"Crazy In Love" - Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z, 2003

 This is the third time Beyoncé has appeared in this project.  (Check out 2020's "Savage" and 2001's "Bootylicious")  If a random sampling of no.1 songs has her popping up thrice, you know she has to be a serious player.  Ans today's subject simply adds fuel to that fire.  2003's "Crazy In Love" is considered one of the greatest pop songs ever written.....at least in this millennium.  Hopefully, this analysis can shed a little light as to why.

"Crazy In Love" comes from Beyoncé's debut solo record.  It incorporates a few musical styles into one slick pop package.  It has won Grammys, topped charts and has earworms that, to this day, permeate dance floors and festive gatherings. [1] If my own highly biased opinion means anything to anyone, I rather enjoy this song.  It literally has a little bit of something for everyone.  Let's get in the weeds and see why this song is regarded so highly.

June 22nd - September 7th, 2003: "Crazy In Love" by Beyoncé, featuring Jay-Z, cements itself as a SCC with an 8 week run at no.1!

One thing that stands out right away is the form.  Going by the numbers, there's a little bit of quirk happening right up front.  The intro, comprised of the horn line, sampled from 1970's "Are You My Woman (Tell Me So)" by The Chi-Lites, [2] happens 3x times, is interrupted with a vocal hook, and then returns for one more 2 measure refrain.

The total length of the intro is 12 bars, but the arrangement of 6-4-2 is unusually asymmetrical.  After that, things even out and we get an 8 measure verse, an 8 measure chorus and a return to the 4 measure vocal hook.  The cycle then starts again, until....

The second statement of the chorus is 10 measures long, which is 2 measures longer than you would expect.  It's a cool little twist that brings in Jay-Z and his 3rd verse rap.  This verse is another great example of unusual grouping.  He raps for 8 measures on the verse feel. Then, there is a 2 measure interruption on the chorus changes.  It gets back to the verse feel for 8 more measures.  18 measures is a long time to rap for and thanks to that interruption, Jay-Z has no problem holding your attention.

Out of the rap, we get to the bridge.  This might be my favorite part of the song and features some ridiculous vocal arranging.  And, once again, the section clocks in at an unexpected number of measures.  We get 6 measures of the chorus changes followed by 4 measures of the verse change.  I love the way the horn sample (chorus) is chopped up into these uneven groupings, much like the original, where it used sporadically.  

The songs ends in somewhat predictable fashion, a double chorus followed by the horn riff fading out.  In terms of the form, this is how the songs elevates itself into the upper echelon of pop genius.  It has predictable elements (4 measure phrases) presented in an unexpected way.  Great stuff!

Chord Progressions

With so much going on in the form, it's not surprising that there are only a few changes happening.  The primary change, built on the sample, happens in the intro and choruses, with appearances in the bridge and rap.  It is driven by the horn line with a pulsing bass line underneath.

Horn Line with Bass

If you focus on this 2 measure riff alone, it doesn't really indicate a clear key center.  You might think Bb, indicating I-VI, which wouldn't be completely out of the question as far pop harmony is concerned.  I saw one analysis that called G7 the I chord, which also wouldn't be out of the question. [3]  This doesn't become clear until it finally resolves during the vocal hook:  Dmin/F.

The D minor chord, with an F in the bass, is the true feeling of home and puts the tune in the key of D minor.  With those parameters more clear, the opening chord change plays out to be:

Bb    /    G7    
bVI /    IV

While each of these chords are common in minor tonalities, they are not usually found back to back and as the primary pillars of the harmony.  The end result is a unique sound that, with the horns, helps this song stand out.  

While we're at it, the horn melody uses (almost) the same figure on both of the chords, a D minor scale over Bb and a D alt scale on G7, only going as high as the 5th of D.

Once the Dmin/F chord arrives, we hear another element of The Chi-Lites sample, a slamming drum part with a moving conga line:

Drums and Percussion

  As the song progresses, this part undergoes some variation, but this represents the foundation.  A solid 2/4 snare part with subtle bass drum hits lie perfectly underneath the 16th note conga assault.  It also contributes to the multiple flavors of musical style, another aspect that certainly sets the tune apart.  It's funky, it's poppy, it's rappy, it's Latin, it's Beyoncé, it's a damn good tune!

Melody

"Crazy In Love" features so many hooks and cool melodies that it's slightly mind boggling.  I will admit, I did not tackle every one, but tried to cover the most important ones.  The first vocal melody comes in the "hook."

Hook

 We see alternating motion from root to 5th.  The second time it gets repeated, the A gets bumped up to Bb and back, a hint at the opening harmony.  Super cool stuff.

Beyoncé's first verse starts low in her range, confirming the tonal center of D minor.  For the first 4 measures, she only touches on D, C and E, root, minor 7 and 2 of the key, all of which mostly resolve to D.  This line would also be R-2-3 in C major.  C major over D minor?  In the second 4 measures, she ventures up to G, quickly working her way down the scale to C.  The result is a C/D sound that is still D minor, but flavored to sound just outside of the tonality. 

Verse 1

Rhythmically, the phrases are similar and use 8th and 16th note syncopation.  Verse 2 follows suit with a few variations, but basically lives in the same space.

The chorus picks up with similar rhythm and syncopation, shifting the pitch up to F.  Here, the pitch moves between F, D and G, shared chord tones of Bb and G7 (save G on the Bb).  In measures 2 and 3, we get a background melody that uses C and A, min7 and 5th of Dminor.  This could also indicate C pentatonic.  Mixed in the arrangement, they don't sound "off," but provide a great color to the whole package.

Chorus - meas. 1-4

The second half of the chorus kicks things up another notch with some added harmony to Beyoncé's lines:

Chorus - meas.5-8

Added to the previous melodic theme are higher harmonies on the A note, established with the previous background vocal part.  It also creates some cool intervals over the moving melody notes.  In the last two measures, Beyoncé shifts up to a G and we get a Gminor chord in the vocal harmony.  This sounds especially cool over the G7 horn part, which eventually resolves to a G9.  Once again, it's all about the subtle color of the melody against the harmony.  

In the second chorus, there are some additional background lines that continue to add shades of brilliance.  Check out Beyoncé's contributions to the 10 measure chorus 2:

Chorus 2 extras

The triplet figure outlining a G7alt is totally hip.  Her next run, a D minor pentatonic thing, resolves on G, once again bringing in that color over the Bb chord.  She then goes completely high in her range, hitting F-D, firmly reestablishing the D minor tonality.  In the extra two measures she harmonizes up a 4th from the melody note, again touching on a new color, hinting at Dmin7, or even C7/G when you account for the other harmonies that are there.

The third chorus is filled with more stuff just like this, featuring B lay down some serious vocal work and color these harmonies with all the shades you don't expect.  

Jay-Z's third verse comes at the perfect time, acting almost like a bridge, giving us a few seconds to recover from the impressive vocals we just heard.  He starts by introducing not only a rhythmic theme, but a call back to the hook from earlier in the tune.

