If you listen carefully, hitting the play button and settling down unselfconsciously as you observe the ambiance get filled with a sound born of some instruments and some voice to go with it, you would be forgiven for playing down the sheer level of work that was involved to get the sound to be exactly what it is and if you knew how much work went into it, you wouldn’t call it genius. And yet what makes genius-level performances in music is a delicate balance between the mastery of the sound production and the mixing and proficiency of the different musical parts to come up with one surprisingly astonishing product that no matter its rhythm, harmony or melody, it’ll still impact listeners the way an artist intended it to.

Have you ever sat down and wondered what an insightful music review is like? How can one write a music review? What is the right combination of words to use? And other numerous stuff that makes a music review stand out; well, we have got you covered.

As a music reviewer myself I will try to take you on an expedition of what music review entails. I don’t profess it’s everything but it’s substantive to anyone who would be willing to string some words together to try and describe the impact some music had on them, for believe it or not every other type of music influences people differently. This is one of the intriguing phenomenons of music! So as you dive into your favorite track with a wide splash, you might as well try to understand what makes that track your favorite track.

Listen to the music until you are sick of it

For you to review a song it is a no brainer that you must first have listened to the track or in other words, you must listen to the track and when I say listen I really do mean listening wholeheartedly and being heavily invested in the track, you cannot simply skim through a track and purport to understand it!

The first thing you do is to listen to the whole of the track and try to make out the feelings it evokes on you. You have to open yourself to its aura and melodicism and let it inflict its emotions on you appropriately. While at it you may try to figure out which category it lies but you have to understand that many artists do not like limiting their tracks to any one type of genre. Some tracks are genre-defying and transcend the musical and lyrical boundaries of any one genre. It is the responsibility of a music reviewer to discern the various genre qualities of the music they intend to review.

Some of the music is multi-genre and has been mastered by melding various genre-specific qualities together to come up with one all-encompassing sound. It would therefore be wrong to condemn such work to one type of music genre. It feels like an insult to the artist and all their team behind the scenes who work tirelessly hard to mesh together the different striking sounds to come up with one transcendental masterpiece.

This is not to say that genre is not important, in fact, it is one of the most principal things you have to consider before reviewing a song to get the quintessential quality that will separate your song from the innumerable genres available in music.

Some of the common genres you get to interact with as a reviewer include; pop, indie, hip-hop, Country, Gospel, Soul, R&B, EDM, folk, Funk, Reggae, Latin, all forms of Rock, Jazz, Classical, Afrobeat, Dubstep, Contemporary, Dance, … the list is endless.

The significance of genre is that while some tracks may be genre-defying, they carry certain qualities in their details that at least place them somewhere. For example, as a listener, you can clearly differentiate a country track from a track that borrows heavily its qualities from reggaeton or even Hip-hop or R&B.

After listening to the track and deciphering its categorization, you know move to another cardinal step that requires keen attention; you have to try and make out some of the conspicuous instrument detail that has been used in that song.

Of course, digital production has changed the way music is mastered, produced, and mixed seeing that now we have sophisticated electronic beatmakers, but all the same most of this music still integrates the organic instruments and molds them to the digital samplers and makers so as to come up with a fully integrated musical sound. Some of the tracks simply utilize one or very few instruments and it is very vital that it comes out perfectly well the kind of instruments that were used in making a song.

This helps to build up a vivid image to a reader so that they can feel the sound and have an idea of what to expect even before clicking on the attached links for the tracks. Some of the instruments are synonymous with some genres and seeing that artists invest heavily to make their tracks stand out, vital research is necessary to understand which instruments are used where.

Apart from Classical compositions and/or instrumentals, most music has vocals complimenting them and they almost always integrate with the instruments on display to fashion music that sits well rhythmically, harmonically, and melodically. For example, a track that features the careful balance of pop accessibility with noise, experimentation with pop music formulae, sensitive lyrics masked by powerful vocal hooks has an improvised authenticity to it.

