It's one the most glamorous and competitive form of writing, but how do you talk about something so subjective and ardent topic.
I've done my time running indie record label, live music nights and DJing, but nothing filled me with as much joy as reviewing the fruits of everyone else's labours. I interviewed metal band Gallows, chart toppers Kasabian, legends Devo and the then up and coming Noisettes. I'm going to lie, it was nerve-wracking. But it was also a lot of fun.
I got to listen to Kanye's Yeezus two weeks before its release and I got to see Stevie Wonder live in Hyde Park, for a music lover like me, I was in my element. The problem with writing about music is it's so very personal to me. I love Gallows, but appreciate metal isn't everyone's cup of tea. I find Bjork one of the most innovative and exciting artists since Kate Bush, but she alienates a lot of people. And music is something that causes family feuds on road trips and insults to be thrown among friends.
Although I have a large spectrum of music I enjoy, from Little Mix and Gaga to Radiohead, Thomas Tallis and Thelonius Monk, there are genres and artists that sound like nails on a chalkboard to me, like Ed Sheeran, musical theatre and Taylor Swift.
The main trick is to write about music you love and/or are interested in, but don't dismiss opportunities to review Wicked because you'll clench your jaw all the way through. And don't be so arrogant to assume that just because you have impeccable taste in music, that you'll never get it wrong.
I also read lots of reviews, trying to pinpoint what it is I like about particular styles. For me, music is about emotive and evocative - whatever that may be, from school discos and heartbreak to imagined landscapes and fantasy lives. It's where I find my solace and inspiration. So I take my readers on the same journey, pulling them into my world or pointing out what I notice about a song, from a subtle ting or whirr of feedback that adds to the multi-layered voyage through an artist's musicality.
People don't care whether you like it or not, they want to know what to expect by regurgitating the symphony with words. It's like the blurb on the back of a book, have you given a good indication of what the album is about, what you'll get from it and if it's something you'll enjoy.
As with all copywriting, you're not writing for you - you're leading with the benefit and writing for you reader.
