"California Gurls" - Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg, 2010

In this round of analyses, "on the 0's," I have analyzed no.1 hit songs during the first week of August 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000 and 2010.  I was hoping to look at the no.1 song in the first week of August, 2020, but I am ahead of schedule!  So, a little deviation is in order to fill the time and, more importantly, analyze additional hit songs.

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:

keyboard and bass

The initial F/A chord feels like A minor and doesn't get any help from the vocal melody in determining its identity.  It isn't until the chorus, when the guitar joins, that we truly get the F major tonality.  The guitar provides syncopated octaves, on F, enhancing the funky feeling:

guitar - choruses

This progression runs throughout the verse, chorus, bridge and outro sections.  The only deviation comes in the prechoruses, where the same chords are reorganized to this:

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.

Drum Evolution

Again, this device keeps the momentum of the song pushing forward and helps to keep repeated material from feeling stale.  For all of its standard conventions, the song is a shining example of pop songwriting mastery.

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.

Verse 1

This simple melody is a good contrast to the syncopation in the keyboard and bass.  The rhythm of the lyrics is consistent from phrase to phrase, which combined with the narrow note choices and intervalic structure, make it highly singable.

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).

Prechorus 1

The melody is another illustration of how this song evolves.  In verse 2, Katy varies her delivery at the beginning of the phrases even further.  The second prechorus also adds in background vocals that float between harmony and response:

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."

Chorus

Here we really get the F major feel, furthered by the "oh's" which use the other notes in the F triad.  The chorus is also filled with little melodic figures, some of which we will see in the bridge.

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."

outro

  We get some familiar harmony and syncopation all wrapped into one tidy package to end the song.  The keyboard doubles this melody and ends the song with a final instrumental statement. 

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. 

Coupled with the video, this song enters into the  "inappropriate zone," based on the "would I show this to my children" scale.  That being said, John Q. Public obviously loved it, though the target audience, I imagine, embraces the party lifestyle and all that goes with it?

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  

4/7 elements are present.  More than half is a strong showing of musical elements, especially considering the list started with a selection from 1960.  It's extremely enlightening to see that while musical styles significantly change from decade to decade, certain elements endure.

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

"Love The Way You Lie" - Eminem featuring Rihanna, 2010

If I were to list the lyrical themes of songs analyzed throughout the project thus far, it would look something like this: love, respect, perseverance, jealousy, curiosity, joy, the future, cowboys, bikinis and heartbreak.  There's a little bit of everything, ranging from serious to sad to silly.  While all of these provide the listener with some potential insight into their own lives, they are relatively light. 

"Love The Way you Lie" is much heavier.  At it's core, the song is about domestic abuse, shining a light on something far too easy to overlook.  While the message and true intentions can be debated, the end result is the same: a powerful statement delivered by talented performers. [1] 

Eminem's history has been well documented, thanks to the movie "8 Mile," and he has left a controversial and profound mark on pop music, bringing a completely different flavor than that of his peers.  Eminem is a force to be reckoned with rhythmically, lyrically and philosophically.  After stepping away from music for a few years, his comeback was not very encouraging.  A few years later though, add in the Rihanna factor and her close connection to the song's subject matter,  and Eminem is stepping back into the spotlight.

July 31st - September 11th, 2010: "Love The Way You Lie" by Eminem, featuring Rihanna, dominates the charts for 7 weeks!

Musically, this song is cut and dry.  The form, comprised of only 2 sections, alternates between verse and chorus.  There are a few small nuances: The first chorus is 9 measures long, including the hook twice, with the latter choruses tagging on extra measures.  The verse, mostly 16 measures, get a reverse treatment, extending the third verse by 1 measure. 

The instrumentation is stylistically simple as well.  Piano begins the song, leading into the main groove which adds some string like synths, bass drums and an integrally strumming acoustic guitar.  The programmed beat is relatively extensive, but it mostly stays out of the way.  The 4 bar drums groove can be condensed to this,

drum groove

where at the tempo, the syncopated 16th notes create a nice foundation to support the rap verses.

For all its musical simplicity, "Love The Way You Lie" more than makes up for it in vibe and raw emotion.  Both performers have back stories that tie into the meaning of the song.  The public, no doubt aware of this, likely weighted this in their reception.  There was also an emotional video (linked above) that helped to hammer the point home further.  While all of these elements are important, and if anything, helped me understand the song on a deeper level, my main goal is to examine the musical merits.  Let's dice into the musical aspects of "Love The Way You Lie."
  
