Top 20 Songs You Didn't Know Were Written By Ed Sheeran

Shawn Mendes worked with some influential artists on his self-titled third album, including John Mayer, Camilla Cabello and Khalid. Track six of the album, “Fallin’ All In You” was co-written by Ed Sheeran, alongside Snow Patrol’s Johnny McDaid and songwriters Fred Gibson, Scott Harris and Teddy Geiger. Sheeran wrote the hook and sent it to Mendes, who loved the song but was dubious because of the falsetto. However, Sheeran had faith that he could pull off the difficult singing part. “Fallin’ All In You” has Sheeran’s signature sound all over it, but Mendes perfected the falsetto and really made the song his own.

“Eastside” featuring Halsey and Khalid, was Benny Blanco’s debut single as a lead artist, and eventually got him into the Billboard top 10. The song’s lyrics tell a story about forbidden love while coming of age, set to a laid-back guitar rhythm that feels like classic Ed Sheeran. It wasn’t until Blanco was hit with a copyright lawsuit though that people learned Sheeran had actually co-written the song - and was being sued right alongside Blanco. Writers Konstantine Lois and Shane Williams accused Sheeran and co. of ripping off a riff from the 2015 song “Loveless” by American XO. However, the accusations were soon dropped without a settlement.

This summer-y pop ballad was Perrie Edwards’s first solo outing after Little Mix went their separate ways. Ed Sheeran wrote a demo version of the song, which he then sent to Perrie. She had the lyrics adapted, putting her own stamp on the track to make it more her style. Written from Perrie’s point of view, “Forget About Us” is a bittersweet love song, in which the narrator speaks to a past love and hopes they’ll both remember the good times. Fans speculated that the singer was referencing her past relationship with One Direction’s Zayn Malik. The final version of the song was produced by Steven Solomon and Andrew Goldstein, and co-written by David Hodges, previously of Evanescence.

The third single from Jess Glynne’s sophomore album “Always in Between” was released in 2018. Co-written with Ed Sheeran and producer Steve Mac, “Thursday” became a top 3 hit in her native UK. During the writing process, Glynne discussed the themes of the track with Sheeran and Mac, focusing on the pressures of fame and life in the spotlight. Of writing with Sheeran, Glynne told “Billboard”: “It was really cool[...] I don't really work with that many artists, and obviously you never know how it is for someone else." Their finished product is a gentle ballad advocating for self-love, and the importance of taking time off to be your authentic, unfiltered self.

The South Korean sensation first teased “Make It Right” on Twitter in early 2019, tagging Ed Sheeran in their post. Sheeran is credited as a songwriter on the track, alongside Fred and Benji Gibson, Jo Hill and members of the boy band. “Make It Right” featuring Lauv is a feel-good, modern RnB track, with lyrics that celebrate how far the band has come, their love for their fans and their wish to make Earth a better place. It’s typical of BTS’s positive K-pop sound, but it’s also recognisably Sheeran. Two years later, Ed teamed up with the band a second time, co-writing their summer smash “Permission to Dance.”

Ed Sheeran and Steve Mac teamed up once again in 2018 to create Rita Ora’s smash hit “Your Song.” The track became the lead single from the English artist’s second album, “Phoenix,” impressing the critics and reaching the top 10 in the UK and beyond. It’s a joyful love song with Caribbean influences and lyrics that feel contemporary, but also refreshingly romantic. The electro-pop sound stops the sentiment from becoming too cheesy. Ora has called Sheeran and Mac “some of the most talented songwriters of our time” and says she enjoys working with Ed as they’re long-time friends who “click creatively.”

Like Little Mix’s Perrie, Liam Payne turned to Ed Sheeran for inspiration for his first solo single. After leaving One Direction, Liam wanted something different to kick start his solo career and so met with Sheeran to throw some ideas around. Interpolating Shaggy’s “It Wasn’t Me” and featuring Quavo as an additional artist, “Strip That Down” is a mix of RnB and pop with a 2000s flavor. Payne said he and Sheeran were going for a Justin Timberlake vibe - if Timberlake had been starting out in 2017. The lyrics referenced 1D and referred to Payne's new, edgier persona. The song itself is a real earworm.

The Scottish singer-songwriter joined forces with Ed Sheeran in 2022, to create this simple but moving love song. Sheeran, Johnny MacDaid and Steve Mac originally worked on the unfinished tune, after which Capaldi added the chorus and the middle eight. He also tweaked some of the lyrics to make the song his own, including a Sheeran line about giving the girl in the song his last name. Capaldi told the BBC "I was like, 'Ed, this is 2022. No-one has to take anyone's second name. I'm not singing that!' Despite being nervous about collaborating thanks to Sheeran’s reputation as a prolific songwriter at first, the pair worked well together. Capaldi said Sheeran “brought out the softy in me.”

You might not expect the song “Woman Like Me” to have been penned by a man like Ed Sheeran, but he was one of four co-writers on the track. Sheeran worked alongside Jess Glynne, Nicki Minaj and Steve Mac to compose the girl power anthem, which was originally intended for Glynne’s second album. When the record started to move in a different direction, the song went to Little Mix instead. Sheeran went into the recording studio with the girls and helped them adapt the song to make it a better fit for the group. He also provided backing vocals in the chorus, which are uncredited.

