SHR4C004M-003 Song Prod. & Write Up Template
Task 1: Three Minute Song Production (70%)
Task 2: 1000 Word Write-Up
Introduction:
This original track, Goodbye, is a synth-heavy and vocal-driven composition inspired by Billie Eilish. The song was a collaboration between my friend and me: she recorded the vocals, while I handled the arrangement and mixing. This song explores the minimal use of instruments and focuses more on creating the right texture and atmosphere, which aligns with Billie Eilish’s aesthetic. My goal was to produce a commercially viable pop song, using Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas, who produces most of her work, as my references. Finneas’s openly shared production techniques and behind-the-scenes videos provided valuable guidance throughout the process. The primary inspiration for this track is Billie Eilish’s lovely.
Piano:
The whole song started with a simple chord progression in D major, with a chord progression it helps me write the melody more easily and gives me a clearer direction on where I should work towards. It also helped me lay out the structure for the song. The piano carries a high note motif that runs consistently throughout the song, acting as a melodic anchor and reinforcing the harmonic structure. This motif was inspired by Lovely, it creates a sense of forward motion in the song.
For the piano sound, I chose a felt piano plugin to deliver a soft, warm sound that aligns with the fragile mood of the song. The felt piano also made the sound darker, but not muddy and dull, which fits perfectly with the track.
Strings:
Strings played a major part in building the emotional depth and atmosphere of Goodbye. I used a small string ensemble, which has two violins ( playing the melody in octaves), a viola, and a cello. The decision to double the violin is because I want to emphasize the melody, which creates a richer and fuller lead line that stands out from the other instruments. The strings only played out through the intro, chorus, and outro sections, making them essential for shaping the track’s dynamic and its atmosphere.
Synth:
The song features the use of two different synth pads and two different sub basses, one plays throughout the verse, and the other plays throughout the chorus. The pads are used to fill out the spaces, especially important in the verse sections. It creates a warm background texture that glues the piano and vocals, while also not drawing too much attention from the other elements, for example, like the vocals.
Both of the sub-basses play the root note of the chords; the verse sub-bass has a clean sonic character, adding weight to the arrangement. The chorus sub bass I created using sawtooth waves, playing as a contrast to the verse sub bass.
Percussion and effect sound:
The percussion elements and effects were created through sampling. Like the other elements, percussion is also separated into two major parts: the verse and the chorus.
The kick in the verse was recorded by me punching a hollow wall, which has the character of a long decay time. I pitched it down 3 semitones to fit the track and applied EQ and compression to make it sound tighter and punchier. The click percussion sound in the verse was sampled from a typing game website’s sound effect. I pitched it up 6 semitones and added a huge hall reverb to achieve a clock tiktok-like sound.
The drums on the chorus are a kick and a tom playing at the same time, which I found on a third-party sampling website. I added a hall reverb on them, creating the cinematic army drum sound, making it a great contrast with the high-pitched vocals.
Additionally, the percussion sound that plays with the snare during the chorus, I reversed it and used it as a riser.
Mixing:
The use of reverbs plays an important role in the track, I used two reverbs for the vocal: a hall reverb and a plate reverb. The hall reverb added more depth to the vocal, while the plate reverb created a wider image with a smooth and warm character sound that enhances the vocal.
Commercial potential and genre context
Goodbye fits well within the commercial and current music industry’s pop landscape. Structurally, Goodbye follows a conventional pop format—verse, chorus, verse, chorus, and a short outro, making the song concise at under three minutes. This length and arrangement suit streaming platforms well, and shorter, catchy tracks tend to perform better and hold listeners’ attention. Additionally, the production and instrumentation of this song make it suitable for playlists like alternative pop, electronic pop, and indie pop genres, which attract a large listener base. The Billie Eilish influence can also be a great commercial strategy, she reshaped the sound of what pop can sound like, using minimal instrumentation, sometimes even just piano and vocals for example like What was I made for, made through top charts, proving that pop song doesn’t have to rely on heavy production and a huge range of internments. The lyrics of Goodbye explore themes like emotional exaltation and struggle to move on to a new relationship that are highly relatable to young listeners. Lines like “I should say goodbyes” and “I don’t feel myself together” are simple but emotionally charged, making them easy to connect with and memorable. This kind of lyrical vulnerability and emotional honesty resonates deeply with listeners. It’s a key element in why minimalist, emotionally-driven pop songs often perform well commercially.
Evaluative Analysis
Goodbye successfully meets its goal as a commercial pop song through its clear structure and minimalist instrumentation, which effectively support the raw, emotional lyrics. However, the vocal production could be improved, the recording environment wasn’t ideal, and I should’ve explored more on vocal layering techniques that could have enhanced the dynamic impact of the track.
Conclusion:
Goodbye combines minimalist production, emotional lyrics, and creative sampling to create a commercially viable pop track. While there are areas for improvement, particularly in vocal recording and layering, the song successfully captures the immersive style inspired by Billie Eilish. This project strengthened my understanding of production techniques with pop songs, and the idea of using fewer instruments to achieve emotional impact inspired me in a new way of thinking when producing tracks.
Billie Eilish & FINNEAS: HIT ME HARD AND SOFT Interview | Apple Music (2024). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-ZIRAmO60c [Accessed 22 May 2025].
The Meaning of Spotify Stats: Spotify Followers vs. Monthly Listeners (2018) How Music Charts. https://hmc.chartmetric.com/measuring-attention-on-spotify-playlists-followers-vs-listeners/ [Accessed 22 May 2025].
WHAT WAS I MADE FOR (2023) Official Charts. https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/billie-eilish-what-was-i-made-for/ [Accessed 22 May 2025].
