Timbaland’s vote of confidence in the band OneRepublic proved to be both lucrative and semi-problematic, according to the band’s lead singer Ryan Tedder.
In a recent interview, OneRepublic’s frontman Ryan Tedder shared the surprising story behind their smash hit “Apologize” and how producer Timbaland discovered the song on Myspace, helping launch the band to stardom—despite some early confusion about who they actually were. Tedder recalled Timbaland reaching out to him after seeing the song blow up online, wanting to collaborate on a remix.
“Tim [Timbaland] sees the song popping off on MySpace and reaches out to me and is like, ‘Hey, I’d love to do a deal with you,’” Tedder said.
Although Tedder was initially hesitant about making the remix their first single, fearing it would confuse fans about the group’s identity, the collaboration with Timbaland was eventually released and quickly became a worldwide hit. That confusion Tedder feared came to life almost immediately. Recalling his experiences at radio stations after the song’s release, Tedder explained how even industry insiders didn’t recognize OneRepublic for what they were.
“I go to a radio station and the lady goes, ‘Who are you guys?’ We’re OneRepublic. She goes, ‘Oh wait, what?,” he recalled. “I thought you were either a Black boy band or that you were just a solo Black artist.’”
Tedder continued recounting the incident, noting that Timbaland’s immense star power had led to the misperception that “Apologize” was solely his song.
“My guitar player goes, ‘Sorry to disappoint you,’” he said.
Despite the initial confusion, Timbaland’s involvement set OneRepublic on a path to financial success. Tedder shared how, when it came time to discuss the publishing splits for “Apologize,” he braced himself for the worst, expecting Timbaland to take a large portion of the rights.
“I was ready to just be like, I’m going to get creamed on this,” he admitted. But to his surprise, Timbaland made an incredibly generous move.
“The manager goes, ‘Tim doesn’t want to take any publishing, buddy. He’s not going to touch it. It’s your song.’”
Tedder continued, emphasizing how Timbaland could have taken a significant share but chose not to.
“That changed my life,” he added added. “That’s how I bought a house.”
@danielswall Replying to @OneRepublic Why Timbaland is The GOAT Who Changed OneRepublic & Ryan Tedder’s Life #singer #songwriter #hitsong #onerepublic #apologize #popmusic #viralvideo #musicproducer #songwriting #timbaland #remix #ryantedder #musicindustry #singing #goat #inspirational #trendingsong #demo @OneRepublic @Ryan Tedder @Timbaland
♬ original sound – Daniel Wall
OneRepublic’s “Apologize” became a global hit following its 2007 release, catapulting the band to international fame. The Timbaland remix of the track reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it remained for 25 weeks, marking one of the longest runs on the chart at the time. The song was featured on Timbaland’s Shock Value album and OneRepublic’s debut album Dreaming Out Loud, which was certified Platinum by the RIAA. “Apologize” itself achieved 5x Platinum status in the U.S., with over five million copies sold. The single also topped the charts in multiple countries, including Canada and Australia, and became one of the best-selling singles of the 2000s.