Grammy Worthy Songwriting Tips From Four of Our Favorite Hollywood Artists

Creating art is not a joke. Nor is it easy. So if you’re someone who’s trying to pursue a career in music and entertainment, then you probably know the struggle of getting your art off the ground. It is, after all, a big investment of time, sweat, and money. But if it’s any consolation, none of our favorite Hollywood artists had it easy. Like many struggling artists out there today, they, too, had their fair share of sleepless nights, blank walls, and rejections. So it’s not surprising that many of these Grammy award-winning singers we look up to today have the wisest advice for young acts trying to make it in the industry. And if you’re looking for some Grammy-worthy advice to get you through the day, you’re in luck because we got you covered. Here are some of the best songwriting advice straight from the legends themselves.

1.BEYONCE

There is probably no bigger artists in Hollywood than Queen Bee herself, Beyonce. With over 20 Grammy to her name, Beyonce has rightfully secured a spot on the upper-tier of Hollywood legends. But her journey to the top was never an easy one. Long before she became a part of the iconic girl-group Destiny’s Child, and way before she became the living legend that she is today, she had to work extra hard too. And with 23 years of experience under her belt, Queen Bee surely has some very informative advice when it comes to crafting her work. According to Beyonce, the best songwriting advice that she can give is to work with articulate writers who can help you express the thoughts that you want to convey. That’s right folks, even the biggest female artist of our generation needs some help every once in a while. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it, so as long as you give credit where credit is due.

2.TAYLOR SWIFT

When it comes to powerful and influential singers in Hollywood, there is no doubt that Taylor Swift is way up there on the list — and with good reason. Taylor has been perfecting her songwriting for decades now, and it definitely shows with the number of people whose lives she’s touched through her lyrics and with the number of Grammys to her name. Although Taylor does share production credits with other artists from time to time, she still does write the majority of her lyrics. According to T-Swift, her songwriting is at its finest when she is allowed to work on it in her personal space and in her own time. It’s also no secret that Taylor draws most of her inspiration from her own life experiences and weaves them together with some of the most poetic combinations of words. That ability to reflect everyone’s experience alone has earned Taylor a seat in the most prestigious lists of singers in Hollywood history.

3.SARA BAREILLES

Sara Bareilles may not be as famous as the first two artists on this list, but she is definitely just as talented. For those of you who are not familiar with this artist, she is the woman behind the hit musical album What’s Inside: Songs From a Waitress, which earned a Grammy nomination in 2019. She earned her first Grammy the year after, and boy does she have some good advice to all struggling artists out there. According to the singer, the biggest advice that she can give when it comes to pursuing your craft is to remain true to yourself. As a thriving artist in the cutthroat world of Hollywood, it’s easy to get persuaded into doing things that are far from your artistic identity. Sara has had some degree of experience with this as well. In her book Sounds Like Me: My Life (so far) in Song, Sara opened up about wanting to compromise her trademark to please the bigger companies in the industry. However, she maintained that staying true to her lyrics and ideas was what brought her to where she is today.

4.BILLY JOEL

Legendary musician Billy Joel may not be as active in the industry as he was back in his heydays, but there is no doubt that his influence in Hollywood’s music scene remains up until today. Over the course of his 55-year long career, Billy has been nominated for the Grammys 23 times and has won 6 times. But what is Billy’s secret when it comes to writing? Well, unlike his music, Billy’s songwriting process is much more serene and peaceful. Back in 1991, Billy opened up about his songwriting method and revealed that he was at his peak songwriting mindset when he is alone and somewhere with a good view. According to him, his time for songwriting is dotted with a lot of dead time, so it’s important for him to be somewhere where he can stay motivated, hence the good view. So if you’re interested in trying Billy’s method, then you might want to consider spending some investment money on a house with a pretty good view.

Based on materials from Berklee Online.