The art of songwriting is sometimes not recognised as well as it should be. After all, One Direction don't magically just pop into the charts impromptu. It takes work (on the behalf of their writers). The ability to combine a distinct and memorable melody with interesting lyrics is vital in creating a hit. Forget your music videos and forget your tweets, this is what real music is about and here at Collegetimes, we are bringing you the best songwriters of our time (since 1988, a generation roughly). We will count down the top ten which we have scrutinised over for some time now with regards to style, lyrical content, melody, relevance, diversity and originality, beginning with Matt Bellamy of Muse.
Born in 1978, this man was the son of one, George Bellamy, a member of a band called the Tornados. The band's single "Telstar" was famously the first hit by a British band to reach the #1 spot in the US, in late 1962. Its sound was clearly not wasted on the next generation too. "Knights of Cydonia" was composed to reflect the style of that single and it too, would become a hit in 2006. It was just one of many songs that would reflect all Muse had to offer and Matt Bellamy, the band's core composer and lyricist, never felt like walking the safe path.
Matt branched out into the area of music quite early. Muse were a band when Matt was but a teenager and though he was at first reluctant to sing, he soon found his way with his now recognisable tenor that stands so distinctively away from the kind of voice you would associate with rock. His register is remiscent of Thom Yorke though and for that reason, Muse have often been linked to Radiohead, if unfairly. Muse's game has always been more bombastic than artistic, with influences from the likes of Queen and classical composers being the basis for the energy they bring to the studio. From even Showbiz (their debut, 1999), it was evident that they were no shoegazing entity. "Muscle Museum" reigned heavy with a strong riff and perplexing emotion. "Unintended" was a tender moment, to be frank, but hardly the kind of tune that would dominate sets.
Matt Bellamy was largely unrecognised to begin with and while Muse enjoyed moderate success with successive albums Origins of Symmetry and Absolution, it wasn't until 2006 with Black Holes and Revelations that he emerged as a force to be reckoned with. Here, it could be seen with the singles. "Supermassive Black Hole" was a riff-led rocker with a hint of the Muse formula for originality. "Starlight" was a pop-friendly rock-tune with a piano hook that captured the radio's attention. "Knights of Cydonia" was the natural set-closer, in all its majesty, becoming something of an anthem for Guitar Hero fans when it was featured. This comparison is not only representative of that particular album however. For over a decade now, Bellamy has been expanding on a number of different sounds. There will always be classic Muse crowd-pumpers ("Hysteria," "Plug In Baby," "Uprising," "Supremacy") but there will also be slow phone-light-ups ("Explorers"), electronica ("Undisclosed Desires") and music you would never even expect from a rock band ("Unsustainable," "The Exegenesis Symphony"). There's simply no such thing as being too "out there."
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Lyrically, Matt Bellamy is perhaps a shade too bizarre for the common folk. He is known to peruse the possibilities of needing a fall-out shelter(see Q interviews), rising against the Government and such... There are love songs too, albeit with strange titles ("Neutron Star Collision") but ultimately, his lyrics are known for their outlandish yet exciting flair.
I think I'm drowning, asphyxiated I wanna break this spell that you've created You're something beautiful, a contradiction I wanna play the game, I want the friction
-"Time Is Running Out"
By all means, he's not devoid of duds (Resistance largely divided fans' opinions) but you have to admire, even if you don't like Muse, the air of intensity and carnage Matt Bellamy brings to the music scene. After all, who else would dare to release a song like this for the Olympics?
Thank you for reading. We will be back with #9 next week. Here's a clue: it's not Taylor Swift. Please comment below you own top 10, or your own opinions on Matt Bellamy and what his finest work is.
