You know what I think is bullshit #songwriting advice? "Don't be preachy."

Not only is it bullshit (there are plenty of great songs that preach), it's vapid. Subjective. It's a thought-stopping cliche. It's about as useful advice as "be original"—except no, it's worse. It deters passionate songwriters from writing in support of causes they care about, and at the end of the day, it serves the status quo.

You may not want to alienate your audience, sure. But that doesn't mean you can't preach.