Verse 3 - meas.1-8

 Measures 1-4 use the same rhythm and then depart to more adventuresome syncopation in measures 5-8.  Jay-Z's flow is definitely unique.  He is way behind the beat, often entering just a 16th note after the downbeat.  His delivery is tonal, but maintains a spoken character.  He is also good at creating temporary rhythmic displacement, like in measure 6 when he sprinkles in the triplet feel.  He knows just when to vary the pitch to keep the momentum going forward and make his cadences seem logical.

Measures 9-10 are the return to the horn line and he uses that feel change to change up his flow the second half.  His new theme comes in measure 11.  Here we see a new rhythmic pattern plus new pitches.  

Verse 3 - meas.9-18

 He briefly returns to his initial feel in measures 13-14 which ties things together.  The last four measures are the most different, and actually take me out of the rap a little bit. He reverts to mostly speaking and again returns to shades of the triplet feel.  After that, it's several 16th note assaults as he places his finishing blows.  This rap sort of cleans the harmonic slate we have been given and just punches you in the face with rhythm.  It is the perfect contrast for what comes next, the bridge.

Beyoncé returns with a 4 note melody; D, A. G and F.  Like the verses and chorus, she keeps her phrases similar in rhythm and pitch.  We do get some added harmony, once again resulting in some close intervals and decided G7 chords.  Measure 6 ventures the furthest away with a run that moves C-G, a similar harmony to the very end of chorus 2.      

Bridge - meas.1-6

After 6 measures of the bridge melody over the horn riff, the harmony slams on the D minor feel from the verse.  Here, we get the climax of the tune and some KILLER vocal arranging.

Bridge - meas.7-10 +1

The melody clearly moves to D minor with full harmony supporting the chord.  Similar syncopation and repeated phrases make the part flow naturally and the drama of the stop rhythm just makes this section so powerful.  

In the last measure of the bridge, we get a countermelody that directly borrows from the vocal hook from way back when.  That lies underneath Beyoncé once again hitting the high F, this time descending to D through the E, emphasizing D minor once more.

 The final chorus goes on to include many more melismatic adventures that lead the tune off into the sunset.  The bridge, though, is definitely the climax and highlight of the song.

Lyrics

 Many songs lose it for me in the lyrics department.  While "Crazy In Love's" lyrics are not groundbreaking or transcendent, they are fun and filled with lots of Easter eggs.

Beyoncé's verses are standard fare, offering rhyming couplets where she admits and partially questions her infatuation with the song's protagonist.

The choruses repeat the hook twice and then subtly alter it.  There's even a nostalgic reference of "got me hoping you'll page me right now."  The words are fun to say in succession, an intangible "it" factor of good lyrics.  The statement "got me looking so crazy right now" is intriguing on its own and when put in the frame of reference with another's love, it takes on a new dimension.  

Jay-Z's rap is filled with references.  He drops several self references ("Hova," "R.O.C." and "Big Homie") and affirms his credibility with comparisons to other heavyweights, like Tony Soprano.  The Lyric Genius page will explain all of it better than I can.  It's an entertaining read!   

The bridge is not only the musical climax of the song, but is the lyrical turning point as well.  Here, Beyoncé gives up on questioning the infatuation and just lets it all hang out:

And baby you're making a fool of me

You got me sprung and I don't care who sees

When we get back to the final chorus, we know it's too late for her and she is totally "Crazy In Love."

Common Threads

What are the common musical threads no.1 hit songs share?  In each round of analyses, I try to answer this question by observing like musical elements and investigating their presence in other songs.  In this round, "on the 3's," I have started somewhat fresh, using my last analyses, "Blurred Lines," as the starting point.  Using those common threads, let's see what "Crazy In Love" adds or subtracts to the mix.

Repetitive Melody - There is so much repetition happening here.  We see repeated pitches, rhythms, phrases and counter melodies.  Many sections include references to previous parts of the song.  

Polytonal Melody - the melody definitely ventures outside of pure Dminor.  This is partially due to non-diatonic chords, but the verses are both Dminor and C major.  

Single Repeated Chord Sequence - Two Harmonic Sequences - There are two prominent harmony sections: the horn riff and the verse riff.

Multi-layered Percussive Accompaniment - Congas float over the top during the verses.

Features Rap/Spoken Vocal - My first Jay-Z transcription!  I am a fan so far.

Melodic Bass Line - The bass plays three notes in the entire song :(  

Vocal Harmony - With a bullet!  I may possibly even add in Vocal Countermelodies 

Non-Linear Form - I'm not sure how I want to word this one, but it's worth mentioning the form has some stats you may not expect. There are some groupings outside the standard 4, 8 or 12 count.  

Chord Count - 3 - Bb, G7 and Dmin/F - not an unusual number for chords, but unique in that these three chords are displaced over two different sequences.

Final Takeaways

"Crazy In Love" stands the test of time.  It is a damn good pop tune.  It has non-diatonic harmony that is approachable and funky as hell.  It has melody that stretches the limits of our ear and adds colors you don't normally see in pop music.  It also has all the elements you expect to hear in pop music from repeated lines, powerful vocals and lyrics that you can relate with.  

I have played this song for years in various bands.  I never minded it, even when I was in the throws of rejecting popular music.  There is something about it that I always liked, even though the bass line I was playing was just about as simple as it gets.  Maybe it's because the song is clearly minor, but it doesn't feel minor?  It's poppy but funky?  It's predictable but edgy?  In any case, this is a keeper for me and I'm sure I will encounter Beyoncé in this project again!

Up next time, continuing "on the 3's," we head to 1993.  July 24th - September 4th, 1993.  "Can't Help Falling In Love" by UB40 goes on a 7 week rampage at no.1.  I remember hating this song back in the day and I am confident I will find some musical value in it almost 30 years later.  Let the reggaetone take effect!

[1]https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/beyonce-crazy-in-love-best-song-why-2316762  

[2]https://www.whosampled.com/Chi-Lites/Are-You-My-Woman%3F-(Tell-Me-So)/ 

[3]https://www.hooktheory.com/theorytab/view/beyonce/crazy-in-love-ft-jay-z 

"Blurred Lines" - Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell, 2013

As we begin the journey "on the 3's" of no.1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, through the decades, we encounter the most controversial song yet.  "2013's "Blurred Lines" has gone under the knife of scrutiny in several different arenas.  The song has been banned by several UK universities and the racy video was even removed from YouTube.  The lyrics are considered misogynistic and raunchy.  Countless articles have been written about these topics.  Here are a few I read, all coming to the same general conclusion. [1] [2] [3]

Oh yeah, AND there was a lawsuit filed against the song for copyright infringement against Marvin Gaye's "Got To Give It Up."  It lost.....Robin Thicke paid big time.

