Five Myths in Hit Songwriting

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Write kampung ballads because it sells.

This strategy worked in the 80s but not since 1995. If you look at what contributes to a songwriter's income, you will see that it comes from more urban sources including TV airplay, public performances, and music licensing. Even the kampung folks are musically more sophisticated now. Besides, there are still kampung ballads still unheard from the 90s. Listen to those instead of writing new ones.

A good song is a good song.

Yes, a good song is a good song. But so what? We need more hits than we need more good songs. The market is flooded with good songs. Not many are great. Few are hits. What's missing is the impact of a hit song.

Write simple melodies.

Yes, write simple melodies. Many aim for simple but it comes out simplistic. In other words, they are throw-away melodies that can be replaced by dozen other similar melodies. Simplistic almost insults listeners. Simple, on the other hand, is actually more difficult to write. It's a craft. A simple melody is actually a sophisticated melody in disguise.

Follow trends.

Following trends gives you a lot of competition because you will not the only one doing it. What you should follow is the colour and sound. In other words, will your song stand up to what you hear on radio? Or does it sound dated? When I get asked to write a song like a Lady Gaga song, my question is not "What is Lady Gaga doing now?" but instead, "What will Lady Gaga do next?". Whatever the outcome, it will at least be different yet the same.

Music is universal.

This is true in general but melodies are not universal. There is such thing as a "Malay melody" or a "Chinese melody" or an "English melody". Each melody has it's own cultural soul. It may be universally nice but it may lack the soul or emotion to connect with a particular market. Jacking a song written by an American and replacing its English lyrics with Malay lyrics rarely works. It's like translating Chris Rock jokes into Malay. It will be funny for the wrong reasons.

source: Replay Music