tournament Golden Hit: Season 1 📀 Congrats to 8thPrince and Jackson!! 🏆🏆

[Prisoner]

2 minutes ago, fountain said:

Also congrats @Prisoner for guessing correctly

[Hanami-Blossom]

Here are some of my songwriting tips in case they might help someone:

 

11 hours ago, Hanami-Blossom said:

Here are some songwriting tips I want to share that may help or inspire you:

 

1. Start with a song title. I find this works tremendously for me. Having a song title to focus on can help to capture the essence or central themes of your concept, give you some direction without placing too many restrictions, give you an idea for a great hook/chorus, inspire brainstorming and help to ease you into writing the lyrics.

 

2. Find/Create an instrumental to immerse yourself into the vibe of your song or to help you discover what kind of feel you want if you haven't decided. A song with lyrics can work too but I think one without lyrics may work better to allow for your own words to materialise more easily.

 

3. Coming up with melodies before writing the lyrics can work, but melodies are not the words themselves. I've traditionally used this method. However, what I've realised recently is that the melody can make you feel like the lyrics are better than they actually are or that the lyrics aren't that good. Especially in the context of this game where the judges do not include the melody into their judging criteria, this is something to be mindful of.

 

Melodies can be very deceptive compared to the words on paper. How many songs are out there with S-tier melodies but underwhelming lyrics? There are also songs out there with amazing lyrics but the poor melody can trick you into thinking those poetic words are not good.

 

This is an epiphany that I've had so I am passionate about sharing this piece of advice specifically. For YEARS I've had the tendency to get enamoured by my heavenly melodies like becoming captivated by a siren and they can elevate my lyrics to a level that they are not likewise I've experienced singing along to lyrics with a poopy melody only to realise that the lyrics are actually GOOD when I don't focus on the melody.

 

Don't get swept away by the incredible/lacklustre melodies, use the melodies to your benefit and enjoy them! Remember: the judges do not include melodies in their judging criteria. The judges cannot hear the melodies of your song and even if they can (if you choose to share a recording of your song etc), you will not be scored on it.

 

Enjoy songwriting everyone!

 

Feel free to share any of your own tips or advice if you would like to, or you can ask me or someone else if you have any questions

 

[Tylerbv]

Since I never did these:

 

1. Tell us a little about yourself (preferred name, pronouns, etc.)

- I'm Tyler, 20.. something (mind your own business), he/him. 

2. What is your previous experience with song writing?

- Minimal. I've written a ton of half finished songs, but I'm bad at finishing a full thought. Plus I'm not a strong singer or composer so... I did play this game a few years back and made it through a few rounds.

3. Who are your favourite song writers?

- I like story songs and songs that evoke emotion, so people like Carrie Underwood/Hilary Lindsey/Kelly Clarkson (moreso in the MD era)/Sia (pre-Titanium), P!nk (IND era specifically)

4. List some examples of your favourite lyrics and the best written songs in your opinion.

- Sia - Breathe Me

- P!nk - Nobody Knows

- Kelly Clarkson - Maybe

- Death Cab for Cutie - I Will Follow You Into the Dark

- Bob Dylan - Make You Feel My Love

- Adele - To Be Loved

- To plug my fave, Carrie Underwood - Two Black Cadillacs, Choctaw County Affair, Blown Away, Forever Changed (although she didn't write most of these )

5. What are some of your main sources of creative inspiration?

- Depression mostly  

6. Lastly, feel free you share some examples of your writing!

- ehhhh we'll see

[Hanami-Blossom]

14 minutes ago, Tylerbv said:

I feel like earth is the hardest one, but it's somewhat tempting just because there are 3249324324 water and fire related songs  

 

Stream this air BOP.

 

 

 

I was obsessed with this song and the album it came from I love how the chorus kind of sounds like a strong wind in music form. Thank you for the reminder   I should get back into Carrie's discography sometime.

[ughgabriel]

interesting, i’ve had a title and concept in mind for a long time that could work for this round!

[Julia Fox]

omg slay 

[Tylerbv]

5 minutes ago, Hanami-Blossom said:

I was obsessed with this song and the album it came from I love how the chorus kind of sounds like a strong wind in music form. Thank you for the reminder   I should get back into Carrie's discography sometime.

Her best album

I'm still obsessed with it 10 years later  

[Hanami-Blossom]

2 minutes ago, Tylerbv said:

Her best album

I'm still obsessed with it 10 years later  

The DRAMA of Two Black Cadillacs

 

See You Again is also a cute, sentimental song

 

I think I remember liking almost every track, if not every single one.

 

[Tylerbv]

5 minutes ago, Hanami-Blossom said:

The DRAMA of Two Black Cadillacs

 

See You Again is also a cute, sentimental song

 

I think I remember liking almost every track, if not every single one.

 

I remember when she was said to be executive producing a TV series for Two Black Cadillacs I'm so mad it never happened. The DRAMATICS.

 

The only songs that aren't at least an 8/10 are probably Who Are You and Thank God for Hometowns. Do You Think About Me is still that *****.

