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Discussion: Is "Writing" Your Own Songs Tragically Overrated?
Member Since: 4/3/2014
Posts: 19,477
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Yes it is.
No one in the GP cares who wrote a song. Very often they just assume that all singers write their own songs (case in point, Howard Stern and all his viewers thinking Rihanna wrote Diamonds until Sia's record label organised to have her on the show and she informed them she wrote it). 20-30 years from now, if a song is iconic enough to stand the test of time, people are just going to automatically assume they wrote it entirely by themselves. People aren't going to go out of their way to look up if an artist wrote it. If it's a good song, it's a good song. What are the odds the best songwriters in this world are going to be beautiful girls in their mid-20s with amazing voices, hot bodies and great dancing abilities? It's pretty rare. And why should we deny a Swedish man in his early 40s or a 38 year old woman from Adelaide, Australia the right to be songwriters just because they're not hot, marketable girls in their mid-20s who can sing, dance and make "hottest 100" lists? We shouldn't. Their talents deserve success too. Their amazing songs deserve to be heard. They deserve to make millions from their amazing songwriting.
And what's the point about bragging about songwriting credentials if it's a bad song? No one cares about that except people on ATRL.
Literally the only people who check for songwriting credentials are people in the industry and pop-culture enthusiasts like the people on this site. It could not be more overrated.
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Member Since: 6/25/2012
Posts: 41,860
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Quote:
Originally posted by Rihinvention
Yes it is.
No one in the GP cares who wrote a song. Very often they just assume that all singers write their own songs (case in point, Howard Stern and all his viewers thinking Rihanna wrote Diamonds until Sia's record label organised to have her on the show and she informed them she wrote it). 20-30 years from now, if a song is iconic enough to stand the test of time, people are just going to automatically assume they wrote it entirely by themselves. People aren't going to go out of their way to look up if an artist wrote it. If it's a good song, it's a good song. What are the odds the best songwriters in this world are going to be beautiful girls in their mid-20s with amazing voices, hot bodies and great dancing abilities? It's pretty rare. And why should we deny a Swedish man in his early 40s or a 38 year old woman from Adelaide, Australia the right to be songwriters just because they're not hot, marketable girls in their mid-20s who can sing, dance and make "hottest 100" lists? We shouldn't. Their talents deserve success too. Their amazing songs deserve to be heard. They deserve to make millions from their amazing songwriting.
And what's the point about bragging about songwriting credentials if it's a bad song? No one cares about that except people on ATRL.
Literally the only people who check for songwriting credentials are people in the industry and pop-culture enthusiasts like the people on this site. It could not be more overrated.
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You are so wrong
you know how many times ive seen on a Kesha video
"this bitch is so fake she cant sing without autotune and doesn't even write her own songs"
or something to that effect
The GP (read 'real music' fans) does not respect artists whose art isn't theirs
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Member Since: 3/16/2012
Posts: 13,657
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Nah! Singer-songwriters may write a few bad lyrics sometimes, but when they strike gold damn it feels good. It's like a peek into what's going on in their minds.
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Member Since: 3/2/2014
Posts: 1,180
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Quote:
Originally posted by Dollas n Diamonds
You are so wrong
you know how many times ive seen on a Kesha video
"this bitch is so fake she cant sing without autotune and doesn't even write her own songs"
or something to that effect
The GP (read 'real music' fans) does not respect artists whose art isn't theirs
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LMAO, You are reaching to the stars, definetely trying harder that you can.
Ask your cousin, your boss, nobody in the GP cares who wrote the song. People in general care only for the final product, not for producers or writers, only us internet freaks care about these things.
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Member Since: 6/25/2012
Posts: 41,860
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Quote:
Originally posted by Kurama
LMAO, You are reaching to the stars, definetely trying harder that you can.
Ask your cousin, your boss, nobody in the GP cares who wrote the song. People in general care only for the final product, not for producers or writers, only us internet freaks care about these things.
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 @ you acting like people that use the internet are a minority
obviously people don't look up writing credits or else Kesha wouldnt have the bad rep she does
its all about assumption
my point still stands 
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Member Since: 4/3/2014
Posts: 6,577
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Some people can write songs, some others cannot. It doesn't mean that the 2nd are worse than the people who can. It's just the talent you have on songwriting...
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Member Since: 9/1/2013
Posts: 1,507
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No, this question sounds defensive. It's a talent as much as singing and dancing.
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Member Since: 8/1/2012
Posts: 3,817
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Stop trying to justify in your own head ur faves faults.
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Member Since: 8/18/2013
Posts: 1,730
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I mean good music is good music, so that's #1. But I would never stan for someone who didn't write their songs. It just makes it impossible to fully relate to them imo. But the GP and most people don't really care too much idt
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Member Since: 3/2/2014
Posts: 1,519
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Absolutely not, telling your own stories gives authenticity and adds more value to an artist. Obviously, there will always be cringeworthy lyrics here and there (specially when its pop/dance/edm hits) but I still value an artist writing songs to deliver a certain message
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Member Since: 3/19/2011
Posts: 4,903
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Yes and no, for reasons already mentioned on the first page
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Member Since: 6/2/2012
Posts: 37,284
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No, it's very underrated.
