John Ryan (songwriter)
John Ryan | |
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| Also known as |
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| Born | John Henry Ryan II August 19, 1987 |
| Origin | Rochester, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Pop |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2010–present |
John Henry Ryan II (born August 19, 1987), also known as John the Blind is an American Grammy Award–winning songwriter[1], record producer, music publishing executive, and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known for his work across pop, country, and alternative music, with a catalog exceeding 30 billion global streams and over 30 million records sold[2].
Ryan has been a key creative contributor to major releases by artists including Sabrina Carpenter, Teddy Swims, One Direction, Thomas Rhett, Niall Horan, Olivia Dean, KATSEYE, John Legend, Rudimental, and others.[3]
Early life
Ryan is from Pittsford, New York.[4] He grew up the youngest in his family with his mother, older brother Joe, and older sister Julie.[4] Ryan wrote his first song in third grade, learning to play guitar and piano at a young age.[4] He continued to write throughout his childhood, even making an album in eighth grade that he was selling out of his locker.[4] By the time he was 16 or 17, he remembers having to choose between music and sports and states that "music came the most naturally and made [him] the happiest."[4] He sent his only college application to Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. During his time at Berklee, Ryan learned music theory, fronted two bands, and continued to write his own material.
During his junior year, Ryan visited a few friends in Los Angeles, and met Damon Bunetta, who later became his manager, at a party.[4] They exchanged numbers, ideas, and kept in contact. At the time, Damon, his brother Julian Bunetta, and their father Peter Bunetta were expanding their company, Family Affair Productions, and were looking to add another producer/artist/writer to the team.[4] After graduating from Berklee in 2010, Ryan moved to Los Angeles to begin his career as an artist and producer.[4]
Career
Ryan achieved his commercial breakthrough with One Direction, whom he met and began writing with in 2012. Their 2013 single “Story of My Life” became a global Top 10 hit. He went on to co-write and co-produce 27 songs across four of the band’s albums: Take Me Home[5], Midnight Memories[6], Four,[7] and Made in the A.M[8].
Notable One Direction credits include “Night Changes,” “Story of My Life,” “Steal My Girl,” “Perfect,” and “Drag Me Down.”
During and after his work with One Direction, Ryan continued to establish himself as a leading songwriter and producer across pop, country, and dance music, earning multiple No. 1 singles[9].
In recent years, Ryan has been a primary songwriter and producer for the last three Sabrina Carpenter albums, including Emails I Can’t Send, Short n’ Sweet, and Man’s Best Friend. Songs such as “Feather,” “Taste,” “Bed Chem,” and “Tears” reached No. 1. In 2024, Ryan won a Grammy Award for his work on Short n’ Sweet[10].
Teddy Swims is also a close friend and frequent collaborator. Swims’s singles “Bad Dreams” and “The Door” both reached No. 1, which Ryan co-wrote and co-produced[11].
Ryan has also collaborated with Olivia Dean, co-writing her breakout single “So Easy (To Fall In Love),” and wrote the hit song “Gabriela” for global pop group KATSEYE.[12]
In addition to his songwriting and production career, Ryan records and performs under the moniker John the Blind, a solo artist project formerly signed to Atlantic Records. The name references John of Bohemia, a medieval king who continued to lead his army despite being blind.
Under this project, Ryan releases self-written and self-produced material that blends pop, alternative, country, and experimental influences.
