Song endings- to fade or not to fade?

I’ve wondered this for a long time… how do artists decide if their song should fade to silence or have a definite, clear ending? It used to bother me when a song just faded out because I thought, “It’s still going! You can’t just turn it down!” Songs that ended on a guitar strum or a cappella moment were so much more satisfying, and honestly, they still are. To use a movie comparison- the fade out songs are like movies that leave you with a with a cliffhanger, wondering what happens next. I actually like this in movies, most of the time. But not in music!

I need the song to end. 

Even to this day, I think it’s weird when a song is fading out and the person is still singing. What else do they have to say? What do I need to know? How are they feeling? All these things will go unanswered because the song faded away. 

So if you’re an artist who writes music, how do you decide how a song comes to a conclusion? Is there a reason behind the fade-out that I’m not perceiving? Thanks in advance, and as always, thanks for stopping by! 

-Out of the Wilderness