What Makes A Song Great For Singing?

This is a question that comes up a lot in the studio, from singers who are looking for great songs to cover/use in auditions, and from singer-songwriters who want to craft great songs from the ground up.

There are, of course, great songs that are world-famous and great songs that only exist as a vocal line in someone’s voice memos. I’m not writing this article to add to your anxiety or try to make you famous. I’m writing what I hope is a series of inspiring questions that might provide some clarity as you work to separate the great songs in your singing life from the rest.

1. Do you connect with the music?

Does the music touch you, emotionally, right away? Try not to get too wrapped up in what you think other people would say, or whether this is more a “Miley” track or a “Rihanna” track. You are the artist. Ask if it’s a “You” track. Play the first five seconds of music and ask yourself: Do I feel anything? Is what I feel in line with what I want to be feeling for this track/performance/audition? Could it be more spot-on than it is, vibe-wise? Don’t let yourself off the hook. You can find the vibes you really want either by rewriting, rearranging, or continuing your song search. Songwriters: the same melody and lyrics can sustain a lot of changes to the instrumental production underneath them. Give yourself permission to experiment. Auditioning singers: If you can’t find an 80s rock song that musically resonates with you, don’t put an 80s rock song in your audition book. 

2. Do you connect with the lyrics?

Do the lyrics say what you really want to say? Do they convey how you want to convey? The restrictions of song form, melodic ideas and rhyme tend to create a gap between what singers want to say and what the lyrics actually end up being. Rewriting is often about trying to close the gap between these two things. The best lyrics usually sound easy. They let the singer be themselves and speak their truth. I don’t think we always need to know exactly what the singer means right away. Some brilliant lyrics require some deciphering or are wide open for interpretation. Great songs let the singer use words that sound authentic to them, and allow us to get the gist on the first listen. I don’t always know what SZA is talking about, specifically, but I get the gist and her words almost always sound like they came right from her, unfiltered. Similarly, I don’t always know what Stephen Sondheim is talking about, specifically, but I get the gist and his words almost always sound like the words that his characters would say, unfiltered. If you’re faced with a lyric that feels wonky to you, or says something you don’t want to be saying, trust your instincts. Work on that lyric if you’re the writer, talk to the writer about your concerns if you know the writer, or find another, better song for you.

3. How does the song sit in your voice?

Is your voice sounding how you want it to sound? Is it gentle enough, or strong enough, or in the right register? Is it clean enough, distorted enough? Is the pitch true? Is your pronunciation helping set the tone? The voice itself tells a very particular story. What story is your voice telling? Record yourself and listen back and be honest with yourself. If you hear a gap between the story you want to tell and the one your voice is telling, the solution might be fairly quick - like a change of key or a diction adjustment. Or, the solution might be more long-term, like developing a vocal technique that helps you do what you want to do vocally, with consistency.

4. Does it align with your artistic spirit?

We all have an artistic spirit that gives the art we create a purpose. How does the song fit into your artistic spirit? Does the song make you feel proud as an artist? Or does it make you feel stifled and confined? If you find you’re having trouble with any of these questions, I suggest journaling about them to see what comes up. Journaling can be an excellent way to connect to your artistic spirit, your subconscious, your heart. I think it’s essential for all of us artists to come home to ourselves so we can learn to communicate with our own true, unique voices, unobstructed. And then create, create, create.