6 Popular Songs Ed Sheeran Wrote For Other Artists [You Probably Didn’t Know]

Ed Sheeran is everyone's favorite red-haired singer-songwriter. While he has released hit after hit, most people probably aren't aware that Ed also wrote songs for other artists.

(Photo : Wikimedia Commons)

Aside from his own hits "Perfect," "Shape of You," and "Photograph," there are other popular songs you probably didn't know came from his brilliant mind. To cut the story short, below are six popular songs Ed Sheeran wrote for other artists:

1. "Love Yourself" by Justin Bieber (2015)

When the song was first created, Bieber revealed that Ed Sheeran penned this 2015 popular song. Biebs described "Love Yourself" as "just me and a guitar." The song narrates the artist's send-off to a narcissistic ex-lover. In fact, the original lyrics and title were supposed to be "f**k yourself."

2. "Cold Water" by Major Lazer, ft. Justin Bieber & MØ (2016)

This 2016 party banger was by Jamaican-American EDM collective Major Lazer, vocals by Canadian superstar Justin Bieber and Danish singer MØ. And it was also co-written by Ed Sheeran, an English singer-songwriter. Aside from the mentioned artists, "Cold Water" also gives songwriting credits to a lot of modern music legends - Benny Blanco, Diplo, Jamie Scott, Jr. Blender, and King Henry.

3. "Little Things" by One Direction (2012)

When it was released, some critics of the English-Irish boyband One Direction felt the song was a departure from their younger, more playful hits at the time. The 2012 popular song was written by Ed Sheeran, together with singer-songwriter Fiona Bevan. Despite the critics' polarized opinion of the song, "Little Things" was among the most successful singles of the year, breaking through the Top 10 for the Irish, British, South Korean, Australian, and Swedish charts.

4. "Your Song" by Rita Ora (2017)

Rita Ora's 2017 comeback single was the lead single for her second album, "Phoenix." It was also a global hit, reaching the top 20 in more than 15 countries such as New Zealand, Germany, UK, Australia, and the Netherlands. This single was among the popular songs Ed Sheeran wrote, this time with Steve Mac. Billboard's Jason Lipshutz noted that "Your Song" displayed Ora's confidence, and that the song was "light, great" and "well-designed."

5. "Dark Times" by The Weeknd (2015)

Ed Sheeran worked with Jason Quenneville and Abel Tesfaye, The Weeknd, for this track. The song was included in The Weeknd's 2015 album "Beauty Behind the Madness," which received positive reviews and debuted at the top spot of several charts in different countries. A fitting addition to the Weeknd album, "Dark Times" narrates the singer's experiences, having just killed a man and rejecting the woman's love because these are his "dark times."

6. "Tattoo" by Hillary Duff (2015)

This single was among the tracks in Hillary Duff's 2015 album "Breathe In. Breathe Out." It was co-written by Ed Sheeran, with Jake Gosling and Chris Leonard. While "Tattoo" was never released as a single, it was a part of the Duff's strong comeback with her fifth studio album. Duff's vocals carry Sheeran's light and sad songwriting about a lover who can not move on from a lover long gone.

For other famous singer-songwriters lending their talents to other artists, see 6 Songs You Didn't Know Bruno Mars Worked On and That Purple Touch: 5 Hit Songs Written by Prince for Other Artists.