Artists make so many different songs during the creative process for an album. Oftentimes, it's extremely overwhelming to really get a gauge for what song could truly be a hit. What makes the most sense given the theme of a record? What truly represents what the artist has to say? It's natural to ask someone like Cody Johnson this question after walking away with Album of The Year at the CMA Awards. Moreover, he had two songs nominated for Song of The Year at the big awards show. He would know firsthand how to pick just the right songs.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Cody Johnson Breaks Down His Process Behind Picking Hits
Recently, Cody Johnson spoke with Billboard's Tetris Kelly on the CMA Red Carpet. There, the interviewer asks how and when the country crooner knows he has a hit on his hands. Apparently, there's no big secret to it. Rather, it's all an instinctual process for him. Moreover, he likens it to deciding whether or not a romantic partner is really right for him. "I don't know, there's something in my DNA that when I hear one, I'm just like, 'That's it.' And I don't know, maybe it's something I've developed over time," Cody says.
"But then I also kind of go, and I don't mean this derogatory, but you love it or hate it. Think about it if you were picking a spouse. Maybe I do? Maybe I love them; maybe it will work itself out. No, you either love them or you don't," Cody explains.
Additionally, Johnson doesn't always write his own records. Sometimes, he trusts the minds of different songwriters and sees how their ideas match with his own. Consequently, it causes him to look long and hard at whether or not a song is right for him. However, it doesn't quite bother him that others have passed on them before him. All that matters is if it works for Cody specifically. "And a lot of people have already passed on these songs. I've been asked, 'Does it bother you that somebody else has already passed on it?' And I'm like, 'No, because it wasn't for them.' I know it's for me," he adds.
