There’s a huge misconception in the music world that to be a “real artist,” you have to write every lyric and melody yourself. But the truth is, most successful singers don’t write all their own songs — and that’s perfectly okay.

Being an artist isn’t about doing everything. It’s about playing to your strengths, collaborating with the right people, and focusing on making the best possible music.

If you look at the credits of almost any hit song, you’ll notice something right away — there’s rarely just one name listed.

That’s because the best songs are the result of collaboration. Artists like Beyoncé, Rihanna, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Justin Bieber, and Harry Styles all work with teams of songwriters and producers who help shape their sound and elevate their ideas.

Even legends like Whitney Houston, Elvis Presley, and Frank Sinatra didn’t write their biggest hits. Their magic came from how they performed and connected with the audience, not whether they wrote every lyric.

Singing, performing, and songwriting are all different crafts. You can be excellent at one and still be learning the others — and that’s completely normal.

Songwriting takes years to master. It’s not just about rhyming or venting emotions — it’s about storytelling, structure, melody, and emotional truth. Great songwriters understand how to turn personal feelings into something universal that connects with millions. That level of depth and technique takes time, practice, and perspective.

In today’s commercial music landscape, collaboration is the standard, not the exception.

If you look at the Top 40 charts — Pop, R&B, or even Country — almost every major release involves multiple writers and producers. The most successful songs on radio and streaming platforms today are written by teams of 3 to 10 people, often including professional topliners, lyricists, and melody specialists.

Pop powerhouses like Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, Julia Michaels, Ryan Tedder, and Jack Antonoff have written or co-written hits for dozens of different artists. These creators are behind some of the most recognizable songs of the past two decades — and in most cases, the performing artist wasn’t the primary writer.

That doesn’t make those artists any less authentic — it means they’re smart enough to work with the best.

Independent artists can learn from this model & co-write or have songwriters write there songs for them as well.

Many of the best songs ever written come from real, lived experiences — heartbreak, love, loss, success, regret, and growth.

When you’re young or just starting out, it’s natural for your writing to sound a bit immature or inexperienced. If you haven’t lived much life yet — haven’t experienced deep love, heartbreak, or major personal growth — your lyrics may not feel believable or emotionally grounded.

A 15-year-old can perform a song written by a 30-year-old and make it sound incredible. But when a 15-year-old writes a song as a 15-year-old, it often sounds like it — and not in a good way. It’s not because they’re untalented; it’s because perspective takes time.

That’s why collaborating with experienced songwriters or producers can help your music sound more developed and emotionally rich.

A smart artist knows that the goal is to make the best song possible, not to brag about writing it alone.

Too many up-and-coming artists get protective of their lyrics and refuse to let anyone tweak or improve their songs. But songwriting isn’t about ego — it’s about evolution.

Working with more experienced songwriters or co-writing with your producer can completely change the quality of your music. They bring new ideas, better structure, and more emotional weight. The goal is to make something that connects — not just something that earns bragging rights.

When you collaborate, you’re not just sharing ideas — you’re also sharing credit and royalties.

Some professional songwriters charge an upfront writing fee, but many are open to co-writing with you in exchange for a percentage of royalties instead of payment upfront. This means they only earn when the song earns — it’s a partnership built on potential success.

It’s also common for producers to be songwriters too. If your producer contributes to the melody, chords, or lyrics, they’re technically a co-writer. In those cases, they receive songwriting credit and a portion of publishing royalties, in addition to their producer fee.

Understanding this system is crucial. It’s not a bad thing — it’s how the industry works. The best artists embrace collaboration and give proper credit where it’s due. Everyone wins when the song wins.

If your strength is your voice, performance, or charisma, focus on that. Build a circle of talented people — songwriters, producers, and creative collaborators — who can help bring your vision to life.

Playing to your strengths doesn’t make you less of an artist. It makes you a professional. The biggest artists in the world operate this way every day. Music is a team sport — and the audience only hears the final masterpiece, not who wrote what.

Being an artist doesn’t mean doing everything by yourself. It means knowing who you are, understanding your strengths, and surrounding yourself with the right people to bring out your best.

Whether you write every lyric or perform songs written by others, authenticity isn’t about control — it’s about connection.

Music is about making people feel something. That’s what makes you an artist — not who typed the words in the verse.

Just look at one of the biggest pop songs of all time — “…Baby One More Time” wasn’t written by Britney Spears, it was written by Max Martin, her producer. Yet it became one of her most iconic songs and one of the most successful hits of her career. That’s proof that great collaboration is what creates timeless music.

When you’re a child star or a teenage artist, it’s completely normal not to be fully developed as a songwriter yet. Songwriting takes life experience and emotional maturity — things most young performers are still growing into.

That’s why many of the biggest stars began their careers performing songs written for them. Britney Spears was only 16 when “…Baby One More Time” came out — written and produced by Max Martin, not Britney herself. The same goes for Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Selena Gomez, and Ariana Grande — all had professional songwriters and producers shaping their early sound and success.

At Red Velvet Studios, we encourage that same professional approach. If you’re a younger artist or still developing your songwriting, you should expect to co-write or have songs written for you. Our mission is to create the best possible music, not just record songs because the artist wrote them.

We only work with artists who understand and allow for collaboration. If a song doesn’t meet our quality standards or fit the artist’s direction, we reserve the right not to work on it — and instead, we’ll often offer to co-write or even write a new song from scratch tailored specifically to the artist.

Everything we create represents both the artist and Red Velvet Studios, and our standard is always quality, connection, and excellence.