[fountain]

I wonder which element will see the most entries, will it be water as usual?

[Hanami-Blossom]

3 minutes ago, Tylerbv said:

I remember when she was said to be executive producing a TV series for Two Black Cadillacs I'm so mad it never happened. The DRAMATICS.

 

The only songs that aren't at least an 8/10 are probably Who Are You and Thank God for Hometowns. Do You Think About Me is still that *****.

That would've slayed so much, the amount of telenovela-style plot twists that show could've had instead they give us endless reboots, a mess!

 

The way I was lowkey confused for a bit with Two Black Cadillacs, I was like... is this based on a true story? I was like "Carrie girl what is going on" The music video had me shook too, Carrie's OUTFIT. I think I gasped quite a few times while watching it back then Two Black Cadillacs is like its OWN album tbh

 

Forever Changed is another one I remember being one of my faves I played Wine After Whiskey a lot too. One Way Ticket is such a fun bop! Thank God for Hometowns makes me emotional too

 

 

[Hanami-Blossom]

I thought Earth would be one of the harder ones at first but if you think about it, Earth has the potential to be the easiest and most encompassing. You can literally write about nature

 

I think Air is the most difficult.

[Hanami-Blossom]

The way this challenge is easy yet difficult at the same time for me. The fact that I wrote so much advice but I'm struggling is a kii

 

I have this amazing and grand concept of writing a song that brings together all of the elements but I think that is too difficult for me right now. I think I'll go with something easier!

Edited May 14, 2022 by Hanami-Blossom

[fountain]

13 minutes ago, Hanami-Blossom said:

I thought Earth would be one of the harder ones at first but if you think about it, Earth has the potential to be the easiest and most encompassing. You can literally write about nature

 

I think Air is the most difficult.

To be honest, there’s positives and negatives to any selection depending at how you look at them. 

I wouldn’t think about it as which is easiest or hardest, but rather just go for whichever speaks to you the most, and whichever you have inspiration for. 
And I would say out of all the challenges, this one probably has the most possible overlap with entries, which may be something to keep in mind. I would encourage everybody to try to think about their selection in more outside the box ways, if they want to make sure their entry stands out amongst the crowd! Not that your inspiration has to overly complicated, you could still do something very simplistic, but a tip would be to try to use the element in unique ways.

[Hanami-Blossom]

5 minutes ago, fountain said:

To be honest, there’s positives and negatives to any selection depending at how you look at them. 

I wouldn’t think about it as which is easiest or hardest, but rather just go for whichever speaks to you the most, and whichever you have inspiration for. 
And I would say out of all the challenges, this one probably has the most possible overlap with entries, which may be something to keep in mind. I would encourage everybody to try to think about their selection in more outside the box ways, if they want to make sure their entry stands out amongst the crowd! Not that your inspiration has to overly complicated, you could still do something very simplistic, but a tip would be to try to use the element in unique ways.

The first sentence of this post is literally what I've told myself in my daily life multiple times, I'm shook You serving creative adviser and therapist like Barbie serving millions of occupations.

 

Thank you, you have helped me a lot

 

That's actually a really great way to look at it. I think it can be very easy to fall into a trap of doubting something/myself before even giving that something/myself a chance. I could actually be blocking myself from something great, like I could lowkey create an amazing Air song if I have more faith. And also it's not about whether my song is good or bad, in a way it's more about how I feel and how I view myself and the song. This conversation getting deep

 

I feel refocused now!

[fountain]

2 minutes ago, hurricane326 said:

Already done with mine. Just finishing up final touches

Not already done

[Hanami-Blossom]

1 minute ago, hurricane326 said:

Already done with mine. Just finishing up final touches

OMG, not you serving 1-day delivery I'm gagged

[Achilles.]

37 minutes ago, Hanami-Blossom said:

I thought Earth would be one of the harder ones at first but if you think about it, Earth has the potential to be the easiest and most encompassing. You can literally write about nature

 

I think Air is the most difficult.

Yeah, that’s what I was thinking too. 
 

2 minutes ago, hurricane326 said:

OMG I LOVE this song. Probably the only natural disaster based song to ever be a hit

I’m just…

 

…

 

…

 

 

 

[fountain]

1 hour ago, Element said:

 

Welcome, writers! What an impressive turnout for the debut season of ATRL's newest songwriting tournament, Golden Hit.

When we began conceptualising this season, we hoped to foster a small community of creatives in their songwriting journey.

Now here we are with a legion of lyricists encompassing both brand new and familiar faces to the "Hit" franchise family!

 

Without further ado, let me introduce you all to the first round of the season...

 

This challenge is an absolute classic, and a staple to writing tournaments of all monikers. Inspired by Golden Hit's very own judge AKA me!!, this challenge will focus on the four classical elements: water, earth, fire, and air. As this is an inspiration prompt, we ask for your submissions for this round to be inspired by one of the four classical elements. The journey you take us on from there is completely up to you! Will you harness the flow of water imagery, or opt for something more grounded? Perhaps you'll try a passionate love song, or a breezy carefree summer bop? As long as we can feel a strong elemental presence with one of these classical elements in your song, the possibilities are honestly endless.

