Diane Warren Reveals the Work Ethic, Instincts, and Inspiration Behind Her Legendary Career

Diane Warren remembers working with Snoop Dogg. Well, actually, at the time, he was going by Snoop Lion. It was the 2010s and the Long Beach, California-born rapper was in his reggae phase. And for his new album, he’d sought out Warren’s help. It was a smart move by Snoop. Warren is one of the most decorated songwriters of all time. She’s penned tracks for Celine Dion (“Because You Loved Me”) and LeAnn Rimes (“How Do I Live”). She’s a living legend who boasts more streams than Minnesota. 

And she answered Snoop Lion’s call (roar?) happily and readily.  

Warren spun up a song for Snoop originally called “The Good Shit”—a track comparing a romantic relationship to—what else—good weed. Hey, it’s on brand, right? But while Snoop Dogg could curse in his music, Snoop Lion decided he could not. So, he changed the song title to “The Good Good” and released it on his 2013 LP, Reincarnated. 

“I got censored by Snoop!” Warren tells American Songwriter, with a chuckle. 

But sometimes that’s just how it goes in her world. Sometimes, even amongst the greatest of all time, there are concessions and compromises to be made in the studio. Still, it all worked out in the end—even humorously so. 

“’The Good Good’,” Warren remembers. “Snoop said it meant the same thing. So, I said, ‘OK, that’s fine.’ But I think they used it in an Overstock.com commercial. And I’m going, like, ‘You guys know you’re using a weed song for your commercial, right?’” 

Fans of Warren know. If you scan the credits of Snoop Lion’s 2013 release, “The Good Good” is the only song on the record with just one writer credit—Warren. But that’s long been her style. When it comes to process, she is a minimalist. Songwriting is not a chance to get together in a big group and riff with a glass of wine in hand. No, Warren is workman-like about it. She might as well be wearing a hard hat and holding a lunchpail. 

Every day, Warren goes to her dusty, dingy, cluttered studio and endeavors at her craft. For someone who wrote globally famous tracks like Toni Braxton’s “Un-Break My Heart” and Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”, her office space is small, unassuming, and modest. The walls are yellowing. And yet that’s where she sits to keep the sonic outpour going. 

“I love to work,” she says. “This is what I do. I don’t sit on a beach waiting for inspiration. I love coming up with something from nothing. Writing a great song, a song that moves people, that touches people—it’s fun.” 

Even the difficult parts, though, can turn out all for the best, if you keep the right perspective. At times, a wrong turn turns into the right move. Warren knows that as well as anyone. 

“Sometimes someone doesn’t do a song [you wrote and intended for them],” Warren says, pulling the curtain of her job back a bit. “But you don’t realize they actually did you a favor. A much bigger artist will do it, and it’s like, ‘Thank you so much for not doing it!’” 

Warren was about nine years old when she knew she wanted to be a songwriter. Most kids that age don’t even know what T-shirt they want to wear to school in the morning. But Warren was certain, steadfast. She grew up outside Los Angeles, frequently feeling like an outsider. But it was the support her father showed her that carried her through. (Later, he became the inspiration for the Celine Dion track, “Because You Loved Me”.)

The budding artist was about 11 years old, she says, when she realized she had both a talent and an aptitude for writing. “Then I got obsessed with it at about 14,” she says. “You start out not really knowing what you’re doing. But you kind of figure it out.”

Warren knows she was lucky. It’s not the case for everyone that their passions align with their skillsets. But they did for her. 

“Songwriting,” the multi-time Grammy Award-winner says, “it’s something I always wanted to do. Thank God I had a talent for it. If I wanted to be an Olympic swimmer, that probably wouldn’t have worked out.“ 

For the Oscar-nominated artist, success is the result of three things: Desire, innate talent, and work ethic. Those are the reasons she was the soundtrack to so many middle school and high school dances in the 1990s, the reasons so many people swayed to her swelling love songs (and continue to today). Those are the reasons she’s set songwriting records. 

