--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's still substance and depth, but we…" description: "\"There's still substance and depth, but we a have a different approach to what we think that lyrics to pop music can be.\" — Russell Mael" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/024/russell-mael-5251_depth_there-s-still-substance-and-depth-but-we_1910982.jpg" --- # There's still substance and depth, but we a have a… ![“There's still substance and depth, but we a have a different approach to what we think that lyrics to pop music can be.” quote by Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/024/russell-mael-5251_depth_there-s-still-substance-and-depth-but-we_1910982.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/024/russell-mael-5251_depth_there-s-still-substance-and-depth-but-we_1910982.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/024/russell-mael-5251_depth_there-s-still-substance-and-depth-but-we_1910982.jpg) > “There's still substance and depth, but we a have a different approach to what we think that lyrics to pop music can be.” [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Pop lyrics lack depth, but a new approach could restore substance while staying accessible. **In simple terms:** Pop music needs deeper lyrics, but can still be catchy. Key Takeaway Explore fresh lyrical strategies. Themes music creativity pop culture ly innovation Mood analytical optimistic critical Type musical creative critical When to use this quote - album production - songwriting workshops - music criticism Key Concepts songwriting artistic evolution cultural critique Questions to Reflect On - What lyrical changes would you make? - How can pop stay relevant without losing substance? A Different Perspective Balancing depth with mass appeal is challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Depth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depth/) [Depth Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depth-different-2877115/) [Different approach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-approach/) [Lyrics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lyrics/) [Lyrics Pop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lyrics-pop-2877114/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Pop music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pop-music/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Still](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/still/) ## Related quotes > [The melody seems to have gone to the country. The country music seems to still have melody and interesting lyrics. 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Lyrics to a pop song?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-kinsella/if-you-re-single-then-i-m-single-what-s-that-supposed-to-be-lyrics-to/) [Sophie Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-kinsella/) > [That album, 'Lil' Beethoven,' was special to us because we wanted to try to figure out a new context to place our music in,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/that-album-lil-beethoven-was-special-to-us-because-we-wanted-to-try/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [I don't really have a favorite genre. I could listen to a rock song, a metal song, jazz, pop music, whatever. For me, whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bakermat/i-don-t-really-have-a-favorite-genre-i-could-listen-to-a-rock-song-a/) [Bakermat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bakermat/) > [We've never tried to make timeless music like, say, Bruce Springsteen. 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If we think a child would do better in a different school, whether it's a specialized program or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-moskowitz/success-isn-t-ideal-for-every-child-if-we-think-a-child-would-do/) [Eva Moskowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-moskowitz/) > [We had to give each other permission to be different as parents. That's why there's a mom and a dad with two different approaches,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bridgette-wilson/we-had-to-give-each-other-permission-to-be-different-as-parents-that/) [Bridgette Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bridgette-wilson/) ## More by Russell Mael > [There are all these safety nets in pop music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/there-are-all-these-safety-nets-in-pop-music/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [Occasionally and all-too-infrequently a song comes along that jolts you and you prick up your ears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/occasionally-and-all-too-infrequently-a-song-comes-along-that-jolts/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [The unfortunate thing with COVID is that Ron's been working separately from me, but it hasn't stopped the flow of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/the-unfortunate-thing-with-covid-is-that-ron-s-been-working/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [I sing and Ron doesn't want to be the singer of the band, he's the keyboard player and predominant writer of the band. 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So we still kind of go at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/there-are-still-some-people-it-s-hard-to-believe-that-aren-t-aware/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [There was nothing radically different about what we were doing musically or image-wise, and yet in L.A. there'd been total indifference, so to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/there-was-nothing-radically-different-about-what-we-were-doing/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [Having an image was really important to us and that was kind of contrary to the bands in L.A. that we had grown up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/having-an-image-was-really-important-to-us-and-that-was-kind-of/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [As long as it elicits some kind of thought on the listener's part, that's good. 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And we don't think so much that they are;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/a-lot-of-times-people-ask-about-sparks-songs-are-they/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [Yeah, we've been offered lots of advice over the years about not moving on from something that is successful, but it's just in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/yeah-we-ve-been-offered-lots-of-advice-over-the-years-about-not/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) [Explore all 102 Russell Mael quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) ## More Depth quotes > [“It is not the force of the wind, but the depth of the roots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/it-is-not-the-force-of-the-wind-but-the-depth-of-the-roots/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [ The social \[media channel\] isn't about beauty contests and popularity contests. 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It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [Even mud gives the illusion of depth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/even-mud-gives-the-illusion-of-depth/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [It is easier to perceive error than to find truth, for the former lies on the surface and is easily seen, while the latter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/it-is-easier-to-perceive-error-than-to-find-truth-for-the-former-lies/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“depth of the riches both”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-w-tozer/depth-of-the-riches-both/) [A.W. 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But that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-van-patten/life-can-be-difficult-sometimes-it-gets-bumpy-what-with-family-and/) [Joyce Van Patten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-van-patten/) > [What really holds their marriage together are mutual respect of an awesome depth, a shared sense of humor, faith that they were brought together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/what-really-holds-their-marriage-together-are-mutual-respect-of-an/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [...a writer's works, like the water in an artesian well, mount to a height which is in proportion to the depth to which suffering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/a-writer-s-works-like-the-water-in-an-artesian-well-mount-to-a-height/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [The dark ages still reign over all humanity, and the depth and persistence of this domination are only now becoming clear. 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