Tag: song guide

Hit Songwriting: “Carried Me With You” by Brandi Carlile

If you could ask a question of any successful hit songwriter, what would you want to know? You’d probably ask how they do it. In fact, you can ask that question and get an answer… just by taking an in-depth look at their hits.

WHY THIS SONG?

Brandi Carlile is not only a Grammy Award winning songwriter and performer, she has also written and performed songs featured in a wide range of motion pictures—from Barbie: the Movie to Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants—and hit television shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Ted Lasso. (Visit Tunefind.com for a long list.) “Carried Me With You” was written for the Pixar film Onward and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media.

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Hit Song Guide: “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus

WHY THIS SONG?

Not only is this song a huge worldwide hit but it’s also a great example of solid song craft that combines a well-written lyric with a catchy melody and cool dance club groove.

But wait, there’s more! This track features a smooth blend of successful old and new music styles. If you crave that ’70s vibe, you’ll love the Disco-happiness of this tune with its Funk bass and soaring strings mixed with today’s tight, punchy drum loops.

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Song Guide: “Something In the Orange” by Zach Bryan

There are two versions of this song, both released by the artist. This Song Guide refers to “Something in the Orange,” not “Something in the Orange – Z & E’s version.” There are differences in production and vocal performance.

WHY THIS SONG?

“SOMETHING IN THE ORANGE” by Zach Bryan reached the top of the Hot Country music chart in 2022 and is currently nominated for a Grammy for Best Country Solo Performance.

When it was released, it raced up the charts like a Rock star single even though the artist had never had a major label release before and the song was wildly different from anything else in the current mainstream Country genre.

How did that happen? Well, it’s a beautiful, emotionally moving ballad, but that alone wouldn’t put it on top of the Contemporary Country charts. Instead, I suspect it had something to do with this artist having eight song placements and a cameo appearance on the hit TV series Yellowstone, the most watched TV show of 2022. Although this particular song was not used in that series, it was featured in two others (Fire Country and Big Sky). Audiences were primed for more from this artist.

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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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