John Henry Ryan II (born August 19, 1987), also known as John the Blind, is an American Grammy Award–winning songwriter, record producer, music publishing executive, and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known for his work across pop, country, and alternative music, with a catalog exceeding 30 billion global streams and over 30 million records sold.
Ryan has been a key creative contributor to major releases by artists including Sabrina Carpenter, Teddy Swims, One Direction, Thomas Rhett, Niall Horan, Olivia Dean, Katseye, John Legend, Rudimental, and others.
Early life Ryan is from Pittsford, New York. He grew up the youngest in his family with his mother, older brother Joe, and older sister Julie. Ryan wrote his first song in third grade, learning to play guitar and piano at a young age. He continued to write throughout his childhood, even making an album in eighth grade that he was selling out of his locker. By the time he was 16 or 17, he remembers having to choose between music and sports and states that "music came the most naturally and made [him] the happiest." He sent his only college application to Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. During his time at Berklee, Ryan learned music theory, fronted two bands, and continued to write his own material.
During his junior year, Ryan visited a few friends in Los Angeles, and met Damon Bunetta, who later became his manager, at a party. They exchanged numbers, ideas, and kept in contact. At the time, Damon, his brother Julian Bunetta, and their father Peter Bunetta were expanding their company, Family Affair Productions, and were looking to add another producer/artist/writer to the team. After graduating from Berklee in 2010, Ryan moved to Los Angeles to begin his career as an artist and producer.
Career Ryan achieved his commercial breakthrough with One Direction, whom he met and began writing with in 2012. Their 2013 single "Story of My Life" became a global Top 10 hit. He went on to co-write and co-produce 27 songs across four of the band’s albums: Take Me Home, Midnight Memories, Four, and Made in the A.M.
Notable One Direction credits include "Night Changes", "Story of My Life", "Steal My Girl", "Perfect", and "Drag Me Down".
During and after his work with One Direction, Ryan continued to establish himself as a leading songwriter and producer across pop, country, and dance music, earning multiple No. 1 singles.
In recent years, Ryan has been a primary songwriter and producer for the last three Sabrina Carpenter albums, including Emails I Can't Send, Short n' Sweet, and Man's Best Friend. Songs such as "Feather", "Taste", "Bed Chem", and "Tears" reached No. 1. In 2024, Ryan won a Grammy Award for his work on Short n' Sweet.
Teddy Swims is also a close friend and frequent collaborator. Swims's singles "Bad Dreams" and "The Door" both reached No. 1, which Ryan co-wrote and co-produced.
Ryan has also collaborated with Olivia Dean, co-writing her breakout single "So Easy (To Fall in Love)", and wrote the hit song "Gabriela" for global pop group KATSEYE.
In addition to his songwriting and production career, Ryan records and performs under the moniker John the Blind, a solo artist project formerly signed to Atlantic Records. The name references John of Bohemia, a medieval king who continued to lead his army despite being blind.
Under this project, Ryan releases self-written and self-produced material that blends pop, alternative, country, and experimental influences.
Discography Singles Featured in Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album US AUS GER SPN UK"Fireball" 2014 23 26 22 6 49 RIAA: 5× Platinum ARIA: Gold BPI: Platinum BVMI: Gold MC: PlatinumGlobalization