So, in spite of all this negative criticism, is the song any good?  Is there any merit to the composition?  It was no. 1 for 12 weeks...... now we all know "controversy creates cash," but is the song itself fitting of the no.1 label?  That's precisely what I hope to find out.  (spoiler.....musically, this song is interesting, catchy and funky.....no.1 material....the lyrics.....they haven't aged well.)

 June 22nd - September 7th, 2013: "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke, featuring T.I. and Pharrell slays the no.1 position for 12 weeks!

The form of "Blurred Lines" looks more complex than it really is.  Verse-prechorus-chorus, or ABC, is repeated twice.  That is followed by a third verse and bridge, which combined, feels like a long bridge.  It ends with a verse and final chorus.  The intro bookends the song as an outro.  

Each section has predictable numbers, grouped in 8's.  This cut and dry data is actually telling into the minimalistic approach of the chord progression.  This simplicity certainly gets overshadowed by the multi-layered vocals and risqué subject matter.   

Chord Progressions

"Blurred Lines" is built upon a repeated 8 bar segment that uses only 2 chords!  Those chords are G and D and last four measures each:

G  / G  / G  / G  / D  / D  / D  / D
I                       / V

On it's own, it's not the most exciting progression and certainly doesn't seem like a feasible pattern to last the entire song, until you bring in the bass!

Bass Ostinato

This highly syncopated bass line drives the song.  In fact, this may be its most redeeming quality.  The bass sticks to G roots for the first 4 measures with 2 notable departures.  In measure 2, it plays a short C, hinting at the IV chord, brief as it may be.  In measure 3, the bass approaches the G from a 5 to min7 walk up, hinting at a G7 sound.  It then sticks to D roots for 3 measures before the classic octave descending line D-C-B-A, leading perfectly back to G.  This is an excellent bass line and makes the most of minimal harmonic information.

The bass is not alone though.  The drums provide a rhythmic bed for all that syncopation to lay on.  Bass, snare and high hat lay the funky foundation and are accompanied by a cowbell part for the ages.

Percussion Ostinato

The (4)+ accents shine through with snare and open high hat or bass drum kicks.  They compliment the bass syncopation and keep this funky groove moving forward the entire time.  

The keyboard part is relatively far back in the mix and keeps things really simple, falling in line with the upbeat syncopation theme.

Keyboard Ostinato 

There are a few moments where the rhythm cuts out completely for a few beats.  When this happen, it just strengthens the groove when it returns.

This entire track is a good example of how minimalism can work in pop music.  Granted, there are layers upon layers of melodic and percussive vocal lines to add to the mix, but the pure instrumental tracks are few.

Melody

With such sparse harmonic information, the melody must be complex?  I would say yes.  This marks the first analysis I have done to feature significant use of chromatic motion.  Robin Thicke starts off with a very high register G major melody, moving between root, 2nd and 3rd in the key.  Then, we get the chromatic theme.

Verse 1

Here, he hinges on D, approaching it from a half step below.  This "half step below to a chord tone approach"  will dominate the melody.  He ends the phrase with a G minor lick, touching on Bb and F natural, giving the sparse harmony a little color for a bar.

Speaking of colors, verse 2 gets shaded a little more.  It starts with a new rhythmic and melodic pattern, compared to verse 1, a decidedly G pentatonic thing, reaching that insanely high D.  Measure 4 has a crazy harmony that outlines a G7, reinforcing the bass line approach in measure 3.

Verse 2 - meas. 1-4

The rest of verse 2 is similar to the back half of verse 1.  Both verses are immediately followed by the pre-chorus.

Pre-Chorus 1

Here, we see more chromatic approaches to chord tones.  Eventually, he goes up the G pentatonic scale to usher in the chorus.  The second pre-chorus features additional harmony:

Pre-Chorus 2

  

The "uh huh" backgrounds in measures 5-8 are doo-wopy and add an interesting color to the mix, reinforcing the Dmajor chord tones.

It's worth mentioning that the intro, verse and chorus are filled with repeated vocal lines that thicken the texture all the way through.  Usually happening over the D chord in the second half of the 8 measure progression, those parts consistently feature:

Vocal Extras

These spoken parts, mixed with more chromatic approaches to chord tones definitely fills in any gaps left by simple harmony.

The chorus is a 16 measure festival of repeated melodies and thick(e) harmony.

Chorus

 The first "good girl" includes a nice descending melisma in G minor, a cool color against the major chord in the keys.  We then get a definite G major lick in the "I know you want it" repeats in alternating octaves.  The next "good girl" gets there with, you guessed it, chromatic approaches!  When then hear 3 similar phrases moving between A-B-C, giving a D7 feel for the first time.

Those 8 measures are more or less repeated with different words and a different ornament on "blurred lines."  Keep in mind, all of this is accompanied by "woos," "hey's," "everybody get ups" and a bunch of other vocal filler.  The end result is a damn catchy chorus.

Verse 3 takes a totally different approach than the other verses and features a rap by T.I.  Like many raps, it features repeated rhythmic themes that come and go over the course of 16 measures.

Verse 3 - meas. 1-8

A repeated rhythmic figure is the 8th-16th-16th group that ends many phrases.  It has a certain cadence to it that makes this rap feel like one cohesive verse instead a bunch of lines spoken quickly.  There are a few moments of melody that seem to naturally emerge.  Both of these themes continue in the next 8 measures.

Verse 3 - meas. 9-16 

There is a slight break in measure 13 which uses some heavy delay.  It gives just enough space before the final assault of 16th notes finishes off the section.  In that section, it's worth noting he rhymes "pimpin" with "pimpin" three times....more on that in the lyrics section.

There is also an 8 measure bridge, which breaks things down a bunch, coming right out of this rap.

Bridge

We get shades of the high verses, now outlining G7, leaving a lot of space in between.  It ends with familiar material before sliding into another epic melisma.  This one, again outlining G minor, is a little more involved than the others and lasts more than a measure.  

Lyrics

This is the least redeeming quality of this song.  I'm not going to comment too much because I disagree with the general sentiment.  Thicke has defended the lyrics as "tongue in cheek" and Pharrell has condemned them.  They are, in a way, a glimpse into the dark side of human desire and hint at the egotistical intentions of someone who won't relent until they've got what they've come for.  

The lyrical flow is filled with near rhymes ("say" and "page"; "close" and "animal") and rhymes words with themselves a few times ("hug me").  At least the vocal performance is well done.

I would remised if I didn't draw the parallel between "Blurred Lines" and another controversial song to make no.1 in 2020, "WAP."  Both songs are sexually charged and cross the line of decency repeatedly.  Both songs also claim their message is one of "empowerment."  I'm sure there can be arguments made, but those arguments leave me scratching my head.  I think back to some of my personally beloved music with inappropriate lyrics, namely, Cannibal Corpse and other death metally "shock rock."  While those lyrics can be disturbing, I think most are so fantastic they leave the sphere of real world application.  "Blurred Lines" and "WAP" hit close to popular culture and are very much a real concern.....    

