Part of the fun of watching the full episodes of PH has been seeing the hook challenges.  Since I wasn’t always involved in judging them, it’s always a surprise to find out how a hook came to be. This week I was a little scared for the contestants when I heard the choruses they wrote. I felt like I was back in week two or three. The hard part about being a writer is having to look in the mirror (after you’ve created something you think is the bomb) and tell yourself the hard truth.  At the same time, you have to dare to suck in order to get to the good stuff. Nick and Scotty were very smart to rework their ideas. I agreed with Perez and Jewel that Scotty’s melody was very good but the title, “DJ Have My Babies” was pretty out there. Then again, I don’t go to the clubs so there may be some hot DJ’s I don’t know about.

I loved making a surprise visit to Jes, Scotty, Sonyae and Nick. It was very true to life as music executives always pop in on sessions and make comments or suggestions.  Sometimes it can throw you off but that’s where your conviction as a songwriter comes into play. I was happy to see that they followed their hearts and ended up going down the right path.  I will also never wear red lipstick again. Not a good look

Going back to high school was a trip.  I went to an all girls’ high school where we basically rolled out of bed to get to class not caring what we looked like. These girls were definitely more stylish.  You could immediately tell which songs they were feeling.  The girls gravitated towards the “Exit” song and with good reason.  Sonyae knows how to communicate what teenagers are feeling.  We’ve all known people that we wanted to point to the exit sign, whether that be at a club, a high school, or even at an office building.

I lllllooooovvvvved Scotty’s final hook melody, especially the “DJ make me crazy” part.  He really has shown a tremendous amount of growth. Jes also had a strong melodic song but I couldn’t see it being a breakout Top-40 smash because it felt so young. And then there’s Nick….he has definitely made the show entertaining. He is such a character and some of his one-liners have cracked me the hell up. This week we finally got to see some real emotion from him.  He wore his heart on his sleeve, which is why it was particularly heartbreaking to see him go.  He finally did what we wanted him to do all along. I hope he continues to access his truth/heart and put it into his music. If he does, he may just write that smash after all.  I’m rooting for him!

I’ve got to give all the contestants some serious “props” for writing and singing their songs on the Santa Monica Boardwalk. That is not an easy challenge and I think overall they did a great job. Sonyae was especially courageous to sing without any music. But that’s what I love about her. She just jumps right in and does what she has to do. That skill will serve her well in her songwriting career.

I really adored Jes‘ melody. She’s great at creating dark pop melodies that are full of emotion. The Jes/Nick team could have worked but Nick took the feeling out of Jes’ original idea. Instead of helping with the editing process, he wrote over what she had. Nick has a gift for making things singable and memorable, but the best songs have those two qualities and heart. I’m still waiting for his HEART to shine through. I know it’s in there.

Jackie was probably at an advantage in this task as she has such an outgoing personality and people were charmed by her. She also had a really hooky chorus and good idea to start with, but picking the country genre was a fatal error. I liken that to me being in a room with a great chef and deciding that I (who can’t even boil water) should make dinner.

You have to identify everyone’s strengths in a writing room and utilize them. Country lyrics were not a strength of anyone’s on Jackie’s team. The best country songs are like pieces of art. Every word is hand picked and slaved over. It’s all about STORY and touching people. I always get my ass kicked when I go to Nashville — in a good way.

Ha. I had to laugh when Johnny said I was scary. I agree that I can be hardcore at times but it’s only because I want the writers to get better. AND THEY ARE. “Betting My Life” was by far the best song. When we did the hook challenge in Santa Monica, I was given a dollar to give to one of the contestants. I bet on the right song because Johnny got mine. It was genius to incorporate reggae and I loved Brian’s bridge.

I was sad to see Jackie go and agreed with the other judges that she has talent and should continue on her journey.

Next week’s episode is seriously dramatic. Definitely tune in. Some crazy stuff!

