Ed Sheeran Reveals Rihanna Inspired Two of His Biggest Hits

March 27, 2025 – Ed Sheeran recently revealed that two of his most famous songs—Shape of You and Justin Bieber’s Love Yourself—were originally written with Rihanna in mind. During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Sheeran shared how much of an influence the global superstar has had on his songwriting process.

Writing Hits for Rihanna

According to Sheeran, he and other songwriters often create music with the hope that Rihanna will record it. “Rihanna has the best taste out of anyone,” Sheeran told Fallon. “She always picks just really, really great songs. So as songwriters within the songwriting community, you’re always writing songs to pitch to Rihanna.”

Sheeran admitted that on every album he has worked on, he has tried to write a song specifically for Rihanna. “Every single album that I’ve ever done, I’ve always gone to write, on the side, ‘Let’s try and write a song that we can pitch to Rihanna.’”

From Rihanna to Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber

Despite writing Shape of You with Rihanna in mind, Sheeran initially felt the song didn’t align with his own style. However, after reworking it, he decided to record it himself—leading to one of the biggest hits of his career. The song has since accumulated over 4.2 billion streams on Spotify, cementing its place as one of the platform’s most-streamed tracks of all time.

Similarly, Love Yourself, which Sheeran co-wrote, was envisioned for Rihanna but ultimately went to Justin Bieber. The song became a massive success, topping the Billboard Hot 100 and earning multiple awards.

Rihanna’s Influence in the Music Industry

Rihanna’s influence on Sheeran and countless other songwriters is undeniable. She remains one of the most sought-after artists in the industry, despite not releasing a studio album since ANTI in 2016. Fans eagerly await her next project, and Sheeran’s comments only highlight how much anticipation surrounds any music she chooses to release.

Whether or not Rihanna ever records one of Sheeran’s songs, her impact on his creative process—and the music industry as a whole—is undeniable.