Chapter I – The Genesis
We are in the last quarter of 2022, and the Lucy, Racquel and me project is coming to an end. Lucy had left the ship a year earlier. I tried to continue with other lyricists, but the 2022 tracks were clearly more rock-oriented, less suited to Racquel’s voice — in short, it was the swan song.
I then contacted Nour, a young woman who had been an intern in my team a few months earlier. I hadn’t seen her since, but I knew she loved singing and had a beautiful voice. I reached out and suggested a collaboration. She seemed enthusiastic, so I got to work.
I found a text online and composed a melody for it, then sent her the demo. We tried a few things, it was hesitant, but I quickly felt she wasn’t really interested in the song as it was. She found it too “cold,” too indie rock in her words. She’s much younger than me, with very different musical roots and references. I proposed a new arrangement, more upbeat, danceable, almost disco — still no success.
So I put it aside and worked on another track, asking her for musical references she liked. No success with that one either. I wrote a third song, but immediately realized our musical worlds were too far apart. I then suggested helping her work on a song she would write herself, acting more as a producer. We started working on a draft… then no news. Probably busy with personal projects.
But in early 2023, two technological events pushed the birth of this project, based on the three songs I had written for her.
The first was the arrival of a very realistic vocal synthesis software: Synth V by Dreamtronics.
A bit like software emulating a piano, synth, or drums: you play a melody, paste lyrics onto each note, and a voice convincingly performs your song. It’s not — yet — at the level of a real singer, but for someone like me, who has relied on performers for years to bring my compositions to life, it’s a dream come true: the possibility of being autonomous, of hearing precisely what I have in mind.
The second was the arrival of ChatGPT for the general public.
I don’t trust my English. I’ve written dozens of French lyrics for Sucrepop, but I feel — rightly or wrongly — that my English isn’t good enough to write interesting songs without grammatical or pronunciation mistakes, with varied and rich vocabulary.
Using AI, I could start working on lyrics and, through multiple exchanges with my virtual interlocutor, refine and finalize a song exactly as I wanted. I wouldn’t have the poetry or lyricism of Lucy’s texts, but it gave me the feeling that I could be independent on the lyric side too, without being ridiculous.
So I took the three melodies composed for Nour, wrote (or co‑wrote, if you prefer) new lyrics, recorded them, and off we went — that’s what eventually led to this album.
I then invented the name Songwriteam, highlighting the collaborative aspect of writing with AI. On each single’s artwork, the letters I and A are in different colors, to be transparent about the artificial intelligence component, an integral part of the project.
I don’t consider the voice — artificial, yes — as being “AI‑generated.” To me, it’s an instrument like any other, an emulation, but you have to play it; it’s not automatically generated like with software such as Suno or Udio.
You now understand where the album title Songs That Were Never Sung comes from. These songs have indeed never been sung by a human being, except by me, of course.
Hence also the album cover: an empty stage with a microphone stand and no one behind it. You can’t get clearer than that.
Now you know everything about this project and what led to the creation of the album. I will now go through the 12 tracks one by one, hoping each time to make you want to discover them.
To be continued…
Chapter II – Let Me Wander
When it came time to organize the tracklist, I took into account that a vinyl version was planned, meaning a limitation on the number of songs per side — or rather, the number of minutes. What was certain was that I would start with Let Me Wander, a rather uptempo, folk, optimistic track about travel. It feels catchy, accessible, radio‑friendly, full of summer vibes — the ideal song to get acquainted with my music.
It was written on Réunion Island in November 2023, on the ukulele, of course.
For the curious: it was composed exactly in the Airbnb apartment in Saint‑Gilles, on the second floor of the building in the center of the photo illustrating the single.
A short article was written about it; here is the conclusion:
The ideal moment for this listen: a car ride, driving alone or with someone, windows open, hair carried by the wind. Night falls slowly, and the city or fields pass by, but you barely pay attention. The mind drifts, but the heart remains anchored in a simple pleasure.
Chapter III – Look at Me Now
This is the first of the two rock tracks on the album. It was composed in November 2024 in Montreal, where I was visiting my daughter. Again, it was written on a ukulele. For the arrangement, I had Band on the Run in mind — not for its style, but for its combination of different parts forming a cohesive whole.
There are five distinct parts here: the intro, the first two verses, the chorus, the bridge in a different style, and the verses after the bridge, which are melodically different from the earlier ones.