Co-written by Ed Sheeran, Julia Michaels, Benny Blanco and Steve Mac, “2002” was a runaway hit for English singer-songwriter Anne-Marie. Sheeran got the track started and Anne-Marie later joined him in the studio to complete the track later that same day. It was then produced by Mac and released as a single after much online prodding from Sheeran. The song tells the story of young love, during an early noughties summer of the narrator’s youth. Referencing popular songs from the era, it’s a warm, nostalgia filled pop-song that struck a chord with people all over the world.

American singer-songwriter Tori Kelly has reportedly long been a fan of Sheeran’s impressive work ethic and down to earth nature. In fact, she looks to him as a mentor type figure. Perhaps that’s why the two decided to collaborate on a song for her debut studio album “Unbreakable Smile” in 2015. The track in question was “I Was Made for Loving You,” and not only did Sheeran help write it, but he also lent his signature voice to a couple of the song’s verses! It’s a soothing acoustic track and after only one listening, you’ll find yourself loving it right back!

When it came time to pen his debut studio album, New York based rapper Hoodie Allen turned to one of the most recognizable names in the music industry for help. While Allen and Sheeran had been friends for years, they’d never before collaborated on a song. That all changed when they teamed up on “All About It”. The song - which reportedly only took them a few hours to complete - is an upbeat rap track that will have you bobbing your head from the onset and throughout. Oh, and the music video is hilarious. We can’t wait for the next collaboration between these two musical “superheroes”.

The Weeknd teamed up with a host of extraordinary musical talent for his sophomore album, “Beauty Behind the Madness” back in 2015. And no list of A-list songwriters is complete without this Englishman. Sheeran not only co-wrote the brooding “Dark Times,” but he also features on it, delivering some appropriately dark lyrics. Collaborations between heavyweights like these don’t happen every day, so it’s important that we appreciate them whenever they come along. Clearly The Weeknd feels the same way, as he called Sheeran “the fastest and most talented songwriter [he’d] ever worked with.” That’s some seriously high praise from one of music’s biggest stars.

We can’t quite decide which part of this song we like the most. Is it the melodic, piano heavy beat? Is it Lupe’s silky smooth flow? Or is it Ed Sheeran’s soulful hook? Or is it the combination of the three that make this song so memorable? Sheeran, who is a self-professed fan of Lupe Fiasco’s work, is no stranger to working with hip-hop acts, having collaborated with multiple artists throughout the years. However, “Old School Love” is something special, as Fiasco and Sheeran come together to craft a love letter to the hip-hop scene of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s in a way that’s catchy, intelligent and above all, fun!

Anyone who is familiar with these two artists knows that they go way back! Sheeran can thank Taylor Swift and her decision to include him on her widely successful fourth album “Red,” for helping him to reach a wider audience. Sheeran co-wrote and featured on “Everything Has Changed”, a folk pop track that peaked at number 32 on the US Billboard Hot 100 record chart. Sheeran would later serve as the opening act of the North American leg of Swift’s Red Tour, further cementing the two artists' collaborative nature. While “Everything Has Changed” is an excellent song, the adorable accompanying music video is even better!

British singer-songwriter Jessie Ware teamed up with Ed Sheeran back in 2014 to produce “Say You Love Me”, the fourth track off of her sophomore album “Tough Love”. The track, which combines elements of pop and soul, peaked at number 22 on the UK Singles chart and helped cement Ware’s status as an up and comer worth keeping an eye on. However, she can’t take all the credit for the song's success, as Ed Sheeran, along with record producers Benny Blanco and Ben Ash, are all listed as songwriters on the track.

For many long term fans, it doesn’t matter how many times she collaborates with high-end musical talent like Ed Sheeran, Hilary Duff will always be Lizzie McGuire. However, to eternally associate her with her Disney Channel role is to seriously undervalue her skills as an adult singer. In fact, it was reportedly Ed Sheeran who asked her to come in and record, later adding in his own backing vocals in a mere 15 minutes. The track, which was featured on Duff’s fifth studio album, laments the fact that a past lover left an unerasable mark on her, and was a perfect fit for her maturing sound.

“Cold Water” is easily one of the most successful tracks Ed Sheeran has ever written. A collaboration between himself, Benny Blanco, EDM group Major Lazer as well as pop superstar Justin Bieber and Danish singer MØ, the song peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The immense critical and commercial success of “Cold Water” can be attributed to a number of factors, foremost among them being its strong lyrics and a hook that makes it impossible NOT to dance. When you’ve got this much talent working together on a track... success is pretty much a foregone conclusion.

Ed Sheeran and the boys from One Direction are no strangers when it comes to hooking up for a little musical collaboration. Sheeran co-wrote “Moments”, a track from their debut album before teaming up again on “Little Things”; the latter of which remains one of the group’s most popular songs. Sheeran and 1D would join forces yet again in 2014 when he helped pen “18”, a track off of their fourth studio album. While they’ve collaborated multiple times, “Little Things” remains arguably their greatest achievement together. The track combines elements of pop and folk, and is pure Sheeran from start to finish.

One of 2016’s best selling songs and yet another positive collaboration between Sheeran, producer Benny Blanco and Justin Bieber, “Love Yourself” is as addictive as they come. While the track is quite basic in its composition and instrumentation – it’s basically just Bieber and his electric guitar – it’s remarkable in its stripped down simplicity. The song was nominated for two Grammys, including “Song of the Year” and “Best Pop Solo Performance”; the former of which is a testament to Sheeran’s incredible songwriting ability. Bieber and Sheeran need to keep this collaboration thing going, because every time they get together the results are downright electric!

Which artist would you like to see Ed Sheeran write or collaborate with? Let us know in the comments!