Delivering tales of vulnerability and resilience with immediacy, Teddy Geiger is a sought-after songwriter and producer, best known for her close-knit work with Shawn Mendes. A singer and performer in her own right, Geiger released her first music in 2005 when she was 16, but she soon shifted her focus to songwriting. Geiger began working with One Direction (and would later write several tracks for Niall Horan’s second solo album) before co-writing 2015’s handclap-driven “Stitches”, Mendes’ first No. 1 single. She has since worked with James Blunt, Lizzo, Maroon 5, Christina Aguilera and 5 Seconds of Summer, among others—not to mention dabbling in both country and dance music—but Mendes remains her most frequent collaborator. Geiger worked on every song on his self-titled, chart-topping 2018 album, juggling bass, drums, piano, programming and more. Geiger’s raw-hearted songwriting stamp is evident on Mendes’ lead single “In My Blood”, an intimate portrait of insecurity that includes the lyric “Sometimes I feel like giving up.” Geiger then released her first solo album since coming out, Lillyanna, under the name teddy❤️. The project saw her reflect on her gender identity journey, directly addressing her femme side on the wistful title track. You can hear how Geiger’s own life has informed her work as a songwriter for others, too, particularly on tracks like Mendes’ “There’s Nothin’ Holdin’ Me Back”. Geiger has written equally open-hearted material since then, from 2018’s judgement-free DeJ Loaf and Leon Bridges team-up “Liberated” to 2019’s bittersweet P!nk/Khalid duet “Hurts 2B Human”. Such bold messages are a staple right across her songbook, shining through even the darkest thematic turns.