Songwriting Secrets: How To Write A Song Like Michael Jackson

Billie Jean, Beat It, Will You Be There, Love Never Felt So Good, Earth Song, I Just Can’t Stop Loving You. All globally recognised, and acclaimed songs.

But what makes them great?

“People ask me how I make music. I tell them I just step into it. It’s like stepping into a river and joining the flow. Every moment in the river has its song. So, I stay in the moment and listen.” - Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson thrived in mystery. He believed that the more mysterious a star was, the more curiosity he generated from the public and the more attention he commanded.

“Deer are special because they hide. If they walked the streets like dogs no one would care.” An annotation in his handwriting reads on the pages of Robert Greene’s 48 Laws Of Power.

His love for mystery bordered secretiveness. Holding on dear to his formulas. Not sharing publicly certain tips and processes that made his art stand out from all the rest.

Nephew Taj Jackson in a Facebook live mentioned that his uncle shared some songwriting tips with him and that they were “a secret” and that he promised his uncle he would never share them.

Always yearning to get better, Jackson read extensively on songwriting, studying songs, dissecting them. From the Beatles, to folk…