John Mayer Reveals Strict Standards Behind the Composition of His Hit Songs

JAKARTA - Musician and US-based pop-blues star John Mayer has revealed the secrets behind his creative kitchen in creating a series of timeless hit songs.

The seven-time Grammy winner revealed a very strict curation standard, where he did not hesitate to throw away dozens of song materials if they did not meet the qualifications he set for himself.

According to Mayer, a quality song must have the ability to automatically spin in the creator's memory, without having to be forced.

"My rule is, if you come home and can't sing that song after working on it for eight hours, it's not going to be a good song," Mayer said, quoting a video uploaded to the LIFE with John Mayer Instagram account, Friday, January 2.

For him, a song is a form of energy transfer from the beginning to the end. If there is a leakage of focus or boredom when listening to it, then the song is not worth releasing to the public.

"If I like the song enough, like put it into the mixing and mastering process, it's a good song," he added.

Furthermore, Mayer explained the phenomenon he called "dying on the table". He admitted to having a stockpile of songs that had never been released because of the loss of "life" during the recording process.

"That's what I call 'dead on the table'. Songs are dead on the table. And I have 30 to 40 songs that haven't been released," said Mayer.

This high standard is the reason why John Mayer's discography is always considered solid by music critics. He argues that his best songs always feel like they pass quickly, which triggers the listener's desire to play it back again and again.

"My best songs feel quickly finished. You want to hear them again. There's no boring part," he concluded.