Dua Lipa’s “New Rules”. The Chainsmokers’ “Don’t Let Me Down”. COIN’s “I Don’t Want To Dance”. Charli XCX’s “Boys”. What do these viral and radio megahits have in common? Emily Warren. An alumna of New York University’s Clive Davis Institute, she signed with Prescription (Rx) Songs in 2013, two years before she graduated. Ever since, Warren has written for huge stars, like Melanie Martinez, Shawn Mendes, Little Mix and more. She’s written--and been featured in--multiple The Chainsmokers songs, and spent time on tour with the group. For Warren, writing for other artists has helped her write music for herself. She’s highly involved with the artists she writes with. Rather than fitting a song to an artist, she writes specifically for the artist. “My process with other artists has become very much like a therapy session - I want to know what’s on their mind, what’s been bothering them, and then I find that after some time the song sort of materializes,” she explains. “I’ve very much applied this method to writing for myself.” Since signing in 2013, Warren’s credits have taken off, seemingly not only to do with her talent, but the substantial way she takes on collaborating with other artists, very unafraid of the personal, channeling it into their work. Warren stressed the importance of storytelling in her songwriting, calling making music “magic” and making sure it is true to the artist. For herself, she describes her music as honest and organic, something that isn’t “trendy or of-the-moment.” Looking at the range of artists she’s written with, and the resulting music, the idea that Warren is in it for the long hall definitely becomes apparent. A song might be in the top 10 now, but Emily Warren is always one step ahead, working on what comes next. Not only does she collaborate with songwriters on tracks for other artists, but Warren isn’t afraid to go for it on her own. After working on her songwriting career, Warren has started her own pop solo project, including her song “Not at All,” which was featured on MTV’s Skins. “I always wanted to do it deep down, but I was sort of waiting for the right moment,” she said, “Focusing on writing for the past three years has taught me a lot. It’s made me confident in my songwriting. I also wanted to wait until I had something to say and knew exactly how to say it,” she added. The methodical, no nonsense, not seemingly anxious to leap ahead attitude has certainly served Warren well as her songwriting and solo pop career has progressed.
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