Discography
Singles
- Featured in
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
AUS [13] |
GER [14] |
SPN [15] |
UK | ||||
| "Fireball"
(Pitbull featuring John Ryan) |
2014 | 23 | 26 | 22 | 6 | 49 | Globalization | |
Production discography
| Title | Year | Artist | Album | Songwriter | Producer |
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| "Do You Feel What I Feel?" | 2011 | JLS | Jukebox | 
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| "C'mon, C'mon" | 2012 | One Direction | Take Me Home |
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| "I Would" |
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| "They Don't Know About Us" |
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| "She's Not Afraid" |
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| "Loved You First" |
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| "I Wish" | 2013 | Emblem3 | Nothing to Lose |
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| "Me & My Girls" | Fifth Harmony | Better Together |
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| "Best Song Ever" | One Direction | Midnight Memories |
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| "Story of My Life" |
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| "Diana" |
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| "Midnight Memories" |
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| "You & I" |
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| "Strong" |
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| "Little Black Dress" |
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| "Little White Lies" |
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| "Better Than Words" |
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| "Does He Know?" |
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| "Alive" |
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| "One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks)" |
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| "Good News" | 2014 | Daley | Days + Nights |
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| "Wiggle" (featuring Snoop Dogg) |
Jason Derulo | Talk Dirty |
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| "If You Love Me Let Me Go" | Colbie Caillat | Gypsy Heart |
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| "Take Over" | Nick Jonas | Nick Jonas |
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| "Steal My Girl" | One Direction | Four |
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| "Ready to Run" |
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| "Girl Almighty" |
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| "Night Changes" |
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| "No Control" |
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| "Fireproof" |
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| "Spaces" |
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| "Stockholm Syndrome" |
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| "Clouds" |
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| "Change Your Ticket" |
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| "Illusion" |
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| "Once in a Lifetime" |
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| "Act My Age" |
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| "Fireball" (featuring John Ryan) |
Pitbull | Globalization |
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| "Day Drinking" (featuring Heymous Molly) |
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| "Work This Body" | Walk the Moon | Talking Is Hard |
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| "We Are the Kids" |
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| "Headlights" (featuring Ilsey) |
2015 | Robin Schulz | Sugar |
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| "Vacation" | Thomas Rhett | Tangled Up |
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| "Babylon" | Omi | Me 4 U |
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| "Hey Angel" | One Direction | Made in the A.M. |
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| "Drag Me Down" |
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| "Perfect" |
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| "Infinity" |
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| "End of the Day" |
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| "Long Way Down" |
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| "Never Enough" |
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| "Olivia" |
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| "I Want to Write You a Song" |
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| "History" |
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| "Walking in the Wind" |
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| "A.M." |
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| "Sober" (featuring JRY) |
2016 | DJ Snake | Encore |
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| "Darkness and Light" (featuring Brittany Howard) |
John Legend | Darkness and Light |
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| "Love Me Now" |
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| "Temporarily Painless" |
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| "Pray" (featuring Rooty) |
2017 | JRY | Fifty Shades Darker: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |
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| "Two Ghosts" | Harry Styles | Harry Styles |
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| "Guys My Age" | Hey Violet | From the Outside |
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| "Crawling" | Chase & Status | Tribe |
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| "Shed a Light" (with David Guetta featuring Cheat Codes) |
Robin Schulz | Uncovered |
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| "Leave Right Now" | Thomas Rhett | Life Changes |
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| "Renegades" |
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| "Finish What We Started" | Jessie Ware | Glasshouse |
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| "On the Loose" | Niall Horan | Flicker |
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| "Slow Hands" |
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| "Flicker" |
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| "Fire Away" |
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| "The Tide" |
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| "Best 4 U" | Maroon 5 | Red Pill Blues |
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| "Wait" |
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| "Bet My Heart" |
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| "Who I Am" (featuring LunchMoney Lewis) |
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| "Whiskey" (featuring ASAP Rocky) |
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| "Closure" |
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| "Don't Wanna Know" (featuring Kendrick Lamar) |
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| "Cold" (featuring Future) |
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| "Lost in the Wild" | Walk the Moon | What If Nothing |
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| "These Days" (featuring Jess Glynne & Dan Caplen) |
2018 | Rudimental | Toast to Our Differences |
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| "Dance" | DNCE | Non-album single |
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| "Think About You" | Delta Goodrem |
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| "Hate to Say" | Tory Lanez | Memories Don't Die |
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| "Done for Me" (featuring Kehlani) |
Charlie Puth | Voicenotes |
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| "Preacher Man" | The Driver Era | Non-album single |
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| "How Badly" | In Real Life | She Do |
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| "Doesn't Matter" | Gallant | This Song Does Not Fit |
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| "Finally Free" | Niall Horan | Smallfoot: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |
