Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic discusses their new album ‘Artificial Paradise,’ the process of producing the song for the Paris Olympics, and his aspirations to create one for the LA Olympics in 2028. He also shares insights into working with Tate McRae, praises Taylor Swift, debates which artist he would like to remix “Apologize” with, and talks about the success of Runner Music, his publishing company, and more!
Ryan Tedder:
Before I had any songs on radio or OneRepublic was even signed or anything happening, I was just determined to make a living, doing music. I didn’t care how. I just like, I have to quit Pottery Barn I need to get this. I need to stop working for other people. Hey, I’m Ryan Tedder, from OneRepublic and you are watching Billboard News.
Lyndsey Havens:
There’s a new OneRepublic album, a lot of new collaborations. We’re gonna start with the thing everyone’s talking about, which is the Olympics.
Ryan Tedder:
Okay, yeah.
Lyndsey Havens:
So you produce this phenomenal song, super fun for Gwen Stefani and Anderson .Paak. I know we know a bit of the story, but what was that process actually like? And how has it been now that it’s out?
Ryan Tedder:
I started by writing songs for commercials, and then movies, and then TV series, and I loved it. And I thought for probably two years, right after Columbia dropped my band. I was like, I guess this is my gig. I’m just gonna write songs for movies and TV and film. I genuinely enjoy doing it. It’s
Lyndsey Havens:
Yeah.
Ryan Tedder:
It’s called like prescriptive writing. Sometimes it’s actually easier. Like when someone’s like, here’s the topic, here are the things we can’t do. It’s a sandbox, right? Here’s the sandbox, fill the sandbox, make it beautiful. So the process for Coca-Cola and the Olympics, it was definitely challenging. It was a perfect combination of fun and challenging. It definitely tested my rolodex.
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