CERTAINLY
~Erykah Badu~
The tempo of this song is around 80 BPM which is slower than average walking pace but is still fast enough beat to make you want to sway along to the beat of the music. The overall piece is minor and uses a chromatic pattern, and the key of the piece is B minor and throughout displays elements of dissonance throughout because of this. Extended chords, which are triads with added intervals, are used throughout give the music a jazzy and mysterious tone and feel. The piece is in 4/4 which is the most common time signature and any other would ruin this piece and make it sound off. In the bridge section, it sounds double time because of the syncopated and fast-paced bass-line.
The vocal melody also increases in complexity during this bridge and uses those extra semitones in contrast to the rather simple voice heard in the verses and chorus sections. Although the vocals are singing the main melody, there is also an opposing countermelody which features a repeating ostinato played by the bass.
The piece is Neo-soul which combines elements of blues and jazz. This is supported by the evident use of timbre such as a double bass which is commonly used in jazz tracks and the previously mentioned extended chords are also present in blues tunes. Vocal ad libbing done by Erykah Badu adds another level of energy and connection to the track.
There is reverb added to the snare drum but overall the instrument never seems to be fully there and rather get pushed into the background and serve the purpose of keeping time but not distracting away from the other parts. Instead, the bass seems tp be mixed and is extremely louder than any of the other instruments which, in some people's opinions, would indicate a poor job and perhaps would have thought it would ruin the overall song. However, in my opinion, I think that this bass boosting choice makes the piece unique and is one of the reasons I have grown to like it though extensive listening.
Erykah stops the notes prematurely which is odd. It can be heard during the lyrics- “I was not looking for no love affair” where “for” is sung staccato and so the note is short, quick and sharp. This interests me as a singer and instantly makes me appreciate this style more as its difficult to get the tone so sharp and pitched correctly if it's only a very short note. This style furthermore emphasizes that same jazzy feel.
ROXANNE
~The Police~
Once you hear "Roxanne," the first thing i noticed is that it has no ordinary tempo or musical style that is characteristic of most rock n' rolls songs. From the groaning, throaty "ROOOXXX-ANNE" to high-pitched falsettos, sounding more like reggae than rock i immediately could tell that this is a different kind of song. The rhythm has something steady and rigid— it never falters, and it goes along steadily but slowly, as if the musicians are anxious to get somewhere, but they want to do it correctly.
"Roxanne" starts with a jarring piano chord accompanied by laughter, and then transitions into the song's main chords. The piano lead-in occurred by chance: while the group recorded the song, Sting tripped and fell in the studio on a piano and then laughed, all caught on tape and the band decided to keep it.
The remainder of the track is a straightforward chord exchange within a minor key (a more brooding and atmospheric style than a major key) that adheres strictly to the tango theme, even though it's all performed on a guitar, bass, and drums.
TAINTED LOVE
~Soft Cell~
The emphasis of the melody is on the distinctive double beat and a note played twice at the start, then followed by the remainder of the, very catchy melody. ACDC's Thunderstruck also features a similar distinctive double beat, and always reminds me of soft cell's tainted love when I hear it.
Repetitive sound partly due to the lack of nuance and 'phrasing' possible when playing a simple melody on such an instruments certainly compared to stringed instruments. The song has a chord progression which is switched around for the chorus section, substituting a major chord instead of a minor where it 'should' go to in the progression.
The lyrics are written from the point of view of a man who is in a very toxic, or “tainted”, relationship with a physically and emotionally draining partner. Even though he loves this person, the difficult decision must be made, and he needs to leave knowing that his needs would never be met. The lyrics of this song is their message: they have had enough of a sour relationship that is no longer fulfilling. Although it can be assumed this is referring to a heterosexual relationship, other interpretations being that the love two men share is “tainted” and that the two would have to “run away” from each other as it is not socially acceptable for them to be seen together in public. In my opinion, these lyrics are not specific enough to assume the orientation of the two people referred to in this song and can therefore be applied to any relationship, allowing the song to resonate meaning with a wider audience.
HOUND-DOG
~Elvis Presley~
Hound-Dog's opening chord (C) and opening melody note (Eb) which comes in on the second beat clash, then resolve once the lyric 'hound dog' is sung. This is intentional perhaps to instil the name of the track into ones head and ensure the first line is well-known and catchy and put emphasis on the name of the piece compared to the full line of lyric.
Despite the popularity, Lyrically, he song isn't complex. And musically, its built on typical blues chord progression, with a rock and roll bass-line and rhythm. What makes it so interesting is the disjunct melody in the vocals and little twists and turns in the notes which Elvis does.