---
title: "Writing Great Songs with Alex Delicata (Beyoncé, Rihanna, Machine Gun Kelly, Kygo & OneRepublic)"

description: "Ever wonder how someone writes for Beyoncé? Or how cycling, running, and songwriting all make sense together? Alex joins the pod to talk about his work, his process, and the path that led him to being a songwriter. Alex Delicata is a multi-platinum and Grammy-nominated American music producer, songwriter, and guitarist. Notable releases include Kygo & OneRepublic’s “Lose Somebody”, Meek Mill’s “All Eyes On You” feat. Chris Brown & Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé’s “Daddy Lessons”, MOD SUN’s “Stay Away” feat. Machine Gun Kelly & Goody Grace, Rita Ora’s “How We Do (Party)”, Lil Wayne’s “Dreams” and Rihanna’s “California King Bed”."

status: complete

date: 2023-08-15

kind: guest

guestSlugs:
  - alex-delicata

listenUrl: "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lovemusicmore/episodes/Writing-Great-Songs-with-Alex-Delicata-Beyonc--Rhianna--Machine-Gun-Kelly--Kygo--OneRepublic-e28137u"
appleUrl: "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/writing-great-songs-with-alex-delicata-beyonc%C3%A9-rhianna/id1567355195?i=1000624513482&uo=4"
spotifyUrl: "https://open.spotify.com/episode/5c60Hzdo7a3aBv5bn2kt5f"
youtubeUrl: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDtJvXO3hUs"

topicsDiscussed:
  - "Collaboration"
  - "Creativity"
  - "Music production"
  - "Songwriting"
  - "Jazz"
  - "Navigating creative blocks, tips and techniques"

hostNote: |
  Alex comes at songwriting the way a long-distance runner comes at training: show up, let the good idea come second. He walks through how a session actually starts, not with brilliance, but with a guitar riff, and why the second idea of the day reliably beats the first. His credits (Beyoncé’s "Daddy Lessons," Kygo & OneRepublic’s "Lose Somebody," Rihanna’s "California King Bed") came out of fundamentally different writing rooms, and he unpacks what changes when the genre changes.
  
  We cover the tension between craft and creativity (two separate skill sets that have to co-exist), how collaboration roles shift when you’re writing for pop vs. hip-hop, and why getting an EDM producer who says "here, put a vocal on it" is actually a gift, the constraint is the prompt.

selectedMoments:
  - label: "Alex's discovery of songwriting as a career"
    startSec: 93
    note: "Alex discusses how he fell into songwriting and the realization that it could be a career, stemming from his early experiences playing in bands."
  - label: "The essential balance between craft and creativity"
    startSec: 414
    note: "Alex explores the need for balance between technical skill and creative intuition in music, sharing insights on learning and growth."
  - label: "The unpredictability of songwriting sessions"
    startSec: 491
    note: "Songwriting likened to endurance sports, the importance of showing up despite the uncertainty of results."
  - label: "Creatively breaking through blocks"
    startSec: 833
    note: "Alex shares techniques for overcoming creative blocks, including taking breaks and experimenting with new ideas."
  - label: "The evolution of song structure in modern music"
    startSec: 1731
    note: "How the rules of pop songwriting have changed, and why breaking traditional formats opens up unique sounds."
  - label: "Writing with different genres in mind"
    startSec: 2199
    note: "Alex talks about adjusting his writing style when collaborating with artists from different genres, especially blending folk and hip-hop."

excerptQuotes:
  - text: "I was just learning how to play guitar and piano... always sort of... writing riffs and licks and like that kind of stuff."
    startSec: 97
    reviewed: true
  - text: "There’s a balance between your craft and your technical ability and a totally different skill set which is creativity."
    startSec: 415
    reviewed: true
  - text: "I think the important metric to watch is just showing up every day and making time to do it."
    startSec: 490
    reviewed: true
  - text: "The second idea of the day is typically better than the first idea of the day."
    startSec: 748
    reviewed: true
  - text: "If you’re trying to make a pop song, there are certain things that work better now than they were before."
    startSec: 1711
    reviewed: true
  - text: "It’s interesting to look at the ways that song form changed from like, you know, Beatles to modern pop."
    startSec: 1807
    reviewed: true
  - text: "I like working with EDM guys sometimes because they’ll send me something like, ‘This is done, put a vocal on it.’"
    startSec: 2197
    reviewed: true
  - text: "Yeah, that was one of my like stupid shower songs... I'm just going to spend my morning recording this song that’s really dumb."
    startSec: 2276
    reviewed: true

faq:
  - question: "What is Alex Delicata's songwriting process?"
    answer: "Alex emphasizes the importance of showing up consistently, balancing creativity with technical skills, and is open to collaboration in songwriting."
  - question: "How does Alex Delicata combine sports with songwriting?"
    answer: "Alex compares the endurance required in both sports and songwriting, highlighting how both demand consistency despite the unpredictability of outcomes."
  - question: "What artists has Alex Delicata written for?"
    answer: "Alex has collaborated with major artists including Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Machine Gun Kelly, contributing to many hit songs across various genres."

transcriptPublished: false

draft: false
---