Ryan Tedder Reflects on Tenth Anniversary of 'Counting Stars,' Says Song Has 'Traveled Way Further Than I Have'

Ryan Tedder has performed all over the world with his band OneRepublic. Still, the frontman believes their runaway hit, "Counting Stars," has seen even more miles.

"It's kind of what you hope to have — if you have one of them in your lifetime, you're lucky," he told PEOPLE of the track, which turned 10 this year, at the official opening of UMusic Hotel Madrid. "It's traveled much further — and I've traveled a lot — but it's traveled way further than I have to so many countries and so many places, weddings, playlists, dances, birthdays, you name it."

Tedder, 44, recently teamed up with Samsung and utilized the brand's Galaxy Buds2 Pro to create a new version of the hit. "I redid the whole song and reproduced it from the ground up," he says. "It's a completely different-sounding record and represents 2023."

Closing out a night of music at the five-star hotel (located next to Puerta del Sol), Tedder performed a career-spanning set — including "Counting Stars," of course — at the historic UMusic Hotel Teatro Albéniz. The A-list producer also performed hit songs he's written throughout his years in the industry, including Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love" and Beyoncé's "Halo."

"Any time you can play a venue that's designed for music as opposed to arenas is special because so many of the venues we play now were never intended for music — and historic theaters, especially, are the best-sounding," says Tedder of Teatro Albéniz, which first opened in the 1940s.

After extensive renovation, the theater reopened adjacent to UMusic Hotel — a collection of hotels inspired by music and local culture — and will be home to shows including The Phantom of the Opera.

The property features 130 rooms, the El Albéniz Restaurant (serving classic Spanish dishes and local wines) and a rooftop bar with panoramic views of Madrid.

Over the years Spain has been a special place for Tedder, who first visited the capital when he was around 19.

"A few birthdays ago, I spent a whole month in Spain for my birthday, and the first international show OneRepublic ever played was probably Barcelona. There's nothing not to love — the vibe and energy is so special, and the food is phenomenal," he says, noting Botín (the oldest restaurant in the world) as one of his favorite stops. "It's unlike any other city."