In an interview with Glamour UK, Jessie J revealed that the royalties she received for writing Miley Cyrus‘ enormous hit “Party In The U.S.A.” paid her rent “for, like, three years.”
She co-wrote the track — with the veterans Dr. Luke and Claude Kelly — and initially hoped to record it herself. After the label demurred, Cyrus ended up with the song, and it went on to spend 28 weeks on the Hot 100, peaking at No. 2.
Jessie J on Digging Deep for Her New Album: ‘I’m Not Afraid of the Pain’
“You’ve got to write songs,” Jessie J explained in the Glamour cover story. “That’s where the money is, being an artist…That’s where I get most of my money. I write songs. I’m a singer. I love endorsements and stuff, but that’s all added on.”
Jessie J is not the only artist looking to move from hit writer to hit singer. After helping Icona Pop and Iggy Azalea find the charts, Charli XCX is now breaking into the pop world as a lone star. In R&B, singers like Sevyn Streeter and Rico Love are attempting the same transition. This is even more common in country music — Luke Bryan and Sam Hunt, for example, both got their start writing songs for others.
Jessie J released her third album, Sweet Talker, in October.
