how famous singers keep making hit songs?
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So, there’s a formula for what keys sell well. That plays into things a bit. What tones most people associate with being happy. And the strong majority of pop songs are right around 130 bpm. Write it in major chords, and you’re all set musically.
Lyrically, it doesn’t need to rhyme. Doesn’t even need to be deep. Hell, doesn’t even need to connect to any experience that people are familiar with. Just needs to fit into the rhythm, and sorta harmonize. I think Billie Eilish’s You Should See Me In A Crown is a great example. “Wearing a warning sign, Wait ’til the world is mine, Visions I vandalize, Cold in my kingdom size, Fell for these ocean eyes”… None of that is tangentially related. 5 consecutive lines that are only related in tone of speech. They’re vague enough that they might, maybe be related… Or could be 5 lines someone thought sounded clever at unrelated points. But they fit the rhythm and harmony. Or Arianna’s “add that click click click in post”… The fuck was that shit? It didn’t line up with the clicks, which were apparently added in post production… But it fit the spot, and so it doesn’t have to make sense.
Add to that, ghostwriters. Just some no name artist that writes music to sell to artists. The recording artists can pick and choose which songs fit them, and they feel will be a hit, saving them the time, stress, and effort. And yes, a lot of artists do write all of their own stuff. But of those, there’s only a handful that have gone platinum more than twice.
Add to that, marketing. Which, a big part of that is sex appeal. Pretty people sell easy. So record companies are going to direct the top notch ghostwriten songs towards their prettier artists. Which ensures that some artists appear to keep up with trends, and keep their music fresh… And others kinda don’t.
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