Ryan Tedder thinks getting a hit single everywhere in the world except his home country is a "slap in the face".
The 37-year-old singer and songwriter - who is the lead vocalist of OneRepublic - has vowed never to pick the singles he plans to release and has given that responsibility to his manager, his wife Genevieve, his friends, and people with "good ears" in a bid to make his music more successful in America.
He told PEOPLE: "We're the worst at picking our singles. I've basically told the label, my manager: 'From now on, I'm gonna ask you, I'm gonna ask my wife, I'm gonna ask a couple good buddies of mine who have really good ears, and that's it'. I'm not even gonna have a vote anymore because I have no idea. It is frustrating when you have a song that's a hit everywhere else but your home country -- it almost feels like a slap in the face."
And the 'Counting Stars' hitmaker - who co-wrote and produced Adele's singles 'Rumour Has It' and 'Remedy' - has credited the 'Hello' hitmaker as a "singular talent" and a "unicorn" among a group of musicians who want to be on her level.
Speaking about the 28-year-old British star, he said: "Adele is just a singular talent; she's a unicorn amongst a sea of people that want to be unicorns. She's a true original, and I think part of her success lies in the fact that she sounds like nothing else on radio.
"She has a once-every-couple-decades voice."
And Tedder has praised Taylor Swift, 27, as being "the most talented writer" he has ever worked with.
He explained: "Taylor is more high-energy, more intense and active, like I am.
"She's probably the most talented writer I've been in the room with. Taylor's constantly switching between left brain and right brain. A lot of artists I work with are very right-brain, just artistic - it's hard for them to think any more like cerebral fashion, they're just purely artistic right brain. Some of the most successful people you'll find are equal left and right brain."
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