Author Archives: lauradsu

lyricist, songwriter, composer

Why is “drivers license” by Olivia Rodrigo the most streamed song in 2021?

As we all may know the 2010s Disney Channel stars such as Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez or Demi Lovato… we may not know about the new era Disney Channel stars like Olivia Rodrigo. 

The singer is now 18 years old and she’s starring High School Musical: The Musical: The series, for Disney +.

She showed the world some skills outside of musical theatre when she wrote the song All I want for the mentioned series.

Then, on January 8th 2021, she released the first single of her debut album Sour, this being drivers license.

I believe that the record label didn’t expect the amount of success for the single and later on, for the whole leading album (which makes sense because the people who loved drivers license couldn’t wait to hear the rest), but even though I’m sure there was a very solid strategic promotional plan behind the release of the song (also considering that Olivia already had a strong fanbase), there are always some “luck” random factors that made drivers license so streamed, such as a celebrity sharing it by surprise, algorithms on digital platforms, among others.

I remember at that point everyone around me was talking about this song on social media, and I’m from Spain. I can’t imagine what it was like in the USA.

But one thing has to be there when this all happens: a very well crafted record. And drivers license didn’t lower the bar. Let’s get into it:

First of all, the song starts with a car sound effect, that progressively becomes part of the intro (the piano solo) of the song. This is a very original trait and we’re not so used to hearing sound effects that obvious in pop songs, so it for sure must have been a differentiating trait that got stucked into the listeners’ minds since the first day.

As this blog is about lyrics, the storytelling of this song is something we must comment thoroughly. 

“I got my driver’s license last week
Just like we always talked about
‘Cause you were so excited for me
To finally drive up to your house
But today I drove through the suburbs
Crying ’cause you weren’t around.”

Such an impressive way to start a song. So many things in just a few lines. I believe this beginning really caught everyone’s attention.

Something really important happened recently in Olivia’s life: she finally got her drivers license. On the contrary, she’s sad. She and her loved one used to dream about this moment. He was excited that she could finally pick him up. But she’s realizing now that it’ll never happen.

This expresses something that really affects all of us when going through a breakup: the future plans that will no longer be done. 

Not to talk about the melodic and harmonic cadence, the verse ends with a sense of home, a sense of ending.

But the story goes on:

“And you’re probably with that blonde girl
Who always made me doubt
She’s so much older than me
She’s everything I’m insecure about
Yeah, today I drove through the suburbs
‘Cause how could I ever love someone else?”

If you’ve read my last posts, you must know what these lines express that makes the listener connect immediately….

I’m gonna give you another line to think about it…

…

Vulnerability. Insecurity. Humane relatable feelings. Honesty.

She’s comparing herself to another girl and putting herself in the worst-case scenario. Our brains really do that.

It also stands out the way she finishes the second verse: “’cause how could I ever love someone else?”

It’s a catastrophic line, but this thought comes to mind at least once after a breakup, and even long after that. So it’s truly relatable.

“And I know we weren’t perfect but I’ve never felt this way for no one
And I just can’t imagine how you could be so okay now that I’m gone
Guess you didn’t mean what you wrote in that song about me
‘Cause you said forever, now I drive alone past your street.”

In the chorus, Olivia admits to be conscious of the problems they had as a couple, but she let her feelings towards him lead the way. 

After that, she expresses how, by the way he’s handling things after the breakup, he seems fine, and she deduces that he must have never loved her with the line “Guess you didn’t mean what you wrote in that song about me”. This line gives us personal information about the couple: he writes songs too, so it must have been a truly heartfelt romantic relationship, which breaks our hearts even more with the thought of “What happened? What went wrong?”. And Olivia is asking herself that as well. It gives us the feeling that we somewhat know them.

The final line of the chorus is the most powerful one and it also ties up all the main topic and inspiration of the song: You said forever, now I drive alone past your street.

Future plans destroyed. There ain’t no forever, no picking him up. She drives past his street alone. 

This is genius. Every line is meaningful with closure cadences in the melody and harmony. A work of art.

Olivia has cited her references when writing songs: Taylor Swift being her main one. In my opinion, it shows. Her style of songwriting is very similar (which I personally love), and also very close to the country genre. Which is the inspiration of the inspiration, but with a poppy twist. 

