Writing a music review is not as easy as it may appear at first glance. A review means sharing your impression and experience of something you’ve done, tasted, heard, etc. Yet, it should not be overly personal, biased, or one-sided. Such a piece should still have plenty of valuable information beyond your personal opinions. It should also be well-structured and clearly delivered, with strong arguments and research. Plus, most often, people tend to experience music rather than analyze it. Hence, it also adds extra pressure and challenges to the task. So, how does one write a review of a piece of music properly? Here is a step-by-step guide on writing a piece you will be proud of forever.
Listen
Of course, you should always start by experiencing the piece yourself. All reviews aim at describing something. Hence, your first step is to see what this piece of music is. Listen to it. Preferably do it at least twice—the first time listening to it to enjoy it. The second time (and all the following times) is for analysis.
So, open your mind and let go of any judgment during your first listening. See how music impacts you. What emotions does it call for? Pay attention to how your mind and body react. Do you want to move your hips? Do you go back to some nostalgic times or think of your loved ones? Does it do anything to you at all? All these questions already help you build the first impression and put it into words. Such feelings will serve as a basis for your future review.
Now, listen to it several more times. Start to break it down. Analyze the music, rhythm, lyrics, timing, pace, genre, voices, and all other elements that make this piece of music what it is. That’s how you can get to the core of the piece, to see what it really is, how it works, and why.
Gather facts
Now, your impression alone is not enough to do a professional review. So you better start digging. Read about the artist, their music career, genres they perform. Seek the inspiration behind this piece and the story of it coming to life. All these little details help enhance and emphasize the argument.
Perhaps, find other artists in the same genre to make a comparison. You don’t have to write the whole thing. But do it for yourself, as it will help you get deeper into the nature of the piece. Also, such research will help readers learn about the artist and understand their motivation, intention, and art in general.
Thus, after the piece introduction, feel free to talk about its creators. See what they have to say about the piece. Briefly mention their careers up to this point. Say who has been their inspiration at the beginning of their career. Small things like that are perfect for drawing the full picture you are trying to achieve here. You may even look at various free essay examples to see how detailed work always seems more professional and convincing.
Find an angle
A review is not a mere description of the piece. Otherwise, it will be just - a description. No, your review should have depth, research, arguments, and, of course, a thesis statement. Thus, you need an angle. Each review should have an approach to the story. You don’t just talk about the song you’ve heard. You analyze what it adds to the general music industry or its genre. You can explore the story behind it, connect it with current social issues, or explain why it shows progress in a musician's career. Overall, you need an angle to start and end a review. Such a special theme in a review makes it unique, interesting, and special.
Stay professional
Now, one of the greatest challenges of all expert reviewers is staying professional, unbiased, and honest throughout their work. Of course, we are all people and tend to have personal biases and opinions. Yet, they shouldn’t affect your work and reputation. So, keep things honest and objective. Whether you like or hate the genre you describe, whether you’ve been a fan for ages or just discovered a band, should not matter or take any place in the review. It’s irrelevant to the readers who just want to learn more about the piece of music you describe.
Edit
Last but not least, a good reviewer should always proofread and edit their work. It can be the most technical and frankly daunting part of the entire process. Yet, it is absolutely essential to edit your final draft. First, such a process will ensure no mistakes or typos remain in the article. Second, it’s your last chance to polish the work, soften all the edges, and improve on anything that can be improved.
Keep in mind that editing requires special skills and knowledge. So, don’t be shy to turn to professional help whenever you need it. For instance, you can read SpeedyPaper reviews on Sitejabber and choose a helper to your liking. But, overall, just make sure to send only perfected works to the readers.
Of course, you should always start by experiencing the piece yourself. All reviews aim at describing something. Hence, your first step is to see what this piece of music is. Listen to it. Preferably do it at least twice—the first time listening to it to enjoy it. The second time (and all the following times) is for analysis.
So, open your mind and let go of any judgment during your first listening. See how music impacts you. What emotions does it call for? Pay attention to how your mind and body react. Do you want to move your hips? Do you go back to some nostalgic times or think of your loved ones? Does it do anything to you at all? All these questions already help you build the first impression and put it into words. Such feelings will serve as a basis for your future review.
Now, listen to it several more times. Start to break it down. Analyze the music, rhythm, lyrics, timing, pace, genre, voices, and all other elements that make this piece of music what it is. That’s how you can get to the core of the piece, to see what it really is, how it works, and why.
Gather facts
Now, your impression alone is not enough to do a professional review. So you better start digging. Read about the artist, their music career, genres they perform. Seek the inspiration behind this piece and the story of it coming to life. All these little details help enhance and emphasize the argument.
Perhaps, find other artists in the same genre to make a comparison. You don’t have to write the whole thing. But do it for yourself, as it will help you get deeper into the nature of the piece. Also, such research will help readers learn about the artist and understand their motivation, intention, and art in general.
Thus, after the piece introduction, feel free to talk about its creators. See what they have to say about the piece. Briefly mention their careers up to this point. Say who has been their inspiration at the beginning of their career. Small things like that are perfect for drawing the full picture you are trying to achieve here. You may even look at various free essay examples to see how detailed work always seems more professional and convincing.
Find an angle
A review is not a mere description of the piece. Otherwise, it will be just - a description. No, your review should have depth, research, arguments, and, of course, a thesis statement. Thus, you need an angle. Each review should have an approach to the story. You don’t just talk about the song you’ve heard. You analyze what it adds to the general music industry or its genre. You can explore the story behind it, connect it with current social issues, or explain why it shows progress in a musician's career. Overall, you need an angle to start and end a review. Such a special theme in a review makes it unique, interesting, and special.
Stay professional
Now, one of the greatest challenges of all expert reviewers is staying professional, unbiased, and honest throughout their work. Of course, we are all people and tend to have personal biases and opinions. Yet, they shouldn’t affect your work and reputation. So, keep things honest and objective. Whether you like or hate the genre you describe, whether you’ve been a fan for ages or just discovered a band, should not matter or take any place in the review. It’s irrelevant to the readers who just want to learn more about the piece of music you describe.
Edit
Last but not least, a good reviewer should always proofread and edit their work. It can be the most technical and frankly daunting part of the entire process. Yet, it is absolutely essential to edit your final draft. First, such a process will ensure no mistakes or typos remain in the article. Second, it’s your last chance to polish the work, soften all the edges, and improve on anything that can be improved.
Keep in mind that editing requires special skills and knowledge. So, don’t be shy to turn to professional help whenever you need it. For instance, you can read SpeedyPaper reviews on Sitejabber and choose a helper to your liking. But, overall, just make sure to send only perfected works to the readers.
