The Write Stuff is an occasional series about songwriters.
Ali Tamposi knows the advantages of having your mom as your school principal.
“We had the best theater directors directing our elementary school plays.
Credit: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images
She really put emphasis on creativity in all forms of learning.”
Growing up in Florida, Tamposi was also surrounded by music at home.
“My mom always had Fleetwood Mac records playing.
Nick Tamposi
Sting was always on.
“It was really where I felt most comfortable, anytime I was doing something creative.”
I wasn’t any good at anything else.”
“Worked out” is one way to put it.
And it all started when a song she originally wrote for herself landed inBeyonce’s hands.
But it was the beginning of my songwriting career."
Below, Tamposi takes us through some of her biggest hits.
That one took about seven months to really get intoKelly Clarkson’s hands.
It just felt like it had that power.
That was like my first real cathartic songwriting experience, where I had to get that out.
I was in a lot of pain.
It was a lonely time for me, for sure.
Camila talked about wanting to write it because she’s Cuban.
And so she wanted to reference her heritage.
“Havana” came together in the final hour.
Frank Dukes had played us a piano loop on the first day and nothing was really clicking.
So we had written a few ideas, but nothing that felt like we had a home run.
It felt like too easy, as if we had heard that song before or something.
Those songs are rare.
It just kind of flowed out of us.
That was a real organic, just acoustic guitar song.
We just bounced around melodies for a while.
It was a really quick session.
I remember driving away really excited about the record.
That was a really fun two days writing that song.
We had all gotten together through socially distanced writing sessions.
It wasn’t a seamless session where we’re all together in one place.
Within like a day or two she hadthe whole music videomapped out.
Her work ethic is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
And while maintaining this ability to be super down-to-earth and present.
I grew up on classic rock, and so you could feel the classic rock references in the song.
