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Artist Insights, C4X, Cut/able Songwriting

Artist Insight Report: Blake Shelton “If I’m Honest”

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If you want your songs to get recorded by major artists, you need to understand those artists.

Understanding what an artist has recorded before can help you predict what he or she might record in the future. So, today, I decided to dive into Blake Shelton’s album, “If I’m Honest.” Here’s what I found, track-by-track.  (Note: “PUL’D” is a reference from my workbook “Cut/able: Lessons in Market-Smart Songwriting.” It means “Positive-Uptempo-Love/Depth.”  “Neighborhood” and POV (“Point Of View”) are also explained in “Cut/able.”  Check out the workbook HERE.)

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Artist: Blake Shelton

Album: If I’m Honest

Producer: Scott Hendricks

Label: Warner Bros. Nashville

“Straight Outta Cold Beer”

Writers: Marv Green, Ben Hayslip, Justin Wilson

POV: Me-to-the-world

Timeframe: In-the-moment

PUL’D: Positive, Midtempo

Neighborhood: Bro, redneck, blue-collar

Subject: Country life pep rally

Notes: Rap-like lyrics, lots of imagery, “We’re country and that’s awesome” theme.  Play off “Straight Outta Compton,” fun, clever.  Drinking, Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Solo-Chorus

“She’s Got A Way With Words”

Writers: Andy Albert, Marc Beeson, Wyatt Earp

POV: Me/Her

Timeframe: In-The-Moment (with some looking back)

PUL’D: Negative (but humorous), Midtempo, Love (lost love)

Neighborhood: Country boy.  Lyrically pushes the envelope. Sarcastic.

Subject: Lost Love

Notes: SINGLE, Breakup, fun/funny, clever lyric, quirky, not much imagery, not a very “big” melody.  Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Chorus

“Bet You Still Think About Me”

Writers: Park Chisolm, Mark Irwin

POV: Me/You

Timeframe: In-The-Moment

PUL’D: Want-you-back, hopeful, mid-ballad, big chorus, love/lost love

Neighborhood: Country

Subject: Love love

Notes: Melodic, hook in the pre-chorus, not a lot of imagery.  Tells the listener (the girl) that she’s still wanted. Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Chorus.

“Every Time I Hear That Song”

Writers: Chris Lindsey, Aimee Mayo, Brad Warren, Brett Warren

POV: Me/You

Timeframe: In-The-Moment, looking back

PUL’D: Sad, Mid-power ballad, Love/lost love

Neighborhood: Country

Subject: Lost love, music

Notes: Big melody, falsetto.  Tells the girl (listener) that she’s still wanted.  Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Bridge-Solo-Bridge

“Came Here To Forget”

Writers: Deric Ruttan, Craig Wiseman

POV: Me/You

Timeframe: In-The-Moment

PUL’D: Sad but hopeful, Mid-tempo, Love / lost love

Neighborhood: Country, Pop-country

Subject: Lost love and hooking up with someone new.  Drinking.

Notes: SINGLE.  Mid-groove.  Kinda dark.  Lots of imagery.  Weed reference. Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus

“Every Goodbye”

Writers: Busbee, Ryan Hurd, Liz Rose

POV: Me/You

Timeframe: In-The-Moment

PUL’D: Positive, Midtempo, Love/Lost Love

Neighborhood: Blue collar country boy

Subject: I lost her.  You lost him.  Let’s hook up.

Notes: Bouncy feel-good groove, drinking, not a ton of imagery.  Getting over a heartache, but not a sad feel.  Feels very positive.  Verse-Lift-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Lift-Chorus

“It Ain’t Easy”

Writers: Rhett Akins, Mat Dragstrem, Ben Hayslip

POV: Me/You

Timeframe: In-The-Moment

PUL’D: Positive, mid-groove, love

Neighborhood: Soulful country.

Subject: It ain’t easy for him to leave her place ‘cuz he’s so in love.

Notes: Telling the girl what she wants to hear.  Horns.  Hook-Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Bridge-Chorus

“A Guy With A Girl”

Writers: Ashley Gorley, Bryan Simpson

POV: Me/You

Timeframe: In-The-Moment

PUL’D: Positive, Uptempo, Love

Neighborhood: Country boy.  Blue collar, kinda redneck.

Subject: When I’m with you, nobody’s paying any attention to me- cuz you’re so beautiful.

Notes: SINGLE. Telling the girl what she wants to hear.  Praising her.  Feels good.  Good imagery.  Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Bridge-Chorus.

“Go Ahead And Break My Heart”

Writers: Blake Shelton, Gwen Stephani

POV: Me/You (duet)

Timeframe: In-The-Moment

PUL’D: Negative (but feels good), uptempo, love/lost love

Neighborhood: Pop country

Subject: We hooked up getting over other people, but it’s a temporary thing?  But we’re into each other?  Honestly, I’m not really sure what’s going on here.