The third verse goes:

“And all my friends are tired
Of hearing how much I miss you, but
I kinda feel sorry for them
‘Cause they’ll never know you the way that I do, yeah
Today I drove through the suburbs
And pictured I was driving home to you”

I think we can all relate to these lines as well. When you fall in love as a teenager, you hyperidealize your significant other, way more than when you fall in love as an adult. You feel like you totally know them and your friends can’t understand the way you feel about them because they don’t. They may tell you they’re tired of seeing you cry over a boy that’s been a jerk to you and you’re there thinking “they’re wrong, they don’t really know them“. Been there, done that. But Olivia even gives it a further spin “I feel sorry for them for not knowing him.” And we love a romantically dramatic hopeless queen.

I also love the way she ends the verses with the same repetitive line “Today I drove through the suburbs” (this songwriting technique is called “refrain”) but then she changes a few words every time. While she’s driving, she’s given us the information that she cried, then wondered if she would ever be able to love someone else and, finally, pictured what they had agreed on doing before breaking up: driving to his home.

Another one of her inspirations is Lorde, which can be appreciated in the bridge of the song. The bridge is basically a flashback on how everything that she sees while driving reminds her of him.

“Red lights, stop signs
I still see your face in the white cars, front yards
Can’t drive past the places we used to go to
‘Cause I still fuckin’ love you, babe (ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh)
Sidewalks we crossed
I still hear your voice in the traffic, we’re laughing
Over all the noise
God, I’m so blue, know we’re through
But I still fuckin’ love you, babe”

Because of the music production (vocal layers, bass, long reverbs, choirs…) and songwriting (describing memories through enumerating) of this part, it makes the listener feel like she’s almost hallucinating about the past, the image the music paints is blurry, but the emotional thermometer is high in lines like “Can’t drive past the places we used to go to” and “I still hear your voice in the traffic, we’re laughing over all the noise” to finish up with her realizing how f*ucked up she’s feeling: “God, I’m so blue, know we’re through, BUT I STILL F*CKING LOVE YOU BABE”

I needed to put it in capital letters because: what a cathartic line to SCREAM at the top of our lungs!!!

I truly believe that what made the song so lovable for so many is, without a doubt, the relatable and meaningful lyrics.

But if I had to choose something that makes this song (a bit) different and original from the mass of pop songs that are released everyday is the structure. Not only because it doesn’t have a defined or obvious pre-chorus, which is rare in pop; but also, as I pointed out before about the melodies, each verse ends with a strong line that feels like that part is ending, also called punchlines, both for the music and the lyrics. It gives us the vibe that she’s not singing a pop song; she’s telling her heartbreak story: describing every detail and sensationally linking concepts to the main idea of the song, Olivia’s drivers license.

If you’d be interested in hearing more about the composition of the melodic lines and the music production, let me know and I’ll write a part 2 of this post!!!

Analyzing the lyrics: “You Right” by Doja Cat ft. The Weekend

This song belongs to the new album Doja has presented to the world, called “Planet Her”.

This time, this isn’t gonna be a verse-to-verse analysis, but it will be more of a general analysis as to why these lyrics are really interesting.

The piece starts with a powerful statement, which identifies as the chorus of the song:

“I got a man, but I want you x2

And it’s just nerves, it’s just d*ck

Makin’ me think ’bout someone new

You know I got so much to say

I try to hide it in my face

And it don’t work, you see through

That I just want get wit’ you

And you’re right“

There’s no metaphore to it, just a woman who’s in a relationship admitting to feeling physical attraction towards another man. She also expresses impulses to act on it.

This is not only a powerful message for a song, but it also is controversial and, I’d like to say it, socially necessary. Let me explain you why:

Commercial songs are full of men talking about sexual impulses and, in the last decade, women are also feeling more and more welcome to.

But the topic of unloyalty in a romantic relationship is still a taboo. And even more if the person commiting it is a woman.

When I was a little girl, Rihanna published Unfaithful (2006), which was a total success, reaching more than 420 million views on Youtube. I’m sure it may not be the first song ever in which a woman admits to cheat, but it was the first one I listened to.