Common Threads

As I begin this set of analyses, "on the 3's," I will keep this list simple and specific to "Blurred Lines," for now.  As I get to other songs through the decades, it will be amended.  I am trying my best to start these common threads fresh each time and not fall into conclusions I've already drawn.  I'm not sure it's possible to be unbiased, but I will try my best to allow for a free flowing thought process to, hopefully, lead to new insights.

Repetitive Melody - There are several repeated melodic patterns throughout the song both in rhythms and intervals.  The chromatic approach to chord tones and the general cadence of the eighth note patterns spring to mind.

Single Repeated Chord Sequence - 8 measures, 2 chords

Multi-layered Percussive Accompaniment - the traditional drum set, the cowbell and the vocal effects create a bed of percussive layers

Features Rap/Spoken Vocal - this may prove irrelevant when we get closer to the 80's, but it's worth noting.

Melodic Bass Line - while it does follow the roots, this bass line has a few melodic moments.  

Vocal Harmony - lots of cool harmonies created in this one!

Chord Count - 2 - G and D.... 

I have the feeling this list will change, but some of these are new and I'm curious to see where this line of thinking will lead.

Final Takeaways

From a compositional standpoint, I think "Blurred Lines" is a slamming track.  It's super funky and cashes in on "less is more."  I used to play the tune in a cover band back in 2013 and I always enjoyed playing this bass line.  Throw that on top of the percussion matrix and it's a one way trip to Funky Town.  Aside from these musical aspects, the song has not aged well.

The lyrics, though open to some interpretation, and defended as "tongue in cheek" by Thicke himself, are uncomfortable to hear.  I wouldn't feel comfortable having my daughters listen to it, which is a short measuring stick, but a litmus test none the less.  The music video fails this litmus test with flying colors.  Director Diane Martel has defended it as an expression of female empowerment, but seven years later, it doesn't quite translate the same.

Regarding the copyright lawsuit, there are certainly similarities in the feel. The cowbell part is there, though not as busy.  The falsetto voice is present, but sings different words and  a different melody.  The chord progression is also different.  I'm surprised Marvin Gaye's victory hasn't opened Pandora's box on borrowing feels and chord progressions in songs.  It's virtually impossible not to rip off some aspect of some song in the 1200 year history of notated music, never mind the 160 year history of recorded music.  

Next time, continuing with the journey "on the 3's," we head to 2003.  July 12th - August 30th, 2003, 8 weeks at no.1, "Crazy In Love" by Beyoncé, featuring Jay-Z.  Ah yes, another song I have played in a cover band and quite enjoyed.  This will also be Beyoncé's 3rd appearance in this project!  Check out 2001's "Bootylicious" and 2020's "Savage."  Let the good times roll.     

[1]https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/nov/13/blurred-lines-most-controversial-song-decade

[2]https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-blurred-lines-notebook-pharrell-williams-robin-thicke-marvin-gaye-20150306-column.html

[3]https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/music-theatre/2019/10/how-blurred-lines-scandal-changed-pop

"Circles" - Post Malone, 2019

 Spoiler alert: I know nothing about Post Malone, other than his appearances in beer-alternative commercials and that slick Nirvana tribute he did.  Apparently, Post Malone is a genre bending hip hop artist that has had some massive chart success.  If you listen to his 2019 single, "Circles," that vibe does not clearly come across.  I found many reviews of the song that all praise it for its catchiness, but almost dismiss it due to it departure from Post's normal musical stylings. [1]

Vocal Media's Sean Patrick comes in a bit hotter with his take: "Circles" is a perfect pop song. [2]  He makes some salient points in his article, many of which I agree with.  As someone who had never heard this song prior to analyzing it, I am very impressed.  Not only is this a well crafted pop song with a simple and relatable message, there is some clever musical composition happening under the surface.

November 30th - December 7th, 2019 and January 11, 2020 - "Circles" by Post Malone logs in 3 weeks at the no.1 position!

The form of "Circles" is one of the most simple and effective pop song forms I have analyzed. It starts with an extended 16 measure intro.  The first 8 establish the intro melody and chord progression.  Bass, drums and vocals enter in the next 8 to round out the 16 bar section. 

Then, there's a little color by numbers action happening.  Verse 1 (A) is 16 measures long.  It is immediately followed by the 16 measure chorus (B).  He repeats both sections with the same length.  We do get an 8 measure bridge (C), which is followed by one more 16 measure chorus to end the song.  ABABCB.  This is almost the pop music equivalent to rondo form.  What's interesting is that there is some variation in the performance, especially in the verses. 

Most importantly, the song thrives on this simplicity.  The ultra pop presentation is enhanced by simplistic elements such as the overall structure.  The lesson here may be less is more.  For this song, it certainly seems true, as we will see with the chord progression and aspects of the melody. 

Chord Progressions

"Circles" utilizes the same chord progression throughout.  You could say the same chords keep running in circles?  If this was the intention, Post Malone is taking word painting to another level.

The intro gives us the chord progression right away with a strumming acoustic guitar accompanied by another guitar/synth combo with a melody on top:

Intro - meas. 1-8 (guitar melody and rhythm)

CMaj7 starts off with two strong downbeats and leads into the very cool Emin7/B chord.  Out of the 5 notes, 3 stay the same while the other two resolve down a half and whole step.  It's an interesting and eerie sound that gives this tune its atmospheric sound.  Notes continue to move in small intervals resulting in Fmajor7: E stays while B and G move up a half and whole step, respectively to form the F major chord.  Then, in a wild move, F major7 moves to F minor, seeing the E move up a half step to F and the A move down a half step to Ab.  Super cool voice leading!

The first 3/4 of the progression repeats and instead of Fminor the second time, it stays on F and then plays two beats on a G6 with the E string continuing to ring out.  Also note the quick open G string during the firs Fmaj chord.  It provides the slightest bit of movement in the progression, even when the melody note isn't happening.

Speaking of the melody, it basically outlines C pentatonic, visiting the 6th.  This will quickly become a vocal theme as well as a background melody during the chorus.  The diatonic Cmajor choices over the non-diatonic Fmin result in a continuation of the unique vibe this song puts forward.  

The bass part, which comes in for the next 8 measures of the intro, plays a G over the Fminor chord, resulting in a temporary Fmin/G:

Bass Line

That's basically it.  In the key of Cmajor, the chords flow as follows:

CMaj7  / Emin7/B   / FMaj7  / Fmin   / CMaj7   / Emin7/B  /  FMaj7   /    G6

I           /   iii            / IV          / iv         /  I             /  iii            /  IV          /      V

As seen in several songs, iii - IV is a common progression, as is IV-V, as is iv-I.  I love how these common combinations are combined in an uncommon way.  

Melody

The melody of the song is diatonic to Cmajor, despite some non-diatonic chords.  Again, we see this in the intro melody, first played instrumentally and then sang by Post himself.

