One of the most successful songwriters of our time, Justin Tranter, opens up about their career thus far, working with Hollywood's elite, and their newest podcast, Unfamous.&nbsp;

Spend enough time talking to Justin Tranter, and it becomes clear that no great pop song begins the way you'd expect. Ask about Fall Out Boy's "Centuries"—one of the songs that helped launch their career as a songwriter—and Tranter tells a story that starts with Marsha P. Johnson and somehow ends with college football. It's an unlikely path, but one that perfectly encapsulates a career built on turning deeply personal stories into songs that millions of people claim as their own.
One of your favorite pop songs from the past two decades? There's a good chance Justin Tranter wrote it. But before becoming one of pop music's most in-demand songwriters, Tranter fronted the glam-rock band Semi Precious Weapons, whose performances earned the group a devoted cult following and a coveted opening slot on Lady Gaga's iconic Monster Ball Tour. That artist's perspective would go on to shape a songwriting career unlike almost any other.

Over the past decade, the 46-year-old has quietly become one of the most influential figures behind the scenes in music. Their songwriting credits span generations and genres—from Fall Out Boy, Selena Gomez, and the Jonas Brothers to Dua Lipa, Justin Bieber, Julia Michaels, and Chappell Roan, whose breakout hit "Good Luck, Babe!" became one of the defining songs of 2024. While most songwriters remain largely anonymous to the public, Tranter has become one of the rare few whose name carries its own reputation, thanks not only to an extraordinary catalog but also to their outspoken advocacy for songwriters' rights and fair compensation.
Now, Tranter is stepping in front of the microphone with Unfamous, a podcast dedicated to what they call "the art of collaboration." Each episode brings together musicians, comedians, actors, and creatives to unpack the relationships behind the work, revealing the conversations that rarely make it into traditional interviews.
Below, L'OFFICIEL spoke exclusively with Tranter about the stories behind their biggest hits, the evolution of songwriting, and the Unfamous podcast.&nbsp;

"I know when a song is good, fight me in the comments."&nbsp;

L'OFFICIEL: You've written some of the defining pop songs of the past decade. Looking back at your catalog, is there one song that completely changed the trajectory of your career? Or maybe one whose cultural impact surprised even you?
JUSTIN TRANTER: The easy answer is my first hit, "Centuries" by Fall Out Boy. It changed my life in so many ways. I wrote the bulk of the chorus—including "You'll remember me for centuries"—in what was essentially a converted one-car garage that I was living in with six other people.
I actually wrote it after watching a documentary about Marsha P. Johnson and thinking about how she wasn't celebrated enough during her lifetime, but that we'd remember her for centuries. Then the song ended up becoming the college football anthem that year, so this song inspired by Marsha P. Johnson changed my life because of college football—which is kind of fabulous.
The most surprising one was "Good Luck, Babe!" I already knew Chappell Roan was one of the greatest artists of our time, but the world didn't know that yet. When she sent me the final mix, I was blown away. Then suddenly my DMs were flooded with praise. When you have a song with an established superstar, you expect attention. But this was a very gay song by a relatively unknown artist that suddenly took over the world. That was an incredible surprise.
LO: One thing that stands out across your catalog is how different every artist sounds. How do you balance bringing your own creative instincts into a room while making sure the artist's voice always comes first? Is there a formula you follow?
JT: The formula happened on accident. I had been dropped from four record deals and was so ready to finally get paid for writing songs that it stopped being about me.&nbsp;Whether I was writing with Joe Jonas, Julia Michaels, or anyone else, my mindset became: How do I help this person become the best version of themselves today? When you're young, you write songs because you have to. You're full of urgency. As you get older and more at peace, that urgency changes. I've been able to jump between genres because it's never about me anymore—it's about whoever's going to sing the song. They have to come first. If it's about you, it's really hard to shapeshift.

