What makes a song "generic"?

[Ruthymon]

Lately, I've seen posts from an artist's singles saying "oh, this is so generic" and so forth.

So, I want to know from you, guys and girls, what makes a song "generic"?

Is it the lyrics? The production?

[Star]

It's when you hear a new song premiere, and it sounds like at least 5 other songs that were recent hits. And you know it was written and produced bearing in mind of what's hot at the moment.

[crazyman324]

Example.

Katy Perry's "Last Friday Night" and Jessie J's "Domino".
Kesha's "Tik Tok" and Katy's "California Gurls" (and then Cascada's "San Fransico").
Rihanna's "Only Girl", Nicole Scherzinger's "Wet" and David Guetta's "Night of Your Life".


After a while songs undoubtedly sound like hits because they sound like other hits.

[BLover]

Both the lyrics and the production matter, but it's especially the production.

[abi]

Mostly the production.

"Irreplaceable" was so fresh when it came out and sounded so different with any other songs on the radio, then "Hate That I Love You", "Tattoo", "With You" and "One Less Lonely Girl" came out. So basically, everything that sound like "Irre" are generic.

[HBIC jamesssxD]

It's when you hear a new song premiere, and it sounds like at least 5 other songs that were recent hits. And you know it was written and produced bearing in mind of what's hot at the moment.

This!

[Star]

[Griego]

Lmao.

[NoAngels]

Lmao.

Star is a star

[randomness]

Blatant copycatting and using the same sounds over and over to the point that they get more stale than week old sushi.

[Titan3510]

Production.

Although lyrics play a huge part: lyrics can make or break a song.

[urbanmusik]

When a song follows a trend really closely in order to get a hit. It's normally in the production, but lately songs have been using the "Price Tag" formula with almost identical syllables in the chorus.

So basically when one song is big and a dozen copycats follow.

[aaliyahman]

It's when you hear a new song premiere, and it sounds like at least 5 other songs that were recent hits. And you know it was written and produced bearing in mind of what's hot at the moment.

Hit the nail on the head.

[aaliyahman]

When a song follows a trend really closely in order to get a hit. It's normally in the production, but lately songs have been using the "Price Tag" formula with almost identical syllables in the chorus.

So basically when one song is big and a dozen copycats follow.

And in turn Price Tag sounds like a rip off of Irreplacable.

[HBIC jamesssxD]

When a song follows a trend really closely in order to get a hit. It's normally in the production, but lately songs have been using the "Price Tag" formula with almost identical syllables in the chorus.

So basically when one song is big and a dozen copycats follow.

And in turn Price Tag sounds like a rip off of Irreplacable.

I hate Price Tag but it sounds nothing like Irreplacable imo >_>

[sambo9]

When a song follows a trend really closely in order to get a hit. It's normally in the production, but lately songs have been using the "Price Tag" formula with almost identical syllables in the chorus.

So basically when one song is big and a dozen copycats follow.

And in turn Price Tag sounds like a rip off of Irreplacable.

I hate Price Tag but it sounds nothing like Irreplacable imo >_>

Yeah, how does it sound anything like "Irreplaceable"?

If anything it's based on the "No One" (Alicia Keys) formula.

[urbanmusik]

When a song follows a trend really closely in order to get a hit. It's normally in the production, but lately songs have been using the "Price Tag" formula with almost identical syllables in the chorus.

So basically when one song is big and a dozen copycats follow.

And in turn Price Tag sounds like a rip off of Irreplacable.

What? "Price Tag" sounds like "Party In The USA", nothing like "Irreplaceable".

It's "Hate That I Love You", "With You", "Lifeguard", "Come Back To Me", "Bye Bye", "Take A Bow", "Stronger", "Grown Woman" and basically the whole Jordin Sparks discography along with countless others which used the "Irreplaceable" formula.

[JSparksFan]

What? "Price Tag" sounds like "Party In The USA", nothing like "Irreplaceable".

It's "Hate That I Love You", "With You", "Lifeguard", "Come Back To Me", "Bye Bye", "Take A Bow", "Stronger", "Grown Woman" and basically the whole Jordin Sparks discography along with countless others which used the "Irreplaceable" formula.

"Tattoo", yes, but not her entire discography.

[urbanmusik]

What? "Price Tag" sounds like "Party In The USA", nothing like "Irreplaceable".

It's "Hate That I Love You", "With You", "Lifeguard", "Come Back To Me", "Bye Bye", "Take A Bow", "Stronger", "Grown Woman" and basically the whole Jordin Sparks discography along with countless others which used the "Irreplaceable" formula.

"Tattoo", yes, but not her entire discography.

I was just messing around, although you can add "One Step At A Time" to that list too.

[JSparksFan]

What? "Price Tag" sounds like "Party In The USA", nothing like "Irreplaceable".

It's "Hate That I Love You", "With You", "Lifeguard", "Come Back To Me", "Bye Bye", "Take A Bow", "Stronger", "Grown Woman" and basically the whole Jordin Sparks discography along with countless others which used the "Irreplaceable" formula.

"Tattoo", yes, but not her entire discography.

I was just messing around, although you can add "One Step At A Time" to that list too.

Sorry, my inner stan is uncontrollable at times. But if we must get nitpicky, let's not forget Bey's "borrowed choreography" for the "Countdown" video.

Back on topic, though. I think a song is generic when it's just a rehash of much bigger, more successful, and quite frankly, more epic songs. I remember Kingsley saying that you can literally sing "Calfornia Gurls" over the "Tik Tok" beat. That's generic.

[CrazyCrazy]

Britney being on it. Joking! well kinda... I think it's already been explained in this thread, basically it's something recycled and formulaic. Soulless tosh in other words.

[urbanmusik]

What? "Price Tag" sounds like "Party In The USA", nothing like "Irreplaceable".

It's "Hate That I Love You", "With You", "Lifeguard", "Come Back To Me", "Bye Bye", "Take A Bow", "Stronger", "Grown Woman" and basically the whole Jordin Sparks discography along with countless others which used the "Irreplaceable" formula.

"Tattoo", yes, but not her entire discography.

I was just messing around, although you can add "One Step At A Time" to that list too.

Sorry, my inner stan is uncontrollable at times. But if we must get nitpicky, let's not forget Bey's "borrowed choreography" for the "Countdown" video.

My inner stan has to make an appearance to say that Beyoncé and the music video's director made no secret that they were inspired De Keersmaeker. Plus that's not generic as it's not as if loads of people were inspired by that choreographer's video. [/stanmode]

[swiftie13]

In my opinion it is not offering anything special and sounding very formulated. It's just some "whatever" lyric with no thoughts on the following subjects:

Girls / Boys
Clubbing
Sex
Cheesy Self Empowerment (lately)

and the music is also samey to a lot for example Starships by Nicki sounds like all the songs on pop radio mixed together ...

well that's me and I cannot really stand genericness

[Titan3510]

In my opinion it is not offering anything special and sounding very formulated. It's just some "whatever" lyric with no thoughts on the following subjects:

Girls / Boys
Clubbing
Sex
Cheesy Female Empowerment

and the music is also samey to a lot for example Starships by Nicki sounds like all the songs on pop radio mixed together ...

well that's me and I cannot really stand genericness

Fixed.

[sambo9]

^ Female?!

Firework
Who You Are
F**kin' Perfect
Born This Way
What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger)
We R Who We R
Mean

Those are all self-empowering songs, and are not gender specific.