Versatile Genres: From Schlager to Gothic – The Joy of Writing Across Musical Worlds
One of the questions I’m asked most often is: “Do you only write Schlager?” The answer is a happy no. While I love the warm, sing-along charm of German-language Schlager, my lyrics have found homes in many different genres — from tender ballads and festive Christmas songs to modern pop, waltzes, and even gothic rock.
For me, versatility isn’t about chasing trends — it’s about following the emotion. Every melody carries its own mood, its own story to tell, and the genre simply becomes the colour palette we use to paint it. The same heart that writes an uplifting Schlager refrain can just as easily craft brooding, atmospheric lines for a gothic track.
A few examples from my portfolio show how wide that spectrum can be:
• Traditional and modern Schlager: songs like Heimweh im Dezember, Ich träum von Dir, and the joyful Speed Date Polka on Rudy Giovannini’s Viva Strauss album.
• Uplifting anthems: Lachen sollte jedes Herz (Stauferkrone 2026 finalist) — a call for kindness and unity.
• Reflective ballads: Amen and My Palomino Girl, full of gratitude and wild-hearted romance.
• Classical reimaginings: Goldene Flügel, my modern take on Verdi’s Nabucco.
• And on the darker, more atmospheric side: Summertime for the German gothic band Buerger7 — a haunting, poetic exploration of summer’s hidden shadows.
Writing Summertime was a particular thrill. The gothic genre demands a different vocabulary — richer metaphors, deeper melancholy, a touch of mystery — yet the core remains the same: capturing a feeling so vividly that the listener lives inside it. Where Schlager invites everyone to sing along in the sunshine, gothic rock pulls you into a moonlit garden of secrets. Both are honest expressions of the human heart, just wearing different clothes.
This versatility keeps the creative flame alive for me. One week I might be crafting a light-hearted polka line about cutting speck in South Tyrolean dialect; the next, I’m weaving dark, poetic images for a gothic rock track. Each genre teaches me something new about language, rhythm, and emotion.
If you’re a composer or artist working in any style — Schlager, pop, ballad, gothic, folk, or something entirely unique — and you’re looking for lyrics that truly match your musical world, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s create something that feels perfectly at home in your genre, while still touching hearts across all of them. ♡
Mit Liebe und Lyrics,
Evelin Vordermeier ♡