LO: You've been a huge advocate for songwriters' rights and have spoken openly about the economic realities of songwriting. What do you think happens over the next decade if nothing changes financially for songwriters?
JT: I do think it'll change—it just won't happen nearly as quickly as it should. We're already seeing a decline in great music. The next generation of unbelievable talent isn't being supported enough to flourish because they're worried about paying their bills. I know songwriters with four or five billion streams who still have two day jobs and are doing OnlyFans. That's the reality.
The labels and the streaming services have to make better deals so that more money reaches publishers, who then pay songwriters. Otherwise, we're not going to have another generation of great songwriters.&nbsp;I also think that's why we're seeing so many one-hit wonders. Artists go viral, but there isn't a strong ecosystem of young songwriters being financially supported to help them build lasting careers.
LO: What has your perspective been on today's music landscape—constant releases, TikTok snippets, and audiences expecting instant gratification? Has that changed how you write?
JT: It hasn't changed how I write, but it has changed how I prioritize. Today, an artist with 500,000 monthly listeners has just as much chance of having a hit as someone with 15 million listeners because everything depends on whether the algorithm picks it up. That's actually exciting to me. It means I can spend all my time with an artist I genuinely believe in, like Rose Gray, [an up-and-coming artist Tranter has been spending a large portion of his time writing for] because she has the same shot at breaking as someone everyone's already heard of. The downside is that before TikTok I could usually predict a hit. If a great song had radio support, I knew it would work. Now, even obvious hit records can disappear if they don't go viral.
So instead of trying to predict success, I just work with people I love. The rules have been destroyed.

"I know songwriters with four or five billion streams who have two day jobs and are doing OnlyFans."

LO:&nbsp;Let's talk about your podcast, 'Unfamous.' How did the idea come about, and what inspired you to start telling these behind-the-scenes stories?
JT: After hosting the Grammy Premiere Ceremony for two years, I realized how much I loved interviewing people. I asked my friend Morgan to help me develop podcast ideas, and she came back with one centered around the art of collaboration. Either I'd interview two collaborators, or I'd interview someone I'd collaborated with myself.
What I love is that people tell stories they would never tell in a normal interview because they're sitting across from the other collaborator. The conversations naturally become much more personal and much more revealing.
LO: Has hosting 'Unfamous' changed the way you look back on your own collaborations? Has anyone surprised you with something they shared?
JT: The Nick Jonas episode really did. One of my first sessions with a famous artist was with Nick over twelve years ago, and we've worked together ever since. During the podcast, I learned that when we lost the Golden Globe we were both nominated for, Nick was actually really upset. He and Joe quietly disappeared to regroup. I had no clue my little friend had his feelings hurt, and when I say little, I don't mean because he's short. I mean, because he's much younger than me, and you can use that quote! Meanwhile, I was just thrilled to be standing in the same room as Sharon Stone and Geena Davis. I had no idea Nick was hurting because he never let me see it until he brought it up on the podcast.&nbsp;

LO: If you could sit down with any creative duo—dead or alive—for an episode of 'Unfamous,' who would it be?
JT: Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller.&nbsp;They were married, and Arthur wrote The Misfits for Marilyn to star in. I have artwork from that film all over my studio. I think he wrote that screenplay about how Marilyn's magnetism was both the thing that made him fall in love with her and the thing that drove him crazy.&nbsp;I'd love to unpack that dynamic because I think he was trying to put her on blast, but really he was putting himself on blast. I have endless questions for both of them.
LO: What's the biggest misconception about songwriting or the music industry that you hope listeners come away understanding after listening to 'Unfamous?'
JT: That the art of collaboration applies to everything.&nbsp;Honestly, I learned more about collaboration working retail than I did at Berklee College of Music.&nbsp;Whether you're a songwriter, a comedian, a teacher, or a tennis coach, the way you work with other people matters. I hope listeners take those lessons and apply them to whatever they do.
LO: Finally, what advice would you give aspiring songwriters entering the industry today?
JT: Every generation has its own version of the game.&nbsp;In my era, the goal was to land the hit single.&nbsp;Today, the goal is to become a new artist's primary collaborator before they break. When they succeed, you succeed alongside them.&nbsp;Focus on helping build artists you genuinely believe in. Don't put all your eggs in one basket—work with several incredible emerging artists.&nbsp;The positive side of today's chaotic industry is that anyone can break. So go help break that artist. That's the opportunity now.

Your Favorite Artist's Favorite Songwriter: Justin Tranter Behind the Hits

Tags

Recommended posts for you

Music

Your Favorite Artist's Favorite Songwriter: Justin Tranter Behind the Hits

Pop culture

The Most Iconic Latino Entertainers of All Time

Fashion

Meet the Vietnamese Designers the Fashion World Is Watching

Pop culture

All the Celebrities at Paris Haute Couture Week Fall/Winter 2026

Fashion

Hermès Announces Its First-Ever Haute Couture Show

Fashion

All of the Fall/Winter 2026 Campaigns Defining the Season

Pop culture

The Evolution of the Watch Party

Fashion

This Season, It's All About the Unconventional Clasp