Steal This Song | Creative Songwriting & Production Podcast

Friedemann Findeisen (Holistic Songwriting)

Every hit leaves clues. In Steal This Song, master songwriter and producer Friedemann Findeisen breaks down breakout hits to uncover the techniques that make them impossible to ignore. Lyrics, Chords, Melodies, Production. Each episode explores practical songwriting and production techniques you can adapt, remix, and “steal” for your own music — from unforgettable hooks and emotional contrast to arrangement, texture, momentum, and lyrical framing. Whether you’re an artist, producer, topliner, or obsessive music fan, Steal This Song helps you hear music differently — and gives you concrete tools to write songs people remember.

Episodes

  1. May 20

    Lola Young’s “Messy” Is Brilliantly Unstructured | Steal This Song

    Lola Young’s “Messy” breaks a surprising number of songwriting “rules” — and that’s exactly why it works. In this episode, we dive deep into the writing and production techniques that make the song feel so raw, human, and addictive. We explore the conversational lyric style, the unusual verse structure, the hidden storytelling mechanics, the tension-filled chord progression, and the production choices that keep the song emotionally escalating without ever losing its intimacy. One of the biggest ideas in this breakdown is what I call “ramble realism” — a technique where lyrics feel spontaneous and messy on the surface while still being carefully crafted underneath. It’s a powerful way to make songs feel more alive, personal, and believable. We also look at: Why the chorus works from two emotional perspectives at onceHow the melody flows like real speech without losing hookinessWhy the production feels both chaotic and controlledHow tension and release are created harmonically and emotionally throughout the track Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Lola Young's “Messy” 07:16 Verse Structure and Storytelling 18:18 Dual Perspectives in Chorus 24:03 Chord Progression and Tension 32:17 Production and Energy Curve 38:15 Interpretation of the Song Want to write more lyrics without overthinking yourself into paralysis? Download my free guide “Fill That Page” here: Fill That Page – Free Lyric Writing Guide

    24 min

About

Every hit leaves clues. In Steal This Song, master songwriter and producer Friedemann Findeisen breaks down breakout hits to uncover the techniques that make them impossible to ignore. Lyrics, Chords, Melodies, Production. Each episode explores practical songwriting and production techniques you can adapt, remix, and “steal” for your own music — from unforgettable hooks and emotional contrast to arrangement, texture, momentum, and lyrical framing. Whether you’re an artist, producer, topliner, or obsessive music fan, Steal This Song helps you hear music differently — and gives you concrete tools to write songs people remember.