There’s a lot of pressure on songwriters to “stand out,” “be original,” or “break new ground.” And while it’s a noble idea, here’s the truth:
Your job as a songwriter isn’t to be original. It’s to be you.
Originality is overrated. What matters most is authenticity, your thoughts, your feelings, your stories, your way of seeing the world. That’s where your real power is. That’s where the uniqueness lies.
So, let’s break this down.
There Are No New Topics, Just New Voices
Love. Loss. Loneliness. Hope. Freedom. Fear. These are the themes that every songwriter comes back to, again and again.
And yet somehow, we never get tired of them. Why? Because each of us has a different lens. The way you experienced heartbreak is not the way I experienced it. The metaphor that popped into your head when your heart was breaking is likely nothing like mine.
It’s not about saying something no one’s said, it’s about saying it in a way only you can because remember… You’re not here to reinvent the wheel. You’re here to drive it down your road.
Your Inner World Is Where the Magic Is
Your emotions, your memories, your quirks, your worldview, this is the soil your songs grow from.
And whether you’re writing directly from experience or channeling your feelings into fiction, you’re drawing from that well every time.
Try asking yourself:
- What keeps me up at night?
- What am I afraid to say out loud?
- What do I wish someone had said to me?
The more you lean into that raw honesty, the more your songs start to sound like… YOU. That’s where the listener feels something real.
Your Songs Are Also a Response to the World
You’re not just living in your head. You’re also reacting to what’s happening around you, your town, your country, your culture, your corner of the internet.
Music is a powerful way to document the times we’re in, but not in a preachy way, in a personal one. You don’t necessarily need to write “statement” songs. Just reflect honestly on what you see, hear, and feel.
Ask yourself:
- What’s happening around me right now that I care about?
- What do I wish more people noticed?
- What makes me laugh, cry, rage, or go silent?
When your truth meets the world’s noise, something special can happen.
Your Voice Is Your Superpower
Everything you’ve lived through, every awkward moment, joyful day, childhood memory, weird obsession, quiet insight, it all adds up to a voice that nobody else has.
That’s what makes your songs unique.
Even if you’re writing a love song that’s been written a thousand times before, your phrasing, your detail, your melody, your sensibility… it all adds up to something only you could create.
You don’t need to be “different for the sake of being different.” Just be honest and your difference will naturally shine through.
How To Write Songs That Sound Like You
Here are a few quick ways to stay grounded in your voice:
- Speak like a human – Don’t “try to sound like a songwriter.” Just write like you talk.
- Start from emotion – Don’t chase clever lines. Chase feelings.
- Use real details – A cracked coffee cup on a windowsill tells us more than “I’m feeling sad.”
- Keep a theme list – Write down the subjects, phrases, or images that keep showing up in your work. That’s your songwriting DNA.
- Don’t worry about what’s trending – Focus on what you need to say. Trends come and go. Truth lasts.
The More Specific, The More Universal
One of the biggest songwriting myths is that you need to be vague to be relatable. But the opposite is true.
People connect most deeply to songs that are specific, because they feel real.
When you write about your exact experience in your exact words, it makes room for the listener to connect through their own lens.
The personal is the universal. The more you it is, the more everyone feels it.
My Final Thought
You don’t need to be a genius. You don’t need to be groundbreaking. You just need to show up honestly and say what you really feel. Say it the way only you can. That’s your job.
And trust me, that’s more than enough.