When I first heard that the contestants would have to rap for their hook challenge, I thought to myself…WEIRD.  I don’t really see any of them writing hit rap songs for a living.  But if you think about it, many of today’s big rappers like Lil Wayne and T.I.  are responsible for huge pop songs.  I also think this generation of songwriters has been influenced by rap as it has become more mainstream - that’s why the songs today are so conceptual.  Rap has definitely influenced storytelling in modern day mainstream music.  However, it was a bit strange (and funny) to see Johnny and Jackie’s rap moves

Breaking out of your comfort zone is a useful exercise in writing and in life.  Ultimately I thought the contestants did a good job, but Jackie’s song failed because it lacked any real truth; it was unrelatable. I think you can be funny but still deep and universal. She needed to tell us why she wanted to be a “Super Duper Rapper” and her motivation should have come from a real life experience. The other two songs were rooted in emotion and truth and that’s why they excelled.  I also loved the melody of “Walk Through Walls” (that was Scotty’s) and thought incorporating opera was a brilliant move.

It was tough to watch some of the contestants bash each other on tonight’s episode. I don’t like to see people cry or have their character attacked. When we filmed the episode, Jewel and I had no idea what was really happening behind the scenes. These types of actions definitely color and affect your perception of a person. I am glad I was unaware at the time as I probably would have been swayed toward and against certain contestants. This is the part of the show that does not emulate real life. If people don’t get along, they just don’t work together again. The contestants should take a lesson from Jess and Johnny, it seems a love-fest produces a better result .

How about the DRAMA this week? Who knew all that was going on. Johnny and Jess! Sounds like a good title for a doo-wop song.

I can remember the first sleazy hotel I pulled into when I first started going to Los Angeles to write songs.  I thought I would just wing it and find a room after my session. I of course ended up on Hollywood Boulevard at one in the morning, desperate for a hotel to grab a few hours of sleep.  When I finally got to my room, I was scared to fall asleep and kept waking up to check if my car was still outside…the things you’ll do for your dream.  I had to laugh when the show decided to give the contestants a dose of the reality of a songwriter in search of hits; nights in crap hotels seem to be a rite of passage. The contestants were definitely good sports and overall did a great job with this week’s challenge.

I thought the contestants really started to inject their personal experiences into their songs and that is the key to writing great songs. The best songs, which I call copyrights, are not just a bunch of words and melodies thrown together because they seem to fit.  Songs are not a random occurrence.  They should be coming from a place of truth, but still be relatable to the masses.

I thought Jackie’s hook was really headed in the right direction but the verses her team came up with needed to be stronger and that contributed to the song feeling more like music for a Hallmark commercial (which by the way, ain’t a bad thing but just not the goal here).

I thought Johnny and Jess’ teams both had songs that felt like they were written from an artist’s perspective.  They felt universal and yet unique to their experiences at the same time.  Jess’s melodies were breathtaking and Johnny’s lyrics and musical changes showed a musicality we had not seen on the show until this week.

I loved the debate that surfaced this week over what is more important- MELODY OR LYRICS. Songwriters I know everywhere always debate this issue. I have come to believe they are both equally important.

BEST LINES OF THE WEEK:

Johnny - “I’ll let these tire tracks talk dirt behind my back.”
Sonyae -”The only compass that I got is the beating of my own heart.”

Where better to begin Bravo’s new reality show Platinum Hit than the Songwriters Hall of Fame? Every working songwriter and artist aspires to be there.

People must be wondering how you can write a hook (chorus) in 30 minutes and if that is fair. Time pressure is unfortunately the reality of today’s songwriter. Many times in my career, I had only a few hours to work with an artist, as that said artist had flown in for the day just for our session. Those beginning moments of working with someone need to be inspired to set the song off in the right direction. You have to figure out a way to relate to each other and create a chemistry, even if you don’t naturally have one. That’s part of the gig. I know that most of my big songs such as, Cobra Starship’s “Good Girls Go Bad,” Ashlee Simpson’s “Pieces of Me,” and Celine Dion’s “Taking Chances,” have come within that 30 minute window. You’re either feeling it that day or not. When Nevin said, “The great artists are never rushed,” he may be right, but in the life of the songwriter (unfortunately) you better get used to it.

