Genres are Redundant?
“Singer-Songwriter” seems like an unnecessarily broad genre of music. After all, any solo musician who sang and wrote their own music could be considered a singer-songwriter. So, when and where did this term originate from, and what was it intended to refer to exactly?
Origins of the term
Music critics began to utilise this term in the late 1960s to describe songwriters “who followed particular stylistic and thematic conventions, particularly lyrical introspection, confessional songwriting, mild musical arrangements, and an understated performing style”. During this time, song topics ranged from protest anthems popularised by Phil Ochs and Bob Dylan, to the musings on love and loss evident on Joni Mitchell’s acclaimed 1970 album Blue. In other words, the emphasis is on the personality and lyrical prowess of the individual singer-songwriter, hence the term. The songs featured in this playlist contain a stark intimacy that is enhanced by a restrained approach to instrumentation, focusing the spotlight on the artist’s vocal performance and their compelling story-telling.
What can you learn from this?
Pay attention to how these songs embody the idea of “less is more”. Analyse the lyrical content and be inspired by how unabashed these artists are at laying their soul bare. Due to these tunes mostly being acoustically arranged, there is plenty of intricate chordwork and delicate chord progressions to feast on, so sit back and find solace in the musical intimacy.
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