How Justin Tranter is fighting for songwriters like Chappell Roan

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Justin Tranter isn’t your average songwriter. In fact, he’s churned out some of the biggest pop anthems of the last decade. From Selena Gomez‘s “Good for You” to Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now,” Tranter’s fingerprints are all over modern pop.

Tranter has become a leading figure in the fight for fairer compensation for songwriters, a battle he’s waging with the same passion and determination he pours into his music.

His work with Chappell Roan on her Grammy-nominated “Good Luck, Babe!” has been one of the year’s biggest hits. “It’s rare to get to co-write with an artist who is this iconic, this, you know…she’s a true writer, a true performer, a true storyteller, a drag queen.” Tranter told Newsweek. “To be a small part of her journey has been like the coolest thing that’s happened to me, I think ever.”

But Tranter’s impact extends far beyond the studio. He’s a vocal critic of the current music industry, where streaming giants reap the rewards while the artists who create the music are often left with small payouts. He’s used his platform to amplify the voices of songwriters, demanding a fairer share of the pie.

“I’m raising my voice for the next generation of songwriters, that if you have a song that has a couple of billion streams, it is really, really ludicrous that everyone else in the equation is getting very rich besides the songwriter,” he stated. Tranter continued on his hopes for the future, noting, “That is really soul-crushing and it makes me nervous for the next generation of songwriters because I think songwriting is possibly one of the most profound art forms of all time. And if people can’t make a living from it, we’re going to lose a lot of great songwriters.”

But Tranter remains a role model for a generation, proving that achieving success is possible while staying true to your values. As for what’s next, he tells Newsweek, “I worked with Bea Miller, amazing, amazing artist. We worked together right before COVID, and we actually had one of the first viral songs on TikTok with her song called ‘Feel Something.'” Tranter lamented, “We’re about to put out some songs that I am very proud of.”