SHELLY PEIKEN RELEASES
“HUMAN”
FEAT. CHRISSIE HYNDE ON BACKGROUND VOCALS
LISTEN TO “HUMAN”: HERE
Hit Songwriter Shelly Peiken has released her stunning version of “Human,” a song she co-wrote with Mark McEntee from Divinyls. The song was released by the Divinyls in 1996 under the title “Human On The Inside,” and by the Pretenders in 1999, which was titled “Human,” which went on to become a chart hit in the U.S., Uk and New Zealand.
“To have a legend who writes mega-hits of her own, record YOUR song, is something that doesn’t happen for a songwriter every day…if ever,” Peiken told Guitar Girl Magazine. “I saw Chrissie backstage at the Hollywood Bowl earlier this year, and she confessed that the reason she cut “Human” is because it sounded more like The Pretenders than the material she was writing at the time. Now I’m excited to be releasing a version of my own. AND the icing on the cake is that CHRISSIE IS SINGING BACKING VOCALS WITH ME!”
Peiken wrote the lyrics to a song after having her feelings hurt by a close friend. The lyrics just poured out of her and onto a napkin she brought into a ladies room.. She was feeling raw and disappointed that a ”friend” could be so cruel. The next week she went into her very first session with Mark McEntee and the words on that napkin married beautifully with the major 7ths he was playing.
“Human,” is just one of the many hit songs Peiken has penned throughout her incredible career. Peiken is responsible for the very first number one song of the new millennium, Christina Aguilera’s "What a Girl Wants" along with Aguilera’s "Come on Over Baby,” Meredith Brooks' "Bitch," Mandy Moore's "I Want to be With You," Brandy's "Almost Doesn't Count," Jessie J’s “Who You Are,” “Rotten To The Core” from Disney’s Descendents and hundreds more songs for artists such as Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears, Reba, Natasha Bedingfield, N'Sync, INXS, Celine Dion, Keith Urban, Mark Wills, Cher, Smash Mouth and more. Collectively her songs have sold an excess of 50 Million records (see the full list HERE).
This year, for the very first time in her career Peiken is releasing an album of her own, 2.0 etc. coming out on August 28th. The album sees Peiken revisiting a number of her biggest hits, along with a number of originals that include “Notebook,” a song written for her daughter, and “George & John,” her love letter to the Beatles, that Parade Magazine called a “...beautifully dreamy original track laden with Beatles analogy and simply performed as a tribute both to the Fab Four and her own brilliance.”
Peiken got her start as a young writer in New York in the 90's, and has navigated the ever changing digital landscape and economy of the music industry. She has been a long time advocate for songwriters rights and is a founding member of SONA (Songwriters of North America), a creators’ rights advocacy organization that has been making a name for itself preserving the value of songs and songwriters in a new music marketplace.
In 2018 she penned a memoir, Confessions of a Serial Songwriter, which gave a humorous and honest look at her career as a working songwriter who has navigated the shift from physical to digital, weathered ageism, sexism and most importantly, showcases her love for music and the pure joy that she gets from the creative process. The book was nominated for a GRAMMY for Best Spoken Word Album at the 60th GRAMMY Awards.
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