Songwriting Hooks

What Are Songwriting Hooks?

They are images or phrases in your song (usually in the chorus) that immediately catch your attention the first time you hear them (if they're working well). A hook is something that will make your listeners remember your song. It's the part they will most easily recall. They're the line(s) that make your listeners have an earworm.

Sometimes there is more than one hook in a song. And since the business of songwriting is so competitive, you should make each line of your song as catchy as you can. Therefore some songs end up with several hooks in them.

How to Create A Songwriting Hook?

The words should sound natural and conversational. The best hooks contain images, phrases and action words that sound unusual in some way. Sometimes they contain or consist of a question or questions. They approach the theme of the song from a new, previously unheard-of angle. That's the lyric part.

To emphasize these key line(s), you should make them memorable with a great melody. Before the hook, try to build anticipation. And when you get there, there are several ways to make the hook stay in your listeners' ears: you can use higher notes, longer notes, interval jumps, repetition, unpredictable pause, or shift the starting point of the whole line, etc. The most important thing is that somehow you contrast your hook with the rest of your song.

A songwriting hook should cleverly summarize what your whole song is about. You can write a great hook only if you are completely clear about what your song is about. So before you start writing a song, sit down and define what it will be about. You could even make a sketch of your song, which makes it a lot easier for you to make it logical and cohesive.

Songwriting Hook Examples

Rihanna - Unfaithful: The most important hook is in the chorus. The songwriters built up anticipation with "And I know that" then start the hook itself "he knows I'm unfaithful and it kills him inside". This is a perfect example. The lyrics completely summarize what the whole song is about and the melody gradually rises which make the listeners' excitement stronger too.

Kesha - Blow: This song is similar. The build-up in the chorus is "This place's about to" then it starts the most important part of the song "Blow". And this word is emphasized by using an interval change, repetition, and production techniques.

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