We all know that I love words. I mean obviously, right? I love to read, I enjoy writing. Words are my jam. Which is why it makes complete and total sense that when it comes to music, for me it’s all about the lyrics.

I know there are people out there who like a good bass beat. And those who like to hum a good melody. And even though I spent close to 10 years studying music when I was younger, for me it’s the words that are important. For a song to draw me in, it needs to tell a story.

I’m not saying that every song has to have a plot line, though most do, but the lyrics need to say something. It doesn’t have to be meaningful, like so many amazing ballads are, but it does need to make me feel it and get me invested in what the song actually says. The song can be fun or vulgar or rockin’, as long as the words speak to me, I’m there.

That brings me to one more key thing a song needs for me to love it… I need to actually understand the words being sung. I’m not talking about understanding the language, because there are some gorgeous songs in languages that I don’t speak that I love. I’m referring to when the singer either mumbles the words or gets right up on the mic so that it distorts what they’re saying and you can’t actually make anything out. I need some clarity.

So there you go, if the lyrics tell a story the speaks to my heart and the words are clearly sung, I’m going to like a song and probably listen to more by that artist. If you’re screaming into a mic and I can’t make out the words, or you repeat the same line 27 times and call it a song, I’m probably not.