Intro - meas. 9-16 (bass and vocal)

Scale intervals 5-6-5-3 are repeated and lead to 3-2-2-3 with the instruments finishing 2-R.  It's a pleasant, mostly stepwise melody that presents a predictable start to the song.  

Post enters with verse 1, using similar syncopation to the intro guitar ostinato.  

Verse 1 - meas.1-8

He starts on a B, the major 7 of C and the 5th of Emin.  That resolves up a half step to C.  In measure 4, he sings the A natural, 6th of Cmajor and major 3rd against the Fmin chord.  While this should clash, it doesn't.  There is almost an audio illusion going on where our ear retains the F major and because the Fmin is far back enough in the mix, and exists from two contrary half step resolutions (E↑F; A↓Ab).  It doesn't come off as a wildly new chord either, it's more of a pivot.  When we hear the same melody in measure 8, the chord remains on F major, so it sounds completely correct.

After these 8 measures, the rhythmic theme continues with new pitches.  He moves his primary pitch to E, now major 3rd of C and root of the Emin.  When we get to Fminor, once again, he sings a "wrong" note.  The E over the Fminor results in a Fmin-maj7 chord, a classic mysterious sound.  It's short lived though and we return to chord tones.  The last measure of the verse banks on the D, 5th of G, even though it's not sounding, and resolves to the tonic.

Verse 1 - meas.9-16

Verse 2 is very different from verse 1.  The empty measures from verse 1 are filled in and for 8 measures, the syncopation borrowed from the guitar part, is abandoned.  The notes change as well, exploring a G in the first 8 and a C in the second 8.   If you account for both verses, his primary pitches are B, E, G and C....he covers each note in the CMajor7 chord.  Too cool!

Verse 2

The second 8 measures introduce a rhythmic theme borrowed from the chorus and augmented in rhythm.  "Special," "sex though," and "echoes" are reminiscent of the "run away" syncopation in the choruses.  In looking at the Fminor measures (4 and 12 above) he avoids harmonic clashes in this verse.  In measure 4, he rests and in measure 12, he sings a C, part of the F minor chord.  

The end of this verse uses a figure we will see in the bridge as he, once again, uses C pentatonic to rise 6-R-2-3.  This verse, like verse 1, and the chorus, and the bridge, uses diatonic pitches to fill out the melody.  

Let's dissect the chorus.  Here's what Post sings in the chorus:

Chorus - Melody Only

The first 6 bars present a line that descends from E to B, bumps back to C and finishes with A-G.  It's all diatonic and, once again, outlines notes of C pentatonic.   In measure 7, he changes the pattern and employs some syncopation on the the repeated "run aways," which eventually passes through F (not C pentatonic) and up to the G.

Measures 8-11 use similar patterns and transition with measure 12, more musings in C major.  Measures 13-16 combine the first 6 measures with the middle "run aways," recylcing themes and getting melodies stuck in your head!

On top of this great melody, there is some substantial vocal harmony added.  a higher part that begins a 4th apart from the melody eventually works its way into 3rds.  As the melody progresses, a lower voice comes into the mix, a third lower than the melody.  

Chorus with harmony

In measures 9-12 of the chorus, we actually hear a reprise of the intro melody figure, played by a keyboard.  The last 4 measures pick up with familiar harmony.  While transcribing this chorus, my ear was definitely playing tricks on me.  Harmonic overtone, studio effect or sang harmony?  Some of the time, I wasn't completely sure.  In the last 2 measures though, I definitely got both higher and lower parts accompanying Post's melody.

The entire chorus is comprised of diatonic melodic passages that are almost all derived from C pentatonic.  When the F pitch is introduced, it coincides with the F or G6 chords, making perfect sense for the cadence and resolves to the C in some fashion.  

There is a bridge, once again built upon the same harmonic foundation.  Here, Post lays down more diatonic C major passages and hinges on the F-E motion a bit more than before.  Rhythmically, he sticks to some of the same patterns, he just more phrases together.  The section, in turn, moves along at a quicker pace, helping to feel like a proper bridge, which is marginally succeeds at, in part thanks to the rhythm section backing off a bit.

Bridge

There is some interesting symmetry with the line "it's only me," happening in measures 3 and 7.  He ends the bridge with the familiar "let it go" flourish from verse 2.  

  

Lyrics

"Circles" tells the story of someone trapped in the negative cycle of  relationship.  The lyrical content here is certainly relatable to many.  Post Malone is good at making powerful statements in plain speak.  (There are plenty of articles about the meaning of this song, so take my analysis for what it is.  Here's a similar, but alternate take to consider [3]).

We couldn't turn around 'til we were upside down

I'll be the bad guy now, but know I ain't too proud

The two parties can't walk away from the relationship until it's completely upside down, though they likely knew it would end up there in the first place.   Post Malone decides he will initiate the break up, becoming the bad guy, even though he's not proud of it.

He goes on to lament about the struggles of the relationship and makes a bold and honest statement that, once again, is relatable to many.

You thought that it was special, special

But it was just the sex though, the sex though

The chorus has one of my favorite lines and sentiments of the song.  It sees Post Malone, knee deep in the struggle of ending this relationship for good, going on the passive aggressive offensive:

I dare you to do something

I'm waiting on you again, so I don't take the blame

I love the image of him daring this person to do something, knowing that if he makes the next move, he will most certainly be to blame.  He did already admit to being the bad guy, though........

There's also the sweeping refrain of "let it go" that appears at the end of verse 2 and in the bridge.

In the end, these two keep "feeding the flame" and this negative cycle continues to run them around in circles.  Easily understood, relatable lyrics that are clever, personal and honest.  

Common Threads

Repeated Melodic Motifs - rhythmic motifs are repeated, with varying pitches, all over the place.  We also see phrases within the sections repeated.  Repetition is key in this one.

Diatonic Melody - despite non-diatonic chords, the melody stays diatonic.  Moving largely in steps and through the C major pentatonic scale.

Texture Changes - there are a few textures here, mostly driven by the presence or absence of drums and bass.  The song actually ends with the sparse texture presented in the intro. 

Vocal Harmony - the vocal harmonies add an ethereal quality to the melody and occur in each chorus.

Song Title Used In Hook - "running in circles...."  "run away" is arguably more prevalent, but "circles" makes it in regardless.

Singular Chord Progression - Not sure if this one will endure as a common thread, but it's worth mentioning.

Chord Count - 5 - CMaj7, Emin7/B, FMaj7, Fmin, G6

5 chords throughout the song is slightly higher than the average chord count of the time, as I have analyzed.  That being said, the fact that the 5 chords are spread over one chord progression is even more impressive.

