Mariah's rise to stardom is straight out of a movie. She slips her demo to a producer, who searches for her after listening to it. She has gone on to collect Grammy Awards, 19 no.1 hits and countless other accolades. She continues to write music and blaze new paths. [1] In fact, she is second place for most no.1 hits ever, just behind the Beatles (20). It's safe to say Mariah Carey is a musical legend who will, no doubt, be revered for generations to come.
August 4th - 25th, 1990: "Vision Of Love," debut single by Mariah Carey, hit no.1 for 4 weeks!
This epic vocal showcase begins with an intro reminiscent of a movie soundtrack. We hear ethereal synths and some ominous low tunes with no definite tempo. Then, we get a small tease of what's to come:
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| intro melisma |
There is some great variation in the final verse and chorus statements. The third verse features INCREDIBLE vocals and represents one of the most difficult transcriptions I have tackled. The final double chorus also features variation, a theme of each section in the song. That's right, no two parts in "Vision Of Love" are exactly alike.
The ending section, though short, features new harmonic and melodic content. This classic coda, complete with a ritard, closes the song in grand fashion. I have a fondness for new material at the end of a song. It always makes me want to go back and see if I missed something earlier. This tune is no exception.
Chord Progressions
The verse harmony is comprised of two 4 bar sequences:
C / Gmin / F / E+ E7
I / v / IV / III
The E+ to E7 resolution, heading back to C, is an interesting change. In fast, the Commodores used a similar resolution in "Three Times A Lady" back in 1978. Both time we hear the Gmin, it features an inversion in the bass - Gmin/C the first time and Gmin/Bb the second time.
The chorus is much different, built on a repeated two bar sequence with faster harmonic rhythm:
Eb6 D7 / F F/G
bIII V/V / IV V
The shift to the Eb6 chord instantly makes this section stand out. Even though the song is in C major, the melody dances around a minor tonality with bluesy lick. When we finally get the Eb chord, it sounds different, but not completely surprising. Then, it resolves down a half step to D7, the V of V, getting us closer to C. It ends with a familiar IV - V back to the C chord in the verse.
The bridge, like the chorus, ventures to new harmonic territory. Here, a two bar sequence repeats three times and ends with a ii-V back to C:
Bb / C Amin7 / -2%- / -2%- / Dmin / F/G
bVII / I vi / / / ii / V
The bass line throughout the song is solid and standard fare for a 12/8 R&B tune. In the bridge, it throws in a few spicy licks. (I also included the keyboard line, stems up over the Amin7 chord)
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| Bass Bridge |
The outro section features one additional set of changes to support the stellar vocal work. Here, we get:
C C+ / C C+ / C Bb / C
I I+ / I I+ / I bVII/ I
The repeated C chord, with alteration, gives the song a sense of finality, yet leaves a few lingering questions (did she really just sing that note?). The final cadence of bVII - I, taken from the bridge, also leaves that bluesy taste in our mouths.
Melody
When Mariah burst onto the scene in 1990, her vocal style was unique. She had purity and strength in her voice, as well as an INSANE range. Throughout the song, she uses a vocal technique called "melisma," or stretching out one syllable over a series of notes. In modern pop music, this style is the norm for "great singers." If you have ever watched "American Idol" or "The Voice," you are probably all too familiar with this sound.
"Vision Of Love" set a new bar for pop/R&B female vocalists. It could be considered the "Magna Carta of melisma." [2] Compare this vocal from 1990 to other singers who followed her, specifically my analyses of "The Boy Is Mine" from 1998 and "Genie In A Bottle" from 1999, and you will find amazing similarities.
She starts the verse off slow, finding chord roots in pentatonic riffs for the first 2 chords. Each of these phrases is built around C minor pentatonic, which continues to use over the F and E chords. As you can tell from all the slur markings, she uses melisma in every phrase.
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| Verse 1 |
Rhythmically, the first half of the verse starts on the 3 eighth notes beats preceding the chord change. As the verse progresses, she begins the phrases on the fourth 8th note beat after the chord change. This subtle shift keeps the repeated pitches from becoming redundant.
Melodic evolution is a theme through the entire song. Nothing ever stays exactly the same. Each verse and chorus is different from one another. The first chorus features only one set of phrases. When she reaches the second chorus, the phrases are repeated twice.
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| Chorus 2 |
Like the verse, the melody uses C minor pentatonic for phrases over the Eb and D7 chords and then shifts to C major of the F and F/G. Rhythmically, the phrases start on the fourth 8th note beat, much like the second half of the verse.
This chorus leads directly to the bridge. Here, a similar rhythmic and intervalic structure starts things off before veering into new territory. She descends the Bb major scale over Bb and descended from A to C, through the minor 3rd, on the C Amin7 measures. She sings repeated notes over the turnaround, grounding the tonality to return to the verse.
