Eb major is favorite. I improvised on Dearly Beloved on my piano for years, so I got used to to playing in that key. Whenever I noodle around I also way end up making shapes of the chords that belong to Eb major. I'm also starting to like F# major solely due to its I chord lol

I hear a lot of songs (popular or otherwise) that have the same 4 or 8 bar loops throughout the entire song, and the only parts of the composition that changes are the components that are layered within the song (percussion, arps, leads, countermelodies, you name it). When it comes production or composing in any way, everyone tends to say the same thing: get out of that loop. There are so many articles/videos that tell us how to get out of it but don't give a good reason as to why other than your song will be boring. But considering the amount of songs out there in the world that have stuck with their loop that are successful, is that a good enough reason to get out of it?

My question here is why do most people agree that we should get out of the loop when it's clear that a song, with enough elements to switch it up, can still do well if we stuck with it? Is it a matter of what we think the non-producers/musicians want to hear? Does genre dictate whether we should stay in a loop or not? (I ask this particular question because I listen to a lot of hip hop-influenced music, so I wonder if that has something to do with it).

I'm honestly curious and would like to know what you guys think about this.

On the other hand, sometimes it's just damn hard to find yourself. Especially when you put your whole damn heart to something that turns out to be "objectively" bad. ...and you realize it after you've let it out to other people. That just crushes you. That whole "I made it for myself" thing doesn't work out of a sudden because you know you could have done better. ...or even should have, so people could have enjoyed your track more. So you start searching where the "mistake" might have happened and the only logical outcome of that is: Your taste. That's how doubts are born. ...and doubts are what lies between you and the good feeling about your stuff.

You're definitely not wrong about that. I've definitely felt that after sharing songs. I knew I was bad but didn't realize how bad lol at first I was down on myself about it but realized that I just have to keep pushing, fixing the mistakes, and practicing new concepts in order to be decent. The key to liking your own music imo is doing away with the doubts, which is obviously easier said than done. The way I see it is that it's not that my taste that made the song bad, it's just that I haven't bridged the gap between my taste and the skill needed to make the song good (basically Ira Glass's motivational speech). I think if more artists/creatives understood that, they would find it easier to like their own stuff.

I agree with Mussar. Don't worry about making good music, just make it.

However, I'm assuming part of your problem is that you want to use the knowledge you've gained, you but don't know how to apply it. In that case, I would say that you should use the things you've learned but don't overthink it. If you know music theory, instead of trying to figure out a masterpiece with all of the theory you know, why not just make a small track with a I-IV-V progression? Then move on to a track with a ii-V-I progression? Then try including secondary dominant chords, and then pivot chords to modulate to a new key, etc. There's so much that we learn in theory that when we try to manifest the concepts in our tracks, we tend to freeze up because we don't know how to cohesively put it together. We can analyze sheet music for days, but actually making something that puts our theory to use can be a daunting task. Maybe if you break it down, you won't have to think about theory the better you get.

You have to practice and listen to the concepts you know before diving headfirst into the more complicated stuff. Listening to and recognizing the concepts you learn in is a critical part of unlocking the creativity you're reaching for. If you don't know what they sound like, of course it's going to take forever to make a track -- you don't have a strong foundation for the song in your head because all you can think about is the theory! Add that with not practicing each concept (putting your theory knowledge to use through sound), and you'll feel like you can't make anything.

(I'm saying this assuming you know theory since you said you go to a music academy.)

I don't get drunk often so I don't produce in that state, but I've produced high a couple of times. I can't be too high because then I get lazy/tired and all I want to do is play video games (I don't consider it a brainless activity, but I can play without thinking too much of it); I also can't start from scratch that way. I usually force out a chord progression or make a drum groove that I don't like once I hear it sober.

When I'm at the right level, I like continuing a process I've already started. Mixing is my favorite part of the process so I go HAM once I'm in the zone. I also use that time listening to how far I've come in production. Whether it's going back to old songs or just admiring my sound design, I remember that I've progressed more than I think. Like the others have said, there's a change in perspective.

Youtube tutorials. I'm a visual person, so it's hard for me to sit and read somewhat boring manuals. Videos are (sometimes) straight to the point and I can hear the changes. From there I just applied what I learned and experimented further.

Write poetry often. Sometimes you can pull lines from your existing works and use them in your songs. I personally don't write poetry as much as I used to, but two things I like to do are use slant rhyme and rhyme a word at the end of a line with a word in the middle of the next. It gives you the ability to get out of the "trap" of strict rhyming schemes and to play with the rhythm of the words. Lastly, try writing things cryptically/ambiguously. Maybe on the surface, the lyrics sound like a love song, but underneath them is a completely different meaning.