Yé-Yé Songwriting Advice

Want to write a song that sounds like Audrey Hepburn if she sneaked into a Parisian jukebox and made out with a synth? You are in the right place. Yé-Yé is that cheeky, sugar coated, lipstick and cigarette lighter era of pop from France in the 1960s. It sounds innocent but it can deliver savage emotional precision if you know the moves. This guide gives you a complete playbook to write Yé-Yé inspired songs that feel authentic, modern, and ridiculously catchy.

Everything here is written for artists who want to write songs that feel like a postcard you can dance to. You will get cultural context, lyric strategies, melody and harmony tips, production notes, arrangement maps, real world scenarios to make every concept stick, and exercises you can do in the next 30 minutes. We explain terms like Yé-Yé, topline, prosody, and A and R in plain language so you can use them without sounding like a music school tax audit. Expect jokes, zero pretension, and practical steps you can apply to the next track you finish.

What Is Yé-Yé

Yé-Yé is a French pop movement from the early 1960s built on teenage exuberance, catchy hooks, and a television friendly image. The name comes from the English exclamation yay yay or yeah yeah used in rock and roll. Yé-Yé artists like Françoise Hardy, Sylvie Vartan, and France Gall blended swing, jazz, early rock, and chanson into short songs that were melodic and direct. Lyric themes often touched on love, modern life, and witty observations. The sound is bright, melodic, and easy to sing. It can be naive on the surface and sly underneath.

Why you should care in 2025. Because Yé-Yé offers a songwriting toolbox that is perfect for Gen Z and millennial artists who want retro credibility without sounding dusty. The movement gives you a melodic vocabulary and a lyrical attitude you can remix with modern production to create songs that feel familiar and surprising. It is like wearing a vintage leather jacket with clean sneakers.

Yé-Yé Values That Shape Every Song

• Hook first. Short earworms matter more than long explanations.
• Simplicity with a wink. Lyrics seem simple but often carry subtle irony.
• Strong vocal identity. The singer is a character who talks to the listener.
• Economy. Songs are short and focused. Every line has a job.
• Melody leads. Chords support a memorable topline.

How to Think Like a Yé-Yé Songwriter

Yé-Yé is not a museum piece. Think about it as a voice. You are someone both charming and slightly defiant. You say small things that reveal bigger feelings. You use everyday objects. You put emphasis on singable vowels. You keep things short. And you leave room for the listener to smile and then remember the chorus.

Core Songwriting Recipe

1. Pick a simple emotional idea in one sentence. For example I am amused by love and also terrified of commitment.
2. Find a short title that is easy to sing and repeat. Example: Little Lies, Mon Chéri, or Sunday Smile.
3. Write a chorus of one to three lines that states the feeling in plain language and contains the title.
4. Write verses that show the feeling through small objects and little scenes rather than big confessions.
5. Keep the form tight. Aim for two minute to three minute runtimes.

Title and Chorus Tactics

The chorus is the place where Yé-Yé glows. It should be simple and singable. The vowel choices matter. Vowels like ah, oh, ay, and oo sing well and give your chorus that sticky feel. If you want the chorus to feel sweet use open vowels. If you want it to feel edgy choose tighter vowels and rhythmic phrasing.

Chorus anatomy

• Line one says the title or core idea directly.
• Line two repeats or paraphrases with a twist.
• Line three gives a small consequence or punchline if you need it.

Example chorus

Mon petit secret, I keep it near my coat. Mon petit secret, it hums like a throat.

Short. Slightly mysterious. Repeatable by teenagers in cafes and by your aunt who likes retro shirts.

Verses That Show with Tiny Scenes

Yé-Yé verse writing is the art of the micro anecdote. You do not need sweeping metaphors. You need objects, time crumbs, and actions. Imagine a camera focusing on a coffee cup, a cigarette ashtray, a park bench, a bicycle basket. Those details anchor emotion without spelling it out. The verse is the place for personality.

Before and after example

Before: I miss you every day. After: Your scarf still hangs on the chair like a quiet argument.

Use sensory details. Let the listener infer the emotional temperature. That inference is the pleasure.

Pre Chorus Tension and Release

Many classic Yé-Yé songs use a little pre chorus that tilts toward the chorus. This pre chorus usually speeds up the rhythm, shortens the words, and hints at the chorus line. Think of it as a wink before the full smile. It should feel like you are leaning forward to tell the chorus. Keep it short and rhythmically forward.

Melody and Prosody for Yé-Yé

Prosody means matching natural speech stress with musical stress. If you sing a line that feels oddly emphasized the listener notices unconsciously. Speak your line out loud in conversational speed. Circle the stressed words. Those are the syllables that need to land on strong beats or longer notes.

Melodic shape

• Keep verse melodies mostly stepwise and in a lower range.
• Give the chorus a modest lift of a third or a fourth.
• Use small leaps into the title. The ear loves a short jump then stepwise motion.
• End lines on open vowels to let listeners sing without effort.

