As beautiful as they can sometimes be, and as much as they can add to a song, Bridges aren’t an essential part of a song (unless it’s an AABA form). In a Verse/Chorus song, the Verse and Chorus (and Pre-Chorus, if it’s baked in) have to be there. Adding a Bridge, or not, is a choice the songwriter makes.
If you’re considering a Bridge for your song, it’s likely that you’re writing a song in a more traditional form (Verse/Chorus or Verse/Pre-Chorus/Chorus) than in contemporary hit song forms, which are similar but more splintered and often already have additional sections (such as a Refrain or a Drop).
Bridges are a lot less common in hit songs now. The Bridge is traditionally a break from the body of the song. Current pop songs are more hook-oriented than ever, creating less interest in taking that break. Also, often modern pop songs already have enough variations to make an actual Bridge (with new music and lyrics) expendable.
Another reason for less Bridges is that pop songs have gotten shorter – in 2021 on average hit songs are almost a minute shorter than they were 15 years ago (going down from app. 4:20 to app. 3:20). So, generally speaking, there’s just less time available.
No matter what type of song you’re writing, time – song length – is a major factor. Most songs come in around 3 to 4 minutes long. Keeping in mind that there are few things worse in songwriting than a song that overstays its welcome, if you’re 2 plus minutes in and you’re just finishing your second Chorus, odds are you don’t need a Bridge.
It’s important to keep that big picture in mind. After running the main sections through twice, if there’s time for a variation (the Bridge) and then a return to the main themes (usually at least the Chorus, often with repeats), without going too far over 4 minutes (and even that’s pushing it, imho), writing a Bridge could be a great idea.
Although I’ve pointed out some reasons why Bridges are not as common as they used to be, I don’t mean to be discouraging. I love Bridges, love writing them. But I dislike overstuffed, overwritten songs even more than I love Bridges!
One option I keep in mind, one I think might be considered more often, is the short Bridge. What if it’s just a line or two, maybe around 4 bars long? Why not? Sometimes it’s great to have a little palate cleanser and then get back to the main business.
As I’ve written before, Bridges, like basically everything in songwriting when you come down to it, are a ‘feel’ thing – the writer’s decision. Does it feel right as part of a unified whole? I hope I’ve given you some ways to think about answering this question.
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