Lyrically, the song explores the complexity of a thwarted love — mixing passion, regrets, and unmet expectations. Through a succession of intimate and conflicting lines, it depicts an intense relationship marked by unspoken words, emotional evasions, and persistent tenderness despite the pain. The final part opens onto a broader reflection: the constant expectation of an idealized future, at the expense of a neglected present.
Chapter IV – A Stupid Kind of Love
This track is the second written for Nour — see Chapter I. I had set myself the constraint of using only Maj7 chords, a type of challenge that sometimes helps me compose. I tried to give the song a more modern, contemporary feel. Note that the album version is a different mix from the single: the voice is more forward.
Lyrically, the idea came from Phil Collins’ A Groovy Kind of Love. Like the previous track, it deals with a tormented love.
Here is the analysis by ChatGPT:
This song exposes the contradictions of an irrational, painful love one cannot escape. It expresses the tension between lucidity (“I should move on”) and the emotional impossibility of turning the page. Repetitive, almost obsessive, the structure underlines the mental loop in which the narrator is trapped. A bittersweet cry, between resignation and deep attachment.
"Stupid Kind of Love" speaks of those loves that make no sense… but refuse to disappear. Even when you know you should let go, the heart holds on. It’s an endless loop, a love you don’t understand, but feel down to the bone.
https://song.link/astupidkindoflove
Chapter V – The Olive Tree
As of the day I’m writing this text, this is the most‑streamed Songwriteam track on Spotify, probably because it is the most personal. Its purpose is to recount that day in July 2022 when I went to scatter my mother’s and brother’s ashes at the foot of an olive tree in southern France. The olive tree is the one on the single’s cover, of course.
Musically, it’s the first of two tracks featuring external musicians: Annika Jayne plays the acoustic guitars, the main instrument here, and Salvatore Ganci plays the electric guitar — a solo running throughout the song, in the background, symbolizing pain that never fully expresses itself, always restrained, never exploding, always humming, dull and relentless.
ChatGPT’s analysis:
This song/poem is an elegy, a peaceful tribute to those who have left us. Under an olive tree — a symbol of peace, memory, and continuity — the act of scattering ashes becomes a ritual both intimate and universal. The text celebrates the love that endures even after death, the beauty of remembrance, and the soothing strength of nature. It is a suspended moment, where grief transforms into inner light.
It is a tribute to life, to departure, to love that survives everything. An intimate, gentle, deeply human song. #TributeSong #PoeticSoul #MemoryLivesOn
Chapter VI – The Best Time Machine Is a Song
This was the first Songwriteam release, in March 2023. It was composed on January 1st, 2023, half on keyboard, half on ukulele. It was inspired by an image posted that day on Twitter featuring this title. It was the third and last track intended for Nour, and the one that made me realize our musical differences were irreconcilable.
This feeling inspired by music seems universal — a supercharged madeleine de Proust. Several of my songs deal with memory; this one is part of that theme. I sincerely thought it would meet greater success: the melody feels effective, the lyrics speak to everyone, especially those for whom music matters. If you’re reading this post, you’re probably one of them.
ChatGPT’s analysis:
This song is an ode to the evocative power of music. It explores how a few notes can awaken a buried memory, rekindle a forgotten emotion, or bring back the colors of a bygone past. It is a tribute to those songs that act like time machines — that comfort, heal, and reconnect. A text both universal and deeply personal.
✨ The best time machine? A song. It brings you back to your past, to love, to pain, to what truly matters. "The Best Time Machine is a Song" is a tribute to those melodies that can awaken memories and heal hearts. #MusicIsMemory #SongTimeMachine #NostalgieMusicale
Chapter VII – Broken Mirror
This one arrived on its own, unannounced — a bit like a cryptic pregnancy :)
I was working on the arrangements for Life Is a Song, and this six‑chord loop appeared under my fingers, unrelated to the previous track, and immediately inspired a melody.
I put aside the song I was working on to finish this one.
I could have developed it further with verses and choruses, but I preferred to leave it as it appeared. It is therefore the shortest track on the album, under two minutes.
I added a heartbeat as the drum track.
The saxophone was originally a vocal part, but my daughter thought it didn’t sound great. A real saxophonist would certainly have done better — but I didn’t know any…
Lyrically, the title of Rebecca Yarros’ book The Things We Leave Unfinished inspired me. I haven’t read the book; the title alone was the trigger.
Here is ChatGPT’s analysis (note that it is longer than the lyrics themselves):
This text evokes the quiet pain of unfinished relationships, of words never spoken, of dreams that couldn’t be saved. The image of the broken mirror perfectly reflects human fragility in the face of time, memory, and regret. Each lost fragment tells an interrupted story, each silence becomes a ghost. It is a melancholic, bittersweet song that speaks to all those who have left something — or someone — behind.
