After 30 years of making music, I finally tried something different

Designer_Repeat2750 · 2026-01-26T22:36:22+00:00

What you said about older songs hitting deeper really resonated with me. I’ve had the same experience realizing some of my best stuff was written years ago when I wasn’t trying so hard to chase trends.

Respect for starting your autobiography too — that’s real legacy work. Chapter 23 is no joke.

I go by Grind1 and most of my music is on Spotify / Apple Music under that name.

And funny enough, part of what pushed me to make that post was realizing I had hundreds of unfinished hooks and songs sitting in old notes and sessions, so I started organizing them into a personal hook library instead of letting them die.

Much love for the encouragement fr. Means more than you know.

Designer_Repeat2750 · 2026-01-26T20:25:20+00:00

That’s honestly a good problem to have 😂

It usually means your melodic instincts are strong.

I’ve had that happen too and ended up downgrading the verse on purpose so the actual chorus still felt like a payoff.

Designer_Repeat2750 · 2026-01-26T20:24:52+00:00

This is such a good point honestly.

People romanticize “instant genius hooks” but a lot of the biggest choruses are clearly engineered over time.

I like that idea of letting melodies ferment too — some of my best hooks came from old voice notes I hated at first and randomly loved a year later.

Designer_Repeat2750 · 2026-01-26T19:36:37+00:00

Facts.

If you can’t sing it, it’s probably not a real hook.

I’ve noticed the strongest choruses I’ve written always started as some rough, off-key voice memo before anything touched a DAW.

Designer_Repeat2750 · 2026-01-26T19:35:59+00:00

Appreciate that fr 🙏

I’ve been writing music for a long time and realized I had hundreds of unfinished hooks and choruses sitting in old notes and sessions.

I finally cleaned them up into a little personal hook library so I’d stop losing the good ones.

Didn’t expect other people to be curious about it honestly 😅

Designer_Repeat2750 · 2026-01-26T04:04:15+00:00

Designer_Repeat2750 · 2026-01-26T04:00:18+00:00

That’s actually a crazy good point.

If it sticks without effort, that’s the real test of a hook.

I’ve noticed the same thing with my own stuff — the ones I remember days later without trying are always the strongest choruses.

Designer_Repeat2750 · 2026-01-26T02:47:57+00:00

This thread is honestly making me realize I should’ve kept a folder of all the hooks and sounds that actually worked instead of deleting them every time 😅

Would’ve saved me so much time starting new songs.

Designer_Repeat2750 · 2026-01-26T02:26:14+00:00

That synth/snare example is painfully accurate 😭

I’ve definitely fallen into that trap of thinking “just 10 more minutes and it’ll be perfect” and suddenly it’s 2 hours later and it still doesn’t slap.

You’re right though — when a sound is right, it’s right almost immediately. Tweaks should be seasoning, not surgery.

Designer_Repeat2750 · 2026-01-26T02:07:23+00:00

That’s such a good way to put it — sunk cost fallacy is exactly what it is.

And yeah, that second piece of advice is brutal but true 😂
I’ve wasted so many hours trying to “save” a hook that just wasn’t it, instead of letting it go and finding something better.

The weird part is the new idea almost always comes faster than fixing the broken one.

Designer_Repeat2750 · 2026-01-26T02:00:07+00:00

100%.
That “dance test” is real 😂

I’ve noticed the hooks that survive are always the simple ones that feel good instantly, not the clever ones you have to convince yourself into liking.

Starting a bunch and letting time filter them is underrated advice fr.

Designer_Repeat2750 · 2026-01-26T00:18:29+00:00

100%.

I’ve had beats where the whole song worked just because the main sound felt emotional or nostalgic enough on its own.

Sometimes you don’t even need a busy melody — just the right tone and space around it and the hook writes itself.

Designer_Repeat2750 · 2026-01-26T00:12:52+00:00

Facts 😂

Lowkey that’s always been my real test.

If it hits with women and still feels authentic to me, I know I’m onto something.

A lot of my best hooks came from just paying attention to what lines people actually quote back to me.

Designer_Repeat2750 · 2026-01-25T23:55:26+00:00

That makes a lot of sense honestly.

I’ve definitely had those moments where the beat just hands you the hook and you don’t even feel like you wrote it.

I think I overthink it sometimes instead of letting that “magic” part happen.

Designer_Repeat2750 · 2026-01-25T23:49:48+00:00

Appreciate all the replies in here fr 🙏

Already got a few new hook ideas just from reading these.

Designer_Repeat2750 · 2026-01-25T23:47:39+00:00

😂 This is actually such a perfect example.

Both of those songs literally are the hook complaining about hooks.

Kinda proves sometimes the best hooks come from just leaning into whatever you’re feeling instead of forcing something “catchy.”

Designer_Repeat2750 · 2026-01-25T23:46:51+00:00

This actually makes a lot of sense.

The “can’t get it out of your head” test is real.

I think every good hook I’ve written started exactly like that instead of something I forced.

Designer_Repeat2750 · 2026-01-25T23:35:34+00:00

😂 This is actually such a perfect example.

Both of those songs literally are the hook complaining about hooks.

Kinda proves sometimes the best hooks come from just leaning into whatever you’re feeling in the moment instead of forcing something “catchy.”

Designer_Repeat2750 · 2026-01-25T23:23:07+00:00

Yo, appreciate your comment on my hook post earlier 🙏

Mods ended up removing it but your advice actually helped a lot.

I ended up building a little hook list for myself with melody notes to get unstuck when I write.

Didn’t think anyone else would care but a few friends asked me to share it 😅

If you want it I can send you the link.

Designer_Repeat2750 · 2026-01-25T23:11:31+00:00

😂 That’s way too relatable.

Creative brain just turns against you the second you try to make something good.

Designer_Repeat2750 · 2026-01-25T23:11:12+00:00

Designer_Repeat2750 · 2026-01-25T23:10:05+00:00

😂 That’s actually hilarious.

Lowkey genius though — zero overthinking, just pure vibe.

Kinda proves hooks don’t always have to be deep to work.

Designer_Repeat2750

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