Create Mureka Song

Ask the user what kind of song they want. Pull out:

• Subject/theme — what's the song about?
• Mood/energy — upbeat, melancholy, hype, chill, anthemic?
• Any style preferences — genre, reference artists, tempo?
• Audience/context — is this for fun, a demo, a specific occasion?

If the user gives a clear brief ("write a country song about shipping logistics"), skip the interview and start writing. Don't over-interrogate — infer what you can and note assumptions.

Phase 2: First Draft

Read references/lyric-drafter.md before drafting.

Write a complete first draft of the lyrics. Key principles:

• Default structure: Verse 1 → Pre-Chorus → Chorus → Verse 2 → Pre-Chorus → Chorus → Bridge → Chorus (final). The user can override this.
• Label every section with [brackets].
• The chorus is king. Most memorable, most singable. Open vowel sounds. Shorter lines than verses. Room to breathe and repeat.

Present the draft to the user. Iterate on tone, lines, structure until they approve. After each revision: "Want to keep iterating or are these lyrics good to go?"

Phase 3: Analysis & Refinement

Once the user approves the draft, take a second pass yourself — do NOT ask the user to approve each analytical step. Run the full analysis, apply the refinements, and present the improved version.

3a: Rhythm & Syllable Analysis

Read references/rhythm-analyzer.md before analyzing.

For every line in the song:

• Count syllables and note the count
• Map stress patterns — mark stressed (/) and unstressed (u) syllables
• Beat grid visualization — show how lines map to a 4/4 grid (or appropriate time signature for the genre)
• Consistency check — lines within each section should have similar syllable counts (±2), consistent meter, and natural breath points. Chorus tolerance is tightest.

Flag and fix:

• Syllable cramming — too many syllables forced into a beat (max ~12 at moderate tempo, ~8-10 at fast tempo)
• Stress collisions — adjacent stressed syllables creating awkward emphasis
• Breath point violations — lines too long to sing in one breath
• Unnatural emphasis — weak words (the, a, of) landing on strong beats, or multi-syllable words stressed on the wrong syllable

3b: Music Theory Pass

Apply these music theory principles to refine further:

• Rhyme scheme consistency — verify verse rhyme patterns (ABAB, AABB) are maintained. Fix unintentional near-rhymes that feel sloppy.
• Vowel quality in the chorus — open vowels (ah, oh, ee, ay) sing better than closed ones (uh, ih). Nudge chorus hooks toward open sounds where possible without losing meaning.
• Melodic phrasing — ensure line lengths allow natural breathing. No spots where a singer would run out of air.
• Repetition vs. variation — enough repetition for catchiness, enough variation to avoid monotony. The chorus must earn its repetitions.
• Emotional arc — the song should build. The bridge provides contrast. The final chorus feels like a payoff.
• Prosody — the emotional tone of the words should match the intended musical feel. Harsh consonants (k, t, p) for aggressive energy; soft consonants (m, n, l) and open vowels for tenderness.
• Melodic contour hints — lines that are meant to soar should end on open, upward-feeling vowels (ee, ay, oh). Lines that resolve should land on grounded sounds (ah, oo).
• Syncopation potential — for genres that benefit from it (hip-hop, pop, R&B), ensure some lines have natural off-beat emphasis points.

3c: Present the Refined Version

Show the user:

1. The refined lyrics with all changes applied
2. A brief summary of what you changed and why (e.g., "Tightened verse 2 line 3 from 14 to 9 syllables; shifted chorus hook to open vowels")
3. The rhythm analysis table for the chorus (the most critical section)

Ask: "Happy with these refinements, or want to adjust anything?"

Phase 4: Style Prompt

Once lyrics are finalized, generate 3 style prompt options. Each should be a distinct creative direction — not minor wording variations.

A good Mureka style prompt prioritizes (in order of impact):

1. Genre/subgenre — "90s hip-hop boom bap", "indie folk", "K-pop dance-pop"
2. Tempo/energy — "upbeat 128 BPM", "slow ballad", "mid-tempo groove"
3. Vocal style — "raspy male vocal", "ethereal female harmonies", "talk-singing"
4. Instrumentation — "acoustic guitar, hand claps, light percussion", "808 bass, synth pads"
5. Mood/atmosphere — "nostalgic and warm", "dark and brooding", "playful and bright"
6. Production style — "lo-fi bedroom production", "polished pop production", "live band feel"

Stay within 1000 characters. No vague filler — be specific and concrete.

Let the user pick one, combine elements, or write their own.

Phase 5: Write Output File

Once both lyrics and style prompt are finalized, write the complete song to a markdown file using the Write tool:

File path: songs/{song-title-kebab-case}.md

File format:

# {Song Title}

## Style Prompt

{the finalized style prompt}

## Lyrics

{the finalized lyrics with all bracket-notation intact}

---

*Generated with create-mureka-song skill*
*Style prompt: {character count}/1000 chars*
*Lyrics: {character count}/5000 chars*

Create the songs/ directory if it doesn't exist (check with ls first).

Tell the user the file path so they can find it.

Quality Bar

Before writing the output file, verify:

• All production notes use [brackets], never (parentheses)
• Lyrics <= 5000 characters
• Style prompt <= 1000 characters
• Chorus is the strongest, most memorable section
• Every section is labeled with [brackets]
• No syllable cramming — all lines within breath limits for the genre's tempo
• Stress patterns are natural — no collisions, no weak words on strong beats
• Rhyme scheme is consistent within sections
• Chorus vowels skew open (ah, oh, ee, ay)
• Emotional arc builds across the song
• Prosody matches intended mood