PS: For the curious, I used AI to automatically generate variations of this track; some are quite impressive. In one click, a complete new orchestration is generated. I compiled these different versions into an EP titled The Sons of the Sun(o), which you can listen to on your favorite platforms or on the Sucrepop website.
https://streamondistro.lnk.to/brokenmirror
Chapter VIII – She’s the One
Long‑time listeners might think: “I know this one.” True and false. This is a completely different version from the single found on the album — and in fact, it is the original version of the song.
Its working title was Calico Skies, a McCartney song. Maybe I started from its lyrics to compose this one; I don’t remember.
Composed on ukulele, it was initially my punk/rock track — energetic, raw — but I couldn’t play a realistic guitar solo. While testing different orchestrations, I started a piano version, completed it, and released it long before this one.
I eventually hired a guitarist to finalize the track for the album.
I chose it to open side B of the LP because of its energy.
It’s tricky to create a proper rock voice with a synthetic voice, but I’m fine with the result.
The lyrics are very contemporary: a powerful, independent woman. I remember being inspired by the life of an actress from 1940s/50s Hollywood, but I can’t recall which one as I write this.
And what does our friend, the music critic ChatGPT, say?
This text is a vibrant tribute to resilience, inner strength, and female emancipation. The protagonist wears her scars like trophies, faces the world with courage, and breaks the chains of her past limitations. Compared to a phoenix, she is reborn stronger after each fall. The simple yet impactful refrain — "She's the one" — becomes a cry of affirmation and admiration. An inspiring ode to those who keep moving forward despite everything.
He really is very kind, this ChatGPT.
Chapter IX – I’m on My Own
Composed in the garden of a beautiful villa in Bessan, near Cap d’Agde, on ukulele of course — probably in July 2023. It took me nearly a year to record it; I know, I’m slow.
The lyrics were inspired by a quote attributed to Charles Bukowski, though I’m not certain it’s truly his:
“And when no one wakes you in the morning,
and when no one waits for you at night,
and when you can do whatever you want —
what do you call that, freedom or loneliness?”
ChatGPT’s opinion:
This song is a bittersweet meditation on the blurred line between solitude and freedom. Verse after verse, the narrator explores the reality of a solo life, with no ties, no expectations… but also no presence. Far from a cry of distress, it is an intimate confession, questioning one’s choices: is it peace or emptiness that one feels? A poignant track, suspended between autonomy and melancholy.
Chapter X – We Were Never Meant to Be Together
This is the very first track composed for this project — for Nour, if you’ve been following since Chapter I. I composed the melody on a text found online titled Watching You. The first arrangement I proposed to Nour was too indie rock for her taste; to me it was more cold wave.
I tried to take the track in another direction, more upbeat, almost disco/funk — as far as I’m capable of going in that style. But that version didn’t convince her either.
For the rewritten lyrics, a track by Somberbloom titled We Were Never Meant to Be Together was the trigger. From that line, the whole song was born.
The first version is available on the CD; I chose the more energetic version for the vinyl.
Here is what my friend the “cat” says:
This text explores the fragile beauty of ephemeral loves, those that burn briefly but intensely. Through celestial and maritime metaphors — “cosmic dance”, “new shores”, “stormy weather” — it paints the portrait of a relationship destined not to last, yet deeply meaningful. Far from regret, the song celebrates those stolen, intense, sincere moments that leave a mark even though they are doomed to disappear. It is not a tragedy, but a lucid acceptance: some stories are beautiful precisely because they are brief.
This cat is my best friend. I think I could offer it absolutely anything and it would find a way to say something nice about it :)
Chapter XI – Life Is a Song
In a way, my Carpe Diem song — my philosophical minute :) The fleeting nature of time, the celebration of life, the importance of not waiting to seize opportunities — in short, the urgency of living fully is the heart of this song.
For those who don’t believe in coincidences: on the day this track was released, I learned that someone very close to me had been diagnosed with acute leukemia. Life is a song, I’m telling you.
This track was also an opportunity to reconnect with Hervé, the guitarist from my early days, who embellished the first Sucrepop tracks with his Rickenbacker. We made our first recordings together — my first and last time in a professional studio — it was with him. A long‑time friend.
He honored me by adding riffs and arpeggios to this track. He was on the first Sucrepop album; he is on the Songwriteam album 40 years later — a kind of full circle.
