Hit Songwriting: “Cold” by Chris Stapleton

Why this song? 

“Cold” is a powerhouse Alt Country song that adds to Chris Stapleton’s solid reputation as one of Country’s great songwriters.

Although Chris Stapleton has had Mainstream Country hits, his songs don’t fit easily into the Contemporary Country style. The big hits he’s written or co-written for other artists—including “Drink a Beer” for Luke Bryan and “Never Wanted Nothing More” for Kenny Chesney—tend to fall into a neo-traditional Country style that harks back to the acoustic, folk roots of Country music. When Chris Stapleton finally recorded his own songs as an artist, he scored big with “Broken Halos,” a song with a lot of that folksy, roots appeal.

Song Guide: “Outnumbered” by Dermot Kennedy

Why this song?

Dermot Kennedy has written a great album. Hands down. No argument. That’s what it is. His debut album Without Fear was released in 2019 and has been hanging out on the Triple A music chart ever since.

There have been Film & TV placements, tours, and accolades for Kennedy’s unique blend of musical styles. He mixes a passionate Pop vocal sound with insightful Singer-Songwriter lyrics and Hip-Hop rhythms. So let’s take a look at a song from the album that shows off all three: “Outnumbered.”

Hit Songwriting: Using Trigger Words

Every songwriter’s dream: A total stranger stumbles across your song on YouTube, falls in love with it in the first 30 seconds, and immediately dashes over to iTunes and actually buys it. Then, your new fan sets aside an evening, turns off the phone so they won’t be disturbed, puts on headphones and curls up in a comfy chair to ponder every syllable, every note, and every nuance of the brilliant masterpiece you slaved over. 

We wish. The unfortunate truth…

You manage to get your song in front of listeners any way you can. Maybe you covered a hit song in a unique way. A listener who is a fan of that song stumbled across your version on YouTube and decided to check out your other stuff. While they’re doing that, they’re half-watching a TV show, snacking on pizza while surrounded by kids, roommates, or siblings, and getting a half-dozen texts from friends. Although they may hear your song, they’re not thinking about what they hear. 

That’s the harsh reality, but just remember every other song gets pretty much the same treatment. And once you know that, there is something you can do: Use trigger words.

What Is the Singer-Songwriter Genre?

You can draw a straight line from Joni Mitchell’s Blue album, the intimate vocals of Tim Hardin, and the floating melodies of Nick Drake to the compelling sound of today’s Singer-Songwriter genre.

Indeed, the Singer-Songwriter genre has been around for decades, yet no one seems able to describe exactly what it is. We might agree that Dermot Kennedy, Sheryl Crow, Novo Amor, and Ingrid Michaelson are all singer-songwriters, but they all sound very different. What does the Singer-Songwriter genre sound like? And how do you know if you’re in it? Why is that important?

Song Guide: “Leave the Door Open” by Silk Sonic

This Song Guide is dedicated to all you guys and gals who lived, loved, and danced to the great R&B/Soul hits of the ’60s and ’70s. If you remember Rose Royce, The O’Jays, The Delfonics, and Teddy Pendergrass… you’re gonna love this song.

“Leave the Door Open” has an authentic vintage Soul sound that makes me wanna teeter around the dance floor on platform shoes so tall they give me a nose bleed. At the same time, it has the luscious lyric imagery, cascading rhymes, and rhythmical melody twists that my 2020-era self finds totally satisfying.

It’s a perfect example of a successful blend of styles—old and new—in a mash-up that drove this song to platinum sales and the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2021.