Songwriting tips
How to write a chorus that sticks
The chorus is the only part of the song most people will remember. So why do so many writers leave it until last? Here is how professionals build a chorus — and how you can do it on your next track.
1. Start with the hook, not the verse
If you write verses first, you often run out of room for the idea. Try the opposite: sing the one line you want people to walk away humming. Build everything else — verses, pre-chorus, bridge — as a ramp that leads back to that line.
A strong hook is usually:
- Short — one to six words.
- Conversational — something someone would actually say.
- Repeatable — rhythmically simple enough to sing after one listen.
2. Make the chorus the highest point
Melody, energy, and lyric all need to lift at the chorus. The easiest way is contrast: if your verse sits low and conversational, push the chorus up into a higher, wider melody. If the verse is dense, strip the chorus back. Contrast creates arrival.
3. Repeat the title — but not pointlessly
Repetition is how memory works, but mindless repetition is how boredom works. Place your title or hook at the top of the chorus, then repeat it at the end. The middle can unpack the idea. Think of the hook as the door; the rest of the chorus is the room behind it.
4. Write the melody before the chords
Chords can make you predictable. If you hum a melody with no instrument in your hands, you will often find fresher shapes. Once the melody is strong, find chords that support it — not the other way around.
5. Keep the lyric emotional, not clever
The verse is where you are smart. The chorus is where you are honest. If someone has to decode your chorus, it will not survive the radio. Say one true thing in the simplest way you can.
6. Test it immediately
Play the chorus to someone who has never heard the song. Hum it to them. If they can sing any part of it back after one listen, you have a chorus. If they cannot, keep stripping until they can.
"The best choruses do not feel written. They feel like they were already there, and the song finally found them."
Need a chorus written on your track?
Carl Martin writes choruses and hooks for artists, producers, and labels. Send a rough track or idea. If he hears the song in it, he will write the chorus and sing it — no upfront fee, just a share if the record earns.