>> I still have a Yoda in the studio from when I was a kid.
This is my actual Yoda puppet from when I was a kid.
This one has the actual real hair.
I don't know if you can see it or not, but yeah.
[MUSIC]
>> Welcome to 4/4, where I try to get in rhythm with our guests by
asking them four reverent questions … and four less than reverent questions.
My guest today is Bleu.
He is a songwriter who has written for the likes of the Jonas Brothers,
Selena Gomez, and Meat Loaf.
He has also had sync success with Disney.
He also authored the Berklee Online course, Songwriting Sync Success.
Bleu, thank you for joining us today.
>> Thanks for having me. It's my pleasure.
>> What's the gold record in the background?
>> There's a few up. That one's Boys Like Girls,
the “Spider-Man” soundtrack which I had a song on.
Demi Lovato in the background.
That's her multi-platinum record and then I got
the Jonas Brothers over there, Selena Gomez.
>> When you hear those songs back,
are you ever surprised by anything that
they've done with them that you wouldn't have thought of?
How precious are you about your writing?
>> I used to be a lot more precious about it.
After a couple of decades or whatever in the music industry,
you start to kinda realize how much does it really matter?
I'm here to be doing this for a living,
but I remember being super-critical.
The Boys Like Girls record that's right there,
which was an early success for me,
I remember feeling like they ruined my song.
My first intern who's now a very successful songwriter and producer,
great guy, Nick Goldston.
I remember that he just was so psyched that I had written that song,
one of his favorite songs on that record and you have those experiences.
I was working with another writer the first day that I met him,
and he came in and sang
my Jonas Brothers cut TO me.
At that point, it's like, if somebody loves your song, that's awesome.
Nothing else matters, like I sort of feel to
a certain degree at this point, whether or not
my perception of it is “whatever,” that becomes a part of people's lives.
That's a beautiful thing!
But I certainly HAVE BEEN critical.
I will say that Meat Loaf cut,
it's called “Fall From Grace.”
He never once says the word “fall” with an F at the beginning.
It sounds like he's saying “GNNNALLL from grace” [LAUGHTER] every single time he says it.
I'm like, “Where was the quality control on this?”