Old Dominion has the key to a hit song with their new single, “Hotel Key.”
Matt Ramsey, Trevor Rosen and Josh Osborne are multi-hit songwriters, and it shows on “Hotel Key.” They use several techniques that help the song stand out- and stand a chance of getting cut. In short, they made this song “Cut/able.” Here are a few of those techniques.
WIN BEFORE YOU SPIN.
This song starts winning before the it’s even spinning. “Hotel Key” is a fresh title that hasn’t been done to death. It’s an image, so it puts a picture in the listener’s head immediately. And, for me at least, it opens a loop. It’s a title that almost asks the question, “what happened in the hotel room?” And that makes me curious. Already, I’m getting invested in the song before I even hear it.
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SAVE THE WORDS, SAVE THE HOOK.
Notice how the songwriters never say the words “hotel” or “key” until the hook. But they still let us know it’s in a hotel right from the first verse. Terms like “do not disturb” and “checkout was supposed to be at noon” let the listener know that this takes place in a hotel.
Two things are important here. 1) They let us know it takes place in a hotel so we aren’t confused when the chorus starts with “she kept the hotel key.” 2) They didn’t steal the thunder from the hook by using “hotel” or “key” until the hook. This kept those words fresh so they had more impact at the top of the chorus.
PAINT THE PICTURE.
They use some great imagery in this song. They give us so much to “see,” from her slipping the hotel key into her purse, to her sitting “indian style” on the bed – not JUST sitting on the bed – sitting INDIAN STYLE on the bed. So much more clear and unique.
We also see him pulling up a song on his phone and them dancing by the TV- which was never turned on, by the way. This image of the TV always-off reminds us of how small hotel rooms are and how there’s not many places to dance. It also reinforces how they were too wrapped up in each other to chill and watch TV.
DOUBLE THE MEANING, DOUBLE THE IMPACT.
The chorus has a great line right before the hook: “we both know we can’t open the door no more.” Not only does it lead right into the thought of the hotel key, it lets us know that this was a one-time fling. But this isn’t a line just thrown in as a cool line. No, that thought is supported by lines in each of the verses such as “neither of us looking for three little words” (they aren’t looking for love) and “this isn’t one of those stories that ends up that way” (they aren’t running away together).
This line also has a literal meaning- hotel keys stop working after you check out. They physically can’t open that door anymore. But it also means they know it was a one-time fling. The singer and the girl can’t “open the door” to that relationship/romance again. They doubled the meaning and doubled the impact of that line.
2ND VERSE, NOT THE SAME AS THE 1ST.
While the first verse was setting up the intoxicated, buzzy, fuzzy state they were in when they hit the hotel, verse two moves the story and the imagery forward. It gives us a view into the room with her half drunk smile, talking about Austin, etc.
The first verse was mostly outside the hotel room. The second verse was all inside the hotel room. They didn’t just give the listener more of the first verse- they moved the story to a different place and let us know the characters a little more.
BRIDGE TO THE LAST CHORUS.
They did something different in the bridge which really helped shine a spotlight on that last chorus. They focus on what all they left or she left. They left the lights and the crowd and the world. She left a picture in his head and a night he can’t forget. BUT… she TOOK the hotel key.
Nowhere else in the song do they contrast “left” and “took.” So it’s a new thing in the bridge, giving it more of a reason to be there. This bridge shines a little different light on that hook line, and it lets the listener hit the chorus in a little different way than before. This gives us something new while we head into the now-familiar chorus.
GROOVE GROOVE GROOVE.
Last, but certainly not least, the song just plain grooves. It feels great. Even though the song is maybe a little bittersweet, the singer is too busy remembering it with a grin on his face to feel sad. They had a great time, and the song FEELS like a great time.
Knowing pro techniques like this can make a big difference in YOUR songwriting. Applying them will help you write market-smart songs: songs that have a competitive advantage in the market.
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God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,
Brent
Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US, a #1 in Canada, and a top 10 in Texas. His songs appear on 5 industry-certified gold & platinum albums & singles… so far. He also hosts a top-rated songwriting and music business podcast called, “The C.L.I.M.B.” which can be found on iTunes or your favorite podcast app.
