Newbie Could Use Help Interpreting a Return

[regardner]

Hello:

I'm a relative newbie, having joined Taxi earlier this year. I received a return on listing S171021CA, which was a listing for AC songs. The reference tracks were Sam Smith's "Good at Goodbyes," Adelle's "Hello," and Ed Sheeran's "Castle on the Hill."

The screener wrote: "Your style and direction musically aren't close enough to an AC/Pop sound. Your song has an Adult Contemporary sound but only appeals to a very specific audience. The listing is targeting an AC sound that's more Universal and can potentially cross over to maintream Pop top 40 formats. Try to use melody ideas, lyrics and concepts that are fresh and relevant today and slim enough to capture the attention of your younger listener's. This would broaden the marketability in your song." And also, "Your melody and lyric structures are catchy and developed in a direction that's unique and interesting, however, melodically you have lots of room to bring the style of the song closer to a Contemporary AC sound. You did a great job fitting in with Adult Contemporary but you need to look for a way to cross over to Pop formats. Using melody ideas and rhythmic styles that are more innovative, have forward moving style that showcases some Pop appeal are ways to freshen your song. Overall you did a solid job establishing your top line, lyric and chorus hook you just need arrangements that cutting edge and ahead of the AC curve."

The song is here: https://soundcloud.com/regardner/i-am-your-arsonist

My questions to any more experienced member who is kind enough to offer me some advice would be, 1) What is the difference between Adult Contemporary and AC/Pop, and how would I go about making my song more AC/Pop? 2) Or, since the screener had some positive things to say, should I save the song as it is to submit to some future listing in which pop crossover isn't a factor?

Thanks in advance,
Bob Gardner

[cosmicdolphin]

Not exactly an expert on writing Pop Songs here but straight off the bat I would say the title / chorus lyric is way too serious sounding for a younger pop audience.

It sounds more like an Alt/Rock track to me , I could imagine someone more like Linkin' Park singing it..not Sam Smith / Adele / Ed Sheeran

This video may help https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWQVztiJHfs

Mark

[LOCK88]

Hey Bob, looks like you got some really great feedback on your track. I've posted the Forwards from that listing below. I've found that studying the forwards, and comparing them to your track , is a great way to find ways to possibly improve your current track, or help guide your writing and production on the Next track you write. HTH

Forwards for TAXI # S171021CA "Heavy Door" - Daniel Dunn "We Are Vocal Remix" - Jon C Lundorff "ENOUGH" - Phillip M Trees "I Believe_Feb12" - Marlene R Glass "Lonely Love" & "Fly" - Mary McAvoy "Let It Go" - Austin Richason "More Than Just a Girl" & "Radio is Listening" & "Take it Slow" - Aaron D Henningsen "I Can Feel Your Pain" - Joe A Batemen CURRENT SOUNDING ADULT CONTEMPORARY SONGS with Male or Female Vocals are needed by an A-list Record Producer’s Publishing Company that’s always pitching to big artists’ projects

[LOCK88]

Not exactly an expert on writing Pop Songs here but straight off the bat I would say the title / chorus lyric is way too serious sounding for a younger pop audience.

It sounds more like an Alt/Rock track to me , I could imagine someone more like Linkin' Park singing it..not Sam Smith / Adele / Ed Sheeran

This video may help https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWQVztiJHfs

Mark

Great video, thanks for sharing Mark!

[regardner]

Gents (Cosmic Dolphin and Lock 88):

Thanks so much for taking the time to give me your insight.

Cosmic Dolphin, I think you may be onto something with your comment about this being something more like an alt-rock song than a pop one. The most difficult thing for me right now in being a Taxi member is trying to accurately identify the genres, and produce my songs appropriately. Also, I loved the video from Holistic Songwriting. Coincidentally, I just read the book written by Friedemann Findeisen, "The Addiction Formula."

Lock 88, great to know that I can listen to the songs that were forwarded! I had no idea.

[Telefunkin]

Hi Bob,

...great to know that I can listen to the songs that were forwarded! I had no idea.

Sure you can. One way is to go to the Forwards section of the Forum and some of the people who had tracks forwarded will post links to their tracks. You can also go here to look at the list of tracks that got forwarded, and try and find those tracks (Taxi member pages, Soundcloud, etc).
http://blog.taxi.com/forward/
Good luck!