Today, I will be analyzing the song that was dethroned by "Love The Way You Lie," which made an impressive 7 week run at no.1 from late July through September, 2010. What did it beat out to make no.1? "California Gurls" by Katy Perry, featuring Snoop Dogg.
There is a lot to unpack with "California Gurls." It sold a massive amount of copies and could be regarded a quintessential "summer song." [1] Katy's production team, though, takes a little heat for the ultra high gloss finish you would expect from a pop tune, which is not always a compliment. Glenn Gamboa of Newsday comment, "a fizzy-pop concoction of empty calories, but it sure does stick with you," is not so flattering. [2]
There was even a little controversy around a Beach Boys copyright infringement. The song shares a title, spelled differently, and one lyrical line. In the end, there was no lawsuit and Brian Wilson himself called the tune "infectious." [3] Why all the hate on "California Gurls?" Katy just wants to represent California much in the same manner that Jay-Z represents New York in "Empire State of Mind."
June 19th - July 24th, 2010 - Katy Perry's "California Gurls," featuring Snoop Dogg, goes on a 6 week summer time fun run at no.1.
"California Gurls" uses classic song construction. Verse, prechorus and chorus repeated, followed by a bridge, a return to the chorus and an ending - pretty standard fare. The first verse is double the length of the second verse, which keeps the song moving forward, despite the static chord progression. Despite this simplicity and predictability, it works well.
The 20 measure bridge seems slightly out of place,but that works too. Snoop Dogg makes the section flow laying down 10 two bar phrases. This is followed by one more chorus and an outro, which contains new material, a familiar device used to end songs in this round (4 out of the previous 6 songs analyzed contain new material at the very end). Again, we see an unexpected number of measures here, with the 9th measure being an instrumental statement of the newly introduces melodic theme.
Chord Progressions
There is one driving chord progression that dominates the entire tune:
F/A Bb / C Dmin
I IV / V vi
The keyboard begins the tune with dyads (two note chords). As first verse progresses, the bass enters with a funky popping/slapping line:
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| keyboard and bass |
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| guitar - choruses |
C / Dmin / Bb / Bb
V / vi / IV / IV
This section not only slows down the harmonic pace, it also eliminates the fancy syncopation. This part is another pleasant break from the potentially tiring repeated progression.
"California Gurls" evolves continually. Though sections are repeated, they are never exactly the same. This is done with added background vocals, synth elements and evolving drum feel. The drums begin minimally, just bass and snare, and by the end, are firing on all cylinders.
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| Drum Evolution |
Melody
The verse is essentially made up of a repeated 4 note phrases. Starting on the 3rd (A), it descends through G to the root, which aligns with the 5th and minor 3rd of the changes. It then works back up to the A, only to go back to the F, this time ending with G and D, the 6th and 3rd of Bb. The third and 4th phrase vary the rhythm and add in the responses of "undone" and "at us" where there was space the first time.
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| Verse 1 |
The prechorus has a different feel and utilizes a higher melodic range. The melody gets the syncopated treatment while the rhythm section sticks to eighth notes or less. The very end of this section also foreshadows a major component of the chorus (oh oh oh oh oh's).
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| Prechorus 1 |
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| Prechorus 2 |
The calls evolve from the calls heard in the verse, utilizing E and F: 3rd of C and minor 3rd of Dmin (from verse harmony). So far, the verse and prechorus borrow each other's melodic content, presented in a different way. Very crafty.
The chorus marks the return to the syncopated keyboard line, which means the vocals should keep things straight. They do just that, hanging out on the root to deliver the hook, "California girls."
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| Chorus |
The bridge features the credible presence of Snoop Dogg, whom up to this point in the song, has only contributed to the intro ("Greetings loved ones, let's take a journey") and with a few spoken "west coasts." When we finally get the full Snoop treatment, he throws down this 20 bar rap:
A few things stick out to me. First, Snoop's style is very interesting, especially when comparing it the Eminem rap I transcribed last time. He is often just behind the beat, relaxed in his delivery. Like Eminem, he has this quasi singing quality, though it's hard to pin down exactly what note he "singing."
Every two bars of this rap is its own little thing. Bars 1 and 2 share rhythmic entrances and syncopation with bars 3 and 4. After that, every 2 measure sequence shares either rhythmic entrances, syncopation or both. Snoop strings together small sequences to construct the larger rap.
During the rap, you hear some exposed vocal harmonies that also pop up in the chorus. The last measure, leading to the chorus, features Katy powerfully interjecting her own background and sustaining a C as the chorus continues.
The outro features new melodic content with the catchy and title affirming "California, California girls."