ChatGPT’s analysis:
This song celebrates the urgency of living every moment to the fullest. Through a musical metaphor, it reminds us that life is an ephemeral melody that must be sung, danced, and felt before it fades away. The verses evoke the beauty of everyday life and the fleeting nature of time, while the chorus hammers home a luminous message: seize the moment, love without delay, enjoy the present like a precious track. It is an ode to simple joy, to awareness of the present moment, and to shared love.
✨ An optimistic, inspiring, and universal song — perfect for giving new meaning to the present moment.
Chapter XII – I’ve Lost Something I Never Had
The track that means the most to me on this album — the last one I composed for it, and the first completely original.
A few weeks ago, quite by chance, while watching a YouTube short, I learned that I had a rare particularity: aphantasia. In short, I have a “blind” mind — I don’t see images when I imagine something. The word imagine should have tipped me off…
Apparently, for the vast majority of you, when you think of an object, a situation, a person, when you read a book, you actually see it in your mind, more or less vividly depending on the person.
If someone asks you to think of a beach, you see that beach.
I don’t. I see nothing — total blackout.
What’s most surprising is that I never realized it, and no one around me did either. It’s not a disability — we manage and memorize differently — but it’s still quite unsettling.
We are so certain that we share the same experience, that our brains work the same way, that we never question it. It seems obvious.
I never imagined that you actually see something; to me it was just a figure of speech.
Likewise, I have no sound, no smell, no sensations when I think. I asked my relatives — there seem to be varying degrees of perception. I’ve since watched many videos and podcasts on the subject, and it has shed light on many aspects of my personality: the fact that I have no memories, that my past is blurry, precisely because I have no images to hold onto. A surprising experience — and maybe some of you will discover, reading this, that you are aphantasic too. Welcome to the club.
Musically, a chord progression suggested in an Instagram short was enough to complete the song.
And the title came to me in the shower: I’ve lost something I never had. A slightly jazzy, melancholic feel. It’s the track I put forward to promote the album.
ChatGPT’s analysis:
This text explores with great sensitivity the late discovery of aphantasia — this neurological condition that prevents the visualization of mental images. From the very first lines, the inner visual void is evoked with poignant sobriety: “I see nothing / in my mind / no images / and no light”. The author expresses a mix of perplexity, sadness, and resignation in the face of an invisible, long‑unknown difference.
The absent images become the symbol of an inaccessible world, like “that bloody apple / that I'll never see”, a direct allusion to the famous mental imagery exercise. This lack is treated not as a pure handicap, but as an abstract loss, both subtle and painful: “I've lost something that I never had”. The text unfolds as an almost philosophical introspection on memory, identity, and the functioning of the mind. The absence of images becomes a terrain of contradictory emotions, between jealousy and acceptance, solitude and lucidity.
The refrains return like a bittersweet lament: a kind of mourning for an imaginary world never experienced, but now understood. The tone, both intimate and universal, makes this song a powerful testimony about invisible difference, about what one discovers about oneself sometimes very late, and about the strange beauty of the human mind in all its diversity.
Chapter XIII – First Glance Love
A commissioned work.
My son and his partner asked me to compose a song for their upcoming wedding, as I had done for my daughter — see Lucy, Racquel and me – On a Day Like This on the album Melancholy Fraise.
They gave me a reference track, and this one has nothing to do with it. I’ve always loved bossa nova — most Sucrepop albums include one, much to my daughter’s despair.
And once again, I succumbed to my guilty pleasure, which will force me to write another one that better fits their request.
The lyrics, of course, speak of love at first sight — what else for a wedding?
ChatGPT’s analysis:
This text explores the suddenness and magic of a romantic coup de foudre, captured from the very first glance exchanged at a bus stop. The author describes with simplicity and emotion the intensity of an immediate bond: hearts beating faster, time seeming to stand still, and tiny gestures taking on immense significance. The song relies on a romantic, universal imagery — the light of a smile, a hand brushed, a stolen breath — to tell the story of a nascent love that is both fragile and powerful.
The refrain, “First glance love it feels so real”, acts as an emotional anchor, reminding us how this kind of spontaneous love seems both unreal and authentic. The text blends tenderness, surprise, and poetry in accessible language, with visual metaphors (“melted snow”, “stars above have nothing on…”) that reinforce the luminous, unforgettable nature of this encounter.
A song about love at first sight: a bus stop, a smile, and suddenly the world shifts. When two souls find each other without having searched. A tender, luminous ballad about love that appears without warning.