This summer, Warren shared her latest project, Songs in the Key of Diane. The album, which included 13 songs written by Warren, reinterpreted in a reggae style, dropped in July. The album, which includes classic and new tracks, offers a different lens through which to experience Warren’s illustrious catalog. 

“I thought it was a cool idea to do a reggae album,” she says. “I’ve always loved reggae. Years ago, I had a big hit with Ziggy Marley called, ‘Give A Little Love’, and, of course, I did the song for Snoop Lion.”

When it comes to the new LP, Warren finds herself gravitating to the new songs. That’s where the excitement is for her, the crackle of creativity. Fans of her older material should check out the familiar tracks, “Rhythm Of The Night” and “Blame It On The Rain.” But for those looking to dive into new material, songs like the breezy “Hey Haters” sing. 

“It was fun to flip [these tracks] on their head and turn them into a reggae song,” Warren says. “‘Rhythm Of The Night’ wasn’t that far anyway. It has an island feel. But ‘Hey Haters’, I love that. That’s my fuck-you-with-a-smile song. ‘Kiss Me Tonight’ and ‘Forgot to Forget You’ are great, too.”

For Warren, a good song should be a good song no matter what style it takes or genre it’s classified in. If the lyrics work, if the chord changes soar, if the timing works—then the genre or style shouldn’t matter. So, to flip a rock ballad like “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” and hear it performed by an artist like Analea Brown—that’s where the magic is for her. 

While the concept was enjoyable, there was also a bittersweet quality to the endeavor. The tune, “You Kind Of Beautiful”, was recorded by the artist Fiji. Shortly after he tracked his vocals for the work, though, Fiji (born George Veikoso) passed away. It ended up being the last song he ever recorded. 

“That’s really the sadness and the sweetness to that,” Warren says. “And I love the song, I think that’s a hit record. It’s just one of those moments.” 

But that’s the power of music. And on this LP, which includes Grammy-nominated and platinum-selling performers, the artists got to leave their mark for eternity. Not every song needs to go No. 1 to be important. Sometimes it’s just that they exist in a moment in time that matters most. 

For Warren, a hit record is just one of those things. She boasts a great many of them (33 Top-10 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, including “If I Could Turn Back Time” by Cher and “Have You Ever” by Brandy), but while you can’t ever plan it, it’s something you immediately recognize. 

“You just feel it,” she says. “It’s a feeling. I know it in my bones.” 

The new reggae album is not the only LP Warren has been working on, though. She’s also been working on a new duets album with legendary artist Dionne Warwick, called DWuets. The record, which will likely be the 85-year-old Warwick’s last in her lengthy career, is out this fall. And the lead single, “Where Is Your Heart”, which features John Legend, hit streaming services in May. 

Of course, when you’re Diane Warren, and you’ve had the success she’s seen, folks seemingly line up to work with you. Warren has one of the most star-studded contact lists in the music industry. She’s written with everyone from Taylor Swift to Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Santana, Janelle Monae and more. That’s what happens when you’re the first songwriter to pen seven hit songs, each by different artists, to chart at the same time on the Hot 100.  

“It’s cool when you can reach someone that you really want to reach,” she says. “I always like to have a personal touch in what I do. Reaching out to artists: I love artist-to-artist without all the gatekeepers. Like, let’s just figure this out.”

That type of direct contact with a performer—especially the caliber that Warren works with so often—can be quite rare. But it’s not rare for her. Nope. And while Warren will chalk it up and say she’s “lucky”, that’s not totally accurate. 

In a way, she is fortunate. No matter how hard someone works doesn’t always mean success is on the way. But in another way, her ability to reach out to anyone in the industry is the product of her keen ear and dedication. She’s toiled on her own, for hours, years, decades. She’s built a steady, honest career that has touched the sky. 

“Being able to do what I love,” says Warren, who turns 70 in September, “and that people seem—working with lots of different artists, nothing has slowed down. I’m doing more than I ever have.” 

Photos by Don Holz