretty Hurts,” some songs from Carly Rae Jepsen’s Emotion LP, including “Boy Problems” and “Making the Most of The Night,” and Shakira’s song “Try Everything” from the movie Zootopia.
4. Linda Perry
Originally the singer and songwriter for 4 Non Blondes, Perry has become one of the most celebrated songwriters and producers in pop music over the last several decades. She’s been nominated for five Grammys.
"Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera
Some of her better known songs include “Get the Party Started” by Pink, “What You Waiting For?” by Gwen Stefani, “A Beautiful Noise” by Alicia Keys and Brandi Carlile, and of course, “Candyman” and “Beautiful” by Christina Aguilera.
5. Brandy Clark
Lesbian country singer Brandy Clark puts out her own music, but also is a prolific writer for other country artists. She frequently works together with gay songwriter Shane McAnally.
"Follow Your Arrow" by Kacey Musgraves
Clark has written songs for Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban, Gretchen Wilson, LeAnn Rimes, and The Band Perry, but she’s perhaps most known for her work with Kasey Musgraves. Along with McAnally, she wrote songs like “Follow Your Arrow,” “Late to the Party,” and “Biscuits” by the artist. Clark and McAnally also wrote the music and lyrics for the musical Shucked.
6. Shane McAnally
McAnally started as a singer, but moved to writing and producing, where he’s found much more success. He works closely with Kacey Musgraves, having produced and co-written songs on three of her albums.
"Space Cowboy" by Kacey Musgraves
He’s written hits for Lee Ann Womack, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Reba McEntire, LeAnn Rimes, Miranda Lambert, Florida Georgia Line, The Band Perry, Tim McGraw, Brothers Osborne, Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, Sam Hunt, Maren Morris, Sam Hunt and Kelsea Ballerini. He's been nominated for eight Grammys, winning three.
7. Teddy Geiger
Teddy Geiger was a pop singer who released the album Underage Thinking in 2006. It featured the hit “For You I Will (Confidence).” She came out as a trans woman in 2017 and has written songs for many pop artists.
"Treat You Better" by Shawn Mendes
She’s written songs for artists like One Direction, Icona Pop, 5 Seconds of Summer, Lizzo, John Legend, and Niall Horan, but is most known for her collaborations with Shawn Mendes. Some of Mendes’ hits that she wrote include “Stitches,” “Treat You Better,” “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back,” and the Grammy-nominated “In My Blood.”
8. Ester Dean
Ester Dean is a songwriter and actor who appeared in the Pitch Perfect movies and earned the nickname “The Song Factory” for her ability to write hit after hit. She was nominated for Album of the Year as a producer on Rihanna’s album Loud.
"Firework" by Katy Perry
Some of her biggest hits written for other artists include “Rude Boy” and “S&M” by Rihanna, “Firework” by Katy Perry, “Super Bass” and “Pills N Potions” by Nicki Minaj, “Hey Mama” by David Guetta, and “Countdown” by Beyoncé.
9. Bonnie McKee
Bisexual songwriter McKee started as a singer, releasing her debut album in 2004. However, after some career and personal struggles, she turned to songwriting and has been extremely successful.
"California Gurls" by Katy Perry ft. Snoop Dogg
She’s written songs for artists like Cher, Christana Aguilera, and Kelly Clarkson, as well as writing “Hold It Against Me” by Britney Spears and “C’Mon” by Kesha. But she’s most known for her work with Katy Perry, which includes writing hits like “California Gurls,” “Teenage Dream,” “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” and “Roar.”