It really was something different. As long as I love to cry to a story where someone gets cheated on, it’s also (or even more) interesting to hear as well the other part’s point of view. In the end, songwriting is expressing vital feelings and experiences. It’s important to show your listeners your inner and deep emotions, even if you feel like they’re not right or shouldn’t be there. In this case, the guiltiness of feeling you’re doing wrong and hurting a person you care about.

But in You Right, we’re not talking about infidelity, at least not yet. Just the thoughts and urges to.

I truly love these lyrics and the image they portray. In the chorus, Doja is talking directly to the man, finishing with a simple but strong punchline that goes: I try to hide it, but you’re seeing that I want something with you… and you are right. In my eyes, this acts as a punchline because in real life we’re so used to hearing no one admitting something that could put in risk a stable relationship. Well, Doja isn’t playing that game here. She knows exactly what she’s feeling. And she says it.

Further on, she also says “I can’t tell no one, but they all know“, which expresses what I was recently saying. It’s not something easy to admit “in society”.

I would also like to highlight one of The Weekend’s verses:

“I know your man, he ain’t controllin’ you

But you still hesitate

‘Cause you choose loyalty“

He’s talking from the point of view of the man Doja’s attracted to, and he acknowledges that she’s hesitating to go on or not, ’cause she still cares about her promise to being loyal.

All in all, this is a really sensual song, complemented with a very appealing raspy voice in the chorus, but it also has a “taboo-fighting” idea: what Doja is telling is something that happens to humans (women too!), and it isn’t bad. You can only expect your partner to make up their mind about it and decide to act on it or not in the most honest way possible.

We’re not perfect and songs must reflect that.

If you liked this, check my other posts! You can also message me to ask for a concrete song’s analysis.

Analizando la letra de “La fama” de Rosalía ft. The Weeknd

La fama es el primer single del tercer álbum de Rosalía, que se publicará en 2022. Esta canción se presenta en forma de bachata, interpretada junto a The Weeknd, que debuta cantando en español. La letra de esta puede parecer sencilla a primera vista, pero esconde algunos giros dignos de ser subrayados:

Rosalía y The Weeknd disfrutan desde hace años de los placeres de ser conocidos internacionalmente, sin embargo ya han tenido tiempo más que suficiente para experimentar su parte oscura.

Para expresar esta idea, los letristas de la canción decidieron que girara entorno a la personificación de la fama. Es decir, le atribuyen, a lo largo de la canción, cualidades humanas a la fama. Concretamente, hablan de ella como una “amante”. Este símil es lo que hace que la letra sea original y le da el toque de dramatismo y romanticismo que caracteriza las letras de Rosalía.

Dicha comparación, sin embargo, puede hacer referencia a dos conceptos distintos y parece que coge características de ambos: por un lado, el de una amante que se interpone entre una pareja, lo cual se ve reflejado en que la persecución de la fama de una de las partes acabó eclipsando la relación, como si de una tercera persona se tratara; y, por otro, de una mala amante en la cual no se puede confiar, con la que puedes dormir una noche o varias y pasártelo bien, pero nunca comprometerte.

En el vídeo oficial, Rosalía representa a La Fama, una bailarina que seduce a The Weeknd, para luego apuñalarle en el mismo espectáculo.

Sin embargo, en la canción, la víctima principal de la fama es Rosalía (y sus relaciones amorosas).

A continuación, se encuentra la letra de La Fama de Rosalía ft. The Weeknd, seguida de un breve análisis de cada parte:

“Lo que pasó, a ti te lo cuento
No creas que no dolió
O que me lo invento
Así es que se dio

Yo tenía mi bebé
Era algo bien especial
Pero me obsesioné
Con algo que a él le hacía mal

Miles de cancione’ en mi mente
Y él me lo notaba
Y él tanta’ vece’ que me lo decía
Y yo como si nada

Es mala amante la fama
No va a quererte de verdad
Es demasia’o traicionera
Y como ella viene, se te va

Sabe’ que será celosa
Yo nunca le confiaré
Si quiere’, duerme con ella
Pero nunca la vayas a casar

Lo que pasó me ha dejado en vela
Ya no puedo ni pensar
La sangre le hierve
Siempre quiere más

Puñaladitas da su ambición
En el pecho, afilada
Es lo peor

Es mala amante la fama
Y no va a quererme de verdad
Es demasia’o traicionera
Y como ella viene, se me va

Yo sé que será celosa
Yo nunca le confiaré
Si quiero, duermo con ella
Pero nunca me la voy a casar

No hay manera
De que esta obsesión se me fuera
Se me fuera, ya desaparezca
Yo aún no he aprendido la manera

No hay manera que desaparezca

Es mala amante la fama
Y no va a quererte de verdad
Es demasia’o traicionera
Y como ella viene, se te va

Yo sé que será celosa
Yo nunca le confiaré
Si quiero, duermo con ella
Pero nunca me la voy a casar.”

