Different Artists Songwriting Process
Olivia Rodrigo's songwriting process
Taylor Swift’s songwriting process
Lizzie McAlpine's songwriting process
Adele’s songwriting process
Olivia Rodrigo on ‘Deja Vu & Her Top Songwriting Tips | MTV News
Sour Disney Plus documentary
https://www.disneyplus.com/video/2988a940-3e5a-447f-a343-754d22a239b1
- Listen to music like a songwriter ---- Important SKILL
draw inspiration from people you look up to
Write a song like they are writing a song
“It broadens your horizon and makes your songs just that much better” - Olivia Rodrigo
Starting the song as poetry (Lorde)
Phoebe bridgers - brutally honest in her songs
- Finished is better than perfect.
You can learn to develop and make it better. Go through the creative process
May get a bolt of inspiration
- Showing up for your creativity
Not just waiting for that lightning bolt idea
Sometimes you have to work and create even when you don't feel inspired
Continuously show up show universe you are capable of bringing the idea to life and manifesting it
“You could be super talented but if you don't show up them what the point”
- Write songs for yourself
Because you love it and like to do it
Loses magic when you try writing it for someone else and not for yourself
Be true to yourself and try to stay out of your head
Do it because you love it not because of other people.
“Honesty is always relatable”
- Read poetry
Informs lyricism
Start the song with the lyrical concept
Narrative songwriter
Has to be a play on words, a concept of a poem that I like.
The hook of Deja Vu is “when she's with you do you get Deja Vu?” and it's a concept that Olivia is obsessed with and her friends and she went through.
Taylor Swift Breaks Down her Creative Process | Miss Americana | Netflix
Urge to connect
Urge to say this is how I feel sometimes and have fans say I feel that way sometimes too
If you are open enough, you can connect with people
- openness is important
In your feelings - feel a part of what you are making
Write down any ideas in notes
Capitalise on excitement and see it all the way through. Finish the song.
Taylor Swift Tells Us How She Wrote ’Lover’ | Diary of a Song
You get an idea - for a lover, it was “can I go where you go? Can we always be this close forever and ever”
Taylor Swift liked the word Lover but never used it but loved it in the context of poetry and songwriting.
Revert back to what you know about the structure of a song and fill in the gaps
Starts with a piano to get chords and writes the whole song.
She works with people in the process - producer and sound engineer
- SHARE THE PROCESS WITH PEOPLE FEEDBACK IS KEY
Instruments
Bass and drums fill the space (snare drums are really important and brush drums)
It's not about fancy unrealistic crazy things. It can even be about mundane things
Tells a story
Importance of a bridge (“I love a bridge and taking the song to a higher level with the bridge” - Taylor Swift)
Take a common phase and twist it
“Ladies and gentlemen would you please stand”
- common phrases from weddings
- Add something to change the phrase and make it different.
“I take this man to be my husband” changed to “I take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover”
Music production side - something to take you from the bridge back into the chorus and work on flow and imagery
Lizzy McAlpine Says ‘five seconds flat’ Sounds More Mature, DM’d FINNEAS For Collab
The importance of being honest and “Bearing your soul” - Lizzie McApline
The big importance of the audience having the opportunity to relate to the songs
If you post on TikTok is always the things you don't expect people to really like that do well
You can change you don’t always have to have the same genre and style, evolving and changing as an artist is important
Reflect on situations and use your perspective to write the song
Put it all in there and don't try to restrain yourself.
“If I feel a feeling I let it out I can’t hold it in” - Lizzie McAlpine
Writing over a long period of time. No rush to finish.
Adele On Writing Songs For Her New Album, “30” and Adele - Adeles 21: The Inspiration - Part 1
Can take a long time to write there is no rush in the creative process for Adele
Taking risks and not just staying in your comfort zone even if the note seems too high
Being vulnerable and honest
Drawn on personal experience
Instruments to support the theme and message
Songs can help and change people's lives (and save people's lives)
“Music is my therapy” - Adele
Running away and writing a song and getting it out of your system when the emotions or all-consuming.
It's therapeutic for herself and others
Songwriting is a way to take back the narrative and tell her own story
Write all your feelings down
KEY POINTS FROM ALL ARTISTS
Draw inspiration from other artists to find personal genres and styles
Being honest and open makes the best songs and allows for the opportunity for people to relate.
Work on finishing the song and then editing and perfecting it.
Adeles work is based on personal experiences and her way of therapy and expressing her emotions. She likes to take the calm approach to writing and believes that the writing process should not be rushed
Olivia Rodrigo's process was inspired by artists she looks up to including Taylor Swift. She believes in the importance of personal stories and being vulnerable. She also believes that it is important to finish songs because new ideas may spark and you can always work on it later but never finishing can be a waste of a good idea.
Taylor Swift writes personal songs but also focuses on lyricism. All her songs paint pictures for the listeners however through the honesty and vulnerability the listeners can relate. She writes every idea she has down and if an idea sparks (usually a phrase) she will go to the piano and record it, usually finishing the whole song.
Lizzie McAlpine focuses on telling her own stories that make her vulnerable and share a piece of herself with her listeners. It's extremely important because it builds the connection and makes the song more personal, emotion and hence better.