How to write a catchy song that keeps your listeners hooked?

So what makes a song catchy? What makes it go TikTok viral? And what is the secret sauce behind these viral hits and vibey music? 

Now that we live in the age of the internet, we often find ourselves humming random song hooks and melodies. We hear a song once, and it’s instantly stuck in our heads. An interesting term used to describe this syndrome is “earworm music” - music that constantly plays in one’s head repeatedly, even when not actively listening to that particular piece of music.

Sounds like you? Well, we’ve all been there.

But it also makes us curious as to why that is.


So, we decided to break it down and dig deeper into the different aspects behind these catchy songs and viral hits. You might wanna try using some or all of these while making your next piece of music or writing your next song.

In this blog, we’re breaking it all down:

1. Make your song memorable and easy to remember
   
   
2. Write good lyrics - Use ‘Imagery’
   
   
3. Catchy melodies are predictable, so make them
   
   
4. Repeat parts of your song over and over again
   
   
5. Develop an emotional connection
   
   
6. Cultural significance in your music
   
   
7. Final Thoughts
   
   
   

1. Make your song memorable and easy to remember

Sometimes, simplicity is the key to easy and memorable song hooks. And songs that are easy to remember create viral hits and vibey music. This can take the form of melodies, production or lyrics. 

Here’s an effective thumb rule to keep in mind ~

1. Don’t use too many words
2. Use simple language 

Don’t make the choruses or even the verses, for that matter, too wordy. There’s no need for so many words or fancy vocabulary. Keep it simple, because that’s how you communicate most clearly and effectively.

Simple lyrics are easy for everyone to understand and therefore, a lot easier to remember and potentially, get stuck in someone’s head. 

Similar logic applies to melodies, chord progressions, composition and production as well. It’s great to have and play around, but it’s important to know when to stop. Overcomplicating things might only make the song sound more crowded and confusing. 

2. Write good lyrics - Use ‘Imagery’

This is an extension of the previous point to dig a little deeper and give you an applicable technique that you can use in your writing to create more vibey music. 
Songwriters often use a technique they like to call “Imagery”, where you basically describe an image. You paint a picture of a scenario by describing parts of it. 

This makes the listener's job very easy as they can immediately visualize what you are saying, and can instantly make the song more memorable.

This is by far one of the most effective ways to hook the listeners. You can observe artists using this technique for a lot of catchy songs and viral hits. 

Here are some quick examples:

• “Lying on the grass and staring at the sky”, 
• “Stargazing under the moonlit sky”
  
• “Long drive with windows down and wind in my hair” 
  
• “Dancing in the rain to forget all the pain”

I bet you had a very clear image in your brain while reading those lines. That’s the goal - to instantly paint a picture in the listener’s mind, which helps them remember the song easily.

One of my favorite examples of an artist using this technique is from the song ‘Castle on the Hill’ by Ed Sheeran:

3. Catchy melodies are predictable, so make them

Something you might not realize is that catchy songs and viral hits are often very predictable in terms of their composition. This might get a little technical, but if you know a bit about the theory behind music, then this can be extremely helpful. If not, this might give you a good starting point. 

When composing the song, starting or ending on the root notes of the key makes a song feel very complete. Using notes that form a perfect cadence to finish a song creates a feeling of closure and resolution. Using the right chord progressions in the right order and intervals can help in evoking a certain mood or emotion. 

All of these simple things can create a big difference in your music, which you might or might not already be doing. But being conscious about it can help you be intentional while creating.

4. Repeat parts of your song over and over again

What makes “earworm music” an earworm is the repetition. Most of the songs that go TikTok viral have catchy and repetitive melodies or patterns in their hooks/choruses.

One of the methods our brain uses to learn and remember something is repetition. So if you connect the dots, you realize that a catchy song needs a strong hook that repeats itself multiple times in the song.

The human brain desires familiarity, so when you repeat a particular lyric or melody over and over again, it makes us ready and prepared for the next time it plays, and when it does, we know exactly what the tune is, to be able to sing along with it. This is practically the recipe for viral hits and vibey music.

Take the song ‘Watermelon Sugar High’ by Harry Styles for example. This is what the chorus lyrics looks like:


…and it had us hooked, didn’t it?

5. Develop an emotional connection

At the end of the day, we’re all humans, and human beings are social animals. It is by nature’s design that we are inclined to communicate, interact and form connections. So keep this in mind when you’re making your next song.

You don’t just blindly wanna make music for the sake of putting a song out, you wanna connect with people. Think about the story or the message you want to communicate to the people listening to your music, and start from there.

More often than not, catchy songs come with really catchy lyrics. It could be fun, quirky or sad and heartbreaking, but it most definitely is relatable, which makes people go “Damn, I know what they’re talking about. I feel them”.

Adele, for example, has an amazing interview where talks about her process behind writing her album ‘18’ and how it felt like therapy, because she really delved deep to bring out raw and honest emotions.



People can differentiate real and authentic from the fake and superficial very easily. So be true to who you are and what you stand for, because people who agree and relate to that vulnerability will connect to it.

6. Cultural significance in your music

Something that might not seem too obvious but often plays a huge role in making a song viral is the cultural significance. A lot of times, the language or references to an artist’s culture and background might make the song significantly more relatable for that particular community of people. 

This also blends in the aspects of familiarity and emotional connection that we discussed before. Since we as humans seek comfort in what is known, it immediately helps us connect better. A song that talks about or inculcates their culture in some way is bound to attract a stronger connection from the listeners who relate, giving it a higher potential of turning into a hit.

Final Thoughts

Everything we covered here are small changes that might make a big difference. This should give you a lot of room for thought when writing or composing your next song. You might already be using a lot of ideas, or you might not. Either way, the goal is to be intentional with your writing so you are aware of what it is that actually makes a song catchy. Try incorporating these to make better music that connects with people, and who knows, maybe your next song will be the upcoming viral hit! 

We at GreaseRelease, have a bunch of curators on our network who are looking for new & exciting music to push on their massive playlists. If you make music and want to reach a wider audience, check out our submission platform and get a chance to reach millions of listeners! Submit your tracks now!