How to Write a Pop Song in 4 Easy Steps

Anyone who is interested in, or has a friend, child or relative who is interested in, becoming a singer, the message of this post is meant for you.  The musical scene of today would make it seem like becoming a pop star is as easy as queueing up and simply claiming your 15 minutes of fame in front of a panel of celebrity judges.  While this formula works for a handful of performers out of millions of contestants each year, the fact of the matter is that most of the final contestants have a fair amount of musical training in their background.

What is the overall effect on the music industry when pop stars are hand-selected solely on vocal ability instead of finding fame in the more organic manner of working their way into the spotlight?  For one, an entirely new industry is created, or rather, has found even more room to flourish—that of the songwriter.  In fact, many of your favorite pop songs were probably written or co-written by the same few songwriters, and only sung by the artists you’ve grown to know and love.  A perfect example is the pop explosion of the late 90s through to today.  If you bopped along to songs by artists like Britney Spears, ‘N Sync, Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry, Pink, Usher, Avril Lavigne, Taio Cruz and more, the man whose message you were really hearing was actually a Swedish gentleman named Max Martin!

Do you listen to the radio and think “I could do that?’  Could you be the next Max Martin?

If you’re keen to learn how to write your own pop songs, follow these easy steps:

Take Some Music Lessons.
It will be important to be able to create music to write songs, even if you aren’t the one fully producing the final track.  This is fundamental if you start writing songs for other artists as they must hear something good enough, even in development stages, to be liked.  A good combination is to take vocal lessons, guitar lessons and piano lessons to acquire a basic level of musical knowledge.  The more you learn the easier it will be to translate what’s in your head into real music!

Get Inspired.
If you haven’t just had your heart broken or had some truly incredible event happen in your life, this step can be quite hard.  If you find yourself short on material, try pretending to be someone else and writing about their life!  Write letters to friends and family about your deepest feelings, then borrow bits and pieces as starting points.  Try watching compelling films or going to the theater.  Read a book that inspires you or try asking deep questions of the people in your life.  Most people find they have a wealth of material simply by scratching the surface of their own day-to-day experiences.

Start Writing.
It may take a while to find your true voice as an artist, so just start writing as much as possible.  Keep a journal and always carry a small notepad or even a tape recorder with you so you have a way to remember your brilliant and creative ideas when inspiration strikes.  If you are able to take a course in poetry or creative writing, do so to further develop the quality of your writing.  Remember that practice makes perfect, so practice your craft! Study the lyrics of songs you most like, and think about why you like them.  Just listening to music is excellent research!

Put it All Together.