Song Guide: “Bones” – Galantis & OneRepublic

Galantis

WHY THIS SONG

The song “Bones” by Galantis and OneRepublic has been successful in three different music markets: a Dance Club hit, a Pop/Dance Radio hit, and Film & TV placements. Like many Dance genre songs, this one is the product of several talents including Swedish production duo Galantis and Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic.

In fact, there are nine songwriters credited with writing this song. You’ll see crowds of songwriters like these on many Pop and Dance hits, and even some Country songs. These songs are the result of a songwriting process called toplining.

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Your Songs In TV Commercials

I know TV commercials can be a major pain. But if you’re a songwriter, don’t hit that mute button just yet. Instead, take a little time to listen to the kinds of songs that are being used in today’s TV ads. There are opportunities there that you don’t want to miss.

Don’t have time to watch TV? For a quick and easy way to see TV ads with songs without actually watching any TV, visit websites like iSpot.tv and TVadvertMusic.com.

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Are Country Hits Today’s Soft Rock?

SONG GUIDE: “Trouble With A Heartbreak” – Jason Aldean
SONG GUIDE: “Slow Down Summer” – Thomas Rhett

If you were a fan of Fleetwood Mac, Hall & Oates, Journey, or Richard Marx, then today’s Country hits are right up your alley. Like the Soft Rock hits of the ’70s through the ’90s, the Contemporary Country genre features memorable melodies with great hooks, well-crafted lyrics, and body-swaying, mid-tempo grooves.

“Trouble With A Heartbreak” by Jason Aldean and “Slow Down Summer” by Thomas Rhett reached #1 and #2 on the Country charts and I can’t help drawing a few comparisons to the big, melodic hits of the 1970s.

So let’s take a deeper look and see what gives these songs their huge appeal. Along the way, maybe we’ll be able to answer the question: Do they really share DNA with the soft rockers of past decades?

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Song Guide: “Halo” – Beyoncé

Why this song?

“Halo” recorded by Beyoncé is a huge Pop hit that has lasted the test of time and continues to pile up listens at Spotify—over a billion at the time I write this. It’s a great example of a big power ballad with a simple, repeating four-chord progression, a killer melody, and an uplifting lyric.

A lot of songwriters I know love to write songs and lyrics in this style, so let’s see what we can learn from success!

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Song Guide: “Ghost” – Justin Bieber

WHY THIS SONG

Justin Bieber’s “Ghost” is a Pop hit with a strong, emotionally moving singer-songwriter vibe. It’s the sixth single off Bieber’s album “Justice,” and it’s charting in the top 10 globally.

An artist can no longer release a ten-song album with one, maybe two strong songs. “Justice” has 16 songs and, so far, six of them have been hits. Established artists need songs that sound like potential hits and if you’re an artist who wants to work at this level, you need them, too. So, let’s take a look at what makes this one so appealing.

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