Final Takeaways

I really like "Circles."  The musical composition is sneaky good, even if the overall presentation is uber poppy.  I actually listened to Post Malone's record, Hollywood Is Bleeding.  My first impression was actually exactly what I expected from an artist who gets labeled as "pop/rap."  He didn't do too much rapping, but there were several guests who did.  "Circles" features a little bit of Post's "billy goat" vibrato, thankfully.  It comes off much more prominently on the recorder.   At first I though it was an effect, but watching some live videos, he's definitely part goat.  It's a cool effect, but like most pop music, gets tiresome after a while. 

Pop records end up having this glossy finish that makes every song sound the same.  I determined this is mostly do to the drum sounds and syncopated cymbal patterns that permeate modern pop.  Hollywood Is Bleeding has plenty of that, but a few songs did stick out as sounding different.  "Circles" was certainly one of them.  I'm glad I took a moment to become acquainted with Post Malone and though I like this song, his other stuff isn't really that appealing to me.  Not to say in the future I wouldn't check something out, but for now, I came, I saw and I'm moving on.

What do you think of "Circles?"  Did you pick up on any of the nuanced details or did they get swallowed up by the poppyness?  Leave me a comment!

Up next time, we star the journey "On the 3's!"  Let's kick things off, keeping in the past themes, with the song that was number 1 in the first week of August, 2013.     June 22nd - September 7th, 2013 - A massive 12 week run at no.1..."Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke, featuring T.I. and Pharrell, reigns supreme.  Reading the no.1 hit songs in 2013 is like a time warp.  I was playing in a cover band at the time and played many of these popular songs, including "Blurred Lines."  Hopefully the nostalgia factor will kick in and make this one interesting!

[1]https://vulturehound.co.uk/2019/09/post-malone-circles-single-review/
[2]https://vocal.media/beat/song-review-circles-by-post-malone-is-pop-perfection
[3]https://justrandomthings.com/2019/08/31/post-malone-circles-lyrics-review-and-song-meaning/

Rounds 4 and 5 Wrap Up: "On the 1's" and "On the 2's"

My strategy for analyzing no.1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 has been to take glimpses of the songs, one decade at a time.  Using the first week of August as my target date, I started the whole thing off in August of 1958 with the inaugural no.1 hit "Poor Little Fool" by Ricky Nelson.  From there, I visited 1968, 78, so and so forth.  

The last 12 analyses have covered 1961 - 2012.  After analyzing chords, melody and lyrics, I compiled a list of common musical threads that were present in each.  Though I have done for each analyses, I started a fresh list and built on it with each song.  The "final" list ended up with 7 reoccurring musical elements:

Repetitive Melodic Motifs - the overall melody repeats itself both with identical phrases and with similar intervalic or rhythmic motion

Stepwise Motion Common in Melody - 2nds, major or minor, are the primary melodic interval

Hook Uses Song Title - The hook, or catchiest part of the song, utilizes the title

Vocal Harmony - Prevalent vocal arranging through parallel harmony, countermelody and/or call and response

Texture Changes - Timbre and/or dynamic change through instrumental arrangement

Strong Harmonic Motion from V-I - Chord progression that sees V7 resolving to I (or i)

New Material at the End - the closing section of the song features a new melody and/or chord progression

Below, I have summarized each song in relation to these commonalities.  Please take a look at individual entries for each songs analyzed, by the decades: "On the 1's" (1961 - 2011) and "On the 2's" (2012 - 1962). 

Common Threads - 1961 - 2012

A few things stick out.....

Every song contains repeated melodic motifs.  Repetition took a couple of different forms from the use of similar intervals and rhythms to straight out repeats of phrases.  Either way, this is the common thread that makes the most sense, as listeners generally gravitate to predictability.  

Every song on this list includes the title of the song in the hook.  It's interesting that this trend, certainly seen in many modern songs, has been happening since the early 60's.  I know there are exceptions to the rule, but they are few and far between....(notable exception: Drake's 2018 no.1 "In My Feelings")

Prominent stepwise motion was present in almost every song.  While there were 2nds in the melody, Bobby Lewis's 1961 contribution, "Tossin' and Turnin'," leaped around quite a bit.  It makes sense that stepwise melodies are favored by many listeners.  It's also worth mentioning that most of the time, melodies are diatonic.  I may keep closer tabs on this moving forward.  

Texture changes were present on almost every song as well.  The two songs that had static texture from beginning to end were Madonna's "This Used To Be My Playground" (1992) and Nelly's "Hot In Herre" (2012).  Both of those stayed in the same sonic space, dominated by keyboard sounds with no relent.  The other compositions have some change in texture from less drums, to more drums, to no drums.  The same goes for other instruments, like guitars, bass, horns, etc.  There are further exponential variables when you consider way instruments can be grouped to get different timbres and sonic textures.

Many songs use vocal harmony, which coincidentally can be used to change the texture.  The only song above that did have vocal harmony without texture change was Madonna.  This is mostly due to the harmony being present a majority of the time, so nothing ever really feels different.  She provides the harmony herself, keeping the timbre even more unified.

After analyzing this data, I see the "new material at the end" element was really just a reaction to three songs in a row (2011, 2001, 1991).  As you can see, it doesn't occur again outside of 1992, which barely qualified with a 4 measure variation on previous themes.  

A curious element is harmonic motion from V-I.  7 out of 8 songs between 1961 and 1992 contained V-I motion.  The only one that didn't was "Eye of The Tiger," mostly due to the popular minor key progression of i - bVI - bVII....no V's are really needed.  Songs between 2001 and 2012 come up empty though, indicating an abandonment of this traditional cadence.  In keeping with that theme:

Look at those chord counts!  With the exception of "Eye Of The Tiger," the curve is generally higher before the 2000's.  After that, no.1 hits seem to utilize less chords.  This can also be seen in the lack of V-I resolutions.    Check out the line graph below to see how the number of chords used in these no.1 hits has changed through the years.

Let's take a look at some compiled data regarding singer gender, key signatures, tempo, song length, chord progressions and sections. 

Combining the above data with the previous data taken from the round 3 wrap up, in 37 analyses, we see the following trends:

• 14/37 (38%) in a minor key (+2%)
• 12/37 (32%) have a tonal center of Ab (G#) or C
• 16/37 (43%) utilize one primary chord progression for the entire tune (-5%)
• 26/37 (70%) contain more than 2 sections (+2%)
• 7/37 (19%) have verse and chorus only (-5%) 
• 23/37 (62%) contain at least one bridge section (+10%)
• 14/37 (38%) utilize the bVII chord (-2%)
• 25/37 (68%) utilize the IV(iv) and I(i) chords (-4%)
• 34/37 (92%) are in duple (2/2 or 4/4) meter (+/- 0%)
• 23/37 (62%) feature a male lead singer (+6%)
• 35/37 (95%) use the title of the song in the hook (+3%)

• Average length - 4:03.  

