Why I Don't Try to Make Every Song Better Than The Last

Neon Notes — Week [24]

Chasing perfection is one of the things I try not to do.

That's a surefire way to get completely stuck on a song and never finish it.

Instead, I try to look at the song objectively. What works, what doesn't, and let the song dictate when it's done.

I know that sounds cliché, but it's the truth.

As long as I find something in my previous song that I think could be better and improve it, that's really the only thing that matters.

When I'm making a song, I'm not thinking, "How can I make this better than the last one?" I'm just creating and having fun.

Of course I'd love it if every song was better than the last, and anyone who says otherwise isn't being truthful.

But that's not realistic, nor is it healthy creatively.

But having a standard? Now that's something I won't compromise.

Every song doesn't have to be better than the last, but they better be just as good.

When I'm done with the song, and I'm happy with the outcome, that's all I care about.

Maybe I tried a different style of drum beat or mood. Maybe I used a style of vocal that's a little different than what I normally lean toward. In the end, if I can say, "I like this," then I can't ask for more than that.

If I were to constantly chase a better song, then I would risk thinking a song is a failure just because it's not better.

But if I maintain the standard that every new song at least has to be just as good, then that lets me experiment and be more creative.

The standard I'm talking about isn't necessarily how complex a song is, or how intricate a drum beat is, or how complicated a synth patch is.

I just mean how it stacks up against my other songs. If I can listen to it on repeat, then I've achieved my goal.

As long as it has my sound, and it's fun to listen to, then I can't ask for more.

Even the best artists or producers can't make every song better than the last, so I shouldn't expect that from myself either.

One example of this is my song "One More Time."

It's a dark R&B style song, which isn't something I'd normally make. It's darker, slower, and more stripped back than my normal stuff, but I still wanted it to sound like me.

So I ended up with what I describe as a retro pop take on dark R&B.

I wasn't thinking, "This has to be better than the last song I made."

I just wanted to see if I could take something I normally wouldn't make and make it sound like me.

And that's what I mean by having a standard. "One More Time" didn't need to be better than my last song. I just had to like it.

Would I love every song to be better than the last?

Absolutely.

Do they have to be better than the last?

Absolutely not.

I just want to keep making songs that I enjoy listening to. Some will be better than others. Some will be more experimental, some will be simpler, and some will probably end up being songs that I never release.

But as long as I can finish a song, listen to it and think, "I like this," then I consider it a success.

I'm not trying to make every song better than the last.

I'm just trying to make every song good enough that I want to hear it again.

Thanks for reading.
If you have thoughts about any of this, I’d love to hear them.

This post is part of my weekly Neon Notes series. New posts go live every Wednesday.

Why I Make Songs No One Else Will Ever Hear

Neon Notes — Week [23]

I've made a few songs that I think other people would enjoy, but they'll probably never hear them.

It's not because I think they're bad or anything, I just made them for me, that's all.

In reality, all my songs are made just for me.

I don't mean that to sound selfish, because it's not. I just want to hear a particular melody, a certain vocal style, or a specific drum groove.

Basically I want to hear something that I can't hear anywhere else.

Not to say that I'm making some groundbreaking new genre of music, I just like the way that I do it.

And if I make something I love and other people enjoy it too, that's an awesome feeling. But someone else liking it was never the reason I made it in the first place.

That's why I have several songs done or in progress that no one will likely ever hear.

I did a remix of Dua Lipa's Break My Heart, and I still listen to it all the time.

I didn't make it because I was trying to get attention or gain commercial success.

It's actually quite the opposite.

I heard the song and immediately wanted to hear my version of it.

Not just an EDM remix with some chopped vocals over a catchy beat.

I wanted a fully reimagined version of the song that was structured in my style.

And that's what I did, knowing that I could never release it.

But that wasn't the point, because now I have a song that I love and can listen to anytime I want. It doesn't matter that no one else will ever hear it.

I did the same thing with a song from Sade. I took what would normally be a slow, sensual, intimate song and drenched it with my style.

It still has her sultry vocals and somber tone, but I added a little more energy and retro sound.

I also had an artist reach out and ask me to do a remix of her song. Of course I said yes, and I'm currently working on it. We also both agreed that once it's done, it's just for us to listen to.

No plans for a commercial release, just something we can both enjoy.

To some, this may sound strange. To spend all those hours on songs no one else will hear, but it's not strange at all when the joy comes from the process of making the songs.

I've talked before about needing to create music because I love it, and these songs are probably the best example of that.

There is no thought of streams or others listening. I'm making them because I want to.

And when I get done and continue to say "I love this" every time I hear them, that's all I need.

Not every song has to become part of my catalog. They don't have to have some huge audience telling me how good they are.

Some songs are just for me.

Thanks for reading.
If you have thoughts about any of this, I’d love to hear them.

This post is part of my weekly Neon Notes series. New posts go live every Wednesday.