Real life scenario

Imagine you are telling a friend about an awkward date. You naturally raise your voice on the punch line. Your melody should do the same. The music should mimic speaking patterns that feel honest. If a word gets squashed into a short note the line will feel forced.

Harmony That Serves the Melody

Yé-Yé harmony is straightforward. Use major keys for sunny songs and minor keys for tender or ironic ones. The classic progressions are I IV V and I vi IV V. Do not overcomplicate. Your job as the songwriter is to let the vocal melody shine. Use chords as a polite audience that claps at the right moments.

Trick to modernize

Keep the basic progression but add one unexpected chord or a modal mixture for color. Borrowing a single chord from the parallel minor can add a nostalgic twinge that sounds delicious on a retro track with modern production.

Arrangement and Instrumentation

Classic Yé-Yé uses simple band setups. Think jangly electric guitar, light piano, brushed drums, bass, handclaps, and sometimes strings or a cool horn lick. Vocal harmonies are usually light and present. The arrangements breathe. They support the singer without suffocating them.

• Intro with a short instrumental hook two to four bars long
• Verse sparse with a bass and rhythm guitar or piano
• Pre chorus adds percussion or a subtle backing vocal
• Chorus opens up with extra guitars or pads and light vocal doubles
• Bridge can be playful with a brass hit or a quiet spoken line
• Final chorus adds a countermelody or a small key change if you want drama

Modern twist ideas

• Sidechain a warm synth pad under the chorus for a contemporary bounce
• Layer tape echo on the vocal for a lived in vibe
• Replace an acoustic guitar strum with an arpeggiated synth to blend eras

Production Awareness for Writers

You do not need to be a producer. Still, a few production concepts will save you hours of bad decisions. Know these terms and why they matter.

Topline

Topline is the vocal melody and lyric. It is the main identity of pop songs. If you hand a track to a producer always keep a clear topline reference. A topline that translates to an earworm on first listen will carry everything else.

A and R

A and R stands for Artists and Repertoire. It is the person at a record label who signs artists or songs. If you want an A and R to love your demo make the chorus immediate and the title memorable. A and R people hear tons of songs. They need something they can hum on the subway. Give them earworm numbers.

Vocal doubles

Recording the same vocal line twice and layering it under the lead is called doubling. In Yé-Yé the doubles are usually close and warm. Use doubles on choruses to sell confidence. Keep verses intimate with single tracked lead and maybe a whisper double for texture.

Lyric Devices That Fit Yé-Yé

Ring phrase

Start and end your chorus with the same short phrase. It helps memory and gives your chorus a tidy shape. Example: Mon coeur veut rire. Mon coeur veut rire.

List escalation

Three small items that build intensity. Place the most surprising item last. Example: I leave a note on your table. I borrow your record. I keep your umbrella for a week.

Playful irony

Say something sweet and then add a line that undercuts it with a sly wink. Yé-Yé loved the dual voice of innocence and knowingness. Example: I kiss like a child then I steal your socks.

Real World Writing Exercises

We know you will skip to exercises. Good. Do them now.

Thirty Minute Yé-Yé Demo

1. Write a one sentence emotional idea. Example: I am excited about a new crush but I am scared to call.
2. Write a two word title that feels like a coin toss. Example: Telephone Smile or Petit Coup.
3. Make a two chord loop on a guitar or keyboard.
4. Sing nonsense vowels on the loop for two minutes and pick a melody gesture you like.
5. Place your title on the best gesture. Repeat it twice.
6. Draft a chorus of two lines that includes the title and a small twist line.
7. Write a verse with two objects and one time crumb such as Tuesday at three.
8. Record a rough vocal on your phone. Play it for one friend. Ask them which line they remember. Keep what works.

Camera Pass

Take a verse you like. For each line write a one word camera shot next to it like close up cup, wide street, medium hand. If you cannot visualize a shot the line is abstract. Rewrite the line with a concrete object and an action. This makes Yé-Yé vivid.

Vowel Pass

Sing the chorus on pure vowels like ah oh ay. Note which vowels feel best on the high notes. Adjust words to favor those vowels. This trick makes choruses easier to sing in live situations and more memorable on first listen.

Examples You Can Model

Theme: Teenage thrill and small rebellion

Verse: My coat pockets smell like peppermint. The streetlight wants to know my secrets at midnight.

Pre: I count the coins like they are tiny decisions.

Chorus: Sunday Smile, you fit in my pocket. Sunday Smile, you make small trouble taste sweet.

Theme: Wry break up with a wink

Verse: Your record spins the wrong name. I call it a song I do not know.

Pre: I fold the photograph like it owes me rent.

Chorus: Little Goodbye, you sound too loud. Little Goodbye, you leave crumbs on my couch.

