Postmodernist Pop: The Song Sommelier
Postmodernist Pop We’ve noticed an element in pop – a growing element – that does not concern itself with these rules, much. This pop is being made by more single-minded, visionary individuals. And, the music benefits greatly as a result…
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Spotlight Series: The Craft Behind Hit Songwriting and Producing
A Roundtable Discussion with Tayla Parx, Tommy Brown, Sarah Hudson, Leon Thomas, Lara Andersson, and Jessie Saint John From left: Tommy Brown, Tayla Parx, Sarah Hudson and Leon Thomas III, during Parx’s Burnout Camp for musical content creators on Oct.…
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Spotlight Series: Finneas O’Connell on “Bad Guy”
We are thrilled to announce our new Spotlight Series, where sit down with some of today’s hottest and most influential music industry professionals, songwriters, producers, and artists to gain deep insight into their creative process, their inspirations, the stories behind…
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M-M-M-My Sharona! 40 Years Later.
On August 25, 2019, The Knack’s My Sharona celebrates its 40th anniversary of hitting the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. In honor of this timeless classic, we’ve decided to look under the hood to see why, all these…
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Bad Guy: Techniques Spotlight
There’s a lot more than meets the eye when it comes to Billie Eilish’s smash hit Bad Guy. Co-written by hit-making newcomers Billie and her brother Finneas, Bad Guy includes many of the same hit songwriting techniques that veterans like…
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Looking for a Summer Hit? Put a Ticking Clock in Your Song, Plus Other Pop Signifiers
With the summer officially under way, it’s time to ponder what stands the best chance of becoming that anthem blasting out of car radios, dominating streaming playlists and capturing earbuds coast-to-coast as the weather heats up. According to Hit Songs…
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Canadian Musician Radio Interviews Co-Founders of Hit Songs Deconstructed
In this interview with Canadian Musician Radio, Yael and David Penn chat with host Mike Raine, Senior Editor at NWC and publisher of Canadian Musician and Professional Sound, about how Hit Songs Deconstructed evolved from a simple blog about songwriting…
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“D” (Departure) Sections: If I Can’t Have You
Artist: Shawn Mendes Songwriters: Nate Mercereau, Scott Harris, Shawn Mendes, Teddy Geiger Producers: Shawn Mendes, Teddy Geiger Record Label: Republic Primary Genre: Pop Influences: Tropical-Dancehall, Rock, Dance, Funk, Gospel, R&B If I Can’t Have You contains two back-to-back “D” sections…
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The Jonas Brothers: Paying Homage to the Greats of Drum Breaks
Sucker is the Jonas Brothers kick-off single after almost six years away from the mainstream, debuting as their most successful record to date and hitting number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in its first week. One of many reasons…
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