Looking at these points, I am thinking of a few things:

• Major keys are slightly more favored than minor keys.
• Tonal centers are all over the map with 12/37 songs using C or Ab as the home pitch!?
• Songs generally have more than 2 sections, which usually includes a bridge.....if there is a bridge, that usually indicates a verse and chorus as well.  
• Duple meter is king.
• I and IV (i and iv) chords are common in chord progressions
• Slightly more male than female lead singers
• Using the title in the hook is almost universal

So that's a wrap on these two rounds of analyses.  Once again, I am finding myself discovering some cool new songs and appreciating ones I may not have given a chance.  

In the past few weeks, I have been listening to lots of pop radio, mostly to occupy my children (ages 10 and 8) on car rides.  They are very familiar with many top 40 songs and actively sing along.   When I have had enough of a particular song, I zone out.  As the music fades to background music, it's not offensive and doesn't demand my attention, it's just pleasantly there.  Those are the two extremes that contribute to mass appeal.  I can be actively engaged in listening or just find comfort in the familiar well-mixed drone.

Up next time, I'm going to take stop in 2020 and analyze "Circles" by Post Malone. I recently learned it for a gig and figured I should write it up for posterity.  After that, we'll head resume with "On the 3's," heading to 2013.  Get ready for a continued dive into no.1 hits, through the decades.

"Call Me Maybe" - Carly Rae Jepsen, 2012

Simple is not always a bad thing.  Just ask Carly Rae Jepsen.  Her smash hit single, "Call Me Maybe," is the epitome of a simple pop song, and it works so well.  It uses repetition of chords and melody to imprint catchy melodies into your brain, for better or worse.  Hit Songs Deconstructed calculated that 41% of the song is comprised of the chorus. [1] No wonder it gets trapped in your ear.

It's very easy to pass off "Call Me Maybe" as a typically "bad" pop song.  I had similar feelings going into this analysis.  After uncovering some unexpected nuances though, I discovered it is a well crafted display of melody and rhythm, set against surprising chords and harmonies.  Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding, authors of Switched On Pop, agree as well.  Check out this excerpt. [2] 

If you're on the "call me never" bandwagon, keep reading......

June 23rd - August 18th, 2012:  "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen goes on an 9 week rampage at no.1!

 

"Call Me Maybe" Overview

 The form is straightforward and does everything good pop songs usually do.  We see 8 measure verses followed by a 4 measure pre-chorus.  The chorus is a whopping 16 measures, the same 8 measure segment repeated.  There's also an 8 measure bridge in the middle that gets recycled as the outro.

There is a cool wrinkle in the 3rd chorus, C'.  There, the first 4 measures see the rhythm section and vocals drop out.  They come in for the last 3/4 of the the section, which gives the entire part a slightly different feeling.  The last bridge is followed by 4 measures of delays, noise and effects that gradually slow down until the last beat.  

The intro is a simple string figure that blurs the true downbeat until the bass drum drops on beat 1 of the verse.  The section repeats after the first chorus and is easily felt after the beat has been established. It's a nice buffer to reset for the next presentation of verse and chorus.  

Chord Progressions

"Call Me Maybe" starts out with violins chugging eighth notes on G and D, acclimating the ear to the key of G major.  When the verse drops, a quiet guitar comes in and changes everything though, outlining a harmony that will permeate the entire tune.

Verse Chord Progression

CMaj7 results from the C in the guitar, the G and D in the strings and the repeated B's found in the melody.  While This could be seen as G/C, we get more information regarding C later on so it seemed fitting to include it as such here.  If you're playing guitar, the C chord makes the most sense for this part as well.  In similar fashion, the melody notes and string accompaniment indicate G/D in every other bar.  

Both verses use this basic pattern, resulting in: IV / I

The chorus and bridge expand this idea, adding more information and yielding two additional chords.

Chorus and Bridge Chord Progression

The syncopation, taken directly from the changing note rhythm in the verse guitar part, drives the tune in these sections.  We hear actual chords as the strings shift through the chord tones.

C    G / D   Emin  /  C   G  / D

IV   I / V      vi     / IV    I  /  V

This sequence is nothing new to pop music, centered around I, IV and V with the vi chord thrown in for color.  What's interesting is that the weight of the progression falls on C, the IV chord, not the usual and expected I chord.  You would expect to see V resolving to I (D - G), but it consistently resolves to IV.  It does create an interesting quality to this song that helps it stick out in spite of the simple harmonic movement.

There are a few spices added in during the chorus that elevate it even further.  We see a guitar arpeggio during the second half that moves between G, E and D, a three note grouping that catches all the harmony, one way or another, and contributes a rhythmic pulse.  There is also wild string run at the end of every 8th measure.  It happens very quickly and is more of an effect than an intricate melodic contribution.

Chorus Harmonic Enhancements 

One additional harmonic variation happens at the end of the bridge, both in the middle of the song and in the outro.  There, we see a very brief guitar motive get a massive delay treatment, resulting in echoing tones to create a spacey texture.  The A note, the 9th of G, results in a really interesting color that is short lived yet very intriguing, to my ear.

Post Bridge Guitar Figure

While this song is extremely repetitive, and uses one main harmonic sequence the entire time, it makes the most out of a little.  The verse and chorus, though essentially the same, sound very different with opposing melodic range and rhythms as well instrumental arrangements.  This seems to be a shared characteristics of songs in the general time period (late 2000's to early 2010's).  Basic material is repeated with a revolving door of nuance on the top.  

Melody

Carly Rae Jepsen begins the song low in her range, singing repeated motives that move between 3-2-R in G major, set on top of the C root.  This morphs this melody into those Cmajor harmonic extensions.

Verse 1

Rhythmic entrances are very consistent and each phrase begins on (1)+.  In measure 4, we get the first glimpse of a rhythmic and melodic figure we will see in the chorus, the dotted 8th syncopation.  

Verse 2 is similar to verse 1, but includes added harmony, a trend that begins in the pre-chorus.  Here, the harmony is mostly up a 3rd, but repeats the D note over the moving A and G.  It finally moves in measure 4, creating intervals of 4th, 3rd, 4th and 3rd, respectively.

Verse 2, meas. 1-4

The pre-chorus is a 4 measure refrain that follows each verse.  Rhythmically, it feels very different from the verse, beginning on beat 2 and then accenting beats 1 and 2 in each subsequent phrase.  The vocal melody gets a little higher, in general, working off of D, instead of B.  The harmony is presented in 4th and 3rds, as in verse 2.  Measure 3 has an interesting change with an F# in beat 1, resolving up to G.  It gives the line a little extra motion and keeps the repetitive melody from becoming too redundant.  The last measure features Carly repeating some high G's that lead nicely into the chorus. 

Pre-Chorus

The chorus is certainly the memorable part of this one.  It's 16 measures long, two repeats of a basic 8 measure section.  She repeats the hook 4 times in each chorus.  These stats walk a fine line of becoming too repetitive and redundant, but some sensible arrangement avoids this successfully (9 weeks at no.1 is definitely success!)

