New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Damon Albarn recently caused a stir after criticizing the 'co-writing' approach employed by the American singer-songwriter, Taylor Swift. The lead singer of Blur and Gorillaz is known for his traditionalist approach and opinion on writing songs. His criticism of Taylor's style sparked a debate on the internet. The American pop star, in her response, stated her disappointment with Damon's discrediting remarks. In his view, he believes that co-writing should not be considered a songwriting style.
Songwriting in Music Today
Songwriting has evolved, allowing artists to outsource their songs. The dynamics in the industry now allow collaborative songwriting depending on the genre of music. Today, it takes an average of 6 writers to create a hit single.
One of the driving forces and the success determining aspect of any musical band is the quality of authorship in the songwriting phase. The creative human resource is the key factor that determines the sales. Many artists are excellent songwriters, but some prefer outsourcing their work. Apart from performances and corporate deals, an artist's significant income is generated from songwriting royalties. With authorship, the featured creatives get a share of the revenue obtained from the hit songs.
Comparing Music to Other Entertainment Industries
The changes in production have transformed the music business into a heavily commercial industry. From a business perspective, this move was long overdue. However, the music industry still lags behind compared to other entertainment niches such as movies, tv, and gaming sectors.
Artists have gained a wider audience with the growing popularity of music streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple. The cloud model seems to be the next thing in gaming too, allowing players to stream all their favourite titles. However, the streaming service market is fragmented in some countries such as China, Sudan, and Kuwait. Having access to all music and games is prohibited. For example, table games in Kuwait. On the other hand, with a VPN, players can access all the best online casinos in Kuwait. Comparison sites help with finding the most generous welcome bonuses and review each operator fairly. In addition, the platform advises on how to claim the bonuses available.
The Singer-Songwriter
The idea of singer-songwriter first existed in the early 1960s. Some of the proponents of this approach included Dolly Parton, Paul Simon, Neil Young, and Joni Mitchell. It was during this period that the transition from folk music to rock music occurred. The industry was more focused on the authenticity of the music produced. Consequently, artists had to write their own songs, and outsourcing lyrics was discouraged.
The first band to earn authenticity during this transition was the Beatles from the UK. Initially, they were known for creating cover songs but they later ventured into writing and producing their own music. To date, this rock band is the most successful music group of the 20th century having sold over 1 billion records
Complex Collaborations
Compared with the 1960s, songwriting has undergone a massive transformation in the modern days. Today, the early stages of creating a track involve a lot of studio technology where a song can be created from just a beat. Additionally, many parties are involved in the creativity of a song starting from the composer. Other participants include the chorus specialist, programmers, and producers. Based on modern sound engineering and production principles, everyone that contributes to the creation of a song is a songwriter.
Taylor Swift launched her career as a country music singer. This is a very competitive industry and she had to learn how to write songs and perform them. Hence, she has a credible reputation as an ardent songwriter and has also been featured in the Country Music Hall of Fame. There is no doubt that Damon Albarn clearly understands Taylor's success.
The move to rain on the American singer parade was totally uncalled for since his music career is not perfect either. Ideally, he also incorporates musical influences and different technologies in his work. Nevertheless, they are both iconic artists who have different working philosophies. Maybe one day they may collaborate and write a track together? That would be ironic.
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