En el primer verso, Rosalía presenta la idea: ocurrió algo doloroso y te lo va a contar.

En el segundo, habla de su relación amorosa y de cómo una obsesión acabó con ella: “Pero me obsesioné con algo que a él le hacía mal“.

En el preestribillo, Rosalía habla de la inevatibilidad de su camino hacia la fama. Estaba destinada a ello por su pasión por la música y el espectáculo.

En el primer estribillo, The Weeknd interviene por primera vez. Dando a entender (quizás) que la pareja de Rosalía le advertía sobre la fama, entre otras cosas, diciéndole que no es para él: “Yo nunca le confiaré”.

En este verso, The Weeknd sigue siendo la voz del “bebé” de Rosalía. Hablando de el daño que le causó su ambición.

El segundo estribillo es cantado por Rosalía, donde se encuentran ligeros cambios para indicar que esta vez es ella la que habla sobre la fama. Como se indicaba anteriormente, admite que hay que saber cómo tratarla: pasarlo bien con ella, pero sin compromiso.

En el puente, ella hace hincapié en sus deseos incumplidos de que su obsesión por ser famosa cesase.

Por último, se repite el estribillo desde ambos puntos de vista, acabando con el de Rosalía.

En conclusión, el misterio y “malas vibras” que transmite la canción van en sintonía con el mensaje, el cual nos enseña que, desde el punto de vista de las celebridades, la fama no está realmente ahí para nadie: no estará en las buenas y en las malas, ni te hará sentir menos solo un domingo por la mañana. Un día tendrás el mundo a tus pies y al día siguiente en tu contra. Así que por tu bien, no te puedes dejar seducir por los aplausos y las ovaciones, y no dejar de lado aquello verdaderamente importante.

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Analyzing the lyrics: “Visiting hours”, by Ed Sheeran

This is not the first song where Ed expresses feelings of grief. In 2017, he published Supermarket Flowers from his album Divide. During the verses, he took his listeners through the journey of putting the deceased person’s house in order: claiming details of every objected that showed there was a life before the event.

In this song, Sheeran takes a different turn:

Lyrics of Visiting hours – Ed Sheeran

“I wish that Heaven had visiting hours
So I could just show up and bring the news
That she’s gettin’ older and I wish that you’d met her
The things that she’ll learn from me
I got them all from you

Can I just stay a while and we’ll put all the world to rights?
The little ones will grow, and I’ll still drink your favorite wine
And soon they’re goin’ to close, but I’ll see you another day
So much has changed since you’ve been away

I wish that Heaven had visiting hours
So I could just swing by and ask your advice
What would you do in my situation?
I haven’t a clue how I’d even raise them
What would you do?
‘Cause you always do what’s right

Can we just talk a while until my worries disappear?
I’d tell you that I’m scared of turning out a failure
You’d say, “Remember that the answer’s in the love that we create”
So much has changed since you’ve been away

I wish that Heaven had visiting hours
And I would ask them if I could take you home
But I know what they’d say, that it’s for the best
So I will live life the way you taught me
And make it on my own

I will close the door, but I will open up my heart
And everyone I love will know exactly who you are
‘Cause this is not goodbye, it is just ’til we meet again
So much has changed since you’ve been away.”

The main topic of this song is also the loss of a loved one, but it goes around the concept of being able to visit the person that has passed away from time to time. This idea is powerful, ’cause it creates an utopian and parallel world, while giving the writer the opportunity to talk directly to the person:

  • telling them what has changed since they’ve been gone (ex. “she’s getting older”)
  • make reference to the past things they used to do together and now he’s missing (ex. “Can I just stay a while and we’ll put all the world to rights”
  • talk about the footprint that the person has left in Ed’s life (“I’ll still drink your favourite wine”, “The things that she’ll learn from me, I got them all from you”)
  • talk about the advice that Ed will need from them from now on (ex. “What would you do in my situation? ‘Cause you always do what’s right”)

Another aspect worth mentioning is that the only verses that are repeated throughout the song are “I wish that Heaven had visiting hours” and “So much has changed since you’ve been away”.

