Hi! Welcome back to my blog. Over the past week or so, I have developed an intense fascination for songwriting. As someone who filters through many thoughts a day, I often feel irritated by my busy mind. I would never trade my thoughtful and introspective moments. But I would rather not spend more time ruminating on the past or analyzing conversations. It’s a blessing and a curse.
It has recently occurred to me that many songs capture the very feelings I try to escape. Maybe I shouldn’t try to escape them after all. Not only are these feelings the foundation of someone’s livelihood, but they are the origin of someone’s success and praise. Not to mention, these songs do a great job making other people feel less alone. Adele wrote an entire album, with hits like Someone Like You, at the age of 21. A few days ago, I was dumbfounded by this fact, having pictured her as a grown woman when I first heard her album. She names each of her albums after a year of her life, resembling a time capsule of her feelings and experiences at that age. I find that so cool.
One issue: I don’t know the first thing about songwriting. According to Conan Gray, anyone can write a song. His songs start with a jingle that he casually sings in the shower or while making breakfast. That simple little jingle, which gets recorded into his phone, is the spark. Soon after, the lyrics and instrumental are fleshed out. Over time, he makes tweaks to the lyrics until it’s ready to be produced. Similarly, Taylor Swift’s songs start with an idea that randomly pops into her mind in the day. She immediately records herself singing while playing the piano along to her new concept. Before long, she’s bouncing off ideas in the studio and producing a fully fledged song. The process sounds almost magical.
Maybe transforming my many thoughts and emotions into a relatable tune will be a fun and therapeutic project. I promise to update you if my songwriting career ever takes off.
