Songwriting posts
9 posts tagged songwriting.
What "specificity" actually means in a lyric
The word every AI evaluator over-uses and under-defines. A working writer's version: specificity is not detail. It is the detail only this narrator, in this song, could have given you.
Read moreThe State of AI Lyrics, 2026
A data essay using the Lyric Scoring Standard as the frame. Where AI lyric output actually lands on the distribution, the six cliché clusters that still dominate, and what 90+ really takes.
Read moreWho Is Singing This? The Voice Gap in AI Lyrics
AI can imitate genres. It cannot reliably sound like one specific person. A deep dive on the Voice & POV metric — the sneakiest craft failure in AI lyrics, and how to prompt for a narrator who actually exists.
Read moreThe Line That Almost Killed the Song (And What Editing Really Means)
The best line in the song was almost the worst line in the song. Here is how the rewrite process turns near-misses into transcendent moments.
Read moreThe Bridge Problem: Why the Third Section Kills Most Songs
Verses land. Chorus sticks. Then the bridge arrives and the whole song stalls. Here is what goes wrong and how to fix it.
Read moreWriting for Someone Else's Voice: How Vocal Gender Changes the Lyric
Choosing male, female, or duet is not just a production decision. It changes which words feel true, which images land, and where the emotional weight falls.
Read moreThe Grocery Store Test: How One Line Proves a Lyric Works
Why "I caught your sleeve between the aisles" beats "I saw you at the store" — and what that teaches about writing lyrics that stick.
Read moreThe Chorus You Hum Without Trying: What Makes a Hook Stick
Memorability is not about repetition. It is about rhythm, surprise, and the gap between what a listener expects and what they get.
Read moreWhy AI Lyrics Need More Than One Pass
A chatbot gives you one draft and calls it done. Here is why the rewrite-and-score process produces stronger songs.
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