Common Mistakes Yé-Yé Writers Make

• Too much declaration. Yé-Yé works best with implied emotion. Show scenes rather than state feelings.
• Overly ornate language. Keep words everyday. A simple object lands harder than a long metaphor.
• Ignoring vowel quality. Bad vowel choices make choruses uncomfortable to sing. Test words on high notes.
• Cluttered arrangement. Let the vocal breathe. Yé-Yé is airy and intimate. Avoid wall of sound unless you choose that as a deliberate contrast.
• Forgetting the hook early. Aim for the hook in the first 30 to 45 seconds.

How to Modernize Yé-Yé Without Losing Soul

There are two ways to modernize. One is production based. The other is lyrical and melodic. You can use both.

Production moves

• Use a chill lo fi drum loop under a bright guitar to create vintage meets now.
• Apply tape saturation to a vocal but keep it close and present.
• Add subtle sub bass to make the chorus hit in club playlists while keeping the melody retro.

Lyrical and melodic moves

• Use contemporary slang sparingly to anchor time but keep the voice mainly in the era you are referencing.
• Write a chorus with a singable hook and a single modern image like a missed text or a screenshot.
• Keep song structure short and playlist friendly. Streaming favors tracks that start strong and have a memorable chorus early.

Prosody Clinic with Examples

Bad line: I will never be the same without your love. This feels clumsy because the phrase never be the same has stress points that do not match natural speech.

Better line: My sweater smells like your weekend. The stress lands naturally and the image is concrete.

Test method

1. Read the lyric out loud at normal conversation speed.
2. Mark the natural stressed syllables.
3. Sing those syllables on the strong beats or hold them longer.
4. If a strong word falls on a short weak note rewrite the line.

Live Performance Tips

Yé-Yé lives in persona. Pick a character you can play for three minutes. You do not have to be fake. You need a focused personality that carries performance energy. Is your singer coy, mischievous, or defiantly tender? Lean in and keep the body language small and iconic. Small gestures read well on camera and in small venues.

Vocal staging

• Keep verses intimate. Imagine speaking to a single person in the front row.
• Bring the chorus closer to the audience. Smile where the mic is happy and confident.
• Add one playful movement like a small head tilt or a hand toss that becomes your signature.

Publishing and Co Writing Realities

If you are pitching Yé-Yé inspired songs to labels or A and R people make sure your demo present a clear topline. Strip non essential production. An A and R will prefer hearing the melody and lyric without excessive effects. If you co write, bring a clear title and chorus into the room. Titles that are easy to remember help the group move faster. If you are doing a split sheet later make sure the topline credits are clear. Topline writers often deserve the largest split because they own the primary identity of the song.

Real life example

You write a chorus in a bedroom with a friend. You both hum melodies until you find a hook. If you let the person who suggested the chorus line walk away without clear credit you will create a drama later. Save that drama. Write the split on your phone right then. It takes two minutes and it keeps friendships intact.

10 Yé-Yé Songwriting Exercises to Practice Every Week

1. One line title drill. Write 20 two word titles and pick the best three. Turn one into a chorus.
2. Object story. Pick a random object in your room. Write four lines where that object acts like a tiny character.
3. Vowel only chorus. Sing on vowels for two minutes on a loop and pick the most singable gesture.
4. Camera pass. Rewrite a verse to include one distinct camera shot per line.
5. Prosody check. Record speaking the lyric then sing it. Fix anything that feels forced.
6. 30 minute demo. Make a quick demo and share with one person who will give honest feedback.
7. Contrast map. Take a chorus and rewrite it to be darker. Compare which version moves you more.
8. Topline swap. Take an instrumental you love and write a Yé-Yé topline for it in 45 minutes.
9. Performance persona. Practice singing while doing your signature movement until it feels natural.
10. Split sheet drill. Practice writing a split sheet quickly so it becomes normal practice after writing sessions.

FAQ

What does Yé-Yé mean

Yé-Yé is a term from early 1960s French pop derived from the English yay yay or yeah yeah used in rock music. It describes a style that blends catchy melodic pop with a playful, often cheeky lyric voice.

Do I need to sing in French to write Yé-Yé

No. You can write in any language and borrow the Yé-Yé voice. The key is economy, playful irony, and melodic clarity. Singing in French gives authenticity but writing in English or another language is fine if you adopt the same values.

What instruments are typical

Typical instruments are jangly electric guitar, piano, light drum kit, upright or electric bass, soft strings, and occasional brass. Handclaps and light vocal doubles are common. Modern productions can add synth elements while keeping the core arrangement simple.

How long should a Yé-Yé song be

Most Yé-Yé songs run between two minutes and three minutes thirty seconds. Keep it compact. The movement favors songs that get to the hook quickly and do not overstay their charm.

How to make a Yé-Yé chorus modern and playlist friendly

Start the chorus early and keep the melody simple. Add one modern production element like a subtle sub bass or a sidechained pad. Ensure the vocal sits clear in the mix for playlists where loudness and clarity matter.