Chord Progressions

The piano starts things off, playing through the base chord progression:

Gmin  /  Ebadd2  / Bb   /  F/A
i        /   bVI        /  III   / bVII

The F/A chord provides pleasant movement back to Gmin, with bVII being a natural resolution (sub for V7 - FAC in place of DF#AC) and the A in the bass resolving down to the root G.  This chord progression leaves no question where the tonal center lies and consistently gets us back there after 4 measures. 

There are two places in the song where the 4 bar sequence is extended an extra measure to accommodate vocals, percussion and/or sound effects, as in the opening chorus-first verse transition. 

The verse takes the above progression and alters it slightly, adding an 11(4th) to the F/A chord.  The verse is driven primarily by the guitar, strumming this:

verse guitar

Played with capo 3, the guitar strums open chords (Emin, Cadd2, G, Dadd11/F#) and utilizes shared tones at the top of the voicing to create the suspensions.  This adds a subtle, different color to the verses. 

In other songs analyzed in the late 2000's, and those that follow, static chord progressions have been a recurring theme.  In my analyses for "In My Feelings" (2018) and "Old Town Road" (2019), there has been one 4 bar chord loop repeated throughout the entire song.  The same can be said for "I Gotta Feeling" (2009).  It's interesting that as we venture closer to present day, chord progressions are less complex.

Melody

There are two very contrasting melodic themes for the song: the sang chorus, provided by Rihanna and the percussive verses provided by Eminem. 

Rihanna kicks things off with a no frills, right to the point melody, delivered with precision and somberness. 

chorus 1

Two contrasting phrases are each repeated.  The first features a leap up a 6th and then back down a 5th, landing on the chord root.  She repeats the interval leaps and lands on the F, highlighting the 9 of the Eb.  In the second phrase, she sticks to the root  (Eb), working her way down through D and C, chord tones of the next two changes (3rd and 5th of Bb and F).  This structure is repeated with different words for the next two phrases.  She caps of the chorus with a tag of the hook, altering the last note to Bb, the minor 3rd of G, another chord tone.

The remaining choruses add harmony and an additional tag of the hook.  The first and third phrases are harmonized in octaves with the 2nd and 4th phrases adding a higher third.

choruses 2, 3, 4

Rihanna sings the same melody each time and stays away from any variation.  This is a direct contrast with Eminem's verses.

Eminem's name comes first on the track listing, so it's fitting he takes the limelight in the verse.  There are three 16 measure verses and the longest rhythmic value used is 1 beat.  The rhythmic assault is relentless, a trademark of Eminem's unique style.  His delivery sometimes resembles singing and even when he's clearly speaking, there is pitch distinction, indicated below. 

verse 1 - m.1-8

The first four measures end with two 8th notes, which gives way to a slightly different beat 4 figure in the next four measures.  The last four measures are also bookmarked with entrances on the 2nd sixteenth note of the measure.  This continues with the concluding 8 measures of the verse:

verse 1 m.9 - 16

Of these eighth measures, 7 end with the same rhythmic figure (SSE).  Measures 9 and 12 also borrow the rhythmic entrance established in measures 5 and 8.  All verses end in just enough time to give Rihanna a solo entrance for the chorus. 

This pace continues throughout verses 2 and 3.  Towards the end of the third verse, there is an extra measure before the final chorus.  Notice how the flow is changed, including 16th notes at the end of the measure to keep building momentum towards the final bar. 

Verse 3 - m.13 - 17

The last three notes of this verse are the only time in these 5 measures with more than two 8th notes in a row.  The fast flow of notes leading to a dramatic halt certainly create an exciting moment, heightened by the grim lyrics. 

Musical Sticking Points

"Love The Way You Lie" is musically simple.  A single chord progression runs throughout alternating verse and chorus sections.  That's it. 

The chorus melody is essentially copy and pasted, offering no variation between each iteration.  The verse makes up for this in spades, featuring more rhythmic theme and variation that instruments could ever get away with. 

The production is stellar and there are melodic bits and pieces flying around at various points.  All of these, however, are short lived and not very memorable.  They flow in and out to add color as the sections build, but don't repeat enough to be essential. 

I was happy to transcribe an Eminem rap.  He has such a command of rhythm and flows in and out of sync with the drums and other instruments effortlessly.  His mark in popular music is undeniable.  Check out this article, comparing Eminem to Jimi Hendrix, from Rapanalysis.com [2]. 

Lyrics

The musical simplicity of this track accommodates the depth of the lyrics. 

Rihanna's choruses tell the tale of someone willingly entering a scenario which they will be hurt.  This can be viewed as a cautionary tale or resonate as familiar.  She uses the rhyme scheme AABB, with a tag on the B.

