All articles tagged with #songwriting
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, who wed at Madison Square Garden, are adjusting to married life with very different work schedules. Swift is deeply focused on writing new music, while Kelce is concentrated on the NFL season and potential future media opportunities, with insiders noting they’re enjoying finding their rhythm as a couple despite the busy post‑wedding pace.
Taylor Swift discussed navigating public perception across a 20-year career during a Grammy Museum conversation, explaining she writes for the fans, uses criticism to fuel her art, reflected on the Reputation era, described the Taylor’s Version re-recordings, and offered advice to young songwriters to show up and stay enthusiastic.
Janie Bradford, Motown’s first receptionist who co-wrote the R&B classic Money (That’s What I Want) and hits for Marvin Gaye, Mary Wells, Stevie Wonder, and others, died at 87 after an extended illness in Los Angeles. She also helped shape Motown’s publishing as head of writer relations at Jobete and later founded the Heroes and Legends Awards. Gordy hailed her as a trailblazer, and she was inducted into the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame in June.
Janie Bradford Hobbs, a key Motown songwriter who co-wrote 'Money (That’s What I Want)' and wrote for acts like The Temptations and Marvin Gaye, died in Los Angeles at 87 after an extended illness. She helped shape Motown’s early sound, later led Jobete’s Writer Relations, founded Mountain Goat Music, and ran the Heroes and Legends Awards in LA for about 30 years. She is survived by her husband and two children.
Taylor Swift will be inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame this year, joining Lyle Lovett and other Nashville veterans, signaling a warm Nashville welcome for her cross-genre success; she has deep Music Row ties, co-wrote hits with Liz Rose, and is also entering the national Songwriters Hall of Fame this year.
Taylor Swift will be inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame this fall, becoming the youngest writer to join its ranks. She reflected on her Nashville roots—starting to write songs as a teen, signing with publishers at 14, and collaborating with writers like Liz Rose and Hillary Lindsey—and described Nashville as the 'songwriting capital of the world' while describing the discipline and preparation she brings to writing sessions.
The Verge tests Telepathic Instruments Orchid, a $649 digital chord organ designed with Kevin Parker that blends vintage organ vibes with VA/FM/reed-synth engines, built-in drums, a looper, and a $99 Pistil patch designer; it's easy to use and songwriter-friendly, but limited by a small keyboard, basic on-board sound tweaks, and the need for extra software for custom patches, making it a charming but pricey tool rather than a tinkering synth.
Billy Joel says he stopped writing music after the 1993 River of Dreams to avoid diluting his legacy, explaining he didn’t want to keep releasing music past his peak or beat a dead horse.
Taylor Swift wrote and recorded an original end-credit song for Toy Story 5 the day she watched the film, describing it as a day of songwriter zoomies and finishing the track 'I Knew It, I Knew You' before a planned listening session with Bob Iger and Pixar executives.
Linda Perry, the powerhouse songwriter and producer behind Pink, Christina Aguilera and 4 Non Blondes’ What’s Up, discusses her career, her first solo album in 27 years Let It Die Here, and a new documentary about her life. She reveals how she seized creative control (re-recording What’s Up herself), navigated a fraught relationship with her late mother, found closure after her mother’s death, and learned to channel emotion into her art while balancing work with plans to regroup 4 Non Blondes and continue making music.
Israel Daramola critiques the NYT's list of the 30 greatest living American songwriters (and a runner-up list), arguing that such rankings are engagement-driven and often miss the deeper question of what truly makes a great songwriter, inviting readers to rethink the criteria beyond fame or headline-worthy controversy.
Taylor Swift says she wrote 'Love Story' at 17, sitting in her bedroom, after being mad at her parents for not letting her date an older guy. The Romeo-and-Juliet–tinged track became the lead single from Fearless (2008), and she wrote it on her bedroom floor in about 20 minutes, illustrating her knack for fast, emotion-driven songwriting.
Taylor Swift told The New York Times that it’s “weird” when fans try to identify who her songs are about, insisting “that dude didn’t write the song. I did.” She acknowledges extreme fan detective work, notes that criticism has fueled her songwriting, and urges artists not to dwell on trolls but to use criticism to inform art.
Don Schlitz, the prolific Nashville songwriter behind ‘The Gambler’ and hits for the Judds, Randy Travis, and Mary Chapin Carpenter, died at 73 in Nashville from an aneurysm; celebrated for his storytelling and melodic craft, he helped shape the country songwriter culture at the Bluebird Café and was inducted into multiple halls of fame.
Jack White posted an Instagram clarification denying he called Taylor Swift's music boring, explaining that his Guardian interview comments were about autobiographical lyrics and his preference for imaginary characters; he said he's happy for Swift's success, blasted clickbait journalism, and later deleted the post.