The chorus starts with a G major arpeggio, over an actual C chord.  She then sings another G major arpeggio over an actual D chord.  Finally, in measure 3, we hear a C in the melody, confirming suspicions that it was C and not G/C the whole time!?!  In measure 4 we get the hook, R-3-2-R, Do Re Mi in G, over the V chord!  When you break it down like that, it shouldn't sound as poppy and predictable as it does.  I think the trick is using shared chord tones.  G, and B, are shared with G, CMaj7 and Emin.  D is shared with D, G and a logical extension of Emin. All of the pitches work over multiple chords.

Chorus - meas. 1-8

There is a slight variation in measure 6 when she leaps up to another shared chord tone, B, before returning to the same melody as earlier.  Speaking of repeated melodies, there's 8 more measures in the chorus.  Some of the words change and we get an added vocal harmony, once again creating intervals of 3rds and 4ths.

Chorus - meas.9-16

The harmony here is so tightly executed.  Carly sings it herself and the blend in timbre and close voicing comes off as almost unison with healthy overtones.  The added color is just enough to spice up the second half of the chorus, and once again, keep the song from getting too stale and over-played (not this song wasn't overplayed!)

Though the words change, the rhythm and pitches stay the same.  With 4 hooks per chorus, it's no wonder this one gets stuck in your head.....

The 8 measure bridge, though it utilizes the same harmonic motion of the chorus, is a good buffer between the first part of the tune and the ending.  It effectively incorporates rhythms and melodies from both the verse and chorus to create a catchy new melody, built on repeated lyrics.    

Bridge

The lower melody line moves, once again, through G major space, this time through G pentatonic, adding in E.  The vocal harmony is almost exclusively in thirds, keeping the close interval and timbre to blend the vocal into one powerful presentation.  We see rhythmic themes reminiscent of the verse, a descending line with shades of the pre-chorus and the harmonic rhythm of the chorus.  

The bridge is accompanied by a guitar melody that further differentiates it as something different.  A brand new rhythm outlines GMaj9, hitting chord tones of the passing chords along the way.  The rhythmic hiccup between measures 2 and 3 is a cool effect that resets the pattern.  

Bridge - Guitar countermelody

This first bridge is immediately followed by the chorus, without words for 4 measures, which creates lots of space and primes you up for the final statements of the hook.  She even sneaks a final "call me maybe" at the end of the last bridge to end the track.   

Lyrics

I feel like there have been many songs that feature innovative ways to get the most out of little source material and then.....the lyrics.  The verses present a rather intense infatuation with a person, repeatedly saying "now you're in my way," as in they cant get past the idea of having this other person in their life.  

Verse 2 presents intense emotion, though slightly cliche, but effective at getting the main idea across:

I beg and borrow and steal

At first sight and it's real

I didn't know I would feel it

But it's in my way

Each verse uses the rhyme scheme: AAAB CCCB

Then the chorus comes in.  All of these intense feelings are cheapened with a series of shy and juvenile colloquialisms: 

And all the other boys try to chase me

But here's my number, so call me maybe 

 

Not to question the sincerity of Ms. Jepsen, but she presents this desperate plea of attraction and desire for companionship and then asks for a callback, maybe?  The wind in my emotional sails just petered out.  She tries to rebound in the bridge, claiming "before you came into my life I missed you so bad, you should know that I missed you so bad."  She's a chorus late and a few dollars short.

I don't know what I expect lyrically from a pop song.  I like the music, I like creativity of the composition but the lyrics kill it for me.  As I have stated before, my opinion is generally contrary to popular tastes.  The public lapped this one up pretty readily.  Relatable lyrics, simply stated, are probably what gives this song the mass appeal.  The hook, "call me maybe," is strong, so despite my feelings, I can see why it was so successful.  Carly Rae herself recognizes the childish "filler" of the lyrics in this Billboard.com article from 2017 regarding the composition of " Call Me Maybe." [3]

Common Threads

What common musical elements do no.1 hits through decades share?  That's one of the mission statements of this project.  After I complete each analysis, I attempt to find some of these common threads.  So far, I have used songs from 2011, 2001, 1991, 1981, 1971, 1961, 1962, 1972, 1982, 1992 and 2002 to inform this list.  "Call Me Maybe" checks a lot of boxes....

Repetitive Melody -  Another extremely repetitive melody added to the archives.  This one repeats melodic ideas and phrases all over the place.  One of my favorite examples of repetition in a melody comes from Madonna's "This Used To Be My Playground" (1992).  That one repeats segments in a crafty way/  "Call me Maybe" is a little more obvious about it.

Hook that Uses Title of the Song - Double check.  We get the hook 12 times!

Stepwise Motion Common in Melody - the verses help this qualify.  There are quite a few thirds in there as well, as she weaves her G pentatonic melody.

+ Use of Vocal Harmony - The harmony in this one is tight.

+ Texture Changes - There are a few different textures.  The verse is thin, with strings and the guitar.  The bass and drums first enter rather subdued and then kick it harder in the chorus.  The bridge ups the anti even more with louder guitars.  There are also the moments after the bridge with the echo guitar and big space.

- Strong motion of V- I - almost....there is a prominent V chord, but it resolves to IV, not I.  

- New Material at the End - there is some noise at the end, but probably not enough  to qualify as substantial new material

  

Chord Count: 4 - CMaj7, C, D, G, Emin - I didn't count D/G, as it is a similar function to plain old D.  I did count the 2 versions of C though....the CMaj7 really is like G/C and feels very different from the proper C in the chorus. 

5/7 common threads is a strong showing for Carly Rae.   In looking back at the chords used, the song still intrigues me in the use of the CMaj7.....

Final Takeaways

I have played this song a few times, years ago, in various cover band situations.  Believe it or not, I remember singers having trouble finding their starting pitch.  After examining the melody, clearly in G major set against a C chord, that is really G/C, I can see why they got thrown off.  As the bassist, I never felt 100% confident playing the tune, partially because I never committed to learning it fully and relied on my sight reading abilities, but I also remember feeling like there was something strange about it.

All these years later, I do like the song.  It is very repetitive and super poppy in every sense of the term, but it's catchy and well constructed.  I'm not sure I could have written such marginally disjointed harmony and melody.  It makes a little more sense why I was never fully confident playing this song, because it pushes against common patterns and slides in just left of center.  

What do you think of "Call Me Maybe?"  Did the harmony every stick out as a little off?  Did the earworm get into your head or did it get overplayed out?  Leave me a comment!

Next time, a recap of all the songs I have explore "on the 1's" and "on the 2's."  I'll take a look at the various common threads and compile all the chord progressions.  I love these data filled recaps to get a sense of how song writing has or hasn't changed through the decades! 

[1]https://reports.hitsongsdeconstructed.com/call-me-maybe/#
[2]https://ew.com/books/2019/12/13/switched-on-pop-excerpt-carly-rae-jepsen-call-me-maybe/ 

[3]https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7768166/carly-rae-jepsen-call-me-maybe-interview-greatest-choruses