This is a wise decision for a song like this, a singer/songwriter acoustic ballad. This way, it stays far from pop structure when it comes to the lyrics: every chorus is formulated differently, adding new information and details of the story. In contraposition, it does follow the same melodic lines, which makes the song still memorable.

Another thing that’s really appreciated by the listeners is a songwriter who gives life advice. Ed is used to doing it, this time with the line “Remember that the answer’s in the love that we create”, and in Supermarket flowers, he wrote “A heart that’s broke is a heart that’s been loved”.

In the last part, Sheeran uses a beautiful antithesis (a rethorical contrast of parallel ideas): “I will close the door, but I will open up my heart”. This line is also a very good advice on anyone who may be going through a grieving process: taking it as a chance to open up, remembering all the good and hoping to meet them again.

These are some of my favourite verses of the song and why:

  • “I’d tell you that I’m scared of turning out a failure”, this line expresses VULNERABILITY. This is the most important word when it comes to honest songwriting. Express your weaknesses, insecurities, fears, worst thoughts… everyone has them. Everyone thinks they’re the only ones feeling that way. Everyone likes to see they’re not alone. When it comes to songs, people are searching for hearing something emotional and relatable, and speaking your truth will eventually get your listeners there.
  • “Everyone I love will know exactly who you are”. When I first listened to this song, this line really hit me different. This person won’t be physically here anymore, but they’ll for sure be remembered. It sort of gives a feeling of “their life was not in vain”, and it’s relieving.

In conclusion (and to add a bit of humor to it), in this song Ed gives free therapy and advice, as well as hitting every single one of us emotionally.

Hope you liked this post! Tell me which songs you’d like me to analyze next in the “Feedback” button.

Analyzing the lyrics: “You Right” by Doja Cat ft. The Weekend

This song belongs to the new album Doja has presented to the world, called “Planet Her”. This time, this isn’t gonna be a verse-to-verse analysis, but it will be more of a general analysis as to why these lyrics are really interesting. The piece starts with a powerful statement, which identifies as the chorus of…

lauradsu's avatar by lauradsu

Analizando la letra de “La fama” de Rosalía ft. The Weeknd

La fama es el primer single del tercer álbum de Rosalía, que se publicará en 2022. Esta canción se presenta en forma de bachata, interpretada junto a The Weeknd, que debuta cantando en español. La letra de esta puede parecer sencilla a primera vista, pero esconde algunos giros dignos de ser subrayados: Rosalía y The…

lauradsu's avatar by lauradsu

3 tips on “Writing a song that doesn’t suck”

  1. Choose a concrete story, reflecting significant details:

In my experience, one of the most common mistakes is to be too vague when starting to write lyrics. For example, artists come to me asking for “a love song” and they usually have some lines already written down. Then I continue to ask them: What is the exact love story? There’s the information and details you wanna lean on when writing!

2. Avoid clichés: rewrite your lyrics until they’re expressed in an original way

When I was 7, I decided to write my first song. Then I went on and merged words and phrases that were typically used in the songs I happened to listen to at the time.

I’m not saying that every beginner does that, but it’s a very simplified example of what we unconsciously tend to do at first.

Try your best to be true to your story, make statements that you haven’t heard before, don’t settle with what you’ve already listened to.

3. Stick to a predefined formal structure

We all know what a pop song’s lyrics usually look like. If you don’t, let me refresh it to you: “Verse – Verse – Pre-chorus – Chorus – Verse – Bridge – Verse – Chorus”.

There are a few variations that you can usually find in pop songs, but this is the main and most common one.

Whether you’re writing a commercial song or not, it is important to stick to a formal structure. If not, you will most likely end up writing a poem or a narration, and that’s not what you want. The difference between a poem and lyrics is that lyrics are tied to melodies and a song structure, and a poem is not. Keep that in mind.

I hope these 3 tips were helpful for you!

If you want more tips, subscribe with your address below or let me know!