Production discography Title Year Artist Album Songwriter Producer"Do You Feel What I Feel?" 2011 JLS Jukebox "C'mon, C'mon" 2012 One Direction Take Me Home "I Would" "They Don't Know About Us" "She's Not Afraid" "Loved You First" "I Wish" 2013 Emblem3 Nothing to Lose "Me & My Girls" Fifth Harmony Better Together "Best Song Ever" One Direction Midnight Memories "Story of My Life" "Diana" "Midnight Memories" "You & I" "Strong" "Little Black Dress" "Little White Lies" "Better Than Words" "Does He Know?" "Alive" "One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks)" "Good News"2014 Daley Days + Nights "Wiggle" Jason Derulo Talk Dirty "If You Love Me Let Me Go" Colbie Caillat Gypsy Heart "Take Over" Nick Jonas Nick Jonas "Steal My Girl"One DirectionFour "Ready to Run" "Girl Almighty" "Night Changes" "No Control" "Fireproof" "Spaces" "Stockholm Syndrome" "Clouds" "Change Your Ticket" "Illusion" "Once in a Lifetime" "Act My Age" "Fireball" Pitbull Globalization "Day Drinking" "Work This Body"Walk the MoonTalking Is Hard "We Are the Kids" "Headlights"2015 Robin Schulz Sugar "Vacation" Thomas Rhett Tangled Up "Babylon" Omi Me 4 U "Hey Angel" One DirectionMade in the A.M. "Drag Me Down" "Perfect" "Infinity" "End of the Day" "Long Way Down" "Never Enough" "Olivia" "I Want to Write You a Song" "History" "Walking in the Wind" "A.M." "Sober"2016 DJ Snake Encore "Darkness and Light"John LegendDarkness and Light "Love Me Now" "Temporarily Painless" "Pray"2017 JRY Fifty Shades Darker: OriginalMotion Picture Soundtrack "Two Ghosts" Harry Styles Harry Styles "Guys My Age" Hey Violet From the Outside "Crawling" Chase & Status Tribe "Shed a Light" Robin Schulz Uncovered "Leave Right Now"Thomas RhettLife Changes "Renegades" "Finish What We Started" Jessie Ware Glasshouse "On the Loose"Niall HoranFlicker "Slow Hands" "Flicker" "Fire Away" "The Tide" "Best 4 U"Maroon 5Red Pill Blues "Wait" "Bet My Heart" "Who I Am" "Whiskey" "Closure" "Don't Wanna Know" "Cold" "Lost in the Wild" Walk the Moon What If Nothing "These Days" 2018 Rudimental Toast to Our Differences "Dance" DNCE rowspan="2" "Think About You" Delta Goodrem "Hate to Say" Tory Lanez Memories Don't Die "Done for Me" Charlie Puth Voicenotes "Preacher Man" The Driver Era "How Badly" In Real Life She Do "Doesn't Matter" Gallant This Song Does Not Fit "Finally Free" Niall Horan Smallfoot: Original MotionPicture Soundtrack "16 Steps" Martin Jensen "Dear Sense" Louis the Child Kids at Play EP "Epa Wei" Danny Ocean "Never Let Me Go" Jess Glynne Always In Between "Big Bills" The Knocks New York Narcotic "Room for You" "Close to Me" Isaiah "Cashmere" Rita Ora Phoenix "First Time High" "Out at Night" Clean Bandit What Is Love? "Better to Lie" Benny Blanco Friends Keep Secrets "24 Hours" Clean Bandit What Is Love? "We Made It" 2019 Louis Tomlinson Walls "Ain't Shit" 2020 ASL SKYLOFT "Human Zoo" "Slash My Tire" "Room for One More" "Where Will I Remember You" "Shots with Mariah" "Slow Motion" "What Happens Here" "What Makes a Woman" Katy Perry Smile "Call My Friends" Shawn Mendes Wonder "One More" 2021 SG Lewis featuring Nile Rodgers Times "My Whole Life" ASL EL GANZO "It's Not Easy" "Leona" "On The Roof" "Hey Mister" "Leona Interlude" "Still Awake" "12:42" "Best Sex" "Jump In" "Fast Times"2022Sabrina CarpenterEmails I Can't Send "Because I Liked a Boy" "Already Over" "Decode" "Heaven" 2023Niall HoranThe Show "If You Leave Me" "Meltdown" "Never Grow Up" "You Could Start a Cult" "Save My Life" "On a Night Like Tonight" "Feather" Sabrina CarpenterEmails I Can't Send (Deluxe Edition) "Taste"2024Short n' Sweet "Good Graces" "Coincidence" "Bed Chem" "Dumb & Poetic" "Juno" "Don't Smile" "Gabriela"2025KatseyeBeautiful Chaos "Peach Gelato"TWICEThis Is For"On My Mind" Alex Warren featuring Rosé You'll Be Alright, Kid "Cigarettes" Maroon 5 Love Is Like "Tears"Sabrina CarpenterMan's Best Friend "My Man on Willpower" "Sugar Talking" "Nobody's Son" "Never Getting Laid" "When Did You Get Hot?" "Go Go Juice" "House Tour" "Real Friends" XO Fashionably Late "So Easy (To Fall in Love)"Olivia DeanThe Art of Loving "HASTA JESÚS TUVO UN MAL DÍA" Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso, Sting "The Door" Teddy Swims I've Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 1) "Bad Dreams"I've Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 2) "Guilty" "Heroine" 2026 Maroon 5 Non-album single
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