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Member Since: 6/2/2012
Posts: 37,284
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Quote:
Originally posted by Dani97
but you get credit for writing great songs, as those artists you named and they did it by themselves.
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Member Since: 2/2/2014
Posts: 20,242
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Yes, it's overrated for Rihanna's fans 
Overall? No. Songwriting is important. Even if the lyrics are stupid, you know that the artist sings what she wants to sing. 
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Member Since: 4/3/2014
Posts: 19,477
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Quote:
Originally posted by Dollas n Diamonds
You are so wrong
you know how many times ive seen on a Kesha video
"this bitch is so fake she cant sing without autotune and doesn't even write her own songs"
or something to that effect
The GP (read 'real music' fans) does not respect artists whose art isn't theirs
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I do. I recognise that Kesha is a phenomenal pop songwriter because I'm a pop culture enthusiast who knows this. Kesha's tarnished brand image is because she was marketed as being a trashy party girl who bathes in beer, and when she gets out of the beer bath, rather than using a towel, she rolls around in glitter, puts on her clothes and leaves the house with a bottle of Jack Daniels that she swigs out of, even if it's early morning.
That's a very specific example. She's going to have to do damage control to shed this image in her next era. However for other artists like Rihanna, Beyonce and Katy, the GP just assume they write their songs by themselves with their producers, and with no cowriters. There's other examples where the GP seem to know the artist isn't writing the material, like Britney, but if you have a strong brand image in the eyes of the GP, they'll just assume you wrote it anyway.
Most people don't know that Kesha is first and foremost a songwriter, who accidentally became a pop star because her demo vocals on Right Round were so good that Flo Rida decided to keep her on it. Furthermore, they think her voice is autotuned because they don't know that's just how she sounds and she can genuinely sing that well. Plus the fact that she sings dance-pop doesn't help with that.
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 56,234
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I agree that the GP don't care to look who has writing credits / production credits on songs, that's definitely something that stans are more fanatical about, but when it comes to writing, not so much producing, there is certainly a level of expectation that the artists write their own songs. It's disappointing to find out that an artist didn't write a particular hit, as it's natural and normal to assume that the singer wrote that song, and as has been said, nobody thinks about the others who wrote / produced it, the focus is on the main artist. It's kind of a double edged sword... the GP doesn't really care to think of the others involved, but because of that they sometimes assume that the singer has more of an involvement than they really do, and knowing that they did or didn't write a song can chance the views and level of respect someone has for an artist.
Quote:
Originally posted by Rihinvention
Most people don't know that Kesha is first and foremost a songwriter, who accidentally became a pop star because her demo vocals on Right Round were so good that Flo Rida decided to keep her on it. Furthermore, they think her voice is autotuned because they don't know that's just how she sounds and she can genuinely sing that well. Plus the fact that she sings dance-pop doesn't help with that.
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I don't believe that's quite right. Luke signed Kesha back in 2005 back when he was making pop-rock music with the likes of Kelly Clarkson, P!nk and Avril Lavigne, a sound that Kesha most likely wanted to be a part of. However, Luke ignored Kesha for YEARS, and she tried to get out of her deal with him by working with other producers and attempting to sign with other publishing companies and such but in the end it fell through due to her pre-existing contract with Luke and she gave up and went back to him (who continued to ignore her). Then, she accidentally walked into the studio session where Flo was recording Right Round at the time and since Flo wanted a female vocal on the track they decided to see how she would go with it and they liked it enough to use it, or something like that. I don't think Kesha was even paid or initially credited on the track at all.
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Member Since: 12/1/2010
Posts: 23,572
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No, writing your own songs is not even slightly overrated. Writing your own material doesn't make you talented. I could pick up a paint brush and start painting, does that automatically make me a talented painter? No, like all abilities you have to work on your craft and learn to write lyrics that convey enough imagery + emotion to connect with listeners. Still, if someone puts together a song on their own, even if the results are lackluster, at least it was by their own hands.
The quality of the written song is always subjective, no matter who wrote it, but at least someone who took the time to write their song is actually offering something to their own work. Signed recording acts who just show up, sing, and maybe dictate which parts they like/don't like aren't musicians. All the hard work has been done, and you're there to do what, exactly? Not write a song, not produce the song, not master the song, not mix the song...nothing! It's only the worst when you can't sing, dance, or put a show a decent show.
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Member Since: 9/4/2008
Posts: 11,720
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No.
It's what makes artists real and honest. Otherwise, you're only stanning for a project.
I could never do that, but I know most of ATRL can.
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ATRL Administrator
Member Since: 6/29/2002
Posts: 77,601
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I think co-writing is overrated. Anyone can write lyrics. But if you write the music as well then that's impressive and not overrated.
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 10,918
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No.
Songwriting is hard because it makes you more vulnerable to criticism because you're the one to blame if a song gets bashed/flops. You're also letting people into your mind with them being able to judge you.
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