Oct 08, 2026 10:00pm IST
From Adéla’s ‘Nicole Kidman’ to Taylor Swift’s ‘Tim McGraw’: Songs With Celebrity Names Have Always Made It Big
Singers have often taken inspiration from fellow artists to sing praises of them, give respectful nods and even call out their actions on multiple occasions. Lately, “Nicole Kidman” by Adéla has managed to take over the internet with its virality. So much so that Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal and Dua Lipa bopped to the song 'during Paris Fashion Week. It isn’t the first time a song with a celebrity’s name on it has made it big on the music charts; David Bowie’s “Andy Warhol” was a banger back in the 70s and the trend has continued ever since.
Here are some of the most talked-about songs with celebrity names as titles.
‘Tim McGraw’ by Taylor Swift
Every Swiftie has sung “Tim McGraw” while reminiscing about a lost love. The 2006 track remains a fan favorite, adding to the songstress’s knack for name-dropping and then some in her music. This includes the 2014 hit, “Style,” where Taylor Swift gave a shoutout to James Dean while making the world think it was about Harry Styles. Similarly, her 2010 “Dear John” is widely believed to be about her other ex, John Mayer, "Hey Stephen" about Stephen Barker Liles from of the country music duo Love and Theft and “Clara Bow” about its namesake, among others.
‘Barbra Streisand’ by Duck Sauce
Released back in 2010 by the duo comprising American DJ Armand van Helden and Canadian DJ A-Trak, the song uses the American singer, songwriter, actress, author and filmmaker’s name without having a big reason to do so except thinking that it would be funny. However, it ended up becoming a major global pop hit and its randomness stuck with people.
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‘Drew Barrymore’ by Bryce Vine and ‘Drew Barrymore’ by SZA
The American actress has been the muse of two musicians’ songs and became well known around the world at similar times. SZA's "Drew Barrymore" was released on January 13, 2017, as the lead single from her debut studio album, “Ctrl.” Meanwhile, Bryce Vine released the single "Drew Barrymore" on December 1, 2017, which then went on to feature on his mini-album released in August of that year, followed by his debut studio album, “Carnival.”
‘Doja’ by Central Cee
Released in 2022, the British rapper’s song found popularity on TikTok and other short-form content platforms due to its catchy nature. It sampled Eve and Gwen Stefani’s 2001 hit "Let Me Blow Ya Mind," with a fun tip of the hat to the American star it names.
‘Madonna’ by Drake
A part of his album “If You're Reading This It's Too Late,” it finds the Canadian star serenading his lady love and promising to make her lifestyle as lavish as that of the pop star Madonna. The 2015 release eventually sparked a joint performance between the two stars, which led to an on-stage kiss between them.
‘My Beyoncé’ by Lil Durk ft Dej Loaf
Another 2015 release, “My Beyoncé” is a nod from Chicago rapper Lil Durk and Detroit artist DeJ Loaf, with the singer’s name being used as the ultimate goal for any romantic partner. The two detail their real-life experiences through the lyrics of the song, using Beyoncé’s name for
Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera
The pop band dropped a belter with this one inspired by the Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger. It uses disco tunes to sing about wooing your love interest with fabulous dance moves, becoming a go-to hit in clubs following its release in 2011.
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‘Princess Diana’ by Ice Spice
The 2023 release talks about the rapper’s popularity bringing in a flood of fans to the streets. The song brings her together with Nicki Minaj for a remix, which became uber popular. It was initially written after a meme of Ice Spice being called the new ‘People’s Princess.’
The King of Pop has a song called “Dirty Diana,” which was rumored to be about friend Diana Ross and even Princess Diana at one point, but ended up being about neither of them after all. Michael Jackson even doubted whether dancing to it in front of the English royalty would displease her but was surprised to hear it was her favorite.
‘Grace Kelly’ by MIKA
Released in 2007, the song uses the Hollywood star’s name to talk about not giving into expectations of society and doing your own thing. It symbolizes having your own identity and not conforming to standards.
‘Clint Eastwood’ by Gorillaz
The virtual rock band’s debut single features a rap verse by Del the Funky Homosapien and sings of achieving a calm state of mind while trying to escape your life.
Among others, Ariana Grande has a track called “Pete Davidson,” from their time together, including a brief engagement and Charlie Puth has a collaboration with Meghan Trainor, which is his nod to Marvin Gaye. Panic! At The Disco brought in Lolo to sing about Janet Jackson in “Miss Jackson.”
Fall Out Boy has named two of the group’s songs on known actors, “Uma Thurman” and “She’s My Winona” – named after Winona Ryder. Hilary Duff has “Mr. James Dean,” Lady Gaga came through with “John Wayne” and Muse with “Jimmy Kane”.
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