--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Well, what's interesting, I try not to…" description: "\"Well, what's interesting, I try not to think about the radio when I'm writing a song. I want people to love the song, and that means it might not be ex..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fc/john-legend-1666_about_well-what-s-interesting-i-try-not-to-thi_379153.png" --- # Well, what's interesting, I try not to think about the… ![“Well, what's interesting, I try not to think about the radio when I'm writing a song. I want people to love the song, and that means it might not be exactly thinking about the radio, but it's thinking about your audience and saying, 'I want people to like this song after it's done.'” quote by John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fc/john-legend-1666_about_well-what-s-interesting-i-try-not-to-thi_379153.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fc/john-legend-1666_about_well-what-s-interesting-i-try-not-to-thi_379153.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fc/john-legend-1666_about_well-what-s-interesting-i-try-not-to-thi_379153.png) > “Well, what's interesting, I try not to think about the radio when I'm writing a song. I want people to love the song, and that means it might not be exactly thinking about the radio, but it's thinking about your audience and saying, 'I want people to like this song after it's done.'” [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The artist tries not to focus on commercial success while writing, instead prioritizing audience connection and authenticity over market trends. **In simple terms:** Write for listeners, not charts. Key Takeaway Focus on genuine connection with listeners. Themes authenticity audience focus creative integrity music industry Mood thoughtful determined Type creative motivational When to use this quote - studio sessions - live performances - fan feedback loops Key Concepts songwriting listener empathy artistic intention Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance artistic vision with audience expectations? - What does authenticity mean to you as a creator? A Different Perspective Commercial pressures may still influence decisions; compromise may be inevitable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Radio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/radio/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Most of the time, you're writing for radio, you're writing for a label, you're writing to stick a hit, and you end up coming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/most-of-the-time-you-re-writing-for-radio-you-re-writing-for-a-label/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My first job on the radio was writing jokes for a Baltimore DJ called Johnny Walker, who was sort of a '70s era shock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-glass/my-first-job-on-the-radio-was-writing-jokes-for-a-baltimore-dj-called/) [Ira Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-glass/) > [I'm not thinking about what needs to be on the radio. I'm not thinking about anything other than - I'm just going to let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-mcknight/i-m-not-thinking-about-what-needs-to-be-on-the-radio-i-m-not-thinking/) [Brian McKnight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-mcknight/) > [“THE GAMBLER,THE NUN & THE RADIO He was thinking well, a little too well”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/the-gambler-the-nun-the-radio-he-was-thinking-well-a-little-too-well/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Air America Radio was thinking of hiring me, but they discovered something in my past that didn't sit well with them: radio experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-colmes/air-america-radio-was-thinking-of-hiring-me-but-they-discovered/) [Alan Colmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-colmes/) > [Once you get everything out of your head about what everybody else is going to think, will radio play it - and I hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-monroe/once-you-get-everything-out-of-your-head-about-what-everybody-else-is/) [Ashley Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-monroe/) > [I think radio's a beautiful thing, because it's all about the imagination, and it's all about the capability of the performer being able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paterson-joseph/i-think-radio-s-a-beautiful-thing-because-it-s-all-about-the/) [Paterson Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paterson-joseph/) > [I think there's good music out there. 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I think radio, done right, can have more influence and have a greater connection with people and be more deeply meaningful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-love-radio-i-think-radio-done-right-can-have-more-influence-and/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I still love the radio. I think the radio is still an important thing in music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caleb-shomo/i-still-love-the-radio-i-think-the-radio-is-still-an-important-thing/) [Caleb Shomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caleb-shomo/) > [You'd think that radio was around long enough that someone would have coined a word for staring into space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-glass/you-d-think-that-radio-was-around-long-enough-that-someone-would-have/) [Ira Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-glass/) > [There's definitely been some songs in the past that we've put out, and it was purely us going, 'Okay, we think radio will play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kelley/there-s-definitely-been-some-songs-in-the-past-that-we-ve-put-out-and/) [Charles Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kelley/) > [I think when you do radio there's a certain amount of freedom that when you walk in and sit down and turn the mic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-buck/i-think-when-you-do-radio-there-s-a-certain-amount-of-freedom-that/) [Joe Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-buck/) ## More by John Legend > [Some people, you know, should just go to college and do what they do and have a great job and not worry about trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/some-people-you-know-should-just-go-to-college-and-do-what-they-do/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [I guess a lot of times pressure is put on something after it becomes big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/i-guess-a-lot-of-times-pressure-is-put-on-something-after-it-becomes/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [The best way to fight poverty is to empower people through access to quality education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/the-best-way-to-fight-poverty-is-to-empower-people-through-access-to/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [My first album, 'Get Lifted,' was a hip-hop soul album that had some of its roots in the church, as far as the sonic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/my-first-album-get-lifted-was-a-hip-hop-soul-album-that-had-some-of/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [I don't like going to football games. 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