Random Thoughts On: Styles of Writing

Every songwriter has their own style. Some are full of metaphors, others are straightforward. Some are fiction, while others are based on real life. Whatever the form is, it's meant to entertain and connect with emotion. Sometimes the song is relatable, but it doesn't always have to be.

One example of this is the song "Death Bed" by Powfu. This is a rap song coming from a guy who is sick and dying. He's talking about the time he wished he had left with his girlfriend. It is very emotional, but it doesn't come from a true story. A lot of people listening to the song may not relate to it directly. But they can connect to it while listening, the same way the artist did while writing. The artist wasn't dying and didn't know anyone who was. But when he wrote it, he created the story and thought about what it would be like if it were true.

This is an incredibly creative writing style because it's like writing a book or movie. Telling your own story and writing a song from your own emotion can be difficult. But, writing fiction with this much detail so that it is believable to the audience is very different. It's not something that I've done much, but it is fun to do because anything's possible. It also removes more limitations to art. Even if your life isn't as adventurous as a sci-fi show, you can still write sci-fi songs.

There's also the writing style of using one metaphor, telling the story of one event as it relates to another. An example of this song is "Russian Roulette" by Rihanna. In the song, Rhianna sings about being with her boyfriend, handing a gun back and forth to play the game, and how she feels. The lyrics are very descriptive about how the game is and what is going through her head. But the song itself isn't really about Russian roulette. It's about an abusive relationship.

With these lyrics, nothing else is said about their relationship, their lives, or their history. But being in that relationship felt the same way as sitting at a table, playing the game, until it ends.

Technically, this song could also be fiction (maybe the songwriter was never in a relationship like this) But, I have no knowledge that tells me it is. So, I'd say it's a metaphoric message that could be true. A song doesn't need to fit into a specific style, but I like thinking about different types to try. Whatever style you choose as a writer, the best thing is to have as few limits as you can.