Some rock music is more melodic, less abrasive, and relatively angst-free and even some of the modern underground hip-hop eschew the unprecedented contrast from the gritty and serious tones of the previous underground hip-hop style. As a music reviewer you have to describe the sweetness and catchiness of the track, where the gist lies, how vocals sound and so on.

The essence of instrumentation comes through again because we have to differentiate the lone wolf from the pack. For instance, band music features a plethora of instruments such as guitars, drums, tambourines, cello, violin, trumpet, piano, and many other complex instruments.

As a reviewer, you have to be very careful and not assume that certain instruments have been already used for that may not be the case. If indeed you are not sure of the type of instrument used or it has not been specified, it is safe to avoid mentioning it all together rather than mention it and get it all wrong. Some tracks integrate complex sounds to add color and depth to their tracks such as the 808’s, 4/4 time signature, four-on-floor-beat patterns, claps, hats, snares. These are very technical sounds that producers know how to integrate, so unless you are very certain of their integration, it would only be sagacious to describe the general feel of the instruments like how well they are arranged or how they sit in the mix. This is way better and more convenient than overstepping your reach as a reviewer and getting it all wrong.

Like I mentioned before, some of the instruments are quintessential with some genres; for instance, the mandolin is highly effective in Country music, the call and response majorly come through in Soul music and the extra percussion of an electric guitar is substantially used in most rock songs. This does not mean that these are the only sounds that boast these instruments; you may find call and response in a hip-hop beat, a mandolin in a folk song, and an electric guitar in a pop medley.

What I mean to say is that a reviewer should never assume things and you have to allow a certain degree of flexibility when dealing with any type of song for if anything, the modern musical era has truly proved to us is that music can be greatly improvised to the satisfaction of the artist. So before reviewing a song you have to forget everything you thought you knew about certain genres and allow your mind the time and space to be creative.

Identify a focus for your review.

Theme is also very crucial in music and as a reviewer it is your job to discern the themes being brought forward by the track either from its title, the video (for video reviews) and decipher the power and potency of the message the artist is trying to put across.

All music is about something and even for the Classical instrumentals, the theme lies in the title and the instruments themselves, whether joyous, emotional or melancholic. You can tell with the way the melody ebbs and flows throughout the track.

For music video reviews, you have to pay keen attention to the visuals, the cinematographic imagery, the variety of locations on display, the dancing and choreography (if any) and the whether the underlying concept both in symbolism and storyline is coming out expressively so as to highlight the song’s theme. Some of these and many more as a reviewer may deem fit are what constitutes a decent music review.

Music is an intriguing phenomenon that transcends beyond all possible human barriers to influence and cause awe across the vast universe and oceans. Music is a language on its own that the whole world speaks and that is why you find people vibing to music composed in entirely strange language and yet they find something to indulge in. From the daring rhythm of the music boasting danceable quality to the more calm, refreshingly and intimately soothing type and even the classical/instrumental types that are mood-evoking in their own unique way, one thing is certain; sipping some aura from all this musical entanglement makes sure a listener is well hydrated and stays at their best frame of mind. As you tap dance your way across the floor of your house or move your body echoing the beat in your car, flail your arms manically and groove intensely to some music in a club or even enjoy it at the comfort of your home or meditate through it headphones plastered between your ears; it does not matter how, it only matters that that music wields such enormous influence and power over its listeners!

To familiarize yourself with music reviewing, there are scores of such posts under the ‘music review’ section on our magazine from which one can learn a great deal on how to navigate through music reviewing. I hope this helps and I wish all our esteemed readers copious amounts of joy and success in all their endeavors. Thank you!

Tips in Writing a Good Music Review

1. Listen to the music until you are sick of it

2. Identify a focus for your review.

3. Start with a catchy lead.

4. Give a brief synopsis of the music.

5. Begin discussing the album’s strong points.

6. Discuss the album’s weak points.

7. End with a strong conclusion.

Good music reviews are fun to write and read, so do it right!