Netflix’s Song Explorer Volume 2 Review: Artists and their Creative Processes

Song Explorer volume 2 is the second season of the Netflix documentary series hosted by Hrishikesh Hirway.

If you’ve always wondered what goes inside the heads of the artists of your favourite songs, then you’re in luck. If you enjoyed the first season, then Song Explorer volume 2 is back with more magic and music.

Netflix’s Song Explorer volume 2 brings forth four more half-an-hour episodes which go deep into the whys, hows and how-nots of song making. Featuring some of the biggest names in the music industry, the second season follows a similar pattern as the first and goes ahead to bring us the thought processes behind our favourite artists and what makes them click.

Song Explorer is based on a podcast by the same name by Hrishikesh Hirway. Just like the last season, the artists focus on one song and go through the step-by-step process of creating that song – how the idea came about, what the song is about, their thoughts behind them and what it takes to create something so that hundreds and thousands of people like it.

It doesn’t just talk about the song, but also about the artists and host Hrishikesh Hirway, who also hosts the podcast, takes us through all the nitty-gritties of the songs and the artists. Song Explorer volume 2 takes us through different footages of the recording process, with the artists and their teams working hard to bring their vision to reality.

It’s all stuff we haven’t seen before and the way they mesh together with the interview footage gives it a very real and organic feel to it. You are transported to the world of the music but are also firmly planted in the here and now while the artists take you through everything that they had thought of while making the song.

Song Explorer volume 2 features four artists including Dua Lipa (Love Again), The Killers (When You Were Young), Nine Inch Nails (Hurt) and Natalia Lafourcade (Hasta la Raiz). Every artist in the list is at the top of their games in these songs being featured and the process through which they gave birth to these songs can inspire not only music enthusiasts but everyone else.

The artists, additionally, not only focus on their songs and their processes but they also go through the various struggles that they have faced and how those have worked into their creative processes. Dua Lipa, for example, was going through a problematic breakup and trying to get over a bad relationship when she got the idea for Love Again. It’s these small little nuggets of information that keeps this show entertaining and interesting and the focus on such a wide range of celebrities and artists keeps the show from being sluggish.

However, here’s the thing. Although the show is engaging, it can get a bit boring for those who are not interested in a particular artist or song. The show goes into the very depths of technical details and explores various angles which can be a chore if you’re not into the artists and the songs.

Summing up: Song Explorer Volume 2

Song Explorer volume 2 focuses on the artists and their fares. It’s a journey that takes the audience through the creative psyche of these artists and the sheer amount of work that goes into creating a 3-minute song. Hrishikesh Hirway is a fun and engaging host who keeps the artists and the audiences engaged throughout the show. It feels kind of like a podcast, but the visuals that support it totally make it worth the half-an-hour that you invest. Especially the songwriting sessions are very interesting and make the show stand out from the rest. All of the footage and the songs mesh together with some great editing and it’s an interesting watch through-and-through.

Song Explorer volume 2 is streaming on Netflix.

Liked the Song Explorer volume 2 review? Read our other reviews here.