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A new class has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame
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LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Performer Gloria Estefan has made history.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ANYTHING FOR YOU")
GLORIA ESTEFAN: (Singing) And I'd do anything for you, in spite of it all.
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
She's become the first Latina inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Also just admitted, songwriter and producer Glen Ballard, who co-wrote Alanis Morissette's 1995 album, "Jagged Little Pill."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "YOU OUGHTA KNOW")
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ALANIS MORISSETTE: (Singing) And I'm here to remind you of the mess you left when you went away.
FADEL: The list also has ELO's Jeff Lynne, whose credits include "Evil Woman" and "Mr. Blue Sky."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "MR. BLUE SKY")
ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA: (Singing) The sun is shining in the sky. There ain't a cloud in sight.
FADEL: And there's Liz Rose, who helped write some of Taylor Swift's best-known songs.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "YOU BELONG WITH ME")
TAYLOR SWIFT: (Singing) When you wake up and find that what you're looking for has been here the whole time. If you could...
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MARTÍNEZ: NPR music critic Ann Powers says the Hall of Fame recognizes songwriters who have a knack for transforming words on a page into an experience.
ANN POWERS, BYLINE: Songwriting is not just about words, not just about lyrics, not just about melodies. It really is about creating a whole sound world.
FADEL: And that's especially important now as writers of all kinds face new competition from artificial intelligence. But where some see a threat, Powers sees an opportunity.
POWERS: What AI offers is a chance for human creativity to expand in league with technology. Humans can work with technology and not be eradicated by it.
FADEL: A future of collaboration with AI. Congratulations to the newest members of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "NO DIGGITY")
BLACKSTREET: (Singing) I like the way you work it. No diggity. I got to bag it up. Bag it up. I like the way you work it. No diggity. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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