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| Bridge |
Directly out of the bridge, the third verse is the most varied. It features call and response provided by Mariah herself. The third verse also takes the melismatic melody to a new level, reaching the highest pitches in the song, up to this point.
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| verse 3 |
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| Chorus 3 and outro |
In the outro, she's not done, sustaining another C, longer than the first time! She ends with two more massive melismas, the first of which has so many micro tones it made my head spin. I challenge anyone reading to listen to the video on YouTube at 50% playback speed. Listen to the slight nuance and hear how her voice wobbles between G and F. If you have any doubt Mariah Carey is a legendary singer, spend 5 minutes with this tune and you will be convinced otherwise.
Musical Sticking Points
The allure of this song is all in the vocal delivery. Sure, the rhythm section is tight and grooves hard in the 12/8 feel. The bass line is solid, yet filled with melodic licks that enhance the tune. The drums are tight and in the pocket, ushering in the sections with appropriate fills. The keyboard parts are perfect for the style, supporting both the melody and harmony and adding melodic spurts at just the right time. The real story, however, is Mariah.
Her performance in the song is outstanding. She set the bar for pop music of the 90's and beyond. As previously mentioned, this type of singing is standard in today's singer-centric pop music landscape. There were singers before her performing in this style (Whitney Houston comes to mind), but Mariah's approach is different. After 30 years, I would say it still hold up as exciting and impressive.
"Vision of Love" is a shining example of how a song can evolve. In my first round of analyses, all 7 songs evolved throughout the arrangement, meaning something changed even though some elements were repeated. Mariah does not repeat any verse verbatim. She sings passages in higher octaves, makes alternate melodic choices and adds call and response. I can't say the same for other songs in this round of analyses (maybe "Magic"....the last chorus features some melodic variation).
Lyrics
Lyrically, this song is a straightforward love song. The premise in the beginning leads us to believe this person is searching for love. In the second verse they are really desperate to find their love, holding on with hope. Then, in the bridge, they have seem to find their love, changing the connotation of the repeated first verse, finally rejoicing in the glory of love.
The verses follow a rhyme scheme of ABCB. The bridge follows an ABABCC pattern, with the last C being a near rhyme with A.
The lyrics are simple and relatable. This quality helps to not distract from the great vocal performance.
Common Threads
No.1 hits, through the decades, share a surprising amount of musical elements. So far in this round I have analyzed hits from 1960, 1970 and 1980. Recapping the common threads from those analyses, let's see where "Vision Of Love" stands.
- Repeated melodic motifs - This qualifies on a few levels. Rhythmically, many phrases begin on beat 4 of 12. There are also many phrases utilizing 3 eighth notes in the 12/8 feel. Despite the chord at the moment, there is reliance on a C minor pentatonic (blues) throughout the melody in multiple sections. This his been a significant theme of songs in this round.
- Strong harmonic motion from V to I - The chorus and bridge sections build up the V chord (F/G) to lead back to the verse I chord.
- Background singers contribute to melodic/harmonic texture - in this case, the background singers are Mariah herself. Regardless, the call and answers as well as sustained notes are integral to the song.
Modulation- There is no modulation here, though there is a shifting focus from C major to minor throughout.- New material presented at the end - This common thread returns for "Vision of Love," as the last four measures introduce a brand new chord progression. 3/4 songs this round, so far, share this element.
- Hook that uses the title of the song
Contains a lyrical refrain- The first song this round without a repeated lyrical refrain.
"Vision Of Love" checks the boxes on 5/7 common musical elements found in songs this round.
Final Takeaways
I love this song. Before this analysis, I was not at all familiar with it. I gave it an initial listen and was underwhelmed. I remembered my experience with "Magic," however, and did not form any preconceptions. In the next listens, I was blown away at the power of Mariah's voice, so much in fact, I was moved to literal tears as she belted out the high notes. Her display of vocal talent is just so awe inspiring to me not only as a musician, but as a human as well.
In my first listen, the hook seemed forgettable. After repeated listening, I grew to appreciate it for its simplicity and ingenuity, happening over a non-diatonic chord change. The constant variation in the song increases its replayability. "Vision Of Love" is a prime example of pop songwriting and vocal performance. These two elements combined into one attractive package result in a no.1 hit, not surprisingly.
What are your thoughts about "Vision Of Love?" Does Mariah's prowess move you tears, or at least a strong reaction? Leave me a comment!
Up next time, we have made it back to 2000! August 12 - 19, 2000 - a two week run at no.1 - "Incomplete" by Sisqo. Here we are faced with another theme of this round of analyses: I am completely unfamiliar with this song! I am curious to see how it compares to the other no.1 hits!
[1]https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2020/06/30-years-ago-mariah-carey-brought-us-a-vision-of-love/
[2]https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2006/04/03/on-top
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