 

Judge's Tips

? While name-dropping your element of choice in the title or lyrics of your song is fine, try making us feel the element, rather than reading it!

? Some elements may work together in harmony, while others may oppose one another. Perhaps try experimenting with two or more elements?

? If you're stuck, try listening to some songs you enjoy that are inspired by the elements, and use that as a starting point to form a unique angle.

 

Songs due via Google Form submission by Thu. May 19, 11:59PM EDT

 

If you've never submitted to an ATRL songwriting tournament before, or have never used Google Forms, read below for more information.

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

The form is secure, and we will not have any access to your Google account information. There are three main and one optional field to fill in: ATRL Username, Song Title, Lyrics, and Other information.
 

ATRL Username is self-explanatory, since you are submitting off site we are reliant on writers' honestly with regards to their identity so that we can properly score and rank your submissions! If you wish to remain anonymous, feel free to do so, however if multiple anonymous submissions are made, we cannot guarantee personally tailored feedback between rounds if that is an interest of yours.
 

Song Title and Lyrics are also rather self-explanatory, however they are very important. Please title your songs! Not only can a stunning song title make an excellent first impression, it helps with judging and challenge results table organisation a lot. Lyrics are the main body of what we will be reviewing, so this is the most important field to complete. While you may choose to write or paste your lyrics into this field directly, we recommend working on your submissions on Google Docs, and pasting the link to the document in this field. Pro tip: it allows a lot more flexibility with formatting and even post-deadline corrections! If you do submit via Google Docs however, make sure that you enable permissions for anyone with the link to be able to view your song, otherwise we won't be able to review it!

 
Finally, the Other information section field is for anything additional you may want to include. A brief summary or some context behind the song, any artworks/instrumentals/recordings etc. that you may wish to include in support of the lyrics, or just a small message clarifying any potentially ambiguous lyrics or creative decisions you made during the process of writing the submission. This is an optional section, and sometimes letting the lyrics speak for themselves is even more powerful than a summary that is just as long as the song! Keep in mind anything in this section will not impact your final score.
 

 

As a small added incentive, there will be a bonus prize to the winner of each round during Golden Hit. Challenge winners will have their very own custom Golden Token made for them, which they may choose to use as a forum avatar such as @fountain and @Aurora have, or just collect as a souvenir from your time writing with us during Golden Hit. There is no additional bonus for writers who collect the most tokens, it's simply a small gesture to thank you for submitting such beautiful works for us to read!

 

@Julia Fox@Insanity@Hanami-Blossom@boubour@Remmy@Astro@Jackson@Achilles.@Seiko Oomori@Speezy@Euterpe@GentleDance@ughgabriel@Obsession@OreGuy@Overprotected@JoeAg@TruGemini@☆lex@Augmented@luckystrike@Arrows@Blue.@8thPrince@hurricane326@JonginBey @Better Mistakes @Tylerbv @RobDeWittBukater @EpicSongFan @Lorenzo22 @Jessie @EnigmaticAndroid @Kunst @Prisoner

 

Repost for the new page 

[fountain]

7 minutes ago, Hanami-Blossom said:

The first sentence of this post is literally what I've told myself in my daily life multiple times, I'm shook You serving creative adviser and therapist like Barbie serving millions of occupations.

 

Thank you, you have helped me a lot

That’s just the job of a host!

 

Happy to help in any way and at any point

[Aurora]

Good luck everyone! We all thought this was a fitting introduction to the season as there is a lot of natural inspiration that can be drawn from the elements. Gold is a product of them, after all!

 

Enjoy the few extra hours of writing time—while I fortunately did escape the dingo attack, there was a slight language barrier fountain and I have since overcome. Moving forward, we will also have countdown timers to challenge reveals set up to help keep everyone informed and provide peace of mind.

 

Enjoy the process! I'll be writing alongside y'all, and I'm pretty excited about this one.

[Aurora]

Not us already having our first submission of the season! How exciting. I can't wait to read them all.

[JonginBey]

27 minutes ago, Aurora said:

Not us already having our first submission of the season! How exciting. I can't wait to read them all.

We have a witch amongst us  Ban ha!

[fountain]

47 minutes ago, Aurora said:

Good luck everyone! We all thought this was a fitting introduction to the season as there is a lot of natural inspiration that can be drawn from the elements. Gold is a product of them, after all!

 

Enjoy the few extra hours of writing time—while I fortunately did escape the dingo attack, there was a slight language barrier fountain and I have since overcome. Moving forward, we will also have countdown timers to challenge reveals set up to help keep everyone informed and provide peace of mind.

 

Enjoy the process! I'll be writing alongside y'all, and I'm pretty excited about this one.

I’ll become fluent in Australian soon enough! 

[Into The Void]

Only round 1 and already struggling