Notes: Negative, but feels good.  Messed up relationship. On-again, off-again.  Good imagery.  Verse-Verse-Lift-Chorus-Verse-Verse-Lift-Chorus-Bridge-Chorus.

“Friends”

Writers: Blake Shelton, Jessi Alexander

POV: Me/You

Timeframe: Looking back / In-The-Moment

PUL’D: Positive, Uptempo, Friendship

Neighborhood: Movie song.  “Angry Birds.”  Country.

Subject: Friendship

Notes: Buddy song, smile-factor.  Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Bridge-Chorus.

“One Night Girl”

Writers: Ashley Gorley, Dallas Davidson

POV: Me/You

Timeframe: In-The-Moment

PUL’D: Positive, Uptempo, Love

Neighborhood: Country boy.  Bro.

Subject: It’s daybreak after the 1st date, and he’s telling her he wants to spend more time with her.

Notes: Love, not sex.  New love.  Big chorus.  Good imagery.  Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Bridge-Chorus.

“Doing It To Country Songs”

Writers: Marty Dodson, Jacob Lyda, Paul Overstreet

POV: Me/Her

Timeframe: In-The-Moment

PUL’D: Positive, Mid-tempo, Music

Neighborhood: Country, honky tonk.

Subject: Country music and sex.

Notes: Features the Oak Ridge Boys.  Storytelling.  Lots of imagery.  Double-meaning.  Clever, fun, funny. Verse-Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Solo-Chorus-Chorus-Chorus

“Savior’s Shadow”

Writers: Blake Shelton, Jessi Alexander, Jon Randall

POV: Me-to-the-World

Timeframe: In-The-Moment

PUL’D: Positive, Ballad, Depth

Neighborhood: Country gospel.  No angel.  Bluegrass.

Subject: The devil tried to break me, but God pulled me through.

Notes:  Worshipful, acoustic/strings, contemplative.  Verse-Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Chorus.

TAKEAWAYS:

This record feels good.  The happy songs feel good.  Even the heartbreak songs feel good.  Not a tearjerker in the bunch.  A theme that keeps popping up is curing a fresh heartache by finding someone new (“Came Here To Forget” “Every Goodbye”).

Women are lifted up on tis album.  The possible exception is “She’s Got A Way With Words,” but even that comes off more funny than angry.  Other songs, he wants the girl back (“Every Time I Hear That Song” “Bet You Still Think About Me”).

New relationships: “Came Here To Forget” “Every Goodbye” “It Ain’t Easy” “One Night Girl”

Established relationships: “A Guy With A Girl” “Doing It To Country Songs”

It’s all pretty light, except for “Go Ahead And Break My Heart” and “Savior’s Shadow.”  The only hopeless or lost love is “She’s Got A Way With Words.”  Not much sex or sexy.  Lot of new love, but not much making out except for the double-meaning of “Doing It To Country Songs.”

“If I’m Honest” hits on a lot of commercial principles I advocate in Cut/able. The songwriters really hit the nail on the head with this one.

If you’re ready to take YOUR commercial songwriting to the next level, I have a great opportunity for you.

In August 2017, I’m hosting “The C4 Experience (C4X)” event.  This is YOUR opportunity to really focus in on writing more commercial songs.  You’ll get expert coaching and a small, supportive community.  And with it being online, you can join us from anywhere in the world with an internet connection.  If you want details, just CLICK HERE.  Tickets are on sale now, and space is limited to only 10 songwriters!

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 and a #1 in Canada… so far.

Think Like A Pro

Hey, I Remember That!

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SWP 2

It’s not about you.  It’s about the listener.  What’s in it for the listener?

As we began discussing a few weeks ago (READ IT HERE), successful songwriters know it’s not about us- it’s about the listener.  When it comes to your song, what’s in it for the listener?  What’s going to make them stick around till the end and hit “repeat?”

If your song doesn’t have something in it for the listener, there’s no money in it for you.

Yep.  I’ve said that over the past few weeks, and I’m gonna keep saying it till I finally run out of this series!

So I’ve been pointing out some things you can build into your songs that can connect with your listeners.  So far, we’ve discussed “It’s What I Want To Hear” and “It’s What I Want To Say.” and “That’s Who I Am.” and “Give The Listener Great Advice!”    This week, let’s talk about…

all about the listener

“Hey, I remember that!”

A powerful way to connect with a listener is to push the nostalgia button.  Take the listener back to a point in their past that they recall fondly.  Use your song like a time machine.

When you do this effectively, your listener isn’t so much connecting to your song as connecting to their own past THROUGH your song.  This can be very powerful.  Let’s look at a few examples.

“Boys Of Fall”

by Kenny Chesney (written by Casey Beathard, Dave Turnbull).  This song takes me back to playing high school football.  It takes me back to running through a banner, the taste of grass in my mouthpiece, all of it.  It makes me miss those days.  Love that song.  It makes me think of my teammates like Steve Caughron, Willy Kuykendall, and Brian Krug.  Good times.

