The documentary Diane Warren: Relentless, in theaters Friday and available Jan. 16 on MasterClass, features the songwriter discussing her career alongside many famous artists she's written for.

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Warren has written songs for such artists as Cher, LeAnn Rimes, Jennifer Hudson, Celine Dion and H.E.R., and her work has appeared in movies from Mannequin and Armageddon to last year's The Six Triple Eight.

In a recent Zoom interview with UPI, Warren said one thing is true no matter the forum or artist.

"I hope the common thread is that they're great songs, but they're different," Warren said. "I want to write a great song for whatever I do."

In the film, Cher speaks about playful arguments she's had with Warren when Warren claims every song is now the best song she's ever written. Warren wrote Cher's hit "If I Could Turn Back Time," "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" for her film Burlesque, and more for Cher's albums.

"The thing about Cher, when you're so honest you could hurt somebody," Warren said. "She'll just be brutally, bluntly honest but personally, I like that. It lets you know where you stand."

The director of Relentless, Bess Kargman, said major artists like Cher were open to speaking about Diane.

"A lot of artists are indebted to her," Kargman said. "She wrote some big hits for them."

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Warren said she rarely writes songs for specific artists. Rather, she pitches artists once she has recorded a demo.

One exception was her contribution to Meat Loaf's 1995 album, Welcome to the Neighborhood. Warren provided two tracks for that, and another for his 2006 Bat Out of Hell III.

"I remember writing 'I'd Lie for You and That's the Truth,'" Warren said. "It sounded like such a Meat Loaf title. I did another song called 'Not a Dry Eye in the House.'"

Warren said her third Meat Loaf song, 2006's "Cry Over Me," is her favorite of the trio. Meat Loaf was known for songs often running over 10 minutes, with long titles like "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" and "I'd Do Anything For Love (but I Won't Do That)," written by Jim Steinman.

Writing a song for a movie soundtrack adds another layer to the process, Warren said. Not only does she have to write a great song for an artist, but it has to fit the movie.

Warren wrote Starship's "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" for 1987's Mannequin, Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" for 1998's Armageddon and Celine Dion's "Because You Loved Me" for 1996's Up Close and Personal, among others.

"When I write a song for a movie, I'm writing a song that I want to hear in that movie," Warren said. "I want to write something that stands in that movie and then stands on its own two feet."

15 of Warren's songs have been nominated for Oscars but not won an award. Warren was awarded an honorary Oscar in 2023.

Her Six Triple Eight song, "The Journey" performed by H.E.R., is on the Oscar shortlist for a potential nomination this year.

"I've lost 15 times yet I've won 15 times because it's really hard to get nominated, right?" Warren said. "That being said, when that envelope's opened, it would be cool. It would be great if it was this song."

Relentless briefly addresses a controversy surrounding "How Do I Live," Warren's song for Con Air. Warren shared how LeAnn Rimes originally recorded the song, while producer Jerry Bruckheimer wanted it to go to Trisha Yearwood instead.

Yearwood's version ultimately appeared in the film, but Warren would not pull the song from Rimes. Both versions were released in 1997.

"Everybody hated me for a few months, including Jerry who said I'd never work for Disney again," Warren said.

That lasted less than a year before Bruckheimer asked her back for the following summer's Armageddon.

"Everybody started being okay with me after they both had huge humongous hits," Warren said. "LeAnn sang it on the Grammys and Trisha won the Grammy."

Warren said she is equally proud of her songs for artists that were not smash hits. She has written over 500 songs according to Spotify, and has registered over 2,000 with the Copyright Office.

"Pet Shop Boys did one of my favorite songs called 'Numb,'" Warren said. "The Cult 'Painted on My Heart' was a great song. I love Marshall Crenshaw's first album when he did 'Some Hearts.' It later became a hit from Carrie Underwood."

While Warren is open to discussing her work, she was less interested in talking about her personal life. She resisted Kargman's interest in her life during interviews for the documentary.

"It's boring," Warren insisted. "I'm boring."

Kargman took Warren's resistance as a challenge. The director said she focused on the questions where Warren was most responsive, including inquiring about Warren's diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.

"Honestly, I don't think anyone on this planet is boring if you ask the right questions," Kargman said. "Everyone wants to see how someone made it. Once you've made it, that's often all people see."

Despite decades in the business, 15 Oscar nominations, collaborations with top artists and multiple hits, Warren would not accept Kargman's assessment.

"I feel like I haven't even made it yet," Warren said. "It's true though. It's always what's next for me."