A song is a piece of music intended to be sung. It may be for a solo singer or for a lead singer supported by backup vocalists (although in classical music these would usually be termed an aria and recitative). In general, the term “song” is used even when there are no words, although some of the large musical vocal forms such as opera use the phrase “opera”.
A good song will make the listener feel something in response to it. It might cause them to dance, cry, sing along or just stop and listen. A great song will be remembered and listened to again and again. There are a number of ways that musicians build songs to create these reactions in their listeners, but some of the key parts are the hook, bridge, chorus and the end.
The hook is a one-liner that sticks in the listener’s head, ideally with both a memorable melody and a strong lyrical message. It can also be called a refrain, and it is often found in the chorus. A great hook can become an earworm; you might find yourself randomly humming it all day.
A bridge is a section of the song that differs from the verse and chorus in some way – it can be longer or shorter, it could contain lyrics or be instrumental, or it might simply offer a change of pace. This section of the song is known by many different names, such as a Climb, Rise, Pre-Chorus, Channel or Prime, but the overall effect is to shift up a gear in emotional intensity. The bridge will often differ from the verse and chorus in melodic, harmonic and rhythmical terms too.