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| outro |
The entire melody, at times, had me wondering if the tonal center was F major or D minor. The entire chorus is comprised of D minor triad, but often feels like F major, as a D minor triad is an F major plus an added D. The outro teases this line, walking down the scale from D to A, which feels like D minor, but then descends D all the way to F. This little confirmation of F major reminds me of a similar feeling from way back in the intro.
Musical Sticking Points
Part of me wants to despise this song (more on the in lyrics), but part of me has deep respect for the composition. "California Gurls" feels like many other pop songs I have analyzed in the way it is arranged and composed.
This chord progression is sneaky. Is it D minor or F major? There are times when either feels more like the tonal center. D becomes the resting point after the chord syncopation, so rhythmically, it settles there at times. Though the C is V of F, it's also bVII of D minor, a common progression. In the bridge, we venture to Bb, which at the point could be IV of F or bVI of Dminor. I love chord progressions that leave your ear searching for a true sense of tonal center.
The song is a prime example of how music can evolve, allowing you to hear the same thing without hearing the same thing. Each section is slightly different from its repeated predecessors. There is always something new to listen for. In "Love The Way You Lie," I was disappointed to hear the same exact melody in each of Rihanna's choruses. Katy Perry does not fall into that trap and keeps things interesting with background vocals and little nuances in her delivery.
The bridge does it's job and bridges the beginning of the song to the end effectively. There are several texture changes throughout the section and Snoop's aura enhances the final product. We also see a return of several vocal elements, from the ooh's to call and response from Katy.
The new content at the end is also something I have grown to enjoy. It always prompts me to question what I heard earlier, which results in additional listening. Musically, this song is clear, concise, inventive and exciting.
Lyrics
Lyrically, I am not even close to where I am musically in my fondness for the tune. While there are some clever references - "where the grass is really greener" (Paradise City?) and "Sippin' Gin and juice," The rest falls way flat. There's a whole lot of sexual innuendo and glorification of the party lifestyle delivered bluntly and in an uninspiring way.
The verse uses a rhyme scheme of ABCB, with a few questionable near rhymes ("greener" and "water"). The chorus rhyme scheme is fairly disjunct, starting with ABAC and then ABDC. This looks a whole lot tighter on paper then when you actually hear it.
The rap lyrics, I am sorry to say, are not good. I would imagine Snoop wrote them and tried to stay within the poppy confines of the song, but oh man. Some low-lights include:
The girl's a freak, she drives a jeep and lives on the beach
Bikinis, zucchinis, martinis, no weenies, just a king and a queenie
Only the S. N. double O P. D. O. double G. can get away with rhyming zucchinis and weenies.
Common Threads
So far in this round, "on the 0's," I've compiled a list of common musical threads. The other selection from 2010, Eminem's "Love The Way You Lie," only shared 2.5 out of the following 7 elements. Let's see where "California Gurls" stacks up:
- Repeated melodic motifs - For sure! There are many motifs that occur in multiple sections. Katy is also good at keeping melodic passages uniform within sections.
Strong harmonic motion from V to I- Background singers contribute to melodic/harmonic texture
Modulation-- New material presented at the end
- Hook that uses the title of the song
Contains a lyrical refrain
Final Takeaways
I think "California Gurls" is a fine example of pop songwriting. Though the lyrics are sometimes cringe worthy, and difficult for a middle aged East Coaster to completely identify with, I can fully respect the composition, arrangement and production.
The biggest takeaway has to be the shared elements of different sections. There are vocal pieces that help glue the entire song together into one cohesive unit. It's also impressive how the same drum beat can be stripped down and built back up to build drama and enhance the texture. As a songwriter, there are many good lessons to be learned.
What do you think of "California Gurls?" Do the words and/or video push it to your "inappropriate zone?" Is it just me, or is the Snoop Dogg rap not a shining example of his work? Leave me a comment!
The post date of this analysis is July 21st, 2020. I am hoping to analyze the no.1 song for the first week in August, which won't be until August 8th. That means I have a few weeks to wait.....so here is my plan:
I have been learning so many lessons in song writing, I think back to one of my initial intentions of this project:
Through my song analysis, I hope to get some insights into my own song writing and push myself past my normal writing limits, conventions and tastes.
So, I think I will try writing a song and apply some of the lessons I have learned. This will entail choosing a few common threads, sitting down at a keyboard and seeing what comes out. It should be another entertaining detour! Stay tuned....
[1]https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/weekly-us-music-releases-katy-perry-usher-eels-and-fantasia-2059960.html
[2]https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/katy-perry-s-hot-and-cold-teenage-dream-1.2227160
[3]https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/aug/06/beach-boys-katy-perry?cat=music&type=article
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