How Ed Sheeran Created “Shape Of You”

How did Ed Sheeran create one of the most popular songs of 2017? A song he never even intended to sing himself! Get into the middle of Ed Sheeran’s co-write and see the process used to get to the final version of “Shape Of You” from keyboard riff to...

Songs Using Allusion: Joel To Swift

While it’s one thing to know what an allusion is, applying it to your songwriting is easier to grasp if you can study songs using allusion well. By understanding how songs use allusion to add to the basic song idea, you can bring the tool into your own...

Allusion: What Is It?

You probably see or hear an allusion in use a couple of times a day, but do you use it in your songwriting? Have you had a moment when you’re hanging out with friends, and to jokingly give you a hard time, one of your friends references something indirectly you...

Adele “Hello”

Written by Adele and producer Greg Kurstin, “Hello” focuses on a telephone conversation/voicemail. The song brilliantly leverages the strength of direct address to create a highly personal moment, while the melody moves from ballad to power ballad...

Adele “Hello”

To quote my pal Jeff, “Just to be clear . . .” Adele could sing a cake recipe, the ingredients list from a bag of dog food, or “Wheels On The Bus” and I would first, purchase the single, then joyfully blare it out of my open car window at a...