Heartbreak Fuels Songwriter's Rise to Céline Dion Collaboration

In a recent interview, songwriter Whitney Phillips recounted how she transformed her personal pain into professional success. Two years ago, Phillips was going through a difficult breakup when she attended a songwriting camp in France. There, she poured her emotions into a song called "The Hard Way," which she co-wrote with producers Greg Wells and Jessica Karpov.

Hoping the song might resonate with Céline Dion, who had recently lost her husband, Phillips asked the producers to pitch it to the legendary singer. To Phillips' surprise, Dion agreed to record the track, which appeared on her 2019 album Courage. This unexpected collaboration marked a major turning point in Phillips' career, leading to more high-profile songwriting opportunities with artists like Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber.

Now, Phillips is starring on the Netflix reality series Hitmakers, where she and other top songwriters and producers attend songwriting camps to create hits for major artists. Reflecting on her journey, Phillips says she never imagined becoming a successful songwriter, having initially pursued a "Britney Spears dream" before realizing her true passion was in the stories behind the music.