How do you approach writing songs for artists with a completely different style or genre than your own?

I think that, it's important as a songwriter or a producer, to not have a "genre of your own" per se. Because this is an unnecessary limitation. A truly good songwriter, knows that beneath the facade of the "genre", "style", or instruments being used in a song, there is the essense which is "the song". What you get when you play that song on an acoustic guitar or piano.

A good song can be placed into many genres and still work. The melody simply has to have the power to carry the song even without the production. 

Despite this, if I come across a buyer requesting a genre I have never done before, I expose myself to that genre by listening to more of it. I try to understand the key elements which make that genre tick. 

For example, in synthwave, 

- Get a big snare with a gated reverb

- Get a big electronic kick which has a lot of low end AND some high end 

- Get an analog synth line to go abbb abbb abbb abbb (with a being the kick doing four on the floor and b being 3 notes of bass)

Boom you have synthwave. The rest of the production doesn't matter, if you use this as the foundation of a synthwave song, it will sound like synthwave no matter what else you add.

Many genres have key elements like this, you just need to understand how to disect a song.

Listen to all genres that exist! You will be able to write about literally everything in a good way if you study genres of all kind. I often close my eyes and feel what story could be built around and into the song, even if I'm not so much into the genre. To me, it's all about pictures in the head and emotions which the lyrics can project and bring the music to life!

Since I'm not only a songwriter but also a producer, vocalist, audio engineer and musician, I think it's incredibly important to be as open minded as I can be in this profession.

This reflects in my history as a consumer of music as well. I listen to everything from top 40 pop to Mozart and Beethoven, Punk Rock, Post Hardcore, the Beatles, various Indie Pop sub-genres and whatever children's music my kids wanna listen to.

I derive something positive from ALL of these genres. Whether it's production quality, vocal performance, interesting arrangement, musicality, beautiful melodies...

The options are infinite. Long story short, to answer the initial question, I don't have any specific approach for writing in different styles, cause I love all of them. It's a matter of putting myself in the shoes of the artist and conveying the vision and emotions they wanna convey. That's ultimately what matters in songwriting, production, vocal delivery and mixing/mastering as well as even promotion.

Everything tastefully. Always.

I kick things off by asking for references and diving into their music. I really listen to their tracks to get a feel for their vibe, lyrics, and what makes their sound unique, I then analyse the themes and structures in their songs, picking up on their lyrical style and melody construction. This helps me create something that feels authentic to them. Collaboration is key, so I chat with the artist about their vision and what they want from the song. That back-and-forth helps me align my ideas with their direction. From there, I experiment with blending my style with theirs, mixing elements from both genres to create something fresh. It’s all about finding that common ground while still keeping their sound intact. In the end, I aim for a balance that feels true to both the artist and me, ensuring the final product resonates with their audience while still having my unique touch!

When writing songs for artists with a completely different style or genre than my own, I start by immersing myself in their music. I listen closely to their sound, vocal style, and lyrical themes to understand what resonates with their audience. It’s important to stay true to the artist’s identity while still bringing something fresh to the table. I also keep an open dialogue with the artist, ensuring the song aligns with their vision. By combining their style with my songwriting skills, I’m able to create something authentic that still pushes creative boundaries.