“19 Something”

by Mark Wills (written by David Lee, Chris DuBois).  This song describes a lot of my formative years.  Big hair, parachute pants and Stretch Armstrong all conjure up childhood memories.  It’s fun to remember when getting a microwave was a big deal.  The Challenger disaster is definitely NOT a feel-good reference, but it takes me back to intermediate school, watching it on a big TV rolled into the classroom on a big cart.

“Every Head Bowed”

I dug into my own history and nostalgia for a song I had recorded by Randy Travis, “Every Head Bowed” on Randy’s “Around The Bend” album.

Randy Travis- Every Head Bowed

Twinkies, corduroy coats, clip-on ties and “I Surrender All” each make me recall growing up going to Calvary Baptist Church back in Batesville, Arkansas.  And I know my cowriter, Brandon Kinney, had a lot of the same experiences at his home church back in Texas.  Mining our nostalgia made the song more real, which helped it connect to Randy- and hopefully to a lot of other people, too.

“Old Alabama” “Doin’ It To Country Songs”

by Brad Paisley (written by Brad Paisley, Dave Turnbull, Chris DuBois, Randy Owen) and “Doing It To Country Songs” by Blake Shelton (written by Marty Dodson, Jacob Lyda, Paul Overstreet) each use nostalgic artists to bring an extra “smile” to the songs.  Paisley, of course, builds his song around classic Alabama hits.  Blake doesn’t reference The Oak Ridge Boys in his song, but they add their distinctive sound to the record.

Most longtime country fans probably don’t hear Alabama or Oak Ridge Boys music that often these days, so these newer songs remind us of hits like “Mountain Music,” “Elvira” and others.

So one way to make your song more “cut/able” is to have your lyric connect the listener to his or her own past.

So here’s your homework.  Turn on the radio or your favorite playlist- or dig through your stack of favorite albums.  Find a song or two that answers the question, “What’s in it for the listener?” with “Hey, I remember that!”  Please leave a comment and let me know what you discovered!

If you want your songs to be more “cut/able” – able to be cut – then you should definitely check out my new, expanded and upgraded version of “Cut/able: Lessons In Market Smart Songwriting.” It’s five powerful lessons will help you write songs that artists want to sing, radio wants to play, and listeners want to hear! CLICK HERE TO WRITE CUT/ABLE SONGS.

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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 and a #1 in Canada… so far.

SWP 4

Craft

Let Your Title Write Your Song!

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Man vs Row

 

If you listen closely and patiently, your title will often tell you what your song should be about. This is important because you want your song to be as strong as it can be. And to be strong, everything in the song needs to pull in the same direction.

Everything in your song needs to point to the core idea of the song, which is usually expressed in the title.

If you don’t listen to your title closely enough, you might try to make it something it’s not meant to be. I can tell you from personal experience that when I try to make a title into the wrong type of song, it’s a bear to write.

Just as a house divided against itself cannot stand, a song divided against itself cannot stand out (not in a good way, anyway).

One time, I had a title that made me chuckle when I first thought of it. I decided to write it as a Lee Ann Womack kind of traditional sad ballad. When I mentioned the title and idea to my cowriter, she chuckled, too. But writing it was like pulling teeth.

It was just slow and painful. We had a verse “finished” when we decided that something just wasn’t working. Then we realized, “Duh! The title made us smile- why are we trying to turn a title that makes us smile into a song that makes us cry?”

We decided to try writing it as a fun, attitude thing instead, and everything just fell into place. Once we stopped working against the title and started working with it, the writing process got a lot more fun. And the song got a lot better, too!

Years ago, I found a phrase in a poem that my mom wrote. The phrase was, “empty as a Monday morning church.” I thought “Monday Morning Church” would be a great title, but what was it about?

I started listening. “Empty” evokes sadness or loneliness. “Church” brings in the spiritual- something serious, something heavy. Those elements led me to write a sad country ballad about a grieving man who was having a crisis of faith following his wife’s death.

That whole song came from listening to my title. It went on to become my first hit- a top 5 single for Alan Jackson.

Alan Jackson- Monday Morning Church

Consider “Must Be Doing Something Right,” written by Jason Matthews and Marty Dodson and recorded by Billy Currington. “Right” is good and positive, which lends itself to being a happy/positive song.

“Something” suggests that the singer doesn’t know exactly what it is he’s doing right to get the positive results he’s getting.

The thought of “I must be doing something right, even though I don’t know exactly what it is,” is all over that song. It leads to the thought that a woman is a mystery- different things please her at different times, etc.

“Don’t know what I did to earn a love like this” is often a throwaway / filler line or thought in a generic love song, but not here. In this song, that line has energy because it supports the title and theme of the song. Good writing.

Knowing simple things like this is how you write stronger songs- and market-smart songs (songs that have a competitive advantage in the market).  If you want to  learn more about how to write market-smart songs, check out my ebook, “Cut/able: Lessons In Market Smart Songwriting.”  Click on the image below or click here to write market-smart songs.

God Bless,
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 and a #1 in Canada… so far.

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