The verses are filled with vivid descriptions of love, hate, dependence and violence.  Eminem is known for over the top lyrics and he delivers here (from verse 2):

Now you're getting fucking sick, of looking at 'em

You swore you've never hit 'em, never do nothing to hurt 'em

Now you're in each other's face

Spewing venom in your words, when you spit 'em
You push, pull each other's hair, scratch, claw, bit 'em
Throw 'em down, pin 'em, so lost in the moments, when you're in 'em

Looking at the above excerpt, you can get a sense of Eminem's complex rhyming ability.  The first line end with the syllable "em," which is used two more times in the next line.  The following line strays before bringing back "em" 5 more times! 

Choose any set of lines in the song and you will find similar craftsmanship....(from verse 3)

Same routine, but your temper's just as bad, as mine is
You're the same as me, when it comes to love, you're just as blinded

When I first absorbed these lyrics, with the help of the video, I got the main gist.  A girl and a guy are in a doomed relationship but keep it going, even when it gets violent.  There are many interpretations of how this can be viewed.  In the end, listeners can make their own conclusions. [3]  Obviously, the ensuing debate worked in Eminem's favor, gaining him more publicity, both positive and negative.

Common Threads

This is the 6th analysis "on the 0's."  For each song, I have compiled a list of common musical elements.  Picking up from the last analysis, Sisqó's "Incomplete" from 2000, let's see how "Love The Way You Lie" fits into the musical puzzle, 10 years later. 

• Repeated melodic motifs - I would say this one qualifies.  Though Eminem's verses are not structured like a traditional melody, he uses rhythmic themes quite effectively within each verse.  The chorus is also built on two repeated phrases.  
• Strong harmonic motion from V to I  - The progression does not include a V chord in the key, though the bVII is a common substitution.  
• Background singers contribute to melodic/harmonic texture - There are background singers, but I'm not sure they contribute a ton to melodic and harmonic structure.  
• Modulation -  
• New material presented at the end 
• Hook that uses the title of the song
• Contains a lyrical refrain - 

 Only 2 1/2 out of 7 musical elements are shared between "Love The Way You Lie" and the other songs "on the 0's."  Looking back at previous round's common threads, two not mentioned here are "repeated chord progressions" and "music evolves throughout."  

"Love The Way You Lie" definitely checks the box on repeated chord progressions, a common element seen in many tunes "on the 8's" ("Poor Little Fool," "Hello, I Love You," "Roll With It," "The Boy Is Mine," "I Kissed A Girl," and "In My Feelings").  

In terms of musical evolution, it's still iffy.  Musical evolution refers to a song's nuanced changes and variations that result in hearing the same thing without hearing exactly the same thing.  As mentioned, there are several production elements that pop up throughout the song resulting in slight evolution.  At the end of the day though, the carbon copy choruses don't quite get there, in my opinion.

Final Takeaways

This is the first analysis I have done where the song's lyrical impact grossly outweighs the musical composition.  "In the Year 2525" (1969) came very close, but that song had a ton of musical stuff going for it, including evolving instrument parts, two modulations and significant texture changes.  Regardless, I like this song.

Eminem's vocal delivery and lyrical flow are truly admirable.  They way he relays a story or a point with the ferocity and pace that he does is dizzying.  As I transcribed parts of this song, I attempted to perform with him, checking for accuracy.  It was not easy.  His ability to flawlessly work through verses is amazing.  I already had respect for Eminem and it has significantly grown after this analysis.  I know his lyrics turn many people off, but I think I understand his hyperbole in an effort to make a point.

What do you think of "Love The Way You Lie?"  Did I miss any musical elements in "common threads?"  Leave me a comment!   

Up next time, I am in line to analyze the no.1 song in the first week of August for 2020, however, it's not August yet!  So let's take a detour and analyze the song that "Love the Way You Lie" beat out for the no.1 spot in July 2010....

June 19th - July 24th, 2010....a 6 week run at no.1, "California Gurls" by Katy Perry, featuring Snoop Dogg.   

This is a very interesting selection indeed.  Another song featuring a prominent male and female personality, one of which has undeniable credibility in the rap world.  I'm wondering if we will see any overlap of common musical threads between "California Gurls" and "Love The Way You Lie."  THis should make for an interesting detour!

[1]https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/music/love-the-way-you-lie/meaning
[2]https://www.rapanalysis.com/2014/04/why-eminem-is-rap-jimi-hendrix-rap/
[3]https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2010/08/love-the-way-you-lie-what-s-eminem-trying-to-say/344563/