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| "16 Steps" (with Olivia Holt) |
Martin Jensen | TBA |
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| "Dear Sense" (with Max) |
Louis the Child | Kids at Play EP |
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| "Epa Wei" | Danny Ocean | TBA |
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| "Never Let Me Go" | Jess Glynne | Always In Between |
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| "Big Bills" (featuring Big Boi) |
The Knocks | New York Narcotic |
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| "Room for You" |
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| "Close to Me" | Isaiah | Non-album single |
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| "Cashmere" | Rita Ora | Phoenix |
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| "First Time High" |
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| "Out at Night" (featuring Kyle & Big Boi) |
Clean Bandit | What Is Love? |
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| "Better to Lie" (with Jesse & Swae Lee) |
Benny Blanco | Friends Keep Secrets |
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| "24 Hours" (featuring Yasmin Green) |
Clean Bandit | What Is Love? |
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| "We Made It" | 2019 | Louis Tomlinson | Walls |
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| "Ain't Shit" | 2020 | ASL | SKYLOFT |
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| "Human Zoo" |
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| "Slash My Tire" |
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| "Room for One More" |
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| "Where Will I Remember You" |
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| "Shots with Mariah" |
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| "Slow Motion" |
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| "What Happens Here" |
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| "What Makes a Woman" | Katy Perry | Smile |
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| "Call My Friends" | Shawn Mendes | Wonder |
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| "One More" | 2021 | SG Lewis featuring Nile Rodgers | Times |
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| "My Whole Life" | ASL | EL GANZO |
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| "It's Not Easy" |
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| "Leona" |
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| "On The Roof" |
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| "Hey Mister" |
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| "Leona Interlude" |
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| "Still Awake" |
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| "12:42" |
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| "Best Sex" |
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| "Jump In" |
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| "Fast Times" | 2022 | Sabrina Carpenter | Emails I Can't Send |
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| "Because I Liked a Boy " |
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| "Already Over" |
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| "Decode " |
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| "Heaven" | 2023 | Niall Horan | The Show |
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| "Feather" | Sabrina Carpenter | Emails I Can't Send (Deluxe Edition) |
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| "Taste" | 2024 | Short n' Sweet |
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| "Good Graces" |
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| "Coincidence" |
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| "Bed Chem" |
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| "Dumb & Poetic" |
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| "Juno" |
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| "Don't Smile" |
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| "Gabriela" | 2025 | Katseye | Beautiful Chaos EP |
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| "Peach Gelato" | TWICE | This Is For |
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| "On My Mind" | Alex Warren featuring Rosé | You'll Be Alright, Kid |
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| "Tears" | Sabrina Carpenter | Man's Best Friend |
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| "My Man On Willpower" |
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| "Sugar Talking" |
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| "Nobody's Son" |
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| "Never Getting Laid" |
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| "When Did You Get Hot" |
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| "Go Go Juice" |
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| "House Tour" |
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| "Real Friends"[21] | XO | Fashionably Late |
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| "So Easy (To Fall In Love)" | Olivia Dean | The Art of Loving |
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| "Gabriela" | KATSEYE | Single |
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| "HASTA JESÚS TUVO UN MAL DÍA" | CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso, Sting | Single |
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| "The Door" | Teddy Swims | I've Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1) |
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| "Bad Dreams" | Teddy Swims | I've Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2) |
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| "Guilty" | Teddy Swims | I've Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2) |
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References
- ^ Atkinson, Katie (February 2, 2026). "Here Are the 2026 Grammys Winners: Full List". Billboard. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
- ^ "John Ryan is a songwriter". artists.spotify.com. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
- ^ "John Ryan is a songwriter". artists.spotify.com. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Kawashima, Dale (November 10, 2016). "Interview With John Ryan, Hit Songwriter & Producer For One Direction, Jason Derulo, John Legend and Pitbull". Songwriter Universe. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
- ^ One Direction - Take Me Home, November 14, 2012, retrieved February 16, 2026
- ^ One Direction - Midnight Memories, November 25, 2013, retrieved February 16, 2026
- ^ One Direction - Four, 2014, retrieved February 16, 2026
- ^ One Direction - Made In The A.M., 2015, retrieved February 16, 2026
- ^ Communications, W. C. M. (September 4, 2024). "WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC SIGNS HIT SONGWRITER, PRODUCER AND MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST JOHN RYAN". Warner Music Group. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
- ^ Atkinson, Katie (February 2, 2026). "Here Are the 2026 Grammys Winners: Full List". Billboard. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
- ^ "Teddy Swims is our new Number 1!". BigTop40. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
- ^ "John Ryan is a songwriter". artists.spotify.com. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
- ^ "Italian Charts – John Ryan discography". Australian-charts.com.
- ^ "German Charts – John Ryan discography". Germancharts.com.
- ^ "Spanish Charts – John Ryan discography". Spanishcharts.com.
- ^ "American certifications – John Ryan". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (October 11, 2014). "The Veronicas Spend Third Week On Top Of ARIA Singles Chart". Noise11. Noise Network. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- ^ "British certifications – John Ryan". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 23, 2025. Type John Ryan in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank: Pitbull" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
- ^ "Canadian certifications – John Ryan". Music Canada. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
- ^ "XO continue to push the parameters of pop on electrifying new single 'Real Friends'". CelebMix. Retrieved October 20, 2025.