Jewel and I had high hopes for the Sonyae hook. First off, it was a universal statement: “Love It or Hate It?” Whenever I tell someone I live in Los Angeles, they always ask me, “Do you like it there?” It was also the most melodically relevant hook for today’s pop market. Unfortunately her team did not set the hook up properly when they finished the song and that affected the outcome.

I was happy for Nick and his team, although I have to say his attitude was a bit much. In the end however, he did have the goods to back it up. While we are not judging on performance, it’s important that the contestants arrange the song in a way that present it in the best light. Nick’s team did that. It had a strong melody, lyric and structure — all important parts in making a hit song.

You may be feeling that I was tough on the contestants, and I was — the goal is to create a hit, which is one of the hardest things to do.  Also, the music industry is full of rejection. Part of the goal in my mind is to get these contestants ready for the music business, which is cutthroat and competitive. If you only tell them how great they are (when they really aren’t at times) you’re not doing them any favors. They need to hear what they are doing wrong in order to correct it. As the show progresses, you will see the incredible strides they make because of our constructive criticism and how proud of them we are.

I hope you continue to tune in ’cause it gets better and better.

xo

Kara

Hey everyone! How are you guys? I’ve been doing great! These past few weeks have been very exciting…

On this Monday, May 30th at 10pm/9pm central, Platinum Hit premiers on Bravo! It’s a new reality show in search of America’s best songwriters; I am the head judge and Jewel is the host/judge. We all had such a great time filming, you are going to love the contestants. I’m excited for all of you to see.   Music and Drama - quite a combo.

Additionally, the memoir that I wrote, Helluva High note was released a few weeks ago! If you haven’t read yet, it is available on Amazon.com and in your local book stores. I hope it inspires you to find your own personal high notes and what really makes you happy. I’d love to know what you think, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Finishing up the new Jason Derulo album as we speak and his first single “Don’t Wanna Go Home” is off to a great start.  You can check it out on iTunes. x

Hey guys!

I hope everyone had a great summer, I sure did, it was busy busy busy as always!

The past few months I have been working hard with my artists Jason Derulo, Iyaz, Jason Reeves, and Neon Hitch. I am beyond excited for their new albums to come out.  I know you guys will love them and their music as much as I do. Later on this month I will also be in the studio with Theory of a Deadman, Colbie Caillat, Cobra Starship, Lee Deewyze, James Morrison, and a new act we just signed to Arthouse, Taylor & Tenille.

Speaking of Arthouse, we have been having huge success in the past few months! Our writer Ari Levine has been on fire, co-writing Bruno Mars’, “Just the Way You Are,” and “Nothin On You,” Travie McCoy’s “Billionaire,” Cee Lo’s  ”F*ck You,” and Mike Posner’s “Bow Chica Wow Wow.”  Another writer of ours, KC Livingston co-wrote Flo Rida’ s smash single “Club Can’t Handle Me” (ft. David Guetta). I’m so proud of them.

Also, be sure to watch Carrie Underwood’s music video for “Mama’s Song,” which was just released a few days ago (Click Here to watch the video). Her mother is in the video and it is very touching. The song was co-written by myself, Marti Frederiksen, Carrie and Luke Laird Also, the Play On Album was just nominated for CMA album of the year!

So many exciting things going on and thank you all SO much for your support!

Love,

Kara

Hey there! I can’t believe summer is over… Feels like just the other day when I was helping Claritin launch their Living Clear campaign! I have horrendous allergies (and rely on non-drowsy Claritin to relieve my symptoms) so we encouraged fellow allergy sufferers to tell their stories for a chance to STAR IN THEIR OWN VIDEO. Well, America voted and the winner is…Stephanie Gaines!

Check out her video debut here. Congrats Stephanie!